Chapter 7
"Where're we going?" Ron asked as the three tumbled out of the portrait hole.
"We have to find Severus." Cate responded immediately, remembering what he had said. Harry muttered something under his break, then.
" Lumous." A small light on the tip of his want illuminated a small area of the hallway. "He's in his office."
"That...is a bloody brilliant map." Cate said, impressed.
"Keep your wands out." Ron warned as the three tore off to the dungeons. Ron and Harry lagged back slightly as Catherine burst into Severus' office. The eighteen-year-old dropped onto her knees, very weak from not sleeping or eating enough, and then the dementor attack.
"Catherine!" The man shouted, his back to her, knowing that only she would burst in on him in the middle of the night (he didn't know anything was wrong). "What the bloody hell are you doing?" Cate shifted around, leaning back against the wall.
"Dementors..." Snape whipped around, noticing Ron and Harry in the doorway, "They attacked us in Gryffindor tower."
"Was anyone hurt?" He walked over to the three of them, carefully examining each of them.
"No." Harry replied, sighing heavily, I woke up from a dream," Snape shot him a death glare for not practicing occlumency. "Anyway, Cate heard me and came up to see what was wrong. The dementors came soon after."
"Did they leave?" Snape asked, taking a giant wad of chocolate from his desk.
"Yes." All three students replied.
"Good." He stated, "Here, eat this." The man handed each of them a piece of chocolate. "Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, go back up to your dormitories, keep your wants at the ready." The two boys hurriedly left the corridor, Snape slammed the door shut and turned to his daughter. "What else happened?"
"This." Cate said tearfully, holding up her left arm to show him the dark mark etching itself into her pale skin.
"No." He muttered to himself, turning away, "How did this happen? Did someone burn you?"
"No." Catherine's voice shook horribly, "When the dementors came, I was freezing, my arm starting burning, and then the mark showed up."
"This is bad. No one was supposed to attack for another few months."
"I don't think this was an attack." Cate whispered, "I think they were coming to get me or something."
"It could be." Severus reached out his hand, helping her up. The young woman leaned onto him for support. "Do you feel okay?"
"No." She shook her head.
"I'll help you back to the tower." Snape replied, leading her out of the room.
Before Catherine went up to her dormitory, she collected her things from beside the fire, then dragged herself up the stairs, collapsing onto her bed without sparing a second. She was sound asleep in not a second.
Outside, Severus waited until the portrait hole was completely closed before rushing off. He hurried down a series of hallways until he reached Professor Dumbledore's office. Snape muttered the password, ran up the stairs and knocked on the door.
"Come in Severus." Albus' voice called out calmly. He entered.
"Sir, there has been an attack on the castle." Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly, "Dementors were in the Gryffindor tower. The students managed to ward them off, but Miss Catherine seemed to be in bad shape. The dark mark has now formed on her arm."
"Miss Catherine is bound to be in bad shape. She grew up with a sorrowed childhood and has never been exposed to dementors. With these aspects, I would say that she would be badly affected." He paused slightly, "Now, I would like you to alert The Order, I will deal with increasing the security around the school and grounds."
"Thank-you sir." Snape replied, leaving the office with his robes billowing behind him.
