Six reviews? Oh, I'm so sad now...
Anyway, sorry this took so long, I'm up to my eyebrows in school problems, home problems, and every other problem you could think of! Keep those reviews coming, they cheer me up!!
Cho-Look-Alike: Thanks! Here's your update! Woody'sWickedWitch: Lol ok, ok, I won't fail you, you DID review! Much thanks! Ash: I feel so loved! Yes, finally Katie is waking up. Gryffindor Quidditch Gal: Aww... I had Oliver all weekend and now I have to give him up to you... Lol oh well. I thought about Katie hating her time with her dad, but I figured it would be nicer to not have more depressing stuff, lol. We can save that for later ;) Thanks! Itefaq: You know he will :D Sunnyflower2005: Go you! I'm so glad you reviewed! Lol I'll get to it in the next chappie, not this one tho, sry. Kat6528: Here you go!
***********************
Ch. 11 - Decisions
Once again Katie woke up at the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey, Alicia, and Angelina standing around her. It was dark outside, suggesting that it was still late evening, but Katie could have been wrong. She was lightheaded and couldn't think clearly, but within moments she realized what had happened. She had fainted in the bathroom after reading the numbers on the scale: 85.5.
"Ah, glad to see you're finally awake, Ms. Bell," Madam Pomfrey said briskly. She turned to Alicia and Angelina. "Thank you for bringing her here, but please leave now."
The girls nodded and left the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey closed the door securely. With a grave face she turned to Katie.
"Ms. Bell, I took a sample of your blood to see what had caused your fainting, and apparently you are highly malnourished. I could read from it that you have been taking the vitamins I gave you, but certain nutrients - nutrients found only in foods - are missing. Care to explain?"
Katie licked her lips and swallowed. She still couldn't think accurately. "I - I don't have any reason to be malnourished, Madam Pomfrey."
She nodded almost curtly. "Alright then. Here, take this and get some rest, and then we'll decide what to do."
Katie drank the entire potion given to her, blanched, and was out in about a minute.
***********
"Where's Oliver?" Alicia asked, entering the Gryffindor common room.
"Oliver? He's upstairs getting ready for bed," Percy supplied. "I can go get him- Hey! Wait!"
Leesh and Lina ignored Percy's shouts as they took the boys' dormitory stairs two at a time and finally arrived at the seventh years' room. They burst the door open to find Oliver half dressed with no shirt on. Lina's eyebrows jumped at the sight but Leesh was unfazed.
"What in Merlin-" Oliver started, and was quickly cut off.
"Katie fainted in our dormitory bathroom. We took her to Madam Pomfrey's, but we thought you should know."
"Katie fainted? Do you know why?" the Quidditch captain asked, pulling on a shirt and some shoes.
"Well... She was up there when I dropped off my book, before we played exploding snap, remember? She asked me whose scale was in the bathroom and didn't sound very pleased," Alicia said.
"Scale?" Oliver looked concerned. "Why was there a scale in the bathroom?"
"I brought it," Angelina supplied, "We've been needing one, Katie's always said so."
"Oh no," Oliver breathed, and rushed out the door with his shoes still untied.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Oliver called softly as he entered the hospital wing.
"Yes, Wood? What is it?" Pomfrey asked.
"Is Katie in here somewhere?"
"She is, but she's resting. Probably won't wake up until around dinner."
Oliver nodded. "I know what's wrong with her, Madam Pomfrey, but I also know that she's not going to tell you. Is it ok if I... if I talk to her when she wakes up?"
Pomfrey looked slightly hurt, but finally she nodded. "Yes, that's fine. But if there's anything life-threatening involved here-"
"I'll be sure to tell you," Oliver finished.
************
Katie woke up the second time to a much clearer mind. Carefully she sat up in bed and realized with a start that there was a large bump on the back of her head - probably from hitting the floor when she fainted. She touched it lightly and winced.
Outside it was dark, and Madam Pomfrey was strolling around lighting candles. 'How long have I slept?' Katie wondered.
"Awake again, Ms. Bell?" Pomfrey asked much more cheerfully than before. "That potion I gave you certainly knocked you out; Mr. Wood's been by twice since dinner."
"Oliver was here?"
The nurse chuckled. "Yes, he'll be back soon I'm sure. If you need me, I'll be in my office." She gestured towards a door and left.
Sure enough, Oliver arrived in only a few minutes' time. He took a chair next to Katie looking incredibly worried. "Tell me what happened."
Katie nodded. There was no way she was going to get around telling him, and secretly, she didn't really want to hide it anymore.
"Ok, Alicia got a scale over Christmas break, you know?"
"Yeah, she said so."
"Well, I haven't been able to use a scale since before school, and at the time I weighed-" 'I weighed so much then! I really shouldn't tell him...'
"Weighed what? Kate, if you expect me to call you fat, I won't," Oliver said immediately.
'Don't be stupid, Katie, Oliver would never even think something that like.' "Well, I weighed 127 and a half."
"...And what do you weigh now?"
Katie's voice dropped to just below a whisper and Oliver leaned in close. "Eighty-five and a half."
He sat back in his chair, for a moment utterly speechless. "S-so what's that, twenty, thirty pounds underweight?"
"Um, yeah, I guess so," Katie replied very quietly. Wood wasn't really helping.
"And this was over four months?"
"Mmm hmm." Before Wood could say anything else Katie spoke again, this time very quickly. "Oliver, I've made a decision. I don't want to be anorexic anymore, or have to worry about my weight all the time. I want you to help me get he-" She tried to finish her word with an l and a p, but that wasn't possible, as Oliver was currently kissing her.
Oh yeah, kissing her. There's no need to add that it was held a little longer than normal, but we'll add it anyway.
Finally it ended and both of them sat back, shocked. Oliver finally sputtered, "I - I'm just proud of you. You finally admitted that you have a serious problem here, and that you definitely need help. That great!"
Someone entered the hospital wing, but neither really noticed. Katie smiled. "Yeah, I guess that's right. I'm - I'm anorexic, a-and I need to get some help. Is there any way you can find me some information?"
Oliver smiled back. "What do you think I was doing during Winter Break? I've got loads of information on eating disorders and anorexia up in my dorm. Let's go get it."
"You think you're just going to saunter out with her?" Madam Pomfrey asked, walking up. "She needs her rest, and I've got to get some nutrients in her!"
"I'm feeling much better, Madam Pomfrey," Katie said quickly. "Perhaps you could send me with the potion?"
Pomfrey sighed. "Well, Professor Snape will have to make it anyway... I'll have him give it to you tomorrow. But get some rest tonight!"
Katie and Oliver grinned, and Wood helped Katie off her bed and out the door. Neither of them noticed the boy sitting in the corner... the boy with the smile slowly crawling up his face.
"I must have left it at home," Oliver said, obviously annoyed, as he came back down the Gryffindor boys' stairs. "I'll owl Dad and tell him I need the information for a report. I'm sure we'll have it within the week."
Katie nodded. "Thanks, Oliver," she said softly. Even now, she almost couldn't believe he was helping her.
"Well, if you really want to get over this, I'll always be there to help," Oliver said as the two sat down in a vacant corner of the room. "But I have a question."
"Ask," Katie said.
"Are you going to tell Alicia and Angelina? Or Fred and-"
"No," Katie said before he could finish. "At least for the moment. I know that some people take it really badly, like they figure I just woke up one morning and said, 'I think I'll be anorexic today!' So no, I can't tell anyone else. And you can't either. You have to swear."
"I swear on everything holy and unholy," Oliver said solemnly, holding his left hand up in the air and briskly switching it for his right.
Katie laughed and nodded. "Good, thank you."
"Hey! Katie!" Alicia sprinted up and picked Katie up off the ground, pulling her into a tight hug. "You're back!"
"You're - damaging - me-" Katie gasped, and finally Leesh let her go.
"So why'd you pass out?" Fred asked, walking up with George and Angelina close behind.
"Apparently I'm malnourished or something," Katie said with a shrug. "But Madam Pomfrey's going to give me a potion that'll fix that."
"Good," Lina said with a grin. "You didn't play last night, so how about a quick game or two of exploding snap?"
After a moment's thought Katie consented, and the evening was briskly wasted away.
**********
The next day Katie couldn't help but notice that a few older Slytherins were glancing at her conspicuously, and more than normal. When she could she returned the glance, but she had no idea what was going on.
In Potions Snape gave her a large glass container with a blue-ish potion in it. "Drink one cup every morning, and come to see me when it runs out," he said in a soft voice, and said nothing more to Katie during the rest of the class.
As Katie entered the Great Hall for lunch, a pair of younger Ravenclaws gave her disgusted faces and one of them muttered, "She's the one they were talking about..."
Katie shook her head slightly and headed to the Gryffindor table, sitting with the Weasleys. "Yo ho, Bell!" Fred said jovially, "How's everything?"
"I don't know," Katie admitted. "Someone's talking about me, I think."
"What do you mean?" George asked.
Katie picked up a lovely-looking apple and took a bite. After she swallowed she said, "I think it's the Slytherins. They keep giving me weird looks. And then those two Ravenclaws over there gave me dirty faces and said 'She's the one they were talking about.'"
"Hmm... probably starting a stupid rumor," Fred said with annoyance. "Come on George, let's go see what's going on. We'll tell you when we find out, ok, Katie?"
"Ok, see you guys later," Katie muttered. She finished her apple in silence and headed to the common room to get ready for class.
That evening after dinner Katie saw the Weasley brothers playing Wizard's Chess in the Great Hall, and hurried up to them. Earlier she received yet another disgusted look, and was desperate to find out what was sweeping Hogwarts.
"Hey, Weasleys," she said, sitting down next to Fred.
"Hello," they replied in unison.
"We found out what the rumor is," George supplied immediately. "Apparently, some Slytherins have decided that you're - what was it, Fred?
"Anorexic," Fred said. "They said you told Oliver yesterday while you were in the hospital."
Katie's shocked expression must have worried the Weasleys, because Fred said, "We know it's not true, Katie," while George said, "We can go have a word with those Slytherins if you'd like."
"Thanks for not believing such a - an absurd rumor," Katie said quickly. 'Stay calm, Bell. Oliver couldn't have done this. Just. Stay. Calm.' She scanned the room for Oliver and found him sitting next to Percy and Penny, chatting lightheartedly.
"Wood," Katie said in a monotonous voice, walking up. "Could I have a word with you about Quidditch."
Oliver looked almost hurt at the formality of the statements. Immediately he rose, took Katie by the arm, and led her out of the Great Hall.
"What happened?"
"What happened? What happened?! Why don't you tell me, you backstabbing little bastard!" Katie sputtered angrily. She'd decided to screw being calm.
"Hold on a second Kate-" Oliver immediately stopped as a sharp sting erupted on his cheek; Katie had slapped him.
But before either could get another word out two bodies slammed against her, pressing and holding her into a wall.
"How could you not have told us!" Alicia nearly screamed.
"We're your friends for Christ's sake!" Angelina added, face bright red.
"I certainly suspected it, Katie, but I thought you'd TELL us about something of this magnitude!" Alicia continued.
"What are you two talking about?" Oliver asked as the girls paused to breath.
"Katie's anorexic!" they said in unison, and looked shocked that Oliver didn't.
"Oliver knows," Katie said wearily. "He's the one that told."
"Are you joking?" Oliver, Alicia, and Angelina all gasped; Oliver because Katie had told, and the girls for obvious reasons.
"I told Oliver because - because I didn't know how you two would take it," Katie said softly, absentmindedly reaching up and taking hold of the necklace her dad gave her. She turned sharply to glare at the captain. "I didn't think he would tell, but obviously I was wrong."
"Do you seriously think I would tell anyone, much less a group of Slytherins?" Oliver whispered. He sounded so incredibly hurt that tears formed in Katie's eyes. 'Of course he didn't, Bell. What a stupid think to suggest. Oliver's just too... too Oliver to do anything like that.'
"How many secrets have you kept from us, Bell?" Lina asked, just as hurt as Oliver.
"Can we talk about this later?" Katie felt her head spinning; she just couldn't take this much confusion.
"No," the three said immediately, and Katie was taken up to the deserted common room. Fred and George arrived moments later, summoned by Oliver. After an hour and a half - and three butterbeers each - the group had squeezed all of the information they could out of Katie. Then it was time to decide what to do.
"Do we know who started the rumors?" Oliver asked the Weasley brothers.
"A Slytherin, either six or seventh year I would think," George said.
"Flint," the other five declared. Marcus Flint had been tried and almost expelled from Hogwarts for his previous behavior, but unfortunately the Wizard's Council had voted against it. His suspension would start at the end of the week; only a little too late.
"How did he find out?" Leesh asked.
Katie's eyes suddenly widened. "Remember in the hospital wing, Oliver? Someone walked in while we were talking, just before I said I was anorexic. It must have been Flint! Dammit, I can't believe I didn't notice..."
"I should have been more aware. It was stupid," Oliver chided himself, looking angry.
"Let's talk to Dumbledore. He'll be able to sort everything out," Lina suggested.
Katie nodded. It was no use keeping it from the adult now; they were sure to find out eventually, if they didn't already know. So, with Oliver's hand snaked deftly around her waist - to protect her, he said - the six of them headed to Professor McGonagall's office to find Dumbledore.
As it happened, Dumbledore was already there, and he and McGonagall were in quiet discussion when they entered.
"Hello, students. Is there something I can do for you?" McGonagall asked.
"No," Katie said bluntly. She hadn't liked Professor McGonagall much anyway. "Professor Dumbledore, we need to talk to you. Privately."
Dumbledore nodded to McGonagall, who went on with her work as the headmaster lead the students through the hallways and to his office. "Sugar quills," he muttered, and as the goblin jumped out of the way, leading to a moving staircase, he turned to the group.
"I'm going to guess that this doesn't involve all six of you," he said.
"No, it doesn't," Katie supplied. "It's really just about me."
"Then would it be alright if the rest of you please wait down here?"
The other five nodded reluctantly and Katie ascended the stair with Dumbledore behind her. She sat down in his office without looking around much; she was trying hard as she could to stop herself from running away.
'The one thing I've been trying to do is keep this secret hidden from everyone, and now I'm telling the headmaster of Hogwarts. Of course he'll tell my parents. Everyone will know.'
"So what's going on, Ms. Bell?" Dumbledore asked, sitting down. The other headmasters and headmistresses were leaning against their portraits, trying to listen to the conversation.
Katie took a deep breath and nodded to herself. "I... I have a problem, Professor Dumbledore. An eating disorder, actually. Anorexia."
Dumbledore nodded. "I thought as such."
"You did?"
"Well, yes. Our house elves - the ones in the kitchen that supply your food - told me that you're the only student in Hogwarts that hardly ever eats. I've noticed myself that you barely touch Hogwarts food. At first I thought it was because you didn't like it-"
"Oh, no, it's great food!" Katie said quickly, her nervousness making her awfully jumpy.
Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Yes, I know. I was planning on talking to you, but I simply haven't had the time, what with Sirius Black on the loose."
Katie nodded. "Well, I told Oliver Wood and he's been helping me, but nothing's started so far. Once while I was talking to him, Marcus Flint overheard and he's spreading it around the school. Soon - soon everyone's going to know." By the end of her explanation Katie's throat was tight, and her voice hoarse. 'I'm not going to cry in front of Dumbledore. No, I won't cry. No crying.'
Dumbledore was silent for a while. Finally he said, "Mr. Flint's not the best student we've had. He's given you hell this year, hasn't he?"
Katie nodded. 'Whoa, did Dumbledore just use naughty language? Goodness...'
"I'm sorry we haven't been able to suspend him, but his father - or should I say a friend of his father - has too much influence on our Council. Don't worry, Katie, we'll get this sorted out, alright?"
"Ok," Katie said. A tear rolled down her cheek as she asked, "A-are you going to tell my parents?"
"I'm afraid I have to," Dumbledore said with a touch of disappointment. "I'm bring them in along with a wizard councilor and we'll have a little meeting about all of this. And tomorrow at dinner I'll make an announcement about these rumors spreading. Will that be ok?"
Katie nodded. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore once again smiled. "You're very welcome."
**********************************
Another chapter finished! I'm wrapping this one up, in case you haven't noticed; I'll only have one or two more chapters, probably just one. Please please please please PLEASE review!!! Thanks very much!
Anyway, sorry this took so long, I'm up to my eyebrows in school problems, home problems, and every other problem you could think of! Keep those reviews coming, they cheer me up!!
Cho-Look-Alike: Thanks! Here's your update! Woody'sWickedWitch: Lol ok, ok, I won't fail you, you DID review! Much thanks! Ash: I feel so loved! Yes, finally Katie is waking up. Gryffindor Quidditch Gal: Aww... I had Oliver all weekend and now I have to give him up to you... Lol oh well. I thought about Katie hating her time with her dad, but I figured it would be nicer to not have more depressing stuff, lol. We can save that for later ;) Thanks! Itefaq: You know he will :D Sunnyflower2005: Go you! I'm so glad you reviewed! Lol I'll get to it in the next chappie, not this one tho, sry. Kat6528: Here you go!
***********************
Ch. 11 - Decisions
Once again Katie woke up at the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey, Alicia, and Angelina standing around her. It was dark outside, suggesting that it was still late evening, but Katie could have been wrong. She was lightheaded and couldn't think clearly, but within moments she realized what had happened. She had fainted in the bathroom after reading the numbers on the scale: 85.5.
"Ah, glad to see you're finally awake, Ms. Bell," Madam Pomfrey said briskly. She turned to Alicia and Angelina. "Thank you for bringing her here, but please leave now."
The girls nodded and left the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey closed the door securely. With a grave face she turned to Katie.
"Ms. Bell, I took a sample of your blood to see what had caused your fainting, and apparently you are highly malnourished. I could read from it that you have been taking the vitamins I gave you, but certain nutrients - nutrients found only in foods - are missing. Care to explain?"
Katie licked her lips and swallowed. She still couldn't think accurately. "I - I don't have any reason to be malnourished, Madam Pomfrey."
She nodded almost curtly. "Alright then. Here, take this and get some rest, and then we'll decide what to do."
Katie drank the entire potion given to her, blanched, and was out in about a minute.
***********
"Where's Oliver?" Alicia asked, entering the Gryffindor common room.
"Oliver? He's upstairs getting ready for bed," Percy supplied. "I can go get him- Hey! Wait!"
Leesh and Lina ignored Percy's shouts as they took the boys' dormitory stairs two at a time and finally arrived at the seventh years' room. They burst the door open to find Oliver half dressed with no shirt on. Lina's eyebrows jumped at the sight but Leesh was unfazed.
"What in Merlin-" Oliver started, and was quickly cut off.
"Katie fainted in our dormitory bathroom. We took her to Madam Pomfrey's, but we thought you should know."
"Katie fainted? Do you know why?" the Quidditch captain asked, pulling on a shirt and some shoes.
"Well... She was up there when I dropped off my book, before we played exploding snap, remember? She asked me whose scale was in the bathroom and didn't sound very pleased," Alicia said.
"Scale?" Oliver looked concerned. "Why was there a scale in the bathroom?"
"I brought it," Angelina supplied, "We've been needing one, Katie's always said so."
"Oh no," Oliver breathed, and rushed out the door with his shoes still untied.
"Madam Pomfrey?" Oliver called softly as he entered the hospital wing.
"Yes, Wood? What is it?" Pomfrey asked.
"Is Katie in here somewhere?"
"She is, but she's resting. Probably won't wake up until around dinner."
Oliver nodded. "I know what's wrong with her, Madam Pomfrey, but I also know that she's not going to tell you. Is it ok if I... if I talk to her when she wakes up?"
Pomfrey looked slightly hurt, but finally she nodded. "Yes, that's fine. But if there's anything life-threatening involved here-"
"I'll be sure to tell you," Oliver finished.
************
Katie woke up the second time to a much clearer mind. Carefully she sat up in bed and realized with a start that there was a large bump on the back of her head - probably from hitting the floor when she fainted. She touched it lightly and winced.
Outside it was dark, and Madam Pomfrey was strolling around lighting candles. 'How long have I slept?' Katie wondered.
"Awake again, Ms. Bell?" Pomfrey asked much more cheerfully than before. "That potion I gave you certainly knocked you out; Mr. Wood's been by twice since dinner."
"Oliver was here?"
The nurse chuckled. "Yes, he'll be back soon I'm sure. If you need me, I'll be in my office." She gestured towards a door and left.
Sure enough, Oliver arrived in only a few minutes' time. He took a chair next to Katie looking incredibly worried. "Tell me what happened."
Katie nodded. There was no way she was going to get around telling him, and secretly, she didn't really want to hide it anymore.
"Ok, Alicia got a scale over Christmas break, you know?"
"Yeah, she said so."
"Well, I haven't been able to use a scale since before school, and at the time I weighed-" 'I weighed so much then! I really shouldn't tell him...'
"Weighed what? Kate, if you expect me to call you fat, I won't," Oliver said immediately.
'Don't be stupid, Katie, Oliver would never even think something that like.' "Well, I weighed 127 and a half."
"...And what do you weigh now?"
Katie's voice dropped to just below a whisper and Oliver leaned in close. "Eighty-five and a half."
He sat back in his chair, for a moment utterly speechless. "S-so what's that, twenty, thirty pounds underweight?"
"Um, yeah, I guess so," Katie replied very quietly. Wood wasn't really helping.
"And this was over four months?"
"Mmm hmm." Before Wood could say anything else Katie spoke again, this time very quickly. "Oliver, I've made a decision. I don't want to be anorexic anymore, or have to worry about my weight all the time. I want you to help me get he-" She tried to finish her word with an l and a p, but that wasn't possible, as Oliver was currently kissing her.
Oh yeah, kissing her. There's no need to add that it was held a little longer than normal, but we'll add it anyway.
Finally it ended and both of them sat back, shocked. Oliver finally sputtered, "I - I'm just proud of you. You finally admitted that you have a serious problem here, and that you definitely need help. That great!"
Someone entered the hospital wing, but neither really noticed. Katie smiled. "Yeah, I guess that's right. I'm - I'm anorexic, a-and I need to get some help. Is there any way you can find me some information?"
Oliver smiled back. "What do you think I was doing during Winter Break? I've got loads of information on eating disorders and anorexia up in my dorm. Let's go get it."
"You think you're just going to saunter out with her?" Madam Pomfrey asked, walking up. "She needs her rest, and I've got to get some nutrients in her!"
"I'm feeling much better, Madam Pomfrey," Katie said quickly. "Perhaps you could send me with the potion?"
Pomfrey sighed. "Well, Professor Snape will have to make it anyway... I'll have him give it to you tomorrow. But get some rest tonight!"
Katie and Oliver grinned, and Wood helped Katie off her bed and out the door. Neither of them noticed the boy sitting in the corner... the boy with the smile slowly crawling up his face.
"I must have left it at home," Oliver said, obviously annoyed, as he came back down the Gryffindor boys' stairs. "I'll owl Dad and tell him I need the information for a report. I'm sure we'll have it within the week."
Katie nodded. "Thanks, Oliver," she said softly. Even now, she almost couldn't believe he was helping her.
"Well, if you really want to get over this, I'll always be there to help," Oliver said as the two sat down in a vacant corner of the room. "But I have a question."
"Ask," Katie said.
"Are you going to tell Alicia and Angelina? Or Fred and-"
"No," Katie said before he could finish. "At least for the moment. I know that some people take it really badly, like they figure I just woke up one morning and said, 'I think I'll be anorexic today!' So no, I can't tell anyone else. And you can't either. You have to swear."
"I swear on everything holy and unholy," Oliver said solemnly, holding his left hand up in the air and briskly switching it for his right.
Katie laughed and nodded. "Good, thank you."
"Hey! Katie!" Alicia sprinted up and picked Katie up off the ground, pulling her into a tight hug. "You're back!"
"You're - damaging - me-" Katie gasped, and finally Leesh let her go.
"So why'd you pass out?" Fred asked, walking up with George and Angelina close behind.
"Apparently I'm malnourished or something," Katie said with a shrug. "But Madam Pomfrey's going to give me a potion that'll fix that."
"Good," Lina said with a grin. "You didn't play last night, so how about a quick game or two of exploding snap?"
After a moment's thought Katie consented, and the evening was briskly wasted away.
**********
The next day Katie couldn't help but notice that a few older Slytherins were glancing at her conspicuously, and more than normal. When she could she returned the glance, but she had no idea what was going on.
In Potions Snape gave her a large glass container with a blue-ish potion in it. "Drink one cup every morning, and come to see me when it runs out," he said in a soft voice, and said nothing more to Katie during the rest of the class.
As Katie entered the Great Hall for lunch, a pair of younger Ravenclaws gave her disgusted faces and one of them muttered, "She's the one they were talking about..."
Katie shook her head slightly and headed to the Gryffindor table, sitting with the Weasleys. "Yo ho, Bell!" Fred said jovially, "How's everything?"
"I don't know," Katie admitted. "Someone's talking about me, I think."
"What do you mean?" George asked.
Katie picked up a lovely-looking apple and took a bite. After she swallowed she said, "I think it's the Slytherins. They keep giving me weird looks. And then those two Ravenclaws over there gave me dirty faces and said 'She's the one they were talking about.'"
"Hmm... probably starting a stupid rumor," Fred said with annoyance. "Come on George, let's go see what's going on. We'll tell you when we find out, ok, Katie?"
"Ok, see you guys later," Katie muttered. She finished her apple in silence and headed to the common room to get ready for class.
That evening after dinner Katie saw the Weasley brothers playing Wizard's Chess in the Great Hall, and hurried up to them. Earlier she received yet another disgusted look, and was desperate to find out what was sweeping Hogwarts.
"Hey, Weasleys," she said, sitting down next to Fred.
"Hello," they replied in unison.
"We found out what the rumor is," George supplied immediately. "Apparently, some Slytherins have decided that you're - what was it, Fred?
"Anorexic," Fred said. "They said you told Oliver yesterday while you were in the hospital."
Katie's shocked expression must have worried the Weasleys, because Fred said, "We know it's not true, Katie," while George said, "We can go have a word with those Slytherins if you'd like."
"Thanks for not believing such a - an absurd rumor," Katie said quickly. 'Stay calm, Bell. Oliver couldn't have done this. Just. Stay. Calm.' She scanned the room for Oliver and found him sitting next to Percy and Penny, chatting lightheartedly.
"Wood," Katie said in a monotonous voice, walking up. "Could I have a word with you about Quidditch."
Oliver looked almost hurt at the formality of the statements. Immediately he rose, took Katie by the arm, and led her out of the Great Hall.
"What happened?"
"What happened? What happened?! Why don't you tell me, you backstabbing little bastard!" Katie sputtered angrily. She'd decided to screw being calm.
"Hold on a second Kate-" Oliver immediately stopped as a sharp sting erupted on his cheek; Katie had slapped him.
But before either could get another word out two bodies slammed against her, pressing and holding her into a wall.
"How could you not have told us!" Alicia nearly screamed.
"We're your friends for Christ's sake!" Angelina added, face bright red.
"I certainly suspected it, Katie, but I thought you'd TELL us about something of this magnitude!" Alicia continued.
"What are you two talking about?" Oliver asked as the girls paused to breath.
"Katie's anorexic!" they said in unison, and looked shocked that Oliver didn't.
"Oliver knows," Katie said wearily. "He's the one that told."
"Are you joking?" Oliver, Alicia, and Angelina all gasped; Oliver because Katie had told, and the girls for obvious reasons.
"I told Oliver because - because I didn't know how you two would take it," Katie said softly, absentmindedly reaching up and taking hold of the necklace her dad gave her. She turned sharply to glare at the captain. "I didn't think he would tell, but obviously I was wrong."
"Do you seriously think I would tell anyone, much less a group of Slytherins?" Oliver whispered. He sounded so incredibly hurt that tears formed in Katie's eyes. 'Of course he didn't, Bell. What a stupid think to suggest. Oliver's just too... too Oliver to do anything like that.'
"How many secrets have you kept from us, Bell?" Lina asked, just as hurt as Oliver.
"Can we talk about this later?" Katie felt her head spinning; she just couldn't take this much confusion.
"No," the three said immediately, and Katie was taken up to the deserted common room. Fred and George arrived moments later, summoned by Oliver. After an hour and a half - and three butterbeers each - the group had squeezed all of the information they could out of Katie. Then it was time to decide what to do.
"Do we know who started the rumors?" Oliver asked the Weasley brothers.
"A Slytherin, either six or seventh year I would think," George said.
"Flint," the other five declared. Marcus Flint had been tried and almost expelled from Hogwarts for his previous behavior, but unfortunately the Wizard's Council had voted against it. His suspension would start at the end of the week; only a little too late.
"How did he find out?" Leesh asked.
Katie's eyes suddenly widened. "Remember in the hospital wing, Oliver? Someone walked in while we were talking, just before I said I was anorexic. It must have been Flint! Dammit, I can't believe I didn't notice..."
"I should have been more aware. It was stupid," Oliver chided himself, looking angry.
"Let's talk to Dumbledore. He'll be able to sort everything out," Lina suggested.
Katie nodded. It was no use keeping it from the adult now; they were sure to find out eventually, if they didn't already know. So, with Oliver's hand snaked deftly around her waist - to protect her, he said - the six of them headed to Professor McGonagall's office to find Dumbledore.
As it happened, Dumbledore was already there, and he and McGonagall were in quiet discussion when they entered.
"Hello, students. Is there something I can do for you?" McGonagall asked.
"No," Katie said bluntly. She hadn't liked Professor McGonagall much anyway. "Professor Dumbledore, we need to talk to you. Privately."
Dumbledore nodded to McGonagall, who went on with her work as the headmaster lead the students through the hallways and to his office. "Sugar quills," he muttered, and as the goblin jumped out of the way, leading to a moving staircase, he turned to the group.
"I'm going to guess that this doesn't involve all six of you," he said.
"No, it doesn't," Katie supplied. "It's really just about me."
"Then would it be alright if the rest of you please wait down here?"
The other five nodded reluctantly and Katie ascended the stair with Dumbledore behind her. She sat down in his office without looking around much; she was trying hard as she could to stop herself from running away.
'The one thing I've been trying to do is keep this secret hidden from everyone, and now I'm telling the headmaster of Hogwarts. Of course he'll tell my parents. Everyone will know.'
"So what's going on, Ms. Bell?" Dumbledore asked, sitting down. The other headmasters and headmistresses were leaning against their portraits, trying to listen to the conversation.
Katie took a deep breath and nodded to herself. "I... I have a problem, Professor Dumbledore. An eating disorder, actually. Anorexia."
Dumbledore nodded. "I thought as such."
"You did?"
"Well, yes. Our house elves - the ones in the kitchen that supply your food - told me that you're the only student in Hogwarts that hardly ever eats. I've noticed myself that you barely touch Hogwarts food. At first I thought it was because you didn't like it-"
"Oh, no, it's great food!" Katie said quickly, her nervousness making her awfully jumpy.
Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Yes, I know. I was planning on talking to you, but I simply haven't had the time, what with Sirius Black on the loose."
Katie nodded. "Well, I told Oliver Wood and he's been helping me, but nothing's started so far. Once while I was talking to him, Marcus Flint overheard and he's spreading it around the school. Soon - soon everyone's going to know." By the end of her explanation Katie's throat was tight, and her voice hoarse. 'I'm not going to cry in front of Dumbledore. No, I won't cry. No crying.'
Dumbledore was silent for a while. Finally he said, "Mr. Flint's not the best student we've had. He's given you hell this year, hasn't he?"
Katie nodded. 'Whoa, did Dumbledore just use naughty language? Goodness...'
"I'm sorry we haven't been able to suspend him, but his father - or should I say a friend of his father - has too much influence on our Council. Don't worry, Katie, we'll get this sorted out, alright?"
"Ok," Katie said. A tear rolled down her cheek as she asked, "A-are you going to tell my parents?"
"I'm afraid I have to," Dumbledore said with a touch of disappointment. "I'm bring them in along with a wizard councilor and we'll have a little meeting about all of this. And tomorrow at dinner I'll make an announcement about these rumors spreading. Will that be ok?"
Katie nodded. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore once again smiled. "You're very welcome."
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Another chapter finished! I'm wrapping this one up, in case you haven't noticed; I'll only have one or two more chapters, probably just one. Please please please please PLEASE review!!! Thanks very much!
