"Snape was trying to kill Harry. There is no two ways about it Hagrid" Katherine said to the giant man.

"It's true, he was jinxing Harry's broom, I've read all about curses, he wasn't breaking eye contact and was defiantly muttering a spell" Hermione nodded in confirmation.

"So setting him on fire was totally justified, by the way Hermione, you are officially one of the coolest people I know for that" Katherine added with a laugh. They were of course talking about the fact during the first Quidditch game, Gryffindor VS Slitherin, where somebody was jinxing Harry's broom so he would fall off it. Which would of course, inevitably kill the eleven year old boy.

"Look, we know the three headed dog that tried to kill us is hiding something, as Hermione pointed out it was standing on a trapdoor, defiantly not a coincidence that a week or so later, when everybody is distracted by the troll in the dungeon, Snape just happens to have a chunk ripped out of his leg. That and tonight? It's all adding up Hagrid, trust me, I was raised to think like this." she said to the group who eyed her. They still didn't know much about her upbringing.

"Nonsense why would Snape want to kill Harry?" Hagrid replied but they noticed he wouldn't meet there gazes "And how do you know about fluffy anyway?" he wondered

"Fluffy you named that thing Fluffy" Ron asked incredulously whilst the others just stared at Hagrid like he was mad.

"That thing has a name?" Hermione asked and Hagrid looked at her insulted.

"Well of course he's got a name. He's mine, bought him of an Irish fella down the pub, leant him to Dumbledore to protect the…" he trailed of noticing there excited expressions. "I should not have said that, pretend I didn't say that" He told them stubbornly.

"But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy is trying to guard, Snape is trying to steal" Harry argued

"And he's trying to kill Harry, he's a thief and a wanna be murderer, perhaps Harry isn't even his first victim." Katherine added, earning a dirty look form the boy in question but a nod of agreement from Ron and eye roll from Hermione. "Perhaps if you told us what Fluffy was protecting?" She tried.

"Listen you three, Snape isn't trying to steal it. He's one of the teachers protecting it, you're meddling in things you can't handle, what Fluffy is protecting is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel" Hagrid said and groaned when he saw there smirked "I shouldn't have told you that. Should not have said that. You four best be getting to the castle now" He said stubbornly.

As the four walked up to the castle, the two girls linked arms, they mused over the information Hagrid had slipped up and revealed "Any idea who that Nicholas man is?" Katherine wondered, the two boys and Katherine all turned to Hermione automatically.

"I don't know" she begrudgingly sighed. But of course we all know what that mean. She would spend hour sin the library which she might as well move into the amount of time she spend in there already. "What are you all doing for Christmas?" she wondered "I'm going home" she added

"So am I" Ron chimed in.

"I'm staying at a family friends" Katherine added. Harry would be staying at the castle. That night Katherine packed her trunk before going down and sitting next to Harry on the sofa in front of the fire in the common room. "Hey Harry, do you mind that you have to stay here?" she asked him and the dark haired boy looked up at her in surprise, nobody had really asked him that.

"No. I think it's going to be the best Christmas I ever had." he said honestly "The Dursleys weren't exactly nice people" he added and she nodded knowingly "How come your staying at a friends rather than with your family" he wondered. But this point Hermione and Ron had joined them as well, and were looking at her curiously.

"Uh, my family. It's complicated. See my mum died when I was just a baby, a few months old. She died in a fire" she told them. That explained one mystery "And my dad took up a job that meant we were always travelling, staying at a different place every week. I love him to pieces but, he doesn't act much like a dad to be honest. I mean, I've been to so many different schools. But it meant me and my brothers are really close… were really close" she sighed and for the first time in the months they had known the girl she looked vulnerable. They watched as she fought tears and Hermione put and arm around her best friend. "Anyway, when I got my Hogwarts letter, it umm… lets say even though my family are Muggles, we aren't normal, we already knew about the existence of pretty much everything out there. I can't say anymore than that but… we have met some real bad witches before, a different type. Ones that are made, not born and when me and my dad found out I was a witch… we had to pretend I had ran away, we said it was because I couldn't handle living with them anymore. My brothers don't know. They probably think I hate them. The only people that know is my sort of uncle and my dad" she said sadly.

Harry, Ron, Katherine and Hermione sat in silence for a while, just staring at the fire "Well, I'm shattered, going to hit the hay" she said "You coming?" she wondered and Hermione nodded, linking arms as they walked up the stairs.

"Why do girls always go everywhere together?" Ron wondered.

"I don't know. Girls are weird" Harry shrugged.

~ 0 ~

She sat at the table, eating a slice of pie with her eyes closed, moaning in content "Oh my god. I've missed American pie" she said. Bobby Singer chuckled a little, who would have thought it, of all the people in the world John Winchesters kid was the witch. But then things always were a little weird around her. Finishing up the pie and then going over and cleaning her dishes she walked over to Bobby, as serious an expressions as an eleven year old can have. "Bobby, we have work to do" She told him.

That's why and hour later the two were looking through as many books as possible. "Why are we searching for this Nicholas Flamel anyway?" He asked her.

"Giant three headed dog is guarding a trap door holding something that the potions professor who we think is also trying to kill one of my close friends is attempting to steal and the only clue we have is that this guy Flamel is involved" She said to Bobby, not looking up from her books. Bobby Singer raised an eyebrow, mouthing 'giant three headed dog' to himself before shaking his head and getting back to work, it's not the weirdest thing he's heard.

Christmas morning a surprised Katherine woke up to find a pile of presents at the end of her bed. Picking them up curiously she walked down the stairs, still in her pyjamas, and went into the study where Bobby was up. He had to admit, these wizarding books had some pretty handy information. "I have presents" she said in confusion; sure she had bought a bunch of muggle sweets and sent them to her friends, but she didn't expect to get anything herself.

"Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to open them?" Bobby impatiently asked. With a smile she sat on the floor, looking more like a child than Bobby had seen her in a long time, so much so he took a photo mid opening of her first one. Not that he would let it be known.

"Oh my god. I have a Weasley jumper" she said in delight "Ron told me his mum always knits one every year for all her kids and I have one." she said, looking at the slightly too big red jumped which she immediately pulled on. Her other present included light blue pyjama's form Hermione along with fluffy socks, because she always complained about being cold at night. Some rock cakes form Hagrid, a bunch of sweets form Ron and a start up prankers kit form the Weasley twins. There was also a book on English legends and myths from Bobby. "Thanks Bobby. It's awesome" she grinned "I would hug you but I think you would panic" she added slyly to which the man rolled his eyes.

The pair spent their Christmas chewing on turkey sandwiches, doing research and working on some of the car that still had a hope of life in the back of the salvage yard. Boxing day Bobby decided to take the young girl to the local park with his dog Rumsfield. Of course, with having a reputation of being the towns drunk, a few members of the community stared at Bobby with suspicion but nobody said anything. "Thanks uncle bobby" the girl said that night as she curled up under the bed in one of the spare rooms set up for whenever John Winchester decided to leave his kids with him.

A few weeks later, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter all waited anxiously for the final member of there group to arrive. Katherine-Mai was normally never late for dinner and Hermione had said she was right behind her when leaving there final lesson that evening. Suddenly though, the eleven year old girl who was the second tallest of the group next to Ron, ran down the path between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table, a bright smile and clutching a letter in her hands. She grabbed Hermione and Rons arms since they were the closest, dragging them down the hall with her, Harry trailing behind, amused at Rons blushing face. "Bobby found him, Nicolas Flamel, score one for the Muggles" she said excitedly to the group in a hushed whisper as the approached the library.

"Really?" Hermione asked excitedly to which Katherine-Mai rolled her eyes

"Oh please, Bobby Singer can find information on anyone, wizard or not. He's his own special type of genius" she waved off "If anybody was going to find the guy it would be him"

"Didn't he care why you wanted the information?" Hermione had to asked.

"Course he wanted to know, You don't spend weeks looking up some random guy without wanting an explanation. He really wants to punch Snape" she said nonchalantly to which Harry and Ron both laughed. The three made a point of ignoring Hermione's disapproving look. "Anyway, Flamel is an alchemist. He created this like, elixir to like, live forever. He's well into his sixth century of living" She told the group. "I'm guessing one of his creations is what Fluffy is guarding" she summarised to which Hermione gasped, running off before returning with a giant book that she dropped onto the table with a loud thump, causing the table to vibrate.

"I had you looking in the wrong section, I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading" she said to which Katherine raised an eyebrow. Mouthing 'light?' to the other two "Ahh, here it is. Nicholas Flamel is the only known make of the philosophers stone" she looked at the dumbfounded expressions of her three friends and rolled her brown eyes. Honestly, was she the only one who read? It was right in front of them. "The philosophers stone is a legendary substance that can turn any metal into gold as well as creating the elixir of life. Which will make the drinker immortal."

"That what Bobby found, he's the only one that ahs one. Dude, guy celebrated his 665th birthday. I wonder if it makes you have eternal youth as well or he is going to be experiencing all kinds of wrinkles and saggy body parts" Katherine said to which her friends scrunched up there faces.

"Lovely Katherine" Hermione said, "The point is that's what fluffy is hiding on the thirds floor and that's what Snape is trying to steal" she said and the three shared grim expressions, all stranding up and rushing out of the library. They walked down the path to Hagrid's hut, knocking rapidly. Katherine was of course suspicious when he quickly closed the door on them, but one mention of the stone that was being protected and they were let right in. she didn't listen into the conversation that was happening about the protection of the stone, she was more interested in the egg boiling away in the cauldron on the fire.

"Hagrid, I think your egg is about to hatch" She commented looking at it rattling away. As Hagrid quickly went over and picked the egg up (with a pair of oven mitts on of course) the first years crowded around the table, watching as a tiny- and frankly; ugly- dragon appeared form the egg. "What the hell… Hagrid you have a dragon?" She said incredulously before smirking "Awesome"

"That's not just a dragon, that's a Norwegian ridgeback. My brother Charlie works with them in Romania" Ron chimed in, looking quite scared of the thing in all truth. Katherine however was fascinated, having grown up to believe everything that wasn't human was bad, she found learning there was good out there- that some of the magic that existed in the fairytales her brother Sam sued to read her when their dad and older brother were away, the good kind with the nice witches and fairies. That some of that goodness existed and she was proof of that. She didn't sell her souls to a demon for her powers that for sure. And right in front of her was a dragon, a creature she didn't even think was real. Only a baby, so innocent. It wasn't a killer.

Although as the dragon hiccoughed and fire came out of it's mouth, scorching Katherine's arm, she realised that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. But So was Draco Malfoy, a snotty nose kids so far up his fathers backside that he couldn't even defend himself without warning somebody his father would find out about what had occurred. He was one of the people that taunted Harry about his lack of parents, Ron about his lack of money and the tow girls about there lack of magical blood. Katherine-Mai often found it very hard to reign in her built in Winchester temper. She wanted to whip out a gun and shoot the guy a new hole.

Professor McGonagall were waiting for the quartet when they returned from the castle, a less than pleased expression on her face "Good evening" she said with displeased pleasantries. She frog marched the group into her office "Nothing. I repeat nothing, give the students the right to walk about school at night, 50 points will be taken" She said and Malfoy watches smugly. Katherine notice Harry about to open his mouth to protest but she quickly stepped in. she had spent years watching her brother lie there ways out of situations, making up excuses about how they got injuries, about why they were late to school. She was also quick to pick up in it, with her big green eyes as an added bonus.

"I'm Sorry Professor McGonagall. But I accidentally leaned in to far in the fire in our common room and got burned, but we had forgotten the way to the hospital ward because the stairs moved, so went to see if Hagrid could help instead" she said sadly, holding out her arm as proof, even sniffing a little, managing a tear or two. The head of Gryffindor house looked at the girl with a clipped expression before nodding.

"Very well, That still doesn't give all of you the right to be out of bed, however, I will stick to fifty point from the house, instead of fifty each, and all five of you will receive detention" She said. The Gryffindor nodded in understanding, however Malfoy needed it to be explained further.

"Excuse me professor, but I can't help but notice you said all five of us?" He said to which Katherine, Harry and Ron smirked, knowing what was coming.

"Oh yes, see, as honourable as you intention were, you too were out of bed after hours. So you too will receive detention. Now I suggest you return to your common rooms quickly, Miss Winchester I will escort you to the hospital wing" McGonagall said.

~ 0 ~

"How on earth did you get another one hundred points taken off you last night?" Katherine-Mai demanded as she joined her friends, looking up at the hour glass looking sculptures which keep score of the house points. She had spent the night in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey fussing over her burns which had been healed fully.

"Snape caught us and took a hundred points away" Harry replied glumly. He had noticed all the glares sent in there direction and knew that everybody was aware it was them that lost the Gryffindor one hundred and fifty points.

"Yeah well, in all positive for this major negative, Hermione earns like, thirty points on average every lesson, plus if you catch the snitch in the Gryffindor VS Hufflepuff quidditch match this Saturday then you've already earned the hundred and fifty back. Could be worse, my brother Dean once got a week suspension from school followed by like, a months worth of detentions for calling his English teacher a narcissistic bastard when he implied Dean was stupid since he doesn't like using long words. Well that and punching this other guy who said some crap about our family. And all fairness, we were only in that town like, three weeks so it didn't matter if he was suspended or not. But the point stands" she said. She heard a laugh from behind and turned to see Fred and George Weasley, a pair of twins who form time to time, take Katherine under their wing. Saying they saw potential in her.

"Wow, never thought you would be the optimistic of the group Katherine" Fred said sarcastically.

"But then again, you don't have more than half the school hating you. After all you were in the hospital wing last night, not loosing the house one hundred points" George added.

"People don't seem to mind the small contribution to the initial fifty that was taken" Fred commented.

"No, it's the big one double oh that people care about. Congratulations Ickle-ronnikins" George finished before walking off to join the twins friend Lee Jordan. Ron glared a little at them before turning to Katherine.

"How is it people aren't glaring at you?" he asked her.

"Well, if you look closely, they're mainly glaring at Harry because he's the famous one of the group." she said in a fake helpful tone.

"Thanks Katherine. That really made me feel better" Harry sighed sarcastically as he returned to grumpily eating his toast in silence.