What Sean did not see was when Katie returned home she laid down on her bed and had a good cry. When Mrs. Robinson heard the crying coming from Katie's room she went down to see what was wrong.
Katie…. Are you ok she asked? Yes mommy I am fine. I am just going to miss Sean so much. I was really good I didn't cry in front of him this year. Last year I was crying all over him. But I am not a baby so I shouldn't cry all the time. It is ok to cry if you are sad said her mother. It just shows that you care. Sean is very important to you. He is your friend. He is my best and only friend said Katie. Do you know he told me that he can not understand why I don't have lots of friends. He says that I am very nice and a very good friend. There you go said her mother. That is what I have been saying all along but you didn't believe me. Mommy you have to say that you are my mommy.
Mommy do we have lots of stamps asked Katie? Why she asked cautiously. I just want to be sure that we have stamps if I decide I need to write lots of letters. I will have to take some with me so that I can write to Sean while I am away. That way I can tell him all the things I am doing while I am in the country. I will be sure that there is a package of stamps in your suitcase. Thank you mommy. I will also make sure that there is lots of writing paper for you and envelopes too. The people at the post office at grammas will probably find the address I am sending Sean's letters funny. I am sure they have never seen an address like that before.
Mommy I know that you told me that you had not made up your mind about Hogwarts the last time I asked but I was just wondering if you had made any more decisions yet? Yes Katie we have decided that we will contact Professor Dumbledore and see if you would be eligible to attend Hogwarts. Once we find out that then we will make our final decision. Thank you mommy. Could we still go even if Bill doesn't want to go? I am not sure about that we will have to decide that when the time comes. Ok mommy.
Katie started school and was surprised to find that there was one girl who seemed to want to be her friend. Her name was Sara. Katie and Sara would sit together in class and at lunch. They would play together at recess. Katie thought that she was so lucky to find a friend. She would write to Sean all about Sara, always reminding him that he was still her best friend. Sean was so happy to read that Katie had found a friend at school.
The happiness was short lived. It turned out that Sara was not the friend that Katie had thought she was. Katie was so happy about having a friend that she could talk to she told Sara things that were very innocent but could be construed differently. She would tell Sara about her visits with Sean. About Sean being twelve years old and how they slept in the same bed at Christmas because of her nightmares. As Katie was as young as she was she did not realize how it may have seemed to others who did not know the relationship that she and Sean had. The fact that she and Sean where affectionate towards each other. The fact that she and Sean loved each other. No Sara decided that the pressure of being Katie's friend was too much and she turned on her. Sara told the girls who had been tormenting Katie all these years everything that Katie had told her.
Once the girls had this information they started on her. They would call her all kinds of horrific names. They spread rumours that she was promiscuous and these rumours even got as far as the high school that was near her school. Katie had boys twice her age trying to grab her and force her to do things that she would never think of doing or even knew about. It was quite an upsetting time for her. All she wanted was a friend and this is what she gets. It got so bad that her father had to arrange for a police officer to follow her home after one boy grabbed her on the way home. She just got away and ran to a neighbour's home. The thing that made this worse was there were some of her classmates near by but no one tried to help her.
The boy was arrested and it turned out that the sister of one of Katie's tormentors was the person who was spreading the rumours. This was it for Katie's parents. They had been fighting with the school to stop the tormenting and bullying but to no avail. They went to the principal of her school and demanded something to be done. The girls were suspended for a week. When Mr. and Mrs. Robinson heard this they decided to try to get Katie transferred to the other school that was near by. When they visited the school it turned out that the rumours were spreading at that school too.
They decided to go further with this. It was bad enough when these girls were stopping people from being friends with Katie and tormenting Katie about the fact that she had no friends but when Katie's safety was in question they had to do something and do it fast.
They went to the school board and told them that either something was done or they would have to start legal proceedings against the board. It was decided that the girls in question would not be able to speak of or to Katie in a derogatory way for the remainder of her time at the school. If they broke this agreement they would be permanently suspended from attending public school and would have to attend private school which would mean a large expense to the girl's parents. This was decided to make sure that the parents who when they heard what their daughters were doing did not see that there was a big problem.
All during this Katie was writing to Sean telling him all that was going on. Sean felt so bad that Katie had been hurt and he wrote back often with words of support and a promise to spend time with her during the up coming Christmas holidays. When Katie read this she felt so much better.
It was during this time that the decision was made as to if Katie would be attending Hogwarts. It was decided that she would if she was eligible to attend. Mrs Robinson wrote to Professor Dumbledore to determine if Katie was eligible to attend and was pleased to find out that yes Katie could attend Hogwarts.
As soon as Katie found this out she wrote to Sean to tell him.
Dear Sean
You will not believe it but my parents decided that I could attend Hogwarts if I was eligible and when they asked Professor Dumbledore he said that I was. So I will be going to Hogwarts in two years. I am so excited. We will be able to go to school together and I will have a real friend at school with me. I can't wait until Christmas so that I can see you. Write soon.
Love
Katie
When Sean received this letter he was so happy. He was happy mostly for Katie as she would be able to make a new start once she got to Hogwarts. She would be attending a school that being a witch was not a problem. He too was looking forward to Christmas so he could see Katie.