Chapter 17 - Intimacy

Three months later and the whole year were stressing over the O.W.L.S Ginny was working really hard and Hermione was helping her out. Ron was now 'seeing' Parvati (it didn't work out with Lavender) and most noticable Kathy and Harry were back together. Professor Lupin had helped him see sense and all was well.

Kathy and Harry were on their way to the great hall after a particulary fun flying session. When Snape stopped her,

"Kathy! may i have a word a moment please" Kathy shrugged at Harry and followed Snape into the empty class room to his left.

"Kathryn i feel that you have done exceptionally well this year, you seem to have a natural gift for the subject dispite obious inadiqucies in the gene pool!" Kathy didn't know whether to be please at his compiment, she felt he didn't give them often, or insulted at his pass at her family. Either way she didn't have chance to say anything as her was talking again. "I think that with a little extra work, you could probably take an advanced N.E.W.T next year. It will mean alot of work on your part and must be combined with Transfiguration, Charms and Defence against the dark arts. Its a very difficult exam but i've been discussing it with your other teachers and Dumbledore and they all beleive that you will be able to handle it, well they would of course, but do you want to do this?"

He finnished and lookedat her, she was slightly taken aback "A NEWT i'm not due to take them for 2 years yet, let alone an advanced one, i don't think i'd be ready, what would i need to do?"

Snape had an unusual look on his face, almost like an inward smile, but not quite. "Ahhhh, underconfident just like your mother, you'd be perfectly capable it involves conducting advanced spells or potions in all four basic subjects and linking them together, their is a written exam in which you need to write up what you have learnt or found. Very few students ever take the advanced level, but i fell you come so far this year if you can advance by the same next year you will be more than able to sit this paper."

She shuddered slightly and her hand shot to her locket rubbing it between her fingers as if hoping it would help her understand what he was saying.

Snape's eyes caught the locket she was holding, the green swirling was so remissant of that... his thoughts trailed off, 'don't be stupid it can't be', he slowly reached out to touch the locket with the intent to turn it over in his fingers and get a closer look.

As his icy fingers neared Kathy's throught a shot of bright green light emitted from the locket throwing him across the room, Kathy gasped in shock as the green light that had filled the room returned to the locket she heard whispering voices, voices she'd never heard before, 'be careful' 'he has improper thoughts' 'he's bad' 'watch out' 'protect yourself' then a voice she knew well, that of her mother 'don't let him see the locket..' Kathy quickly tucked the locket in her robes as her teacher picked himself up from the floor and dusted off his robes.

He eyed her suspissiously, "I have no idea what that was miss atkinson, but mark my words i will find out, and i'll take it as you will be doing the advanced NEWT next year." He winced as he looked at the long winding burn mark appearing on his hand, "Now if you excuse me i need to go see madame pomfrey."

He bustled out the door almost knocking harry over on his way out, Harry stuck his head around the corner of the room and grinned "What'ya do, he looked really pissed off!"

Kathy thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, but i think i just had all my relatives protecting me, oh and next year i'm doing an advanced NEWT."

Harry gawped, "So you're doing the hardest wizarding exam known and you've got a buch of dead guys pissing Snape off for you, well i won't ask!"

Kathy sniggered, "Good 'cos i can't explain." The two of them continued down to the great hall for lunch, Kathy made sure to keep her locket inside her robes, as to avoid a repeat performance.

Later that night five friends were sitting in the gryffindor common room by the fire side, Harry and Ron were playing a game of wizarding chess, Ginny was fretting about her transfiguration exam in the morning, while Hermione was trying to look up something or other in a very large book, Kathy was just watching the lot of them and thinking about the incident with the locket earlier that morning.

Kathy caught a small part of the conversation between Harry and Ron, "It's a shame you can't spend the summer with us again," Ron was saying to Harry,

"Hmmmm," came the reply "they want me to stay at home this summer so they can keep an eye on me, I'm sure they'll let me visit tho, give them a week or two and they'll want rid of me again" He chuckled and checked Ron, before rejocing that he had finally beat his friend at chess.

This made Kathy think what was she going to do this summer, her parents in the muggle world were dead, she hadn't even thought of it, she couldn't ask to stay with her mum and dad besides it was their wedding day tommorow they wouldn't want her hanging around when normally they'd be like newly weds even if they weren't having a honeymoon.

She didn't have long to think about this tho as a large fireball flew over their heads, Hermione ducked then tutted as she saw dean and seamus, tossing the blue fire ball to each other using large broomsticks, Hermione didn't even have chance to say anthing before.

"Dean, Seamus!" Professor McGonagall was stood in the portrait hole that led to the Gryffindor common room. Distracted Dean didn't hit the ball that had been directed at him but it shot straight passed him and set fire to the potions essay that neville had spent the evening working on, the flames lapped up high, devoring the table and surrounding area. A calm extinguising spell from McGonagall soon calmed the babble.

"Detention for the both of you, and in future please resort to doing less dangerous pass times." She stressed dangerous quite a bit, "Now clear up this mess," she motioned to the pile of ashes that had been neville's homework. "Neville i shall speak to Professor Snape about your Essay," She gave him a warm comforting smile.

Kathy, Harry and Ron were sat giggling at the bemused look on Neville's face, Hermione was just frowning and Ginny who was still panicking hadn't even noticed.

Professor McGonagall came over to the group with a disapointed-you-should- know-better look, "Kathy can I see you in my office please." Kathy looked at Harry who wrinkled up his nose and whispered.

"You're awfully popular today," Kathy smiled and followed her mum out the common room. Her mum was waiting and they walked in silence back to her rooms.

When they arrived Professor Lupin was sat on the bed going through what looked like student essays, no doubt he'd be trying to take his mind off tomorrow.

McGonagall looked shocked, "Remus, what are you doing, you're not supposed to be here."

He looked up and smiled, "I was nervous, and i missed you terribly." As he said this he had moved over to her and they were now kissing each other deeply.

They pulled apart and sat back on the bed Minerva motioned for kathy to sit between them."Erm, I heard about the instance this morning when Snape tried to touch the locket,"

Kathy nodded and swallowed, while Lupin just looked bemused.

"Well..." she continued, "You know what i told you about You-Know-Who," Kathy just nodded and continued to listen "Well, he has the other half of the locket, it was split into a good half and a bad half, this is the good half," As she said this she gestured to the chain around kathy's neck, "Snape must have had evil, or unjust thoughts, so when he tried to touch you, or in this case the locket, it protected you by usining a mild form of the Avada Kedavra curse," both kathy and lupin swallowed, " This half of the locket is carved with a snake, so that is what remained on Severus' hand, that scar will not go away, and will most likly burn, when you're near him, but i'm sure he'll cope," with this she gave a small smile.

Understanding suddenly dawned on her face, "Harry's scar!" she said looking to McGonagall in hope of conformation.

"Yes!" she said "The other half of the locket is carved with a lighting bolt, that is the remenant that harry remains with, the locket protected Voldemort, thus he didn't actually die. Voldemort cannot be killed while he is wearing the locket, both halves of the locket must be joined, that is the only way he can be killed, the protection becomes the death." She stopped here, Kathy could tell that their was more to this than met the eye but didn't want to press, besides her mum was actually starting to call Voldemort by his real name.

Kathy got up to leave when she remembered what she had been thinking about earlier, "Mum?" she turned back to see that her mother was fully attentive to what she was about to say, "Erm.. well the holidays start in 2 days, and well...." McGonagall just nodded and Lupin who was still wondering about the previous conversation sat forward to listen, "Well, erm.. i don't know where to go! I mean well..." Tears had started rolling down her cheeks again, "I haven't got anywhere to stay." The tears were now comming thick.

Lupin stood up and hugged her, "Of course you have!" he exclaimed, "You're going to stay with us, we're a family, remember?" she gave a little laugh and a sob.

"I didn't think you'd want me around!" Kathy felt slightly silly now.

McGonagall stood up and joined in the hug, "Don't be stupid! We love you!"

Kathy smiled again and then left for the gryffindor common room once more.