Disclaimer: Don't own this, if I did, this would actually be in the books and I wouldn't have to waste my time writing fan fiction!
A/NI: erm . . . Heh heh heh . . . I don't suppose you would accept an apology for not posting in a month? AHHHHHHH!! NO! DON'T HURT ME! IF YOU HURT ME I CAN'T WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER!! **blinks** ah, good. The two people who actually read this left. And I do apologize. I had a major case of writers block for ALL my stories, which is also why I delayed updating so many for so long. And it's really hard to juggle that many chapter stories, so I'll do my best.
A/NII: Is anyone able to tell me if the Japanese honorific for women is -san or -chan? I apologize for getting it wrong out of ignorance if I did!
Shameless Advertising: go read my other fics. I have X-Men, Elfquest, Mercedes Lackey, an original that no one's read, and Star Wars.
Shameless Advertising for someone else: if you do X-Men, read Nightshade by Nightshade Darkholme. Please? It's really good and isn't getting the credit it deserves.
On to the fic! (yes I'm shutting up)
Chapter VI
"There's nothing? Ye can't read a thing?" Kat repeated incredulously.
The half-equine shook his maned head. "I'm sorry, young Muggle, but the stars and planets have been known to hold their secrets, even from centaurs," the centaur, Firenze, sighed and tossed his mane. "Your future is as hidden as the date of the Apocalypse."
Kat echoed his sigh. "Well, it was worth trying. Thank ye."
"Would you like me to consult a few of the others, and report back to Windbreath?" Firenze suggested.
"Aye! Thank ye again, Firenze!"
"You're welcome. Happy to help where stargazing is concerned," the fellow waved her off, then murmured to himself, "Though the stars may hide your future, lass, I have the feeling you'll need all the help you can get."
Firenze heard an incredulous cry from behind him, whirled around.
"First you go gallivanting around in the forest with the Potter boy on your back, and now you stoop low enough to aid even a Muggle?!"
Firenze took in the sight of the stallion centaur, older than himself by half a century. Though Firenze was young yet, he was no fool, and no colt out of his first coat. The elder centaurs once-ebony flanks were graying in places, and his shock of sable hair ran with streaks of white. Firenze shook his head, long mahogany hair whipping around his neck. He stamped a forehoof in annoyance at his elder, and his chestnut coat glowed in the moonlight as he approached Bane.
"Senile old fool! Barely worthy of your title, barely noticed by the mares – even your herd-mare's eyes have been shifting to us younger ones!"
Bane backed up a step, Firenze's unexpected attack startling him.
"Did you not read the heavens this summer?! Or have you even lost that ability? That was no mere Muggle, not even a mere human, she is important, a key to keep the Dark Lord out of this place!" Firenze advanced on his herd leader, who backed up again in face of his challenge. "Even with your stargazing gone, unable and unfit to lead us, you ought to have sensed something special about that girl! Yes, a mere human, a mere Muggle, but she's Talented!"
Bane scoffed at this newest of Firenze's claims. "No Muggle has ever been Talented before. Not in the eternal record of the stars, nor anytime in the far future."
"You forgot to mention the present, old man," Firenze barely held a snarl in check, outraged by a leader who was not fit to lead, who could not see past the end of his nose. "She is here and now, and important to the future!"
"Old man?!!" Bane roared. "Old man!! I will show you man, coltling, and when you wander the forest a loner, remember my words!"
As civilized as centaurs were, as calm a face as they presented to any wizard, every herd was lead by a stallion who fought each day to keep his place, usually mentally –
But sometimes, a young upstart would decide that he was better equipped, and after many verbal sorties in which neither won, it came down to the eons-old method: fighting. Fierce but brief, clashing coats glistened with sweat in the Forbidden Forest. Long tails swished as they circled, waiting for the other to make a move. Fists balled, and long hair concentrated in ropes.
When it was all over, Firenze watched Bane trot off into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest. "I am sorry, Bane, brother of my father, but the stars tell of hard times to come, and Great Changes to be made. You were too old, too inflexible – and I am so sorry," Firenze hung his head for a moment, a tribute to a centaur whose endgame had come.
"And now, there is a future to attend to."
As Kat walked dejectedly back towards Hogwarts an ethereal shadow shaped like a horse shimmered into existence next to her. B'cat'd'goth'et-chi turned fire-red eyes on her young charge, tossing her jet mane. And? What did Firenze say?
Kat sighed. "That me future was as nebulous as a Nightmare who does not wish to be found."
I'm certain he didn't use that exact wording, the Nightmare teasingly replied, shaking her mane.
"Actually, he compared me to the Apocalypse."
B'cat'd'goth'et-chi laughed in chimes and thunder, kicking up her hooves and swishing her tail. Hah! Cryptic as usual!
Staring at the Nightmare, Kat shook her head. "Ye," she accused. "Are in a very good mood! What brought that on?"
And why should I tell you of the nebulous workings of a Nightmares mind? B'cat'd'goth'et-chi questioned sprightly.
"Nightmare – you're frolicking."
Not even Nightmares can be solemn all the time!
"News to me," she muttered. "Nightmare? Can you see anyone near the school?"
No-o, B'cat'd'goth'et-chi answered slowly. Why?
"Because I snuck out to see Firenze, and I'd really rather not get caught coming back in. That would just compound problems."
Trouble on the home front, Kitten?
"Some. Not enough to worry about; not yet anyway."
Such as . . . she prompted.
"About a week ago a Ministry Administrator came to question me, and didn't believe a word I said," Kathryn wore a sour look on her face, green eyes flashing at the memory and the panic attack it had brought on. Then she waved flippantly and shrugged. "Anyway. Nothing to worry about as of yet. Now, if ye would excuse me, I have a school to sneak back into, and I'd be rather noticeable with a huge ghost horse trotting next to me."
Good luck, Kitten. Although I get the feeling I am wishing you that far too often.
"I can use all the help I can get, B'cat'd'goth'et-chi. G'night, Nightmare."
"I d-don't think that's qui-quite f-f-f-fair, sir."
Snape froze. Did he just . . . he couldn't have. Not from – it must have been someone else. With that stutter? Not likely. "Repeat that, Mr Longbottom."
"I d-d-don't think th-that's fair, s-sir," Neville stammered.
Snape blinked one too many times. Once he got over the shock, he slunk towards the Gryffindor. Malfoy, just as stunned, saw what Snape was doing and relaxed in his chair, hands behind his head. This was going to be good.
"Ye were great!" Neville heard an excited voice from behind him. "I think ye stunned the whole class!"
Kat bounded up to him, a grin plastered on her face. "Well? Was it worth a week of detention and not being allowed to Hogsmeade next trip?"
Neville thought about it for a moment. The expression on Snape's face . . . "I-I think . . . Maybe it was."
After Neville's incident with Snape, December fled by. The band had just finished a rush rehearsal to learn 'Jingle Bells' for the leaving Feast when Kat caught Harry on his way up to Gryffindor tower. "Harry! Harry!" she called.
"Huh?" he replied to the unexpected summons, turning around.
"Harry, can I borrow Hedwig?"
"Huh?" he asked again.
Kat rolled her eyes. "May I borrow your owl?" she clarified.
"Uh – sure, I suppose," Harry, still surprised, started towards the owlery. As they climbed the spiral stairs to the owlery he wondered "Why do you need to borrow Hedwig? Couldn't you just use a school owl?"
"Not unless ye want the next person who uses him to be able to find Sirius," she replied, a little smugly.
Harry's mouth fell open. "How – but – Sirius?!" he squeaked.
They had reached the owlery. "Ye know, your godfather. Sirius Black," Kat clarified, the smug expression expanding.
"How – "
"He and Remus found me. Remus usually writes about once a week, but I haven't heard from them in quite a while. It's got me worried. Besides, if they're in trouble, Hedwig can get herself into – or out of – almost anything. She's one of the smartest owls I've ever met. I have no doubt that she can get this to Remus, no matter where he is or what kind of predicament he and Sirius have gotten themselves into."
Hedwig glowed under Kat's praise as Harry tied the message to her leg. Turning, he launched her into the air before replying. "So – Remus rescued you from – from what, for that matter?"
"I spent some time among the Death Eaters. Hermione knows more about it than ye do – you're welcome to ask her. But I stayed with Remus and Sirius for a few weeks afterwards."
"Before I ask what Sirius is like – what exactly did you write to them?" Harry asked, his curiosity piqued. He was dying to know anything about his godfather.
Kat shrugged. "Basically, I asked them if anything was wrong, if they needed some help – and proceeded on with a normal letter from there. Asked how Buckbeak was doing, reminded Remus about next month's blue moon, and if Remus was due back here anytime soon."
"So . . ." Harry bit his lip. "Can you tell me about Sirius?"
Kat laughed a little. "Aye."
Kat had been moving her food around her plate with her fork for ten minutes when Dumbledore stood at make the promised announcement. She hadn't yet gained back her appetite since being held by Death Eaters, the few exceptions being when she first escaped and when she first came to Hogwarts. She still barely filled the school robes that had been provided for her.
"Before Assistant Headmisstress McGonagall passes around the sign-up sheet for staying over break, I would like to announce that, as everyone seemed to enjoy the event last year, we are having the Yule Ball again."
Dumbledores announcement shocked the entirety of the Hogwarts students body. Two seats over from Kat a Gryffindor she didn't know had gone white from shock, and Rois looked like an albino at the neighboring Ravenclaw table. She made a mental note to check up on why Rois was so frightened by that prospect.
As the rest of the Hogwarts chattered about what they were going to wear, and how they were going to convince their parents to let them stay over break, and if so-and-so was going to ask them out. Kat, after straining a moment to remain aloof from it all, wondered what in the ten circles of hell she was going to wear.
"You know, Headmaster Dumbledore . . . Kat will be with us all of winter break," Crowe commented.
"Yes . . ." he agreed, giving the duo a weird look, as if he couldn't comprehend why he was being told this. "Why?" he finally asked.
"Well, we're having the Yule Ball again," Sinestra pointed out, as if this explained everything.
"Yes, we are . . ." Dumbledore's voice trailed off again, and Crowe sighed.
"We've provided her with every scrap of clothing that girl has worn since she arrived here. As Hogwarts isn't going to provide her with a dress robe, we thought we might ask permission to take her off school grounds for a bit of shopping. For that matter, I don't have anything to wear either," Crowe muttered under her breath.
"Off – Hogwarts grounds?!!" Dumbledore squeaked.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, she is really only a child."
"A child who knows more about both sides of this insane war than any other living person! She knows of anyone and everyone who has any importance! If she were to get caught . . . We would be doomed."
"Yes. But that poor girl has perhaps two friends – she is the only one here like herself, and most of the other students avoid her. Even the terrible trio (Crowe's name for Ron, Harry and Hermione) doesn't really talk to her except Hermione, and that's because they sleep in the same room. And knowing what she does . . . What she's been though . . . Don't you think it might help to have a dose of normalcy in there? She hasn't seen anything but wizards for months, Dumbledore. And as well as she seems to fit in, she's still easily surprised by things wizards can do. She's only fifteen, Dumbledore."
Dumbledore paced back and forth, three pairs of eyes following him. Fawkes chirped a comment from across the room. The phoenix had never met the girl, but Dumbledore found that Fawkes always seemed to have something to say in her favor. "Alright. But for no more than half a day, this Sunday. I need where you're going, so we can discreetly keep an eye on you."
"I'm sure Kat cin think up somthin' fer herself, Headmaster," came a rough voice from the doorway. "Pardon th' intrusion, but as yeh were talkin' abou' th' same gel I need ta talk ta yeh abou', I figured comin' in wasn' any harm," Hagrid stood filling the door before stepping in.
"No harm done, Hagrid. And just why did you want to see me about young Kathryn?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Yeh know what . . . I'm doin' this week. Well, th' mangy sub yeh hired sent an owl ta say he couldn' make it. I don' think we cin git another teacher so quickly so . . . Well, Windy, now, she cin teach ta class."
"I thought it was hard for most people, with a few noted exceptions such as yourself, to speak to gryphons?"
"Yeah. See, Kat cin talk ta 'er. She could talk fer Windy durin' class, but she'd miss 'er own."
Dumbledore sighed. Most of the time, Kat didn't make much of a fuss (unless it was on her trumpet), and he'd forgotten how different she was from his normal students. "She can speak to the gryphon?"
"Wit' ease, Professor."
"Alright. I'll pull her from classes next week, and Professor Crowe, Professor Sinestra . . . If anything happens to that child, your jobs are forfeit."
"This means what, exactly?" Crowe asked for what must have been the sixtieth time as the trio approached the Muggle shops.
Kat sighed, and explained the British currency to her professors yet again. Neither had been Muggle-born, and both were having as much fun exploring Muggles as Kat had wizards – only with much less torture-by-evil and more exclamations of precisely how clever Muggles were to have gotten along without magic.
Most wizards had a few sets of Muggle clothing, and Crowe and Sinestra were both dressed fairly normally. Kat, even though she had spent the last year entirely in the company of wizards, headed unerringly for the formal dress section – there was a clearance of dresses left over from the winter formal season. While the younger Crowe stayed with Kat, Sinestra followed a sales clerk to the woman's, rather than Juniors, section.
Luck was with them – or at least, it was with the professors. Both found what they wanted at that first store, though it took them three more to find something Kat both liked and looked good on her. However, they weren't done yet! Both professors had decided to make an impression at the Ball, and were going the whole way. Two shoe stores later they were finished, and Professor Crowe – who'd given up and told Kat to call her Ravynn – suggested they stop for ice cream at the nearby Diagon Ally before heading back to Hogwarts.
"Kaaaattthhhhryyyynnnnn?" a light, accented voice hissed from the shadows behind them. Both professor jumped and whirled, to find a small Japanese man standing behind them. Kat was bent double laughing.
"Kunihiko, one of these days you're going to scare a powerful wizard and they'll turn you into smoke – permanently!" Kat scolded him.
"Not much of a change from the usual, though," Kunihiko – whom Kat obviously knew – smiled slightly. He didn't seem the type of person who would smile willingly often.
"Kat – who is this?" Sinestra gulped.
"Kunihiko, a very unique traveling Shinto priest," Kat replied.
"Young Kathryn asked if I might accompany you on your outing today, and as I had nothing else to do, I agreed."
"That, and to have a legitimate excuse to get at the Muggles mall vibes," Kat added. "You aren't entirely selfless, so don't pretend to be."
Kunihiko bowed slightly in response, admitting her to be in the right. "Thanks to you, I shall not have to leave this rich area soon – I have fed well enough here to last me longer than usual. My thanks."
"And mine for the watch dog service," Kat replied.
Ravynn followed the conversation without a word, eyes darting back and forth between the two. Then her mind clicked almost loud enough to be heard. "Gaki!" she hissed. She couldn't teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and not be able to recognize this . . . creature . . . for what it was.
"Mental only, Professor Ravynn Crowe. My fiercer cousins tend to stay on their home ground. I chose this profession to stay near my myriad food sources – peaceful, kind emanations. Be grateful I am not one of my cousins, Ravynn-chan."
Sinestra only looked more confused. No wonder; the gaki's native homeland is Japan. "Excuse me but – what are you? What's a gaki?"
"Well, I usually look like this. But when I feed – off, as I said, peaceful emanations – I look like this," with that, Kunihiko seemed to dissolve.
"Where – ?"
"There," Kat pointed at a faint cloud of smoke which was completely ignoring the little wind there was and staying right in place. Two slitted brown eyes appeared in the smoke, and Sinestra yelped.
"Then what did you mean by 'fiercer cousins'?" the Astronomy professor inquired.
Kunihiko sat down, assuming his human form, and didn't seem at all miffed to be giving a lecture on his kind. "There are many kinds of gakis, just as there are many kinds of humans. However, the only difference between humans is magical-nonmagical. Gakis very. We all attain sustenence from nonphysical things, such as incense, peaceful feelings, perfume, and the like. There are only three of us – only three – who can kill. The Flesh, the Blood, and the Soul gakis. Flesh and blood are exactly as they sound, and their human kills are truly terrifying. Those two both partake of physical nourishment. The soul gaki, however, is the most feared. They can literally rip out a mortal soul – wizard and non-wizard alike – and eat that. They can assume the form of anyone whom they have 'eaten', and leave not a single physical trace on the corpse."
Sinestra eyed the remainder of her strawberry ice cream with distaste.
The gaki noticed, and nodded. "I apologize for ruining your appetite. I fear my cousins have that effect on humans."
"You forgot to mention that, unless killed, gakis are immortal," Ravynn growled. She didn't like gakis, or any other creature that came with an unappetising resume.
"I was spawned before the samurai, Ravynn-chan. And I fear I must take my leave – and so must you," Kunihiko vanished, his only remnant a quickly dispersing puff of smoke.
You've been seeing a lot more of magical creatures than humans lately, B'cat'd'goth'et-chi commented. She was trotting amiably next to the Muggle, experimenting with different gaits in the physical world. Her shadow form was slightly harder to control, though Kat provided a focus for the Nightmare.
"They seem to be ore helpful lately," Kat retorted. "Besides, I just spent the entire day with two of my professors."
"And a gaki."
"Actually, a gaki and a shade," Kat corrected. "And you, of course, even though you would have terrified normal Muggles had you appeared."
Couldn't have done much, either, the Nightmare shook her head, ethereal mane shimmering as it bounced with her complicated gait. Besides scare whatever might have come after you – and that only if it was willing to be scared. If you had run into Wormtail, there is little I would have been able to do against someone so frighten of and devoted to Voldemort.
"Yeah, well, not all Death Eaters are that fanatic."
They might have sent something else after you! They don't care if the Muggles find out about them, B'cat'd'goth'et-chi glared at her human friend, annoyed with her for taking such a risk.
Kat sighed, and tossed a rock into the lake. The giant squid shot a tentacle out and grabbed it before it hit that water, and lightly threw it back. Kat caught it and muttered "Alright! I get the message."
The Nightmare sighed herself, a strange sound coming from a creature in the form of a transparent horse. How is Kunihiko?
"Fine. He's been following Bane around. Firenze doesn't want him near the herd, but he can get the little he needs from Bane. And Bane could use the company."
Have you been spending time with that no-account centaur? B'cat'd'goth'et-chi demanded. You know Firenze will kick you out if they smell him on you!
"No, I haven't. I not that stupid; Bane doesn't even like me," Kat shook her head as they came to the edge of the lake. "Look, Nightmare, I'm in a rotten mood. Between the awful weather – couldn't it just snow?! – and some of the things that have been going on with the Ministry, I'm not in the mood for company. Even yours."
Alright. Lady of the Dream Realms, any Nightmare could understand time to yourself. Stay on the grounds, Kitten. And if you go into the Forbidden Forest, take something you know with you. Not every magical creature likes you at first sight.
"That's right; I've been meaning to ask you. Why . . ." when Kat turned to face the Nightmare, she had vanished. Kat shrugged, deciding that it wasn't worth summoning B'cat'd'goth'et-chi back to ask her.
Why do magical creatures like me, and why aren't I heavily effected by them?
The ghost of a mermaid singing drifted up through the lake, and Kat shivered. One more day till everyone leaves for winter break. Then I'll get some time to myself.