Aaaaaaand... that's about the fastest I can do from now on. Yet, I'm not really late.

This chapter is reaaaaaaaally long! I hope you'll enjoy it. I remember when I first read it, I did quite a lot.
I also hope I didn't make any mistake, I didn't have time to re read it. Feel free to tell me if you see any mistake, I'll fix it asap!

Enjoy!

5. Ollivander's legacy.

Mid-September dawn sun coated the objects in the girls' dormitory. It was a ray of light that, titillating her nose, woke up Kate, who grumbled as she turned in her sheets. At her feet, Sir Sulkington, who had felt the bed moving, stretched and yawned, before he climbed on the curled up body of his mistress, who was reluctant to greet him with joy:

'Hmmm, let me sleep, Sir Sulkington.' she grumbled as she buried her head under the sheets.

Yet, the cat gave a small nagging meow; the unpleasant and perfectly deliberate kind. Once she got edgy, Kate grabbed her pillow and blindly threw it on the pet, who jumped off the bed before he expressed his dissatisfaction of being treated like this by hissing on the parquet, swelling his white fleece. However, it was too late: Kate dragged herself out of bed before she noticed none of her roommates were there. She started to panic. She nervously grabbed her wand and pronounced the basic spell that displayed the hour in smoky numbers: 8:32 am. However, Kate's spell, far less efficient than normal, blew huge opaque smoke that fumed her very quickly. She suffocated as she brewed the air:

'Merlin's s... I'm late!'

Classes started at 9am sharp, she barely had time to go down to the Great Hall to consume her breakfast in record time, before joining Miss O'Joovens' classes, their theoretical Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

She dressed up at maximum speed, went out of the dormitory, still raggedy, her bag on her shoulder, without noticing she was locking her pet up. It was a matter of time before he would let her know, especially as she left her luggage open at the foot of her four-poster bed...

In the Great Hall, a lot of students were still finishing their morning collation and Kate found the four girls, gathered around a parchment. Next to them, a tiny owl was standing stoic, a letter hung on its foot. Littleclaws, who immediately recognised her master's daughter, flew towards her and landed on her shoulder, holding out a letter.

'Your owl is stupid!' ranted Maggie when Kate took place next to her. 'It scratched me when I tried to take the letter in order to give it to you later.'
'Once again, Maggie, it's a Northern Saw-Whet Owl, not just an owl,' tempered Scarlett, the bearing straight.
'It's well-bred, anyway!' chuckled Moira without raising her nose from the document at the centre of the table, standing up on the bench. 'You should also teach it to peck at people's noses, Maggie would be furious to find herself disfigured by an animal that's twenty times smaller than she is.'
'We all know about your heightened inferiority complex and the need to talk about you in terms that enhance you so little,' retorted Maggie, 'but you don't have to put it in the middle of the conversation all the time!'
'Littleclaws is very clever.' explained Kate as she untied the letter. 'She only obeys to my father and to me, occasionally... She's very loyal. And she recognises people.'

The envelope, with her name on it likely written by her father yet contained two letters; one for her and one for Eliot.

"Hey sweet pea,

I hope everything's going well at Hogwarts these days. I read an article about you, the other day. It was on the front page of the Daily Prophet. You probably saw it. Since then, your mother and I had some visits from numerous idiots who thought it was an excellent idea to harass us. They understood I wasn't the cooperative kind of guy only after I burned the hat of one of them. At least, for now, we have peace. But I think that you'll soon see come out an article about the unacceptable behaviour of the prodigy-who-opened-Shatterfly's father...! The beginning of celebrity, kiddo! The world will finally appreciate me at my true value!
Anyway, if you have any trouble with journalists, tell me and I'll take care of it. Alright? After all, St Mungo's healers have an excellent facial reconstruction department... you have to take advantage of that!
There's a letter for Eliot. As Littleclaws doesn't well know him, I thought it was wiser to get it through you. I hope he's fine and you show concern for him. But I trust you; I know you've always been close to him, so that shouldn't be a problem. If there is any, you send me an owl asap.
Except for the journalists, everything's fine at home. I have a lot of work for the moment, because of Ashwinders' invasion that burned an entire block in a town not far from Carlton. But I made amends to your mother for my frequent absences by preparing her Magic Burgers last night. Even though she denies it, I know she loves it! I'm the king of Magic Burgers after all!
I'll try and send you letters every ten days, like last year. If I remember it.

Loads of kisses my sweet pea!

World's best dad."

The message was followed by a short note from Grace:

"Sweetheart,

I saw the reporters caused you harm. Nevertheless you hung on and you didn't let them get to you. I'm proud of you, sweetheart, you're strong. Take care of you and be careful. Some people want to take advantage of others, so stay safe.
Your father prepared me Magic Burgers the other day. Of course, they're good, but I think he still doesn't quite understand how confusing it can be for a Muggle to eat a hamburger with magic sesame seeds that jump on the bread like fleas to write messages on it... I even got a bit sick, even though it was delicious...!
I hope classes still are interesting. I can't wait to hear about it!
I think about you a lot, say hello to Eliot for me.

I love you.

Mum."

A slight smile on her lips, Kate folded the letter, which she stuck in her bag, while the other Gryffindor girls were putting away all the parchments scattered on the table.

'What are you doing?' she asked, interested.

However, her question provoked a grimace on her friends' faces.

'A project...'
'Oh? What is it?'

All four consulted each other with a glance before Scarlett spoke, bending her shoulders on which her long straight red hair fell.

'We're thinking about... setting up a journal. For the school.'
'That's awesome!' Kate got enthused. 'How did you have this idea?'
'We all have been a bit... shocked by the journalists' behaviours the other day.' explained Moira.
'And even before that, it was common to see reporters writing rubbish about people. Harry Potter could tell more than anyone! We thought it was so unfair. For you and the readers in general. Suzanna took a picture when the journalists got their hands on you. We'd like to show the "behind the scene" of what happened. Tell the truth.'

With a mixed feeling of interest and indignation, Kate long sighed, under the four girls' frozen gazes.

'Basically... you want to become like them?'
'No, no, no! Precisely!' objected Suzanna. 'And we'd like the students to know about what happens in Hogwarts. That won't be extraordinary things! It will go from simple information about classes to big gossips...'

For a little moment, Kate thought as she stared at each one of them. Besides, she was surprised to see Scarlett herself, a stickler to the rules and principles of confidentiality, be part of the group that had had this idea. After all, the experience could be funny and enriching, as long as it didn't cause any problem...

'Alright! And... can I be part of it too? Write articles?'

Once again, the girls consulted each other silently, a bit more embarrassed.

'We're planning on launching the first edition with an investigation on you.' revealed Maggie. 'What would people think if they see that you participated to your own interview? It's bias...'
'Roughly... you exclude me from the project?'

Stoical, Kate reviewed them as they all avoided her gaze.

'Good, I see.'

Considering she had nothing to do anymore with them for the moment, Kate got up, took her bag and dismissed Littleclaws who flew away.

'But, don't be upset! Stay with us!' Moira tried to keep her.
'Next time you don't want me, at least bother to wake me up.' she retorted as an answer.
'We knew you were tired; you worked on your Transfiguration homework all evening, yesterday!' Maggie reasoned her.
'It's okay, I got it...'

On these words, Kate walked away from the Gryffindors table, and dumped her friends, embarrassed by the situation, who followed her with their eyes until the Hufflepuffs table. Alone, Eliot was reading an old tatty book, his pumpkin juice glass within reach. Kate's greetings diverted him from it a short moment:

'Hi Eliot! How are you?'
'Like a Monday morning.' he grumbled as he returned to his reading.

Kate pursed her lips before she took Phil's letter addressed to her cousin out of her bag and held it out to him.

'There, it's for you.' she smiled, pleasant.
'Oh... thanks.'

He looked at it for a moment and put it next to him, without opening it. Then, he got back to his book, almost ignoring his cousin in front of him, who took advantage to pinch a bun in the nearby silver basket.

'You seem completely absorbed in your book...' she noted after she had a bite in it. 'What does it talk about? Is it for school?'
'It's about creatures in Asia. It's very interesting.'
'You've always been interested in monsters, huh?'

As far as her memories go, Kate remembered Eliot's fascination for all the small, and bigger, creatures in the magical world. Phil's stories about his job never stopped fascinating him.

'They aren't all monsters.' he qualified in a weary sigh. 'Some are peaceful.'
'And... would you like to make this your living?'
'Becoming a cryptozoologist?'

Immediately, Eliot rose up his chin and gave, to her cousin's greatest shock, a slight smile at the corner of his shaking lips.

'I'd like it a lot...' he affirmed as he nodded. 'To study every creature of this world, tell people that they're not all hideous and mean; that they shouldn't be feared... There, hold on...'

Eliot took out another book from his bag, more damaged than the first one. Small feathers, by way of bookmarks, helped him find the page he was looking for. Then, he turned the book open on the table in order to show it to Kate.

'Do you know this creature?'
'A... Mooncalf? What is it? It looks... ugly!'

The Mooncalf's gaunt morphology, with its light grey skin and its four spindly legs, its head topped with two big protuberant eyes, didn't give it an endearing look. Yet, Eliot kept on in a passionate tone:

'It's a solitary creature that only comes out on full moons. They can rarely be seen... Apparently, meeting one is good luck. I'd dream to...'
'You think there are some here?' asked his cousin.
'In the Forbidden Forest? Why not... There are a few in Great Britain, I wouldn't be surprised to see some at Hogwarts! Hey...'

Eliot's prolonged silence, reclaiming Kate's attention made her feel uncomfortable: she felt some risky proposal to come out.

'Let's go search for a Mooncalf on the next full moon!'

Kate was about to decline this suggestion, when she thought that pursuing an activity with Eliot could only be beneficial. She neglected the fact that they would go against the rules by planning this kind of night out; Kate wasn't at her first misdemeanour. The other night, she and Maggie were at the lake for their orange toads exploding ritual, in order to straighten Kate's nerves after the publication of the Daily Prophet that had portrayed her as a shy student, all of it sublimated by a picture on which the little girl was standing stiff as a board, impressed by the situation.

'Well... okay, if you want, we can try...!'
'Very good. Let me check and organise all this, then!'

For one of the first times since he woke up, Eliot seemed faithful to whom he was before: passionate and prone to share his experience. It stretched a genuine smile on Kate's face, who felt a hand on her shoulder. She made a U-turn as she jumped, surprised, and almost fell back before she realised it was Terry.

'Don't linger too long; we're going to be late...!'
'Y-yes, I'm coming!'

Giving Eliot briefs goodbyes, Kate got up in a rush, her bun still between her teeth, and caught up her friend who was leaving the Great Hall.

'Is it going well with Eliot in Hufflepuff?'

Right from the beginning of the year, Kate had counted on Terry to keep a discreet eye on her cousin when she couldn't be here, for instance, in his common room. Terry answered with his usual smile:

'I don't speak to him particularly; he's not very talkative...! But he seems fine. And you?'

Terry adopted an expression more conductive to listening.

'With the girls? I saw you left their table a bit sulky... did something happen?'

Kate's face closed, but she explained the situation. Maggie, Moira, Scarlett and Suzanna, excluding her from the project was hurting her feelings, she didn't try to hide it to Terry. However, when she finished her story, arriving on the second floor to join their classroom, the latter shrug his shoulders:

'They want to protect you, that's all.'
'To protect me?!' repeated Kate, half shocked.
'Do you imagine if the others see your name in the writers' list of a newspaper that talks about you? How do you think they'll see you? They'll laugh at you, for sure! A lot would take advantage of that! At the end, it would hurt you more...'

Terry wasn't completely wrong, thought Kate as she entered the classroom, redecorated to the current professor's taste, with its heavy red baize curtains, its blood candles, its skeletons and its mystical accessories contributing to the gloomy aspect of this environment. The animated skull kept his place of honour at the top of the ebony cabinet, with its windows exposing stones with magical virtues and ancestral books, and lectured the students who were speaking too much or weren't following Miss O'Joovens lessons. But Kate and Terry very well knew the location where the magical item couldn't detect their conversations: at the second last row, just near the window. They kept quiet only when their professor, small and plump, with her incredibly voluminous hair and her unchanging smile, was walking past them, pretending to be interested in the reading of today's lesson: the Confundus Charm.

'Do you really think it's for my own good?' whispered Kate with a glance towards her roommates.
'Even if I don't know all of your friends very well, I know Maggie wouldn't do that just to punish you! She may be sharp sometimes, but she really likes you! You're her friend! And she wouldn't hesitate to take your defence...!'

Kate nodded. Maggie had, indeed, risked her life and her place at Hogwarts by intervening last year, saving her friend from the fate Morgana McNair was reserving her. During those long months, she had kept secret what the other girls from Slytherin had been doing to her in order to avoid any trouble to Kate. Even though sometimes she was acting like a pest, spoiled by her parents' financial situation, Maggie remained a faithful friend, even though Kate had doubted about her sincerity, until questioning their friendship.

'Are you coming to the Gryffindors Quidditch trials, this Friday?' she asked, bending over her open book.
'You bet I will! I wouldn't miss that for anything in the world! Especially as we have a new bet with Maggie!'
'Again?! You already made one last week... don't you guys ever get tired?!'

Indeed, not long before the week-end, the two friends had made their forecasts about their bananas towers' balance; which one would be the highest before tumbling down. For that, they had requisitioned, during a dinner, almost all the uneaten bananas in the fruits baskets on the tables and had made their high constructions, making the fruits hold altogether with magic. However, the characteristic cough of Wolffhart, who had observed the scene without being noticed with an indifferent look, behind Terry's back, made the latter go to pieces and reduce his bananas tower in caramelised compote because of the failed spell. At the end of this lost challenge was forced by Maggie to adopt a toad, taken in Slughorn's office. The poor, ochre and innocent creature, which seemed to not care about its fate, was named Archibald and slept from now on, in Terry's bedside table's drawer, accordingly arranged, to the great displeasure of his roommates, who quickly grew tired of the cawing as soon as they closed an eye.

'Maggie is persuaded she has her chances to be chosen as a Seeker...' he whispered to Kate after Miss O'Joovens had passed by.
'Perhaps... I wouldn't be surprised! Knowing her, with all the cash her parents have, she must have been born with a gold broomstick in her mouth!'
'Yes, but she's only in second year! There are others more talented than her, more experienced... So, I'm sure she can't be chosen. That's a bet I'll quickly win, I feel it...'

Kate didn't want to discourage her friend by contradicting him; Maggie could be quite unpredictable...

On this beginning of October, the weather was still favourable to sun, as autumn was starting. However, the most sensitive to the cold had already started to wrap themselves up in their scarves when the wind was blowing over the freezing surface of the black lake. Others enjoyed letting themselves carried by the air flow, believing they were flying, like Kate, who was walking on the path to the Quidditch pitch, arms opened, steps unsteady. She appreciated those moments of solitude when she felt in osmosis with Hogwarts' atmosphere; unique sensations took hold in her. Her mind was free of thoughts. Shatterfrly. The Immaterial. Classes. Her past. Morgana. Eliot. All of this was carried away by the wind and disappeared in the distance for a few minutes of intense relief. Of freedom.

On the Quidditch pitch, people in red and gold were stirring everywhere. Permanent players were easily distinguished from the ones who were here to seize their chance; they were agglutinating in chaotic ranks, quiet or, on the contrary, out like a light. Climbing on the bleachers, Kate took place in the middle, alone. She saw in the distance some small groups of students: her Gryffindor friends came to assist to Maggie's try, just like Terry, three ranks above them, with two Hufflepuff friends of his, Branstone and Clifford. Other students from different houses came, out of curiosity: Gareth Gale's fan club didn't miss the chance to unwrap some banners and declaim their love for this young man who won over their hearts. Keeping her distance with the bunch of entrants, Maggie remained impassive, her two hands holding her broomstick and her Quidditch goggles on her blonde bangs. One could guess her fingers tensing up on the wood; a sign of her anxiety. Then, Gareth Gale called for silence and demanded the entrants to introduce themselves, one by one, in front of him, asking for their names and years. Most of them were older, about twenty inches taller than little Maggie, who was the target of mockeries from some of the spectators.

'Can we sit?'

The voice on her right dragged Kate from her contemplation; when she saw it was Griffin Gale who had talked to her, she had a hiccup and opened big wide eyes. His red and gold scarf casually arranged on his shoulder, he smiled at her after his question. Behind him, his friend, Evan McAllister, with his big green eyes, greeted her too. Kate looked around in the bleachers with a brief glance: the stadium being half-empty, she didn't understand why Griffin was asking such a question, as he could take a seat anywhere!

'Y-yes, of course!'
'Thanks!'

They both made themselves comfortable, as Kate tried her best to hide her confused shakings, pulling on her fingers and avoiding his gaze so he couldn't see her reddened face. She had never been that close to him... She felt disturbed. However, in order to no look dull, she tried do some small talk:

'You came to support Maggie?'
'Dawkins?' he repeated. 'No, we're here for Sam! He participates to the trials too!'
'Sam... Samuel Vifdor?' she wondered.

Evan pointed out the tiny boy, who was wanting in stick out from the crowd. He was frail, with messy hair, and a shy expression. No doubt he didn't have the stature one could expect from a Quidditch player.

'I-I didn't know he wanted to be Seeker too!'
'He's very passionate. Very gifted too.' explained Griffin, with his wide, show-off smile. 'Maybe not as much as I am, but the post suits him best... So, he can have it.'
'Why don't you try anyway?' babbled Kate as she gave, not without difficulty, a smile she was hoping to look natural.
'I want to be a Keeper, like my brother. It will be easier to be in the team if he nominates me in replacement. I won't have to do the trials, you see? I'd rather wait two years and have the post I want than face the others and be a Seeker right now. I'm not really interested in that...'

Griffin was speaking with disconcerting ease, his eyes focused into his interlocutor's. Kate was bewitched.

'Al-alright!'
'What about you, Whisper?' asked Evan. 'Will you make a team for Shatterfly?'
'There's only the three of us and... I don't play Quidditch very well. I mean... I think. I never really tried, actually. But no, I don't think so...!'
'Shame,' regretted Griffin as he shrugged his shoulders, 'there would have been more matches in the year!'
'B-but I'll try and ask to professors next year, if there are enough students!' Kate made up for it, wanting to agree with him.
'That would be awesome!'

They shared a smile, before they looked more attentively to what was happening on the pitch. One by one, the students were showing what they were capable of when it came to catching a Snitch. The little ball was tampered in order to move slower than usual, avoiding the risk for the trials to last three hours...!

'There really are some tourists.' mocked Griffin as a fourth year passed by, having a hard time to balance on his broom.
'If it's their dream, they can try to fulfil it.' Kate took their defence before she pressed her lips together.
'Whisper, you're too... blimey, I can't find the word. How do you say it, Evan, when someone is too nice?'
'Er... Altruist?'
'Yes, that' it! You're too altruist, Whisper!'

The compliment made Kate blush once again and she hid her face against her opposite shoulder. Some entrants were defending their place. One of them, a fifth year named Ellen Frobisher, performed a wonderful rollover to catch the Snitch, however, the time she lost making this figure penalised her. More than being aesthetic in their way of catching it, they had to be fast. The competition was fierce...

When it came to Maggie's turn, her elders whispered between themselves in groups.

'What is your name?' asked Gareth, his head held up high and a barely mocking smile at the corner of his lips.
'Maggie Dawkins.' she answered with determination.
'You're in... first year?'
'Second.'
'You think you can succeed? A Snitch is pretty fast, kid, you know...!'
'I have more technique than I look like. I train since a long time... And, not saying the entrants are fat, but I'm a lot lighter than the most of my rivals here. Consequently, I'm faster...'

Her firm gaze was still making some laugh, while Gareth showed understanding, surprised by her speech and her expression of immutable confidence.

'Good. Hop on your broomstick, we'll see that.'

Maggie stepped slightly aside to climb over the broom she had borrowed in the storeroom. Kate learnt later that she had had to fight with the others in order to not find herself with the last antique and dusty Cleansweeps, dying in the bottom of the closet and not even having enough brushwood to be used as a brush! However, there was no doubt Maggie possessed the latest broomstick at her place, if it wasn't a complete collection.

The broomstick between her thighs and her Quidditch goggles arranged, Maggie looked with a piercing eye the Snitch that Gareth was holding between his fingers, his arm stretched up, while the permanent players were still sharing their feelings about the little Gryffindor's participation. In the bleachers, Kate felt her heart racing in her chest, focused on her friend.

'Ready?'

Her nod loosen Gareth's grip, releasing the Snitch that dashed into the air. Immediately, Maggie flew after him, taking off at maximum speed in a controlled acceleration, skilfully avoiding the others as she was flying at less than three feet high before gaining altitude. Kate couldn't help but rise up and encourage her loudly, without even being concerned about her two Gryffindor neighbours' judgement:

'Go Maggie!'

The little girl mastered her broom, it was obvious. She handled accelerations and turns with prowess, without leaving her eyes off the Snitch ahead. Kate's heart was racing hard in her chest, even though it wasn't her on the broom. Her friend's victory was, for now, her only desire. A consecration for her; she would finally be recognised, not as the school's pest, a spoiled by wealth girl, but as a consummate player when only twelve years old.

Catching up the Snitch in a peak velocity, Maggie stretched her arm as far as could and grabbed, before making a turn on herself, the tiny ball of victory.

In the bleachers, even Moira let her joy ring out. As for Terry, his bet might be lost, with a forfeit as a result, nevertheless, he applauded the performance, as many others, including her competitors. Gareth Gale was disconcerted when Maggie came back down to the ground, a radiant smile on her face, wielding the Snitch, symbol of her success.

'One minute and twenty-seven seconds.' announced Betty Bushby, the Chaser who controlled the times with a precise and graduated sandglass, while her teammate, Jade Danielson, wrote them on a board in front of each name.
'We have our record time here.' chuckled Gale, rising up.
'And it wasn't luck...' said Maggie, giving him the Snitch in person, staring him in the eyes; a thing that most girls in the school would have fainted doing it, in front of the Gryffindor prince's charisma.

Then, she turned on her heel, proud having shutting up her elders and pretending to throw her hair back in a deliberate proud gesture. Maggie remained provocative through and through...!

'Ahem... Well... Next!'

After her, it was Sam Vifdor who presented himself.

'Don't claim victory so quickly for your friend...' Griffin warned her as Kate sat down, catching her breath, ecstatic.
'She did the best time!'
'Wait to see...'
'Sam is some kind of hardcore Quidditch specialist; his biggest dream is to become a Seeker.' added Evan, bending forward to see his interlocutor. 'You should see what he did with our dormitory. There are a lot of posters of the greatest Seekers, he even has Viktor Krum's autographed framed photo on his bedside table, just next to his Golden Snitch shaped alarm clock...!'
'And you think that gives him better chances?' she shrugged her shoulders, without losing her smile. 'It's the performance that matters, not passion. A photo won't allow him to catch the Snitch faster.'

Evan and Griffin shared a significant look, a bit mocking, before the latter explained to her:

'I don't know if you're aware, but Sam is an orphan since the war. His parents were killed by Death Eaters. Since then, he only lives for Quidditch. And when I say only for that... I mean ONLY for that. He doesn't really have any other purpose in life. It allows him to survive, kind of... He has more guts than Dawkins...! It's not a whim.'

Without answering, Kate observed the young Gryffindor who was babbling his name, squinting in front of Gareth's backlit silhouette.

'S-Sam...!'
'And your last name?'
'Vifdor.'
'Hey, but you're Griffin's friend! I knew I saw your face somewhere. Alright. Well, then... show us!'

When Sam mounted his broomstick, he felt a new ardour arouse inside him. He was in his element and Kate noticed it when she saw he wasn't shaking anymore, but stood still, his eyes focused on Gareth's hand. When his fingers unleashed the Snitch, Sam flew like an arrow. His foot skimmed the captain's ear. It took only a few seconds for him to catch the Snitch; simply just that long.

Kate was astounded, just like most of the spectators.

'... Nineteen seconds.' said Betty, disconcerted by the youngest entrant's performance.
'That was beginner's luck.' chuckled Gareth who had a hard time believing it. 'Can we do it again?'
'He already proved himself, is that really necessary?' asked Robins, his teammate with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, frowning.
'I'd rather be sure it wasn't complete luck. If he is that talented, he can do this again... Is that okay for you, Vifdor?'
'Y-yes. Okay.'

Under the scrutinising glance of all the students in the stadium, Sam went again after the Snitch, which fused in the sky, like a tiny golden rocket. The young Gryffindor flew straight up, his broomstick against his chest. Everything seemed already calculated in his head; the Snitch's course, his broom's. He caught it with as much easiness and agility as the first time, which didn't miss to impress the entire stadium.

'That's our little Sam!' Griffin congratulated himself giving a high five to Evan, both of them proud of their roommate's prowess.
'That's... That's amazing!' said Kate, slack-jawed.
'Twenty-four seconds!'
'Well... I think we found our new Seeker!'

The crowd let its joy burst out after Gareth's declaration, covering up any disappointment from the other entrants. They had insurance and hope for Ginny Weasley to have found a worthy heir of her talent.

The same evening, good mood was set into the Gryffindor common room, where students were acclaiming their new Seeker. To celebrate their beginner's success, the elders had concocted some tests for Sam to pass – or mini-Sam, as they called him –, in order to, according to them, make him tenured. It was good-natured challenges, like catching crazy chocolate frogs in a bucket full of slugs' slime that sixth years borrowed in a basement's laboratory. Most of the students were enjoying the show. It was the case for the second year girls: Moira took place at the front, urging Sam in his tests with a powerful voice, with Suzanna, who didn't miss the chance to pull out her camera, while Scarlett stayed a bit in the background. Maggie had also moved away from the noisy crowd, nevertheless observing the scene with a slight smile.

'You're not too disappointed?' asked Kate, worried.
'At first, yes, a little.' she admitted as she shrugged her shoulders. 'But at the end, I'd rather do Terry's challenge than this one...'

She pointed her chin at Sam who was plunging his entire arm into the slime, under the shouts of encouragement and the disgust of other students.

'Yes... I BROADLY prefer to offer a heart-shaped Chocoballs box to Moira, for any reason, even torture, rather than lose my arm, eaten by the slugs' mucus acidity...'

Kate chuckle as she imagined the scene to come in their dormitory, of the tiny girl discovering a mysterious box to rival Valentine's Day on her pillow, actually coming from Maggie's defeat.

'Anyway, you really played well... Maybe you'll be an alternate Seeker!'
'Maybe, but it's not my first intention, I'm upset I lost for so little... But... why do you have your cape on? Are you going out?'

Indeed, Kate's cape was put on her shoulders, as if she was about to go out of the common room. The latter had a grimace:

'I have Slughorn's dinner tonight... I don't want to miss it.'
'Oh, I thought we could have go let off steam on innocent toads bubbling in the lake...'
'Another time...! See you later!'

Getting around the crowd, Kate headed towards the exit and passed through the tunnel that led to the Fat Lady's portrait, who was savouring a bunch of grapes.

'Don't come back too late, young girl!' she warned her.

The stairs weren't very crowded at this hour of the evening. Most of the students were dining in the Great Hall, except the Gryffindors who were properly celebrating their new player's formalising. The rather gloomy atmosphere of the school made Kate shiver, scared by some childish fears. This came true when, to her greatest displeasure, Peeves appeared in front of her, after passing through the portrait of a man who was smoking an ivory, unicorn-shaped pipe. The poltergeist showed his teeth when he arrived in front of Kate, petrified with anguish.

'But you're the houseless! The one no one wants!' he cackled.
'I don't want to have troubles tonight.' she stammered. 'Please, leave me alone...'
'Oh, she squeals like a baby! Houseless baby!'

And while he sang a grinding melody to her with rhymes with "houseless baby", Kate looked for somewhere to run away and ran down the stairs, her head in her shoulders in order to not having to look him in the eyes once more. However, when she arrived on the first floor, she was stopped in her course: Peeves stepped on her cape, preventing her from going on.

'Leave me alone!' she repeated, both supplicant and exhausted, while pulling on her cape.
'Houseless baby, for no reasons always whiny! Houseless baby, in all seasons rainy!'

Overtired, Kate yanked as Peeves released the tissue under his foot. The comedown was unforgettable. Down the stairs she had just tumbled down on her ass and her back, Kate, all sore, couldn't hold her tears of pain and shame, and curled up. Peeves' determination didn't stop there though, as he kept on singing while cavorting in the air:

'Houseless baby, when she cries, she looks like a Demiguise! Houseless baby, when she moans, the whole Hogwarts applause!'
'That's enough, Peeves!' exclaimed a voice.

From up the stairs, Clive Ollivander appeared, clearly furious against the poltergeist. Worried for the young student, he rushed towards her as he lectured the ghost:

'Clear off and don't come back, otherwise, I will notify professor McGonagall and the Bloody Baron as a bonus!'
'Young people nowadays use such a crude vocabulary...!' Peeves faked offense as he levitated and made capers in the big staircase, after he gave them a brief grin, not really reassuring.
'Hey, Kate, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?'

She raised towards him a haggard and bathed in tears face, her nose bleeding; she must have hit it against a step during her fall.

'Well, he didn't miss you...!' he grimaced.
'C-Clive?' she cried. 'He... he obeyed you?'
'Wait, don't move...'

His wand in his hand, he waved it nimbly.

'Episkey!'

A loud "crack" resounded in the staircase, followed by Kate's squeal who bent towards as she massaged her nose, mumbling swears to dissipate the pain.

'It should stop bleeding now...'
'Thanks, Clive. But... why did he obey you and not me?' she repeated, wiping her tears. 'I'd like him to listen to me... I did nothing to him! Why is he always so mean to me?'
'Being prefect has some advantages.' he boasted about, pointing at his badge sewn on his chest. 'Among other things, the ghosts' respect, Peeves included... And if it reassures you, manner of speaking, he's like that with everybody. You know, when I was your age, he put onion jelly in my bag, with my homework in it... McGonagall took me three points for the filthy smell coming from my parchments...! But you'll see, as years go by, he will annoy you less. Anyway, where were you going like that?'

Kate got up, her back still painful, knowing she would have bruises tomorrow unless she used an ointment, and moved a few steps towards the dungeons when she noticed Clive was taking the same exact direction.

'To Slughorn's dinner.'
'Oh? You too? Well, you're not an ordinary person anymore, no wonder he invited you!'
'What about you? Are you part of the... Slug club for a long time?'
'Only since last year... Before, with the war, relations were a bit complicated, from students to students as well as from students to teachers. My name never was unnoticed by Slughorn. But the dinners with him aren't the most unforgettable of all; on the contrary, sometimes they're so boring...'
'Then... why are you going?'
'A good free meal and the insurance of having a few more points on your next work, there's no reason to complain... And Slughorn isn't a mean teacher. He just needs appreciation...'

Clive addressed a brief smile to her as they came down the dungeons, passing through the narrow stoned corridors lit by a few torches. Kate really liked the boy. First, because he was taking care of Eliot, like a true friend, always close to him. Second, because she had to admit he was charming and always caring with others. In her imagination, he was the big brother she never had. Clive always inspired sympathy to a lot of people; that was probably why he has become Ravenclaw prefect this year. With his wise and brilliant gaze behind his rectangular glasses, his slight smile at the corner of his lips, giving away a part of timidity in him, and his opened-to-discussion look with anyone who would like to talk to him about anything.

The room in which Slughorn invited them was well prepared for the occasion: a large round table was set with emerald-green satin placemats, crystal glasses and silver cutleries. Clive and Kate weren't the first to arrive: three students were already here. In which Kate only recognised her Shatterfly mate, little Eibhlin, immobile on her chair. As for their potion teacher, he was on a comfortable, quilted chair, early enjoying a Firewhisky, making the amber beverage swirl in its chiselled glass. His small mouth stretched into a wide smile, not very reassuring, when he greeted his two newcomers.

'Good evening, professor!'
'Mister Ollivander, Miss Whisper! So glad to have you with us tonight! Please, take a seat wherever you want...!'

By instinct, Kate took place next to Eibhlin, followed by Clive who settled on the nearby chair. The two girls shared a brief look before Kate started to stare at the two other students, far older than her. The first one seemed to be about sixteen on seventeen and was wearing the Hufflepuff uniform, as for the second one, Kate thought she recognised the Slytherin Quidditch team's captain.

'Portraits have ears and it seems like a little party is organised in the Gryffindor common room for your new Seeker.' said Slughorn to Kate.
'Indeed.' she stammered. 'And he's very talented! Y-you probably will have the chance to see him at the next match!'

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Slytherin student's sneaky smile, in anticipation of the opening match in which the two rival teams would face each other.

'I don't doubt it!'

At the same time, the door opened again and two new students came in. One of them was Calypso Curtiss, one of Kate's classmates. If she was from the snake house and always seemed cold and proud, Kate kept in mind that the young ebony-haired girl warned her about Morgana and her sidekicks' shenanigans last year. She owed her for that.
Then Denis Crivey, the Gryffindor prefect Scarlett was secretly worshiping, joined them, with two Ravenclaw girls and Head-Boy, Benjamin Berclays, some called "Inspector Berny", with the Hufflepuff badge sewn on his vest.
When only one seat was still vacant, Slughorn took his pocket watch from his jacket, distended by his belly, and babbled when noticing the hour:

'Well, isn't our last guest a bit late?'

On these words, as if the question forced him to show up, the last students entered the room: it was Tetsuya Matsuda, the second first year to be sorted into Shatterfly. There was no doubt for Kate now that her teacher wanted the first students to inaugurate Hogwarts' new phenomenon to like him.

'Mister Matsuda, we were just talking about you!'
'I'm on time, professor, excuse-me if you thought I would be late...!' he said politely, bending forward his chest, his arms straights against his body.

Then, with a smile, he sat on the last vacant chair between Curtiss and Berclays. Intrigued by this boy, to whom she didn't speak yet, while they were sharing the same experience about their respective repartitions, Kate discreetly observed Tetsuya while the seafood platters appeared in front of them.
Just as Clive made it sound, the dinner appeared to be excruciatingly boring, coloured by a shared discomfort between the students. Only their professor spoke, interrogating from time to time his guests.

'So, how is your book progressing, Miss Pigluck?' he asked to one of the Ravenclaw girl who, failing to be embellished by her impressive nose, had a pretty smile.
'I sent it to the publisher, professor; to be more precise, to Obscurus Books. I'm waiting for their answer!'
'Good...! If you want, I could slip a word to my contacts to intercede on your behalf. But I'm sure, my dear, that you will fulfil your dreams!'

Then, he spoke to the younger ones, who were probably there for the first time, Kate included, explaining in more details:

'Miss Pigluck is quite a writer and will probably become one of the greatest authors! Know that many of her novelettes were published in the Daily Prophet.'

However, Kate pretended to be more interested in her whelk than her schoolmate's literary ambitions, far too embarrassed by the situation to fake curiosity. She shared a brief look with Clive, who had the same feeling.

'What about you, Mister Matsuda?' said Slughorn, his head inclined, his piggy little piercing eyes under his grey thick eyebrows. 'Tell us about you... I assume a lot of people around this table are curious about your presence at Hogwarts, while the educational system in your country is exceptionally effective. Not that I'm disparaging our school, of course...!'
'My father is a great diplomat.' explained the young Japanese without blinking, with a courteous smile. 'I live in England for six years now. My parents hesitated to send me to the Japanese Wizarding School, indeed, but they saw fit to put me in Hogwarts, which I don't regret.'
'Tell us about that school. My knowledge about your land turns out to be strongly limited, I fear...'
'The Yamamoto Kia Desushi school. It is located on the Mount Fuji mountainside and we can reach it only by the giant hot-air balloon, in a nacelle that can carry more than three hundred people. It's a group of shrines. We have about the same subject as Hogwarts, except they handle telepathy thanks to the concentration lessons.'
'Yes, indeed, your Asian fellows are known in the entire world for their ability to control magic without the help of a wand, in certain circumstances... That's impressive!'

Despite her efforts, Kate had a hard time picturing this school; she realised she didn't know much about the external world. Even though the last years of her life were reduced to the war, Kate had, as many other wizards, locked herself in her own universe, without trying to see beyond the rather obscurantist borders of her society. A lot of young English people easily forgot that the gift of magic wasn't something only reserved to them, but that the entire globe was sprinkled with wizards and witches, on all continents.
When they arrived to the main dish, a gargantuan roast, seasonal venison, it was Eibhlin's turn to be interrogated by their professor. However, she appeared to be far less talkative than her housemate, just answering simply, without trying to substantiate the conversation. Kate took advantage of this occasion to try to organise her hypothesises about the standards which would make the Hat to sort someone into Shatterfly. However, Eibhlin and Tetsuya seemed two perfect opposites. First one was reserved, quite distant and directive, second was more likely to socialise, cheerful and talkative. Slughorn concluded her thought:

'That's pretty strange to raise this concomitance, saying that two students from different countries are sorted into the fifth house...! That's a hypothesis that could make sense. What do you think, Miss Whisper?'

Caught off guard, Kate dropped her fork in her plate, but answered nevertheless:

'Perhaps, nothing is really certain yet... for now, we can only make hypothesis, professor!'

Slughorn nodded, savouring a sip of his pumpkin juice that he had taken instead of his Firewhisky, even though he kept some for the dessert to come. This was a bowl of last season's fruits, complemented by mountains of whipped cream, which didn't miss to delight the youngest of them.

'It's raspberry and mint flavoured at the same time.' whispered Clive as Kate enjoyed it after putting a spoonful of it in her mouth, a radiant smile on her soaked with cream lips.
'Oh, really? That's truly delicious!'
'Yes, it alternates tastes depending on how long you keep it in mouth.'

Their teacher, who had fun studying his students' behaviours, quickly noticed the whispers between his two diners and didn't miss to make an oral observation:

'You seem to know each other. Are you relatives? I don't think you are yet...'
'We have a common friend, professor.' explained Clive politely as Kate was swallowing her cream as if she could be fed with only that for the rest of her life, just like many others around the table. 'Her cousin is one of my best friends in this school. Eliot Burbage, I think you know him.'
'Oh, yes, poor boy... He had to stop school during two years if I'm right. He seems a bit lost today... So he's your cousin, Miss Whisper?'

Kate swallowed her bite of cream before daring to answer, afraid to spit it everywhere, while on the other side of the table, Calypso Curtiss seemed to be observing her with a curious and a bit contemptuous look.

'Indeed professor. He's my only cousin.'
'You don't have any other ones? Brothers or sisters, maybe?'
'No, professor! I'm an only child...!'
'That's strange, I wouldn't have thought so, you see! Although... knowing your father, the idea of him, having a daughter of your age already must be complicated for him. I hope his doing something else than fooling around today! Since the time...'
'He's still young-at-heart! He makes a lot of jokes at home!'

Then, he spoke to the entire table, especially to the new ones that didn't have the occasion to know more about Clive, their Ravenclaw prefect.

'Mister Ollivander, as his name speaks for it, is Sir Ollivander's grand-son, the famous wand maker, who has his shop on Diagon Alley. I think that everybody around this table already entered this shop to buy the wand that's in your pockets... Besides, if I'm not mistaken, Clive, can you confirm... you are his only grand-child... Am I right?'
'Yes, professor, you are...!' he answered, his gaze alternating between his teacher and his fruit cup, which he was eating cautiously, bit by bit.
'As you all know, Sir Ollivander is old and about to retire. With war and its twists and turns, your grand-father needs rest now. And so... Mister Ollivander here is the well suited heir to replace in his shop. Later, in a few years, when Mister Ollivander obtains his N.E.W.T, let's hope, nearly two years from now, he will take over the business. Nevertheless, he's very talented for his age... There, Miss O'Cearbhail, hand over your wand and you'll see!'

The Irish little girl, too focused on her crystal cup that she was scraping with her spoon in order to take every last bit of melted cream, immediately raised her eyes and first looked at her potion teacher, then on the young Clive. With a bit of hesitation and suspicion, she pulled out her wand and handed it over, her arms right under Kate's nose. Arranging his rectangular glasses on his aquiline nose, Clive took it and weighed it in his hand first, before he detailed it at all aspects. His moves were precise, skilful, his gaze piercing as an eagle's, the symbolic emblem of the house in which he was prefect. One could see he knew what he was doing; it wasn't his first wand examination. Then, he declared:

'Hmm... I'd say it's oak wood; a centenary oak. It's even a rare kind that's only found in great North Europe's forests... it's about eleven and a half inches. At first, it was supposed to be at least twelve, but my grand-father must have thought it had to be shortened to balance it. We can see it by the aspect of the end, round and abraded.'

He turned it between his fingers, while everybody was examining his performance attentively.

'Unicorn hair, undoubtedly.' he kept on, eyebrows frowned.

Then, he took it with his two hands and slightly pushed the wood with his thumbs to test its resistance.

'It's not very flexible. I must say its handle is doubled with tiny, semi-circular tiles. It's a quality wand, which suits an iron-willed and directive person. You have to be skilful to handle it, to have enough guts...'

On these words, he gave back her wand to Eibhlin, for the least surprised by this analysis that, apparently, seemed rather true. Some applauded the performance, just like Slughorn, who, impressed, was clapping his large, sweaty and greasy hands with a blissful smile. One could smell his pride of having found such a paragon among his students.

'Well, what a remarkable performance, Mister Ollivander, I'm blown, as always! See, Miss O'Cearbhail, this young man can read wands. Even deep in your heart, your secrets, everything you'd like to hide from him, your darkest facets; he will see it; in your wand. I'm telling you... This boy is gifted, destined for greatness, believe me! I am certain that, later, your children will come to his shop to buy their wands. It's a lifetime memory, just like all of you with yours; the one you bought to his grand-father. Mister Ollivander, you will rock the world of an entire generation of wizards. And for that, I'll never grow tired of raising my glass. Let's give a toast to your success. And to the success of all the people here, around this table.'

Then, Slughorn raised his crystal glass, in which his amber beverage gleamed and everyone did the same. Kate resolved to raise hers, which was filled up to the top with pumpkin juice, and nearly spilled it because of her awkwardness. But she only just avoided the catastrophe.

'Dear students. I'm proud of you. I hope you will be too later. To your success!'

Then he swallowed his whisky bottoms up and everyone put their drinks on their lips, without doing the same though, and sipped it. Kate shared a look with Calypso Curtiss. She still didn't know what she was doing around this table. And it wouldn't be tonight that she would know...
When it was time to go back and all the students left, their belly full, Slughorn stayed at the door to say goodbye to each one of them, one by one. Kate took advantage of it to sneak behind Calyspo's elegant and calm steps, hoping to catch some words their potion teacher would tell her before she'd leave. Calypso shook Slughorn's large hand, which was its perfect opposite, small, slender and pale. Even in such circumstances, no smile lightened up her face. She just gave an unmistakable neutral look, like if no emotion could have changed a single feature of her doll-like face.

'Good evening, professor, thank you again for doing me the honour of inviting me to one of your dinners. I will undoubtedly respond the call when you send another invitation.'
'Pleasure is mine, dear. Say hello to your parents and siblings for me... Little Nestor included. He's attending Hogwarts next year, right?'
'Indeed. Should his health permit him...'
'I thought he was doing better...'
'It's quite "labile" according to the healer. I don't know exactly what that means, but Nestor is going through ups and downs... That's the way it is. But he'll get better. We have hope.'
'And I do too, especially for him. Well good night Miss Curtiss, sleep well...!'

Then it was Kate's turn, concerned about what she just heard. So much that it took her a few seconds to notice Slughorn's hand stretched towards her.

'Well, Miss Whisper. We surely will have the occasion to see each other again in such, for the least, uplifting circumstances, I must say...' he whispered as he put another hand over their grip, as for emphasizing his words. 'It would be a shame to end at this point, what do you think?'
'I completely agree with you, professor.' she stammered, smiling, as she thought now was the time to use some cunning and a little well-placed hypocrisy. 'There are still so many mysteries around Shatterfly, I wouldn't miss the chance to talk about it with you and the other students. Perhaps your suggestions will be useful to... sustain my reflexion!'
'I'm certain, Miss Whisper. Go to sleep now, I gave you some homework for Monday; it would be a pity if you can't come because you're too tired! And, once again, say hello to your new Seeker for me, I look forward to see his first match! Especially as it's again Slytherin! They're talented; it's high-level competition at this stage!'

When Clive was done with their professor too, he ran after Kate and called her out:

'Hey, wait!'
'What is it?' she wondered while raising her eyebrows, her hand on the banister.
'I'll walk you back to your common room... At this time, Filch is walking around; he could catch you and think you're up to something... It would be a shame if he sent you to detention for no reason. Besides, that would make him too happy; let's not give him this chance.'
'You're right.' she smiled. 'And so, Peeves won't bother me...!'
'Exactly...!'
'Great! Thanks a lot, Clive!'

They climbed together the stairs, tiredly, weighed down by their pretty full stomachs. Tonight's meal was particularly luxurious, they had to admit it!

'Can I ask you something, Kate?'
'Hmm? What is it?'
'I'm trying to talk to Eliot from time to time... I mean... about what happened before he went into a coma and sent to St Mungo's. But he doesn't want to tell me anything, he refuses to say a single word. And I feel bad! Merlin, I'm his best friend! Why wouldn't he...'
'It's painful for him, you know it.'
'Yes, but... I want to understand him better. And I thought... that you might enlighten me a bit about the reason he remains silent. Why. Why he says nothing, despite all. What is your last memory with him? The last thing you did together before all this happened...'

Kate's face clouded over gradually. Clive, who noticed that sudden change, tried to make it up and preferred to back down from his comment:

'But if you don't want to talk about it, I'd understand...! I'm sorry!'
'No... it's not that... You know... actually, I'd like to talk about it. It's just that I don't really know to who, each time I feel the need to. I don't want to tell Eliot; it would hurt him a lot, maybe could make him angry. I can't express myself about that with my Gryffindor friends. I have the feeling they didn't live the war the way I did. And I'm afraid they wouldn't understand what I feel... why I'm still afraid today. And why I'm having such a hard time to...'

Clive put a hand on Kate's shoulder and slowed her down before he asked her to sit down on the steps. They did it in an awkward silence. Kate sighed as she wrapped her shaking arms around her folded legs, her knees against her mouth. She felt tears running down her throat but she swallowed them instead of showing them to Clive.

'I'm here to listen to you, if you need it. That would allow me to understand. I feel concerned about what happened to Eliot. Everything he's been through during this whole year when he was absent... even before that. So, yes... I'm listening to you. Tell me, Kate...'

Yet, she remained silent for a long moment before she decided to speak, to get this off her chest. That burden, so heavy and terrifying it seemed to want to assail her conscience and her dreams in order to turn them into nightmares...

'It was during Easter holidays. In 1997. When war was only just beginning. Yes, that was just the start. Well... for us, it wasn't really. We knew, more than anybody, that we were in danger. Because of my father. Because of my aunt. Aunt Charity. Eliot's mum. That day, aunt Charity was supposed to go to Diagon Alley to give her article to a publisher. A newspaper, actually. I think it was for the Daily Prophet. But I'm not sure. Sometimes, I don't really want to remember, you know?
'And so, for that, she asked for my dad's help. She knew she was in danger when she was going out, into the wizarding world. She was at grave risk. So my dad went to their house. To the Burbage's. And I went with him. Because I deeply wanted to see Eliot. I always liked him a lot. And we were seeing each other less and less since he was at Hogwarts. I wanted to make the most of it. And my presence reassured him, somehow. He too was afraid for his mother... And it was understandable.
'So we both stayed alone at his home while aunt Charity and dad went to Diagon Alley. They repeated all the usual precautions. Let the doors and windows closed. Don't answer the phone... Which was silly, I barely know how that works, only my mother knows how to use that thing! Don't open the door, even if someone knocked. Especially if someone knocked. And they left. They casted protection spells on the door. Even if it meant to be reassuring, it wasn't... I had the feeling we were going to be attacked anyway. It was predictable. Nothing could have stopped them. It was silly... It scared us more than anything...
'We still played. But it was complicated. I was trying to calm Eliot down. But he was anxious. Very anxious. And I didn't know what to do. We didn't share the same interests anymore. When I wanted to play hide-and-seek or things like that, he retorted it was for babies. But I was still young at this time. He wouldn't understand. Already back then, he was starting to withdraw into himself. I didn't really recognise him. But I loved him anyway. After all, even if he's my cousin, I always considered Eliot as a big brother.
'He proposed to show me some spells with his wand. I said no. That he couldn't... He was too young; he was only in second year. The Ministry could catch him easily. And with all the problems, it could stir up the Death Eaters... But he didn't listen to me. What an idiot... I was crying. It seemed to amuse him. It was like a way to forget we were in danger... But it didn't miss. When they arrived at the door...
'First, there were courteous knocks on the door. Like a neighbour. A voice. Almost familiar. But it wasn't. I was scared to death. I wanted to hide, anywhere. Eliot too was terrified, I felt it. Yet, he went to the door. He rose on tiptoe and looked through the peephole. He revealed us. They knew we were inside. They knew we were alone. So I ran. I was still crying. But I choked on my tears to try and make as little noise as possible. I thought there was still a chance... Maybe they didn't hear us... I caught Eliot's arm and pulled him back with all my strength... We had to hide. Absolutely. Right now. Our lives were depending on it.
'I fell in the stairs while trying to climb the steps at maximum speed. I scratched my knee, but I didn't scream. And Eliot rose me up quickly while they were drawing their wands. Upstairs, we searched for hiding places. And even if I knew this house by heart, it was difficult... They shouldn't be finding us. It was hide-and-seek where our lives were at stake... yes... If we were found, we were dead, plain and simple. We were aware of that. While I was only nine... how could I have lived normally in these conditions? I... I knew what was about to happen... And so did Eliot...
'We went into his room and he hid me between his two mattresses to keep me from being found. I wanted him to stay with me, but we couldn't stay in the same room, or they'd find us faster. Find us faster... as if we knew they were going to anyway. And catch us. Kidnap us. Or kill us. I didn't know which one was worse.
'I heard the door explode. Yes. Destroyed into a million pieces. Eliot took advantage of the noise to run. He stormed out of the room, to the bottom of the corridor. But I didn't know where he was going. I wanted to call him, but I couldn't. I was crying, crushed under the weight of the mattress, blankets and sheets. I could barely breathe. And I was hot. But I had to survive. I could shake, they couldn't tell... But I had an eye through the tiny gap between the two mattresses. Enough to distinguish what was happening in the corridor. There was a lot of dust because of the broken door. I heard people coming in. And talking. There were only men's voices. They were deep. Hoarse. Not very reassuring... I closed my eyes. And I prayed. I don't know what I prayed. Everything. My father, most of all, I think. I wanted him to come back. As fast as possible. To save me. To save us... I wanted to see him again. I wanted my mother's arms. I even already missed Eliot... I had this feeling that I had seen him for the last time.
'Then I saw the shoes moving forward in the corridor. I could only see the lower part of their bodies. Their dirty capes, eaten up by moths. They had holes everywhere. And those shoes. Big ones, with studs. They hurt just by looking at them. And yet, you know some innocents received kicks in their nose by them... I understand better why they were so roughed up. Perhaps some of those shoes were still covered with blood. An innocent's blood. Whom they hit. Maybe whom they killed, at the end of it. To please him... Because death is perhaps more enviable for them... it's preferable to the torture they can inflict, that's for sure.
'They searched the rooms. Not messily. Not like swines. No. They were thorough. They knew we were here. It made them smile. Yes. They were certainly taking a sadistic pleasure in all this. They were whistling. Calling us like dogs. With a velvety voice. Made me even more afraid. Because their slow steps were coming closer. They entered Eliot's bedroom. "I know you're here..." said the one who was in the room. He opened the closets. He searched in the curtains. He opened the balcony. And he lifted the blanket. I was so close. My breath hurt badly, it was so painful. Yet, I couldn't reveal myself. Even if I was dying to run away. Somehow, I'd rather be caught running away than doing nothing. Just ready to be picked like a fruit. Like a treasure. A little reward. Which they would enjoy their way.
'Then he casted a spell. Homenum revelio. He had the proof. Yes, he knew I was here. Under this mattress. Yet, he did nothing. He was torturing me in this wait... while he didn't even catch me yet. My heart and my throat were hurting. I was drowning in my own tears... And then... he lifted the mattress. Slowly. Very slowly. I saw his eyes through my tears and my blurred vision... He had brown eyes. They could have been sweet. But not at that moment. Or maybe the wolf's sweet gaze when it finally found its so precious lamb... "There, there..." he said... Then he grabbed me by the collar and pulled me. That's when I screamed. While he was dragging me on the floor. I fell on my shoulder. It hurt, with my knee. Yes, it hurt everywhere, but especially in my heart, I think... Eliot has been a fool. When he heard me yelling, he rushed in screaming my name. He should have stayed hidden. The other one caught him in the corridor. While I felt the Death Eater's wand against my throat. I felt something strange. Something I never felt before. He was about to take me with him. He was about to Disapparate... I already felt my feet leaving the floor... Yet, at this exact moment, there was a white flash of light. A grip. I recognised my father's smell. His leather jacket's smell. He arrived just in time... he had Apparated in the room. And he snatched me from the Death Eater's clutches and took me in his arms, his wand pointed right at my detractor's face. A quick Expelliarmus... and the Death Eater was unarmed. They seemed to know each other. I think it was one of my dad's former friends... But he turned away from them. And they wanted to kill him in return. They wanted to kill me. In retaliation, just an old revenge story... He didn't try to defend himself... He knew my father; he knew what he was capable of. He took his wand back and fled through the window, without anything else but a laugh. The second one, however, was still keeping Eliot under his arm. With his wand on his temple. He threatened to kill him. Aunt Charity was back... she saw Eliot. Yet she didn't cry. But I could see it. She wanted to. She wanted to beg him. But she knew that, in this moment, she couldn't fall apart. Because Death Eaters take advantage of our weaknesses. My dad pushed me aside, still keeping me at the corner of his eyes. He didn't want me to see what would happen. If it were to degenerate.
'There were discussions, of which I didn't get the meaning. Which I don't even remember. Until my dad intervened. Fortunately, he was the fastest... And he stunned the Death Eater. But Eliot had a pretty bad scare... He almost died, if my dad hadn't such good reflexes, if he was a bad shooter... We both cried in our parents' arms. And we left on that. My dad brought me home before I even could say goodbye. We had to take shelter. And my dad wanted to go back home, he feared my mum was in danger too, if his former schoolmate ran away...
'That was the last time I saw Eliot. We had a fight. We were attacked. But there weren't goodbyes. No farewell. Only tears. And fear... Fear of dying...'

Kate ended her story on those sinister words, while Clive hanging on to her every words, disconcerted and hurt by so much pain.

'That's it. You know now for Eliot... I... I can't tell you more.'
'I... I see. Kate... I'm sorry, I didn't know.'
'Don't start apologising.' she smiled to forget her tears coming up. 'Everything's fine today. It's just... a horrible memory!'
'You're right...'

He smile at her in return and kissed her friendly on the top of her head, to comfort her. Which Kate appreciated, after that so painful story she told.

'Come on, young girl. I'll bring you back to your common room.'

Well that was pretty intense, wasn't it?

See you in two weeks for next chapter!