Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter or anything else that is owned by someone else that I put into this story.
A/N: This chapter was so hard to write! I'm still not completely happy with it, but I wanna get it out there. I had to look up so many things about the Marauders time, because I want it to be as close to the story as I could get it. So if you see something that wasn't true about Voldemort, let me know.
Chapter 9
There's a Reason for Everything
Once they returned to the Common Room after eating supper in the Great Hall, Katharine excused herself from the group and ran up to her dorm to drop off her book bag. She wanted to go see Dumbldore immediately. She realized now that getting close to the Marauders was a very bad idea, and she needed Dumbledore to figure out how to get her back. There was no way to keep her a James apart, and she needed to get out now... She just prayed that there was even a way for her to get back.
Her dorm room was empty once again. She threw her satchel onto her bed and turned right back around and headed down the hallway and down the stairs, moving quickly as she was in a bit of a rush. It was getting late and she knew she had to get to Dumbledore's quickly before curfew started. She figured he would give her an excuse after she left, in case some Professor found her out after curfew. After all, she knew she wasn't as slick as the Marauders were about getting around the castle. She only knew a few of their "secret passageways."
She started to walk past the group, hoping they were too engrossed in their conversations to notice her, but realized that was just plain foolish.
"Where are you going?" James was the one to look up of course.
"To see Dumbledore."
"Why not wait till tomorrow? You'll have to be back soon anyway." James was staring at her with his brows furrowed together, as if he was trying to read her mind.
"I can get an excuse from him or something, I'm sure." Katharine crossed her arms. She was slightly irritated with his bossiness and that everyone was staring at her now.
"Don't mind him, Kat, you go do what you need to do." Peter interrupted James before he could interject some more. It was clear they all could see the annoyance written on her face. She often hated herself for being such an open book sometimes.
"Kay, bye." She waved and ran out of the portrait hole before she could be stopped.
She walked quickly down the familiar corridors, giving her mind a chance to reason through everything.
She knew she was falling hard now for James, and she'd only known him for about a week! And apparently he was falling for her rather quickly as well. They must have some magical chemistry going on, she figured. That would be the best explanation for all of this, anyway... And an excuse for her feelings...But then a thought dawned on her and she slowed down her pace.
What if... What if she really was here for a reason? What if hers and James' strong feelings for each other were for a reason? This all couldn't just be based on chance, could it? But... if hers and James' feelings were moving so quickly for a reason... Then that must mean that Harry shouldn't have been born, right? But, why?
She tried to reason through that logic... The more she thought about it, the more she thought it didn't make much sense. The prophecy that Sybill Trelawney said would never have been made about Harry defeating Voldemort... Also, the prophecy that she said when him and Neville were born wouldn't have been true either. Neville would have been the one that would defeat Voldemort, not Harry. Voldemort would have gone after Neville and killed him instead of choosing to go after Harry.
"Oh, this is just absolute rubbish." Katharine expressed her thoughts out loud.
Then she heard quick footsteps down the corridor and quickly searched for somewhere to hide, but it was too late.
A man strode down the hallway towards her, wand raised high and robes billowing as he ran. And he wasn't alone; he had three other men rushing behind him. Katharine automatically reached inside her pocket in search of her wand, and immediately felt like throwing herself up against the wall for being so stupid and forgetting that she no longer had her wand.
The man came right up to her, his wand held inches in front of her face. She stared cross eyed at its tip, completely frozen in place. Where had all of her bravery gone? Oh, that's right. She left it back with her wand.
"Who are you and why are you roaming the corridors after dark?" The man threatened.
"You have no business asking me that." She shot back at him.
It was difficult to make out anything in front of her with a wand shoved in her face and having barely any light to see with other than the torch light they were standing nearby. She surveyed what little of the man's face she could see behind his long hair as he looked down upon her. She could make out a long, hooked nose and his hair was pitch black and very greasy. Suddenly he looked familiar to her and she realized whom was pointing his wand at her face.
"Snivellus..." She hissed at him.
"What the hell did you just call me?" He sneered as he took a step forward.
"She called you Snivellus, now get the hell away from her before I blow your head off!" Came a voice from behind her, and immediately she knew who it was. Had he been following her?
"James!" Katharine hollered as she spun around in time to shove a hand against his chest to keep him from jumping Snape. His eyes screamed anger as they appeared to be on fire in the torch light.
"Of course. It's Potty here to kick some arse and save the day." Snape provoked. His followers sneered as well.
James grabbed Katharine's arm and threw her behind him like she was simply a rag doll. "You better step back, Snivey. Do it now or I swear there will be blood."
"Whatever, Potty. I'm not the one always looking for a fight or someone to punch."
"I don't have to look for someone to punch when you're always popping up in front of me."
They both stepped towards each other when Kat yelled, "Stop it you two, oh my GOSH get over it!"
"Ooo, better listen to this lady here, she's a smart one," Snape laughed.
James stepped forward and pointed his wand in Snape's face. "Don't you ever talk to her- touch her- hurt her in any way or anything else that involves her. If you do, I will make it the last thing you ever do."
What was with James and his threats? He had a little too much testosterone in him at the moment...
"Yeah, whatever Potty, see if I care," Snape said as he started to turn around.
James began to raise his wand but Katharine quickly grabbed hold of his arm. With Snape's back turned towards them, his minions glared at James and Katharine, but followed suit and the four walked back down the hallway.
"James, what the hell are you doing here? I mean, thank you but nothing was going to happen and all of that fighting was unnecessary." Katharine scolded.
"You didn't have your wand, I didn't want to risk something happening to you. It's Hogwarts, you never know what's going to happen, as you just witnessed." He pointed down the corridor Snape had just disappeared from, "So no, it was completely necessary."
"How did you remember that I didn't have my wand? I even momentarily forgot," she said.
"I don't know. Good memory I guess?" He paused and looked down. "Okay, I just didn't like the idea of you walking around in the dark..." He sighed as Katharine could literally see the fire dying in his eyes.
"Well, thanks again but you can go now, I don't need an escort to see the Headmaster," she said as she resumed walking down the hallway.
James followed her. "I'm not going anywhere, Kat, I'll wait for you outside if that will make you happier."
"No, it won't."
"Well, too bad."
Katharine huffed. James was making this MUCH harder for her to stay away from him. "You're ridiculous."
"Get used to it."
She glared while he simply smirked at her.
"So, who were the others with Snape?" She asked after she accepted that he was not going to leave.
"They were his buddies Evan Rosier, Rabastan Lestrange, and Dameon Mulciber. Usually he doesn't have them following him like that, though... All four of them are probably becoming Death Eaters, wouldn't put that past them." Then he added thoughtfully, "They're probably being recruited right now, actually."
"You know what Death Eaters are?" Kat asked, completely surprised.
"Uh, yes, I figured you knew all about that guy."
"That guy as in Voldemort?"
"Yes?" He said questioningly.
"You mean the First Wizarding War is going on right now?"
"Yeeeeeaaaaahhh..." He said slowly, "Why?"
Katharine stopped dead in her tracks, "Oh no... Oh no, no, no, no, NO!" She cried, shaking her head repeatedly. "I thought it was after this time! How could I be so stupid? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She said ridiculously, smacking herself in the head.
"Woah, hey. What's the big deal, anyway?" James asked as he grabbed hold of her wrists.
"That's the person who kidnapped me, James! Oh my, what... That could be why I'm here! What if I'm here because I'm supposed to stop all of this and him gathering his Death Eaters?"
"I think you're over analyzing this just a little."
"No, no, no... I'm not! This time that I'm in right now may have everything to do with what's happening in my time!" She shrieked as she suddenly tore out of James' grip and started running down the corridor, "Hurry, I must talk to Dumbledore!"
Finally, they arrived at the Gargoyle but only stood there and stared at it.
"See why I'm here?" Katharine turned to look at James as he held his head high and continued, "You probably don't even know the password, do you?"
"No, but I have a million guesses, thank you very much." Kat scoffed.
"Jeez, sorry," he said as he deflated.
He simply watched her try nearly a dozen different sweets off the top of her head... With no luck.
"Would you like me to give you the password or not?" James smirked.
"WHAT? You know the password? Well, bloody give it then!" Katharine shrieked.
"Chocolate Pasties."
"Well, I was close. I said Pumpkin Pasties," she growled.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Parker." He grinned.
Katharine tossed her hair irritably and left James in the corridor. She ran up the staircase and rapped the door at the top three times. She heard a mumble inside and opened the door.
Dumbledore had been pacing his office. Kat could tell by the fact that he was standing mid-stride in the middle of his office with his hands behind his back.
"Good evening, Miss Parker." He nodded his head at her.
"Good evening, sir."
"Come sit," he said, walking up the few steps and around his desk to his chair. He conjured up a chair and Katharine took her place across from him. This felt all too familiar to her.
"I know you are wondering why I have not spoken with you. You see, I've been thinking a lot about your situation and... I'm sorry Miss Parker, but I have had no luck in finding a way for you to return to the future. And no one on my staff has been able to help me either." Dumbledore frowned.
"Wh- What? You haven't found a thing? But I was hoping you had! You're the greatest wizard I know, Professor!"
"Yes, but this is such a rare situation... I can't understand why you came back to this time... Why here, why now..." Dumbledore spoke slowly and held his hairy chin in his hand.
"Actually, I think I might have a possible answer at least to why I've come back to this time..." Katharine said quietly.
"Do you now?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling behind his spectacles.
"Well, I'm sure you know who Tom Riddle is? Or, now known as Voldemort?"
"Yes, of course. You also told me when you arrived that he was the one whom kidnapped you?"
"Yes he was. And I have realized now that I have come back to this time where he first became powerful."
"He began forming his army about five years ago in 1970, who are known as his Death Eaters. He has mostly been attacking muggles and muggle borns, but it has been kept quiet." Dumbledore stated skeptically.
"I know as well that you have made your own army called the Order of the Phoenix," she said.
He cocked a snowy eyebrow, "Yes, I have a number of witches and wizards in my secret army who are tracking Voldemort so I that may remain Headmaster here."
"Well, I feel like I am here for a reason and that I should share everything with you about the future. I feel like we really should change the future, it only gets worse from here up to my time. And I just feel like so much can be changed from this point on." Katharine was finding it very difficult to get her thoughts out, much less get her words to makes sense.
"Time is a terrible thing to mess with, Miss Parker. It is not your job to fix the future. No matter how traumatic it is."
"But you will understand what I mean once I tell you everything, I really think you should hear what I have to say. Voldemort has ruined everything in my time... Why would you not want to hear about the future when you are given the opportunity to stop Voldemort now?"
Dumbledore remained silent for a moment.
"Okay, Miss Parker. Give me a brief overview." He said as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his long, bushy beard.
Katharine quickly rushed through everything she could possibly think of. She told him about Harry, told him that he was James and Lily's son and that Voldemort attempted to kill him and that now he is (or was, or to be, whatever) the Chosen One. She told him about the prophecies. She told him all about the Horcruxes, which was probably the most significant part of the future. Everything about Voldemort revolved around the Horcruxes. The sooner that Dumbledore knew about them, the sooner he could destroy them or maybe even stop Voldemort from making the rest of them if they weren't already finished. She also told him about Peter betraying James and Lily, resulting in their death, and also told him that Snape was being recruited to become a Death Eater. By the time she had reached that point in her story, she didn't care how much she told him. She just wanted all possibilities of James and Lily to remain alive for Harry, so that he may finally know his parents...
When she finished, Dumbledore stared at her for a split second, and then suddenly stood up and ran over to the pictures of the previous Headmasters of the school.
He ordered almost every painting to go notify this person and that person and tell them everything that Katharine had just told him. He ordered them to tell the others in the Order to work faster in locating Voldemort and he ordered other paintings many more things that Katharine started to lose track of.
"Sir?" She tried to get his attention. He ignored her.
"Sir!" She shouted again. She now had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach for some reason...
He turned around with his finger pointing in midair as he had been pointing at different paintings.
"Did I tell you too much? Did I just completely jeopardize the future?"
"No, Miss Parker. I think you are absolutely right. I think we can change the future together," his blue eyes lit up again.
"I just don't want to change Harry's fate. And I want James and Lily to stay alive if at all possible..."
"We don't know what the future may bring, but we can try." He said with a small smile.
"Also, sir, I have to mention something else." She paused and took a deep breath. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters killed my whole family... Your family too. Can we change that too?"
"Oh, Miss Parker... Once again, we can't control everything that happens. But, if we are able to stop Voldemort now, I'm sure all of that will fall into place."
Katharine faintly returned his smile and nodded in agreement.
"Now, if you have nothing more to tell me, you may go back to your dorm. I must finish business."
"Yes sir. Oh, I forgot to mention to you that I don't have my wand. Voldemort stole it before I was sent here."
"Ah, yes. I can have Mr. Ollivander make you another."
"Thank you, sir. It's ten and a half inches, willow, and a tail hair of an Aethonan."
"Yes ma'am, got it." He beamed as he tapped his head with his wand showing that he will remember it.
"Thank you again, sir," Kat said as she walked towards the door.
"Oh, and if anyone stops you along the corridors, just have them speak with me and I shall take care of it."
Katharine nodded at Dumbledore one last time and left the room. She walked down the stairs and then nearly had a heart attack when James popped out in front of her at the bottom. She had forgotten that he had been waiting.
"Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He laughed after she regained composure. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's alright," she mumbled as they headed back down the dark corridor.
"Kat, what's wrong? What did you guys talk about?"
"He hasn't found a way to get me back... And I told him everything about Voldemort. We think we might be able to change some things about the future... Only I can't get this horrible feeling to go away." She said as she kept her head down.
"It sounds to me like you did the right thing. What would be so bad about changing the future a little? Especially if it's for the good?"
"Because I'm worried it might change the fate of someone I love very much."
"Who would that be?" He asked.
"I can't tell you." She said, feeling his intense gaze upon her.
"Why not?"
"There are just some things I can't tell you or it could ruin your future too."
"Hey," James stopped and grabbed a hold of both of her shoulders, "I'm sorry. I can be quite nosy sometimes. But if you need to talk, just don't forget I'm right here for you, alright?"
She nodded her head, keeping her eyes down. "Trust me, I could never forget about you," she whispered.
Then James pulled her close and embraced her in a tight hug. She hadn't hugged anyone in so long and kinda felt safe in his arms... Next thing she knew, tears started swelling up in her eyes and she couldn't help but let them fall and make James' shirt completely wet. She sobbed and sobbed into his chest while he said comforting words to her and stroked her hair. They stood like that for what felt like hours, but really was only a few minutes.
Finally when Katharine was able to compose herself, they headed back down the corridor. James grabbed hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers. He smiled at her and she just couldn't find the courage to let go and take her hand back. She knew it was wrong to hold his hand, but her emotions were getting the best of her. James was so sweet. He seemed like a completely different person to her than the way the older Sirius and Remus had described him. He didn't seem like such an arrogant prick that was completely obsessed with getting girls or pranking people like the others were. Maybe he still was that person, though. Maybe he only acted like a gentleman around her. She found she didn't really mind that. Oh boy, the predicament she was in...
They came to the portrait of the Fat Lady and faced each other in front of it. The Fat Lady was fast asleep in front of them and Katharine kinda felt bad that she would have to wake her.
"Thank you for walking with me and you know... Comforting me and all..." She said, staring at their intertwined hands.
"Once again, you don't have to thank me, babe." He grinned at her as she blushed uncontrollably when she looked up at him.
"Well, um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," she said awkwardly.
James chuckled. "Yup, one more day before classes resume."
"Yep," she agreed.
Then James pulled her into another long hug. She breathed in his scent and sighed contently into his chest. Now that her nose wasn't stuffed up, she could really tell how unbelievably amazing he smelled.
She turned her head and laid her ear across his chest, listening to his heart beat. Then suddenly, she decided that from now on, she would do everything in her power to keep that heart beating. He and Lily deserved that... Harry deserved that.
He kissed the top of her head and sadly let go. "Goodnight, Kat," he smiled down upon her.
"'Night," she barely breathed. She watched him walk away as he headed back to his dormitory; then she woke the Fat Lady, whom growled at her but let her in after she said the password.
The Common Room was empty, thank goodness. She climbed the stairs and went to her dormitory. Her roommates were all asleep, so she quietly undressed, brushed her teeth in the bathroom, and hopped into bed. She sighed as she snuggled into her pillow, and fell asleep almost instantly... Her last thoughts were of James.
James laid awake in bed for hours, thinking about someone that had recently been on his mind every second of every day since they had first met.
He couldn't completely wrap his mind around the subject. She was a mystery to him. He hardly knew her, but he couldn't stop himself about the feelings he had for her. Sure, at first he did think that he only liked her because she was "the new girl." But honestly, now he knew that wasn't true at all.
That night when he met her, he felt an instant connection with her. Almost like love at first sight, even though he felt completely ridiculous for thinking that way. When he saw her all battered and bruised, he made a subconscious decision that he would never let anything like that happen to her again. And he didn't even know who she was!
He felt like... Almost like he couldn't imagine how life would be if he had never met her.
He liked to think that she was here for him. That he was the reason she came back in time. That he would have led a terrible, lonely life without her.
But then, he used to feel that way about Lily. He used to think that Lily was the one he couldn't imagine never being in his life. She used to mean everything to him. She used to be the one he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. But so much had changed in just one week...
Now, all he cared about was being with Katharine. All he wanted to do was be in her presence. He didn't want her to go back to her time. He wanted her to stay here forever, no matter how much it changed the future. And what was worse, was that he knew she wanted it too deep down. It was like he could feel her feelings. She was like an open book to him. He could read her emotions almost as if she spoke them out loud.
He knew he was being selfish but he couldn't help it. She told him that he should put his feelings aside and realize that they could never be together... But he knew she was full of it.
She was keeping something from him. Something big.
So he wouldn't give up. He would try his hardest to keep Katharine here. To make her see that she was meant to be with him all along. He didn't care what his friends would say to him. He knew he was crazy, but he was crazy about her. She had this aura around her and he was trapped in it, and he wanted to be trapped there forever.
