I sighed, nine o'clock. When I left my room, George and Harry were in the Common Room, staring at me. George looked up at me.

"How nice of you to join us, Ms. Bell. Alicia tells us that you were sleeping," he said playfully.

"Yes, actually I was."

I started toward the door. George frowned. "Don't tell me you're leaving!"

I said over my shoulder, "Actually, I am. I have to go meet someone."

Harry looked at George. "Where is everyone going?"

George shrugged. I left the Common Room and stepped outside. Woah! What was I doing! Leaving the Common Room after dark! Did I WANT to get detention! What was I thinking!

I went back inside and asked Harry if I could borrow his invisibility cloak. He gave it to me after a few minutes of bickering. George called after me to be careful.

I made my way up to the Astronomy Tower and when I got there, no one was there. I looked around. Of course no one was there. They weren't as stupid as I was to leave the Common Room without some sort of concealment.

I stood there and I took off the cloak. If someone were already here, they wouldn't know that I was.

"I thought you weren't going to show up." A voice said.

I didn't panic. I swallowed. "I had some problems getting out of the Common Room."

"I'm glad you came."

Then I saw him. He was standing in the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest, his hair slightly falling into his eyes. He took a step into the light. I blinked. I never imagined being in the Astronomy Tower with none other than Marcus Flint on a dark night.

I looked at him. "What did you want, Flint?"

He sighed, looking uneasy. "Today I said you should be careful. You have no idea how right I am…"

I just looked at him. What the bloody hell did he want?

He sighed again. "Katie, you know how Dumbledore told you that you were on "The List" possibly?"

"How did you know about that?"

"I just do. Anyways, listen, you are on the list. I know someone who knows someone who's a death eater and I got word that, well…you might be next."

"I know. All I know is what happened. But it's been about a month, you'd think if he was going to do it, he would have already."

He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. He paced in a tight circle. "I don't know. I just don't know. I don't get it either, that's why I'm so worried. If this had been Potter, it would have been different, but it's you-" he looked at me, and stopped. He shook his head and kept pacing. "I can't figure it out. WHY would he possibly want to kill you?"

I sighed. "I know. It's because I know what he's trying to do." I frowned. "And so do you, apparently, so why aren't you on the list?" I demanded.

"Because you-know-who trusts my family. He doesn't consider them a threat."

I swallowed. "Was all this, getting me to come here, just to tell me that I'm on the list?"

Flint stopped walking. "Sort of. I wanted to tell you that and to hopefully get you to lie low for a while… I don't want to see you getting hurt, let alone killed."

I frowned. "And why do you care? You're a Slytherin and you've never even known me!"

He shrugged. "I know. And, the Rules don't apply here, but I still feel protective over you. I mean, I'd like to have the peace of mind to know that Oliver Wood is keeping an eye out for my girl. But still, I would have done this for anyone. Even Potter. If I know something that could get someone killed, I'd like them to know about it. Can you imagine the guilt I'd feel if someone dies and I could have warned them?"

I stared at him. Flint was actually a pretty decent guy. But still… "This is all sort of pointless. Perhaps I shouldn't have even been told. Now I'm just going to think about every day and think of it as my last, because it very well could be. If you-know-who wants to kill someone, he won't hesitate and if he wants to kill them, he won't change his mind or forget. So, basically, right now, I'm as good as dead."

Flint winced. "Don't say that. Please…"

"Why not?"

He looked guilty. "I don't you thinking that you're good as dead. You know, You-Know-Who wanted to kill Potter…but he didn't…and he hasn't been able to."

I shrugged. "But I'm not Harry."

He sighed. "Exactly…"

I stood there, suddenly cold. It was the middle of spring, but I was cold. A breeze was sweeping by me but I realized I was inside, and the draft hadn't hit me in the last fifteen minutes I had been standing there…

No. I was too paranoid. Before all this, I knew that I would be possibly targeted to be killed but it hadn't really sunk home. Dad's death was, at the time, all I could think about. Now, with Flint telling me again, it seemed more real. More possible. Damn him. Now I was probably going to go back up to my room and cry, being terrified of every little noise, thinking it was someone coming to kill me.

I could go to Oliver. I know he would appreciate it, but I couldn't tell him what was going on. He'd figure it out and I didn't want him on "the list", too. I couldn't stand risking Fred either. Any of my friends. The only people who knew about this were Flint, Dumbledore, and I. I was only one who wasn't safe. It wasn't comforting.

"I know this is disturbing to you…Can I do anything? I wish I could help…"

I shook my head. I felt numb. Not a sad sort of numb, but it's like when someone tells you the sky is falling and you don't believe them; you don't have to, the sky's never fallen before. But then you find out the sky IS falling, then you begin to wonder…

"Katie, honestly, is there anything I can do?"

I shook my head again. "Not unless you can guarantee me I won't be killed."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I wish I could."

I shrugged, putting my hands in the back pockets of my jeans.

"Well, you'd better go…wouldn't want you to get caught…" he said.

I nodded, picking up the invisibility cloak up off the floor, forgetting I had even dropped it. I put it around my shoulders, watching my body disappear below me. I sort of smiled. "I wish I could just disappear like this."

Flint nodded. "I feel like that sometimes, too. I know how you're feeling."

He didn't know. His father didn't die. He wasn't going to be killed. I just nodded. I turned around to go but he cleared his throat, making me turn back to him. He stood before me awkwardly. I looked at him. Flint. It took me a second to remember his first name, I don't think I've ever used it.

"Well…thanks…. Marcus…" I said slowly, hesitantly. He smiled warmly at me, a gesture I'm sure I had never seen. He lowered his head slowly, almost bowing. When he looked back up at me, I almost thought I had made a friend.

He took my hand in his and I wondered why he did it. Then I realized that there was something in his had, something that he was transferring into my own. He let go of my hand and I looked down. It was a necklace. There was a ring on it. It looked like glass, but I knew it was stronger. There was one solid color, but it began to change. White into Green.

"It's sort of like a Remembrall, it turns different colors, only this ring turns a certain color if you're in trouble. I have the other ring, and it you're in any sort of trouble mine will turn black and let me know. Or, if you rub yours, it'll let me know if you're in trouble. You can keep it on the necklace if you'd like, but it'd be better if you wore it on your finger, just in case your hands are bound…"

I nodded. I didn't fight him on this. He may be a Slytherin and although I wasn't sure about trusting him, I wasn't going to fight my only chance at survival if I was taken away somewhere. I took the ring off the necklace and handed it back to him. I slid the ring on my hand, Fred's ring on my other. Oliver's necklace around my neck. My, Katie, what a collection you've been gathering!

I looked at the ring. Green fused into Red. I almost wondered if the colors meant anything, like a Muggle Mood Ring.

I looked at Flint. He nodded "Lupin…Um, you should know, this wasn't my idea… it was Lupin's…and Dumbledore's…they wanted you to have it. Dumbledore told me about all this. He said it'd be better if I knew instead of Wood. He knew I wouldn't do anything rash to keep you safe. So," he said, "if the ring turns a certain color, this person is trying to contact you or talk to you. You will contact them in any means possible, right away. If the ring is two different colors, then two people are thinking about you, no need to panic. Only if the ring is ONE, SOLID color do you need to contact them. If the ring is half BLACK and half another color, that person is in trouble. So, Red is for Lupin, Yellow is for Dumbledore, Black is, obviously, trouble, Green is for yours truly, White is nothing, and…and blue is for…for your dad."

He looked at me. I spoke. "How is that possible?"

Flint shrugged. "Dumbledore," he explained, "So, all clear?"

I nodded. "I guess."

I had a lifeline. If I were in ANY sort of trouble, Dumbledore, Lupin, and/or Flint would come to my rescue. I figure that Dumbledore would be the first, then Flint, then Lupin (it'd take him a while to get there). I still didn't see how Dad fit into all of this. Speaking of which, I looked down at my ring. It was green and white…Flint. I looked up at him.

"I still don't understand why you're being so nice to me."

He shrugged. "I was a bad guy, you just never gave me a chance. I'll admit that everything related to Quidditch is just a thing that I have to do. I'm in Slytherin. I have to be mean if I want something done. Anyways, if you die, I'd feel to guilty about beating Wood at Quidditch all the time."

He winked at me. I smiled back. His joke had made my feel better. "I'll try."

I turned, actually ready to go and he let me. I made it to the stairs and I glanced back. Flint was gone. I left the Astronomy Tower wondering if I trusted Flint to come to my rescue. He was acting so strangely. Then again, I had never given him a chance to prove who he was.

I pulled the hood of the cloak over my head, hoping nothing was showing. When I left the Tower, I wondered what time it was. I glanced at my watch. 10:45. Wow. It was that late….Oh crap…how the bloody hell was I supposed to get into the Common Room without making any noise!

I heard something behind me. I turned. Maybe I had just imagined it. Maybe not. It was hard to tell what something was when you're paranoid. I was paranoid. I kept walking.

I heard it again…. it sounded like footsteps…bloody hell…

I kept walking. The sound started again. I quickened my pace. The sound got louder. Wait…this could just be Fred trying to scare me. I turned around quickly, almost smiling. No one was there. Maybe it wasn't Fred after all. I took a deep shaky breath, turning around.

Was it possible that Flint had lured me to the Astronomy Tower, come across as my friend, and then tricked me, sending someone to kill me just after I left! I looked down at my ring. White…no…yeah, white….no….was it just me or was it beginning to turn black….No, it was just me, definitely…I hope so…Oh bloody hell!

I walked faster and the noise continued. I was getting tired of being scared. The footsteps were in tune with mine, but all of a sudden they sped up. So did my heart and breathing. I took one more step and something grabbed me. Something slammed me against the wall, my back and shoulders hitting first. I thought of screaming, but nothing came. Hands around my shoulders tightened and then one let go, ripping the hood off my head. The hands loosened.

"Katie."

I stared, terrified beyond belief.

"You shouldn't be out here this late."

I stared at the empty space in front of me. Then, I heard the person mumble and all of a sudden, there was a person in front of me. I stared through the darkness, straining. Oh no….

Cedric Diggory.

I took a deep breath. He frowned.

"What're you doing out here?"

I opened my mouth to say something- I didn't know what…but he stopped me.

"Don't tell me something I know is a lie…"

I blinked and he sighed, almost angry.

"I SAW you, Katie! I saw you in the Tower with someone! I won't guess who it is. I don't have to."

Oh

Bloody

Hell

You've

Got

To

Be

KIDDING!

I didn't say anything. Cedric sighed again, taking a step back. "I didn't think you'd be like that, Katie. I hoped you wouldn't be."

"Cedric, you don't under-"

"No, I DO understand! Wood isn't good enough for you? You had to go and find someone else! He LOVED you, Katie! He actually loved you. Don't you understand that? I just don't get you! I'm also wondering who you were in the Tower with."

"Cedric, you really don't under-"

"NO! I've heard every excuse, Katie! What are you going to say? That you got lost? That you were told to meet someone there!"

Well, actually that WAS true! Cedric was starting to get me angry. He was assuming too much.

"Cedric, just let me-"

"No, Katie," he said calmly, "You'd better get to your Common Room. 15 points from Gryffindor."

And then he left. I sighed loudly, pulling the hood over my head again. I hoped it hadn't ripped. I went back to the Common Room and it was deserted. I thought about going up to my room, but I didn't.

I climbed the stairs to the Boys' Dormitory and completely passed Oliver, Fred, and George's room. I knocked on the door next to it, waiting for an answer. Someone with red hair answered. A Weasley. Ron Weasley to be precise. He stared at me, eyes large. I handed him the cloak. "Give this to Harry, please, Ron."

He nodded. I saw Harry in the dark room behind Ron. They had been sleeping. I glanced in at Harry. "Thanks." He nodded. I think if anyone in the world had understood my predicament, Harry did. He had lost parents and he was constantly in danger. If someone were to write a book about his life, it'd be a best seller. Can you imagine that? How entertaining. Harry Potter and The Magical Donuts. I like that. Harry Potter's Guide To Avoiding Death. Harry Potter Meets The Awkward Teenage World: A Guide To Survival. Imagine that….

I left the Boys' Dormitory and went to my room. I had the feeling Alicia and Angelina would pounce on me when I got in and demand to know where I was. Dumbledore, I would tell them, I was seeing him. Oh and of course that's believable…seeing Dumbledore at 9 at night…maybe they'll buy it.

I opened my door and nothing happened. I stumbled over to my bed, falling onto it, crushing something. It was paper. It wasn't Flint's note, I had burned that, but it was something else. I strained my eyes to look at it. It was something from Fred. Ah, I'll read it tomorrow.

I rolled over and fell asleep. That was enough for the night. I looked down at my ring, just wondering what color it was. It was white. I stared at it for a while and thought it began to turn blue. Blue. Dad. Blue and white…I smiled. Somehow something that should have made me cry was comforting. I liked it. I almost rubbed the ring, but I remember that that might mean trouble to someone. I restrained from it. I had to. But I just stared at it. Blue fused into green and then into red and then into blue again…then white… I think it's broken…. no…maybe not…. suddenly it was solid red. Blood red. Lupin. I groaned silently. I remembered. "Only if the ring is ONE, SOLID color do you need to contact them." And then "You will contact them in any means possible, right away." This had better be good Lupin!

I drug myself down to the common room and flopped onto the couch, knowing his face would appear in the fire. I waited. My eyes drooped.

"Hello, Katie!" a cheerful voice said.

My eyes snapped open. "Hello, Professor."

His head smiled. "No need for that formal business! I hear young Mr. Lupin gave you that ring?"

I nodded. "He did. What did you want?"

Okay, screw the nice stuff, I was tired and scared and I just wanted to eat a donut and SLEEP!

"Oh nothing much, just to see how you were doing…to see if you got the ring…"

"Well, obviously it works because it turned red and I'm here. Lupin, can we make this short? I'm very tired."

He nodded. "Of course."

I smiled. "Is that it?"

Lupin nodded. "Goodnight, Ms. Bell. See you tomorrow morning! Or, should I say, THIS morning!"

I looked at my watch. 1:25 am. Ouch.

I got up. " 'Night, Lupin!"

"Goodnight, Katie."

I went up to my room and ACTUALLY fell asleep this time. Finally. I fell asleep wondering if I trusted Flint and wondering if I would die before I woke up. I also thought about Cedric. I really wanted to clear up what happened…but I couldn't. Not unless I wanted him dead, too. I was just going to have to explain to him in some way or another…somehow. If he had know it was Flint with me, all hell would break lose. A Hufflepuff finding a Slytherin and a Gryffindor alone in the Astronomy Tower…. wow…where did Ravenclaw come in? But no, it Cedric had known it was him…I just don't know what would have happened. I hoped I wouldn't have to find out. I know Flint wouldn't say anything and I knew that I wouldn't say anything…but…still…and…well… Oh screw this!

So, there I was, as good as dead. And somehow I had a strange feeling- almost like I was cheating on Oliver. Lying to him. Well, I guess what he doesn't know won't hurt him. And it for sure won't kill him. I hope… At least he was safe. I wasn't. He was one less thing to worry about…for now.

Wow! That was so kick ass! I cant believe I wrote that ALL in one day! Haha excuse my corny "if someone wrote a book about harry's life.." i just had to do it...sorry guys!

Oohh now Flint's involved. Cedric, too...but what about Oliver? Can Katie trust Flint? What do you think? Is her life safe in his hands? What do you think will happen next? Find out next week on...! Just kidding I'll update soon!

NOTE: Something I forgot to put in: The reason why Flint is "helping" is because, since he's in Slytherin and his family is trusted, he's not in any danger. It was sort of weird to put Flint in there as supposing to be Katie's FRIEND because they're sort of enemies, but using Fred or someone else didnt work- they could be targeted and dead, too. Its almost like in the first or so book how Snape was always looking out for Harry...it just sorta worked ( i hear in the new book snape was all along working for you know who..oh well.. my idea still makes sense!)

Also: something important happens next...

Thank reviewers! You guys are so cool! If it wasnt for your lovely reviews, I wouldnt be doing this... Well. maybe I would be, but the praise makes me do it well:-) Luv ya, another chapter coming soon !