Though Katie refused to take the necklace off, she was nonetheless perturbed by both the magically sealed locket and the strange glowing light. Whenever her mind wandered, she would absent-mindedly pull the chain from beneath her robes and fiddle with it between her fingers.
"Are you sure that's such a smart idea?" Angelina asked later that week, "I mean, there's obviously some weird magic in that thing. Do you really want to keep wearing it?"
"Well, it's not exactly cursed," said Alicia, "I mean, she hasn't dropped dead yet. Have you felt any different since you put it on, Katie?"
"I've felt happier," Katie replied. "But that's probably because I just got something of my mum's," she added hastily as both girls looked at her suspiciously.
"Well, as long as there aren't any negative side-affects..." said Alicia cautiously.
"I'll be careful," Katie assured her. "I promise."
Angelina still looked skeptical, but the three of them decided to let it be until Katie had something more to report.
In the meantime, they pressed on with classes. Defense Against the Dark Arts was quickly becoming something Katie avidly looked forward to. Not only was she pretty good at it, Lupin was an excellent teacher. He was very knowledgeable and introduced them to all sorts of tricky creatures, often finding live examples after they had studied the beast in theory and learned about the proper spells to use against them. She soon forgave him his shabby looks out of respect for his skill as a wizard. Some of the more feminine girls--those who'd had their eyes on the lads for a while already--were even beginning to fancy him. Not as much as Lockhart the year before, of course, but that had only been because Lockhart was a pretty boy. Katie had detested Lockhart's sleazy manor from day one. Lupin, on the other hand, seemed to be the most genuine of men. And, as she had predicted at the start of year feast, was quite captivating except for the premature grey hair and fine lines that creased his face. She wondered what could have made such a handsome man look so frail, but decided there were things in the magical world that she would probably not care to know about. Leanne, on the other hand, couldn't seem to stop thinking about him.
"I mean, I just feel so bad for him," she said at dinner on Friday. "He's so good-looking, but he seems so alone. If I was older--"
"You'd marry him," interrupted Katie impatiently. "Yes, we know, but you'd probably have to fight off half of the fifth, sixth and seventh year girls while you were at it."
Leanne looked at her huffily. "And you won't have to fight them all off when you try to get to Cedric?" she shot back.
"At least he's more my age," retorted Katie, though she could feel her ears turn pink.
The truth was, every time she tried to talk to him, even just briefly in the halls, she got the dirtiest looks from all the prettiest girls in the school, in between them batting their eyelashes at Cedric, of course. Katie had decided she had to plan her move carefully. If only she got another chance like in the Prefect's Bathroom! She wouldn't have to jump on him, just talk to him. That was really all she wanted at the moment. So, the next day, she headed to the library in hopes of getting a chance to have a few words.
When Katie entered the huge, silent room, she was disappointed to find Cedric wasn't there. With a sigh, she sat down at a table near the front, in order to keep an eye on the door, and set herself to her Transfiguration homework. Every so often, the doors would open and Katie would look up, only to be disappointed as giggling girls or surly lads entered in search of a book or quiet corner. She had finished with Transfiguration as well as half a drawing of one of Saturn's moons for Astronomy when she heard the large doors opening once again. Looking up, she fought the urge to break into a huge grin as Cedric stepped inside. His eyes caught hers and she allowed herself a small smile and a wave. To her utter delight, Cedric made his way over to her table, placing down his bag in the chair opposite her.
"I'll be back," he said under his breath, then set off for the Potions section.
Katie could hardly believe her luck. She tried to ignore the jealous stares of other girls coming at her from every angle, bowing her head to her parchment in an attempt to hide her smug smile.
Cedric returned a few minutes later, carrying a very ancient volume titled Moste Potente Potions. He hefted it onto the table with a rather loud thump. Madam Pince caught his eye and gave him a withering look. She was as protective of the Hogwarts books as if they were her very own children. Katie personally thought she might get along rather well with the castle's caretaker, Argus Filch, as both sought to give out punishments as harsh as it was within their power to make them. She smiled to herself at the thought of that ridiculous pairing.
"Things going alright?" Cedric asked quietly as he opened Moste Potente Potions.
Katie nodded. "Are you holding tryouts soon?" she inquired in the same low tones.
"Next week," confirmed Cedric. "Don't tell Wood this, but he's being a real difficult, signing out the pitch for days at a time."
"Are you really surprised? I'm floored to know he's still sleeping and eating," she responded.
"You're worried about him?" Cedric asked, looking up at her with those beautiful grey eyes of his. Katie was transfixed, but then realized the full importance of that question.
"No," she said earnestly.
Cedric stared at her for a moment longer, then returned to his book.
"It's just that Gryffindor hasn't won since, well, a long time," Katie continued, "and it's his last year. He's been thinking about it, even practicing for it, all summer."
"So, anything else going on?" Cedric asked, casually changing the subject.
"Well, my birthday was on Tuesday," Katie lightly responded, looking down at her drawing, on which she had made no progress since Cedric had appeared.
"Happy Birthday!" said Cedric. "You're what...sixteen now?"
"Fifteen," Katie corrected him.
"Oh, I thought you were older."
"I get that a lot," she said, looking up and meeting his mesmerizing eyes with her brown ones.
"I suppose, having a September birthday and hanging out with Alicia and Angelina. They're fifth years, yes?"
"Yeah," said Katie absentmindedly.
They both fell quiet as Cedric went to work. Katie did her best to continue her drawing, but found she just couldn't focus while having the boy of her dreams sitting across the table from her. She snuck a glance at him as often as she could, which was hard considering she was trying not to move her head inordinately. When the noon bell rang, Cedric stood up and stretched. Katie looked up at him, heart pounding. She didn't want him to leave, and following him out would be suspicious.
"You coming to lunch?" he asked.
Katie stared blankly for a moment. His words weren't quite sinking in. Then, her stomach gave an audible growl. She quickly glanced at it, then looked up at Cedric and grinned. "I guess so."
Cedric smiled back. "Good."
Katie had to stop herself from tossing everything haphazardly into her bag. Nevertheless, she was ready to go before Cedric, and waited patiently for him to cork his inkbottle before stowing it. When he was done, they set off for the Great Hall, joking and talking lightheartedly all the way until they had stepped across the threshold. Cedric bade her goodbye and set off for the Hufflepuff table, while Katie gave him a wave of her own and made her way to sit at the reasonably empty Gryffindor table. She thanked her lucky stars that none of her friends had seen her walk in with him. She helped herself to a pasty and some carrots, thinking every girl deserves to have a couple secrets.
Wednesday evening, Katie went up to her dormitory after a hearty dinner to get some textbooks for studying until that night's Astronomy lesson. When she opened the door, however, she found that the room was in shambles. All of her dorm mates spun around to look at her, their eyes wide. Rose and Chloe's trunks were open, their contents tossed randomly about the room. The items that normally stood on their bed stands lay among the mess, and they appeared to have begun stripping their beds of the sheets.
"What's going on?"
"The Jewelry Thief struck again," replied Rhea.
"You're not still on about that, are you?" Katie asked, exasperated.
"What if I am?" cried Rhea, her eyes wider than ever.
"My best pair of earrings is gone," said Rose.
"And a necklace of mine," Chloe added.
"We've been looking for them," Leanne said, gesturing to the heaps of displaced clothes.
"I bet she nicked them!" exclaimed Rhea, pointing at Katie.
"What? Why would I want to steal your jewelry? I'd never use it!"
"You could sell it," said Rose, starting to look suspicious.
"To who? Filch?" As Katie's temper rose, she willed herself to keep it in check.
"But no one's nicked your stuff," protested Chloe.
"I don't have jewelry for someone to steal," said Katie.
"Oh yes you do," said Rhea, now getting a maniacal glint in her eye. "What about that necklace of your mom's?"
Katie instinctively put a hand to her throat and felt, to her relief, that her mother's necklace was still there. Rhea smirked when she saw Katie did indeed still have her necklace. Katie felt cold fury course through her. "Okay," said Katie coldly, as she savagely threw her telescope and a rune dictionary into her bag "but that's because I'm not thick enough to leave my valuables lying around." With that, she turned on her heel and exited out into the spiral staircase, before she allowed them to further accuse her.
She reached the common room still scowling, her pulse heightened from the tension. She was so caught up in her angry, racing thoughts, that she didn't stop stomping until a firm hand grasped her shoulder.
"Bell, are you okay?" asked a deep, Scottish voice. Katie spun around. Oliver stood there, his brown eyes searching her own.
"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth.
"No you're—"
"They think I've been nicking their ruddy jewelry!" she spat, her face contorted in a firey glower.
"Oh," said Oliver, quite awkwardly. "Well, um…"
"Nevermind," said Katie unkindly, "what do you want?"
"I, um," started Wood, obviously not wanting to do anything to push any of Katie's buttons.
"Spit it out."
"Here," he said shortly, pushing the latest issue of Quidditch Quarterly and a brightly wrapped box into her arms. He turned on his heel and stalked off towards his favorite corner of the common room. Katie felt a slight pang of guilt. She hadn't meant to take her anger out on him. Actually, she had to admit that she hated yelling at him far more than him yelling at her. Of course, he was always yelling with a purpose—keep the Quaffle protected, don't let them see where you're going to pass—instead of taking out his suppressed anger on her. Katie looked ashamedly over at him in his corner, then decided to apologize. She slowly approached him, studying alone in the corner. He looked up at her, but his frown faded when he saw her dejected look. Katie stopped and the two considered each other in silence.
"I'm sorry," said Katie, forcing herself to look him in the eye. "I didn't mean to take it out on you. I just—"
"I know you have a temper," he said with a sigh, "I've seen it on the pitch."
"I'm forgiven, then?" she asked with a grin.
"Oh, I suppose," Wood answered, pretending that it was taking him a lot of effort to decide. Katie smiled, then perched herself on the edge of the table.
"So what was it you wanted me to see in here?" she asked, placing the magazine between them.
"The third article," he said, flipping it open to reveal a two-page spread that depicted three Chasers flying in formation. "It's got a lot of good things to say about that side roll we were working on. It's got some other useful techniques, too. You should read it."
"Okay," said Katie, glancing at the picture for another moment before closing the magazine. "And what about this?" she asked, holding up the large package.
Oliver's ears went slightly pink. "Happy birthday," he said. "I'm sorry it's late. I—forgot."
"It's okay," Katie said, waving off the apology. "A lot of people loose it in all the kerfuffle from the start of term. So, should I open it now?" she asked teasingly.
Wood shrugged. "If you want."
Katie smiled mischievously before tearing the vibrant paper away. Inside was a sleek black leather case that was labeled in shimmering silver words Broomstick Servicing Kit. Katie yelped with delight. She nearly fell off the table while leaning over to hug Oliver. He looked rather awkward, as if he wasn't used to girls hugging him, but managed to catch her with his arm as she wrapped both of hers around his neck.
"Wow! This is great!" she said as she righted herself once more. "How did you know I needed this?"
"I didn't" he admitted sheepishly. "When I talked to Harry at the beginning of the year, he said he'd got one for his birthday."
Katie beamed at Oliver, then looked down and unlatched the case. Opening it, she glanced at all the shining new products. Oliver reached over and grabbed what looked like a large, silver nail clipper.
"Now you can get rid of that list," he said brightly.
"Thanks," said Katie wholeheartedly.
Oliver nodded, placing the clippers back in their proper spot. Katie glanced up and spotted her dorm mates sitting in their usual spot in the common room.
"I should go put this upstairs," she said.
"Sure," he said, pulling his books towards him again.
She leapt gingerly off the table and headed up to the girls' dormitories. When she reached her room, she noticed that a glow was coming from beneath her robes. Placing the magazine and Broom Servicing Kit on her bed, she reached in and pulled out her necklace, which was glowing much brighter than it had the first night. Having a thought, she placed what little fingernails she had into the crack of the locket and tried to open it, to no avail. Giving up, she held the locket in her palm for a moment, considering it. Why did the necklace glow? And why did it change its brightness? After a few minutes, she shrugged and tucked it beneath her robes once again. When Katie returned to the common room, she went over to Alicia, Angelina, Lee, Fred and George. The others looked up as she sat down in an overstuffed chair.
"Busy, are we?" asked George with a devilish grin. Katie's mind immediately flashed back to her falling on Oliver. Of course it must've looked like major flirting to these five. Katie doubted whether there was another group in the entire school that could plot like her friends.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Katie, pulling out her Ancient Runes homework.
The older students exchanged exasperated why-does-she-even-bother-to-resist looks.
"Do to," said Fred.
"You two looked pretty cozy over there," joked Alicia.
"If you must know," said Katie coolly, "he forgot my birthday and was giving me a belated present."
"He didn't forget your birthday," said Angelina.
"Of course he did," replied Katie. "Why else would I be getting his present now?"
"I have no idea," said Angelina, returning to her book.
Katie looked at her, suddenly suspicious. "Oh, yes you do."
"Nope. Not a clue," Angelina replied casually.
Katie gritted her teeth. She was powerless to coerce Angelina into saying anything she didn't want to, unless she had outside help. She looked hopefully at Alicia, Lee, Fred and George, but they all quickly lowered their eyes back to their work as well.
"Oh, fine," said Katie, taking out her frustration by viciously flipping through the pages of her rune dictionary until she tore one. "Reparo" she said, despondently tapping the page with her wand.
"Katie, Katie, Katie," said Alicia with only a hint of condescension. "You'll know soon enough."
Katie seemed to be touchy with almost everyone the next morning. She was annoyed by her dorm mates, who had spent a goodly amount of Astronomy the previous night staring coldly at her and shaking their heads ominously. Katie was also still touchy with Alicia and Angelina for their comments the previous night. By day's end, however, Katie was sick of ignoring the leers and whisperings of her classmates and was more than happy to forgive her best friends for their greatly milder offense. Searching them out in the common room, she plopped down in her usual chair. It seemed they knew she would come around by that evening, because they immediately began to regale her about their rather horrific Potions class. When they were finished, Katie confided to them about the second round of stolen jewelry and how it was now thought that she was the mysterious jewelry thief.
"That's horrible!" cried Alicia.
"And stupid," added Lee.
Alicia shot him a disapproving look and he shut up.
"You know," said George, "Fred and I've just got a hold of some bulbadox powder, we could—"
"I'm sure you could," Katie interrupted. "and I'm sure it'd be hilarious, but I don't really want to make the situation worse." She looked around at Alicia, Angelina and Lee, hoping they had some idea. She thought she heard Fred mumble something along the lines of "party pooper." When she turned to him, she saw him wince ever so briefly, then a smile flash across Angelina's features, there and gone, quick as lightning.
"I don't know what to tell you," Angelina said to cover it up. "Seems like that Rhea girl is pretty set in her thinking."
"Sometimes it's just better to wait it out," said Lee. Katie smiled at him. He was quiet, at least compared to his best friends, but he was smart, and she thought he was pretty cool. Katie also suspected that he was the reason Fred and George had been able to pass all their subjects so far. In fact, he was basically Alicia's perfect counterpart in the boys' trio.
"I suppose you're right," said Katie slowly. "I just wish I had the patience."
The weather got colder and wetter and the nights darker as September died away. Katie started to get restless. She knew that the Quidditch season was coming. She hadn't spent any more time on her broom then that one Sunday afternoon, and she couldn't wait to get back on. The rest of the team also seemed as keen as she was to get back into it. Oliver, as Captain, called the first team meeting of the year to discuss tactics for the first Thursday in October. After dinner, they all trooped from the castle down the grounds to the Quidditch pitch.
When the team filed into the chilly locker rooms, the air seemed electric with excitement about the beginning of the Quidditch season. The seven of them gathered together: three Chasers, two Beaters, the Keeper, and Harry, the Seeker. There were plenty of good-natured hellos between the youngest player and the rest—Harry was always gallivanting about with Ron and Hermione, and so didn't see much of his teammates except in passing. But, as Oliver took his place by the oval-shaped blackboard on which he would be showing them his plays, the room fell silent. Even the Weasley twins looked up at their captain with hushed anticipation. It was time for the start of season speech.
There was a quiet sort of desperation in Oliver's voice as he addressed his six fellow team members.
"This is our last chance—my last chance—to win the Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it.
"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world—injuries—then the tournament getting called off last year," Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the best-ruddy-team-in-the-school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three superb Chasers."
Wood pointed at Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell. The three of them exchanged grins.
"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."
"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.
"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride.
"And me," he added as an afterthought.
"We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.
"Spanking good Keeper," said Fred. There were varying sounds of assent from the rest of the team.
"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."
Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.
"Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.
"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.
"Definitely," said Harry.
Oliver looked beamed at each one of them in turn, especially Harry, who had always been his favorite. When he glanced at Katie, she crossed her heart—reminding him of the promise she had already made on that gorgeous September evening. Oliver's mouth twitched ever so slightly before his eyes moved to Alicia, who nodded confidently.
"Right," he said, turning to the blackboard and pulling out his wand. "Now, to the game plan. Defense first, I think."
He tapped the blackboard with his wand. Scarlet sparks leapt to the surface in the shape of seven brooms, positioned around the board. Oliver turned back to the team, and began "Because the Quaffle is always in play, the first and most important thing to a strong defense is a quick transition…"
Oliver's strategies were more effective, though more difficult, than ever. He obviously thought very highly of his team, and of their potential. The team had developed an impeccable cohesiveness over the past two years—"the top intangible", as Wood called it—and he planned to use that to start performing professional-quality plays.
"They may not always work," he admitted, "but when they do, they're dynamite."
At the end of the meeting, he handed each player a folio of parchment, stitched together to make a book—a playbook, to be specific. There were even separate versions for Chasers (which was thickest), Beaters and Seeker (which looked more like a play-leaflet than a playbook).
"Practice starts Saturday," said Wood as he passed them out. "I expect you all to have read these by then."
Katie looked dubiously at her own thick copy.
"Come off it, Oliver!" said Fred.
"We've got enough work as it is!" added George.
"You'll read it or you'll face those bludgers without bats!" Wood barked.
"You wouldn't!" said Fred, feigning dismay.
"Watch me," replied Oliver with a dangerous glint in his eye. Neither twin dared answer him.
The meeting ended soon after. Oliver tapped the blackboard again and the sparkling, scarlet brooms vanished from its surface. They exited the locker rooms, Fred and George with their heads together, Harry walking with a spring in his step Katie was sure hadn't been there before the meeting. The three Chasers walked up the sloping grounds together, letting their cloaks flutter in the cool October wind.
"I think he's finally gone over the edge," said Angelina when they were out of earshot of Oliver, who had remained behind to lock up. She held up her playbook. "I mean, look at this thing! I'm barely keeping up with my work as it is, and then he hands us this? I refuse to read it."
"He probably is loosing touch," mused Alicia, "He's only taking four classes, so he has lots more time than us."
"It's ridiculous!" fumed Angelina. "He probably just wanted to give himself another reason to yell at us!"
"You're awfully quiet, Katie," Alicia said.
"I don't think it's fair that we all got thicker books," Katie confessed, "but I also think Wood's only doing this because he cares so much."
"I don't think Cedric's doing this for his team," teased Angelina. "But maybe he's just giving them all private lessons…"
Katie felt herself turn pink. What she wouldn't give to have a private lesson with Cedric. Her friends looked over at her, knowingly. Then Alicia started staring at Katie's chest.
"I know I have a rack, Ali," joked Katie, "but you don't have to—" She stopped when she got a better look at Alicia's face. She followed her gaze down, and saw, once again, the mysterious glow of the necklace beneath her robe. The three of them halted, and all stared down at the necklace. "Oh, that," she said, pulling it out. It was as brilliant, if not a bit more so, than the night when Katie had been accused of being the jewelry thief. Katie quickly relayed this story to her friends, who listened with uncharacteristically silent attention. When she had finished, Angelina looked ever more distrustfully at the necklace, while Alicia seemed lost in thought.
"This is really weird," said Angelina. "I'd get rid of that thing. I mean, if it wasn't so important to you," she added hastily as Katie shot her a scathing look.
"It's just so…odd!" exclaimed Alicia. "I've never heard of anything like it."
Katie looked down at the necklace once more before tucking it under her robes. As they reached the threshold of the castle, Angelina looked back towards the Quidditch pitch.
"Where's Oliver?" she asked. "He was behind us, wasn't he?"
Alicia followed her gaze. "We left," she answered, "but I don't know if he followed us out. He said he had to lock up."
"Locking up doesn't take this long," said Katie.
Angelina shook her head. "Like Fred said: mental."
"Anyway," said Alicia, bringing the subject back as they stepped into the cavernous entrance hall, "your mum was a witch, wasn't she?"
"Yeah," Katie answered. She didn't see how that helped.
"Do you know how old the family was? I mean, how far back they were wizards and witches?"
"Not exactly," said Katie, "but they seemed pretty pure-blood from what I've heard."
"Then it must be ancient magic!" exclaimed Alicia hopefully.
"That would certainly explain why it's so…weird," added Angelina.
"Maybe you're descended from someone famous!"
"Maybe…" Katie replied. Alicia seemed much more excited about that possibility than she did. There were so many questions swimming inside her head right now, she felt queasy more than anything else.
Alicia heard the lackluster tone in Katie's voice and desisted. "Just a thought," she said apologetically.
"It's alright," Katie reassured her. "I think I'm just tired."
"Okay," Alicia responded, though she didn't sound entirely convinced.
The three made their way up to the seventh floor in silence.
"And why are you three still out?" the Fat Lady inquired of them.
"Fortuna Major" was all she got for an answer. She looked haughtily down at them, then swung forward to allow them in. Katie felt like she was sleep walking, because she didn't seem to be processing anything her eyes were sending to her brain. She simply drifted across the common room, and up the stairs to her dormitory, saying good night to her friends. Once in her room, she collapsed on the bed, thankful that no one else was in the room yet. She took the necklace off for the first time, and the glowing stopped. Turning the lights on, she gazed at it for what seemed like hours, examining every detail of the wide chain and simple locket. But nothing was to be gleaned from even the most careful inspection.
She finally gave up when Rhea entered the room. Rhea saw her, sniffed, and went straight to her bed. Katie put the necklace back on, went to her trunk, and quickly got ready for bed. Getting into bed, she pulled her curtains shut with a little more force than was necessary. When she slipped between the tightly-tucked sheets, she fingered the locket one last time, and whispered into the night, "I wish you were here, mom."
