Hey! Merry Christmas to all of my amazing readers! I just want to take a second and thank you all for reading. I'm really glad that you all enjoy my story! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you all have (or had) a great holiday season!

Disclaimer: Ok, since it's Christmas- I'm totally JK herself!!! Ok not really.

*****

Chapter 18:

"I'm sorry," Harry said the next day. His brow furrowed, he looked at me as though I'd just gone completely crazy. "Say that again?"

The black locket weighed heavily in my pocket as I sighed. "I need you to get me into the Chamber of Secrets… please."

"No," he said, "I mean, why?"

I sighed. That's what I'd been worried about. If I told Harry why, he'd get himself in a lot of unnecessary trouble trying to help. No, I couldn't rob him of his innocence this early in the game, not if I could make it easier for him first.

"I need a basilisk fang," I said.

He cocked an eyebrow. "There's something you're not telling me."

"Well that's obvious," I said, ignoring Ron's look of outrage as his food got cold. "But if you think I'm going to tell you, you're wrong."

"Then if you think I'm going to help you, you're wrong," he said, returning to his eggs.

My sigh came out more like a growl of outrage as I banged the table with my hands.

"Something wrong, love?" Fred said, sitting beside me as Hermione found a seat near Ron. The two guys filled her in with muted voices as I glared.

"I'm fine," I said through a clenched jaw.

He kissed me and took my hand. "I'm so sorry about your mum," he muttered in my ear. "If you need anything, I'm here."

I nodded, hoping the moment would pass. I didn't want to think about her, as guilty as it made me feel. I needed to stay on task.

Snape walked by then, nodding in my direction before docking points from Gryffindor for some dress code issue that Ron had. He swore at Snape as soon as he was out of earshot, and I began to think of another plan.

I pulled out my notebook and Fred took it away.

"What?" I said finally, as George grabbed it from Fred and shoved it in his bag.

"We think you should take the day off," George said.

"Not your call," I retaliated, reaching for it. They were able to keep it just out of reach for about five minutes, but I snatched it at the last moment by distracting Fred with a kiss.

"Look," I said, finally noticing their concerned glances, "I know that my mom just died and everything, but there's a front to keep up, a war going on, and other lives to save. I can't afford to lose it. I'll keep it together, enjoy life, and trudge onwards."

"Kat, you just lost your mother. You don't have to keep it together," Fred said, his tone more concerned than ever.

"And no one enjoys life when someone they love has just lost theirs," George continued.

"So don't even think,"

"About trudging onwards."

I tried not to scream at them. "I have class," I muttered before rushing away.

Dumbledore had excused me from classes for the day, but I went anyways, afraid of falling behind or having free time to think. After all, there was only so much planning I could do. I did a mental time line in my head, and I knew I had enough time to destroy what I could before everything else was set into motion.

As snow fell to the ground the next week, I headed to Dumbledore's office, chiding myself for not having a better memory.

"Katarina," Dumbledore nodded to me as I walked into his office. My footsteps reverberated in the tall room.

"Grandpa," I said.

His chin tilted just a little and a half smile formed on his lips. "I trust you are feeling better today?"

I nodded. "Peachy." And I dropped into the comfy armchair across from him right after he conjured it.

"Might I inquire as to what you are doing here?"

My eyes flew to the long Gryffindor sword on his desk. Then I looked up innocently.

"Why? You're not busy, are you?"

He folded his hands on the table and gave me a stern look over his half moon spectacles. "I'm hardly complaining, Katarina. I simply wonder why it is now that you choose to visit with me."

"I'm turning over a new leaf," I said, crossing my legs as Dumbledore poured some tea.

He smiled. "I'm sure you'll explain what you mean."

"I want to get to know my remaining relatives before one of you, or me, dies."

His smile faded slightly. "Wise words, though they do ring of pessimism."

"We all die eventually, right?"

"Death is a part of life."

My eyes prickled slightly and I looked down at my lap for a moment. "A really difficult part."

I took a sip of the tea and tried to go over what I'd say in my head.

Then I cleared my throat. "So, I was just wondering how well protected the prophecy is."

He blanched. "You aren't supposed to—"

"Pry?" I folded my arms. "I know."

"Then I'm sure you'll agree that we should talk about something else."

"Voldemort will attack whoever's patrolling the hall of prophecies so they should buddy up or something to prevent it."

To say that Dumbledore looked shocked was an understatement. His face paled, and he blinked, speechless at my sudden outburst.

I crossed my arms. "I'm in trouble, fine, I get it, but I absolutely refuse to let information like that go to waste. And before you tell me that my visions aren't reliable, let me also state that if there happens to be an extra person on patrol, and I'm wrong, nothing bad will happen. If you ignore me, and I'm right, then someone could die. And I think that person will be Arthur Weasley."

After a moment Dumbledore nodded and rose from his desk. "Please wait here, Katarina."

I nodded, waiting for the door to close before glancing at the portraits. Most of them were gone, but the ones that remained were snoring, leaving only three that watched me with cynical eyes.

"Sorry," I said, pulling out my wand. Curtains fell in front of them even as I reached for the sword, grabbing the locket simultaneously. It didn't surprise me that it popped open as I positioned it on the floor.

What did surprise me was my mother, walking towards me from the locket.

"You let me die, sweetie," she said, her face rotting as her bruised hands reached out for me.

I took a steadying breath. "You're not real," I said, tearing up.

She smiled. "Doesn't matter. I'm still telling you the truth. You could have stopped him, but you didn't."

I raised the sword and she changed, smoke enveloping her until my dad stood before me, looking just as he had the last time I'd seen him. "Katarina, what are you doing?"

His frown unnerved me, and my grip wavered.

"You're having an episode."

"A what?" I uttered despite my best efforts.

"Ever since your mother died, you've been seeing things, claiming magic exists. They're just books, honey."

His voice broke as he reached at the sword. "Just put it down, you're ok. I'm here."

"No," I said, tears falling down as my breathing made me shake violently. "You're dead. And I promise to make it right."

And I let the sword fall, glad when it hit the mark. My dad let out an angry bellow that climbed in volume until I dropped the sword to cover my ears. Smoke hissed from the locket and finally, it died down.

The door burst open behind me just as I'd pocketed the necklace and placed the sword in its case. Snape ran in, quickly followed by Dumbledore.

"What happened?" Snape said, his wand out.

I stared from him, to my grandfather, and to the locket. Then I swallowed.

"Nothing. Why?"

They frowned, but Dumbledore said nothing more.

"Arthur Weasley and the other members who patrol the ministry have been warned," he said. "They will be paired up and on their guard."

I sighed with relief. "Thank you for listening to me."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You made it difficult for me not to." And a small smile creased his face.

**

I headed down to the room of requirement that night, counting on my fingers what else I'd need.

Diadem.

Snake.

Cup.

Ring.

Harry.

Granted, Dumbledore would theoretically take care of the ring, Harry would take care of himself, and Neville would take out the Snake. But of course I had to take my existence into account. Dumbledore was right; no one knew what I would change by knowing.

Hopefully those changes would be for the better.

I ducked behind a pillar as Umbridge approached, and Filch followed. "I don't know where they're meeting," he said, voice nasally as his cat trailed at his feet.

"Well figure it out then," she replied angrily.

Chuckling as they rounded a corner, I walked right up to the entrance of the Room of Requirement, only to find that the room was already in use. I waited there until Fred came out a half hour later.

"Harry said you were out here," he said. "What's up?"

"I just need to use the room, so I decided to wait."

"Well… we're done with what we were doing. How about we go down to the kitchens and then come back?"

I laughed. "I already know about the club. I also know who's in it. I guarantee no one will hear a peep from me about it."

Fred raised his eyebrow, opening the door and gesturing for people to come out. They did, some giving me odd looks, others smiling and waving. Luna talked to me for a few minutes about some animal or other her father had written about, and finally Harry came out. He glanced at me warily.

"Sorry about earlier Harry," I said.

"Hmmf," he said, walking away.

Fred and George stayed, chatting about the latest spells they'd learned.

"Would you mind teaching me a few, Fred?" I asked.

"Sure. We can find a classroom later and get started."

"I can't imagine you two getting any work done," Hermione said sarcastically as her and Ron walked past.

I blushed slightly, but Fred only laughed, wrapping an arm around me.

"She's right you know," he muttered into my ear.

Before I could forget what I had gone there for, I pushed away gently and sighed.

"Ok, I need to use the room for a second."

Baffled, the twins nodded and took a few steps back.

I closed my eyes and started pacing, concentrating hard on what I needed.

I need a place to hide things that can't be found, I thought.

After three tries, though, it hadn't worked. I reworded it, thought harder, but nothing worked.

"Fred, can you do me a favor?" I said.

"Of course, Love." But neither he nor George could open it, and after an hour, we'd made no progress.

"What do you need a room of lost things for?" George asked.

"It would take too long to explain," I said, throwing my hands up in frustration.

Then we heard the meows of Mrs. Norris and made a run for Gryffindor tower, only pausing for breath when the portrait had swung safely shut.

I sat on the couch, disappointed and angry at myself.

"Why didn't it work?" I asked the fire.

"What did you need to hide?" Fred asked. He sat down next to me as George made his way up to their room, and I sighed.

"I need to find something hidden there."

"Well that's your problem then," he said.

I frowned.

"The room only works if you genuinely need it," he said, leaning forwards. "So if you genuinely needed to hide something, then it would open. If you don't—"

"Then it won't work."

"Correct. Because if you could find things that people asked to stay hidden, then the entire purpose of the room would be defeated."

"So what? I'm supposed to wait till I need to hide something?"

"I suppose," he said.

"But I really need to find it…"

Fred frowned. "Is this about your mum?"

"No!" I snapped, standing up. "And stop bringing it up."

"I'm sorry," he said, looking away. "I just—"

"Forget it," I said. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," he said, still sitting by the fire.

As the diadem sparkled in my mind, I didn't bother answering.

*****

Sorry, I know the chapter was a bit short. Working on the next one! Any thoughts?

All I want for Christmas is a revieewwww!!! (Imagine Mariah Carey singing that... ok?) Thanks! And again, have a great Christmas!