9th September

I had two nightmares last night. Both of which were linked to the information shared in court the previous day. I was tied up with a bag over my head in the first dream, I was injected with drugs to make me woozy, I as placed in stress positions, I was kicked, beaten. I was Aileen Murphy. My husband, Dr Odhran Murphy, was unconscious beside me. Last thing I remember before waking up was the pain and blood pouring out of me as I experienced a miscarriage.

It took me an hour to get back over to sleep again. My body's exhaustion fought the adrenaline coursing through my veins and I was suddenly trapped inside another world. A world where I was a parent, looking after my four children. I could see their red hair and big brown eyes. I stood in the kitchen, washing the dishes and making dinner, watching out the window as my children played happily together, they were running about playing chase, kicking a ball, riding their bikes and scooters, jumping on their trampoline. My youngest daughter was playing with her doll in her pram, she was lost in a world of her own imagination. They were happy, contented, well-loved children. They were mine.

I heard someone at the door, "Katy! I'm home!" it was George.

A rush of emotion saw me run to him, fling my arms around him and proceed to tell him about what the kids had baked that morning and the antics of the afternoon. He went upstairs to get changed for dinner when I heard a squeal from the back garden. I quickly went to investigate as I saw the contents of my youngest daughter's pram lying strewn across the driveway.

"Mommy!" one of my kids shouted, "She's been taken by a bad man…" they pointed at the man who was undoubtedly my much older father, climbing over the fence, dragging my little girl who was bleeding and unconscious.

"NOOOOOOOO!" I screamed, running full force to save her, "GEORGEEEE!" I yelled, running endlessly, the more I ran, the further they got away. I forced myself to keep going, never losing sight of them, waking up as I fell into a collapsed heap on the floor. I had just fallen out of bed.

"Kathryn?" I saw Lavender's concerned eyes as I opened mine, "Are you okay?"

"Let's help you get back into bed…" Parvati put a supportive arm under mine and helped lift me.

I rubbed my arm and knee, they were stinging in pain as they had collided with the cold, hard, stone floor, "I'm fine." I said, looking over to see Hermione's bed was empty.

"She went to get help." Fay said timidly from her bed in the opposite corner of the room, she had her knees drawn up to her chest. She was terrified.

I got up to comfort her, "I'm sorry…" I said, "My nightmares can get really bad. I don't mean to frighten you…"

"It's not me I'm worried about, it's you… My dad works with muggles; everyone's been talking about what's been happening on your parent's case. I had no idea…" she said quietly.

"Kit-Kat!" Ginny rushed down the stairs, tying her dressing gown, Hermione on her tail, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, "it was nothing like what happened in the summer. Don't worry. Just a friendly reminder of what my parents have done and what power they still have over me." I fumbled around for my watch, "What time is it anyway?"

"It's just after 6am." Hermione answered.

I rubbed my eyes and found Ginny sitting on my bed beside me, "this had better not be starting up again…" I sighed, resting my head on her shoulder, "I have the ability to unknowingly wake up an entire house… watch this space," no one laughed, so I stood, "no point moping, better make myself look alive."

No amount of makeup or hair products were going to make me look like I had a full nights' sleep. I sat down for breakfast having everyone asking me what my nightmares were about. I refused to tell them. I needed to come to terms with why I was feeling this way, surely I should be happy or relieved.

One by one, all of my friends tried to get the information out of me. First Hermione, then Ginny, Parvati, Lavender, Ron and then George…

"You know you can tell me anything?" he took a hold of my hand, "nothing that you tell me has to go any further… You can trust me Katy." He promised and promised, but I found myself staring at the porridge in my bowl and feeling queasy. After a few minutes of silence, he tried again, "Was it something Umbridge did or said? Please Katy…"

Harry then spoke up next, I think there was a hint of coercion from the rest of the group going on, "Kathryn, talk to someone, please."

I looked up from the table and said, "I'll tell them what happened if you tell them what Umbridge is doing to you first." I heard that McGonagall had taken off another 5 house points for Harry being such an idiot and Ange was about to shoot Harry for being in detention during the next Quidditch practice.

That shut him up.

I couldn't seem to shift this feeling as I sat through charms class. Awful thoughts kept running though my head… What if my parents escaped from prison? Or what if they got out and found me and killed my kids? What if they caused me to have a miscarriage? What if Umbridge starts making me cut myself with her quill? What if my parents sent someone to torture me? What if Umbridge was the one sent to destroy me? There seemed to be a number of people in the world intent on doing so at the minute. Ron passed me a bag of sweets to eat between classes, as I had been yawning my head off.

I was glad as I had to be slightly more alive in transfiguration as Umbridge was in doing an inspection, and last thing I wanted was for McGonagall to get in trouble because of me. Ron was sitting on one side of me and Hermione on the other, "Excellent," Ron said as Umbridge walked in, "Let's see Umbridge get what she deserves."

McGonagall walked into the classroom and completely ignored Umbridge's presence, "Mr Finnigan, kindly come here and hand back the homework – Miss Brown, please take this box of mice – don't be silly girl, they won't hurt you – and hand one to each student"

"Hem, hem."

Seamus handed me back my essay… I got an 'O'! That certainly rose my spirits a little higher. Lavender handed me a little white mouse and I held it in my hands and stroked it gently.

"Right then, everyone, listen closely – Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention – most of you have now successfully Vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have got the gist of the spell. Today, we shall be –"

"Hem, hem," said Professor Umbridge.

Ron rubbed his hands together, willing for something to happen.

"Yes?" said Professor McGonagall, turning round, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.

"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec–"

"Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom," McGonagall turned her back on Umbridge and continued teaching, "As I was saying: today, we shall be practising the altogether more difficult Vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell –"

"Hem, hem."

"I wonder," McGonagall said in a cold fury, turning on Umbridge, "How you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."

Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. Ron and I suppressed giggles along with the rest of the class. McGonagall was seemingly unconcerned that Umbridge started scribbling on her clipboard furiously.

"As I was saying: The Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be Vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater one. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So – you know the incantation, let me see what you can do…"

Harry shared a comment with Ron, Hermione looked at me nervously before attempting to Vanish her mouse which she did with ease. I set down my mouse on top of my parchment, and jokingly showed Hermione both of my hands and tapped the mouse's back, "Alright, Mildred, Evanesco." I said and the mouse disappeared, "YES!"

"Well done, Miss Pink and Miss Granger!" McGonagall smiled, "Take five points each!"

"Thank you very much." I said, taking another mouse.

By the end of class, I had managed to vanish a further five mice – Pepper, Gertrude, Pedro, Timmy and Dash, who tried to run away. Ron had managed to Vanish the majority of his mouse, the remainder was its tail. As the bell rang, we all packed up and Umbridge only dared then to speak to McGonagall again. Only a glance exchanged between the four of us, meant that we were going to stall our exit.

"How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Umbridge asked.

"Thirty-nine years this December." McGonagall said brusquely, snapping her bag shut.

"Very well," Umbridge said after making a note, "you will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time."

"I can hardly wait." McGonagall said in a coldly, indifferent voice and she strode towards the open door, "Hurry up, you four." She stood at the door waiting for us to leave first. The five of us walked towards the Great Hall for lunch and McGonagall made a point of walking beside me, "Everything alright this morning?"

"Not exactly." I spoke earnestly, "she's using medieval punishments and threatening pupils." I whispered.

McGonagall asked, "Nightmares?"

"Two last night. Brand new." I answered, "I was a little… off… at breakfast."

"Naturally…" she whispered.

"But that class was particularly exhilarating that one could simply not be in a mood any longer." I smirked.

As we entered the Great Hall, McGonagall looked to me, "I would recommend speaking to Mr Weasley, he's looking a little pale over there…"

I stopped in my footsteps, "Professor? Do you think our relationship is wrong? Because he's already seventeen?" I asked, "That it should be… prohibited?" I said in a very high voice.

McGonagall pursed her lips and shook her head, "If there is anything in this world that is right, it is your relationship with George." She nodded her head, "Now off you go."

I sat opposite Fred and George, both of whom stopped all conversation as I sat. "I'm just out of Transfiguration with Umbridge." I said before serving myself food, "That woman is trying to ruin lives." I put my hand in my bag to grab my diary, but came across the newspaper Tonks had given back to me and pulled it out. "The last person I needed to see last night was her." I said, showing them the headline of the article I was about to read.

JUSTICE FOR THE ABUSED DAUGHTER OF
THE TORTUROUS TWOSOME?

I flicked to page 5 and began reading…
Today concludes the court case against the couple who have become known as the 'Torturous Twosome' some twelve weeks ago when this, the biggest trial in years began. Helen and Richard Pink quickly gave themselves a reputation as during summer 1994, they had physically abused their thirteen-year-old daughter and left her to die. As this atrocity became public, the couple had become the most wanted criminals in the world, they were swiftly captured and thrown into high security prison. After weeks and months, knowing they were safe, individuals who had survived the torture of Helen and Richard began to come forward. A court date was set and all the evidence gathered of all the abuse and violence that had happened to so many. The question was, where did their daughter Kathryn disappear to? She was lost within the system. It was the job of her lawyer Mr William Snow to find her and represent her in court. It was three weeks into the trial when Mr Snow found the key witness to testify against her parents just in time. The court was in shock as the now fourteen-year-old, innocent Miss Pink walked into court to take the stand. 'My mother pulled me by my hair into a room in our house I had never been in and, along with my father, punched and kicked me until I was unconscious' was one of her opening statements. The proof was in her scars that she bore to judge and jury. She was shaking, you could see in her eyes the terror when she saw her parents for the first time from the frightful incident.
It wasn't only one event that brought her to court, but a lifetime of cuts, bruises and trips to A&E with unexplained broken bones, black eyes, cuts, burns and sprained arms. Until this point, Miss Pink had been failed by the system that was designed to protect her. It was the quick thinking of young GP Dr A. Davis that led to Miss Pink's discovery which ultimately saved her life. 'Miss Pink was covered in blood… she was barely holding on… I didn't think she was going to make it…'
It took Miss Pink weeks to recover from the injuries but psychologically, she will always suffer. Miss Pink 'is the worst case of paediatric abuse I have come across in my entire career and I have been practising for almost 27 years'. Spoke the Doctor who, due to the sensitives of the case cannot be named, he continued, Miss Pink 'often shows signs of poor mental health…. She shows clear signs of having been neglected as a child…'
After a short break, Miss Pink showed the fight that she had, the determination to make her parents suffer, to prove that they were the monsters who had abused her and so many others. Defence Lawyer Mr J. Playfair tried to rattle her cage, but she was smart, she knew when she was being manipulated and gave him a run for his money. 'It was the evidence that she gave that swung the jury', spoke a reliable source. 'Accusing Miss Pink of serious mental health problems was the worst decision Mr Playfair could have made' the source continues, 'because Miss Pink stood so tall and confident in what she was saying, there was no chance she was mentally unstable'. Another reliable source spoke, "And Miss Pink so bravely showed the court her scars, she sacrificed her dignity for the fourteen other individuals who had suffered at her parents' hands.' The source concludes, 'if they don't go down for murder and abuse, I will be surprised. The jury has already found them guilty.'
Tension is high in greater London and the rest of the United Kingdom as the long drawn out battle in court finally concludes…

"Fascinating." I said to myself, in the time I had eaten half of the food on my plate.

"What's fascinating?" Fred asked, George had an incredulous look on his face as I beat about the bush, avoiding the conversation that, for him, was most prudent.

I held up the paper, "Muggle newspaper version of my parents' trial. Narcissa and your mum didn't see me grab it." I said quietly, "it's the most I've been kept in the loop about myself."

Fred served himself some more food, "I can barely imagine…" he indicated an interest in reading the paper and I let him. George read as well. "Blimey." Fred exclaimed, "George couldn't talk about it, neither could mum or dad. This is just the basis of what happened, isn't it?" he talked as though George wasn't there.

I nodded.

"It's alright to have nightmares, you know." He said. I wondered when he was going to slip it in, "I guess the fact that you can function as a human being shows just how unbelievably strong you are."

"Enough of the buttering up, Fred. I'm not telling you what happened." I stated clearly.

Fred swung his arm in defeat, "Darn."

"Not before I tell George. It's just not going to be easy…"

George looked up from his lunch, a crinkle of a smile on his face.

"He loves you." Fred said out of the blue, advocating for his twin, still as though he wasn't sitting right there.

"I know he does," I stated, looking at George, "Do you reckon he will go for a walk around the Black Lake with me?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Of course." George answered, getting to his feet quickly, Lee Jordan just slipped into the seat on the other side of Fred.

I took a little longer to stand and spoke directly to Fred, "I will tell you, I just… have so much going on in my head right now…"

He nodded. I got up and caught up with George who was waiting at the doors for me, he reached out his hand and interlocked his fingers with mine.

We walked outside, down past the Greenhouses, past Hagrid's hut towards the Black Lake. I took a deep breath, "I'm going to tell you everything all at once because I know if I stop to cry then I'll not be able to finish what I'm going to say because I wanted to burst into tears this morning at breakfast and I had to stop myself." I clarified, "I was in such a shitty mood and I'm sorry for being a complete bitch…"

I could tell George was nervous too, "It's okay… You take it however slow you need."

"So yesterday whenever I came back from court I told you that I was worried about what was going to happen in 16 years' time whenever my parents get released. Then Umbridge brought me up to her office and tried to threaten me again. She said that I my dress was inappropriate. That my makeup was inappropriate. She also threatened me by saying that our relationship is appropriate because you are an adult and I am a minor. She basically doesn't want me exchanging in physical contact with any of the students but especially you. I then in a very nice way told her exactly where to stick it. Then she released me from her office around midnight. But as you will remember… Harry was there too… She had a special quill and was making him write lines, but the ink was his blood and he was cutting the words into his hand! He has the words 'I must not tell lies' inscribed on his hand! She's hurting him George and he's not talking to anyone! Everyone was in bed when I got back last night and I was just so… conflicted and I found it really hard to get over to sleep and when I did I had two nightmares. The first was what happened to Dr and Mrs Murphy. You probably remember them… she was really kind to me. It turns out that they were only attacked because they were both treating people that my mum and dad had tortured or hurt. Whenever I was in court yesterday I found out just too much information and I had this mental image of what happened. Then I had a nightmare that I was Aileen. That my parents tied me up, placed me in stress positions, starved me, beat me, and the worst thing of all, caused me to have a miscarriage because of all the trauma inflicted. That was when I woke up, thinking blood was actually pouring out of me. It wasn't, just if you're wondering… But it just really sickened me that my parents would torture someone just because they may or may not know any information based on people they treated…"

I let myself take a second to compose myself. George and I had walked about halfway around the Black Lake and he simply listened as I spoke, "Then I fell asleep again after what seemed like ages…" I felt myself getting all emotional just thinking about it, "I felt so happy as I was watching our four kids playing out the back of our house..." I took a second to steady my chin which was starting to wobble, "They were playing chase, they were jumping on a trampoline, our little girl was playing on her own with her doll in a pram with a changing mat and she was just lost in her own imagination. I was making dinner for you coming home from work. So much of the dream was watching our kids and feeling this immense pride and happiness. I heard you come through the door and I ran to greet you, I told you all about our day. I told you about baking and playing outside and that I had really missed you. You told me that you had a busy day and were glad to be home and you thought dinner smelt amazing. So you went upstairs to get changed. That's when I heard one of our boys scream. He said "Mommy, the bad man has taken her…" then they pointed and I could see my dad carrying our little girl who was bleeding and unconscious and possibly dead and he ran and climbed over the fence to escape. I screamed and screamed, "NOOOOO!" I yelled after my father, then I called you for help, and I ran after my little girl, but the more I ran the further they got away, the more I ran out of breath. Then I collapsed in a heap and that is when I fell out of bed and landed on the floor, waking myself up…" I took a breath, "My parents got out of prison and they found me and they took our little girl… They're always going to find a way to get to me…" I burst into tears…

"Let me see you…" George stopped walking.

I sat down in a heap on the ground, sobbing. He sat down on the grass and wrapped himself around me, holding me tight, taking the pain away. He rocked me back and forth. I felt like I was mourning. The nightmare felt so real…

"What were they like? Our kids?" George asked whilst he was stroking my hair.

"We had three mini Georges and a mini Kathryn." I answered, "They were the most beautiful children. We were just so happy and our lives were torn apart…" I spoke, "And I couldn't tell you this morning because Umbridge was watching and I knew if she saw you and me being all emotional together then she'd have a reason to put me in detention… She threatened me George, and by doing so, she's threatening you. I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want her to hurt you…"

George only held me tighter, "We are a team, Katy. If that woman hurts you, she also hurts me. Okay?" he said, "Leave her to me."

"No George!" I said feeling a sudden rush of panic, "Please don't! She's trying to ruin us, I don't want that to happen, so as long as we're careful in her presence, then that's okay. Your mum, Tonks and McGonagall know what's happening, they have my back. I also know that by sending a single message to Narcissa, she would have something done about it..." I swallowed hard, "I'm just… scared."

George nodded, "I know you are."

"I'll find a way to sort it all out…" I said, lying down on my back, "Sort myself out…"

George smiled, "You always do! We've got this!" he took my hand, lying beside me.

"I wish we could lie here and just forget the world..."

"I think we can manage that!" George put an arm around me and we just lay there, talking and looking up at the clouds forming in the sky. He always had the ability to make me feel better, "Oh, and I just wanted to let you know something…" he rolled over and was lying on his stomach, looking down on me smiling from ear to ear, "The tranexamic acid works." He bit his lip and smiled if not wider, "Fred and I tried it out last night. It works, Katy!" he kissed me passionately, his whole demeanour had lit up, he was just so full of life. This really mattered to him and I helped!

"I'm delighted for you!" his smile was infectious, "I'm still not testing it for you, though!"

10th September

Harry had clearly told Ron and Hermione what Umbridge was doing during his detentions before I arrived to breakfast this morning because when I arrived they both had grave looks on their faces. I had a rough start to the morning as I had a lovely recurring nightmare about one of the victims Damian O'Toole… he was the man who had been stabbed by my father, but he had been distracted initially by my mother. It was a familiar sound, that of being stabbed, the sound of knife piercing skin and drawing blood. This time, I was stabbed in my right side, just below my ribs, right were my liver was. I haemorrhaged over and over again, finding myself, not on the streets like Damian was, but in the secret room in my parents' home, lying in a pool of my own blood and taking my last breath. Every time I closed my eyes I was stabbed… I think I died about twenty times in all.

Anyway…

Harry's scar on his hand was obvious this morning as his hand hadn't healed overnight. I slumped onto the bench beside him in the Great Hall, where he warned me not to mention anything to McGonagall or Dumbledore, he didn't want to burden them with it. I told him in return that he keeps us in the loop about everything, scar pain, Umbridge threats, strange nightmares... everything. After that, I took the liberty of fuelling myself with a serious amount of caffeine.

After a loooooong day, Hermione, Ron and I were sitting in the Gryffindor Common room working as Harry was in detention. I couldn't sit content, knowing what was happening. I visited Madam Pomfery to get some essence of Murtlap for Harry's hand, to ease the pain. She looked at me quizzically but I told her to ask no questions and I'd tell her no lies. She shook her head and said, "You spend fair too much time with those twins…" then she smirked and gave me what I asked for and a bowl for it to go into.

When I returned back to the Common Room, Harry still wasn't back. Not that it was discussed, but the three of us unanimously decided not to go to bed until he got back. It wasn't that difficult considering the essays we had for McGonagall and Sprout, the write-up for Snape and the project for Muggle Studies. I wanted to hit my head off the table, but there was no point. I was kept awake by the impending doom of going to sleep. The portrait door swung open just after midnight and a shocked Harry entered.

"This should help with the sting…" I pushed the bowl of Murtlap liquid towards Harry and I could see the sweet relief on his face as he submerged his red-raw hand into the solution.

"Thanks." Harry said.

Ron spoke next, "I'm with Kathryn on this one, Harry, I think you should complain about this."

"No," Harry said flatly.

"McGonagall would go nuts if she knew-"

"Yeah, she probably would," Harry agreed, "And how long to you reckon it'd take Umbridge to pass another decree saying anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets sacked immediately?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but took a second to form my sentence, "We're not trying to start an argument Harry… It's just that we care for you and we want the best for you. If you're not going to let us tell McGonagall about your hand, we still need to do something about Umbridge."

Hermione agreed, "I couldn't agree with you more."

Ron looked up, "What about poison?"

"No, Ron, I don't fancy spending out my days in Azkaban…" I shot down the idea.

"You know, I was thinking today," Hermione said tentatively, "I was thinking that – maybe the time's come when we should just – just do it ourselves."

"Do what ourselves?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked between the three of us, "Well – learn Defence Against the Dark Arts ourselves. I think we need to learn how to defend ourselves…" Hermione spoke, then she looked directly at me, "That's what you were thinking, right?"

I shook my head, "No, but I like the way this is going…"

"Come off it, you two!" Ron groaned, "You want us to do more homework? Do you realise Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?"

"But this is much more important than homework!" Hermione stated with confidence.

I was impressed. Hermione began speaking about us learning Defence Against the Dark Arts with the same enthusiasm as she had with S.P.E.W. She talked about us preparing ourselves for what's out there. Making sure that we can really defend ourselves.

"This is more than us practicing a few jinxes on each other in McGonagall's classroom!" I said.

Hermione agreed, "We need a teacher, a proper teacher, one who has had real experience of fighting off You-Know-Who, someone who can correct us if we've got it wrong…"

"Who?" Harry asked.

"You." I told Harry, reading Hermione's mind, "That's brilliant! Harry, if you could teach us how to cast a patronus or-"

"That's an idea!" Ron said.

Harry was grinning, "But I'm not a teacher… I can't-" he thought we were joking.

"Harry, you're the best in our year at Defence Against the Dark Arts!" Hermione said.

"Me?" Harry looked as though he was about to laugh, "No I'm not, you've beaten me in every test!"

Hermione shook her head, "Actually, I haven't," she spoke coolly, "You beat me in third year – the only year we had a teacher who actually knew the subject! And I'm assuming you beat me last year, too, you fought off the Imperius Curse, you-"

"No, I didn't, I got an Exceeds Expectations."

"Oh…" Hermione said, confused, "I didn't get an OO in-"

I clenched my teeth together and raised my hand.

"What?" she said.

"I got the OO."

"Oh." Hermione looked surprised. There was a moment of awkward silence which was broken by Ron's laughter.

"Anyway…" I said, "Harry, look, you're the man for the job. You got the Philosopher's Stone in first year, you killed the Basilisk in second year, you fought off a hundred Dementors at once in third year, last year you won the Triwizard Tournament." Harry had tried to interrupt me on many occasions, claiming that he had help when I spoke, but I continued talking louder and louder.

"But-"

"Harry? I don't give a shit if you say that you had help – YOU were the one who saved us in the Chamber of Secrets, YOU were the one who casted the patronus, YOU were the one who defeated the Dragon, YOU survived in the water and YOU fought off Voldemort in the Maze. You may have had help to get there, but at the end of the day, it was YOU on your own because none of us have the ability to take it on." I concluded.

Ron and Hermione nodded, "Well said."

Harry was about to have a go. The bowl of Murtlap essence fell to the floor and smashed, "You don't know what it's like! None of you! You've never had to face him, have you? You think it's just memorising a bunch of spells and throwing them at him. The whole time you know there's nothing between you and dying except your own – your own brain or guts or whatever – like you can think straight when you know you're about a nanosecond from being murdered, or tortured, or watching your friends die – they've never taught is that in their classes, what it's like to deal with things like that – and you three are sitting there thinking that I'm a clever boy to be alive, like Diggory was stupid, like he messed up – you just don't get it, that could easily have been me, it would have been if Voldemort hadn't needed me."

"We weren't saying anything like that, mate," Ron said, looking aghast, "We weren't having a go at Diggory, we didn't-"

Ron looked to Hermione and me for help.

"Harry," Hermione said timidly, "don't you see? This… this is exactly why we need you… we need to know what it's really like… facing him… facing V-Voldemort."

That was the first time I had ever heard Hermione say the name.

"Well… think about it." Hermione said quietly, "Please."

She stood up and I followed, the two of us went up to bed. As I was about to turn off the light, Hermione stuck out her hand for me to make the conversation silent, "We need to open this up to more than just the three of us."

I nodded, "Yeah, of course! I'm sure Fred and George would love to come!"

"I could talk to the girls in the morning?"

"I'll say to Gin?"

"I'll say to Ron to ask Dean, Neville and Seamus…" Hermione thought aloud, "You could say to Angelina, Alicia and Katie?"

"Of course! Shall we just put feelers out to people we trust and see what comes back in our direction?" I suggested and Hermione agreed, "'Mione, are we mad for suggesting this?"

"Probably, but what other choice do we have?" she asked sincerely, letting go of my hand and rolling over in bed. She fell asleep within minutes… I saw one and two o'clock…

11th September

Tonight I was the victim Geoffrey Clark who was assaulted on the streets of Belfast for information about a drug lord. Geoffrey was repeatedly punched and kicked, resulting in a broken nose, several broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. He continually pleaded with my parents, claiming that he had no idea what they were talking about, who they were asking about… that he had never been involved with drug dealing. They stopped hurting him when my mother received a phone call from their informant. My parents beat up the wrong man. They ran for their lives, leaving poor Geoffrey to die.

At the end of Geoffrey's testimony, he told of a guardian angel of sorts, a lady, who happened to be dressed in white. She called him an ambulance and got him to hospital, she never left his side until he woke up the next afternoon. That lady saved his life.

Unfortunately, my nightmare had no guardian angel, but my parents came back to finish the job. I was back in the secret room in our house. When they kicked and beat me, I didn't pass out. My body wouldn't let me become unconscious, wouldn't let me die. I was trapped inside the nightmare. My parents continually kicked and beat me, left me to die, and came back, giving as good as they could offer. The fifth time, in Geoffrey Clark's body, I got up and fought back. I gave as good as I got. But one final swift blow from my father saw me fall to the ground and I woke up, tangled in my duvet, on the floor.

A range of profanities slipped out of my mouth as I realised what had happened. Thankfully this time, I had only woken myself.

"Hey Gin," I smiled, "Got a sec?"

She was standing facing the Ravenclaw table, talking to Michael Corner, as she turned, there was a look of fear in her eyes, "Kit-Kat." She said in surprise, "I thought you'd gone back up to the Common Room?"

"Yeah, then I came here to find you, you eejit." I said, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Ginny turned around properly to see me, "You know Michael, Kit-Kat, don't you?"

"'Course I do! He's a Claw, he's in my year, also happens to be in my Charms class and-"

"We're dating." She said all at once, taking his hand.

My jaw hit the floor, "You're what?"

"Dating," Ginny repeated a lot slower this time.

I processed the word, "Since when?"

"Since the end of July," she said.

I looked at Michael, he was slightly shorter than me, his hair was dark brown and his eyes were brown as well. I had never really paid much attention to him before, "Oh."

Ginny looked as though she was holding her breath, she was waiting for me to play my next move, as so to speak.

"From July," I repeated her words, "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Kit-Kat…" Ginny said slowly.

Michael shifted uncomfortable, "I'll catch up with you later, Ginny…"

"Not so fast." I said, stopping Michael in his tracks, "You're dating my little sister."

"Yes?"

"You like her?"

"Yes."

I looked at Ginny, "Is he treating you well?"

"Yes! For goodness sake, Kit-Kat-" she said.

I looked back at Michael, "Are you treating her well?"

"Yes!" his voice was a few octaves higher than it should have been.

"If you ever hurt her, so help me I will destroy you, alright?"

Michael nodded.

"Do you understand me?"

"Yes!" his voice went higher still. He looked like he would rather the floor open up and suck him in rather than continue the conversation with me. Good.

"Do you say anything other than the word 'yes'?"

"Yes!" he said, "I mean-"

I laughed, "You may go."

Michael scurried off as quickly as his legs would carry him.

Ginny laughed, "You are so mean."

I shook my head at her, "I can't believe you didn't tell me! I mean, Gin, come on, we're sisters! We talk about stuff, don't we?"

"Of course we do!" Ginny nodded her head, "It's just that this all happened at the time of the trial and you – well, you weren't really at your best, were you?" she sat down at the Ravenclaw table and encouraged me to do the same.

I sat beside her, "But do you not think that telling me might have helped me feel a little better? Put a smile on my face? It might have distracted me from all the shit that was going on. I could have prepared a better interrogation!"

"I know, I know… there were so many times I was going to tell you, but Hermione-"

"Of course she knows!" the twang of feeling betrayed just got a little worse, "When were you planning on telling me?"

"I don't know, I guess I was scared I wasn't going to get your approval or something," she said, "I told Hermione because she was with me all summer as Michael was writing to me, she forced it out of me. She, like you, has helped me get over the whole Harry thing and she was there when I got the letter," she knew this argument wasn't winning any brownie points with me, "Look, Kit-Kat, of all the people in my life, you are the person whose approval I value most. I don't know what I was thinking, I just – I – wanted you to approve so bad that I got scared every time I went to tell you."

"My approval?" I laughed, "Why mine?"

Ginny blushed, "Because you're family. You're my sister. I talk to you about everything, but for some reason I couldn't talk about Michael. We met at the Yule Ball and we got along and, well, I guess I just wanted to have someone feel like that about me – What you have with George is – Kit-Kat, he worships the ground you walk on and you would do anything for each other, I wish I could have that with someone... but it isn't like that with Michael and me… I like him and I'm seeing what happens."

I sighed, "I'm not going to pretend, I am hurt… And nothing going on in my life should stop you from feeling like you can talk to me. I was really lucky, I am really lucky that I've found George, and I do realise it isn't that easy for everyone else, I'm not that narrow minded! I'd like to say I'm pretty easy going!"

"You are!" Ginny assured, "I'm sorry…"

"Have you kissed him yet?" I asked cheekily.

Ginny blushed, "Yes."

"And…?"

"If you're wanting me to say that you're the better kisser-" the two of us started laughing, "neither of us really knew what we were doing, I think that is fair to say!"

I smirked, "So our lesson wasn't helpful then?" I thought back to the dare during the summer.

Ginny shook her head, "Oh, it was."

The two of us giggled like five year olds.

She smiled, "What did you want to talk to me about?" she said seriously.

"Oh, yeah…" I remembered, getting up to walk around the castle, "I want to invite you to join Ron, Hermione and me in learning how to defend ourselves with the help of our new teacher… Harry. Umbridge isn't teaching us anything, and with Voldemort building an army, we really need to be able to fight back and… win. Harry's the only one of us to have had hands on experience against Voldemort and he's come out the other side! The four of us are willing to go to whatever length to protect ourselves and if that means forming a secret group and learning new jinxes and counter curses, then it makes us feel like we're doing something meaningful." I paused.

Ginny looked interested, "I think that's a brilliant idea!"

I couldn't help but smile, "I've talked to Fred and George and they've enlisted Lee. I'm going to talk to Ange, Katie and Alicia whenever I can get them together and see what they think. Hermione is in the process of talking to Parvati, Lavender and Fay. Ron is talking to Dean, Neville and Seamus. I was thinking of talking to the people in my Muggle Studies class, they were complaining about the lack of a practical element to our DADA lessons. You can invite Michael if you like, if you can trust him to keep schtum, and if you think he'll like it, of course. We were all going to meet in Hogsmeade, so that Umbridge doesn't hear us."

"I'll pass on the news and report back." Ginny beamed excitedly, "I should probably make sure Michael isn't traumatised… I haven't told anyone other than you and Hermione and a few of the girls, I just don't think Ron, Fred and George need to know just yet… They'll probably give him a rough time like you did."

"Here." I said, "I do not apologise for making sure my lil sis gets nothing but the best."

Gin put an arm around me, "Thanks, Kit-Kat."

12th September

"Hello." My father was standing in front of me, I had opened the door to him.

I felt my heart starting to race, "You're the dude from the bank." I sounded like a man, my arms were a lot longer, I was a lot stronger and my voice was a lot deeper.

"I told you he'd remembered me." my father said to my mother, who was standing just in my line of sight, "I knew he would be a problem."

"Mr Taylor?" my mother stood into the light, her voice was high and sweet. She was wearing all black, just like my father. Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun, she had a menacing smile, "Mr Taylor, she repeated, may we come in? I am from the bank, I am here to discuss what happened today, what you thought you saw."

I could feel my hands shake as I took my mobile phone out of my back pocket. I dialled the numbers 999 as she was talking, "Who are you?" I asked, replacing the phone back into my pocket again.

"We are your worst nightmare." My mother said as my father pushed open the door.

"You are breaking and entering, please leave."

"Oh, we will." My mother said, holding up a knife, it reflected the light, shining into my eyes, dazzling me.

"Please, please, put away the knife, I won't tell the police what happened, I swear, I-" I felt the sweat rolling down my back, "I swear, I didn't-"

My father grabbed me by the throat and squeezed, lifting me off both feet. Gathering by the size of Mr Derek Taylor, who's body I was co-habiting, my father was a strong man to have single handedly hold him up against the wall and force open his mouth as my mother poured a lethal poison down his throat.

I felt everything. I choked. I started foaming at the mouth.

"Now we know you won't say anything, Mr Taylor." My mother stared me in the eyes, they were full of malice, a look that was all too familiar then she turned her back on me and left the house.

My father dropped me onto the sofa I had been resting on minutes before. They left me to die.

Pain shot through my veins. My brain was screaming at my lungs to breathe. I stuck my fingers down my throat to make myself sick. I vomited and vomited and vomited. I was on the floor. My vision became blurry. My lungs stopped trying…

Suddenly a sound of hope, a siren, no, two…

I went unconscious as the front door opened. The ambulance crew started resuscitating me. I was transferred quickly into the back of an ambulance. I was intubated. I felt them compressing my chest. I heard the worried voices going on around me. "Get the De-fib!" someone yelled.

I felt the shock waves run through my chest and throughout my body. That was when I woke up, gasping for air.

"Morning." I said to the four girls peering down at me, "I'm good."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, passing me a glass of water.

I sat up and took a sip, "Poisoned, I was foaming at the mouth, tried to make myself sick, was resuscitated… it was the de-fib that woke me."

"You really need to talk to someone about this… that's three nights in a row."

"Three nights in a row is nothing." I stated, "Shall I see you down at breakfast?" I noticed that they were all dressed and I had slept through my alarms. I showered and dressed as fast as I could. As I got down to the Great Hall, I saw George standing there, armed with a cup of coffee and a pile of toast. I knocked back the (very) strong coffee and ate the toast as I ran down the stairs to the dungeons where Snape had just opened his classroom door.

"Late night, Miss Pink?" he challenged me as I finished chewing.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I took a seat beside Draco and pulled out my books, we were doing theory work on the Strengthening Solution which does exactly what it says on the tin.

Snape had already written our notes and a list of questions on the board for us to answer. I started copying everything, as I was told. Draco was talking to Crabbe and Goyle who were sitting opposite but I turned a deaf ear to them. I didn't have the desire, nor the energy to make the slightest bit of effort.

Draco grabbed my attention, "You're having nightmares again, aren't you?"

I opened my mouth and closed it again.

"Don't lie to me," he said, "I know how you act whenever you haven't slept for a few nights… I've been trying to talk to you and it's as though you're not in the room… Your hands are shaking and your handwriting is a mess. You also look like you have-"

"Draco, there is nothing that I can do about it!" I spoke clearly, "If my face is offending you, look the other way. I can't make myself have a good night's sleep. I can't switch nightmares on and off. I can't-"

"Okay, okay, relax! I'm just worried…"

I returned to copying notes off the board. I sighed, "I have a lot going on at the minute… I'm sorry. I just… today is the day I just need space."

Draco nodded.

At lunch, I sat with Ron, Harry and Hermione, by this stage in the day I had woken up a little more, that and I had a cup of coffee in hand and that usually meant I was safe to talk to.

"What are the nightmares about?" Harry asked, "You said they had changed?"

"Yeah," I answered, staring at my food, "I've been a different victim in each nightmare, first Mrs Murphy, then Mr Clark, then Mr O'Toole and last night Mr Taylor. There were fifteen victims in all, I have ten nightmares to go, then I'm done." I looked up to see my friends staring at me horror-stricken, "Don't worry, I've got this."

Dean approached me with a box, "Sorry it took so long to get back to you, mum and dad have always struggled with wizarding post. They say that everything in there is yours to keep, they went to the archives to get the information for you, but they understand if you want to send it back… there's a lot in there. They also-" Dean looked at the letter that was attacked, "Send their deepest sympathies and" he strained to read the writing, "hope this brings some clarity." He nodded and sat further along the table with Seamus.

"Is that what I think it is?" Hermione asked.

"Well, if you think it's the newspaper stories from when my parents hit the headlines, then yes." I said, "That is exactly what this is."

Ron reached over, trying to open the box, "Aren't you going to open it?"

I slapped his hand away, "No. Not with all you staring at me."

Fred and George then made their way to where we were sitting, "Oooooh, what's in the box?" Fred asked.

"I think the answer to that lies within the box," George said, grabbing it off the table.

I looked up at him and he saw the dark circles under my eyes, "Georgie, please…"

He lifted the lid of the box ever so slightly, his eyes widened and then closed. He went very pale. He held the box out at arm's length to me and said, "Do you even know what's in there? I don't ever want to see that again."

I lifted the lid of the box and took a peak, I saw the crime scene photographs from home. The blood splatter, the pool of blood on the floor, my cardigan. I snapped the box shut and shivered, "Another time…"

I wish I chucked the box away. I wish I burned it all. I made the mistake of reading through everything that evening. I found out every detail. How my parents murdered, how they tortured and I read about how they tried to get away with it…