The first snowfall brought the students to the windows to either sigh
with the fact that holidays were coming, or with the fact that they had
classes to attend, and couldn't go out and play. Kate was often caught
watching the snow, especially in Defence Against Dark Arts, where a painful
subject was about to be brought up in class.
"There exist a category of spell that belong neither to the dark nor to the light. The two most powerful and dangerous of these lie within the sole authority of the Daoine Sidhe," Professor Lupin began his lecture. Kate flinched when he said the ancient name for the powerful Fair Folk, the fallen angels. She knew what was coming. No one else knew about these spells, not even Hermione. Oh, no. What might be known was what was heard only in the oldest of the tales. As Kate was the only one capable of performing those charms, she'd end being the one to talk about them.
"Does anyone know what I am talking about?" Lupin asked. The classroom was silent. Kate looked about, desperate for a reprieve. Finding none, she sighed and raised her hand. Lupin nodded at her, face grave, " Thought you'd be the one to tell me. Go on, Kate."
"The first is an enchantment which no soul, living or dead, can resist once it is heard. This was the basis for the myths of the sirens; for though the male Sidhe have the ability, the females are the ones to make it… irresistible. It is the Come Hither."
"Very good, Kate. Do you think that you could favor us with a demonstration before you tell us of the second charm?" Lupin smiled encouragingly.
"Do you have cotton balls or wax? I don't want anything untoward happening. Wax is better; I can sing through cotton."
"Just so happens that I have. Does anyone want to volunteer?" Lupin asked. Hands shot up. Kate picked a face out of the crowd. Draco Malfoy looked smug, confident and secure.
"Malfoy, leave the wax out of your ears," Kate said. She watched the entire class, including Lupin, put the wax in their ears. She looked at her prey. She extended her left hand, fingers unfurled, and pointed at Malfoy:
"Come to me, come to me…
Wonders you'll see
The land of the shadows beckons
You want to give in, to the whims of spring wind
And the thrill of complete abandon…"
When she had finished her song, she smiled and motioned that the siren's danger was over. The others gaped at Malfoy, who had a slack-jawed, dazed look to him; he had moved to stand directly in front of Kate.
"Draco Malfoy, what would you do for me?"
"Whatever you ask," he replied in a weird tone.
"Would you jump off the highest tower in the school?" she sounded like a grand inquisitor, "Would you face the Dark Forest alone without a light? Would you die? Would you kill?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Good. I want you to flap about like a chicken, jump on the desk and sing at the top of your lungs, that you, Draco Malfoy, don't want to be a chicken, you would rather be a duck… quack quack quack quack. Then, when I tell you to, close your eyes and wait for me to release you.
To the awe of the class, Malfoy did just that. He sang the song just as she told him… at the top of his lungs. A dark shadow passed by the room and Snape opened the door.
"What in the blazes? Malfoy, get down from there! Lupin, just what kind of a class do you think you are teaching?"
" Have a seat, Professor, and enjoy the show. You're just in time for the matinee," Kate said, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed, " I daresay my aunt never showed you this particular talent," she smiled, then her voice turned commanding, " Malfoy, go sit down and keep quiet. I shall count to the number seven and sing the counter charm. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
"I give back to you your soul,
I don't want it anymore.
You're free to your own will once again
Yet remember ever long
How the fey's siren song
Held you in her thrall.
Realize that even angels can fall."
Malfoy blinked and looked about him. He hurried back to his seat, too unnerved to say anything. "Any other takers?" Kate asked brightly. Only Harry raised his hand and she grinned, "Wax everyone! You, too, Professor Snape," tossing some leftover wax to Snape, she then turned to Harry, " Brave man. I won't make you do anything embarrassing though."
"That's a relief," he grinned back. She sang the song again, and repeated the motions for the class to remove the wax. Both Snape and Lupin looked on eagerly to see what she would command this time.
"Waltz with me, Harry," was all she said. He swept her up into a graceful dance about the room, and didn't pause an instant when they were suddenly floating in midair. A silvery ribbon of light wove it's way about the room, holding them up. Kate decided to let them down after a minute or so, and released her charm. When they had retaken their seats, Lupin stood up once again, looking at her, nodding. Snape watched closely, not about to get up and leave. He had a feeling the 'matinee' wasn't over yet.
"Please, Professor, do I have to?"
"They must know, Kate. It's like knowing about the Unforgivable curses. They have to know if there is any possibility that they might have to face it," Lupin put a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, bleakly, took a deep breath, then began to speak in a quiet expressionless tone, which was quite dreadful.
"The second enchantment is the most terrible thing on this earth. The Avada Kedavra pales in comparison. Even the dementor's kiss is eclipsed. That is how truly awful it is. Which is why the power to summon it is limited to two bloodlines: that of Merlin and that of Morgana Le Fey. There are no known descendents of Merlin, and the direct descent of the latter exists of only two people… Gwendolyn Rhys and myself. Of all the witches and wizards and Muggles in this world, we alone can call, can command…" there her voice broke. She swallowed and gazed at Lupin. Her eyes beseeched him to let her remain silent. But he shook his head.
"Go on, Kate, it helps you as much as them to talk about it," he said sadly. Snape, still looming by the door, looked almost as alarmed as Lupin did. He knew what was coming, she thought. Somehow, he knew that this was the one thing in the world that scared her. She didn't know how he knew, but those black eyes told her that he did. And he knew that she could do this appalling thing. She nodded sliently, then closed her eyes and spoke three words in a whisper which carried effortlessly through the room.
"THE WILD HUNT." The temperature in the room dropped dramatically and everyone shuddered as the words fell from her lips, relentless. Kate took another deep breath, opened her eyes, and went on, as though reciting something she had learned by rote.
"The calling of the Wild Hunt, as with the singing of the Come Hither are, to us, akin to the using of the Unforgivable curses. They are only to be made use of in the direst of emergencies," she looked about at the pale faces of her friends, and continued, even more quietly, "If ever I am called upon to lead the Hunt, I grant you the single most effective protection. For your lives, for your very souls: DO NOT RUN. If you run, they will give chase, and they will run you to ground. And if they do that, may God have mercy on your souls, for they will not. I… I cannot tell you what happens, merely that it is the most horrific fate one can face. They do not understand human emotions, the Hunters, for they are the very fallen angels. Neither heaven nor hell could hold them, and they chose long ago to whom they give their allegiance. They cannot be bribed, they cannot be entreated. They are neither Dark nor Light… and you'd better thank whatever gods there be that those who can control them chose to be of the Light." Thus said, she got up and left the room, pushing past Snape in her hurry.
"That is why you never make the fey angry. It is a hard thing to do, as they generally like to give as good as they get. But when they are pushed too far, that's when people get hurt," Lupin said, "Professor Snape, would you go and make sure she is all right?"
Snape didn't bother to answer, merely swept out of the classroom and down the corridor after Kate. She was sitting outside the girls' restroom, her head in her hands.
"You did well. You'll be all right soon."
"Before or after I puke again?" she rasped, wiping her hand across her mouth.
"The simple act of talking about it sickens you?"
"Isn't that obvious? I doubt just talking about the host would bother me, if I hadn't seen…" she trailed off.
"What did you see?"
"I saw the host take a victim. I was nine, my mother had locked me in my bedroom at Cannon Hill. Being the obnoxious child I was, I climbed out my window down the rose trellis and followed them. Gwen found me before the Hunt did, but their prey almost got to me. They rounded back on him, but he killed a member of the host before they could destroy him. He killed my mother. And it was my fault…" she said, tears filling her eyes. "I haven't ever told anyone. The only person who knows is Gwen. But I killed her, as surely as the person to wield the weapon," she sobbed, clutching her knees and rocking back and forth.
"So that is what you meant when you said it was your fault. At your mother's funeral, you told me it was all your fault."
"What? I didn't…. I don't remember the funeral."
"You wouldn't, would you? You ran away. It took nearly an hour for us to find you. The only reason we did is because I heard you singing, like a little lark. You had Leonidas in your lap and you were singing 'The Ash Grove' for the ghosts. Afterwards, Dumbledore put a memory charm on you. It was a hard day for both you and Gwen."
"You were there?"
" I carried you to Cannon Hill myself."
Kate looked at him in shock. He had known almost everything the whole time! Snape knew more about her than she did herself, and she resented that. The tears were still running down her face and Snape took out a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks.
"It isn't your fault, Katherine. No more than your friend Potter is to blame for his parent's deaths. The blame there belongs to Sirius Black."
"My aunt doesn't believe that."
" She was always blind where Black was concerned. Is it any wonder that she hasn't been able to bear hearing his name for nearly seventeen years?" Snape said venomously.
" You're jealous. That's what I think. I've heard stories about when you were all here at school. That you were… how was it put? Infatuated with Gwen! And you were jealous that she and Sirius went out together!" Kate had to defend Sirius, after all, he had helped to save not only her friend's life, but her own.
"I assure you, Katherine, that the jealousy went both ways. Black tried to kill me after I had taken Gwen to Hogsmeade. Have you never heard of the affair with Lupin? Do you not know who invented that serum you inject into your arm every two weeks?" He put his hands on her shoulders and shook her. Snape was furious, though Kate could not tell whether it was with her, Sirius Black, or with Gwen Rhys.
" You needn't shout at me. I'm sure they can hear you in Hogsmeade." She had stopped crying, was now angry and thouroughly enjoying it, "As to your invention, well, it hasn't done me much good since I've been here. And if you cannot speak to me in a civil tone, I'll do to you what I threatened to Malfoy. And make no mistake, I will find the dullest, rustiest needle in Hogwarts!" She spat out.
"A dull needle?" Snape couldn't decide whether he was angry at her or amused.
" Well, of course. It's more painful that way. And think of the trouble it will take to give lectures. Spare us all from having to listen to you." She turned around and ran off.
Snape did not feel the inclination to follow her. He realized that he had goaded her too much. She was unstable enough after having to talk about the Wild Hunt, and she had been spoiling for a fight. She didn't hold back with her threats, either. He had a feeling that if he ever did anything like that again, he'd end up having to go to the hospital wing and have his mouth unsewn.
Kate was enjoying her anger. She had finally gotten to say exactly what she wanted to Snape and he had taken it. And she had gotten him to actually say something, if not nice, well, certainly not bad about Harry Potter. She knew that Professor McGonagall would probably be getting a call from Snape, telling of her bad behavior. But right now, she was too high on the fight to care. She went back to Lupin's class in an almost cheerful mood. She sat down next to Harry sighed almost happily.
"You all right?" he asked.
"I feel much better, thank you."
"Sounded like you and Snape got into a shouting match."
"Yep. It was a beautiful argument. And I am pretty certain I won."
"Oh, I've got something to tell you. I don't need you to go with me to the Yule ball after all. Cho asked me to go with her yesterday. Wasn't able to tell you till now." Harry said.
"Oh… well, all right. No big deal. You have fun."
"You're not sore, are you? I mean, I can go with you if you want." Harry sounded concerned.
"Don't you dare. You go with Cho. You wanted to go with her first anyway." Kate did not wait for him to say anything more. As the class was dismissed, she went to the next class as quickly as possible.
"There exist a category of spell that belong neither to the dark nor to the light. The two most powerful and dangerous of these lie within the sole authority of the Daoine Sidhe," Professor Lupin began his lecture. Kate flinched when he said the ancient name for the powerful Fair Folk, the fallen angels. She knew what was coming. No one else knew about these spells, not even Hermione. Oh, no. What might be known was what was heard only in the oldest of the tales. As Kate was the only one capable of performing those charms, she'd end being the one to talk about them.
"Does anyone know what I am talking about?" Lupin asked. The classroom was silent. Kate looked about, desperate for a reprieve. Finding none, she sighed and raised her hand. Lupin nodded at her, face grave, " Thought you'd be the one to tell me. Go on, Kate."
"The first is an enchantment which no soul, living or dead, can resist once it is heard. This was the basis for the myths of the sirens; for though the male Sidhe have the ability, the females are the ones to make it… irresistible. It is the Come Hither."
"Very good, Kate. Do you think that you could favor us with a demonstration before you tell us of the second charm?" Lupin smiled encouragingly.
"Do you have cotton balls or wax? I don't want anything untoward happening. Wax is better; I can sing through cotton."
"Just so happens that I have. Does anyone want to volunteer?" Lupin asked. Hands shot up. Kate picked a face out of the crowd. Draco Malfoy looked smug, confident and secure.
"Malfoy, leave the wax out of your ears," Kate said. She watched the entire class, including Lupin, put the wax in their ears. She looked at her prey. She extended her left hand, fingers unfurled, and pointed at Malfoy:
"Come to me, come to me…
Wonders you'll see
The land of the shadows beckons
You want to give in, to the whims of spring wind
And the thrill of complete abandon…"
When she had finished her song, she smiled and motioned that the siren's danger was over. The others gaped at Malfoy, who had a slack-jawed, dazed look to him; he had moved to stand directly in front of Kate.
"Draco Malfoy, what would you do for me?"
"Whatever you ask," he replied in a weird tone.
"Would you jump off the highest tower in the school?" she sounded like a grand inquisitor, "Would you face the Dark Forest alone without a light? Would you die? Would you kill?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Good. I want you to flap about like a chicken, jump on the desk and sing at the top of your lungs, that you, Draco Malfoy, don't want to be a chicken, you would rather be a duck… quack quack quack quack. Then, when I tell you to, close your eyes and wait for me to release you.
To the awe of the class, Malfoy did just that. He sang the song just as she told him… at the top of his lungs. A dark shadow passed by the room and Snape opened the door.
"What in the blazes? Malfoy, get down from there! Lupin, just what kind of a class do you think you are teaching?"
" Have a seat, Professor, and enjoy the show. You're just in time for the matinee," Kate said, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed, " I daresay my aunt never showed you this particular talent," she smiled, then her voice turned commanding, " Malfoy, go sit down and keep quiet. I shall count to the number seven and sing the counter charm. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
"I give back to you your soul,
I don't want it anymore.
You're free to your own will once again
Yet remember ever long
How the fey's siren song
Held you in her thrall.
Realize that even angels can fall."
Malfoy blinked and looked about him. He hurried back to his seat, too unnerved to say anything. "Any other takers?" Kate asked brightly. Only Harry raised his hand and she grinned, "Wax everyone! You, too, Professor Snape," tossing some leftover wax to Snape, she then turned to Harry, " Brave man. I won't make you do anything embarrassing though."
"That's a relief," he grinned back. She sang the song again, and repeated the motions for the class to remove the wax. Both Snape and Lupin looked on eagerly to see what she would command this time.
"Waltz with me, Harry," was all she said. He swept her up into a graceful dance about the room, and didn't pause an instant when they were suddenly floating in midair. A silvery ribbon of light wove it's way about the room, holding them up. Kate decided to let them down after a minute or so, and released her charm. When they had retaken their seats, Lupin stood up once again, looking at her, nodding. Snape watched closely, not about to get up and leave. He had a feeling the 'matinee' wasn't over yet.
"Please, Professor, do I have to?"
"They must know, Kate. It's like knowing about the Unforgivable curses. They have to know if there is any possibility that they might have to face it," Lupin put a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, bleakly, took a deep breath, then began to speak in a quiet expressionless tone, which was quite dreadful.
"The second enchantment is the most terrible thing on this earth. The Avada Kedavra pales in comparison. Even the dementor's kiss is eclipsed. That is how truly awful it is. Which is why the power to summon it is limited to two bloodlines: that of Merlin and that of Morgana Le Fey. There are no known descendents of Merlin, and the direct descent of the latter exists of only two people… Gwendolyn Rhys and myself. Of all the witches and wizards and Muggles in this world, we alone can call, can command…" there her voice broke. She swallowed and gazed at Lupin. Her eyes beseeched him to let her remain silent. But he shook his head.
"Go on, Kate, it helps you as much as them to talk about it," he said sadly. Snape, still looming by the door, looked almost as alarmed as Lupin did. He knew what was coming, she thought. Somehow, he knew that this was the one thing in the world that scared her. She didn't know how he knew, but those black eyes told her that he did. And he knew that she could do this appalling thing. She nodded sliently, then closed her eyes and spoke three words in a whisper which carried effortlessly through the room.
"THE WILD HUNT." The temperature in the room dropped dramatically and everyone shuddered as the words fell from her lips, relentless. Kate took another deep breath, opened her eyes, and went on, as though reciting something she had learned by rote.
"The calling of the Wild Hunt, as with the singing of the Come Hither are, to us, akin to the using of the Unforgivable curses. They are only to be made use of in the direst of emergencies," she looked about at the pale faces of her friends, and continued, even more quietly, "If ever I am called upon to lead the Hunt, I grant you the single most effective protection. For your lives, for your very souls: DO NOT RUN. If you run, they will give chase, and they will run you to ground. And if they do that, may God have mercy on your souls, for they will not. I… I cannot tell you what happens, merely that it is the most horrific fate one can face. They do not understand human emotions, the Hunters, for they are the very fallen angels. Neither heaven nor hell could hold them, and they chose long ago to whom they give their allegiance. They cannot be bribed, they cannot be entreated. They are neither Dark nor Light… and you'd better thank whatever gods there be that those who can control them chose to be of the Light." Thus said, she got up and left the room, pushing past Snape in her hurry.
"That is why you never make the fey angry. It is a hard thing to do, as they generally like to give as good as they get. But when they are pushed too far, that's when people get hurt," Lupin said, "Professor Snape, would you go and make sure she is all right?"
Snape didn't bother to answer, merely swept out of the classroom and down the corridor after Kate. She was sitting outside the girls' restroom, her head in her hands.
"You did well. You'll be all right soon."
"Before or after I puke again?" she rasped, wiping her hand across her mouth.
"The simple act of talking about it sickens you?"
"Isn't that obvious? I doubt just talking about the host would bother me, if I hadn't seen…" she trailed off.
"What did you see?"
"I saw the host take a victim. I was nine, my mother had locked me in my bedroom at Cannon Hill. Being the obnoxious child I was, I climbed out my window down the rose trellis and followed them. Gwen found me before the Hunt did, but their prey almost got to me. They rounded back on him, but he killed a member of the host before they could destroy him. He killed my mother. And it was my fault…" she said, tears filling her eyes. "I haven't ever told anyone. The only person who knows is Gwen. But I killed her, as surely as the person to wield the weapon," she sobbed, clutching her knees and rocking back and forth.
"So that is what you meant when you said it was your fault. At your mother's funeral, you told me it was all your fault."
"What? I didn't…. I don't remember the funeral."
"You wouldn't, would you? You ran away. It took nearly an hour for us to find you. The only reason we did is because I heard you singing, like a little lark. You had Leonidas in your lap and you were singing 'The Ash Grove' for the ghosts. Afterwards, Dumbledore put a memory charm on you. It was a hard day for both you and Gwen."
"You were there?"
" I carried you to Cannon Hill myself."
Kate looked at him in shock. He had known almost everything the whole time! Snape knew more about her than she did herself, and she resented that. The tears were still running down her face and Snape took out a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks.
"It isn't your fault, Katherine. No more than your friend Potter is to blame for his parent's deaths. The blame there belongs to Sirius Black."
"My aunt doesn't believe that."
" She was always blind where Black was concerned. Is it any wonder that she hasn't been able to bear hearing his name for nearly seventeen years?" Snape said venomously.
" You're jealous. That's what I think. I've heard stories about when you were all here at school. That you were… how was it put? Infatuated with Gwen! And you were jealous that she and Sirius went out together!" Kate had to defend Sirius, after all, he had helped to save not only her friend's life, but her own.
"I assure you, Katherine, that the jealousy went both ways. Black tried to kill me after I had taken Gwen to Hogsmeade. Have you never heard of the affair with Lupin? Do you not know who invented that serum you inject into your arm every two weeks?" He put his hands on her shoulders and shook her. Snape was furious, though Kate could not tell whether it was with her, Sirius Black, or with Gwen Rhys.
" You needn't shout at me. I'm sure they can hear you in Hogsmeade." She had stopped crying, was now angry and thouroughly enjoying it, "As to your invention, well, it hasn't done me much good since I've been here. And if you cannot speak to me in a civil tone, I'll do to you what I threatened to Malfoy. And make no mistake, I will find the dullest, rustiest needle in Hogwarts!" She spat out.
"A dull needle?" Snape couldn't decide whether he was angry at her or amused.
" Well, of course. It's more painful that way. And think of the trouble it will take to give lectures. Spare us all from having to listen to you." She turned around and ran off.
Snape did not feel the inclination to follow her. He realized that he had goaded her too much. She was unstable enough after having to talk about the Wild Hunt, and she had been spoiling for a fight. She didn't hold back with her threats, either. He had a feeling that if he ever did anything like that again, he'd end up having to go to the hospital wing and have his mouth unsewn.
Kate was enjoying her anger. She had finally gotten to say exactly what she wanted to Snape and he had taken it. And she had gotten him to actually say something, if not nice, well, certainly not bad about Harry Potter. She knew that Professor McGonagall would probably be getting a call from Snape, telling of her bad behavior. But right now, she was too high on the fight to care. She went back to Lupin's class in an almost cheerful mood. She sat down next to Harry sighed almost happily.
"You all right?" he asked.
"I feel much better, thank you."
"Sounded like you and Snape got into a shouting match."
"Yep. It was a beautiful argument. And I am pretty certain I won."
"Oh, I've got something to tell you. I don't need you to go with me to the Yule ball after all. Cho asked me to go with her yesterday. Wasn't able to tell you till now." Harry said.
"Oh… well, all right. No big deal. You have fun."
"You're not sore, are you? I mean, I can go with you if you want." Harry sounded concerned.
"Don't you dare. You go with Cho. You wanted to go with her first anyway." Kate did not wait for him to say anything more. As the class was dismissed, she went to the next class as quickly as possible.