Chapter 11 – Tempus fugit

Robert was silent for a long time after reading the papers. Eventually he looked up, his light eyes shadowed.

"This is huge."

Katherine nodded, fiddling absently with the ring that hung round her neck. Tom had been so mysterious about that, but it was just a ring. Her mother's ring, at that. A ring Tom had given to her, back when he'd been something akin to human.

"Why tell me?"

Katherine glanced up, almost surprised at Robert's question. "Because you're the smartest person I know," she answered simply. "And I need your help."

"It's not like you to ask for help with anything," frowned Robert, gazing back down at the papers.

"Like you said, this is huge. I can't handle it alone and besides," she hesitated for a moment, then went on, "The truth nearly died with Regulus. I can't afford for that to happen again. Tom needs to be stopped."

"Katherine, I've got a family to support – this is dangerous. If he finds out-"

"Then we're dead, I know. But if you don't, then he doesn't die. Ever. And your family stays in danger for the rest of their lives. It's the only way to stop him," said Katherine earnestly, leaning forward in her seat.

"What about Potter?"

Katherine frowned, thrown by this question. "What about him?"

"He's supposed to be the only one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord," reminded Robert, running a nervous hand through his spiky hair.

Katherine arched a sceptical eyebrow. "He's seventeen, he's an orphan and he's in Gryffindor. That means he's all brave deeds and famous last stands which never do anyone any good. He doesn't stand a chance."

"Have you talked to Lupin about him?" asked Robert curiously.

"No, why?"

"Because you hear things at the Ministry. Potter seems to get into even more trouble than his father did and he's managed to rub Lucius Malfoy up the wrong way on a number of occasions. He's not your average teenager."

Katherine's blue eyes were suddenly alight with interest. "He's annoyed Lucius?"

"Well let's see, first there was the Philosopher's stone fiasco," said Robert, settling back into his chair, eyes dark with memory. "Only know about that through some very risky eavesdropping by one of my juniors. We saw Nicholas Flammel's name on the Floo Network and tracked him to the Three Broomsticks."

"Why?" interrupted Katherine, not understanding her friend's motives.

"Because the man is – was – over six hundred years old. The Floo wasn't even invented when he was born. He kept getting off at the wrong stop and that kind of thing gets you noticed at the office. Anyway, when he finally reached the pub, Julian hung around the chimney and listened in – don't look at me like that, it's not illegal. Well not technically – you're really only supposed to do it for repairs, but, you know."

"Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me," objected Katherine. "I just didn't know you could hang around inside a chimney."

"Well you can," shrugged Robert. "You've just got to know how to stop between grates. Causes awful blockages if you stay there too long, but it wasn't very busy that night."

"Fascinating as this is, I feel I'm missing the point of this little tale," pressed Katherine, gazing serenely at her friend.

"The point is that it turned out Quirrell – remember our DADA professor, it was his son – had been teaching at Hogwarts and had tried to steal the Philosopher's stone that Dumbledore had put there for safe keeping. Only Potter and two of his friends had stopped him. Dumbledore and Flammel decided to destroy it in the end, to prevent the Dark Lord getting his hands on it."

"Quirrell was trying to get it for Tom?" asked Katherine. Robert nodded gravely.

"Potter and his friends broke through a lot of enchantments to get to the stone, by all accounts. Even one set up by Severus."

Katherine laughed, eyes glinting. "Bet he was happy about that."

"Bloody furious," answered Robert cheerfully. "Least that's what Julian says. Apparently Potter thought he was the one trying to steal the stone in the first place."

"Well I wouldn't put it past him," remarked Katherine grimly. "But one adventure doesn't make Potter a hero."

"No? Well he also found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and killed Slytherin's monster," reported Robert, straight faced. "Lucius was raging about that one for months. Lost him his House Elf too."

"What?" asked Katherine, staring at him. "But..."

"But what?"

"But Potter's a boy," said Katherine, frowning.

"Yes?" ventured Robert, missing her point.

"And the entrance to the Chamber is in a girls bathroom," answered Katherine. "Besides, you'd need to be a parselmouth..."

"That was another rumour circling the papers," frowned Robert, not at all surprised to learn that Katherine knew where the Chamber was. "I guess it must be true. As for the girls' bathroom, one of his best friends is a girl. According to the papers, Potter was having a steamy love affair with her-"

"-which means they are almost certainly just friends," finished Katherine.

"Right. Convinced he's a boy wonder yet?" asked Robert, smirking.

"No."

"He helped Sirius Black to escape a Dementor's kiss. Casts an excellent Patronus by all accounts. Nearly got arrested for that a couple of years ago – underage magic and all that."

"Wait a minute," said Katherine, her brows creasing in puzzlement. "A couple of years ago? But then how old was he when the Chamber was opened? And when the Philosopher's stone was at Hogwarts?"

"It was his first and second years at Hogwarts, so about eleven," mused Robert, enjoying Katherine's look of open disbelief. "Told you he was a boy wonder. Now then, let's see, then there was the Dark Lord's return. He dueled with him in front of all of us. Want to know something interesting? The cores of their wands are the same – pretty golden lights and everything when they connected," grinned Robert sardonically. "Credit where it's due, I thought he was a goner."

"He had help from his parents," shrugged Katherine.

"Yeah, but could you have held on for that long?" asked Robert seriously. "He was only fourteen." He paused, running the last bit of their conversation over in his head, then gave Katherine a very strange look. "How did you know about the ghosts? You weren't there."

"I've been out for a long time, Rob," said Katherine, her face unreadable.

"Not that long," said Robert firmly. "In fact, I'm almost certain that's the night you broke out so you can't have been there."

"Damon told me," said Katherine blankly.

"I don't believe you," replied Robert, gazing at her intently.

"Severus then."

"Severus wasn't there. He was keeping his cover at Hogwarts."

"Lucius?"

"You haven't spoken to Lucius," frowned Robert. "So how did you know?"

"Because that's just what priori incantatem does," said Katherine, folding her arms and gazing insolently back at him. "The reverse spell effect. You get taught that at NEWT."

It was a poor attempt at a cover, especially for Katherine and Robert found his eye drawn to the papers in front of him. Horcruxes increase your chance of survival, but you need to kill to do it. Well that wouldn't be a problem for Katherine, and she had killed Leon the day she'd been arrested.

"Actually, Evan was the last person I killed." Robert glanced up at Katherine's voice. She smiled. "Alastor took the credit for him though. I suppose he deserves it, Evan did take a nasty chunk out of his nose."

Robert frowned, how had she known what he'd been thinking? But then of course it had been glaringly obvious. Still, he had to ask.

"Did you-"

"Make a horcrux?" asked Katherine, blue eyes glittering dangerously. "Tear my soul in two? What do you think?"

"I don't think you would," said Robert softly, eyes drawn to the diamond ring that shone on her left hand. "No one capable of love could do that to themselves."

"Oh I don't know," said Katherine in a flippant voice, though her eyes were serious. "People do stupid things for love. Evan murdered his girlfriend."

"Evan was a prat and he didn't kill Fiona out of love," retorted Robert.

"Evan killed Fiona for love of himself and Potter's a prat," objected Katherine. "Taking on curses and basilisks and a vengeful Lord of Darkness. He's got a death wish."

"He's determined. He flew from Hogwarts to the Ministry to get hold of the prophecy," said Robert, sounding almost admiring. "Do you know about the prophecy?"

Katherine nodded mutely. "That's what caused all this trouble. Can't understand why Tom wasn't more careful, I mean he practically ensured Potter would be able to defeat him, didn't he? I would have just ignored it. Far more sensible." She glanced over at Robert who was frowning at her again. He'd taken to doing that a lot lately.

"How could he have known Potter would survive his attack?" he asked.

"Because it's bloody obvious, isn't it? If you mark someone as your equal, then anything you do to them, they're going to be able to do back to you." She frowned to herself, lost in her own thoughts as Robert stared at her. "Maybe that's where Potter gets his parseltongue from. A bit of Tom went into him. What?" She'd noticed Robert's expression.

"Mark him as his equal? Where'd that come from?" Katherine's eyes narrowed slightly as Robert's own eyes widened and he leant back in his chair as though recoiling from a snake. "You know it, don't you?"

"Well so do you," said Katherine cautiously. "Right? The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, and all that? Right?"

"Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies," recited Robert. Katherine nodded, though warily. "And then it goes on," said Robert softly. "Only no one knows how."

Katherine gave him a long, steady look, then sunk her head into her hands and muttered something Robert couldn't quite catch, for which he was grateful. Robert knew why she was angry; if she knew something that was of value to Tom and he found out that she'd been keeping it from him, he wasn't going to let her get off with a slap on the wrist.

"How bad is it?" asked Robert, watching Katherine slumped over in her chair.

"Very bad," she mumbled, peeking out at him from between long fingers. "Still," she sighed, straightening up. "Tom can get stuffed for all I care. If he's inattentive enough not to realise that his own daughter is an Unspeakable then he doesn't deserve to know what's going on."

"That's a risk you're willing to take?"

"I'm trying to destroy all of Tom's horcruxes, Robert. I think the risk of him finding out I know a few more lines of something some batty woman said over a decade ago is rather minor in comparison." She stood up and stretched luxuriantly. "I'd best be getting home."

"You still haven't told me how you knew what happened the night the Dark Lord came back," interjected Robert. "Or how you survived for that long in Azkaban."

Katherine smiled sweetly at him. "What makes you think I intend to tell you? Goodnight Robert. It's been good catching up."

"What about these?" Robert asked, gesturing to the papers still lying on the table.

"Keep them," shrugged Katherine. "They make for very interesting reading. Burn them when you're done; I've got copies. Don't worry, they're in a safe place."

"I still haven't said I'll help."

"Well? Will you?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Everyone's got a choice," said Katherine gently. "Mistakes are made when they don't realise that."

Robert sighed heavily. "There's not much to go on. He doesn't know where they are, or how many there are. And there's only a vague outline on what they might be."

"I know where to look," said Katherine firmly. "And I've already destroyed one. Regulus found another – that we have to find. But we'll pick up where he left off...if you'll help."

Robert was silent for a long moment, then he nodded. "I'll do it. For Cassie and Katy. And for Regulus."

Katherine smiled softly. "For Regulus. See you tomorrow, Rob."

Katherine didn't go straight home after she left the Avery's house, even though it was approaching three in the morning; instead she did what she always did on nights like this. She found an underground bar. It wasn't that hard to do if you knew where to look. A quiet little pub that sold alcohol at any time of the day or night.

This one was called Omega and it had a dart board. Katherine eyed it while waiting for a drink. She hadn't played darts in years. Good for stress relieving, darts. She used to pretend it was Evan's face. Or James', but Sirius hadn't liked that, so it was mostly Evan. She sighed, gazing down at her engagement ring.

Robert had noticed it she was sure, but he hadn't said anything. There weren't many things that Robert didn't notice. The fact that she'd killed Regulus was one. She'd been surprised at that. After all, she'd practically told him she'd been the last person to see him. But no, Robert thought better of her than that. He wouldn't suspect her of something like that.

Just like Remus would never suspect her of hurting James and Lily. That had been one of Tom's worse ideas. The funny thing was that if he'd just asked her to kill James, she probably would have done it, Remus be damned. James was a smarmy git, no matter what Remus said. But Lily – Lily was a good witch; Katherine didn't have anything against her.

And Sirius would never have forgiven her. Remus would never have forgiven her.

So she hadn't done it. She'd taken the other option – not death, because that was just stupid. Prison. She sipped her drink and frowned. She didn't see why people were so afraid of Azkaban. It had seemed perfect to her. No Death Eater duties, no murders, no well meaning friend reminding you of what you could have been and most importantly – no Tom. Why had no one figured that out? Azkaban was the one place on earth you were safe from Voldemort, because he thought anyone foolish enough to let themselves get caught didn't deserve rescuing. Until recently anyway.

Of course on the downside there were the Dementors, but they didn't hurt so much when you'd already come to terms with the bad things in your life. Dementors could only get to you if you were insecure, and there were only two things Katherine had regrets about.

One was Remus. The other was Severus.

Not that she hadn't loved Sirius – she had. He'd made her laugh and he was charming and handsome and, even though they'd fought like crazy most of the time, he had cared about her. When they were together, she could forget about the mess she'd made of her life and just enjoy being young and alive.

"Man trouble?" asked a slender woman beside her, with a long suffering grin.

"Something like that," murmured Katherine, tearing her gaze away from Sirius' ring. The woman drained a shot glass and ordered another. Katherine watched her curiously, wondering why she looked so familiar. Something about that bob of black hair and those eyes, so dark green they might have been black as well. Severus had eyes like that. Severus hated her right now. She hated him too. Funny that she couldn't remember why.

"Forget him, he's not worth it," advised the woman, not sounding at all drunk, despite the row of glasses in front of her. Katherine guessed she did this a lot.

"He's dead," said Katherine absently. And well out of it, she added silently.

"Wish my husband was dead," muttered the woman with surprising violence.

"That could be arranged," smiled Katherine. The woman stopped and took a good look at her for the first time. Not that it did a lot of use. All she saw was a well worn woman in her late thirties, with chestnut brown hair and eyes the colour of oak leaves. Katherine hadn't thought it a good idea to go into a wizard bar with her usual face on. Even so, the woman frowned, as though she was adding two and two and kept coming up with five.

She held out a hand. "I'm Ophelia Corbelle. My husband's a cheating arse who spends more time off gallivanting with his twenty year old secretaries than at home with me." She raised a glass in mock toast. "Hope you're having fun, Danny boy."

Katherine gazed at her, an odd expression on her face. Ophelia? Was this Severus' cousin? She looked the same, granted, albeit old beyond her years. She couldn't be more than thirty, which was nothing in wizarding terms, where you could expect to live to an average of a hundred and fifty.

But somehow Katherine couldn't make this image fit with the sweet little five year old who'd begged Severus to stay home and read her stories instead of going to the pub with his mates. She shook her head and stood up, suddenly feeling old. Tempus fugit. Time flies...

"You're going?" asked Ophelia, glancing up at her.

"For now," answered Katherine, thinking of the man in Robert's living room. Daniel Corbelle, he had said. It had to be the same person. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll meet again."

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," said Ophelia, looking curiously up at her.

"That," said Katherine grimly, "would be because I didn't give it. Good night Ophelia. Say hello to Severus for me."