I would like to know what everyone thought of Katherine being on her own with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. But you can do that after you read this chapter. So, enjoy!
Chapter 55
Katherine walked through Hogsmeade and stopped at Hog's Head. She knew that Aberforth would be able to help her get into Hogwarts. Hog's Head was deserted when she walked in, but she heard muffled voices in the room that Aberforth had hid Ginny in last time Katherine came.
Katherine placed her ear against the door to the room and she heard Hermione's voice. A smile broke out on her face once she realized that she was going to be with her friends after months. She stepped back and started doing a silly happy dance.
Then Katherine opened the door and made sure that she made noise on every step so that her friends would not be caught by surprise. She heard the voices stop talking, but she continued thundering down the steps.
As Katherine reached the base of the stairs, she dropped to the ground as red jets of light exploded over her head. Katherine rolled into a kneeling position and produced a shield to block Stunners coming at her from four different directions.
"HEY! HEY!" Katherine shouted as she felt her shield start to fall.
A Stunner got through her shield, illuminated her face, but missed her.
"Wait! Stop!" Hermione shouted. The Stunners stopped flying and Katherine let her shield down.
"You really know how to welcome a person." Katherine said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Hermione's face broke out into a smile and Katherine's matched hers. Harry and Ron stepped out from where they were hiding and smiled at Katherine. Aberforth stepped out and watched the teenagers.
"Katherine," Hermione smiled.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Hug me." Katherine said smiling as she stretched her arms out. The action caused her left sleeve, which she never rolled back down, to pull up, revealing more of the snake tail.
"Hermione, stop!" Ron commanded, his wand pointed straight at Katherine.
Hermione stopped halfway between Katherine and Ron, who moved to stand next to Hermione.
"Ron?" Harry asked.
"Her arm." Ron answered, jaw clenched.
Harry looked at her left arm, and then pointed his wand at Katherine.
"Harry, come on. I'm not a Death Eater." Katherine said. "Do you honestly believe that I am?"
"We haven't seen you for months, Katherine. Things can change." Ron said fiercely.
"I have no reason to join them!" Katherine shot.
"You're on great terms with the Malfoys." Ron countered.
"And?" Katherine asked angrily.
"Roll your sleeve up." Ron commanded.
"I'm not a Death Eater." Katherine said almost pleadingly.
"Then roll up your sleeve." Ron countered.
Katherine did not want to roll up her sleeve. She did not want her friends seeing the Mark. She did not want them asking questions about where it came from. She did not want to talk about her time at Malfoy Manor because she would not be able to answer why she waited a month to leave. Because, as clearly shown by her escape, she could have left anytime she wanted, but she didn't and she still didn't know why.
"Fine." Katherine growled.
She brought her arms back to her torso and slowly rolled up her left sleeve. Then she showed them her forearm with her fist pointed down. Ron's breath hitched and Harry tightened his grip on his wand. Hermione, however, cocked her head and gazed at the Mark with a confused expression.
"We should leave Harry; she probably is stalling us to give her Death Eater friends time to get here." Ron said fiercely.
Hermione, transfixed on Katherine's arm, started walking over to Katherine. Ron noticed and tried to stop her, but Hermione dodged him. Hermione kept her eyes on the Mark while her right hand played with her left sleeve. Hermione rolled up her own sleeve and revealed the wound that Bellatrix had been mocking Katherine about. A violently red series of cuts bore the word Mudblood on Hermione's arm. Hermione grabbed Katherine's arm and put both arms next to each other and compared them.
"It's like a signature, isn't it?" Katherine commented in a strained, yet light voice.
Wordlessly, Hermione nodded.
"What? What's going on?" Ron asked, his view blocked by Hermione.
Then Harry was at Hermione's side and looking down at the scars in bemusement. Ron stayed where he was with his wand at the ready.
"Hermione?" Harry asked, clearly bewildered.
"The Mark's a scar and both of ours were done by the same person." Hermione explained. Harry's eyes widened.
"Bellatrix Lestrange? Really?" Harry asked both of them, who nodded.
"I had a little run in with her a couple of weeks ago." Katherine said, half-truthfully.
"So, the Mark's not real?" Harry attempted to confirm.
"It's just a scar." Katherine answered.
Harry smiled, and then bowed his head in shame.
"Sorry about thinking you're a Death Eater." Harry said.
Ron muttered some sort of incoherent apology. Katherine smiled at both of them and assured them that it was alright. Harry and Ron went to go talk with Aberforth, while Hermione stayed in front of Katherine, still transfixed by their arms.
"Hermione," Katherine said gently. It shook Hermione out of her thoughts and she let go of Katherine's arm and let her own drop to her side. Katherine rolled her sleeve back down as Hermione rolled her own down.
"You're here." Hermione said, smiling almost vacantly.
"Better late than never." Katherine said, smiling broadly. "And guess what?"
"What?" Hermione asked.
Katherine pulled out Hermione's wand and handed it to her.
"I thought I lost it forever." Hermione said breathlessly as she took her wand. "I've been using Bellatrix's."
"Really?" A mischievous glint twinkled in Katherine's eye. "Can I have it?"
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Because I am going to make Bellatrix pay." Katherine said firmly as Hermione handed her Bellatrix's wand.
Hermione's face broke out into a smile once she realized that her friend was back. Hermione threw her arms around Katherine, who hugged her back.
"I'm so glad you're here; boys are infuriating!" Hermione complained as she pulled out of the hug.
"I bet not that infuriating." Katherine grinned before dropping her voice to a whisper. "After all, you were alone with Ron for months."
Pain flashed across Hermione's face and Katherine dropped her grin. Katherine grabbed Hermione's shoulders and tried to see what was wrong with her friend.
"Hermione, what happened?" Katherine asked.
Hermione didn't respond and anger coursed through Katherine. She moved past Hermione until she was half-way between Hermione and Ron.
"What the bloody hell did you do?" Katherine spat at Ron, who looked at her in hurt confusion.
"Katherine," Hermione said from behind her. "It's alright; he came back."
Katherine turned around to look at Hermione with an incredulous look on her face. "He came back?" Then Katherine snapped her head at Ron. "You left?"
"Katherine, now is not the time for this." Aberforth said.
Katherine nodded. "You're right, Aberforth. We'll discuss this later, Ronald. So . . . what have I missed?"
"We found and destroyed Slytherin's locket." Harry said. "We found Hufflepuff's cup, too."
"How did you destroy the locket?" Katherine asked.
"Ron used Gryffindor's sword." Hermione answered. "We figured out that Basilisk venom kills Horcruxes and since Harry killed the Basilisk with the sword-"
"-it took on the properties of Basilisk venom. So, it can kill Horcruxes." Katherine finished for Hermione, who nodded.
"Also, You-Know-Who is trying to get the Elder Wand." Ron said.
"Has the Elder Wand." Harry corrected.
"The Elder Wand?" Katherine asked in confusion.
"You know the story of the Deathly Hallows, right?" Ron asked.
"Yes, Narcissa read them to Draco and I when I slept over." Katherine answered, ignoring Ron's look of horror at the idea of Death Eater wives reading bedtime stories. "But they're not real."
"Yes, they are." Harry said. "And Tom has the most powerful wand in existence on his side."
"Well, what's the plan?" Katherine asked, looking at Hermione because Hermione would have a plan.
"We believe Tom made something of Ravenclaw's a Horcrux and he left it in Hogwarts." Hermione answered.
"And we need to go down to the Chamber of Secrets." Ron said. Everyone looked at him in confusion.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because Griphook took the sword and we don't have any way to kill the Horcruxes, but the Basilisk skeleton is probably still in the Chamber." Ron explained. Everyone's jaw dropped.
"That's brilliant, Ron." Hermione said.
"Don't sound so surprised." Ron muttered annoyed.
"Alright, then let's get going, but I have a request." Katherine said.
"What?" Harry asked.
"I get to destroy Hufflepuff's Cup." Katherine said.
"Fine, but we need to get inside Hogwarts." Harry said.
"I can help with that, but are you sure, Potter? Are you sure you want to fight my brother's war?" Aberforth asked, looking intently at Harry, who squared his jaw.
"Yes. And it's my war, too. Tom made it my war the minute he killed my parents." Harry said firmly.
"Alright, if you're sure, Potter." Aberforth said before he nodded to the giant portrait of young girl. She nodded and turned around, disappearing for a while.
"How many more Horcruxes are there?" Katherine asked.
"Two." Hermione answered. "Something of Ravenclaw's and Tom's snake, Nagini."
Katherine nodded as they watched the girl return with someone trailing behind her. The portrait swung open to reveal a disheveled, beaten Neville Longbottom.
"Hello, all." Neville smiled. Katherine's jaw nearly dropped because Neville went from being a pudgy boy to being a very hot young man. Katherine looked over at Hermione and knew that she was having the same thought.
"Hey, Neville. We need to get into Hogwarts." Harry said.
"Well, follow me then." Neville said.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Katherine stepped into the tunnel and waved good-bye to Aberforth. The four followed Neville down a tunnel until they reached the opening, which lead into the Room of Requirement.
"Guess what, everyone? Harry's back!" Neville announced to the room of a hundred or so students.
The students stopped what they were doing and looked at the newly arrived four. Katherine recognized most of the people there and she waved to them.
"Why's everyone here, Neville?" Katherine asked.
"Snape and the Carrow twins have decided to use the medieval way of disciplining us." Neville answered with a frown. "We've been hiding in here, those of us who are resisting, I mean."
"How many students are there?" Katherine asked.
"Not many. Most of the Muggleborn and Blood Traitor students didn't come back." Neville said. "It's basically us and the Slytherins."
"How many professors are here?" Hermione asked.
"Everyone, along with the Carrow twins." Neville said.
"What's the plan, Harry?" Pavarti Patil asked.
Everyone swiveled their heads to look at Harry, who looked torn. Katherine knew that he wanted to go look for the Horcrux and go down to the Chamber of Secrets. And he didn't want to lead an army; he wanted to just kill Voldemort.
Katherine stepped forward and assumed a military position. She made sure that she was brimming with confidence and leadership.
"We're going to take back the castle, of course."Katherine said.
