2nd September
After individually giving hugs and kisses to her 5 children (plus Harry, Hermione and myself), we left an emotional Molly Weasley at King's Cross station. We embarked on our third journey to Hogwarts, the second where all of us made it on time.
On arrival, the only remaining carriage was already occupied by Professor R. J. Lupin. We assumed that he was the new DADA teacher, we couldn't ask as he was fast asleep in the corner. Once settled, Harry divulged some very shocking news. Mr and Mrs Weasley had been arguing about him, (too)… Sirius Black, an escaped prisoner from Azkaban is after him. Hermione and I had read about it in the paper, it was so shocking as it had never happened before. Harry overhead that Fudge, the Minister for Magic went to Azkaban the night Black escaped. Black apparently seemed very sane by comparison to the rest of the prisoners: he asked if he could take his newspaper to do the crosswords and the guards overheard Black muttered in his sleep the phrase 'He's at Hogwarts'. Arthur reckoned that in Black's mind, killing Harry would bring Voldemort back. "Basically, Black wants revenge." Harry gulped.
The four of us sat in discussion of the matter. That was until the train suddenly came to a sudden halt. The lights went out. The air suddenly froze and I felt as though all the bad experiences of my life were happening all at the same time. I felt the torment I went through as a young child at school. I felt the pain of being slapped by my mother. I relived the jealousy of the love my brother received and how I lived in fear of my Father's sister.
A huge black-cloaked figure opened the carriage door and looked around. Professor Lupin woke immediately and said confidently, "Sirius Black is not here. Go." But the figure didn't move- it was a Dementor. It seemed particularly interested in Harry as it took a deep breath, making a (sort of an invisible) connection with him, sucking the happiness from our midst. The cold was intense as I saw Harry lose consciousness, falling to the floor he started convulsing. Professor Lupin lifted out his wand and muttered a spell and a silvery shape emerged, making it feel increasingly warmer and happier. I dropped to my knees and shook Harry by the shoulder, slapping his cheek and calling his name in the hope that he would react.
"W-What?" he said, sitting up.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah" Harry said, but he was confused, "Who screamed?"
"No one screamed, Harry…"
Ginny and Neville had found their way into our carriage and saw everything that had just happened. Ginny was as white as a sheet. There was a loud snap as Professor Lupin broke up a bar of chocolate. He handed it out to everyone in our carriage, firstly to Harry and then to me directly beside him, "Eat, you'll feel better."
"I was always warned by my Granny not to accept sweets from strangers." I smiled at Lupin curiously.
"Well, am your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin." He stuck out his hand to me and I shook it. A good, firm grip.
"Kathryn Pink, one of your new third year students."
"Third year?" he looked surprised, "Lovely to meet you." He smiled back and signalled for me to eat the chocolate.
"Well, I'm not going to refuse chocolate, am I?" I looked to Hermione and continued, "I think I've found myself a new favourite teacher!"
"I'm glad to have found at least one supporter on my first day. Now please excuse me, I want to have a word with the driver." Professor Lupin exited the carriage and I took a bite of chocolate and I felt the warmth restored in my body.
"Potter! Is it true you fainted? I mean, you actually fainted?" Draco Malfoy cornered us on our way up the steps to the great Entrance Hall of Hogwarts.
"Shove off Malfoy." Ron said sternly.
Malfoy was loving every moment of this so I added, "No matter how long I'd love to stay outside and engage in this delightful conversation with you Draco, I think we'd best get inside and save it for potions, eh?"
Professor Lupin came up the steps behind us and spoke clearly, "Is there a problem here?"
"Oh, no- eh- Professor." Draco looked our new teacher up and down with disgust and quickly made a run for it. I was liking this Lupin guy even more by the minute.
In the Entrance Hall, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfery were awaiting both Harry and Hermione, directing Ron and me into the Great Hall ready for the Sorting. The two of us only too glad to go. This is how Ron and I got on so well- our love of food and all things sweet!
As we walked down the hall along the Gryffindor table I greeted Parvati, Fay and Lavender. Those three are as close as Hermione and me. The five of us used to always sit up late chatting: Fay was always shy but slowly and surely became more chatty, Lavender and Parvati were girly girls who liked doing their hair and nails whilst Hermione talked and helped with school work. I missed it more than I thought. The Quidditch girls Alicia, Angelina and Katie also said hello to me, which was nice of them, we became friends due to their interest and concern at what had happened in the Chamber of Secrets just three months ago. Ron and I continued walking down the table and I noticed that Oliver Wood took a double take and smiled at me.
"Hi!" I smiled, "How are you?" I asked, not having spoken to him before.
"I'm doing good, thank you! You're looking well!" he looked me up and down, clearly the change of clothes and make up were doing their jobs, "It's good to be back! Good summer?" he diverted his rosy cheeks.
"Yeah, it was great! Good luck for Quidditch this year!"
"This is our year." He told me confidently.
"I look forward to it." I winked.
Ron and I took seats a little further on down the table, saving one each for Harry and Hermione.
Harry and Hermione arrived just as Dumbledore stood to make his usual first-day-back-speech. He cleared his throat and began, "As you are all probably aware from your train journey, our school is currently playing host to Dementors, who are here on Ministry of Magic Business." He didn't look to amused at this, "They are stationed at every entrance to the school and I must make it plain that no one is to leave school without permission. Dementors are foul creatures, and are not easily fooled by tricks, disguises or Invisibility Cloaks." That was totally a warning to Harry right there.
"On a happier note, I am pleased to introduce Professor Lupin who will be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Our second new appointment is due to Mr Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher retiring at the end of last year in order to spend time with his remaining limbs. I am delighted to say that the place has been filled by none other than our very own Rubeus Hagrid." In our surprise, we cheered louder than was necessary but we were over the moon to have Hagrid teach us! No one knew more about those fantastic beasts than Hagrid! Then the feast began.
After stuffing ourselves with delicious food, it was time for us to head up to the common room. The Fat Lady in the portrait demanded a password and Percy shouting his Head Boy orders, shared that it was 'Fortuna Major'. All I heard was Neville's groan- he was going to have difficulties remembering this one!
Inside the common room it was perfectly clean and tidy as all Gryffindor Students climbed up the stairs to their dormitories and straight off to sleep.
5th September
The next morning was a sleepy one. Hermione went down with the boys to breakfast and left me to get myself sorted. Robes on, hair done and makeup looking presentable, I strode into the Great Hall and sat down beside Harry who had George on his other side. The conversation quickly ended as I approached the table as though George didn't want to talk to me.
"Here's your timetable, Kathryn!" Oliver Wood stood behind me and leaned over to place it in my hand. Goodness he smelt great.
"Aw, thank you!" I turned around to him and smiled, "Ooh! Muggle Studies first thing! Exciting!"
"Enjoy! It's very interesting, I'm sure!" he said whilst walking to his first class of the day.
"Kathryn?" Ron grabbed my attention from staring at Oliver (I'm not even going to lie) which must have been somewhere in dream land, "Help me settle this dispute. I've been told you girls can multitask, but how can Hermione have three classes at once?" he snatched Hermione's timetable out of her hand and gave it to me.
"Divination, Muggle Studies and Arithmancy all at 9 o'clock, how are you working it 'mione?"
"Professor McGonagall has sorted it for me, don't worry!"
"I'm not worrying, you should be though, having ten classes a day- that's madness!"
Ron interjected, "Hermione, how are you going to be in three classes at once?"
"Don't be so silly Ron, you can't be in three places at once!" she took a slice of toast and walked toward the Entrance Hall, "I'm going to get my books, see you in class."
"Is that your class or mine?" I asked the boys who were in Divination with Hermione whilst I was in Muggle Studies with her also. I wondered how she was going to pull that one out of the bag.
Finishing my breakfast, I went to class on my lonesome, in an area of the castle I'd never been before. Professor Burbage was thrilled to see me as she welcomed me into her classroom. Hannah Abbott, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan had joined from Hufflepuff whilst a few more unfamiliar faces joined from Ravenclaw- Mandy Broklehurst, Morag MacDougal and Lisa Turpin. There was no surprise that no one from Slytherin had chosen the subject, (many) Purebloods think they are better than everyone else and to study about Muggles was simply an outrage.
I was sitting at a desk by myself, giving up all hope of Hermione making a show before 9 o'clock. Probably sensing my loneliness, Professor Burbage suggested moving the desks to form a rectangle so that we could all sit together in a group to introduce ourselves and say what made us want to study Muggles.
I went first, "Hey! I'm Kathryn and I chose Muggle Studies so that I could learn about the Muggle World from another point of view, having lived in it for the majority of my life."
Morag said that she, as a Pureblood was quite opposite to me and wanted to understand the Muggle way of life. Mandy said that she was interested in learning how her mother's family lived without magic. Lisa wanted to understand how technology works. Both Ernie and Justin want to work in the Ministry of Magic and that could entail meeting Muggles. Hannah said that she was interested in learning the similarities and differences in our ways of life. Moments before the bell rang for classes to start, Hermione came rushing through the door apologising with sweat on her brow. She had clearly decided at the last minute to choose me over the two boys. She sat down in the spare seat beside me and was urged to introduce herself. She said, "I'm Hermione Granger and am studying about Muggles so that I can learn to live my life in both worlds when I leave Hogwarts."
Professor Burbage drew a chair up to the head of the table, "Right! Now that we know everyone, we shall begin our first lesson together. We shall start with a discussion, to which we will form a homework essay on the question, "What is a Muggle?"
Hermione's hand (unsurprisingly) shot up in the air. Professor Burbage spoke, "No need for hands, my dear, everyone may speak one at a time in discussion form."
"Well," Hermione began, clearly gutted that she hadn't the privilege of being 'picked' by the teacher, "A Muggle is someone who is born into a non-magical family and is incapable of performing magic."
"Yes, indeed. A textbook answer, if you would all mind writing notes." Then our teacher cleared her throat and declared, "I meant to say that we do everything a little differently in this class, it'll bring a little more relaxed approach to our studies. I use first names when speaking to individuals in this room and we all work together as a team to discuss and bring a different approach to our studies." Then we continued our discussion here are a few facts:
"Most don't know the presence of the Wizarding World as the International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy was introduced in 1692."
"Most Muggles believe magic to be a fantasy from children's stories."
"Some Wizarding places are bewitched in some way that Muggles cannot see them and are completely oblivious to that of which one with magical blood can see. These places include Ottery St Catchpole and the Leaky Cauldron in London."
"Two Muggles can give birth to a child with Magical Powers. A muggle and a Witch/Wizard can marry and produce Magical and Non-Magical Children."
"Muggles have leadership authorities such as a King or Queen and government figures such as a Prime Minister. These top figures have been told about the Wizarding World."
Before I knew it, the class was over and all eight students looked at each other in complete amusement at how interesting our lesson was. Next thing, Hermione and I were off to Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Hermione went to grab her book from the Common Room and told me to save her a seat.
"Hermione is sulking with me."
"What have you done this time, Ronald?" I asked, as I had taken a seat beside him.
"Me? It's only because for once in her life, Hermione is rubbish at a class." Ron was used to my sarcasm and took it under his belt.
"What do you mean?" Had I been in another world or something, Hermione had only just been in her first class with me.
"Professor Trelawney told Hermione that she perceived very little aura around her, that books would only help her so far in the subject and that her soul is as dry as the books she so desperately cleaves. It's safe to say she didn't take it well." Ron mocked his teacher's voice.
"Ouch." I said, biting my lower lip, thinking how she couldn't have been in that class when she was sat right next to me.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Uh-huh. I'm just wondering where she is!" I decided to talk to her about it, rather that start another confrontation, Hermione and Ron argued like an old married couple at times and Harry and I are sick and tired of it. I think he (Harry) could sense I was holding something back and gave me 'the eyes' like we had our own type of communication which meant 'we're talking about this later'!
As the rest of our class filed into the room, they were staring at Harry with frightened faces, that at some point he would turn into a monster and eat everyone. The lesson began and everyone kept continuing to look back at Harry.
"Really, what has gotten in to you all today?" McGonagall asked the class, clearly having noticed the nervous tension in the air.
"Professor, we've just had our first divination class." Lavender spoke.
"Ah, now which one of you is going to die this year, someone tell me." McGonagall looked bored.
"Me." Harry spoke sheepishly.
"Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of at least one student each year she has taught here. No one has died yet. Seeing death omens are her favourite way of greeting a new class. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with the subject." She sighed and continued, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so do excuse me for not letting you off homework tonight. I assure if you die you need not hand it in."
I snorted. Hermione and I were the only people who found this funny. Hermione? When did she arrive? Anyway, I found it hard to believe that someone could actually predict the future, and I honestly didn't want to know! Our lesson continued and there was a little more life in the class, lasting us right up to lunchtime which was just as dramatic.
"Honestly Ronald, eat some stew." Hermione said, putting some in a bowl for him.
Ron picked up his fork but didn't eat, "Harry, you haven't seen any great black dogs recently, have you?"
Making matters worse was Harry's response, "Well, yeah, I have! That night I left the Dursley's!"
"It must have been a stray!" said Hermione.
I added, "Or a dog having a sniff around it's own garden?"
"If Harry's seen a grim- that's bad! My Uncle Bilius saw a Grim and 24hours later he was dead. Most people die when they see-"
"So they die of fright that they've seen one rather than dying because of a stupid omen." Hermione continued to argue back. I knew those two would not agree to disagree.
"See, but the thing is guys…" I said, distracting them from their petty argument, "Harry is still alive and he's certainly survived a lot worse than seeing a black dog."
"Thank you Kathryn." Hermione said.
Ron saw he was losing argument and played his final card, "Well, you can't deal with the fact that you're wrong, Trelawney said it herself that you have no aura, deal with the fact that you're not going to pass a class."
Hermione slammed her fork down on the table and stormed out of the Great Hall stating, "If I have to pretend to see things I don't in Divination then I don't think I'll be taking that class much longer. Arithmancy was far superior by comparison."
"But she hasn't been to Arithmancy yet…" Harry frowned.
I finished my last mouthful and lifted my bag, "I'd better go after her since you two don't seem to be moving anywhere any time soon."
Making my way toward the common room, I saw Hermione in an unused classroom. I heard her muttering to herself "Babbling bumbling on so long I couldn't get my homework started, I'm going to be working for hours." I could hear her sniffling.
Surely Hermione had Ancient Runes with Professor Babbling after lunch? I opened the door slightly to talk to her about Ron and to try and comfort her. She seemed to be playing with her new necklace and she turned around and saw me. The look of shock on her face meant I shouldn't have seen her just vanish into thin air.