The Great Hall looked magnificent as usual, the enchanted ceiling glittering with a thousand stars in velvety darkness, and hundreds of candles floated around giving more than adequate light to the large room. The Sorting was drawing to a close, and Dumbledore stood up, clearly ready to make an unusual announcement.
"It is my great pleasure to present to all of you a very different student. It is not very often that we allow students into Hogwarts in the sixth year of their studies, but this is a special case. Our new student has transferred here from our sister school in the United States of America, and she will now be sorted, like every other student." He sat down and waved to Professor MacGonagall to proceed.
Nodding, the woman waved at the girl. "Katherine Hale." She called from her lists, and picked up the Sorting Hat, placing it on Kat's head as the girl sat down on the stool.
There was a long silence in the hall as Katherine sat as still as a statue beneath the hat, her eyes closed and an almost pleading expression on her face.
"Gryffindor!" The hat called out, and Kat sighed an sigh of relief. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers as she made her way down to it, sliding into a space between Remus and Peter. Many people clamoured to shake her hand and wish her welcome.
James grinned at her from his seat across her, but Kat couldn't help but notice that neither Sirius nor Lily smiled at all.
Across the hall, Lucius Malfoy sneered.
***
The year was off with a bang, and classes started as usual, only harder than they had been the year before. The sixth years groaned under the weight of their work and homework, but it did not keep the Marauders too busy to pull several pranks.
All four of them had detention within the first week.
Kat seemed to settle in rather nicely, and although she and Lily still did not get along well, she seemed to have made herself a rather permanent part of their group when the boys were present.
She and Sirius were always in each other's hair, yelling insults or making sarcastic remarks with a fervour that just could not be matched by anyone else.
James and Lily went back to their good-natured bartering, and it was clear to everyone except them that they were madly in love - or sort of in anyway.
Remus started dating Jess - much to the annoyance of much of the male population of Hogwarts- and Peter was too busy trying to figure out what was going on in Potions to really have time for anything else.
Yeap, Hogwarts had settled down into its normal rhythm.
It was the morning of the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts when Kat first started to act strange. She was quite happily teasing Sirius about a small incident in Charms class when a large owl dropped a letter in her porridge.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Kat fished the white envelope out of her breakfast and wiped it clean with a serviette. Her eyes widened considerably as she recognised the hand-writing.
"Who's it from?" Peter asked and glanced over at the letter in Kat's hand, dropping his knife back onto his plate before taking a bite of toast.
"No-one important." Kat said and stood up, clenching the letter in her hand. "I'll see you guys outside in a little while - I forgot something in the dormitory." She nearly ran out of the Great Hall.
"Ooh, is it from your secret boyfriend, Ice Queen?" Sirius called after her, shooting her a nasty look.
"Go torture some fluffy white rabbits, Black." She called over her shoulder as she sped off, nearly colliding with Remus and Jess as they came into the Hall.
"Geez, Kat, slow down!" Jess teased as she watched the other girl speed past her. "Where's she off to in such a hurry?" She and Remus squeezed in between James and Lily.
"She received some post and then ran off." James shrugged. "Said she forgot something in the dormitory."
Lily frowned. "Why would she not open her mail in front of us?" She sipped her pumpkin juice. "I wonder who it is from?"
The others shrugged and returned to their breakfast with relish.
Only later did they notice that Sirius was no longer with them.
***
Kat did not even bother to pretend to go in the direction of the Gryffindor common-room; instead she went straight up to the owlery, letter clutched tightly in her hand. It was only when she made herself comfortable on the floor of the big room that she tore open the envelope.
A single sheet of white paper drifted lazily to the ground, and she snatched it up in one swift motion. When she recognised that hand-writing, her cursing was terrible to hear.
Katherine
You have not reported as I ordered you to do, and that, I might add, is not wise. You swore your life to me, despite your young age, and to break that oath could be fatal. Do not think that even your parents could save you when I claim what is rightfully mine. You will report to me every week, as was your original order. Forget not that you are not the only one of my followers in that ridiculous school, beware if you betray me!
Remember your oath!
Your lord.
The letter burst into flames as she let it fall to the floor once more.
"Oh Merlin." Kat murmured and hugged her legs to her body, leaning her chin on her knees.
"I'm guessing your boyfriend is no longer interested?" Sirius stepped out from behind a row of cages, a smirk on his handsome features. Kat nearly jumped a foot into the air at the sound of his voice.
"Fuck you, Black." She growled at him when she managed to regain her composure. "But then again, I guess it would be just like you to sneak around trying to read other people's mail. Just can't keep your curiosity curbed, can you?" She didn't even bother to look at him.
"Don't worry, Kitty Kat, I did not read your little love-gone-bad letter. But I am willing to listen if you want to curse this guy." His smile was pure venom.
"You wish, you worthless git." Kat shook her head in anger, eyes blazing. "Could you not just be nice for once? Do you always have to mock and ridicule and act so darnit immature? And do you always have to push your long nose into other people's business?!" There was a flurry of worried hoots and much flapping of wings as the owls suddenly took fright at her angry yelling.
"Breath, Kat. No need to get over-excited." Sirius rased his hands in an disarming manner, shooting a worried glance at the girl on the floor. "I thought you were just as game about this mocking thing. You always bite back..."
Kat sighed and all anger seemed to seep from her slender frame. "I am sorry, Sirius, I shouldn't be taking all this out on you." She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. "And usually I don't mind your mocking comments or your snide remarks... I'm sorry."
Shrugging, Sirius sat down on the floor beside her, all trace of mockery gone. "No biggy. Now do you want to talk about it? I am, au contraire to popular believe, quite a good listener."
"No." Kat shook her head and stood up. "Thanks for the offer though, I appreciate it." She shouldered her bag and grabbed the empty envelope. "Besides, first class is starting in five minutes, and I have Divination. It's quite a far walk." A rare smile of genuine friendliness was flashed at Sirius before she disappeared through the door, leaving the boy with the strangest feeling of discontentment.
***
The Divination class-room was stuffy and incense filled, making most of the students sleepy and often causing one of them to bump their heads against the table-tops as a hand gave way beneath a nodding head.
Kat, however, enjoyed Divination in a offhanded kind of way - especially when their teacher was late. She, James, Remus and Jess were sitting at one table (Lily was too levelheaded for such a subject, and Sirius had been politely asked to leave the class in the third year, while Peter was missing the day's class because of a stomach ache) and Kat told them of how surprised she was to see Sirius's humane behaviour.
"I guess I always pictured him as some kind of child in a sixteen-year old's body. Or perhaps a Dementor in disguise." She shrugged and crossed her legs as she leaned back in her chair.
James laughed. "Sure, Sirius can act immature most of the times, and he does love mocking anything that breathes - and some things that don't - but deep down inside he's a really nice guy."
"When the going gets tough, Sirius is the one that will pull you through, and he usually does it with a smile on his face." Remus winked at James as he said that, and both of them grinned.
"And what does that look mean?" Jess quipped, trying to create a semblance of a breeze by waving her manicured hand in front of her face.
"Oh, nothing." James said and dropped his gaze. "Just thinking of the amount of times that Sirius has gotten us into, and out, of trouble."
Kat shook her head. "If you had told me that four hours ago I would have laughed in your face." Idly she twirled a strand of hair around one of her fingers while stifling a yawn with the other hand.
James glanced at Remus and the other boy nodded. "Well, since you both seem fabulously bored, I think it is time for us to make a wonderful announcement." Both boys leaned across the table and motioned the others to follow suite so that they were sure that no-one could hear them. "We are planning a little trip to Hogsmead this evening after Quidditch tryouts. You girls want to come?"
Jess squealed in delight and clapped her hands together. "Ooh, of course! I presume Lily and Sirius will be coming as well?"
Remus nodded and grinned. "I'm pretty sure Lily will come - despite the fact that she is a prefect, and do you for one second believe that Sirius would miss such a trip for anything?"
"And would you mind telling me how we are going to get there?" Kat raised an arched eyebrow with a small smile. "Not that I really mind, as long as I can go along..."
"That's a secret. You'll have to wait and see!" James grinned like a four-year old who had just discovered a horde of chocolate frogs. Which he kind of had, if you think about it.
***