A/N: First off, thanks for all the lovely reviews and here's a nice prompt update as a reward; secondly, I overran again, but I really can't split this chapter so I'll just post it all together and thirdly, the sign that's mentioned in this chapter can be seen on my profile page in the little avatar/icon thing. It was easier to draw it than try to describe it. ;)
And because it was the biggest response I've had for a while, I'm dedicating this chapter to everyone who reviewed the last one, so this is especially for:
kitty-goes-meow42, sinfully imperfect, Passing Bells, mommasgirl, Alaerisil, mandita, dem0 & Aurora Tonks
Enjoy!
x – X – x
Chapter 50 – Tartarus super gelavit
"Remus Lupin."
The voice made Remus' flesh crawl, but he turned around all the same, wand at the ready. He'd been searching for Faye amongst the fighters, but he couldn't find her anywhere; maybe Katherine had found her already - presuming Katherine was here. He chided himself mentally – of course she was here, she usually turned up wherever there was trouble and there was certainly trouble now, unfolding right in front of him.
He narrowed his eyes at the figure that stood before him now, the glow from the castle lighting his scarred face clearly. He'd clearly dispense with the customary hood already – had probably felt it got in the way. What was the point in being feared if you didn't let people know it was you behind the mask?
"Good evening Fenrir."
"I heard you got yourself a girlfriend, Lupin."
Remus' muscles tensed at the mention of Tonks; she was out there somewhere, among the duellers...
"You stay away from her," he warned, sending a curse at Fenrir which he parried easily.
"Or what? What's the tame 'wolf gonna do to me, huh?" His lips curved in a snarl and he leapt forward, but before he could reach Remus, a stream of silver light knocked him back, howling, onto the grass. Remus turned his head in time to see a masked figure disappear among the other fighters, black hair falling loose under their hood. He frowned, but next moment someone was knocking him to the floor as a jet of green flew over his head.
"What are you doing, Remus? You can't just stand around in the middle of a battlefield!" Remus drew breath again as his assailant rolled off him and he saw the familiar bubble gum pink locks of Tonks.
"Sorry, got a bit distracted," he muttered, as someone nearby screamed. He sat up, deflecting a stray curse and looking around to try and see who it was.
"One of theirs," said Tonks, pointing, and Remus felt his breath catch in his throat as he caught sight of the body. It was female. Not Katherine, please not-
"James, no!"
The shout kick started his heart again; he knew that voice. Sure enough, among the sudden flurry of movement he caught sight of his old friend, dressed in jeans and a black jumper, trying to restrain a red haired man who was twisting furiously in her grip.
"He killed her, he killed Allie, I'm going to murder him!"
In the struggle, the man's mask slipped and Remus realised with a start that he recognised him. It was James McKenzie. He'd changed, to be sure, but the ruby red hair and fierce brown eyes were unmistakable as the Slytherin boy who'd been in his year at school.
"James-" Katherine was still trying to hold him back with the help of another figure, but James wrenched himself free and Remus saw her stagger backwards and trip, landing on the ground with a thud as James made for his sister's killer.
"They're withdrawing." Tonks' voice made him tear his gaze away from Katherine and look around. She was right – most of the Death Eaters were fleeing, running for the main gates and vanishing into the darkness. "Why are they leaving?"
Remus was half way through a shrug when he stopped, looking back at Katherine, now getting to her feet, nursing a bruised elbow. She didn't see him - she was looking up at the castle, a pensive expression on her face...
"It's a decoy," he said suddenly, grabbing Tonks' wrist. "Is anyone patrolling the castle?"
"A couple of people, but most wanted to help here," replied Tonks, her dark eyes widening in horror. "But surely the Death Eaters wouldn't leave if they wanted to-?"
"Maybe it's not the castle they're after," cut in Remus, looking worried. "Maybe it's something inside." He glanced back at Katherine and their eyes met for a second. She shot him a small smile then turned on her heel and ran into the safety of the trees where the Aurors' curses couldn't find her. "How did McGonagall know there was going to be an attack tonight?"
"She said Dumbledore's portrait mentioned it was You-Know-Who's birthday and he might try something," said Tonks, standing up and brushing herself off.
"I wouldn't think Voldemort is the type to celebrate birthdays," said Remus, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong. "Or the type to leave it to his Death Eaters to take Hogwarts without him."
"We better check the castle," said Tonks, already turning to look for helpers.
"Yes-" Remus stopped, looking back at the place Katherine had disappeared. The trees. She'd gone into the Forest. The Forest – where even Hagrid didn't dare go anymore...
"Remus?" Tonks' shout followed him as he headed for the trees but he didn't stop. Skilled Katherine may be, but there was only so much one wand could do against an entire herd of angry centaurs...
x – X – x
"That's not very friendly."
"It's not meant to be, human."
Katherine eyed the spear pointed at her neck warily.
"I thought you were meant to be noble," she said, meeting the gaze of the chestnut coloured centaur at the other end of the offending weapon. "Fair fighting and all that."
"And you are meant to respect our laws, human, yet here you are, trespassing," replied the centaur, jabbing his spear slightly so that Katherine took a step back.
"This is Hogwarts land, not yours," retorted Katherine, scowling at him. "Honestly, I never thought centaurs of all species would be cowards."
"Cowards?"
"Well you're outnumbering me by about twenty to one," she pointed out, gesturing at the figures grouped around her. "And from what I hear, you're also refusing to fight in the war."
"It is not our war." The centaur's voice was low and there was a barely concealed tremor of anger running through it.
"Not yet."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You think the Dark Lord's going to stop at muggles?" she asked, blue eyes gazing mockingly at him. "It'll be unworthy magical creatures next – the goblins and the elves. How long before it's you? You should read Niemöller's poem. Very appropriate, I'd say."
"We do not take advice from wizards."
"He wasn't a wizard – he was a muggle."
"That is hardly better."
"Alioth!" The hail made the centaur raise his gaze and look behind Katherine. "We found another one."
A man was thrust into the circle of centaurs, the force of the shove making him stumble and fall to his knees on the soft undergrowth. Katherine stared at him in surprise, barely noticing the renewed movement among the centaurs.
"Remus? What are you doing here?"
"Trying to stop you getting into trouble," replied Remus, accepting the offer of her hand in getting to his feet. "I see that I failed."
"Yeah well, you know me," said Katherine softly, smiling wanly.
"Yes," said Remus, with a slight smile of his own, because even though they were lost in the middle of the Forbidden Forest surrounded by angry centaurs, they were together and the smile on her face told him that nothing had changed between them. "I do."
"I'm sorry." Remus blinked, staring at her.
"What?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run out on you – I was just hurt and angry and I didn't give you a chance to-"
"You're saying sorry?" The incredulity in his voice made Katherine grin.
"Is that so very odd?"
"Yes," said Remus firmly, gazing at her. "You never admit you're wrong. Ever."
"Admit? Are you implying that usually I am wrong and just don't-"
"You will cease talking." The deep voice made both of them look around and gaze at the speaker. It was a big, black centaur with wild hair and muscles that gleamed in the starlight. "We meet again, Miss Riddle."
Remus glanced uncertainly at Katherine who was frowning at the centaur, trying to put a name to the face.
"Bane?"
"You know each other?" asked Remus quietly as the black centaur stepped forward, spear held upright in his hand.
"Sort of," muttered Katherine, eyeing the spear with not undue uneasiness. Still, at least he wasn't pointing it at them. Yet.
"What are you doing in our Forest?"
Katherine was about to reply with a caustic remark on the dubious ownership of said forest, but Remus caught her expression and gave her a pointed nudge, shaking his head very slightly. Katherine sighed and looked back at Bane, shrugging off her irritation.
"Running away from Aurors, if you must know. 'Least I was - Remus was trying to stop me."
"Running from the Aurors or entering the Forest?" questioned Bane, turning his dark gaze on Remus.
"The latter, I hope."
"What does it matter why she is here?" asked a fawn coloured centaur, stamping his hooves restlessly. "She is still here."
"She does not live at the castle," said Bane in a quiet voice that nevertheless carried in the still clearing. "She may not have been aware of the new...agreement."
"Agreement? Is that what you're calling it?" asked Katherine, as beside her Remus rolled his eyes and gave her a pleading look.
"Katherine, are you determined to get us killed?"
"Sorry."
The centaurs, however, were not taking much notice of them; they appeared to be having some sort of hushed argument.
"D'you think we could run for it?" asked Katherine, trying to make out what they were saying.
"No." Remus' voice was tired and she looked around in time to see him drag a weary hand over his face.
"Sorry," she said again, grimacing.
"That's the third time you've said that," remarked Remus, giving her a hopeless look. "Stop it. You're making me nervous."
"Because I'm apologising?"
"Yes - you don't usually do it."
"Just another thing that's different about me, huh?" Her voice was light, but the expression that accompanied it was serious. "What did you mean, Remus? When you said I'd changed?"
"Oh I don't know, just that-"
Remus' reply was cut off as a spear was launched at them and Katherine shoved him aside before dropping to the floor herself. The spear flew over her head and stuck fast in a tree, but she barely noticed. Next to her, Remus was sitting up, eyes drawn as hers were to the fight being played out before them.
"They're trespassing, Bane. You cannot exonerate them on a mere technicality!"
"We banned humans, Alioth - she's not-" snarled Bane, but the other centaur cut across him.
"You are merely making excuses for a friend."
"Centaurs are not friends with witches," hissed Bane, jabbing his spear forward threateningly. Alioth, Katherine noted, had no weapon. She glanced behind her at the spear still quivering in the tree; maybe it hadn't been meant for them, after all. "But you must not harm her."
Alioth glared at him, fists clenching and unclenching, clearly seething but unable to do anything without a weapon. "And does this protective streak extend to the man?"
"Remus isn't human," said Katherine loudly, and Remus stared at her in bewilderment. "He's not," repeated Katherine, as all eyes turned on her. "He's a werewolf. You look up the charter at the Ministry - werewolves are not humans, they're magical beasts. Dangerous magical beasts."
"Only at full moon," growled Alioth, eyeing Remus with distaste.
"All of the time, actually," retorted Remus mildly, gazing up at the centaur. He had no idea if this was going to work, but it had to be worth a try. "The new legislation is very explicit on that point."
"What do we care for wizard laws?"
"We're not talking about wizard laws, we're talking about your honour," snapped Katherine, blue eyes blazing. "You never warned werewolves against coming here – let Remus go."
Bane shot her a dark look, warning her against speaking further but Katherine only glared at him, folding her arms defiantly. Bane turned back to Alioth, saying something urgent in a low voice. Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly and wondering why it was that whenever Katherine appeared he seemed to end up nearly dying.
"Don't worry. We'll be fine." He looked up to see Katherine smiling softly at him. "If they try anything I'll fight them off."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I'm just trying out that whole peaceful negotiation thing you always go on about."
Remus treated her a dubious look, not entirely sure that arguing with and antagonising your captor came under the heading of peaceful negotiation, but let it slide. This was Katherine after all, and this was about as peaceful as she ever got.
"You will never come here again." The deep voice brought Remus out of his thoughts and looking up he saw Bane standing over them, gazing down at Katherine with an odd expression on his face.
"Probably not, considering the welcome we got," muttered Katherine, pulling herself to her feet. Even standing she had to tilt her head back slightly to look into Bane's eyes.
"It was not a request," said the centaur in a flat voice. "Leave."
Katherine glanced down at Remus, one eyebrow raised questioningly. In answer he lifted a hand and she took it, pulling him up. If it had just been her, Remus thought she might have argued but as it was she just smiled wanly and looked back at Bane.
"Which way to the castle?"
Bane pointed. "That way. Keep Orion behind you."
"And don't look back?"
Remus caught the challenging note in his friends voice and tugged at her arm. "Come on."
Katherine resisted for a second, then let him pull her away. The circle of centaurs parted to let them through, and they didn't speak again until they were a long way from the accusing stares and spear points. It was only then that Remus dared to ask the question that had been niggling him for a while.
"What did he mean?"
Katherine looked up, Remus' hushed voice jolting her out of her reverie.
"Who?" Her blue eyes were dark in the soft starlight filtering in though the trees but she seemed genuine enough in her question; she really didn't know what he was referring to.
"Bane – when he was arguing with that other centaur, Alioth, or whatever his name was, he said you weren't..." Remus trailed off under her watchful stare. "What did he mean?"
"He didn't mean anything. Like Alioth said, he was just making excuses – he used to live in that forest behind our houses and we're on friendly-ish terms," she replied, but Remus was shaking his head. He stopped walking, finding her gaze in the semi-darkness.
"When a centaur says you're not human-"
"That wasn't what he said."
"As good as."
Katherine pursed her lips, looking very much as though she did not want to be having this conversation. "Centaurs can make things up, Remus-"
"He wasn't lying," Remus cut across her protest and studied her with shrewd brown eyes. "He was being serious. Do you know what he meant?" Before she could reply he held up a hand to stem any quick responses. "I'm not going to pretend I can tell when you're lying anymore, so I'm just going to ask you to be honest and trust that you'll tell me the truth. Do you have even the slightest idea as to what he was going on about?"
The shadows cast by the trees made it hard to see the expression on his friend's face, and when she spoke he thought it sounded a little forced.
"I'm as human as you are, Rem, and that means you, not Moony. Everyone knows centaurs talk rubbish."
Remus had half a mind to point out that everyone knew werewolves were liars, too, and that didn't make it true, but he stopped himself. She hadn't answered his question which meant that she very probably did know what Bane had been talking about, and further more, that if he pushed the matter she would lie.
Even so, as they made their quiet way back through the Forest to the distant castle, he couldn't help wondering what it all meant. Casting a sideways glance at the serene, resolute woman beside him, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was human. She was Katherine, the girl he'd grown up with and shared secrets with, Katherine, who'd fallen for one of his best mates and made him a better person for it, Katherine who was loyal and clever and stubborn as hell and who still, after all these years, had the capability to surprise him...
She was a human as they came and yet...Bane hadn't been lying. Was Katherine? Or was he just making something out of nothing as she seemed to think. But then...
'That wasn't what he said...'
How did she know that wasn't what Bane was going to say? Unless she knew he was talking about something else...?
If Katherine noticed his eyes on her, she didn't show it. She was treading softly through the trees with the unconscious skill of one who learnt long ago how to move in silence, her wand ready in her hand, all senses on high alert for any sign of an attack.
She glanced up, partly to check they were still on track, partly so she wouldn't have to look at Remus, but what she saw made her draw her breath in sharply.
"What?" Remus followed her gaze and saw, high above the canopy of trees, something red glowing in the sky. "Is that-? Katherine?"
But Katherine was already away, long legs striding over the uneven ground and Remus had to run full pelt to catch up with her, suddenly realising why she'd chosen to wear trousers rather than robes tonight – they were much easier to run in and had the added advantage that they didn't keep getting caught on brambles and stray tree branches.
As they ran the trees began to thin out and then they were suddenly in the open air, and he could see people dotted around the grounds in the eerie red light shed by the symbol in the sky. In front of him, Katherine had stopped, though she didn't seem to be at all out of breath; she was scanning the grounds and when her gaze turned on the yellow glow spilling out from the open front doors of the castle, she seemed to find what she was looking for.
Almost bent double with exhaustion, Remus squinted in the direction of the castle and saw a small group of people struggling with someone who was shouting something he was too far away to make out.
"Katherine, what-?" he began, but she wasn't listening. A few seconds later she was bounding up the grounds again, but instead of two legs, she now had four.
"Remus!"
Remus barely had time to tear his eyes away from the large black animal heading towards the group before something warm and very solid flung its arms around his neck.
"Hello Tonks," he said softly as she drew back, staring up at him with relief and anger competing for precedence in her dark eyes.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" she demanded, poking him forcefully in the chest as his eyes found the group by the castle again. The black panther had reached them and, judging from the startled yells that carried back to him on the still night air, had overpowered them. It wasn't their fault really – nothing on the Auror training course could quite prepare you for being attacked by an 82lb panther in the middle of Scotland.
"What's going on?" he asked softly, as there was a flash of orange sparks and a triumphant laugh that didn't sound at all like his old friend.
"We caught my dear Auntie Bellatrix," answered Tonks, stepping back and looking around. She'd obviously heard the laugh too, and he saw her eyes widen at the sight of the scattered Aurors. "No..." She breathed the word in horror as two shapes broke away from the group of Aurors and started heading for the still open gates. "No, she can't-" She made to run after them but Remus darted in front of her, catching her wrist in his hand.
"Don't Tonks. She'll kill you if you get in her way," he said firmly, not entirely sure himself that he only meant Bellatrix.
"But we can't just let her get away," exclaimed Tonks, trying to pull out of his grip.
"I'm not letting you get yourself killed."
"Remus, I'm at risk every day. Why is this any diff-" She stopped, gaze snapping back to the retreating figures. "It's her, isn't it? The other one? It's Katherine?"
"Yes," said Remus softly, releasing Tonks at last and dragging a troubled hand through his hair.
"She's helping Bella escape? When Bella killed Sirius?" demanded Tonks, looking outraged. Remus shrugged helplessly, not understanding it himself. Katherine hated Bella, loathed her, even. So why on earth had she aided her escape?
"Maybe she wants to kill her on her own terms," he said morosely. "I don't know. I try not understand how her head works." He looked up at the sky to avoid Tonks gaze and found himself staring at the red glow that still hung sinisterly in the sky. He heard Tonks sigh softly and a moment later, she leant against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He slipped an arm around her waist and looked down at her; she too, had been inspecting the sign in the sky.
"What is it?" she asked, face screwed up in dislike.
"I don't know," said Remus softly. "But it's not nice, is it?"
Tonks' dark eyes moved to study his face. "You feel it too?"
"It's like the Dark Mark," he said, glancing back up at it. "There's something just not right about it, some aura... She never did tell me what it meant."
Tonks moved in his arms and he felt her inquiring gaze searching his upturned face.
"You've seen it before?" she asked and he nodded, sighing tiredly.
"Years ago. It was scrawled in the corner of a few textbooks Katherine leant me and she had it drawn on her hand a couple of times – oh it's not like the Dark Mark," he said hastily, catching Tonks' expression. "She just drew it in pen."
"Like a symbol or something?" asked Tonks, and he shrugged.
"I suppose so, but it's not anything known. I took Ancient Runes at school and I've never seen anything like it. I think she invented it."
"Then it might not mean anything," pointed out Tonks, but Remus only smiled wryly.
"If Katherine does something, it rarely means nothing." He traced the symbol in the sky with his finger. "I've always thought it looked a bit like a pair of eyes with a cross through them."
Tonks looked dubiously at the sign. "Looks like a half peeled banana to me." Remus stared at her for a second, then started to laugh. "What? It looks more like a banana than a pair of eyes," said Tonks, sounding a little put out.
"You're looking at it upside down," said Remus, still grinning and gesturing at the sign. "From where Bellatrix cast it, it's the right way up."
A burst of light shot up from the ground near the castle doors, and the red glow vanished, leaving the night sky clear once more.
"I'd better go report in," said Tonks softly, giving him a quick hug.
"I'll see you later, then."
"You bet you will – and then you're going to tell me everything that happened after you suddenly went mental and decided to voluntarily run into the Forest," grinned Tonks, kissing him on the cheek and heading off to join the rest of the Aurors. Remus sighed; he'd been half hoping she'd forgotten about that.
The open gates of the school drew his attention once more and he thought of Katherine, fleeing the grounds with Bellatrix in tow. Why had she done it? Just another question to add to the ever lengthening list he was compiling. One day he was going to shut her in a room, force feed her verita serum and get some answers. He sighed again, running a scarred hand through his greying hair once more. One day.
x – X – x
"I suppose I should say thanks."
"I wouldn't bother. Did you find Trelawney?"
"No – a portrait spotted me halfway up the stairs; some stubby knight with a fat pony. Made so much noise the Aurors came looking." There was a pause, then Bella looked carefully at her old acquaintance. "They were waiting for us."
"They were ready for us," corrected Katherine, frowning a little. "There's a difference."
"Why would they be waiting unless someone told them we were coming?"
"Maybe Dumbledore said it was the Dark Lord's birthday."
"Dumbledore's dead, Katherine."
"He was a headmaster of Hogwarts," said Katherine, with deliberate slowness. "He's got a portrait." She leant against the wall of alley they'd apparated into and rubbed a tired hand over her face. "Still, it could be worse."
"How, exactly?" asked Bellatrix, arching her eyebrows in disdain. "We don't have the Prophecy, security at the castle will, in all likelihood, increase tenfold now we've made an attack and Alexandra McKenzie is dead, so do please enlighten me as to how it could be worse."
"You could be dead," pointed out Katherine, a dark look in eyes that were hard to make out in the shadows. "Or caught. Or we could have captured Tralawney, hauled her off to our lord and master and discovered that she couldn't tell us anything anyway." The bitter anger in her voice was unmistakable now. "It was a stupid idea."
"And how else are we supposed to find the Prophecy?" hissed Bella, glaring at her.
"There are plenty of ways of finding it," said Katherine levelly. "Of course we wouldn't be having this problem if the Dark Lord had just gone into the DoM and taken it himself in the first place. But no, that would have been sensible-"
"You dare to insult him-"
"I've been insulting him for years, Trix, and put that away," she added, gesturing to the wand Bella was pointing at her heart. "I just saved your skin."
"Only because you had to," scowled Bella, but she lowered her wand with a slight reluctance.
"And don't you forget it," snarled back Katherine. "Maybe next time I won't be so honourable."
"You've got no choice," said Bella, a smirk that bordered on smug planted on her face.
"No?" The innocuous note of the question and the very slight raise of the eyebrows made Bella hesitate, but only for a second.
"You're honour bound, Riddle. We all are."
"Ah yes," said Katherine softly, and Bella was suddenly anxious for light. She couldn't see much of her companion's face in the darkness of the alley and it was making her nervous. "'Till death do our bonds sever. Tell me, Trix. Did any of us die recently?"
"That was a trick, Riddle. You were only pretending," said Bella, though a trace of uncertainty lingered in her voice.
"Damn good trick," murmured Katherine, her gleaming eyes the only part of her that Bella could make out clearly. "Fooled a lot of people, didn't it? Most of the world, in fact. You know, some people might take that as a sign that it actually happened, but that would just be ridiculous, right? I mean, it's practically impossible." She grinned, white teeth just visible in the gloom. "Practically."
The two woman watched each other in silence for a long moment, Bellatrix disturbed but trying not to show it, Katherine gazing serenely at her, blue eyes seeming almost black in the murky alley.
Then the younger woman grinned again, looking up at stars shining in the cloudless sky.
"Hey look, you can actually see Canis Major for once. Wonder if he can see us."
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes but said nothing, and Katherine glanced back at her again with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Happy new year, Trix." She pulled out her wand and twirled it deftly between her fingers, eyes glinting darkly.
"Oh yes, it's been fantastic start to the year, hasn't it?" said Bella sarcastically, scowling at her, but Katherine only grinned.
"Well you know what they say, Trix - start as you mean to go on."
x – X – x
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