Kate, Katie and Louise slowly trundled around the lake in the school grounds as they waited for their next lesson to begin. It was a pleasant day, the sun was shining and the many willow trees that surrounded the lake were dipping in and out of the water courtesy of the slight breeze. Katie flopped down in the shade underneath a particularly leafy willow tree and stared out across the water and over to the Forbidden Forest in the distance. Louise copied and also sat down but Kate remained standing.
"Why do we have to go to lessons today?" asked Katie, "It's such a nice day, I just want to stay outside in the sun,"
"Yeh," agreed Kate, "But life doesn't work like that. What lesson do we have next?"
"Herbology," said Louise
"Great," replied Katie, lying down to enjoy the weather whilst she still could. At least herbology wasn't inside the castle. "Oh no," said Katie as she looked up to see the time,
"What?" asked Louise, looking round wildly,
"It's them," said Katie looking over towards the Quidditch pitch,
"Who?" asked Kate,
"Rachel Felton and Laura Goyle."
"Who?" asked Kate again,
"Just you wait," said Katie grimly, "Once you've met them I can guarantee you won't forget who they are." She sat up and straightened her robes as Rachel and Laura strolled over to see her. Katie noticed that Rachel was wearing a silver chain bracelet with an intricate cross design hanging from it. The moment Rachel saw her looking however, she quickly pulled down her sleeve to cover it. Katie eyed her suspiciously.
"Why look who it is!" exclaimed Laura, waving madly at Katie and breaking her gaze, "Our friend Katie! And are these your friends? May we ask their names?"
"Louise and Kate," said Katie through clenched teeth, doing her best to keep her cool,
"Oh yes!" said Rachel in a sickly sweet voice, "I remember Kate now,"
"You do?" asked Kate confused,
"Can I have a word a minute Kate?"
"Yeh sure," replied Kate. Rachel helped Kate up by the hand and led her to a small cherry tree a few metres away from Katie, though unfortunately they were out of earshot and Katie couldn't tell what they were saying.
"Erm, Louise?" said Laura, "Can I ask you something please?"
"Err, OK then," replied Louise, also standing up. Together they went to sit on a bench alongside the gravel path that led to the castle doors.
"This is great," thought Katie to herself, "Not only do they annoy me, but take away my friends so I have to spend break time by myself." She sighed angrily and leant back against the tree trunk concentrating on the ripples of water in the lake. After a while of contemplation, Kate and Louise returned to her side followed by Laura and Rachel.
"Well by then Lou, Kate," said Rachel sweetly nodding to each girl in turn, "I'll see you later."
"Yeh bye," added Laura, "See you,"
"Bye," echoed Louise and Kate as Rachel and Laura turned and strolled back across to the Quidditch pitch, Rachel constantly running her hand through her curls.
"Oh-Kay," said Katie anxiously, "What was all that about?"
"Oh," replied Kate, "Well I know Rachel from when I was little, she used to live across the road from me. Apparently,"
"And Laura is a friend of my cousin Paige. Apparently," mentioned Louise,
"What did they want with you?" asked Katie suspiciously, she was becoming very wary about those two,
"They want to meet us in Hogsmeade on Saturday, because that's when the trip is," said Kate,
"Hogsmeade? But we always go together on the first Hogsmeade trip!" fumed Katie
,
"Sorry," said Louise quietly, "But they did ask first, you can come too if you like,"
"Yeh right," laughed Katie, "As if I'm gonna meet up with them,"
"It was only a suggestion," said Louise timidly, "And now we need to get to herbology."
Kate and Louise both stood up but Katie remained seated, "I'll meet you there," she said. So Kate and Louise went on to their next lesson without her.
The day passed as usual and by the evening everyone was exhausted. Kate, Katie and Louise had decided to return outside to enjoy the summer sun before having to go to bed. The sky was a pinkish red and was reflecting off the lake and onto the castle, Katie thought it gave the castle a murderous look. The heat was still unbearable though and so Katie, Louise and Kate were sat on the grass in the shade near to the Quidditch pitch. Louise was sat idly making a daisy chain and Kate was lying staring up into the sky. Katie sighed deeply and crossed her legs. All was peaceful when suddenly and swiftly Katie felt herself fall forward onto the grass. Her head spun and for a moment she thought she was going to black out. Katie stretched out her arm to sit back up again but she was saved the trouble by a young man who held out his hand to her. She took it gladly and felt herself being pulled upwards to her feet. Katie stood on the grass and looked around her, Kate and Louise had gone, probably due to the heat and Louise's half finished daisy chain lay wilting on the floor. There was something different though about where she was. For a start the Quidditch pitch had somehow vanished and the lake was covered with enormous water weeds that tangled themselves in big knots by the lake edge. The willow trees were straggly and unkempt and owls hooted wildly as they flew across the blood red sky. Katie turned and started to walk up the dirt path towards the castle but then she noticed that there was no castle to walk up to. All she could see was a pile of ruins with the occasional piece of stain glass scattered across the floor. Professor Lubella's gold plaid chair lay broken and splintered on the floor next to an old wooden sign that read
'DANGER. DO NOT ENTER. AREA UNSAFE'.
"OK, what the heck is going on here," Katie asked herself as she examined the ruins of what was formerly the Great Hall. Her question was soon answered as the young man that had helped her up suddenly appeared behind her. Katie looked into his eyes and gasped, it was Sam Evanstar!
"Nothing has happened here Katherine, didn't you know this old place has been out of use for centuries? What are you doing round here anyway?" He eyed her suspiciously.
"I'm trying to get back to school," said Katie, "But it seems to have been destroyed."
"School?" laughed Sam, "What are you talking about? You go to school in town Katherine, or have your forgotten?"
"Excuse me?" replied Katie angrily. Why did he keep calling her Katherine? "I think you'll find I don't,"
"No, excuse me Katherine but I think you'll find you do. You go to Middleton Comprehensive and have done for the past year. I also attend the same school,"
"What?" cried Katie, "No I don't! I got to school here, and so do you!"
"What, me as well now?" Sam laughed again, "You play some great games girl." He stepped over a collapsed stone wall and sat down on a large rock.
"Sam stop winding me up," said Katie angrily, "This is Hogwarts! I'm a witch you're a wizard, we go to school here, we learn magic! Remember yet?" Sam laughed hysterically,
"Katherine, you have a great imagination but you really should grow up some day." Katie was now crying silently, why wouldn't he believe her! Instead of carrying on the argument she shoved her way through the ruins and ran towards the forbidden forest.
"It certainly looks like it should be forbidden now," Katie thought to herself as she fought her way through the overgrown vines that carpeted the floor. She was just about to push her way through into a small enlightened clearing when,
"STOP!" Katie turned and saw Sam charging towards her. "What do you think you're doing?" he cried, "Don't go in there!"
"Why ever not?" said Katie who was really starting to be put off liking Sam.
"Because," he said, breathing heavily,
"Yeh? Because what," asked Katie
"Just don't go in there Katie. Please, it's not safe and you know it,"
"Well I'm going in," replied Katie as she marched into the forest, though there was something holding her back. Sam had just called her Katie, and for some reason this was highly significant to her. Maybe he really didn't want her to go into the forest. Katie ignored her thoughts and she was just about to step into the clearing when something strange happened. Her mind went fuzzy as if she'd stepped through some hidden barrier and all of a sudden all of her thoughts from that morning came flooding back to her.
"Oh great," muttered Katie, "I knew there was something I'd forgotten,"
"What did you say you've lost?" called Sam from the lake side,
"Nothing," Katie shouted back, "But I've just remembered I've got a Northern Lights book club to go to in," Katie looked at her watch, "Five minutes." Katie made her way through the path she had just cleared and headed towards the dirt track running out of the grounds she was in, "I'll see you later!" she shouted as she ran down the path. Katie was jogging, out of breath, when a hand grabbed her shoulder and hauled her backwards with extreme force.
Katie turned and saw Kate's face above her and Louise peering anxiously from behind. The air was still hot and the sky was still red. Katie felt the freshly cut grass between her fingers and listened to the sound of broomsticks being dragged along the floor behind her.
"Katie," Kate was calling, "Katie, are you OK?"
"Huh, what happened?" said Katie as she sat up and looked around. The castle had returned bigger then ever and Katie started for joy, it looked even more inviting than usual as well,
"Well we were just sat here and you kinda, well, fell forward," explained Kate,
"I did?" replied Katie, "When was this?"
"Oh, only about two seconds ago," said Louise, "But Kate grabbed you before you could fall any further." Katie looked at Kate gratefully then stood up feeling slightly dizzy,
"I'm going back to the common room," she said, "Anyone coming?"
"Yeh I'll come," said Louise laying down her endless daisy chain and standing up,
"I'll come too then," said Kate also standing up. "I think the heat's getting to you Katie, you nearly fainted then by the looks of things,"
"Yeh," agreed Katie as they entered the castle, though there was something about her voice that suggested she wasn't telling her friends everything. Kate picked up on this something and started asking her questions,
"Katie," she said, "What really happened?" Katie shifted uneasily then decided it was best that her friends knew what was going on.
"Well," she started, "Yesterday night when I was in the hospital wing I had a vision, an insight into the past. You-Know-Who murdered this lady who was somewhat significant to me,"
"Who was it?" asked Louise eagerly,
"I d-don't know," replied Katie, there were some things she didn't want to tell just yet, "But anyway, Lubella caught me afterwards and told me to explain to her. She also told me that I have many more visions to come,"
"Oohh!" squealed Louise excitedly, "Maybe you're related to Trelawney!"
"I don't think that's likely," added Kate, "Seeing as Trelawney never had children and she is the only one of her kind left and the vision Katie had took place in the past, not the future,"
"OK," said Louise glumly, why was Kate always right?
"So does that mean you had a vision today?" inquired Kate,
"Yeh I did," replied Katie, "I'm not sure what it was suggesting but it seemed to be in the present, not the past."
"What happened?" asked Louise,
"Well, I was at Hogwarts, except it wasn't Hogwarts, just a load of ruins. And everything was overgrown and non existent. It was if I was seeing Hogwart's from a muggle's point of view. Then I went over to the forest with Sam-"#
"Sam?" interrupted Louise, "Sam Evanstar?"
"Yes. And I was just about to enter the woods because I could tell that something was happening in there when I suddenly remembered I had to go somewhere. It was like I was a muggle and there was a repelling charm around the forest so I couldn't go in. I remembered that I had to go to a Northern Lights book club, I mean, ewww, I hate Northern Lights!"
"Now that is weird," laughed Louise, "I mean who would actually want to go to a Northern Lights book-" Kate coughed slightly causing Louise to stop in mid sentence. Katie giggled, she had just remembered Kate was a fan of the Philip Pullman books.
"What I want to know is why I was a muggle," said Katie, rapidly steering the conversation away from an argument, "It was an awful experience, I sure am glad I'm not a muggle. There was no Quidditch pitch either! And I also want to know why Sam was in it, why not you two or even Harriet Morgana or Professor Aurum, why Sam?" Kate coughed again but this time for a different reason,
"Yeh I wonder why," she said sarcastically as they entered the Ravenclaw girls dormitory. Katie and Louise sat down on their beds whilst Kate went off to find a drink.
"So what is it like to be a muggle then?" Louise asked,
"Try asking a muggle," replied Katie, flopping down onto the cold sheets that covered her bed. The sun outside had faded but the night was still light. Louise drew the curtains to block out the bright glare.
"Well I'll leave you to your thoughts now then," she whispered and she exited the room leaving Katie thinking deeply about the days events.
A/N please review! And I apologise to all of the Northern Lights fans out there! Hope I didn't offend you!