Chapter 3

Friends

I woke up the next morning a little tired, but happy. I didn't know why until the events of yesterday hit me. I was now officially Kat Black.

There were three owls at the window. I went over and opened it, they came inside. One was most definitely a Hogwarts owl, the other two were from my two best friends. I felt a bit bad because I had not contacted them all holidays. One was from Jessie Chanced and the other from Lela Sanchez. Jessie was crazy, happy, smart and always pranking people and causing mischief with me. Lela was quieter and studied, she was from India, and was Pureblood. Jessie was only a tiny bit Muggle so I had been the odd one out, but that hadn't stopped us being the best of friends. She usually tried to keep me and Jessie under control and quiet. It didn't really work.

I opened Lela's letter knowing it would be more sensible that Jessie's.

Dear Kat,

How are you and where are you? You obviously at the orphanage, I called by there and they said you were gone. I'm staying at Diagon Alley, this week from today onwards. Will you come this week or next week? Jessie is already there.

Missing you,
Lela

I smiled thinking how much I had missed them. I would see them soon which was great news. I a scrab of parchement and wrote

It's a secret!

See ya soon,
Kat

I laughed out loud because Lela hated mysteries and would be annoyed. I sent it off with her owl. Then grabbed Jessie's letter.

Hi!

Now, straight to the point WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU, GIRL! Lela can't find you and I'm bored. So apart from being somewhere, how's life. I got a new broom and have been told, again, not spend time with Muggles (you) and to get better grades. So not a lot's new.

Bored and crazy,

Jessie

I was laughing, Jessie had not changed at all these holidays. Not that I had expected her to. I scribbled her, a reply.

Jessie

Calm is good and they won't say that later. Just you wait.

Kat

I looked at my watch, it was 11:50, oops must have over slept. I grabbed a denim skirt and pink top from my trunk and got dressed. Then I walked over to the mirror and stopped dead. Oh no! I thought I don't look like me anymore. I pulled my hair up under a cap, after brushing it. There I look sort of normal now. I cleaned up my room a bit then grabbed my shoulder bag and went downstairs

I peered through the doorway and spotted Jessie and Lela near the wall together at a table. There parents were on other tables further away. I spotted the a column behind them and snuck over to it. Suddenly I jumbed out at them and said
"Boo!"

They jumped up and screamed. Then burst out laughing.

"Kat," said Jessie, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm staying here too," I said. They looked at me in surprise, they both knew that I had not had a lot of money.

"How?" asked Lela.

"It's a secret" I said. She glared, because I had said that in my letter.

"Oh! Who cares! I'm just happy you're here!" said Jessie, grinning like crazy.

"Well I do have big news for you guys," I said, a little nervous. They both wanted to know, Jessie was excited about a secret and was bouncing on the balls of her feet, while Lela was eager to know the 'big mystery'. "Can we go upstairs to my room? I've got a lot to tell you,"

"But…" said Jessie, who was the laziest of us all. I sighed, Lela and I then literally dragged Jessie upstairs and into my room. When we went in Jessie walked straight over to the bed and flopped onto it with a sigh.

"So, what did you want to tell us?" asked Lela, eager to be let in on the secret. Jessie now sat up and was suddenly full of energy,

"Yeah, what do you want to tell us?" I rolled my eyes at her, Jessie could go from tired to energetic in a second, it was annoying. I sat down on a chair. I look at my hands in my lap, not knowing where to start.

"Come on" moaned Jessie, Lela and I glared at her.

"Well, my name isn't Kat Wood anymore…"

"So you're going to let us call you Katharine without hexing us?"

"No. Shut up Jessie"

"Yeah," said Lela, "Shut up, I want to hear this"

"My real name was not Kat Wood to begin with," their eyes went wide open.

So, I told them everything, my name, family and inheritance. They were shocked Jessie could not believe it and Lela was happy to know the secret.

"So," said Jessie, "Your name is Kat Black?"

"No shit, Jessie"

"Well, I know what we can do.."

"What?" asked Lela looking cautious.

"We can finally, go shopping together!" said Jessie bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"And why haven't we done this before?" I asked suddenly curious.

"Well," said Lela, "We both decided not to go shopping with you because we had a lot of money and you didn't. We didn't want to make you fell bad"

Jessie nodded, agreeing, "Yeah, I miss shopping sooo much!"

"Let's go now then!" I said. It had just occurred to me that I could actually buy things, and nice things. I had money. Yay!

"Yeah!" yelled Jessie as she jumped up and down.

"Lela and I looked at each other, "We're really going to have to work hard to calm her down AND keep her calm.

I sighed as we all walked out of the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley. I had great friends who I could tell anything to and that meant that world to me.