26 Sunday

It was snowing at Hogsmeade. All the students wore their coats and scarves and chattered heartily to stay warm. Hagrid had come along this time around as chaperone.

Noelle and her group of friends sat at their usual table with jugs of butterbeer and a box of peppermint toads which they snacked on quite furiously. Kade was going over the details for this year's Halloween party with the group and picking a date for the event.

"I'm thinking a couple days before Halloween. It obviously can't coincide with the actual date since we'll be having the feast in the Great Hall." Noelle contributed between bites.

"Courtyard as usual Kade?" Paul spoke up.

Kade nodded. "And I agree Noelle. So if Halloween falls on a Tuesday… Sunday."

"Who are you inviting Kade?" Brooke asked.

"Besides all of you, probably Faith, Azraeyn, and the Weasley brothers. And they can invite whoever."

Noelle looked up with a raised eyebrow. "You think it's wise to invite the Weasleys? Things may get a little… Out of hand."

He laughed. "Out of hand... They know how to throw a party. It'll be fun."

Noelle looked at Brooke and rolled her eyes. "Oh well… I tried."

"Are we all bringing snacks?" Paul interjected.

Kade nodded once again as they all polished off their drinks and the last of the peppermint toads. "We can probably buy some here in town closer to the date of."

Around them, other students were finishing up and getting ready for the trip back to Hogwarts. Noelle stood and the others followed suit. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"I'll be providing the drinks." Kade offered, looking like he had an amusing secret he was keeping.

Noelle looked at him curiously and then shook her head. Kade would be Kade. Together they followed everyone out of the building, trailing behind until they were at the very back of the large group, besides Hagrid, who was just behind them. Ahead of them was Harry Potter's troupe with Hermione and Ronald. Noelle tried to get her group to slow even more.

Brooke noticed her fall back and looked ahead to Potter and back. "What is your deal with him anyhow?" She snuggled further into her coat, not one for the cold.

"I don't know if it's just my competitive nature or what, but I just can't wrap my head around the idea that, because he survived one thing, he's somehow the 'prophesied one.' I mean, that could have happened to anyone. I'm not downplaying his survival or anything. It's a miracle. But, he's just a teenager like the rest of us who you-know-who has an obsession with because of his parents sacrifice or whatever."

"He's done a lot for this school since he came here though you have to admit." Brooke replied.

"But again, only because you-know-who has an unhealthy obsession with trying to kill him. He practically gave Harry a map to find him each year."

Brooke went to respond again but was interrupted by a scream up ahead. The four of them turned abruptly to look.

Though the majority of the students had gone far ahead and out of sight already, besides the group of four and Harry Potter's, just ahead of them were Katie Bell and her friend Leanne. Leanne had run over to Harry's side, crying.

"I told her not to touch it!"

To their horror, the group watched as Katie's body, which had fallen to the ground, began to be yanked about, as though by an invisible force. Noelle looked around for the source of such magic and saw only an abandoned satchel on the ground. Past the others' legs, she couldn't make out what it was, and worked her way forwards.

Katie stilled a moment and then was flung high into the air, arms stretched wide and her head thrown back, hair floating about in the snowstorm. Her face was blank, eyes closed almost peacefully. And then with another ear-splitting scream, her eyes and mouth flew open wide, whatever she was seeing anything but peaceful. Noelle felt as though her heart had stopped as she could do nothing but watch. And then the girl fell back to the ground, crumpling like a ragdoll.

Hagrid pushed through their group, shoving herself and Brooke aside and then did the same through Harry Potter's group, making his way to the fallen girl's side and scooping her up. Noelle crept forwards and watched Harry Potter stoop and look at the satchel. Now she could make out what its contents had been. A necklace, opal it appeared, had been in the container and now sat innocently in the snow. Had that been what caused Katie's almost possessed appearance?

Hagrid said something that the others may have understood, but to Noelle, his words were swept away by the wind. Harry picked up the necklace gingerly, using its leather wrapping and making sure not to come in contact with it. Clearly the others suspected it may have been cursed as well. But why? And by who?