Chapter 1: A Suitable Beginning
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction and no copyright is intended.
Author's Note: I am currently re-editing 'Katherine Spencer and the Original Prophecy' before I post it fully completed, but this little idea I had would not leave me alone. I will also be re-uploading my stories to AO3 as some people have expressed concerns this site might go down soon.
Side Note: I have grown rather fond of my OC, Katherine Spencer, and would like to reuse her in spirit and in the form of the name 'Kate' for this story.
Sometimes, things end wrong.
There is a chill in the air over the ruins of Hogwarts that no one notices on a particular bitter May morning. It ghosts over the fallen walls of sanctuary that usually housed laughter, the forging of lifetime friendships, and just a touch of mischief garnered by having so many youths in close quarters.
Instead, it rifles through rubble, past bleeding foreheads, and disturbs the still hair of fallen. Fred… Colin… Tonks… Remus…
Amos Diggory sat with his wife, a space left for a son that would have fought with them had he been given the chance.
A shard of mirror cut into Harry's skin through his jeans, absent of the familiar face of his Godfather that would have jumped without thought to fight beside Harry in any place, against anyone.
The sobbing of those left behind and the moans of pain were marked with an undercurrent – a faint, tinkling whisper…
This is not how it was supposed to be.
The approaching summer of 1994 blew in on the breeze, the settling sun was gold and gentle against the backs of three Gryffindor Fifth Years as they strode through the castle.
"Frog spawn soap? In Snape's shampoo?" asked the girl between the two boys, "How would you even get into his private chambers?"
"Funny thing that –"
"– We quite fancy turning the handle –"
"– And seeing what happens."
Kate Bianco hid a smile, and tried for half-hearted sternness instead, "I promised Bill when he graduated that I wouldn't let you two do anything stupid."
Her eyes flickered between the twins, almost completely identical. The one on the left opened their mouth first – Fred, his face was rounder and there was a tiny scar above his eyebrow.
"Why would you –"
"– Lie to Bill –"
"– Like that?"
George tilted his head, grinning incitingly at Kate. His face was longer, as was his nose, and his eyes were kinder.
Kate sighed, closing her eyes. A smile won out though, as she opened her eyes to mops of ginger hair. It was getting long. Another brief smile crossed her lips at how brutally short Mrs Weasley would cut it over the summer holidays. It was the mother's tradition, Kate had learnt, in her first year at the castle and her first year of knowing the Weasleys.
Her feet slowed by the Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom, "I've got to see Professor Lupin."
Fred fixed Kate in place with a patronizing grin, "We could drag you along to dinner to save you from turning into – " he leant in to whisper "– Percy."
George gave a theatrical shiver.
Kate smiled patiently, "I'll see you two later."
"Later, Bianco." said the twins together, ruffling her hair as they leapt off down the hallway and, undoubtedly, into trouble.
Kate smoothed her hair, laughing as she knocked on the door to the Defence classroom.
The seconds dragged out, and there was no answer.
Odd, thought Kate. Lupin was always there.
She knocked again, louder, and that was when the door opened with a long CREAK.
"Professor Lupin?" called Kate, stepping cautiously over the threshold.
The classroom was still. The chairs stacked on top of the desks collecting dusk.
Kate climbed the stairs to Lupin's office, "Professor?"
Again, there was no answer. And, Kate found, it was because he was not to be found there either.
She was about to leave, as she should have, when she saw it on his desk. An inconspicuous folded piece of old parchment.
The smooth, cool feel of it in her hands was but a distant, fond memory after Fred and George had gifted it to Harry earlier that year.
The map was already opened to the section of the courtyard and the lawn leading down to the Whomping Willow. It showed Professor Lupin moving quickly through the courtyard and hastening towards the Whomping Willow.
Strange, thought Kate.
Even stranger, was the gathering of names Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Peter Pettigrew by the savaging tree.
The CLICK of the door she entered through downstairs prompted her into action.
"Mischief Managed."
Quickly, Kate launched herself into the chair opposite Lupin's desk.
"Miss Bianco,"
Snape's dulcet tones were unmistakeable.
"Why are you here in Lupin's office and he…is not?"
A hollow THUNK marked the setting down of a potion bottle on the corner of Lupin's desk. It exuded an incriminating faint blue smoke marking it as Wolfsbane. Snape had gone to great lengths to educate the Fifth Years on it despite them not being allowed to even attempt to brew it until Seventh Year.
Kate thought fast, eyes glued to the potion, "I came to ask him about extra duelling spells for my personal curiosity."
"How self-interested of you to take up the precious time of a Professor because you think yourself… important," droned Snape, boring into her with his dark gaze.
Kate had no reply, and simply kept her eyes on the potion.
"So," said Snape, blinking condescendingly, "Where is he?"
"I don't know," lied Kate, "He asked me to meet him here at this time and I thought I would wait until he got back."
Her Prefect badge seemed to burn into the skin above her heart.
"As it happens, though frowned upon, it is not against the rules," said Snape, raising his eyebrows before beginning to move back towards the door, "Nevertheless, I will entrust you to tell Professor Lupin to take this upon his return as a matter of importance – unlike him, I do take my duties seriously."
Kate nodded, and said dutifully, "Of course, Professor."
Snape cast a long suspicious look at the parchment before he swept out of the room.
Kate waited until she heard the door downstairs close again before she sprang into action. She pocketed the map, transfigured a butterbeer cap into a cork for the potion bottle and pocketed it into her robes.
Not for the first time, she careened down the lawns to the Whomping Willow. This time, however, she was alone.
Still, the past echoed around her.
A burst of deep, hearty laughter felt like a warm whisper against her ears, reaching forth from a bygone era and disappearing again like a persistent rubber band.
And then there was Charlie Weasley's hand clapping her on the shoulder as they hiked the hill, "What did you think Bill's name was short for?"
"Bill by itself is a perfectly normal name." argued Kate, checking over Scabbers in her hands for any sign of injuries acquired on his recent escapade.
Charlie nodded, half earnest, half goading, "What did you think the 'W' stood for on his jumper?"
Kate flushed, "Weasley?"
Charlie's laughter waned like the crescent moon above them.
"Next you'll be thinking Charlie is my actual name."
Kate cleared her throat, "It's… not?"
She could still feel his finger trace the gold 'C' on the maroon jumper she wore, "Charles."
"Oh, yes, that was unexpected – blew my tits clean off in revelation."
Charlie howled with laughter, ruffling her hair in the same warm manner he did to his brothers.
But there was no arm around her shoulders as she scurried up the rough earth, the toe of her shoe tangling in a root. Catching herself from face planting into a rock sticking up out of the hill side, Kate dragged herself up onto to flat plateau where the tree snapped and whipped around violently.
Crookshanks appeared to her first, pressing his paw to the knot of the trunk. Lupin was next, with a magically bound small squat of man under his wand. Ron clambered up after the Professor. Harry then popped out his head of jet-black hair, glasses glinting, holding out a hand. Hermione was pulled up by the boy easily, and then another darker haired figure smoothly leapt out…
The grounds were very dark now, the only light came from the distant windows of the castle.
"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly. His wand was still pointed at the man's chest.
The dark-haired man in shabby, striped robes was closest and the first Kate passed. He was looking at her with a half-formed smile, frozen in surprise.
Kate's eyes found Lupin behind him and she rustled out the potion from her robes, "Professor Lupin – quick – your potion!"
Lupin's arm lowered from where he was holding Peter at wand point, face slacken.
Kate's eyes flickered desperately to the parting clouds, illuminated by the bulging moon, "There's no time, Professor – quick!"
A large, outstretched hand crossed what felt like kilometres of space between them, and when her Professor's weathered fingers grazed hers, there was an odd zap of static that left Kate feeling as if everything had shifted slightly off balance…
Nevertheless, Lupin accepted the metallic potion from Kate, promptly downing it. A grimace twisted his face and he cast the empty bottle aside.
Peter, however, was also quick, slipping out of his binds in the momentary confusion.
Kate, still off kilter, felt a mere passenger watching the events unfold with a stone in her stomach.
Hermione gasped.
"Oi!" Harry reached for the man.
The moment had an odd feeling floating around the edges of it. Heartbeat in her ears, one thought echoed through her mind.
She should not be there. She should not be there. She should not be there…
Kate's wand lifted to Peter.
But she was.
"Incarcerous!"
White glowing binds snaked around Peter's arms and legs, dropping him to the ground with how tightly they wound. He landed with a thud and a groan.
The moonlight burnt Kate through the parting clouds as she stood atop the hill, her wand to the balding, chubby man. Her entire body buzzed and erupted in goosebumps –
What had she just done?
A terrible, heavy feeling of dread mingled with relief in the pit of her stomach. She lifted her eyes from the subdued rat animagus to her werewolf Professor, Harry Potter, the smartest witch in third year, and the man in tattered robes with the familiar glittering grey gaze…
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! :)