Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is the property of JK Rowling. Anything you don't is a creation of my ambition for all things Harry Potter and Gary Oldman.
Two days after they reached home, Katrina got an owl from Sirius. He'd had a huge row with his family, his father had beat him and used the Cruciatus Curse on him, and he was now staying with the Potters. As soon as she read the letter, she jammed her feet into flip flops and ran up the road to the Potters despite being in the blue plaid flannel shorts and blue tank top which she had slept in. None of the Potters seemed surprised to see her, but Sirius looked extremely surprised and confused.
"How are you...how did you...?" Sirius stammered.
"I've lived up the road since first year. James never told you my mother and his father are brother and sister?"
"No. I had no idea you were cousins."
"That's the reason I'm the only Gryffindor girl in our year who can stand him. He only has Remus and myself all summer. If he's too arrogant for the two of us to handle, he has to entertain himself. And nobody wants that."
"Thanks, Katrina. I needed that squishing of my ego so soon into the summer," James said sarcastically.
"You're welcome," Katrina replied with sincerity. "Somebody has to keep you grounded and I'm the closest thing you have to a sibling to do so."She turned to examine Sirius closely. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine. It's just some bruises, Kitty."
"That's what I always thought, too. By age eight, I'd had a broken jaw, broken ribs, a broken arm, and a broken leg."
Sirius grabbed her wrist. "I'm fine. Trust me, I know what broken bones feel like. I am a Beater, after all. You were..."
"My stepfather. Mum divorced him and turned him in to his Muggle police," Katrina assured. "Da died years ago. I know he loved me dearly."
"Where is your mother this morning?" Mrs. Potter asked. "I had a recipe I wanted to inquire of her."
"I assumed she went to work already, Aunt Emily. Although, she wasn't home by the time I went to bed." A frown crossed her features. "I'm beginning to wonder if she ever came home. I should go."
"Stay, eat breakfast," Mr. Potter insisted.
"I'm not hungry, Uncle Rick, and I'm hardly dressed for companionship," Katrina protested. Just then, her owl Perdita (a snowy owl) and Judy (a barn owl) flew into the room. Katrina walked over to Perdita and took the letter from her leg, giving her the crust of Sirius's toast. She ate it and flew off as Katrina read the letter that was in Albus Dumbledore's handwriting. She sank to the floor, tears welling in her eyes.
"Katrina?" Sirius asked softly. Their eyes met, and Sirius dove out of his chair to hold her.
"Kitty? What's wrong? What's happened?" Mr. Potter inquired with concern.
Mrs. Potter looked up from her own letter. "Elizabeth died doing work for the Order last night," she announced grimly, watching Sirius help Katrina into a chair. "Voldemort himself killed her. There's a possibility he'll be coming for Katrina, not a big one."
"You'll stay with us, Katrina, as long as you'd like, since we're your godparents. The boys don't mind sharing a room, do you, boys?" Mr. Potter resolved.
"Absolutely not," Sirius and James replied.
Sirius sat there holding Katrina until sleep claimed her. He carried her to the spare bedroom and lay her gently on the bed. He moved to leave, but her cool hand wrapped around his wrist.
"I don't want to be alone in this world. Why did this happen?" she asked weakly.
"I don't know why. I intend to find out. I do know that I can promise you that you will never be alone in this world as long as I'm alive," he said, sitting near her stomach. He stroked her hair out of her face. He leaned down to kiss her sweetly, then kiss her forehead. "Get some rest. You've had a rather overly-exciting morning. I'll get your things from your house." She nodded and relaxed. Sirius didn't leave her side until she was sleeping peacefully.
Sirius returned to the kitchen. "Poor girl. She's been through so much already in her life, and now to add this," Mrs. Potter was saying as he walked in.
"She doesn't need pity, Mrs. Potter. She's afraid of being alone, she wants to know why Voldemort did this. She needs friends, the little family she has left, and answers. Otherwise, we're going to have a suicidal teenage girl on our hands, and we don't want that," Sirius said. "Particularly me. I'm gonna go get her things for her."
"I'll come with you," James said, standing up. The two boys left the house to go up the street. They brought Katrina's belongings back and put them silently in her room so she didn't wake up.
On July 16, Sirius gave Katrina a white kitten for her birthday. She named him Dagda after the Celtic Father of the Gods. They received notices from Hogwarts reminding them that they would be taking their N.E.W.T.s this year, a list of school supplies, and James got two extra notices. One revealed that he was the house's Quidditch captain for a third year in a row and the other that he had earned the position of Head Boy. Katrina and Sirius both began calling him 'Big Head Boy' because of the ego-boost the badge had given him. They also began plotting ways to get James and Lily to start dating. Mrs. Potter had caught them at it one day and dropped hints when she thought of them. Whenever James walked into the room they were plotting in, they quickly changed the subject to the latest Quidditch news.
Soon, they were returning to Hogwarts. The day after they arrived, Katrina had a meeting with the new headmaster, Dumbledore. "Candied Apples," she sighed to the gargoyle that blocked the entrance to Dumbledore's new office. It sprang aside, and she jumped onto the rotating stairs. She knocked on Dumbledore's door, receiving an invite to enter. "Good afternoon, Professor."
"Ah, Katrina. Good afternoon. I trust your summer went well?"
"Slightly. After I excepted my mother's death, of course."
"Have a seat. That's good to hear. She would have hated it if you ruined your entire holiday after the fact of her untimely death. I'd like to talk to you about your mother."
Katrina took a deep breath. "Okay," she agreed.
"Elizabeth Livingston was a truly remarkable woman. You don't know this, but she personally fought and defeated Voldemort twice before their third and tragically final meeting. She died protecting you, the most important thing in her life after Alfred's passing. She died protecting people like Lily Evans and your former stepfather...well, Muggles in general." Katrina grinned. "Because it was the right thing to do."
"Why didn't she tell me about the Order of the Phoenix?" Katrina asked him.
"Because she knew that once you found out what the Order stood for, you would want to join. And you can...once you finish school. However, I will let you, Mr. S. Black, Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Pettigrew, Ms. Prewett, and Ms. Radcliffe have certain privileges. Considering the number of attacks that have been escalating toward your group of friends, I can turn my gaze the other direction when you stand up for yourselves and each other. I believe it will better prepare you all for the spots that I will hold for you until after graduation in the Order. Your mother would be very proud of you and your friends. She would also be pleased with your relationship with Sirius."
"She was. The two days she knew about it," Katrina revealed. "You mentioned that there was a chance of Voldemort coming after me."
"I believe you're safe for the time being. You're too young and he's too unaware of your power to come after you just yet. I believe you'll be safe until after graduation," Dumbledore assured.
"Good. One less thing to worry about this year," she sighed with relief.
Dumbledore chuckled. "If there's nothing else, I wish you good luck this school year and allow you to take your leave. I believe a very impatient Mr. Black is pacing the corridor downstairs."
"Thank you, sir. For being honest with me about my mother's death," Katrina said before getting up and leaving.
