I am SO sorry you guys! I know I said I'd post after you hit 70 comments! Here is the chapter, as promised.
Happy Birthday Harry!! And Happy Birthday to JK Rowling!!
Remember to review cause it makes me happy. No limit this time, though. I'll try to update within the week.
Oh, one more thing. There was a review asking if there was any time travel involved with Kat. The answer is no. I'm taking my own poetic liberties with this one, folks: I've set the HP universe in the present.
Disclaimer: Oh Jeez. Not JK, otherwise I'd be way more awesome!
*****
Chapter 12:
Snape led me in, gesturing for me to sit down at his desk. The dungeons were somewhat creepier at night, an eerie haunted feel about them, and I was glad I'd brought my sweater as I shivered slightly. Glass jars filled with slimy things and dried plants lined his office, and his desk was absolutely covered with parchment. Summer homework, I guessed.
"Why don't you get an upper level student to correct the lower level homework so you can have time to, I dunno, breathe?"
He sat down and immediately grabbed a quill. "I don't trust the blundering fools at this school to grade a multiple choice quiz, let alone an essay," he muttered, scribbling a few notes on one parchment and setting it aside. Then he put down the quill and stared blandly at me.
I stared back.
"I've no doubt that Dolores Umbridge has very unsavory methods of disciplining students, so you'd better count your blessings that you will be serving this week of detention with me."
Oh, I was absolutely gushing with gratitude.
He waited for a smartass response. When none came, he continued. "While I stand by my previous statement that what you did earlier today was beyond irresponsible, I do not believe your time would be well spent cleaning my storage cabinet or writing lines."
I frowned. "So what will I be doing?" My face lit up. "Will I get to work on my assignments?"
His gaze darkened. "Absolutely not."
My face fell. "You're right, that was way too optimistic."
Snape stood, seeming to ignore my comment, and walked over to a bookshelf, grabbing a large, dusty book without even glancing at the title. He dropped it in front of me, and I raised my eyebrows, afraid to say anything.
"Due to your aptitude for it as well as a very practical need, I will be tutoring you in occlumency. These detentions will serve as the beginnings of our lessons, which hereafter will be held weekly."
I was torn between excitement and dread—on one hand, occlumency would be useful to me, and it had always been fascinating. On the other, Harry's lessons had been... catastrophic, to say the least, and I needed all the extra time outside of classes to concentrate on a workload that was triple anything I'd had to do in America.
But Snape didn't care about any of that. He lectured me on the basic mindset of a good occlumens, and the basic procedures of learning occlumency. Just as in potions, I was completely intrigued, and before either of us knew it, the clock struck ten.
"No practical stuff today?" I asked, hand lingering near where my wand was—it had been there all evening. I was paranoid that Snape would suddenly test me, but he did nothing of the sort, and I was very thankful.
"This week will be purely theory. It's important that you understand that the mind is not simply a parcel to be opened. It's a series of puzzles, a labyrinth of sorts, and one must have patience to understand how to close off their thoughts."
I nodded eagerly, scooping up the book after he dismissed me.
"Read the first chapter for tomorrow. I want you to be able to give me a very good summery of it, or I will resort to assigning you essay, which I'm sure you've had quite enough of already."
"Yes professor," I said, grinning like an eager kid.
As the door closed, Snape stared after me as though I was mentally unstable.
I probably was.
**
The next morning I was the first awake, dragging the occlumency book from my bag and beginning the chapter. Satisfied that I could give an accurate summery later that night, I put away my well-worn first-year books, knowing that the majority of my teachers would have new ones for me later that day. But I skimmed through a little of Advanced Defensive Spells, a book Snape had bought me near the end of the summer, before taking a shower.
As I rinsed off, I suspected that at some point my brain would overheat from all the new information I was trying to cram into it, but my complete glee at being able to study magic made me stifle the notion. I had more plans too, and none of them involved taking a break from schoolwork. Before breakfast, I told Angelina I'd be a little late to the Great Hall and slipped down to Professor McGonagall's office, hoping that she was awake.
I was right. She seemed to be organizing notes, oddly cheerful in the morning sun. It streamed into her office, creating obnoxious bright, warm spots.
"May I help you Miss Dumbledore?" she called without looking up.
I raised my eyebrows. Damn, Hogwarts teachers were on their toes.
"Actually professor, I was hoping that since I placed into classes above third year levels—mostly—" I corrected, and she snorted slightly. I knew we both thought it was bogus that Umbridge hadn't moved we up a few levels. "Maybe I could add an elective class?"
McGonagall watched me thoughtfully. "I'm sure you'd do well in Arithmacy," she said. "Or perhaps care of magical creatures?"
I shook my head, even though the second one was tempting. "Actually, I was thinking that maybe I could take divination."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Surely you're not serious?"
"Quite," I said, my voice a tad more sarcastic than it should have been.
"Many wizards believe divination to be nothing more than a few correct hypothesis," she said, making it clear that she shared their sentiments.
"I thought that given my obvious predisposition for it, I might as well learn a bit of the basics…" My voice trailed off at the hesitant look on her face.
"I'm sorry Miss Dumbledore, but I'm afraid given the delicate situation regarding your, er, gift, you'll have to speak with your grandfather about it."
I stalked off to Dumbledore's office then, stomach growling as I passed the Great Hall. I was so hungry, but I couldn't afford to miss class. I muttered the password to the stone gargoyle, stomping up the stairs and hoping, with much less certainty, that he would still be there.
"Enter."
Ok. I walked in to find Dumbledore sitting patiently at his desk.
"Ah, Katarina," he said. "How are you this morning?"
"Hungry," I answered bluntly, taking a seat on the armchair across from his.
"And yet you skip breakfast," he said, cocking an eyebrow as he smiled.
Someone else knocked, and Snape entered, looking irritated as ever.
"Headmaster I—good morning Katarina," he said, glancing from Dumbledore to me.
"Katarina wanted to ask me something, I believe," Dumbledore said politely. Snape nodded, standing next to me.
"Can I take divination?" I asked.
"I don't believe that's the best idea—" Snape began.
"That would be marvelous," Dumbledore said, smiling.
Snape's mouth remained open as he turned to Dumbledore, frowning.
"Headmaster, should she really learn from a woman who makes a complete mockery of seers?"
"Professor Trelawney's gift is real, Severus, as you well know," Dumbledore said, his tone dropping just the smallest bit in pitch.
Snape nodded reluctantly and Dumbledore wrote a quick note, sealing it before handing it to me, of course.
"Take this to Professor Trelawney. If it is alright with her, and you are willing to give up one free period for three times a week, I have no problems with you taking divination as long as you continue to take the potion your uncle gave you."
"Bring the vial to next lesson," Snape added, looking livid. "If you've been taking the proper dosage, you should need more before the week is out."
"Yes sir," I said, trying not to show my elation, "and thanks, Professor Dumbledore."
He nodded at me, his blue eyes glowing slightly as Snape sat down, seeming as though he would not let the divination issue go so easily. "If you're quick, you can still make it to breakfast," he called after me.
I let out a laugh as I ran to breakfast just in time to make an egg sandwich, ignoring Fred and George's curious looks. The food on the plates disappeared as I put a little cheese on the bread, planning on eating it on my way to History of Magic.
Hermione raised her eyebrows as I crammed the sandwich into my mouth.
"Wha?" I asked through a mouthful of egg. "M hung'y"
She shook her head. "I was going to tell you how proud you should be of yourself, considering the time you had to prepare and the grades you skipped."
I swallowed. "Aw, thanks Hermione. Couldn't have done it without you." And I took another bite.
"You're actually really lucky," Harry said. "You've got classes either with us or Ginny."
"No, she has charms with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff," Hermione pointed out.
"At least I'll have Luna," I said, ignoring Ron's face.
"How'd you get into fifth year history of magic?" Ron asked as we sat down. "I'm amazed that I even made it this far."
"We all are, Ron," Hermione muttered, the only one of us taking out a quill and parchment.
Ron threw her a look and I grinned, blushing.
"I just found the stories really intriguing," I said, shrugging. "I read my text books, and Snape bought me a few extra books on magical history when I asked."
"How many books did you read this summer?" he asked, frowning.
"Dunno," I said. At least 20, I admitted to myself.
"How long does it even take you to read one of 'em?"
"A day, tops," I said.
Ron sighed, shaking his head. "The one time Hogwarts gets a cool foreigner, she turns out to be Hermione's long lost sister or something."
Hermione smirked as Harry laughed.
I read our textbook through history of magic, easily tuning out the dull tenor of Binn's voice. Harry and Ron passed me a few notes, and I smirked, writing back a few times. Herbology was a lot harder though—my hands on experience with magical plants was obviously low. Thankfully, Professor Sprout was patient with me, and Ginny partnered up with me, taking care to explain the more difficult aspect of venomous tactaculas and the like.
Just as I'd suspected, Luna and I immediately got along when I got to charms. I greeted her even though no one had ever introduced us, and she responded with a kind smile and a comment about nargles. We sat together and I asked about the Quibbler, jealous of her cool experiences and vacations, even if she was searching for nonexistent animals. I even got a year subscription to the Quibbler.
After charms, I slipped off to Trelawney's room, hoping that she wouldn't be busy. At first I was afraid of getting lost, but once I caught a whiff of heavy incense and perfume, I knew I was heading in the right direction. I climbed up the latter and glanced around at the scarf-covered lamps, and spotted Trelawney in the back, levitating crystal balls onto each table.
She jumped when she saw me, clutching her chest. Her eyes magnified through huge glasses, she really did resemble a large insect clothed in scarves. "One should not startle a seer," she said, her voice taking on an airy tone. "Our connection to the present is thin."
"My apologies," I said, trying not to laugh. "I'm a new student here and I was wondering if I could take your class."
"I know," she said majestically, standing with a flourish. "Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate others schedules, and—"
"I have a letter from the headmaster," I said, thrusting it into her palm.
With a small frown, she scanned it. "Well then," she said, seeming a bit affronted that her decision had been so easily overruled. "It seems as though you have another free period today that coincides with my fifth years, but I cannot let you into such an advanced class unless I am confident you have the inner eye." Her voice dropped drastically with the last two words and I nodded.
"Completely understandable," I said, biting my lip.
"Sit dear, sit," she said, ushering me to the neared table. A crystal ball stood in the middle, clouds floating around in it as it glowed oddly. "Please tell me what you see. Take your time."
Peering into the depths, I glanced back at Trelawney. "Pardon, Professor, but what exactly should I be doing?"
"Oh yes. Well, take a deep breath, calm yourself, and close your eyes. Try to imagine your body as floating as an ethereal being in the heavens, naught but spirit, one that can see all."
I frowned.
Right.
Maybe she was crazy. It was too late now, though, so I took a deep breath and followed her instructions, minus the floating part.
My face must have looked different at that point, because Trelawney muttered, "now open them."
I did, disappointed when I saw more clouds. They were darker than ever, and I almost growled in frustration.
Then something moved, and the clouds began to take shape as my head pounded in frustration. My pulse quickened as I leaned in, gasping as a large room came into focus. I recoiled slightly when I saw Sirius falling in slow motion into the veil at the ministry. I covered my mouth, gasping when the scene changed rapidly to a dark night outside of Hogwarts. Dumbledore's lifeless body dropped like a limp doll from the astronomy tower, and my stomach clenched as the dark mark hovered above the castle.
As Snape's disgusted face came into focus, I stood, the chair falling to the floor as I stifled tears.
"What? What did you see, my child?"
I cleared my throat. "I um," I licked my lips, trying to compose myself. I'd seen their fates before. There was nothing new. But seeing it, really seeing it, made my skin crawl. Get a hold of yourself, Kat, I chided.
Then I adopted a face of horror, hoping I was semi-good at acting. "I saw the grim," I said, raising my voice theatrically.
Her face broke out into a large smile. "You have it, Miss Dumbledore! You have the inner eye!"
"Don't I know it," I muttered a few minutes later, climbing down the ladder.
When I found Hermione, she was already in a bad mood.
"Why are you late?" she snapped, earning a look from Madame Pince.
"I decided to take an extra class," I said, pulling out my transfiguration textbook and jotting a few words down with my pen (I was still struggling with quills).
Ron sighed as Hermione perked up. "Really? What class?"
"Divination," I said. "With you two, I think," I said, pointing at Harry and Ron.
Harry raised his eyebrows as Ron snorted with laughter.
Hermione's face fell.
"What's the matter, Hermione?" I asked innocently.
"Nothing," she said, clearing her throat as she opened her book.
"She thinks Divination is rubbish is all," Ron said, hand over his mouth at Hermione's face. She glared at him and his laughter died down to a coughing fit, and Harry smirked at his open book.
"Now," she said, pretending the whole thing hadn't happened. "I've drawn up study schedules for all of us, and Kat, don't think that you won't have to work as hard just because you're only taking three—sorry, four O.W.L. examinations. They're designed to—Oh what now?" she cried as a pair of hands closed over my eyes.
"Guess who?"
"Knock it off, Fred," I said.
His hands lifted immediately with a chuckle as Hermione sat, fuming.
"Don't you have class right now?" Ron asked.
Fred shrugged as George walked in. "Bathroom break."
Ron raised his eyebrows, but the twins promptly ignored him.
"So Kat, Angelina wanted us to let you know we'd be waking up early tomorrow since you're such a morning person and you have detention all week," Fred said.
"We're very proud of you for that, by the way," George added.
I frowned. "What? Why?"
George grinned. "She wants to find out if you're any good at Quidditch."
"Can we come?" Ron called, suddenly eager.
The twins ignored him.
"Ugh, why is she so insistent on this?" I whined, scrunching my nose up in distaste.
"Dunno," George said cheerfully.
"But you seem to be pretty good at everything else you've tried so far," Fred added.
"Oy! Can we come?" Ron said, frowning.
Madam Pince glared in our direction.
"Ron, didn't you hear them?" Hermione asked, eyes narrowed. "They're meeting in the early morning. You wake up five minutes before breakfast starts."
"Yeah, but this is Quidditch. Harry and I are in."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Ron, why are you volunteering me?"
Ron looked at him imploringly. "It's Quidditch, Harry."
After another moment Harry finally nodded, sighing.
George shrugged. "Fine, but don't get too hopeful, little brother. You still have to go through tryouts. Just cause you have friends and family on the team doesn't mean you're automatically in."
"I know that," Ron said, glaring.
Fred raised his eyebrows. "Sure you do." Then he smiled at me. "See you at dinner."
"What about lunch?" Hermione called after them.
"Oh, we'll be busy, doing various things," George started.
"At various locations," Fred finished.
I laughed as Hermione fumed.
"I swear, those two need to learn that they can't just ignore the rules," she muttered, flipping through her book.
"Yes, cause this is much more fun than breaking the rules," Ron said under his breath.
"What Ron?" Hermione snapped.
"Nothing," he said quickly.
Harry and I smirked, staying wisely silent.
*****
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