Katie didn't think she would ever find someone that she really hated. She was liked by everyone, and in return she liked everybody back. That was so until the day when Katie had her first divination lesson and the day she met Rachel Felton.
As Katie, Kate and Louise sat eating breakfast in the Great Hall that morning, Katie pulled out her new timetable (which she had already colour coded).
"Right," she said, unfolding it carefully, "This morning we have divination with the Gryffindors in the divination tower,"
"Divination?" questioned Louise as she took a bite of buttered toast.
"Yes, that's right, divination," replied Katie, absent mindedly putting the timetable in her cereal bowl as she leant over to reach a mint humbug.
"But I didn't think second years took divination," Louise said surprised.
"Well they do now. And oh look, not only is it with the Gryffindors but with the first years too."
"First years?" spluttered Kate, spraying milk everywhere, "What do we want with them?"
"Dunno, but it must be important," replied Katie, rolling her eyes at the mess Kate had just made. She helped herself to more cereal, realising she had just poured milk over her timetable, so said 'Scourgify' then carried on. Kate took a sip of orange juice then looked at her watch.
"It's nearly 9 o' clock," she said, "We best be going." Katie looked around the Hall and realised they were the last people there so started to cram the cereal in her mouth rather than spoon it in. Kate and Louise got up, forcing Katie to do the same and abandon her cereal, then together they walked quickly out of the hall.
They found the divination room quite quickly thanks to Louise's mapping spell, but found that everyone else was there already none the less. They were crowded round a rusting ladder that lead up to a circular door in the roof, chattering excitedly. Katie and her friends stood out of the way. Suddenly, (and shattering all thoughts like glass)
"Hiya!" shrieked a girls voice. It was Julie. She came hurtling over towards them, "Can I sit with you guys?" she asked ecstatically, "I don't really have any other friends yet,"
"I wonder why," muttered Katie, Louise had to stop herself from laughing out loud at Katie's remark, but luckily Julie didn't notice.
"Well can I? I can't believe I was sorted into Ravenclaw you know, it was such a shock! I didn't expect it at all. Go Ravenclaw!" she laughed at what she had just said as if it were some hilarious joke. "So can I sit with you?" she asked again. Fortunately, Katie was saved from having to answer Julie's question by the door in the ceiling slowly opening and Professor Aurum's head poking out.
"Welcome class, come into the mystical auras of my classroom and please be seated. Don't touch anything though, you might disturb the spirits." Her head disappeared and the students eagerly started to climb up the ladder, whispering madly. Kate looked at Katie in exasperation. Eventually everyone had disappeared after a lot of fuss ("But I don't like heights!") and they climbed the ladder themselves. At the top was a hot, round room. The fire was burning brightly in the grate and incense sticks were scattered all over the place. It was stifling hot and Katie turned to open the windows, but realised there were none. Instead, she decided to sit near the back of the room on a chintz armchair next to an ornamental waterfall. She was closely followed by Kate and Louise, and fortunately, Julie had decided to sit near the front. Professor Aurum seemed to have vanished, but the class didn't seem to have noticed. The room was full of chatter and anticipation but the warmness of the room was making Katie sleepy. She closed her eyes but was rudely awoken by Louise poking her and saying,
"Look!" Though it was hardly noticeable at first, the room had started to grow dark. The lights faded and the raging fire burnt itself out. The strong floral smell of the incense sticks seemed to have disappeared completely and for a moment the students sat in the pitch black in absolute silence. After a while however, a large silver orb started to glow near the front desk. It gave off a misty haze and the room filled with 'oohs' and 'ahhs'.
"It's a moon!" squealed Julie in delight,
"No it's not, it's a crystal ball," said another voice from somewhere nearby to Katie. The nearest pupils screeched in surprise and the further ones stood up to get a better look. Then, out of nowhere came the mystical voice of Professor Aurum.
"Welcome to the creative art of divination." the ball glowed brighter, then changed colour from white to lilac. "For those who can See, this lesson will come gracefully to them and they will reside here in harmony. For those who cannot See, then the art of divination will be difficult, but they will be able to live harmoniously and peacefully none the less." The students near the front were now leaning so close to the orb, their noses were nearly touching it. Katie however lay back and sighed,
"This is gonna be a long year," she said. Katie didn't believe in anything superstitious and thought it was all a load of rubbish. From the expression on her face, Kate seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Louise on the other hand was looking intrigued, but noticing Katie's boredom, she also sunk backwards. (Which would have been a lot easier if she hadn't been sitting on a stool.) The room was absolutely silent, each pupil enchanted by the mystical auras from the orb at the front of the classroom. Katie could see the faint outline of Julie reaching forward trying to touch the misty haze, though failing. As soon as it had begun however, the excitement was over and the room was slowly brought back to its senses. The aroma of floral perfume returned and gently mingled with the soft smell, for some strange reason, of butterbeer. Professor Aurum appeared from a doorway near the back of the room and started to hand out a sheet of instructions to each of the students.
"Where did she come from?" asked Kate sounding incredibly confused as she looked around.
"From that door," said Katie gesturing behind her as she studied the sheet.
"Er, which door?" asked Kate, "All I can see is a window."
Katie turned and to her surprise the door had vanished and had indeed been replaced by a window. She stood up and walked over to it, in hope of getting some fresh air and seeing a concealed doorway, but all she could observe was the panoramic view of the Hogwart's grounds. Professor Aurum, she concluded, had in fact appeared from nowhere. Returning back to her seat, Katie noticed that her fellow pupils were now all crowded round their own crystal balls in twos and threes. Louise was pointing excitedly at the swirling mist within and even Kate looked remotely interested. Katie joined them and also peered into the glowing orb. Suddenly, and without warning, it happened. The lights blacked out and all sense of life vanished as the temperature dropped to freezing. The orb in front of Katie flashed ferociously from blue to orange to green but she seemed to be the only one that could see it. There was an ear piercing scream and a high pitched cackle followed by a flash of blinding green light. Helpless, Katie fell to the floor and blacked out.
Katie squinted her eyes open then closed them again. She realised she was lying flat on the floor with her arms by her side and her ankle was at a funny angle. Puzzling over how she had managed to get into this condition, Katie lay still trying not to flinch. She didn't feel like talking to Professor Lubella right now, for that who was who the voice belonged to. Her attempts at pretending she was still knocked out failed however. Professor Lubella somehow had sensed that she was now awake and had started to haul Katie up onto the nearest chair. Katie, now forced to open her eyes, looked around and saw that her class, and what looked like the rest of the school, were staring at her worriedly. Louise came rushing forward, tears in her eyes, but she was stopped by Professor Lubella and made to stand back with the other students. Katie could see Professor Aurum sat in the corner, sobbing hysterically whilst drinking tea. It looked like she'd been at it for hours as there were at least fifteen empty tea cups strewn over the chintz carpet. Katie watched for a moment a group of 2nd year Gryffindors smirking at the back of the room. What they were smirking at Katie never got to know because all of a sudden she was overcome with sleep and instantly fell back into her previous state.
Katie could see it. The flash, the woman falling to the ground who for some reason looked familiar. She could hear it too. The scream, the cackle. Katie reached out her hand, touching, grabbing. She could see the owner of the green light, the owner of the laughter. If only she could reach a bit further she would be able to unmask them. Katie stretched her arm out, her fingers coming into contact with the silky material of their cloak. She reached further, her hand about to touch their face to reveal who the murderer was. Her forefinger touched their rough skin, she was nearly there, just one more movement, just one more....BANG! Katie opened her eyes, startled, and found herself on a heap on the floor next to her bed, shaking violently. She was in the hospital wing and had reached slightly too far in her vision that it had caused her to fall onto the floor. Katie knew it was a vision rather than a dream. It had all been so real, so terrifying. She stood up and then realised that if the vision was real, she had to get to Professor Lubella fast, someone was in grave danger. Katie quickly grabbed her blue flannel dressing gown and started to charge out of the hospital wing at full speed. She was forced to stop however near to the entrance door. Stood in her way were two second year Gryffindors. Katie immediately recognised them as to be those who were smirking at the back of the divination classroom.
"Excuse me," said Katie politely though out of breath,
"What did you say?" said one of the Gryffindors, leaning against the door frame blocking all means of exit for Katie and smirking again.
"I said excuse me," said Katie, "This is an emergency, I need to get to Lubella."
"Well, well, well. An emergency? Isn't that cute," the tallest of the girls said. She had long, white blonde curls that fell into her eyes, which were of a piercing blue colour. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"So, what is this emergency then little girl?" she asked.
" I am not a little girl," said Katie through clenched teeth, "And will you please move? I need to see Lubella now. Someone is in danger and needs to be warned."
"Oh," laughed the other Gryffindor, "Someone's in danger? Well if you continue telling us to move I think you'll be the one that's on danger." They chuckled at their little joke then stepped aside.
"Well, if it's that important little girl, I think we'll let you go past," said the smaller of the two. She had dark blonde hair which she wore in a ponytail and an expression on her face that looked as if she'd just eaten something incredibly sour. As Katie furiously walked between them and out of the door they called behind her,
"Run, run little girl! Someone's in grave danger, run to your teacher, run, run!" they laughed loudly as Katie stormed down the corridor. As she turned the corner Katie broke into a run and realised that she had tears in her eyes. Fortunately she didn't have to go far as Professor Libella seemed to already have sensed that something was wrong and was waiting for Katie at the end of the corridor.
"I think you'd better come with me," said Professor Lubella kindly, her dark, almond shaped eyes twinkling affectionately. Katie followed slowly, shaking with both fear and hatred for the poor woman in her vision and for the two 2nd year Gryffindors. Katie had finally found someone she hated and was prepared to do anything she could to stop it.
A/N erm, review?!