Chapter 3

Night of Fright

"Katerina get up!" a voice called, "get up!"

'What!"

It was Alicon.

"What do you want?"

"We have to go now!" She thrust my sweater into my hands, "come on, no time!" I heard shouting. I scampered after her out of the tent. People dashed past, retreating into the woods. Screams echoed all around and loud bangs erupted.

"What is it?" I whipped out my wand. There were about a dozen of them. Tall, cloaked, masked….chills ran down my spine. This was not good.

"Death eaters," Alicon muttered.

"You Know Who's followers?"

"Come on, now!" she grabbed my hand and dragged me after her through the crowd.

"But Vanna?"

"Iris has her,"

Suddenly, I felt myself falling.

"Alicon!"

"Kat!" her voice drowned out of the crowd. I ran towards her, and grabbed a shoulder, only to find that it wasn't her Hufflepuff cloak I was grabbing.

The figure turned around, and I hurried away. A curse flew at me, hurling me back to the ground. Oh shit. I thought. This was not what I was expecting.

The Death Eater moved towards me again.

"Please don't hurt me," I pleaded. But my prayers did not good.

"Crucio!"

The pain was unbearable. I screamed in agony. I felt like my body was being ripped into a thousand pieces at once. Please stop. It didn't. It just got worse. I felt my voice go hoarse. Please, no more, no more, I'd rather be dead, anything for this to stop!

"Expelirumus!" a voice called suddenly. The pain stopped, with a loud bang. The explosion caught the death eater off guard, blasting him in the face and back, rather then disarming him.

"Get up!" a sandy haired boy looked down upon me. He was taller then me, a little bit older then Iris, his voice thick with an Irish accent.

"Run," he grabbed my hand and pulled me after him, dodging another jet of light. A curse barely missed us, rather turning someone's huge tent to rubble, it piling around us.

"Petrificus Totalus!" I called. The body bind curse hit the death eater. He fell into us, knocking so much rubble on us it was impossible to get out.

I pushed in attempt to free myself when suddenly I notices that the rubble was turning into bricks, a wall encasing us. It reached to the sky, impossible to climb out of. I tried everything and none of the spells the sandy haired boy or I knew were able to penetrate the wall.

"Shit!" I moaned, "We're trapped!"

The boy tried to push the sturdy brick but it was no use. He swore loudly.

"Ugh," I groaned, sinking back down to the ground. Screams echoed around us. The only benefit of this thing as that the wall protected us from being hurt, although who knows. I hoped no one would come after us here.

We sat in silence, wondering what would become of us, what I was going to do. I had no solution to this problem. If only I knew some more advanced magic.

"That was real clever though," the boy's voice came after some time. I glanced over to where he was standing and we gave me a small smile. This boy was different then Draco, handsome yes, but in a different way almost. Draco had a cold exterior, and a mysterious vibe. This boy seemed much warmer and friendlier and open to say the least.

"What," I said to him.

"The body bind,"

"Oh, well I guess," I shrugged. I had stolen a look at Iris' spell books.

"Seamus Finnigan" he extended his hand.

"Katerina Pettinato,"

"Pettinato…rings a bell…you have a sister named Iris?"

"Yes,"

"She's in me house," he nodded, "Gryffindor. Though a year younger then me,"

"Yeah, she's in her third year this year,"

"And you?" he asked, "don't reckon I've seen you 'round Hogwarts,"

"It's my first year this year,"

"You'll love it,"

"I don't know," I told him, "it'll be my first time away from my family,"

"But you have your sister there,"

"2 of them actually. Alicon's in 6th year. Hufflepuff,"

"See then you won't be alone,"

"I guess. But we're not all that close really. I'm closer with my younger sister, Giovanna,"

"But just think," Seamus said, "In a year she'll join you too,"

I gave a small smile. I knew he was just trying to lighten the atmosphere and distract me from the screams coming from behind the wall.

BANG!

I jumped, screaming. Then it came, another one.

BANG!

"Seamus," I muttered. I slid against the wall closer to him.

"It's okay," his voice shook, as if he was still trying to convince himself the same thing as well. Another bang came and I jerked in close to Seamus.

"What if it never ends?" I asked.

"It will," he reassured me. I gripped his arm, and he let me hold on. We sat there waiting, unable to do anything.

"It's expelliarmus," I finally said quietly, "not expellirumus,"

"How'd you-,"

"Sisters,' I said, "don't think I've never looked at their spell books,"

He chucked, "ah, but of course. Can't let them have all the fun."
I shrugged. Fun….that is exactly what I though my whole World Cup experience was going to be. Not this.

"This is ridiculous," I moaned. The fear crept back inside me, "I can't believe it, death eaters?"

"You sure that's what they are?"

"That's what Alicon said,"

Seamus shook his head, "couldn't be. You Know Who's been gone for years,"

"I know," I agreed, "this is just absolutely strange," Silence filled that air. It was almost too silent…

"Seamus," I squeezed his arm harder, my pulse quickening, "does it seem oddly silent to you,"

He didn't answer. The sound of footsteps not too far from us had arisen.

"Finally," relief washed over me, "someone's coming," I started to rise and pulled my want out, ready to send red sparks us.

"Wait," Seamus said, "listen," The steps went past us.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, but I don't think it's a rescue party,"

"MORSEMORDRE!" someone shouted. Suddenly the sky was filled with great flashes of green, which finally took the shape of a skull and a snake.

"What's that?"

"Dunno. But it don't look any good to me," Seamus answered. I stared up at the skull. Goosebumps inhabited my arms and neck. This was not good.

"I'm scared," I told Seamus, "I want to go home," I blushed, realizing how much of a child I sounded like. Seamus paid no attention however.

"They'll find us," Seamus whispered, "no worries,"

I just hoped that what he was saying was true.

It seemed like we waited hours when I finally heard familiar voices.

"Katerina!" I recognized Dad's voice.

"Over here!" I called.

"Katerina!" he called again.

"Here!"

"KATERINA!"

Seamus reached for his wand.
"Periculum!" Red sparks shot out of his wand tip, blasting above us.

"Reducto!" the wall around us blasted apart. The dust cleared and Mum and Dad stood there along with a red haired wizard and three teenagers, two boys and a girl.

"Oh my goodness Katerina," Mum enveloped me into her arms, near sobbing and choking me to death.

"Mum, I'm fine,"

"Thank Merlin!" she squeezed harder.

"Mum you're suffocating me,"

She loosened her grip, "I am just so glad you're alive!"

"Seamus," one of the teens from behind said.

"Hiya Harry," I glanced from Seamus to the bespectacled boy and made the connection. Harry Potter!

'What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Kinda got trapped, as you can see. The wall they- well a death eater- created 'round us…unpentrateable. Charm musta worn off now though, I reckon,"

"Your mum's been worried sick over you," the red haired wizard said, She was about ready to collapse when I left to commence the search parties,"

"But she's okay?" Seamus looked worried.

"She will be when she sees you're alright son,"

Seamus sighed with relief.

"Come on," Dad said, "best not to keep everyone waiting,"

We started towards the forest.

"You sure you're alright, Katerina? They didn't hurt you?" Mum asked. I bit my lip, wondering if I should mention the Cruciatus to her.

"Kinda," I finally spoke.

"What do you mean by kind of?" Dan questioned.

"Cruciatus curse," I mumbled.

"What!"

"But it was only for a few seconds. Seamus saw what they were doing and stopped them,"

"Did you really?" Mum turned around.

"Well, I wasn't gonna let them hurt her," he shrugged.

"If Seamus hadn't stopped them, I'd probably be dead," I said. The harsh reality of what could have been set over me.

"Worse then dead," dad shook his head turning to Mum, "just think of what became of Frank and Alice,"

Mum nodded, "Seamus, I cannot thank you more,"

He shrugged modestly, "ah well. Least I could do,"

We entered the clearing of the forest where sideenly someone had rushed to my side.

"Katerina!" she attacked me.

"Vanna!"

"Thank god, you're alive!"

"Did anyone die?" I asked she shook her head, "but everyone's shaken to wits end! And the muggles….it was terrible,"

"What happened,"

"They were tortured," Alicon answered me. She glowered down at me, "and you're lucky you're alive," She was furious with me because she lost me in the crowd.

"I'm so sorry, I lost grip of your hand and everything was moving so fast,"

"Just thank god. You're alright, aren't you?"

"I'm fine, really," I glanced over my shoulder. Iris made her way over.

"You alright?" Iris asked. I nodded.

"Though if it weren't for Seamus I wouldn't be,"

"Finnigan really?" Iris scoffed, "didn't think you had it in you,"

"I try," he said.

"I'm surprised you didn't manage to blow something up,"

"Iris," I chided. She was so rude! Seamus had just saved my life! How could she be so deluded?

She rolled her eyes, "I'm only joking Katerina,"

I turned back to Seamus, ignoring her, "sorry,"

"Hey no worries," he said, "I'll best be off anyways. Me mam's gonna throw a fit,"

"Yeah, you don't want to worry her anymore,"

He started to leave.

"But Seamus!" I called, "thanks again," I ran up to him and gave hima hug. I don't know why I did it, but all I knew was at that moment, I needed to be near him. To feel his touch, his skin against mine…I may only be eleven but I know that I had never felt anything like this for anyone, never before. A desire, for him.

He hugged me back and I glanced up into his kind eyes and grinned. He returned a smile.

"Anytime, Trina," he pulled away and I released him. Giving me a hearty wave, he retreated into the crowd to him his mother. I watched him go.

Trina.

No one called me Trina, as my name is Katerina, not Katrina. There's a difference, and under any other circumstance of someone calling me that, I would have corrected them. But not this time.

Seamus Finnigan.

The only exception.