Chapter 4
Know Thine Enemy
***We have met the enemy and they are us -- Pogo/Walt Kelly***

At five o'clock in the morning, the sky above the walls of the courtyard was still black, though starless. Catherine Rosewood clutched her robes tightly against the chill and made her way to the Hogwart gymnasium, glad her boots were resistant to the moisture in the grass. Madame Hooch had actually been nice to her when she'd asked for the privilege to use the gym before classes were held each day. Catherine thought that Hooch was actually the kind of crusty old broad with whom she could share a few shots of tequila, chased by a large quantity of cigarettes, given enough time to break the ice.

She entered the spacious exercise room, ignoring all the equipment along the walls. Standing by a rack of nondescript brooms, she took off her robes, revealing a black t-shirt and pair of leggings. She removed her boots and socks, setting them on the floor under the hook where she'd placed her robes.

"Cat," said a voice in the shadows. "You have no idea how hard it is to catch you alone." Professor Priscilla Wermut emerged, impeccably dressed for the day already in a slim brown velvet dress topped by black robes. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a loose French twist.

"So, how much did he tell you?" Catherine asked her companion. She started bending her arms behind her head one at a time, placing a light pressure on the elbow as she stretched.**

"Not as much as he should have, if he trusted me as much as I thought he would. But that just makes him harder to second guess. Is he protecting Dumbledore? Or just not revealing his hand?" Priscilla asked rhetorically. "He said we were right to suspect you, and that he would find out more today."

"Don't ask me what to think," Catherine replied. "You're the chess-player here. I just do my job," she chuckled. "Say, you're not going to work out with me?"

Priscilla smiled. "I can't stay long. Even at this time of morning, it would be dangerous to assume we won't be seen together." She watched in amusement as Catherine began to stretch her legs in long bends. "So what didn't he tell me?"

"I've found the path to the tome," Catherine said. "And discovered that it's on another plane. What I didn't tell him is that I also know there's a big-assed ugly protecting it on the other side. That's partly why I've come in here to work out. I don't have the space in my rooms."

"Hrmm. Is there a chance he could be hurt?" Priscilla said, with a hint of concern.

"Dunno," Catherine admitted. "Depends on a lot of things. How big the big ugly is. Whether Snape can pull him out of the portal for me to get to it. Whether he's really the wizard Dumbledore said he is ... hard to say."

"I should be going into the portal with him," the witch said. "We would stand a better chance together, than him alone."

"I won't argue with you there," Catherine said pratically. "But, unless you convince him to tell you what he's doing, or unless you're ready to tell him that we're working together, I don't see how you'll swing that. Speaking of which: you still plotting to have me out by Christmas?" She grinned.

"With any luck, you might even be out by Thanksgiving. He really doesn't like you," Priscialla laughed.

"He doesn't like anybody," Catherine said.

"He likes me," Priscialla countered smugly.

"Until he finds out you were playing him. I imagine he'll hold a grudge against you for that."

"Then let's not allow him to find out," Priscilla told her. Catherine shot her a shrewd look, and the witch said, "Well, I kind of like it here. It would be nice to stay when the assignment's finished."

"Are you getting sweet on that old grump?" Catherine asked playfully, standing to punch Priscilla in the arm lightly. "You dog."

Priscilla rubbed her arm, though the hit had not hurt. She frowned. "Sometimes, I'm truly reminded how--" she paused, searching for the right word.

"'Muggle' I am?" Catherine teased. "You'd be surprised how often I'm reminded that I'm a Muggle around here. I grew up in the American South, so I thought I knew prejudice. Guess the difference is that now I'm on the recieving end. It's really kind of annoying after a while."

"We cannot change who we are," Priscialla said stiffly.

"Who said we had to? I have this funny idea that we could one day accept each other's differences without having to try to be the same," Catherine said. "But that's my problem, really. Always was too idealistic." A shadow of sadness crossed Catherine's face and she started punching the air savagely in front of her. "I really don't know how I got into this business," she said between grunts. We all start out thinking we can change the world, she thought bitterly.

"So he'll be in the library after his Potions class?"

"Yeah." Catherine quit jabbing the air.

"I'll come by the library after my class, to check your status," Priscilla offered.

"Good idea. Never know when you might need reinforcements," she said, only half joking.

"I should go, but I have something to give you." Priscilla took a long sheathed sword from the folds of her robes. "Since they didn't let you bring your uzis," she smiled at Catherine's dourly pursed lips.

Catherine took the scabbard, and held it so that the edge of the sword would face upward. Slowly, with a practiced hand, she pulled the blade from the sheath. It was fashioned in the style of a Japanese katana, with a plain black hilt. The blade, however was gorgeous, ornamented with a strange mixture of Germanic, Celtic, and Japanese knots and scrolls. It had a lovely balance. Light, but with enough weight to give any strike some serious kick. "I've never seen anything like this," she whispered. She took a few steps aside and made an arc with her wrist, then held it out at arms' length. "I think I'm in love with you, Pris," she said, waggling her eyebrows.

"A magical sword against an enchanted beast," Priscilla said with perfect seriousness, ignoring the librarian's joke. "It may be the only way you can prevail against it, not matter how well you fight."

"Hello? Anti-Magic Dampening Field behind the ear, here ..." Catherine said sardonically, pointing to her head. "Blocks any changes in the electromagnetic, harmonic, or aural fields within a yard's radius. I think it would also make my bed if it had arms and legs."

"It will work as any sword," the witch told her irritably. "But if the beast is resistant to mundane weaponry, find a way to impale it and let go of the blade. The magical damage will work whether it slices or not, as long as it touches the flesh of the enemy."

"Hrm. Cool. What kind of damage does it do?" she asked curiously.

"Poison damage, but not an ordinary poison. Magcially enhanced. Ironically enough, it's something Snape developed several years ago. He really is quite amazing."

"You like the Potions teacher," Catherine taunted in a sing-song voice. Priscilla huffed.

"Whether I do or not, is not the point. He will always be ..." she frowned. Catherine lowered the sword and studied Priscilla's troubled face. "Devoted to his work," Priscilla finished.

"You're awfully sure about that, especially considering you haven't even flirted with him yet," Catherine said.

"That is none of your concern, Madame Rosewood," Priscilla answered with mock severity. "Just kill that beast."

"Yeah, it's not like I'm not really one to talk about how to catch a man. I don't even remember that last time I--"

Priscilla held up one hand, "I really don't wish to hear the end of that sentence," she told Catherine in aggravation. "In any case, I should be going. Good luck, mien freund."

"Thanks. I will see you later." The two women exchanged a significant glance. "Count on it, Pris." The witch nodded and slipped back into the shadows. She left without making any noise that Catherine could hear. She held up the katana lovingly. "Let's check you out, my little sweetie."

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** A/N: I started this story knowing that the character of Catherine Rosewood would be a warrior, and figuring I would, at some point, add a scene in which she would be doing some kind of Tai Chi, or other exercise. Problem is, you can't really talk and work out at the same time in a work of text and have it make a lot of mentally "visual" sense. However, since sketching out this scene, I came across the work by Oktober Black "Muggle Baiting." She also has a muggle at Hogwarts doing exercises, although hers is written a little differently. Since she posted hers first, I felt a little funny posting my scene, but then decided, "Oh what the hell." So, here's a "cheers" to Madam Black for getting her idea up first, even though we each came to our ideas independantly. ... Btw, if you are over 17, and not put off by graphic sexual stuff ... she's got a dang good story going. Check it out!

A/N 2: Merryday & Nokomis ... thanks for the support! When I get such praise, it helps inspire me to continue. If you see something that doesn't ring true, let me know. Merry, be careful what you ask for ... I don't have any beta readers yet, and I like the idea. Heh.