Howdy there kids, this will probably be the last chappie for a bit... not months or anything, I just have to deal with my wrist (get an extensive MRI) and school (have to take a major test over British Literature) go to an amazing concert (Rob Zombie) and I'm Magenta in a local performance of Rocky Horror Picture Show, so whoring it up right now takes precedence over editing the next chapter. Sorry. Lemme know how I'm doing. Thanks for your support and if you're in the Corpus area in Texas make sure you come to the Rocky showing on May 5th and 6th. Go to my myspace page for details.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter (but oh! if I did... ahem... anyway) nor any of the other people or wizarding world. This is the brilliance of J.K Rowling. I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!

Chapter Six: Discovery

"Closing your eyes to disappear

you pray your dreams will lead you here

but still you wake and know the truth

no one's there

say goodbye

don't be afraid

calling me, calling me

as you fade into black."

"My Last Breath" Evanescence

"How come I wasn't told about this before?" Harry said indignantly as he stood before Dumbledore and the rest of the Order crowded into the headmistress' office gathered around the painting. The rest of the portraits listened with interest, only one portly wizard still snored in the far corner. He had just told them all that he knew about Kitty, and they looked blankly back at him, listening as a person who had seen a boring movie and is forced to watch it again.

"Because, Potter, we knew you would react rashly." Snape said coldly, the other members eying him with suspicion. Harry couldn't believe that he had the gall to show his slimy, bastardly face.

"Rashly– you want to talk about being rash? How about you murdering– ."

"Harry." Dumbledore's sharp voice cut through Harry's sentence. Snape was casting daggers at Harry, who returned them with added heat. "We are here to discuss your discovery of the Heir of Voldemort, not the past of the members or personal matters." Dumbledore's eyes had, once again lost their twinkle, as they often did when discussing such serious matters.

"Yes, sir." Harry said as Snape looked away. He took a breath and collected himself. "Sir, may I ask, again, why wasn't I told about this?"

"Well, I didn't find it necessary." he said simply.

"Didn't– ." Harry took a deep breath to keep his temper in check. "Er– and why not sir? I think that Voldemort having an heir would be very important information to disclose. Not just to me, but to people who could help prevent him from knowing."

"We did do that Harry, that's why it's not common knowledge." Harry shook his head at his own stupidity.

"But sir, how did Voldemort know? How did he find out about her?" he said retaliating from his lapse.

"Well I believe that he always knew he had a granddaughter, how could he not, but he didn't know what an attribution an heir could be. Until he had already had his daughter killed." Members started to perk up at the new conversation.

"Excuse me Albus, who was his daughter?" McGonnagal asked.

"Did she attend Hogwarts?" a wispy little witched pipped up.

"Well, I see no reason for disclosing it now." he sighed. "Her name was McKayla O' Tréan, she took her mother's name of course. And yes indeed she went to Hogwarts, and as you can guess was in Slytherin, as she was in fact the Heir to him also."

"Who's the father of the girl that Harry dreams about?" Tonks asked.

"I believe I can answer that." Lupin said. "Sirius was."

"And how come I didn't know about that?" Harry said looking at Lupin.

"Well, I wasn't really positive until just now. I'm sure James knew all the details, but I didn't, I only had my suspensions."

"How come Sirius kept her a secret?"

"Well, she was a Slytherin, for a starter. And we were the Marauders, we hated the slimy snakes." he sneered at Snape. "Plus, I think he knew about her– her background, I mean when you're in love you can't exactly keep things from each other can you?" he and Tonks shared a glance.

"Do I really need to be here for this?" Snape's long greasy face was distorted as if hearing something truly grotesque.

"Why? Love a bit too real of an emotion for you?" Harry said glaring angrily at him.

"An escaped convict's love life is not relevant to the Order Potter." Snape said waspishly.

"He's not a convict and you know it." Harry said through his teeth, barely maintaining control.

"That's quite enough." the tone of Dumbledore's voice ceased the confrontation. "Harry do you want to know why we took Kathryn?" he said after the room settled again.

"Of course, but I think I know now."

"Oh?" Dumbledore raised his snowy brows indicating Harry to explain himself.

"Well, once Voldemort figured out that having a living heir would be useful he would come after her. So you hid her away somewhere where he wouldn't think to look so she would be safe."

"Very good Harry."

"So where is she? She needs to be moved or better yet, brought back here so we can keep an eye on her." Moody growled.

"Hmm, well a little less than sixteen years ago when McKayla was murdered, and Lily and James were killed the very next night, then Sirius was taken to Azkaban the day after that, I was left with a baby girl. I knew that she was their heir, as everyone else knows, I miss very little around here." most everyone smiled, including a sheepish grin from Lupin. "I also knew that she was alone, like some other person I had to deal with at the same time." the smiles now faded as they looked at Harry. "Harry was easier to find a decent home for." Harry snorted 'decent' was hardly the word for the Dursleys. "But Kathryn was more difficult, having no parents or godparents, and as Harry said, I needed to find someplace safe where she wouldn't be patronized for being who she was." Dumbledore continued after surveying his audience, "I had an Auror friend that had lost everything in a raid a few months before and was about to return back to work. She lost her husband, her child, and her home. So I had a proposition for her. She could watch over Kathryn, and have her has her own. Two lost souls who had nothing, suddenly had each other. But Margaret was hard to convince, it seemed that she had severely changed during her time of mourning, she was suddenly bitter and cold. But she ended up taking the job and went to America with baby Kathryn and duly disappeared, just as planned."

"America?"

"Does the American Minister know that she is harboring our evil wizard's granddaughter?" Harry asked.

"Of course not." Dumbledore looked shocked that Harry would ask such a question.

"Where in America?"

"Why there?"

"America?"

"Well that explains the accent." Harry said grinning to himself.

"I am very fond of American cinema, especially old westerns." the old headmaster's eyes twinkled merrily. The Order members grumbled as they disappeared through the heavy door of the headmistress' office. The meeting had been something that they were not looking forward to and now that it was over it was back to the grind of busting the Dark side of slime.

"Sir." Harry approached the painting slowly.

"Yes Harry."

"Sali also told me that Kat is the last horcrux." Dumbledore didn't say anything at first, but his brows raised and his mouth pursed tightly.

"It's worse than I thought." his eyes were dark in despair.

"You don't know where she is?" Harry asked.

"No Harry I told you already, I told her to lose herself in America. That if she needed me to contact me but only if it was an emergency."

XXX

"Right, so you're saying that Dumbledore's not sure where she is?" Ron asked incredulously.

"He said somewhere in Texas."

"Texas." Hermione chewed worriedly on her lip. "Trust Dumbledore to pick the second largest state to drop a child."

"Tell me again why it's up to us?" Ron said leaning back in his chair blowing bright green bubbles.

"Because, it always is Ron." Hermione said breathlessly, patting down her fly away bushy hair. Harry couldn't help from smiling, it was just like old times, them niggling at each other and solving a new mystery.

"Hello, earth to Harry." Hermione was grinning happily at him. "Listen to Ron's idea." Ron blushed.

"Dream about her again, then when she gets close to you, just ask her where she is."

"Oh yes Ron, I'm sure that would work, I'll get on that straight away."

XXX

A small light guided Harry to the room. He peered in and saw her bound to the wall with large iron handcuffs, Voldemort stood near her leering happily.

"Crucio!" raspy screams echoed around the walls. A high maniacal laugh drowned out the screams of terror.

"No, no please, no more." hoarse pleas for sympathy cut into the maniacal laughter.

"Please? Now she has manners? Tut tut." metal clanging was the sound of the futile attempts to loosen the bonds of her manacles. Voldemort grinned evilly at her, he turned his back for a moment and returned with a long sharp dagger, it was inlaid with rubies and diamonds. The rubies glinted in the candle light that reflected the horror of her eyes. Closer and closer he came advanced her with the scabbard, she bucked frantically against her chains. The blade penetrated her skin of her cheek, blood surfaced and trickled down her throat staining her already ripped and stained shirt. He made another gash on the other side of her cheek.

"This is just a taste for what is to come." his face was close to her's, he licked the blood that was trickling slowly down. She shuddered and shrunk back, away from his touch. He laughed to himself, and as the cackle echoed around the room, it became louder in Harry's head. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was standing in front of Voldemort who was maniacally shaking in laughter.

"This will be fun." he said happily to himself.

A flash of light and the dream was over. Harry sat up in bed and wiped the sweat off his brow. The vision was horrible, he just hoped that Kitty didn't have it. As bad as the dream was for Harry, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to watch yourself be tortured. In a very, very, very small way these dreams were comforting because it meant that Voldemort hadn't got his hands on her yet. It put a match under Harry though, he really needed to find her. It had been nine days after Sali had told him about her, there were only two days left. He had thought of everything, and had been shot down by the ever practical Hermione. She hadn't been very helpful, besides telling Harry that his ideas were bollocks, she had been cooped up in her dormitory for the entire weekend, and to top it all off Sali had conveniently disappeared.

"Do you know what name they're using?" Harry said pacing in front of Dumbledore's portrait in the circular office, trying frantically to think of ways to find Kitty. "Do you know where in Texas?" the regale old man shook his head tiredly. "This information could be useful Professor."

"I know Harry, truth is, I haven't spoken to Margaret for a very long time. She just came in contact with me quite out of nowhere."

"When? Why?"

"To tell me the happenings on Kathryn."

"And?"

"They're not to be disclosed."

"I've had enough of this!" Harry shouted. Even death could not keep Dumbledore from being infuriatingly enigmatic. "This does need to disclosed because the fate of her life depends on me finding her." he said vehemently. Dumbledore studied him sternly over his half moon spectacles.

"Her life is not your responsibility. You were not even supposed to be dreaming about her, you were supposed to be practicing your Occlumency. You need to trust me Harry." he said.

"But Professor–." Harry was cut off in mid sentence by a familiar heat in his pocket. He reached down and pulled out the galleon from his uniform pocket and tapped it with his wand.

"NEED YOU NOW!" flashed the words from the galleon.

"Fine. I'll talk to you later Professor." Harry nodded curtly as he exited the circular room, Dumbledore didn't stop him. Harry couldn't understand why Dumbledore wanted him to fail at finding Kitty. It didn't make any sense, wouldn't it make more sense if Dumbledore helped find her so she could be safely stowed away in the confines and security of Hogwarts Castle? With him?

"What is it?" Harry asked breathlessly as he sank down into a chair by Hermione.

"I know where she is." she said smugly.

"Brilliant Hermione!" he hugged her, "How did you figure it out?"

"Potter!" the batty librarian's voice cut through Hermione's reply. "You have three overdue books from the Restricted Section! Do you not pay attention to the flashing labels, or do you just not care?" she seethed.

"Oh, er... sorry Madame Pince." Harry started.

"Oh no Potter, you've gone too far this time, you're banned from the Restricted Section. I don't care if the Minister of Magic himself signs the pass." she stormed away.

"Stroppy old cow." Harry said shaking his head. "I've just been so caught up in trying to find Kitty, I've completely forgot about my books, much less the Charms essay I got them out for." he added sadly.

"Don't worry Harry, you can always tell me what you want and I can get it for you." Hermione said softly laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks "Mione." he grinned at her. "Well, speaking of Kitty... where is she? You said you found her?" his eyes shone up with anticipation.

"Houston." Hermione grinned.

XXX

Fog surrounded me, I couldn't see a foot in front of me. I turned around aimlessly, unsure of where to go. A cold cackling laugh echoed from my left, I immediately turned to my right and started running blindly through the fog. The mugginess seemed to be thinning out the further I got from the cackle. I stopped abruptly in a clearing, partially because it was a clearing, and partly because he was there. He stared back at me with the same intense curiosity that I had for him. His blazing green eyes connecting with mine as I took a cautious step towards him. He too took a step to me. Closer and closer we got. We were about ten feet away from each other when the fog got started swirling around us again, and the insane laughter reverberated about us. I quickened my pace and stretched out my arms toward him. Just as his fingers were inches from mine the laughter was so loud it rang though out my ears and the fog clouded my vision as I felt myself back in my bed.

XXX

"It's a good thing that you figured it out 'Mione." Harry said nodding at her. "It happens tonight you know."

"Yes, I know, but it wasn't all me that summed it up." Hermione said.

"Oh? Hermione the Great getting help from someone else? You know you weren't supposed to tell anybody about her. Rumors spread faster than Mandy Brocklehurst's acne." Ron said cracking a huge grin.

"Ron!" Harry and Hermione said together. "That's terrible mate, even if it is dead on." Harry laughed.

"Well, Sali helped me."

"Sali? You're a Parselmouth as well? Am I the only one not able to speak to bloody snakes?"

"No Ron, I found a way to communicate with her through vibrations on the table." Hermione said as if it were common knowledge that you could talk to snakes if you really put your mind to it. Harry and Ron gaped at her dumbfounded. "Well since she could read my mind I told her two taps for yes and one tab for no."

"Hermione, sometimes you truly amaze me." Harry said still staring at her. Hermione blushed and looked down.

"Oi Harry, have you had a dream about her lately?" Ron asked taking usual heed to the familiarity between Harry and Hermione, he had gotten used to it. But he still wasn't alright with it. He still childishly thought that if he ignored it, it would go away.

"As a matter of fact I have." Harry said.

"Well, go on then." Ron urged in his typical boyish anticipation of hearing about the mysterious (not to mention gorgeous) girl Harry dreamed of.

"Well I was just standing in a clearing, I think I was somewhere near a forest, but I'm not sure. And she was running toward me, her eyes were mad with terror, she looked so scared. But she stopped dead when she saw me." Hermione rolled her eyes, she hated how he embellished with 'her eyes' and 'when she saw me'. She didn't think that this girl would react too nicely to them coming and kid napping her, but if they didn't, the situation would be much worse.

"What do you think it means Harry?" Hermione interrupted Harry's babbling about 'reaching towards each other through the fog'.

"Let the man finish the story!" Ron roared opening his eyes. "What was she wearing mate?" he said turning back to Harry.

"Honestly Ron," Harry's face contorted into mock anger. "You think I pay attention to rubbish like that?" he eyed Hermione, who was leafing through a heavy book. "A black slinky nightie." he whispered to Ron, who grinned and chuckled childishly.

"Well, if you two are done talking about slinky nighties, then we should get to breakfast." she slammed her book shut and huffed out of the common room. The boys followed hurriedly mumbling apologies in her wake.

"I don't think McGonagall approves." Harry said leaning in to his friends at the breakfast table.

"No, me either. She's been frowning on us for the past half hour." Hermione said, putting down her fork, and patting delicately at her thin lips with a napkin.

"Well, I reckon her and Dumbledore know that You Know Who knows, so yeah. I don't think she's too pleased that we're going to have the heir here. Just makes Hogwarts a bigger target doesn't it?" Ron said eating continuously throughout the narrative.

"Well, it doesn't matter what they think right now, we need to go get her. And the sooner the better I imagine, if Sali's dates are right, the Death Eaters have located her also." Harry said worriedly.

"Alright mate, don't get yourself into a tet. We're going to get her, no worries alright?" Ron said reassuringly through a mouthful of porridge.

"Right Harry, when are we leaving?" Hermione asked, her eyes lighting up excitedly, she always loved a mystery.

"Well, there's a time difference right?" Ron he started tucking into his eggs heartily.

"Bugger. I forgot about that." Harry slammed his fist on the wooden table.

"Yes, six hours." Hermione said shushing Harry. "We need a plan, we can't just barge in on the poor girl."

"Why not?" Ron asked.

XXX

"I thought we told you to stay away from him." Lindsay's cold voice cut through the quiet dusk time sound like a knife.

"You thought? Wow, I reckon you deserve a medal. What's next? Reading? Oh no, that'd be too much." I said enjoying myself, leaning against one of the horse stalls.

"Shut up Riddleton. I've had 'bout enough of you and your lip to last me a life time." Lindsay said taking a step toward me.

"What do you want with Steven anyhow? He's an ass." I crossed my arms, showing her that she didn't scare me one bit.

"Why should it matter to you?"

"I dunno, but you should've known that if ya tell me to stay away from someone, it's natural that I'm gonna go after him." I told her.

"Well, that's why people don't like you." she had stopped advancing towards me, but she looked mad as hell.

"Why should I care if 'people' like me or not?"

"See, unlike you some people have feelings." she sneered.

"What do you know about feelings?"

"Well, I know I ain't a heartless bitch."

"That's it." I stood up straight, fury running though my veins. She took two steps toward me and took a swing, which I ducked and as I when passed her decked her in the gut. She whirled around to face me partly.

"NOW!" she wheezed, clutching her stomach where my fist had just sunk in. Four other girls came swiftly into the barn. Three of them were girls I recognized, one wasn't. She was big, at least two hundred and fifty pounds and a li'l north of six foot. She looked down, grinning evilly at me.

"Let me introduce my cousin, Lynne." Lindsay said. She'd gotten herself under control, even if she was still clutching her stomach. I was surrounded. There was literally no way out. The only exit was guarded by the mammoth that was cousin Lynne.

"Pleasure to make you acquaintance." I said sarcastically.

"When are you gonna learn, ya cain't win all the time?" Lindsay growled.

"Never." I said sneering at her. Someone hit me from behind, a dull pain throbbed in the back of my head, from where the first had hit. I twisted around and caught the girl in the nose with a quick right hook. She cried out in pain and fell back. She was quickly replaced by a bigger girl, who lunged sloppily at me. I brought my knee up to her chin, as she was coming towards me, I would've dealt with that in a more lady like manner if my hands weren't brought behind me by Lindsay.

Two down three to go, I thought as I tried to release my arms from behind my back. Faster, faster! Another girl was coming towards me, but I quickly assessed that it was the same girl that had hit me from behind the first time. Four to go, I thought bitterly.

"Ready to give up Riddleton?" Lindsay said, her face on the side of mine. I rammed the side of head into her nose.

"Nope." I said, as she fell to the ground clutching her broken nose. I whirled around to meet four girls, the other one that I had kneed had gotten to her feet and was ready to rumble again. Damn! I thought, not very good odds. Especially with Jolly Green Giant, and I don't think she was too jolly at the moment. Two of them lunged at me, I kicked one of them and threw my fist at the other, which connected with her shoulder. Damn my height, I thought, as I felt one of my fingers crack. The girl shook of the blow to her shoulder an successfully landed a hard hit on my cheek. My eye felt as if it were going to pop out. I had to refocus, I couldn't let them beat me. I didn't have much time to center myself because someone was kicking the shit out of me. They got two swift kicks to my side before I grabbed her foot and twisted it so she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

My sides were burning and my face was throbbing. Lynne came forward slowly as if drawing out the process, she had been sitting back laughing, I expect, at my futile attempts to hold off three girls at one. Damn you! Damn you! I thought as I got smacked on the mouth because I wasn't paying attention. I tasted the metallic tang of blood and felt the stinging sensation of my lip being busted open as I got hit again in the same place. I blocked the next blow with my forearm and hit her twice with my left hand, one in the nose and then again in the cheek bone, I felt my middle finger snap painfully. (That one hadn't healed properly from the last time I broke it.)

I backed up two steps to regain my concentration, but I ran into something hard. Lindsay was, once again, on her feet, and she was a sight for sore eyes. Blood was dribbling down her dirty face, and into her clothes, she looked furious to see that I was still relatively unhurt. (Busted lip, two broken fingers, and bruised ribs, for those of you who're keeping count). I turned back around and all the five girls were ready, including the giant, I whipped back to Lindsay. One of my arms was brought back behind me, I flailed around to release it, but my face came in harsh contact with someone's fist on the way around. I fell to the ground from the impact. Five evilly grinning faces looked down at me. When I attempted to get up a large foot slammed me back down into the concrete floor. Lindsay kneeled down beside my struggling body.

"Game." her fist came down on my cheek hard. "Set." another blow upon my lip. "Match." five fists pounded into my body. Unknown fury escaped me, I was NOT going to lose to these girls. A harsh gravelly scream escaped through my bloody lips and as it did, so did all the pain, agony, and wrath. With a flash of green light it launched the girls away from me. They were propelled backwards and I got unsteadily to my feet. I slung searing looks at the bewildered girls sprawled out among the boxes of grain and piles of hay and staggered out of the barn, and over to my jeep. Noone followed me, I was glad of it, I don't reckon I could've taken on a three year old in my state. Somehow I made it home safely.

XXX

Kat stumbled into the front door of her house, her aunt wasn't home. Thank the Lord for that. She thought to herself, as she careened shakily down the hall way to the bathroom. She barely recognized her face as she peered into the mirror because it was so swollen and bloody. She laid in the warm, bubbly bath water and nursed her cuts and bruises.

Kat had a very short temper and because of her short stature people tend to underestimate her, and end up wishing they hadn't. She stretched her short muscular frame in the bath, her feet reached the faucet and turned off the steamy water. Her hair clung to her wet shoulders, she swatted it away and closed her dark blue eyes to relax. It seems as soon as she could fully relax the bathroom door burst open and the small room was full of bodies, including her stark naked one, partially covered by the bubbles from the bath.

"Je-sus!" she screeched raspily, her bloody hand immediately went to her silver ring around her neck. Her cerulean eyes connecting with a handsome looking boy about her age with bespeckled emerald green eyes and a peculiar scar on his forehead. "What in the HELL are ya'll doin'?" she yelled hoarsely sitting up, not breaking the gaze from Harry. This was Green Eyes, the boy from her dreams..

"To rescue you." came the answer from Green Eyes. Harry wasn't sure how he managed to speak so calmly. This was really happening, he was standing before Kitty.

"The only thang ya'll are rescuin' me from is a relaxin' bath! So if ya don't mind I'd like to get back to it." she had a scratchy voice, that Harry instantly liked. This was the first time that he had actually really heard her talk, he had only heard her say a couple of words before, but now her voice really stood out.

She now reluctantly tore her eyes past Green Eyes to see a bushy haired girl and a lanky red headed boy who was doing a good job matching his face to his hair. He was goggling at the bubbles sliding off her well endowed chest.

"Here, you may need this." the bushy haired girl came forwards handing her a fluffy blue towel off the rack. "Sorry about all this, I told Ron and Harry that we should have sent an owl first." she said this all very fast and in a tone as if walking in on naked girls in the bath was a normal thing.

"A what? An owl... why the hell would ya'll send a damn owl?" Kat said heatedly getting up and wrapping the towel around her dripping body tucking in the end at the bulge of her chest. This action brought the red head's cheeks into a shade of red that a tomato couldn't match, it even brought a tinge of pink to green eyes.

"You mean to say that you aren't a witch?" the girl said breathlessly.

"No, I ain't no damn witch, For the love of Pete who are ya'll?" she said stamping her bare foot, her sapphire eyes clouded by the dark make-up that was smeared from the water, not to mention the addition of the black eye.

"Er..." the red head cleared his throat, "I'm Ron Weasley." he cracked a grin.

"I'm Harry Potter," he smiled at her. "I'm so sorry about all this. Hermione..." he said glancing at the bushy haired girl, but not really taking his eyes off of Kat, and forgot to finish his sentence.

"I don't think this is her, we might have to put a memory charm on her. I can't believe you were wrong." the red headed boy said.

"I am not wrong!" Hermione said shrilly "This must be her!" she spun around to face her. "You are Kathryn Adara Riddle, are you not?"

"What if I am?" Kat sneered at the bushy haired girl making her take a step back. She had a way of making you feel so small even though she was at least three inches shorter than everyone else in the room.

"That was the best impression of Malfoy I've seen since Fred." the red head laughed heartily.

"That ain't an impression Andy. And what do ya'll want with me? I'm tired and achin' and all I wanna do is have lay down." she said with her scratchy voice, she was convinced that this was yet another dream and she was going to wake up any second.

"Now, now, no need to get hostile--" the scar boy said.

"You haven't seen hostile from me yet buddy." she stepped up to him and tip toed to poke him in the chest with her bloody finger. He didn't move, but was looking down at her concern illuminated in his mesmerizing green eyes.

"You're hurt." he whispered.

"Well no shit Sherlock," he looked taken aback, but Hermione and Ron laughed."Well I'm glad someone caught on," Kat grinned still incredibly close to Harry.

"Can I mend it for you?" he said seriously amongst the laughter.

"Yeah, and you can fix my busted lips, cut cheeks, and bruised face. Not to mention these lil puppies." she said showing the disjointed black and blue fingers dripping blood from her hands.

"How did this happen?" his emerald eyes flashed angrily through his black rimmed glasses. He was mesmerized by her self confidence, most girls would have freaked out, and ran from the room screaming. But here she was cracking jokes!

"Oh, nothin' unusual, just got in a fight. Got the shit kicked outta me for openin' by big ol' mouth." she said trying to stay cool as he took her small, cold, battered hand into his large warm one.

"Your mouth doesn't seem too large to me." the red head said cocking his head, but then immediately blushed.

"Well Hell Andy your's sure is." Kat laughed gravelly not taking notice to his quickly turning crimson face. "Ho-ly Shit!" she cried, ending her laugh abruptly as Harry took out a long piece of wood with what looked like a handle. "If that's what I think it is I need to go straight to looney bin!" she whispered incoherently and collapsed into Harry's chest.

"Oy! Ron, help me." he stooped down and easily picked up her petite frame. "Where should I take her?" Harry asked as Ron didn't seem to be helping at all, but was staring with widening eyes and an open mouth.

"In here!" whispered Hermione leading Harry into Kat's bedroom. She ran to her small lumpy bed and pushed off heaps of clothes and books that were blocking the way. Harry laid her down carefully and leaned down getting so close that their noses were almost touching. Her blue eyes suddenly fluttered open, looking directly into his emerald depths. He looked at her as if he had never seen a girl before.

"Sorry." he whispered lifting his head mentally shaking the fathomless well of pain in her eyes, not to mention the face of his godfather (he couldn't help but think it, as she embodied so much of him).

"For what?" she said softly, tilting her head, she offered her mangled hands, he took them gently and pulled out his wooden stick with a handle.

"Medio Sano!" he muttered pointing the stick at her bloody fingers. Kat looked at him skeptically then suddenly a warm sensation was pulsing through her hands. The blood seeped back through the veins sealing the gash, the bones creaked painlessly back into their positions. She flexed her hands with a huge smile.

"Holy Hell, what I wouldn't have given for you a year ago when I dislocated my wrist." she said as he finished clearing the discoloration of her eye, she smiled at him, he blushed. Kat carried on a conversation, waiting for any moment for her to wake up. Magic was not real. She told herself.

"Well, Harry... we need to get back to the Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for Kathryn, he'll be pleased that she wasn't taken already." Hermione said briskly as if she wasn't beyond excited to see Dumbledore. She hadn't seen him yet, just heard from Harry what he had to say.

Kat pulled her eyes away from Harry, and stood up angrily, "What? Hogwhats? Dumbliywho?... TAKEN!" she promptly sat down next to Harry again, still in her towel. "Can ya'll please just tell me why three British people with... wands... disrupted my bath and are tryin' to take me back to Hogwarts, what ever the hell that is." she said tiredly. She was still not sure what to think. Why would people come all the way from England to get her? Why should she believe them? And fist and foremost why the hell was Green Eyes there?

"I'm sorry Kathryn..."

"Call me Kat." she grinned up at Harry, continuing to go along with the act.

"Kat, right," he smiled, "Well I think Professor should explain, he's better at these sort of things."

"Hmm, I believe Kathryn needs to get dressed." all three teenagers glanced over at her dripping hair. "Come along Harry." she said bossily and grabbed his hand pulling him from the room,"We will be in the sitting room waiting, do try to hurry." Hermione said smugly almost rudely, slamming the door.

"Do try to hurry!" Kat mocked ripping off her towel."I ain't got a sittin' room! It's called a damn livin' room!" she yelled her hoarse voice cracking at the closed door.

X

In fifteen minutes the transformation of Kat was extraordinary. The colors on her hair showed, she had on dark eye makeup, and she had on strange clothing. Her jaggedly cut dirty blonde hair ended abruptly and set into black tips. Her torn and baggy denim pants were held up by a studded belt, she had a on black high top converse with neon shoelaces. A white muscle shirt with a green over tank covered her top. Her tanned muscular arms seemed to be covered in bracelets, the one Hermione was staring at was spiked.

Ron was gaping at her, Hermione took a step back, but Harry smiled and said, "Right. You lot ready?" he glared at his staring friends, embarrassed for Kat but she looked as if she was used to it.

"Hey, ya'll wanna pay a fee? Feed me maybe? Good Lord, I feel like a damn zoo animal." she strode confidently over to Hermione and pretended to groom her bushy hair imitating a monkey, picking little bugs out of her hair, her blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Harry doubled over and Ron turned red and sat down on a lumpy love seat that was too small for his tall frame, trying not to laugh. Hermione was looking daggers at Harry, trying to get him to help her, but he was still laughing.

"Harry." Hermione said pleadingly as Kat was now scratching herself under her arm and flipping her lips up like a chimpanzee. "Professor will be waiting, remember your dreams, and what Sali said. We need to get back to the safety of Hogwarts. Before something does happen." This seemed to get Harry under control and Kat also, she stopped her game abruptly and gazed at Harry inquisitively. Dreams... him too?

"Too right, Come on Kat," he smiled at her, it seems every time he said her name he needed to smile. "You will need to hang on to my arm so you won't get lost."

"No problem hun." she said winking at him, taking his arm through hers, confident that she would wake up as soon as he held her.

"Alright, alright. Can we leave now?" Hermione said bossily.

"Erm, Harry, I don't reckon just the arm will be enough." Ron said suddenly, the first thing he had said since the 'mouth' remark. Harry blushed.

"Don't worry darlin' I don't mind one bit." she said. Might as well get a hug out of this dream. Kat thought.

"Right," he put his other arm around her, sort of hugging her, "Let's go." The words reverberated through her head. She finally realized that this wasn't a dream.

"WAIT!" she screamed hoarsely.

But Kat's cry was too late. One moment they were in Kat's living room, the next thing she knew, she was deep within a forest. This wasn't like the oak forest back in the outskirts of Houston, these trees were so tall and dense she couldn't see the starry sky. She stifled a hoarse cry in Harry's black robes. This was the first time she had not shown her undeniable courage, and Harry liked it.

"It's alright Kat," he whispered down into her blonde hair.

"No it ain't... it ain't!" she whispered back into his shirt, her full lips brushing against his chest.

"Harry? Hermione?" the tall red head strode from behind a massive tree. "There you are... where's Hermione?" he glanced at Kat still clutching onto Harry's robes looking very frightened. He nodded at Harry knowingly, but Harry just blushed as he stroked Kat's back comfortingly. Suddenly the bushy haired Hermione came bustling from behind Harry, she noted Kat's white knuckles on the back of his robes.

"Right, we all made it. Come on, Professor is waiting. It'll take a good hour to get back to the castle."

"A good hour? Hermione, we must be miles into the forest, what are you playing at?" Ron asked

"Don't you think I thought of that?" she grinned at him, "Honestly Ron!" she put two fingers between her thin lips and blew, making a loud shrill whistle.

"Holy Hell!" Kat whispered as she looked up off of Harry's chest.

"Hermione! Where'd you get them?" Ron asked breathlessly bowing to one of the eagle horses, it bowed back and he leaped upon it's chestnut back with ease. His tone of horses has changed since the Thestles in fifth year, he rather enjoyed them now, ever since Charlie had a job rescuing injured Hippogriffs and Griffins, which he helped wrangle all summer after sixth year.

"Oh, you know, a favor from Hagrid." Hermione glanced over at Harry giving him a look of, at least Kat thought, pleading desperateness. Like a dog tryin' to please it's master, Kat thought.

"What are they?" she murmured up to Harry making him break the strange gaze of Hermione.

"Hippogriffs." he said smiling down at Kat who still hand her short arms around him. "Er, Hermione there's only three." he said reluctantly stepping away from Kat.

Hermione tried to not look pleased about this but failed, "Well, I thought that since she already knew how to ride a horse, she could have her own, and since I don't like heights--" she started quickly.

"Naw, what ya thought was I can fuck off and you can share one of these things with Harry here." Kat said accurately putting her scarred hand on Harry. Hermione looked shocked at her language but even more at the fact that Kat seemed to read her mind.

Ron cleared his throat, they all glared at him. "Er, she can ride with me..." he said weakly atop his Hippogriff.

"No, Ron. I will ride with Kat since she's never ridden one before and Hermione," he said her name rather hard,"can ride her own." Hermione turned on her heel and bowed to a bay, who bowed back and she carefully mounted. "Kat," he smiled back at her "I don't want you to get frightened when we take off. So..."

Her smile faded, "Take off? Ya mean that these suckers actually fly ?" this was incredibly too much for her at one time.

"Yes, that's why I was asking you if you want to sit in front of me, you'll have me holding you, or in back where you can hang on to me." she cocked her head, British accents are hard to understand period, but especially difficult if you're used to Southern slang and in addition she was recovering from the shock that there are such things "Hippogriffs" and that they actually fly.

"I figure the front is safer, you can hang on to me and I can hang on to the mane... uh... feathers." she said finally, the logical part of her brain overtaking her childish part.

"Right then. Bow to him, and keep eye contact try not to blink too much." he gestured her over to the dapple eagle.

"That's how it is with horses, regular horses I mean, if ya blink too much they don't trust you. It's like they can smell fear..." Kat was babbling now.

"Then don't be scared." he said as they both bowed, looking into the strange orange eyes of the Hippogriff. He didn't hesitate, he bowed immediately and stayed there admitting them onto his back.

Once they were mounted Kat turned her head and looked directly into Harry's emerald eyes. "I'm not scared." she said sternly with her sexy scratchy voice. It's more like bewildered shock. Kat thought to herself. He shrugged trying to forget the moment of her clinging to his robes in blind fear.

Several minutes later they were in the air, gliding high above the tree tops, making them a massive swirl of teal. "YEEEEE HAW!" Kat squealed throwing her hands in the air, arching her back. Harry gripped her tighter so she wouldn't lose her balance.

"Careful." he said softly, his lips brushing her ear. Slowly she lowered her hands creeping behind her finding his head and ruffled his hair in a sensual way. "That's not being careful." he gasped, bringing her, if possible, closer to him.

"It ain't?" she said innocently batting her dark lashes at him over her shoulder. She saw him blush and swallow, she grinned to herself and leaned back relaxing against him, resting her head on his shoulder, moving as one with the winged horse. Kat's brain was working overdrive, Why for the love of Pete was I flirting with this guy? She had no explanation for her actions, but she might as well enjoy the moment, at least she could tell Harry didn't know why he was attracted to her also.Hermione kept sneaking glances at Kat and Harry, frowning as she saw them grinning and whispering to each other. Occasionally she could hear Kat giggle and Harry laugh heartily.

"Christ Almighty." Kat exclaimed. The first thing Ron and Hermione had actually heard her say since they were airborne. The castle had come into view.

"Yes, quite the view, eh?" Ron said over the wind, cracking a boyish grin.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked. After he didn't respond immediately she trued again, maneuvering her Hippogriff closer to theirs. "Harry, we need to land and we can walk from Hagrid's."

"Right," he said without looking at her. "Kat," he smiled. "lean forwards and put pressure with your knees on her sides." she whispered something into his ear, he blushed, she winked, Hermione scowled, and Ron was uninterested by the whole affair, he was more interested in seeing Hermione from the back view. They descended without incident on the edge on the forest and trotted to Hagrid's hut.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron? Are ye back yet?" came a booming voice from within. Kat nearly fell when she was dismounting but Harry caught her, or rather braced her backside with his hands, she giggled and he tried profusely not to blush. The door burst open (at least that's what it looked like to Kat... he merely opened the door) and a humongous figure stepped out into the windy autumn night. "What d'ya got ther Harry?" Hagrid boomed. Kat slid down and was once again in Harry's arms. "Is that the girl?" Kat could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes Hagrid, this is the girl we were looking for." Hermione didn't try to sound happy about this. Kat was still staring up at him in Harry's arms, her braceleted arms shaking a bit. Then as if she was in a trance she shook herself and strode purposely over to the half-giant and stuck out her hand.

"Kathryn Riddleton." she said in her southern drawl, "But my friends call me Kat." so Hermione was the only person so far that was not permitted to call her Kat, somehow this didn't seem to be an accident.

"Rubeus Hagrid. Hmm, nice to meet you, I've heard lots about you." he said shaking her arm.

Kat raised an arched eyebrow, "How have ya heard bout me?" she looked over at Harry who was cringing. "Oh," she smiled. "I reckon those dreams I keep hearin' 'bout. they're 'bout me?" Harry was grinding his teeth, Ron was stoking his Hippogriff, and Hermione was rolling her brown eyes. "I'll take that as a yes." she crossed her arms trying to warm herself, as it was rather freezing to her.

"Yes," Harry sighed, "Now before you get more curious we should go talk to Professor Dumbledore." he started walking.

"Too late." Kat said, stopping him in his tracks, "I'm already curious again." winking at him she turned and patted the Hippogriff who carefully nuzzled her hand with her razor sharp beak.

Hagrid laughed heartily and clapped Harry on the back, almost knocking him over, "I like her already" Hermione let out a deep sigh. "Now you lot get up to the castle, you don't need to be out much longer." he looked up at the sky. "It's a new moon tonight."

"Well, you heard the man, let's get a move on." Kat shouted. "I wanna meet this Dumblydoor that ya'll are talkin' 'bout."

"Great man Dumbledore. Great man." Hagrid said as he wiped a tear from his cheek.