Chapter 7: The New Katie Bell

September 15th 2004

Angelina, Alicia and I all made the team again. I have to admit, I will miss those two when they graduate next year, but I'm going to enjoy the time we have together. You know, we have been roommates since I first came to King Charles. I can't imagine sharing this room with someone else-or worse, moving in with someone else. I suppose there is always Leanne, but her friends aren't that fond of me. Just the same, I'm not rooting for them, myself.

My classes this term are pretty exciting. I have a wonderful English Professor-Professor Maxwell. He's brilliant and rather dishy. Angelina and Alicia had him last year, and he is everything they described.

Well, aside from classes, hockey has been taking its toll on my body. I have bruises in places unimaginable, but I guess that's what you get for playing. Mum can't believe I'm still doing this. She about threw a fit when she saw me in my bathing suit last summer.

Oh, exciting news. I finally got another book to add to my Diary collection. This one is of the Russian Duchess Anastasia. Well, if you have forgotten, I'm a huge fan of those novels, and it is because of those novels that I even bothered starting a journal of my own. It's gotten to me-and mum promised me that it would be worth it. High School is a critical time, she says, and I will be glad to have written down my thoughts and feelings.

I'll leave a copy of my schedule in here, as I did last term. Right now, I think Angie and Alicia want some supper. Until next time, dear friend.

Sincerely,

Katie Bell

I shut the book and dropped it in my lap, unable to suppress a sigh. I had spent the last hour reading everything this Katie Bell had written. A lot still sounded the same. My parents were still living at Long Island and I was still an only child. My best friends were still the same-Angelina and Alicia, and they were still older than me. Leanne still existed as did her snobby friends. I was still an athlete and a fairly good student.

But a lot did not make sense. I had heard of hockey, once or twice on the news back home, but I wasn't too familiar with it-not enough to be the Katie Bell in this world. The school was called King Charles Private and I was very comfortable and proud to be there.

I leaned back against the head board of the bed, trying to recuperate my thoughts. It was funny. The diary seemed very similar to something I would certainly have written. It was still my messy handwriting and my occasional uses of a dirty swear word. I raved on and on about certain sports, and there was not much talk about boys. I did not have a boyfriend, nor did it mention any types of crushes I had. That was so like me. I did not even have the balls to admit to a diary who I liked.

The door swung open and Angelina and Alicia walked in, talking in hushed voices. They stopped when they saw me sitting up.

"Oh. You're awake, then?" Angelina stated, more than questioned. I nodded and placed the diary quickly back onto the table. I felt rather ashamed, reading it. They didn't seem upset. Instead, Alicia smiled wide and walked over to her drawers. She pulled out a blouse and pulled her plain purple shirt over her head.

"Let's go to dinner. You must be starving, Katie."

I felt my stomach lurch a bit. I had not eaten since breakfast. Glancing at the table, I saw that the little electronic clock read 8:30.

"I am." I said, jumping up. I was starting to feel a bit curious, wondering what the rest of this place must look like. I started to the door but stopped when I noticed the looks Angelina and Alicia were giving me.

"You're not…You're not really going to wear that, are you?" Alicia asked. I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the gold and maroon jersey and the tight tan pants. I blushed a little and shook my head.

"Of course not! I just-forgot to change. Give me a moment to freshen up, will you?" The girls nodded. I stalked over to the wardrobe beside my bed and opened it hesitatingly. Was this mine? I looked in and pulled the first thing I could out. A pair of blue jeans-that was safe. I reached in and grabbed a grey blouse and a pair of socks.

There was a line of shoes beneath my bed and I grabbed the most comfortable looking tennis shoes there. I slipped off my clothes and changed quickly.

"Well, are we going?" I asked. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to flatten it. Angelina and Alicia nodded both looking ready to go.

"I guess it's too late for you to shower…" Alicia said, wrinkling her nose. Angelina rolled her eyes and pushed Alicia forward.

"Stop worrying about looks, Al. She smells fine!" And we headed out the door.

The school was just as big as Hogwarts, and it was comforting to know we could safely rush down the stairs without them changing direction on us. There were some portraits that lined the walls, but all were silent and still. It sent shivers up my spine to be around them. A group of girls in short pleated skirts and tank tops walked opposite of us and wrinkled their nose in our direction.

Angelina and Alicia didn't seem to notice, so I didn't question it. Perhaps, in this strange, odd, interpretation of our world, we were more unpopular than I thought. Was this how people viewed us at Hogwarts? Were there really groups of girls that sneered at us-girls that weren't Slytherins? I had never taken the time to notice.

I followed the girls down the long corridors until we reached the largest staircase. I felt a bubble erupt in my stomach. Very much like Hogwarts, this place had a Grand Staircase, and I felt like a first year all over again, staring down it in majesty.

"Mmm, I can smell it from here!" Angelina said, taking a deep sniff. They quickened their pace, and I had to double time my step just to keep up.

The smell roaming from the large cafeteria was mouth watering. I kept in step with the girls until they entered the large room. Instead of four distinct, long tables, there were several dozens, some full, some completely empty.

I followed Alicia and Angelina into one of the shorter lines. A group of girls in front of us were talking loudly, and I recognized a few of them as the girls that were at the rink earlier. The thin brunette who had been flirting with Oliver Wood caught my eye and smirked a little, before turning back around to talk to her friends.

"Bitch." Alicia muttered beside me. Angelina kept her arms crossed and tapped her foot impatiently as the line moved slowly.

My eyes took in the mess hall which was full of people chatting excitedly. It was just like Hogwarts, only more modern. I noticed Oliver and Fred and George Weasley sitting at a table, laughing loudly.

"They really know how to make 'em obnoxious here." Alicia said, nudging toward Oliver and his friends.

"I dunno…George always seemed pretty cool."

"Yeah, George is neat, I'll give you that."

"Not Fred so much."

"Nope. Sometimes I wonder how those two can be related, much less be twins."

"Yeah, but no one is as obnoxious and big headed as Oliver Wood."Alicia grumbled. Angelina nodded and they looked at me.

"Oh, yeah…what a total pain."

Alicia rolled her eyes. We grabbed our food and headed out of the line to the area where there were several tables set up. Angelina found one in the corner, completely clear of the crowd. As I sat down I noticed, a few tables away, Oliver Wood sat with the twins. He was talking animatedly with a beautiful brunette.

I felt a sting of pain in my side as if I had just ran twenty miles straight. I had gone years seeing Oliver with other girls but he was finally mine. It was other girls who stared at me jealously because Oliver Wood had his arm around me, and it was me he couldn't stop staring at.

It was me who he dragged into the locker rooms and shoved against the lockers. It was me, who he couldn't get enough of.

But now it was totally different. Oliver Wood in this world didn't give me a second thought. This Oliver Wood grinned soberly as a scantily clad and obviously well endowed brunette stroked his tan arm. I could almost see red. I want to march over there and punch her-or even him-in the face. I knew I couldn't though. I couldn't even understand what was going on, much less gather the courage to stand out. This Katie Bell didn't stand out.

I sighed and rested my head on my folded arms. Eventually, I would wake up from this insane dream and everything would be back to normal.