Nico POV
Over the rest of the holidays, Kats acts though nothing happened. The only proof that any is different is occasionally finding Kat burning letters, spending a lot more of her time listening to music and reading about Egyptian mythology?
We find the golden trio and tell them what Kat learned about Lucius Malfoy.
"How do you know this?" Harry asks us.
"Long story." Kat answers quickly.
"We got plenty of time." Ron points out, but gives up when we glare at him.
When the Easter holidays are over, Kat is clearly nervous about seeing Draco again.
Kat (POV)
As soon as I arrive at DADA Draco tries to corner me.
"Ella…"
I run out of the class. It's a bloody pointless class anyway.
I hide in the Hufflepuff common room until lunch, where I get food from the kitchens. I cannot deal with Draco right now.
During potions I am in a horrible mood, accidentally blowing up my caldron… again.
"Ten points from Hufflepuff for incompetence." Snape sneers.
"And clearly no one ever gave hugs to Snape." I mutter.
His lip curls. "Detention!"
"YAY!" I mock. "Filch must be miss me, I haven't had detention in a whole week."
He glares at me.
I spend the rest of the afternoon doing homework, a sight that almost gave Susan a heart attack.
After missing dinner, Nico brings me a plate of French fries and corn. "You'll have to face him eventually."
I glare at him. "Am I old enough to drop out?"
He glares at me. "No. Nor would either of us let you."
I huff, before returning to my DADA book. I need a good laugh.
After half an hour of melting my brain cells with Lockhart's writing, I throw down my book and make my way into the hall.
Nico's right, I can't avoid him forever.
I head down to the dungeons, saying the password, still the same as last year.
I storm in, ignoring the Slytherin's yells of outrage, I turn to Draco.
"Five minutes." I tell him, before grabbing him and forcibly pulling him into the corridor.
"What do you want?" I ask him.
"I'm not the one who just kidnapped someone." He replies, a small smile on his lips.
"I figured we had to get this conversation over with." I sigh, giving him a sharp glare.
"How do you know where my common room is?" he asks.
"Twins." I answer mockingly.
"Us or the Weasleys?" he replies.
I glare at him. "What do you want to talk about, Ferrett face?"
He smiles a little. "Well we're twins, I don't particularly want to talk about the weather."
"It is lovely today." I say, thinking back to the horrible rain.
He rolls his eyes. "I was hoping we could start over."
I stare at him. "You want to be friends?"
"I was thinking more siblings, but friends is a good start." He says awkwardly, clearly not used to the idea either.
I had always wanted a brother. I have had foster brothers of course, and Alex is like a sister, but what orphan hadn't dreamed of what their birth family could be? Granted they stopped including magic when I was six, but still.
"Fine, but not just a fresh start with me. No mocking mugglborns, or using that horrible word."
He sneers. "But-"
"Draco." I warn. "I get you hate them for what you think they did to me, but Will, Hermione and the others didn't try to kill me, they're innocent."
His lip curls. "I won't use that word." He grumbles. "But don't expect me to be friends with them, or supporting muggle rights or whatever."
I roll my eyes. "It's a start."
I put my hand out to shake it, which he awkwardly does.
"Alright, Elladora." He tells me.
I glare at him. "It's Kat, or I guess I could put up with Ella."
He smiles at me. "You hated being called Elladora when we were little too."
It's surreal seeing Malf… Draco being so nice.
"I guess I can't call you an inbred git anymore." I sigh, making him chuckle.
"But at least ferret face is still open." I smirk.
"You used to call me that when we were little." He smirks.
So that's why he always got so angry when I called him that.
"I'm sure you've only grown more ferrety over time." I chuckle. "I should go, before Nico thinks I killed you."
He snorts. "And I should go before the Slytherin's get a similar idea."
I wave goodbye. This is so weird.
I take out my phone to take a selfie of me in front of the Slytherin common room, when I see a reflection in the camera of big yellow eyes.
Nico (POV)
I go down to the dungeons looking for Kat. Has she killed Draco already? It would take a while to dispose of his body…
I freeze when I see familiar white blonde hair sprawled across the ground right outside the Slytherin common room.
I run up to her. She's staring into her metal device (Will keeps reminding me is called a phone.) making a ridiculous face.
Oh my gods. "HELP!" I yell. "THERE'S BEEN ANOTHER ATTACK!"
The Slytherin's run out of the common room, freezing when they see Kat.
I notice Draco staring at her, his face breaking into an expression of shock and sadness.
"It's Williams!" Pansy cheers. "Is she dead?" she asks hopefully.
"Someone get a teacher!" I exclaim, checking her pulse. Thankfully she's alive, but petrified.
One of the prefects runs off to get a teacher, while the others start herding the others back into the common room, leaving just me and Malfoy.
"Ella…" he whimpers.
I give him an apologetic look.
Snape and McGonagll run in. "What happened?" she asks, giving Draco a suspicious look.
"I went looking for Kat." I tell her. "I figured she'd want help disposing of Malfoys body."
Draco glares at me.
"Return to your common rooms." She says in an exasperated voice.
I nod, sparing Kat's body one last look.
They need to finish the mandrake potion finished soon.
When I walk into the common room Will is waiting for me.
"Hey, have you found Kat?" He asks, looking up from his book.
He notices the stricken expression on my face. "What happened?"
"There's been another attack." I announce, gaining everyone's attention.
"It got Kat." I choke out.
Will grows a horrified expression, before pulling me into a hug.
The next few days are full of people suspecting Harry and attempting to comfort me and Will. I also notice Malfoy seeming extremely upset, not even mocking Lockhart yet alone the other students.
"Poor Kat." Ernie Macmillion sighs. "She was innocent enough to believe Potter's lies."
I kick him in the shins. "Kat is the furthest thing from innocent, and Harry didn't do this. Asking any Gryffindor he was in the common room doing homework."
He gives me a pitying look. "He still could have set it up beforehand."
I groan before storming out of the library.
A week later MoJo flies in, a red letter between his claws.
I gulp. A howler.
I share a terrified look with Will before opening the letter.
It floats over our food before opening it's mouth.
"WHERE THE BLOOD HELL IS KAT?" Alex's voice screeches.
Didn't anyone notify her family?
"I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM MY SISTER ALL WEEK! I WANT ANSWERS!"
I notice Draco look upset at the idea of Kat being this girl's sister.
"SOMEONE BETTER SEND ME A REPLY! AND MAYBE SOME MORE OF THIS AWESOME SCREAMING PAPER BECAUSE KAT ONLY GAVE ME A LIMITED SUPPLY! BUT THAT'S STILL ENOUGH TO TORTURE YOU WITH ME ATTEMPTING TO SING OPERA IF YOU DON'T REPLY!"
She's definitely Kat's sister (well not by blood)
The letter bursts into flames.
The hall bursts into whispers.
"No one told her family?"
"I didn't even see it in the prophet?"
"The families deserve to know!"
I sigh and start writing to Alex.
The next day is the Hufflepuff verses Gryffindor Quidditch game, which no one was in the mood for (with perhaps the exception of Oliver Wood who seems to always been in the mood for Quidditch.)
On our way to the pitch, where Hufflepuff had found a last minute replacement for Kat, McGongall walks out, holding a large megaphone.
"Quidditch is cancelled!" she announces, making everyone groan.
"But, Professor!" Wood argues. "We've got to play! The cup! Gryffindor!"
McGonagall glares at him "All students are to make their way back to the house common rooms, where their heads of house will give them further information."
What happened?
I notice Harry heading towards her.
When we get back to common room Madam Sprout tells us about the double attack, a fifth year Ravenclaw prefect: Penelope Clearwater and Hermione.
That night we decide to visit Hagrid, we need to know what happened (plus I haven't seen Snuffles in a couple weeks)
On our way there we almost walk straight into a man with long white-blonde hair and a permanent sneer that I recognise from the Quidditch games.
I glare at him. He used the cruiatus curse on Kat, his own daughter.
"Malfoy." I sneer. "Finally decided to visit Kat?"
He seems at confused before realizing. "She told you?"
"Of course." Will answers. "We're her best friends."
He glares at us. "I doubt Elladora is in any mood for my company."
Doesn't he know?
"Didn't Draco tell you?" I ask.
He looks confused. "Tell me what?"
"Kat was attacked last week." I answer, making him pale.
"Is she-"
"Petrified." I tell him. "Doesn't feel too good when it's your child." I tell him, enjoying his angry expression. "Image how the other parents felt."
He turns bright red. "Why you little!"
"What? Are you going to crucio me as well?" I ask innocently.
Will puts his hand on my arm, making me calm down.
"Don't bother Nico." Will tells me. "He'll be punished enough when he has to tell his wife."
If it were possible Lucius paled even more.
"Nice meeting you, Mr Malfoy." I say sarcastically, moving to walk towards Hagrid's hut.
"I wouldn't bother." Mr Malfoy sneers. "The oaf has already been sent to Azkaban."
"What?!" we ask together.
He gives us a cruel smile. "He was a suspect from the last time it opened. The minister had no choice."
I resist the urge to punch that smug look from his face. "You can have his cell when they find out it was you." I hiss, making him glare at me.
"You have no idea what you're talking about." He hisses.
"Nico." Will hisses.
I ignore him. "Really? How's getting rid of the muggle protection act going?"
He glares at us, before storming off.
The rumours of Harry being behind the attacks completely disappear once we all learn of Hermione. Everyone knows they're practically brother and sister.
With Hagrid and Dumbledore gone Hogwarts just seems wrong.
One afternoon when I had just had enough of Lockhart's claiming he was the one who figured out Hagrid was behind it I stormed out, deciding to spend the rest of my afternoon in the forbidden forest.
When I reach the Threstals usual area I see long white blonde.
For a second I thought it was Kat.
The girl turns and I see it's not. This girl is a ravenclaw first year I remember, with a permenantly surprised expression, though today it seems more sad than surprised.
"Oh hello." She sobs. "I didn't realize anyone else like to visit the Threstals."
"They're beautiful creatures." I answer, taking a raw steak from my bag and throwing it to one of the younger ones.
"I'm Luna Lovegood." She tells me.
I remember her now. The others kids always call her Loony Lovegood.
"Nico Di Angelo."
She nods. "There are Nargles around your head? Did you know?"
Nargles?
I look above my head to see nothing. "How do I get rid of them?"
She looks surprised I ask. "Bottle caps." She says thoughtfully, showing her my necklace.
I can't see myself wearing something like that. "What do Nargles do?"
"They cause mischief and steal thing." She tells me before adding. "I thought they had been stealing my things, but it was the girls in my house. They think I'm different."
It sounds like she can see through the mist like Rachel, maybe even more so.
I give her a sad look. "We judge those we don't understand."
She gives me a thoughtful look before smiling.
After returning from feeding Snuffles and Fluffy (a duty Filch absolutely refused to do if he couldn't feed them the students.) I bump into Malfoy on my way to the common room.
"Have you seen the prophet?" he spat as soon as he sees me.
"I like to keep my brain cells so no." I reply curiously.
"Apparently someone finally informed them of the attacks. They listed all the victims with pictures." He tells me.
"Good thing I already told you father." I say, making him pout.
"Thanks for that." He grumbles. "Father wasn't very happy I didn't tell him myself."
"Why didn't you?" I ask.
Malfoy is almost being civil. It's disturbing.
"That's none of you-" he begins, before sighing. "Mother was upset enough without adding this to her problems."
I nod, understanding.
After a moment Draco asks the question he had clearly been wanting to ask the whole time. "Have you seen her?"
I nod.
"Can you bring me? I want to see Elladora." Draco tells me.
I doubt I'll ever get used to Draco caring about Kat. "I don't know…"
"I saw what you did back in the manor. Do it again." He demands.
I glare at him. "Fine, just because she's your sister, and it's Kat." I tell him.
I pull him around the corner, almost squishing a beetle.
I shadow travel him into the infirmary, pulling the curtain around Kat's bed.
"I can't you actually agreed." Malfoy mutters, looking dazed.
She's sprawled across the bed, her face still in that ridiculous expression and phone still in her hand.
"She looks ridiculous." Malfoy mutters.
"Will calls it a selfie." I tell him. "I'm not sure what that means."
"I never know what she means." Draco sighs, sitting next to her. "Perhaps Uncle Severus or another teacher should try occumentry to know what she saw." Draco suggests.
"Uncle Severus?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Maybe he had a point… I have some abilities over the unconscious mind… sleep is death's twin.
"He's our godfather." Draco tells me, studying her phone. "Why is she holding a piece of metal?"
I smirk, thinking back to all the times we have pranked him.
"It's a camera, and a communication device and… well I'm not sure." I tell him.
He looks confused. "How does it all fit?"
"I'm not sure." I shrug.
"Aren't you a pureblood? How do you know any of this?" Draco asks.
"If you had spent as much time with Kat as I had you would too."
He glares at me. "She's my sister. You don't think I want to?"
I suddenly feel guilty. "I understand, I recently discovered I have a sister." I tell him, gaining a surprised expression. "Would you know if the petrified mind is similar to that of a sleeping one?"
"I would assume so." He tells me, looking confused.
"Excellent." I tell him, before grabbing his shoulder and putting my hand over Kat's forehead.
Our surroundings suddenly change into what looks like the Hufflepuff common room, which one different: Us and Kat are the only ones in the room.
"WHERE'S THE BLOODY SIGNAL!" Kat yells, waving her phone around.
Kat is back to her old self, even wearing her usual combat boots, black skinny jeans and a t'shirt reading: I must be dreaming because there's no way someone could be as ugly as you are.
Draco gapes at me. "Where? How? What?"
"Occumentary." I suggest weakly. "We're in her mind."
"FINALLY!" Kat yells. "I've been getting bored being here by myself Capsicule." She yells me, before noticing Draco. "And Ferret Face, good to see you too."
"Ella." He says with a smile.
"Kat, you've been petrified." I state simply.
Kat's eyes widen. "No time for pleasentries then." She breathes. "How are you here?"
"How are we here?" Draco repeats. "And don't give me that rubbish excuse about occumentary, it gives you the ability to read minds and see memories, not going into ones inner mind."
"Ooohhh fancy. Does Nicky have even more special powers?" Kat squeals.
I glare at her.
"May I ask about-" Draco begins before I interrupt him with "No. You're lucky you're here at all."
He pouts in a way that really makes it obvious that he's Kat's brother.
"So what's going on in the outside world?" Kat asks, pushing me and Draco onto a sofa.
"Hell." I answer plainly.
"Oh did father visit?" she asks in a mocking tone, earning herself a glare form Draco.
"Yes actually." He tells her. "He removed that oaf Hagrid and had him sent to Azkaban. Dumbledore had been removed as headmaster, a double attack and Lockhart has become even more unbearable."
"WHAT?!" She exclaims. "That is hell."
We nod in agreement. "What do you remember?"
She pauses. "I was taking a selfie outside the Slytherin common room…"
Draco goes to ask her what that is, but I elbow him in the ribs.
"Then I saw a pair of big yellow eyes in the reflection…" she tells us thoughtfully. "Then I was here."
A reflection…
I nod. "Do you remember anything else?"
Draco sighs. Apparently not caring too much about the attacks.
"I remember I made up with Ferrett face here." She says, smirking at him.
"We don't have much more time." I tell them. "I can't hold this state for much longer."
Draco sighs. "Fine, Madam Pomfrey would probably find us soon anyway."
Kat pouts. "Fine, but you better visit me."
"Unlikely!" I tell her. "This is exhausting besides you won't remember this when you wake up."
She glares at me. "Then wake me up already!"
I groan, before taking hold of Malfoy again.
Our surroundings change back to the infirmary.
I throw open the curtain to see Hermione and the other bodies. "Wasn't Hermione found with a mirror?"
Draco shrugs. "I think so, why?"
I look over to Justin. "He was looking through Sir Nicolas…" I mutter, before turning to Colin. "He had his camera…":
"What are you rambling about?" Malfoy grumbles.
"They all saw a distorted version of the beast's eyes. It's like medusa, seeing it's eyes kills you… but none of them every really did. They say the reflections." I ramble.
I remember what Bianca said "she looked like she died from pure fright." She saw the creature.
"Great you figured out how it kills, now let's leave before Madam Pomfrey finds us. Two purebloods inspecting the mud-muggleborns doesn't exactly look innocent." Draco tells me.
Kat's starting to train him. Good.
I grab Malfoys arm and shadow travel us to an empty corridor. "Don't tell anyone about this Malfoy." I tell him, before disappearing into my dorm room and collapsing on my bed.