Chapter 1: Beginning Again

April 22, 1997

Katie was uneasy as she headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was her second day back at Hogwarts since she had recovered from being cursed. Stares and whispers followed her everywhere she went, and she knew from speaking with Leanne that rumors about who had cursed her, and why, were flying wildly as well.

Katie sat down at the Gryffindor table and took a piece of toast, although she had no appetite. Just then, Andrew came in and sat next to her.

"How are you feeling today, darling?" he asked her, a pitied look on his face.

Katie cringed internally. She knew Andrew was only trying to be nice to her, but she hated the way he now treated her, as though she were fragile or a small child. Truth be told, Katie had felt little more than annoyance towards him ever since she had returned to school.

When Andrew had come to see her a few days after she'd woken up in the hospital, Katie's emotions had still felt confused and foggy. She knew who he was, and that he was her boyfriend, but she couldn't seem to conjure any feelings toward him other than ambiguous irritation. She was also having a hard time reconciling some of her memories, or more specifically, the way they made her feel. Why had she thought so much of Oliver while she was unconscious? For someone who she hadn't seen in two years, he had appeared frequently in her mind's film reel.

As Katie had recovered more, she had learned that the necklace's curse had had an unexplainable lingering effect on her memory. Katie now often found herself plunged into her memories as they played out like movies in her mind. It was easy to get lost in them, and the Healers hadn't been able to explain the phenomenon when she'd described it. She had been told that it would hopefully wane with time.

Katie forced herself to smile at Andrew, and then rose from the table, muttering an excuse about forgetting something in her dormitory.

When Katie returned to the room she shared with her fellow seventh year girls, she took a deep breath to reset herself. She reminded herself that she only had a few months left of the term. Her last term. And regardless of the rumors and the pitying looks, she wanted to enjoy the last bit of school. Her mind flashed back to her last conversation with Ryan, when she had expressed apprehension about returning to school.

"Show them it takes more than a damn necklace to kill off Katie Bell," he had told her.

Katie grabbed her bag and set off for Charms.

xxxxxx

May 10, 1997

Katie felt nervous as she changed into her Quidditch robes in the Gryffindor locker room. She could hear the roar of the crowd, and felt as though she had hippogriffs flying in her stomach. Though she had dressed in those robes in that locker room to play Quidditch many times before, today it felt all wrong. Though it was the final match of the season, it was the first one Katie was playing with her team. Harry was suspended from team due to his bloody altercation with Malfoy the week previous, which put Ginny Weasley playing Seeker. None of her former teammates would be on the pitch with her today. And she knew that winning the Cup again this year was a tall order; in order to overcome Ravenclaw's lead in the standings, they would have to win by at least three hundred points.

Katie took a steadying breath. It was her seventh year. And after all that she had been through in the past several months, she wanted nothing more than for things to return to normal. She thought of the two previous years the Gryffindor team had won the House Cup. The ecstasy Katie had felt. She wanted to experience that feeling one more time.

With a newfound sense of determination, Katie stepped out onto the field. She kicked off from the ground and rose in the air. As Madame Hooch blew her whistle and released the Quaffle, Katie streaked toward it with focus.

xxxxxx

Katie rocketed toward the goalpost, poised to score with the Quaffle held securely against her body, when it happened. Ginny caught the Snitch. The thunderous roar that erupted from the Gryffindor stands was deafening. They had won the match, and they had won the Cup. Katie tossed the Quaffle into the air and pumped her fist. She took a celebratory lap around the pitch before cruising down to the ground. She couldn't believe they had pulled it off. She gave Ginny a congratulatory hug and even kissed Ron Weasley on the cheek.

As she changed back into her regular clothes, Katie felt euphoric, but she couldn't ignore the bittersweet feeling that Nargled in the back of her mind. Her Quidditch career at Hogwarts was over. And although her team had won, Katie found herself missing her two best friends, Alicia and Angelina. She had shared every other Quidditch game she'd played with them, and shared her other two Cup celebrations by their side. And then, although she tried not to, she thought of Oliver. He had been so excited to win the Cup in his seventh year. So excited, he had even kissed her. Katie tried to shake the thought from her mind. Tonight was for celebration, she told herself, not pining over an unrequited crush.

Katie returned to the common room, where she found the festivities well underway. Seamus Finnigan seemed to have been appointed as the Weasley twins' replacement for providing refreshments, and he had come through with flying colors. Katie helped herself to a Pumpkin Pasty and a Butterbeer.

Andrew found her and wrapped her in his arms.

"Congratulations, Katie," he told her as he leaned in to kiss her.

Katie gave him a forced smile.

"Thank you," she said as she pecked a quick kiss on his lips. She took another drink of her Butterbeer.

Just then, the portrait hole opened. She saw Harry enter the room with hesitant look on his face. Rowdy cheers erupted from the crowd, and Ron was shouting to his mate that the team had won as he made his way to him, the House Cup waving over his head.

Ginny overtook Ron as she ran toward Harry and threw her arms around him. Harry embraced her then pulled back. He looked at Ginny feverishly, then kissed her.

A silence fell over the crowd, then cheers and cat-calls and laughing broke out throughout the common room. The pair looked at one another wildly then escaped through the portrait hole from where Harry had just come.

Katie sunk back. She was assaulted with memories of Oliver, and the kiss they had shared three years previous. Andrew wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck, but Katie barely noticed. She shook away from his embrace, muttering about needing to use the loo. She walked up the stairs toward her dormitory but instead of going to the bathrooms, she laid on her bed.

Tears of frustration burned in Katie's eyes. Why, why couldn't she shake her feelings for her old Quidditch captain? Why was she repeatedly plunged into memories of him? She had all the things she had hoped for in her seventh year, a boyfriend and a Quidditch Cup, but why did she still find herself longing for Oliver?

Katie thought of Andrew and immediately felt guilty. She knew it wasn't fair to him to continue to be his girlfriend when she had such strong, albeit unreciprocated, feelings for another person. She sighed. She knew what she had to do, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

xxxxxx

July 3, 1997

The last few weeks of Katie's seventh year passed with a blur. A few days after the final Quidditch match, Katie had broken up with Andrew. Her excuses had been weak, saying she needed to focus her time on preparing for N.E.W.T. exams and that didn't want to tie him to her when the term was finished, as she didn't know yet what her future held. He had accepted her words, and Katie had noticed he didn't seem very surprised at the breakup.

Katie had spent the majority of her time studying for N.E.W.T.s with Leanne, and occasionally taking a solo fly around the grounds to clear her head when the coursework, or the memories, got to be too overwhelming.

Then, the word had come about Professor Dumbledore's death. It was as though all normal life at Hogwarts ceased to exist. Katie's mother had sent a frantic letter begging her to come home, but Katie had insisted on staying the last few days until the funeral.

The morning before the funeral, Katie received a note beckoning her to Professor McGonagall's office. Unsure of what to expect, she'd nervously obeyed. With a grim face, Professor McGonagall had explained that Katie had been Imperioused and given the cursed necklace by Madame Rosmerta, who was herself Imperioused and acting under the direction of Draco Malfoy. So Harry had been right, Katie thought to herself. Professor McGonagall let her know that she hadn't been targeted specifically, and that it had just been bad luck that she was the one who had been tasked with carrying the necklace meant for Professor Dumbledore. Katie wasn't sure whether this knowledge made her feel better or worse. Katie thanked Professor McGonagall for sharing the information with her, and she'd quietly left to return to her dormitory and wait for the funeral.

Professor Dumbledore's funeral would have been an entertaining sight, with its odd assortment of attendees, both human and non, if it had not been so sad. Katie's mind recalled the conversation she'd had with her father two years ago, after Cedric's death. Trust Professor Dumbledore, he had said when Katie had asked what to do in light of the madness facing the school, and the magical community as a whole. With Professor Dumbledore gone, who was there to look to? What could she do? The rest of her dad's advice rang through her memory.

We will go on with life, and we will look for opportunities to be brave. To do the right thing.

xxxxxx

When Katie arrived back in her dormitory after the funeral to finish packing her things, an unfamiliar owl was waiting on her bedside table. It dropped the envelope it had been holding in its beak and hooted expectantly. Katie opened the top drawer of her bedside table and gave the owl a treat from a bag she kept there. The owl took it and flew away through the open window next to Leanne's bed. The envelope was addressed to Katie Bell, Gryffindor House, Hogwarts. It was sealed with blue wax and bore a seal featuring two crossed broomsticks and a Snitch – the symbol for the British and Irish Quidditch League. Katie took a deep breath. She had been hoping to receive an invitation from the League, but given recent events, she had put the thought in the back of her mind.

Katie opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and read:

Dear Ms. Bell,

You have been invited to participate in the British and Irish Quidditch League's annual Summer Rookie Showcase. Prospects will participate in two days of Quidditch drill exhibitions and scrimmages which will be attended by representatives from the thirteen professional League teams. Teams will then extend offers to any players who meet the needs of their roster openings.

Interested players should report to Falcon Stadium, Falmouth, Cornwall, on 31 July at 8:00am for registration and dormitory assignment.

Yours,

Kerry Fletcher

Inter-Team Relations, British and Irish Quidditch League

London Office

A small smile spread across Katie's face. She knew that an invitation to the Showcase wasn't a guarantee she'd be signed by a professional team, but it was a big step in the right direction. She rummaged through her trunk, found a quill and piece of parchment, and penned a hurried note to Angelina. Her former teammate and fellow Chaser had attended the Showcase last summer after she left Hogwarts and had been signed to the Holyhead Harpies reserve team. Katie's thoughts flickered to her other former-teammate-turned-professional-Quidditch-player. Oliver. Best not to go there, she told herself, and she shook the thought from her mind as she hurried to the Owlery to send Angelina's note.

xxxxxx

July 4, 1997

The Next Day

Katie looked out the window as the Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross Station. It was beginning to sink in that this was the final time she would ride the train home for summer holiday. Likely the final time she would ever ride the Hogwarts Express. It was hard to believe that her education at Hogwarts was complete. True, Katie had missed a large part of the year due to being in the hospital, and the end of term had been marred by the death of Professor Dumbledore. The Leaving Ceremony had felt bittersweet with the loss of the school's most prominent figure hanging so recent over the castle. Nonetheless, Katie was looking forward to seeing her family and being home for a few weeks before attending the Showcase.

After collecting her trunk and giving Leanne one final, tearful goodbye, Katie located her parents in the crowd. Christopher Bell took his daughter's trunk from her, and her mum gave her a warm embrace. Susan Bell's blonde hair was streaked with gray, and Katie couldn't help but notice that her mum's lined face looked much older than it had a year ago. Still, a youthfulness spread across her apple cheeks when she smiled at her returning daughter.

"We've missed you, my dear," Mrs. Bell told her daughter.

Pulling back slightly, keeping her hands on Katie's shoulders, Mrs. Bell surveyed Katie before pulling her into another quick hug. Katie's parents had been terribly relieved when she'd awoken from her coma, and Susan had been very hesitant to see her daughter return to Hogwarts. Only after Katie insistently reminding her mum that it was her final year and expressing how much she longed to play Quidditch with her team one final time had her mum relented. To help soothe her mother's worries, Katie had written home nearly twice as much as usual.

Led by her father, Katie and her parents navigated through the crowded station and on to the car park where Katie's mother's car waited. After Mr. Bell loaded Katie's trunk into the boot, the Bell family departed for the nearly two hour drive back to Ipswich. Katie could feel her father's brown eyes on her in the rear-view mirror. He too had become more lined and gray over the last year, but Christopher still had his warm, steady smile. Katie closed her eyes and laid her head against the window, feeling the sun against her face as the family drove home in a relaxed quiet.

xxxxxx

Later that evening, her belly full of her mum's delicious roast and potatoes, Katie waved her wand to send the cleaned dinner plates back into the cabinet. It was still a bit strange for Katie to perform magic in the everyday setting of her home, but she knew Mum couldn't argue with not having to put away the dishes by hand. As Katie and her mum sat back down to enjoy a cup of tea (Mr. Bell having already retired to the sitting room), the front door to the home squeaked open and banged closed noisily.

"Mum?" a deep voice called out, announcing the arrival of Katie's brother Ryan.

"In the kitchen, dear," Mrs. Bell called back.

Ryan Bell let his duffle bag fall next to the door and lumbered toward the kitchen. He was tall with a slim but athletic build. His dirty blonde hair was sweaty and tousled, and his t-shirt and athletic shorts were streaked with mud and grass stains. From the looks of it, he had just come from practice. Ryan played semi-professional football. In addition, he coached a youth team of 9 and 10 year olds. Although Ryan hadn't lived at his parents' home for about five years, he still came 'round a few times a week. Katie knew Mrs. Bell tried to tell herself it was because her eldest child missed her, but she knew it was more likely for the home cooked meals and to wash his dirty laundry.

Katie in leaned her chair toward the direction of Ryan's voice.

"It's nearly time you showed up, I thought you had all but forgotten about your favorite sister," she called.

"Katie Cat!" Ryan exclaimed. He gave Katie a genuine smile as he walked into the kitchen. "Sorry I wasn't home earlier, coach made us stay late and run some extra drills." Ryan gave his sister a rough, sweaty hug around her neck as she sat at the table, struggling to free herself from his grip.

"Ry, ugh! You're sweaty! And you stink!"

"Yes and I'm sure you're just as bad after a Quidditch game," Ryan joked.

Mrs. Bell rose from the table, chuckling.

"I'll let you two catch up," she said, as she walked down the hall to join her husband in the sitting room.

Ryan opened the fridge and rifled through its contents until he found what he was looking for. He fixed himself a heaping plate of leftover roast and potatoes. As he turned to put it the plate in the microwave, Katie took out her wand.

"Allow me," she said with a wink. She waved her wand and performed a warming charm.

"Thanks, Kates," Ryan said appreciatively, grabbing one of the red potato halves with his hand and taking a bite. "So, all done with the witches' coven for another year?"

Katie rolled her eyes at her brother. She and Ryan had such a relaxed rapport, it was easy for her to forget that a Muggle brother and witch sister were not a commonplace arrangement. Technically, Ryan was her half-brother, but they had never felt half-anything. Their mother (also a Muggle) had been left by her fiancé when Ryan was just a baby. Susan had married Christopher when Ryan was two. Mr. Bell had adopted him, and Ryan had never wished to know another father.

Although they were six years apart in age, Katie and Ryan had always been close. Ryan had taught Katie to kick a football when she was just a toddler, and once she got to Hogwarts, Katie had been so excited to write home to Ryan with a play-by-play account of the Quidditch games.

Their family dynamic had not been without its difficulties, though. Mr. and Mrs. Bell had concealed Mr. Bell's magical abilities from Ryan when he was young, but there was no more keeping it from him when his seven-year-old sister had made him levitate three feet in the air because she was angry at him for throwing her doll. Ryan had been shocked, and at times throughout the years Katie knew he had felt left out or jealous. As he had gotten older, though, Ryan accepted his dad's and sister's extra quirks as normal, and he certainly didn't say no when one of them offered to help him out with the swish of a wand.

"Yes, I'm all done with school," Katie replied. "For good, in fact. And there's something else as well," she grinned. "I was invited to the Quidditch Summer Rookie Showcase at the end of the month!"

Ryan threw his arms up, a hunk of roast still in one hand and the his plate in the other.

"Katie! That's bloody brilliant!" he exclaimed. Ryan may not understand the finer points of Quidditch, but Katie knew he thought his sister was a hell of an athlete, and he recognized what an important opportunity it could be to showcase for professional teams. Ryan embraced his sister, softer this time, and kissed the top of her head. "Well then, training starts first thing tomorrow. I'll have you whipped into shape; you'll be running circles around those other players."

"Well, flying circles around them anyway," Katie corrected, tilting her head to the side.

"Right, that," Ryan laughed.

"So tell me everything that's new in your life, since you can't be bothered to write to your poor baby sister anymore," Katie said with a mock sadness. "Finally trick any birds into a second date?" She added playfully.

"I'll have you know I've taken out several women," Ryan replied, pretending to be offended. "And the rest is none of your business." Ryan laughed as he finished off the last of his food, having never once sat down or retrieved a fork from the drawer. He set his plate in the sink and wiped his hands on a tea towel. It was no wonder, Katie thought, that Ryan was a perpetual bachelor. He was very handsome and charming, but his table manners could be downright barbaric.

"Here," said Ryan as he opened the fridge again, retrieving two bottles of Newcastle and handing one to Katie. "Have a bevvy. Let's go sit out in the garden."

The pair walked out the back door of the house and settled into two chairs facing the back garden. Katie uncapped her bottle and took a drink. When she looked over to Ryan, his expression was one of uncharacteristic seriousness and concern.

"I'm really glad to see you, Kates," he said, looking Katie in the eye. "I'm really glad you're okay."

Katie knew Ryan had been gutted when he'd received news from their mother of Katie's incident. He'd wanted to rush to the hospital to see her, but their father explained no, there were clearances and approvals that must be met for Ryan and his mother to visit a wizarding hospital. Ryan had been frustrated. He'd just wanted to see his sister, what did it matter if he was a Muggle? And when he'd been cleared to visit, Ryan didn't understand why the Healers couldn't fix her. If they were wizards, he had asked, why couldn't they just magic her better? He had spent all of his free time in her hospital room, waiting and willing his sister to get better.

Katie reached over to Ryan's hand and squeezed it.

"Thanks, Ry," she replied. "I'm glad to be here with you, too."

Katie let go of Ryan's hand and they both sat in silence for a moment, each taking a drink of their beer.

"I heard Dad telling Mum that the headmaster at your school was killed," Ryan told Katie. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Katie said quietly.

"Does…does that have anything to do with your attack? Was it the same person? What's going on, Katie?" Ryan looked at his sister.

Katie sunk back in her chair with a sigh. She took another drink from her beer.

"I'm really not sure, Ryan. There are some…bad wizards. They've been growing more powerful lately, and now with Professor Dumbledore dead, there's a lot of talk that there will be another war."

Ryan was quiet. Katie knew he had heard their father talk about the first wizarding war, how so many were killed, wizard and Muggle alike.

"What are you going to do?" Ryan asked. "You could come live with us, pretend to be a Muggle. Or we could get you out of here, live somewhere else for a while. I just couldn't face it if something else happened to you, Kates."

Katie smiled sadly and shook her head.

"I can't run away," she told her brother. "If good witches and wizards refuse to stand up and do the right thing, these dark wizards will take control and everyone will suffer. I've got to go about life as usual and look for ways that I can make a difference," she quoted their father.

The two sat quietly again, Ryan unable to argue with Katie's position. The siblings alternated taking drinks from their beer bottles, looking ahead at Mum's roses.

After a long silence, Ryan finished his beer and stood up.

"Best be getting to bed, Katie Cat," he told her, a reserved smile on his face. "We're beginning your training first thing tomorrow morning. I expect you out front and dressed at 6:00am for our run."

Katie returned Ryan's smile and groaned. Merlin, what was it with all of these early mornings from sports-obsessed men?