4th March

"Detention, Miss Pink." Umbridge said as she was inspecting Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at me, I hadn't done anything wrong. I was listening, I was following Hagrid's instructions, I even answered a question.

I looked up from petting my crup to ask, "May I ask why, Professor?"

"I saw you in possession of The Quibbler." She said in her girly voice, with a huge grin on her face.

I raised my eyebrows, "Did you?"

"Yes, Miss Pink, which is why I am giving you a detention," she said, and as I opened my mouth to speak again there was anger in her eyes, "That will be two detentions. Would you like a third?" I shook my head then she cleared her throat in that stupid hem hem and said, "My office, five o'clock."

I returned back to my work, my crup had started eating my DADA textbook. When I called the Jack-Russell Terrier back, it seemed very happy to have my attention again and let me have another look at its forked tail.

"Did you, or did you not, give the only copy you've had your hands on to Fred?" Hermione asked, "And that was weeks ago! You haven't had another copy, have you?"

I petted her crup as she investigated the tail, "Do you think I would be that stupid?"

"So she just gave you two detentions for no good reason?"

"Yep."

6th March

So, after three nights of detention. Yes, Umbridge had managed to worm in the third detention after all, I had an achy hand and a burning desire to kick her in the face. I now had a new inscription in my hand:

I must not engage in illicit activities

"Are you sure you're okay?" George asked as he provided me with a bowl of murtlap, "you look really pale…"

"That's what detention with Dolores does to you, sweetheart." I rubbed my face with my hands. I was seriously behind on homework and because of that, sleep, "I wouldn't be surprised if she wrote an Educational Decree that puts me in detention every night."

Fred returned from the kitchens with a tray of hot chocolate for us all, "Surely there's something that can be done?"

"McGonagall can't do a thing, I talked to her at dinner today when Kathryn was in detention. She's just as furious as we are about the whole thing." Hermione answered.

Ginny rubbed my shoulders, "I wish I could write to mum and she could help…"

I made the 'humph' noise.

"Who are you going to write to?"

"My Auntie Cissa, let's see her sort this one out." I pondered, "she's always banging on about me not telling her stuff. So I'm going to pass on a ticking time-bomb." I turned to face Hermione, "You don't happen to have parchment, a quill and ink on you?"

Hermione looked to me in shock, "You're not going to write it now?"

I tilted my head, "'Course I am, blood, sweat and tears need to go with this letter."

And so they did, blood dripped from my left hand as I took it out of the bowl of murtlap, sweat dripped off me as the pain heightened and well, tears followed with no effort.

Dear Auntie Cissa,
Sorry to bother you, but you told me to write if there was something that was bothering me and if I needed any help. I guess that time is now…
At the start of the year, Professor Umbridge placed me in detention and she kept asking questions about me, my family and what I had been doing all summer. She wanted to know about you. She has threatened me on multiple occasions. She knows that I don't have parents to fight on my side. She called me in for 'meetings' where she criticised me for everything. When I came back from the trial, she had a go at me for the clothes you bought me, the red lipstick, my display of emotion. I swear I've been good and I haven't stepped out of line. But she keeps finding reasons to put me in detention. She put me in detention in October because someone in another house was talking about me behind my back. She used this special quill which cuts into your skin on your hand as you write lines. Next time she put me in detention as Professor McGonagall had requested me at her office to talk about my nightmares and to offer support because my grades were falling. That was the second detention and another set of lines which have caused me great pain because I admitted I was struggling to cope with everything. Then she put me in detention this week for being in possession of The Quibbler, which I wasn't. I promise I wasn't, but it was as though she was looking for an excuse. She's trying to get to me, and it's getting difficult. I have just endured three days of detention for no good reason. How am I supposed to study when I'm in detention from 5pm-11pm? I can't do this anymore.
I don't have anyone else to turn to. Can you help me? Please?
Thanks, Kathryn xxx

I lifted the bowl of murtlap and walked to the stairs to the girls' dormitory, "If I sleep now, I might have time for homework in the morning…"

12th March

Today, Harry and I managed to both have two spare minutes to chat. Umbridge had managed to slot me in for two extra detentions this week. I've now given up asking for a reason. I assumed that looking at her as she spoke to me and breathing were reason enough. She was draining every last bit of happiness out of my life. I felt terrible and it was starting to show. I spent whatever time I had in the library, catching up on homework, not having any time for extra study. People knew that if they saw me with a bar of chocolate, that I was having an extra-especially bad day. Most days are beginning to feel that way as pressure was building in class. We aren't allowed to forget that our O.W.L.S. are just around the corner.

Umbridge is suspicious, that much is obvious. I was in detention last night whilst the DA met up. I was offered a cup of tea, pumpkin juice, water, gillywater... anything to drink both times I was in her office this week. My scepticism warned me to not take anything from her.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't become a recluse and I'm definitely not depressed. I know what depression feels like. I've made time for Fred and George as they told me about their new supplier, how their excitement was building as they got closer and closer to the 31st March. I gave them a hand with a few of the more feminine designs including bottles of Love Potions and boxes of Flirting Fancies. I was writing in bubble writing, drawing hearts, stars, squiggles, and sketching all sorts. It was nice to do during a fifteen-minute break.

Harry told me today when we had dinner together that the DA group were really focused last night and chose to improve on spells that they struggled with. He had everyone duelling different partners. He spoke with such pride as he shared that my idea of having them working in groups of threes or fours to duel another group of people could be fun, to teach them not only to look out for themselves, but to have everyone else's backs. I wish I could have been there, but at the same time, people started realising what was happening to me as some experienced it themselves, the respect I got was somehow, worth it.

21st March

"Draco?" I caught up with him after classes finished for the day, I knew him well enough to know he would head for the Slytherin Common Room, he always came to dinner around 5 o'clock. "Can I – can I ask you something?"

He stopped in his step and turned to me, "What's wrong?"

"Have you heard from your parents in the last week or two?"

"Yes, I got a letter from mother this morning, actually," he tapped his robe pocket, "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if there was anything in there for me?" but after asking I could see the look on his face and I went to walk past him, "Never mind, doesn't matter."

Draco caught up with me, "Hey! Kathryn! Wait! What's wrong? Are you getting nightmares again? I know that you've had a few detentions, are you not sleeping? Has something happened? Has that Weasel hurt you?"

I held out my hand and he took it, reading the inscriptions on my hand, the inscription from last week still tender and oozing slightly.

"Who did this to you?" his eyes were filled with concern, I winced as he touched around the scars.

"Who do you think, Draco?"

"But-"

I took Draco off to the side, so that we weren't in the way of Slytherins trying to pass, "You know I don't have a copy of the Quibbler! You know I have access to the real story, so I wouldn't need to read it. Did you know, at the start of the year, she dragged information about you and your family out of me? This isn't something that has just started… She's been on my back about it all year. She knows I don't have any parents. She knows that I don't have anyone to stand up for me and I can't risk standing up to her, because she'd make my life even more of a misery than it already is!"

I don't think he knew what to say.

"Look, I get it, summer was great and we could talk about everything freely and I really enjoyed the time we spent together. I guess everything has changed now…" I sighed and turned to leave, "I'll see you around, Draco."

"Wait! Kathryn!" he called after me, "I'll be in the library after dinner, if you want we can study together, the place we did the project?"

"Yeah, okay." I said.

31st March

I've started hanging about with Draco a lot more and things with Umbridge seem to have gotten a little better. I've spent three entire evenings with him where we helped each other through homework. He's not unlike Hermione, but instead of moaning, tutting and mumbling like Hermione does, Draco makes random comments and sighs unintentionally when he writes.

"You hum to yourself sometimes, do you realise that?" Draco said this evening as I worked on my transfiguration homework and he his charms.

"I do?" I looked up from my parchment.

Draco smirked, "Yes, you do. It's not off-putting, you just you haven't done it before."

"George says that I hum or sing whenever I'm in a good mood," I raised my eyebrows at him, "perhaps it's your company, Malfoy."

Draco tried to hide a smile, "Are you nearly finished?"

"I'm just on the conclusion now," I quickly scanned through my work, "here, have a bit of my chocolate."

"Katy does not give out chocolate to just anyone…" George placed his hands on my shoulder, "Have you forgotten something…?"

I felt my eyes widening, "Ohmygoodness. Georgie! I'm so sorry! Two minutes!" I scribbled the rest of the conclusion and stood and kissed his cheek, "Oh please don't look at me like that." I packed up the rest of my stuff, "I've got to run," I said to Draco, "Fred is going to have me hung-drawn and quartered!"

"He's only been waiting for you for the last half hour." George lifted my quill and put it into the case.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Draco asked, packing up a lot slower than me.

"Tomorrow?" I repeated, distractedly, "No, it's – there's going to be a party tomorrow – a Gryffindor Party, you really can't miss them! Sorry! I'll see you around." I swung my bag over my shoulder, ready to follow George, who was desperately trying to avoid the eyes of Madam Pince.

"Kathryn?" Draco called me back, "I – I need to tell you something."

I turned on my heels, "Yeah?"

Draco lifted a letter out of his pocket, "Mum wrote back to me today, she said that she can't help you."

That felt like a blow to the stomach, "Right." I said before leaving the library in a hurry, to find George standing at the door.

"Woah-woah-woahhh…" George slowed me down, "What did he say to you?"

"That Narcissa can't help me." I said, "She replied to him and said that she can't help me. The one person I thought could help me." I sighed, "Come on, let's go…"

"FINALLY!" Fred said as I clambered into the Common Room, "Even Granger has managed to put her quill down longer than you have recently!"

I shrugged my shoulders. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Lee and Fred were all sitting in the most private corner of the common room.

"Malfoy distracting you?" Ron said distastefully.

I decided to ignore the comment, "Right you," I dropped my bags beside a chair and rubbed my hands together expectantly at Fred, "Show me the money."

He laughed, "Here."

He handed me an envelope and I lifted out a bunch of keys and jumped about excitedly, "You will never guess what I've got?"

"Keys… but to where?" Ginny asked.

George showed her one of the documents.

"Merlin's Beard. You did it." Ginny covered her mouth.

Ron sat forwards, "What? What did they do?"

"They bought a shop in Diagon Alley!" Hermione said incredulously.

"Oh no you didn't." Ginny still couldn't get over herself, "Mum is going to flip!"

Ron looked between Fred, George and me, "Where did you get the money for it? That must be hundreds or even thousands of Galleons!"

"We found ourselves an investor." George smirked, looking down at me.

The looks on Hermione and Ginny's faces told me they knew exactly what George meant by that look. Hermione's chin dropped. Ginny jumped up and hugged me tight. After that, Fred and George took the spotlight they so loved to be in as they told the rest of the group all the details.

1st April

"GOOOOOOOOOOD MORNINGGGGG BIRTHDAY BOYS!" I had been waiting for the two of them to come down the stairs and gave them both massive hugs and their presents, "Open this first!" I said.

Fred ripped opened the wrappings to a t-shirt that was purple with orange writing saying 'double'. Whilst George opened an identical t-shirt, except this one says 'trouble' instead.

"Okay, these are great," Fred looked down at the t-shirt, "And in our favourite colours! It's like you know us well or something…"

I winked at him.

"We also told you that you don't need to get us presents!" George planted a kiss on my cheek, "I hope you haven't-"

"Oops." I covered my mouth mysteriously, "Here's me thinking a little bit of stationary would be good for the new business? I promise that's all it is!" I handed over a rather heavy box.

"Okay, okay," Fred said, "You really are more organised than us. This is great!"

"Behind a great man is always a reputable woman." I stuck my tongue out.

Just with our timetables on Tuesdays, I hardly ever get to see much of Fred and George. That gave me the perfect opportunity to do a little organising, persuading and of course, mischief. As the twins entered the Great Hall for dinner, many members of Gryffindor happily obliged to singing a chorus of 'Happy birthday to you' which was joined in by many others.

Following their favourite dinner, I also had the house elves make their favourite desserts, too. Fred had a bowl of trifle appear in front of him – with extra strawberries and cream. George had taken a fancy to banoffee pie after tasting mine in the hotel last year, so I ordered some on his behalf, again with extra cream. I kindly got Colin to take some pictures of us, ones with just the Weasley children for Molly to keep, and one with Harry, Hermione and me with the Weasley's, ones with Lee, Ange, Katie, Alicia and me. But as the boys were posing with their desserts, I managed to pace-plant both of them into the cream. I don't know how Colin did it, but he got the whole motion of me pressing their heads down, followed by my celebration and them both turning to me and getting me back.

"I deserved that." I said, scraping jelly, custard, banana and cream off my face.

"Hey! Don't waste it!" George said, tasting some of the mess on his face, "This is delicious!"

So delicious in fact, that he lifted the bowl with him as he went up to the Common Room when dinner was over. Back in Gryffindor Tower, Lee and Ange had set up a bit of a party, with a selection of sweets and drinks. Someone had put music on in the background. There was a lot of dancing and mucking around, before Fred and George took to the stage and showed off some of their newest products, having many paying to receive the one of the next batch. Safe to say no one got any homework done that night.

We all thought things were going well. But Fred and George went down to the kitchens to get more Butterbeer after we ran out. It was barely 8pm. When they had returned, the wore grave expressions on their faces.

"Umbridge caught us."

"We've got detention tomorrow evening."

I sighed heavily, "Do you both, by any chance have the alarm clocks?"

2nd April

"That's them both in detention now." Ron was slightly out of breath as he returned from Umbridge's office.

"Harry, swear to me that you will stay here!" I said and he nodded. He needed to be right in the line of sight of Madam Pince. I had my books laid out on the table and a piece of parchment with a half-written essay, "Gin, you too."

She frowned, "Kit-Kat…"

"This is not optional." I said, "You sit there and provide me with an alibi."

Hermione grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak and said, "Ready?" and as I nodded, making the bag of alarm clocks invisible, she turned to Ron, "Good luck in practice this evening."

"See you in about half an hour." I rubbed my hands together as Hermione and I snuck out of the library.

Up at Umbridge's door to her chambers, Hermione stood guard wearing the Invisibility Cloak as I used the spell 'alohomora', the lock clicked and I was in. I could hardly imagine this place as being owned by anyone else as I saw a pink sofa, more cat side plates on the walls, a mass of pink flowers, and a fire with a bright pink flame that gave me enough light to wade my way around the room. On the opposite wall was a double bed with pink curtains around them, as I drew back the curtains there were frilly bedsheets which reminded me a lot of my great-grandmother's house when she was still alive. I climbed up and put a few alarm clocks on top of the bed canopy.

There was a wardrobe on the wall to my left which housed a hideous amount of pink clothing, smelling just like her. I put alarm clocks in the pockets that were big enough to hold them. Her shoes all laid against the walls in a perfect OCD-like fashion. I put an alarm clock into one of her boots, nothing else was big enough to conceal such a large object. There was a pair of fluffy pink slippers at the end, which on further inspection had cat-ears.

I opened her drawers, there were a number that were locked and I couldn't get released with all the opening spells I could imagine. I hid a few clocks in the ones that opened, under the bed, in one of her spare handbags, under a pile of parchment, in her jewellery box, under her pillow and in her bedside cabinet.

The thing with having Fred and George in on this, meant that they placed gemino curses on some of the clocks, stinging hexes on others, several amplifying sounds, a few vibrated, others disappeared on touch. We also made sure that the alarm clocks themselves wouldn't be traced back to anyone, that they would disappear after being successfully decommissioned. I also had to get every single one of the Gryffindor girls back on side again, making sure they did not mention my name to Umbridge when questioned. Everyone had sealed their lips and were grateful that someone was going to start giving that woman a hard time for a change.

Umbridge was in for a long night.

Hermione and I returned back to the library and snuck back in as though nothing had happened. We started back in on the work we had left.

"Well?" Ron questioned.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thanks." I said, "Really needed a wee."

I then lifted out my litteras occultas and wrote to George,

K: All done x

3rd April

"I can sense it, Hermione," I said, "I haven't even gotten out of bed yet and I think I'm dead."

"You are so overdramatic." Was her reply, "Now get up, or we'll draw attention to ourselves. Lavender, Fay and Parvati have already gone down to breakfast!"

I rolled out of bed, got washed and dressed and managed to be in the Great Hall before Umbridge. Hermione and I sat with Fred and George who were muttering about the pain of the cuts. George mentioned that his respect for me had risen even higher than before. I told him if he had three detentions in a row, he'd have something to complain about. He told me not to push my luck as we heard a ringing noise coming from the Entrance Hall.

A number of students looked up from their breakfasts, as they started questioning what they were hearing, the din of voices got louder and louder. As the doors to the Great Hall opened, however, there was complete silence.

I swallowed hard as Professor Umbridge appeared, looking crazed.

"WHO?" she screamed, holding up an alarm clock which was ringing uncontrollably, her little girly voice very high and no longer sweet, "WHO DID THIS?"

Just under an eighth of the people in the Great Hall knew it was me. I sat coolly, looking about the room for answers. Umbridge strode with her head held high towards the staff table.

"FIX IT!" Umbridge demanded to Flitwick, "NOW!" she was losing patience.

Fred and George murmured the counter-curses and jinxes which they hoped Flitwick would use. And do their delight, the alarm clock multiplied and multiplied and multiplied. Umbridge was at her wit's end. Flitwick tried to hide his pride. It took until the bell starting the school day for Umbridge to learn that the only way to get rid of Fred and George's gemino curse was to blow up the initial alarm clock.

"HAND ME THE PERSON WHO DID THIS AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED." Umbridge strode out of the Great Hall in a huff.

My goodness, what an interesting morning.

9th April

A few days on and Umbridge was still none the wiser of the perpetrator. The natural people to blame were Fred and George, and they were with her the whole time. I overheard her in conversation with Dumbledore that the portraits on her walls did not see or hear anything. She was bewildered. The whole school was still talking about it wondering what their next move would be. This little bit of drama had kept me out of detention all week and that's what matters.

Whilst the prank was welcomed by so many at Hogwarts, the distraction still wasn't enough for some. When I was in Herbology yesterday afternoon, Hannah Abbott was the first to be taken to Madam Pomfery for a Calming Draught having had a panic attack in class when she was asked a question about Fanged Geraniums. She had burst into tears and between irregular breaths, told us that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now. She seemed a lot better in Muggle Studies today. I had a chat with her about my tips to handle panic attacks, she seemed surprised to know I suffered with them, too. We studied muggle fashion and how to dress appropriately, most of our time was spent flicking though magazines as Professor Burbage realised we needed a bit of a break.

This evening though, we all had the chance to take an hour to relax as Harry set the date and time for our DA meeting. This was to be the last meeting before the Easter Holidays. I took the opportunity to be a student rather than teacher in the meeting. Today Harry decided we'd looked at Patronuses.

"It's good to see so many of you back here again!" Harry said, "I know how busy life is at the minute, but I think by taking this hour, we can really have fun!"

"Hey! Harry! Who was it who pulled that prank on Umbridge? You have to tell us!" Ernie shouted out.

Anthony added, "It was a class act!"

"What I want to know is how they did it!" Luna said in her usual dreamy voice.

Several eyes in the room rested on me.

"Go on, get up!" Fred said, "Take the glory!" I was now unwillingly standing at the front of the group of people, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"Go on, girl!" Ange started cheering.

The whole room erupted in cheers and applause. I shook my head and curtseyed.

"How did you do it, Kathryn?" Justin asked.

"You know I can't tell you that," I remarked, "apart from the fact that I walked into her room, hid some alarm clocks and walked back out again. Completely undetected." I smiled, "Now, stop asking me questions and let Harry teach."

There was an air of excitement around the room which only became heightened as Harry demonstrated his full corporeal Patronus for everyone to see. He made it look easy.

"The Patronus charm is one of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizard-kind." Harry began, "the charm, as many of you will already know conjures a magical guardian, which is a projection of your positive feelings. It is extremely difficult and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus just as I have shown you. A patronus generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity."

A few of the girls got a giddy as they whispered amongst themselves.

"So," Harry began, "To produce a Patronus, you use the incantation 'expecto patronum' which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory." Then he clarified, "it has to be a powerful memory, the happiest you've ever felt."

I had a memory in mind.

"Well then, everybody, have a go." Harry spoke and we all got to work.

"Well, I know exactly what memory I'm going to use," George winked at me, he smirked as he let his entire body be filled with his memories, he leant down to whisper, "It happened in this very room." He flicked his wand and spoke the incantation and a wisp of silver smoke grew from the end of his wand, and took shape of a head, arms, body, legs, but then his concentration laxed and the animal disappeared before it has formed properly.

He looked down at me and I raised an eyebrow, "Is your Patronus a monkey?"

"It's a GORILLA!" he jumped around me, beating his chest.

"That really suits you, mate." Fred said, attempting to produce his own Patronus.

I looked around the room, seeing a lot of silvery wisps. Cho had managed to produce a swan-shaped Patronus, which soared around the Room of Requirement.

"Can I remind you, that producing a Patronus in the middle of a brightly lit room with no actual threat upon us, like a Dementor or something, is very different."

"Oh, don't be such a kill-joy." Cho said, her swan disappearing, "They're so pretty."

"They're not supposed to be pretty," Harry said patiently, "They're supposed to protect you. What we really need is a Boggart or something; that's how I learned, I had to conjure a Patronus while the Boggart was pretending to be a Dementor."

"But that would be really scary!" Lavender said whilst shooting puffs of silver mist, "And I still – can't – do it!" she added angrily.

I shouted across the room, "Yeah Harry, best not have a Boggart in here! Well, at least when I'm present. I don't fancy seeing – that – again." I shivered at the thought, "But guys, he's right… This is nothing by comparison to being attacked by a Dementor, or as we faced a hundred at once. Not an enjoyable experience, I must admit."

"Did you produce a patronus?" Parvati called out.

"No," I answered, "I've never been able to." I awkwardly fixed my hair and retracted out of the spotlight. I stood in the corner and got rid of all the feeling in my body and imagined George. Only George. "Expecto patronum." I said. I practiced and practiced but nothing ever came of it. No mist, and certainly no patronus.

I saw Hermione produce an otter and Ron a Jack Russell Terrier. Neville was at least able to produce wisps of silver from the end of his wand.

Seamus, who had joined the DA for the first time this evening yelled, "Harry, I think I'm doing it!" he produced something that had form, "Look – ah – it's gone… but it was definitely something hairy, Harry!" he looked delighted with himself.

"I haven't come across a spell that you can't do, Katy," George said as he watched me struggle, "Just imagine us, think about the things we've done, do you remember the time we kissed –" he then whispered something extremely rude into my ear that I will not repeat on paper.

"It's no use, Georgie…" I felt defeated, "I can't focus – I keep thinking about my last Boggart, the way I felt when the Dementor attacked us…" I felt myself shake, "I can't get her face – it just won't go away – it-"

I heard the door close, and next second heard Harry say, "Hi, Dobby! What are you – What's wrong?"

"Shit." I said as I saw Dobby trembling in fear, "George-" the room fell silent.

"Harry Potter, sir…" Dobby squeaked, "Harry Potter, sir… Dobby has come to warn you… but the house-elves were warned not to tell…" Dobby ran head-first at a wall in self-punishment, he was cushioned by his many woolly hats.

Harry grabbed onto him, "What's happened, Dobby?"

"Harry Potter… she … she…"

I ran over to Harry, "Harry! We've got to go! We've got to get out of here!" Dobby started hitting himself with his free wrist.

"Who's 'she', Dobby?" Harry asked, but he already knew the answer, "Umbridge?"

I ran through the door and down the corridor and saw her coming up the staircase, Umbridge looked murderous. She had her wand in hand and was walking with such might in our direction. "HARRY!" I yelled, running back through the wall, undetected, "WE'VE GOT TO GO! SHE'S COMING!"

Dobby had confirmed what I had just seen, "Yes, Harry Potter, and Miss Kathryn! She knows!"

I ran to the other side of the room and opened the door that had just appeared.

Harry, who had taken everything in yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? RUN!"

Everyone ran towards the nearest exit and bolted.

"HARRY!" I yelled as he forbade Dobby to hurt himself or incriminate himself, "We've got to-"

I reached to grab Harry, as he exited the Room of Requirement and out of sight, but George got a hold of me, "You'll be in as much trouble as him! Make us invisible and run!" he pulled me out of the second doorway and did not loosen his grip all the way up to Gryffindor Common Room.

"Let go of me!" I yelled in protest, "I've got to go!" I tried to fight him off, "I've got to help him!" I managed to break free, but he grabbed me around my shoulders and held me tight, "George – please! Let – me – GO!"

"I can't let you do that!" he dragged me away from the portrait door.

Hermione stepped forwards, "George is right, Umbridge will want to hurt you, too!"

"BUT I CAN'T JUST STAND HERE! IT WAS OUR IDEA!" I fought against George, but he was too strong, "WE LOOK AFTER OUR OWN!" I roared.

"You're too dark and twisty at the minute," George still had his arms around my shoulders, holding me back, "I can't let you go, I don't know what you'd do…"

I was desperately trying to get away.

"Katy! Katy! Please stop fighting me off!" George spoke soothingly, "You're hurting me!"

I then collapsed into a flood of tears onto the floor. George sat on the carpet beneath us, pulled me in close to him and held me. He cradled me like a baby. He was making sure I wouldn't run.

"But Harry is more important than me," I said a few minutes later, loud enough for Fred, George, Ginny, Ron and Hermione to hear, "I'm just a pawn, I don't matter! He's-"

"Don't you dare!" George shouted at me, "You're just having a bad day, everyone has bad days!"

Ginny leaned forwards, "Kit-Kat, you are important! If you go to find Harry, Umbridge will hurt you, too! Dobby said!"

"She'll come find me after she expels Harry!" I spoke in panic, and George soothed me, "I should just go hand myself in…"

Ron sighed, "Then we'd all need to hand ourselves in… Harry will be fine! He always is!" he spoke with hope in his voice, "We just need to stay here and wait until he comes back."

That is what we did.

An hour passed and George wouldn't let me go.

Two hours later George and I had moved to sit on the window seat, I was cuddling into him, finally forcing myself to relax a bit, my adrenaline wearing thin. Ginny sat on the other side of me and had her head resting on me. She was breathing so deeply I wondered if she was sleeping. Fred was dozing on an armchair. Ron and Hermione sat on the seat opposite, Ron's head was resting on Hermione's which was on his shoulder.

Three hours passed and everyone had gone up to bed apart from the six of us. I was almost certain that the other five were asleep as Harry climbed into the Common Room closely followed by Professor McGonagall.

I jumped up from the window seat, waking everyone and sprinted, "Harry!" I wrapped my arms around him, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I – I'm – I'm fine." He said, his voice barely his own.

"What happened?" I asked, "Have you been expelled? Is that why you're here, Professor? Am I expelled, too?"

"Neither you or Mr Potter have been expelled," McGonagall said, she re-lit the fire and sat down in my favourite seat. The six of us sat around her, and Harry stood behind, "I am here to tell you a quick few things… I am very proud of you for commencing Dumbledore's Army, but a student informed Professor Umbridge of its existence and it has now been disbanded. Professor Dumbledore took full responsibility for the establishment of this group and has now left Hogwarts to make use of himself elsewhere. This would mean that tomorrow Professor Umbridge will most likely become Headmistress. I need you all to keep calm, remain focused and not get into trouble. I'm so sorry Kathryn for not being able to defend you… but I need you to remain strong." She took my hand and patted it gently, "As for you all, your names were on the parchment so you will most likely be punished. My office door will always be open. Try and get some sleep, goodnight."

As soon as McGonagall left, Hermione was the first to speak, "Who was it? Who betrayed us?"

"Marietta Edgecombe," Harry answered.

"That -" Ron stopped himself before uttering a train of swear words I was mightily impressed by.

"What was that on her face?" Harry asked Hermione, "It said something?"

"Sneak," Hermione did not look proud of herself, "remember, I told everyone that by signing that list, that they couldn't tell-" she stopped, "Well, that's what happens."

Fred sighed, "Well, as the oldest person in this room by a whole 12 minutes-" he paused, there was someone talking at the other side of the portrait door, "run." He whispered.