The exam results were out and not before long, the suitcases were packed, the pets were caged, and students were running around, looking for lost quills and books before the end of term feast. Catherine was sitting on her bed with a grim expression. Going back home was not something she was exactly looking forward to. A heavy sigh escaped her lips while she was thinking about the two long months ahead of her. Summer was a busy season for the aristocrats and her parents were rarely home. In addition, there was this annual grand party attended by every main family, taking place in Sandbanks, near the sea. It was a three-day affair and now that Greg was older, he would have probably started attending those as well. In the past the foreseen solitude would have been welcomed but now Catherine realised she was dreading it. She got used to the company of her friends and she found out she actually enjoyed being around people.
'I've always thought I was an introvert. Who would have known it was just because I had never been exposed to people.' – the young witch reflected silently.
"Are you all packed?" – Lily's voice startled the other girl.
"Yes, I was about to go to the feast." – Catherine said and jumped from the bed.
"Wait! I wanted to ask you about your phone number." – Lily stopped her, smiling – "We can call each other during the summer."
Catherine froze. They did have a telephone at home, but she had never used it, mostly because nobody has ever called her, and she had nobody to call either. As a result, the young witch had never bothered to memorise her phone number.
"I don't remember it by heart." – she said, blushing – "How about I send you my number by Orion?"
"Oh! Okay, no problem. I'm also going to the feast, but I'm not sitting next to your boyfriends. They are all really annoying, especially Black and Potter." – said Lily, laughing.
"They're not my boyfriends!" – shouted Catherine.
"My God, relax! I'm just joking. Let's go!"
The two girls left the Dormitory and walked to the feast in silence. Catherine immersed herself in the atmosphere – the stone, drenched in old magic; the portraits on the walls, watching their every movement while pretending to sleep; the distant whisper seeming to emanate from the very core of Hogwarts. The first-years entered the Great Hall, lavishly decorated in green and silver. Catherine thought she might have felt irritated if her attention was not currently occupied by the sight of the pale Remus, sitting between James and Sirius, smiling gently at her. She waved to Lily, who went to sit with Gwyneth Jones and Mary McDonald, and joined the boys, placing herself next to Peter, who jumped a little bit.
"How do you feel?" – Catherine asked Remus.
"I'm fine." – answered the boy – "Sometimes it's more difficult than others, but it was not the case this full moon."
"I wish I could make it better." – mumbled Catherine.
"I appreciate it, but there's nothing to be done." – sighed Remus.
"Don't underestimate us, mate." – chimed in Sirius – "We're the smartest people in our year. We're going to think of something."
Remus smiled gratefully, and all of them tried to enjoy their last meal together as first-years. The food was excellent as always, and despite Slytherin winning the House Cup, they had a good time together. Catherine tried to ignore Snape's triumphant smile. Internally, she vowed she was going to erase this loathsome, smug smirk from his face.
On the next day, the students boarded the Hogwarts Express in a chatty, colourful crowd. Catherine considered sitting in Lily's compartment, but after spotting Snape heading in the same direction, she quickly changed her mind. Sliding the glass door at the end of the couch, she plonked herself next to James.
"Troubles in girls' paradise?" – smirked Sirius.
"Yeah, a greasy, slimy one." – Catherine sighed.
"This all happens to you because you're trying to run away from us, you know?" – asked James.
"First of all, I just wanted to spend some quiet time with a girl for a change."- the young witch answered, frowning – "Second, what do you mean running away from you? We're together all the time. It's good that I'm going to get some rest from you during the summer."
"You'll choke on those words before the end of August." – teased her Sirius.
"For one, I'm going to miss all of you quite a lot." – said Remus softly.
They all went quiet. Finally, Catherine decided to break the silence.
"Do you think that we can visit you, Remus?"
"I don't think this is a good idea." – he replied – "My parents are rather sensitive about my situation, and we… well, we do not live very lavishly to say the least. The stigma about being… you know what, is often transferred to your relatives as well."
"I can relate to that." – mumbled Catherine.
"What do you mean, Flame?" – asked James.
"No…I meant I can understand how your actions and behaviour could have an effect on those close to you." – stammered Catherine, feeling heath radiating from her cheeks – "Excuse me for a moment."
The girl hastily stood and exited the compartment, striding down the corridor until she neared the end of the couch. There, she opened the window, allowing the cool air to refresh her.
Suddenly, someone seized her braid, attempting to drag her into the nearby compartment. Catherine screamed, her hand clutching the base of the braid in an effort to alleviate the pain. With her other hand, she struck someone's face, eliciting a distinctive groan, affirming her successful hit. The compartment door swung open, revealing more figures within. A scalding stream of white light singed Catherine's cheek and struck the person holding her hair. He tumbled, pulling the young witch down with him. Amidst the throbbing in her head, distant voices reached her, and she realised someone was aiding her to stand up. Finally focusing, she saw Remus' concerned face as he used a handkerchief to tend to her cheek, which pulsed slightly.
Glancing down, Catherine saw Marcellus Avery, a fourth-year Slytherin, unconscious on the ground. Next to him, his classmate Draven Nott was in no better condition, except his face was coated in some yellowish slime, the origin of which the girl had no desire to discover. The compartment door was now closed, but through the glass, a few older Slytherins gawked in complete shock. The young witch allowed herself to be led back to their own compartment, where her hearing finally returned, and she managed to respond to the agitated queries of the four boys.
"Flame, are you alright?"
"Does your cheek hurt? I'm so sorry!"
"Do you want some water?"
"Did you hurt yourself when you fell?"
"Okay, okay! One by one!" – Catherine finally answered – "I think I'm alright. I didn't hurt myself when he dragged me down, but the hex stunned me a little bit. What was it? Oh, and yes, Peter, I do want some water, thank you."
"It was an Astra Drain Hex." – admitted Sirius guiltily – "I didn't expect it to be so strong, and my aim was complete shit. Let me see your cheek!"
He crouched down in front of his friend and gently removed the handkerchief from her cheek. The girl hissed in pain.
"It doesn't look too bad." – said the boy – "But, nevertheless, it might take a while to heal. I'm really sorry, Flame."
"It's fine. It would have been worse if you hadn't come in time." – Catherine said, frowning – "What was their problem, besides being Slytherins, I mean?"
"Who knows? Marcellus Avery is a cousin of Tarquin Avery." – said James contemplatively.
"I know Tarquin hates me like all Slytherins from our year do, but it's not like I've done anything to him in particular." - groaned Catherine, touching her swollen cheek.
"I think it was more that they saw an opportunity and tried to take advantage of it, for one last warning sent before summer." – scowled Sirius.
"In any case, Flame is not going anywhere alone anymore." – concluded James confidently, while Sirius nodded enthusiastically.
"Great, can't wait for us to go all together to the girls' bathroom!" – exclaimed Catherine and rolled her eyes.
"I've always been curious about this place." – grinned Sirius.
"Over my dead body!" – screamed the young witch, jumping to her feet – "We're already arriving anyway! See you in two months! Bye!"
"Wait! Flame?" – shouted both Sirius and James while the witch swiftly grabbed her luggage and barged out of the compartment, accompanied by the screeching sound of the Hogwarts Express arriving at Kings Cross station and the loud commotion caused by the students and pets, ready to be set free for the summer.
"What happened to your cheek?" – heard Catherine while waiting for her cab's driver to load Orion and her luggage inside the car. She looked beside her and saw Greg, staring at her with his trademark disapproving look, she hated with passion.
"Nothing worth mentioning." – she said blithely and got into the car, having the slight suspicion her brother won't let it go so easily.
Catherine's suspicions turned out to be justified. Greg was firmly determined to receive a satisfying answer, and since his sister refused to provide one, Duchess Louisa McMahon was swiftly involved in the 'investigation'.
She was even less happy to see the burn mark on her daughter's cheek. The witch used a minor healing spell, but it proved to be insufficient; therefore, a thick layer of oregano balm was applied, completely covering one side of Catherine's face. In addition, Louisa prescribed a generous dosage of Epidermis Elixir to eliminate the possibility of any scars being left on the ivory cheek of her girl.
After the treatment concluded, a good amount of scolding followed. Catherine endured the entirety of her mother's tirade with a stone face, mentally plotting her response to Greg. Finally, Louisa sent her to her room with a prohibition to leave until specifically allowed for the evening. The young witch moved slowly to the first floor, dragging her feet and sinking deeper into a sense of dread for the upcoming two months.
"Still not going to say a word?" – asked Greg, annoyed.
"Waiting for a thank you for snitching on me?" – hissed Catherine.
"Really? Do you think Mom wouldn't have noticed a burn mark on your face?" – countered the blond boy.
"It was still none of your business." – exclaimed the girl stubbornly.
"I want to protect you but it's very hard to do it when you constantly provoke Slytherins and follow Black and Potter's lead. They're clearly a bad influence. Think about it! You don't want to attract unnecessary attention! Can't you just be friends with Lily Evans and the other girls and enjoy your school life?"
Catherine looked at Greg's sincere face. He genuinely believed every single word he had just spoken, which was the most infuriating part. The blood rushed in the girl's head, muffling all sounds but her speeding heartbeat. Looking at her brother, rage became visible on her now pale face, and a tingling sensation of raw magic spread through her entire body.
"I don't need your protection!" – she shouted – "Who do you think you are to decide who's a bad influence on me or who should be my friend? Is it that hard to let me have a life? A life that's not planned and predetermined by someone else… Do you know why I like Sirius, James, and Remus so much? Because when they look at me, they see only me – Catherine. For them, I'm someone they genuinely like, not a monster in disguise, as I am to the rest of you."
"This is not true, Flame." – said Greg quietly.
"Is that so? Then why are you stepping back, Greg?" – asked the young witch, smiling sadly – "Do you think I don't see the fear in your eyes? You don't need to answer me; I already know."
With that the girl turned back abruptly and sprinted to her room, slamming the door behind her. Collapsing onto the bed, she tried to steady her breathing. Her magic was running wild, and she knew that if the conversation lasted a few minutes longer, she could have lost control. Staring at her hands in the dark, she wondered if she was going crazy or if her skin was emitting a faint amber light. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the past year—the laughter, jokes, and the faces of her friends, the castle of her ancestors, and the song of the Forbidden Forest floating freely above the Black Lake.
The young witch woke up with the sun playing on her face and the distant chirping of birds in the garden filtering through the open window. After washing up her face and teeth, she changed into a fresh set of clothes. Upon arriving at the downstairs dining room, everyone was already seated at the table, enjoying breakfast. Ignored by the others, she shrugged and opted to take a bowl of cereal to eat in the garden.
"Sit down, Catherine." – ordered Louisa McMahon, finally casting a glance at her daughter.
Obediently, the girl took a seat across from Greg and started eating in silence.
"When we decided to send you to Hogwarts, we hoped it would help you socialise and learn how to better control your emotions." – said the Duchess coldly – "Do you believe returning home with what appears to be a scar from magical duelling and shouting at your brother shows any progress in that regard?"
"Is that the purpose of sending me to Hogwarts, mother?" – asked Catherine softly.
"Pardon?" – said Louisa, confused, locking her green eyes with her daughter's identical ones.
"I asked if that was the reason for sending me to Hogwarts? Wasn't it more for your own sake, so I could become Dumbledore's problem and you all could be free and unafraid in your own house?"
"What are you talking about?" – shouted the Duchess angrily, knocking over her cup of coffee.
"You've never once asked me how I felt in Hogwarts. You've never cared if I was doing well with my classes or getting along with my fellow students. You've never been interested in what I needed to endure because of 'having Muggle parents.' All you gave a damn about was whether I controlled myself and kept quiet regarding who I was." – said Catherine without the slightest change in her tone, savouring the effect her words produced on her mother's beautiful face, now on the verge of tears.
"Catherine Margaret McMahon!" – shouted the Duke, finally setting aside his newspaper and staring furiously at the breakfast battle unfolding before his eyes – "You know perfectly well that none of this is true. Why do you keep torturing your mother?"
"Well, it's such a rare opportunity." – answered Catherine with an ironic smile – "Considering how seldom I see or hear from you, it's ever so often I can spend some quality mother-daughter time."
"Enough!" – roared Edward – "You're grounded. You're going to stay in your room for a week! Maybe this way you can concentrate on improving your abilities to control your temper."
"Prisoner once more!" – laughed the girl bitterly – "I wouldn't have spent so much time being detained in my room even if I were a werewolf."
"Werewolves are only dangerous to humans." – snapped Louisa, standing up and tossing her long blond hair – "You, on the other hand, are dangerous to everyone! We are also taking Orion away as a punishment. You'll get him back at the end of the summer."
Catherine pushed aside her half-eaten breakfast and left the room, avoiding the pity in Greg's eyes that drove her crazy. Locking herself in her room, she settled on her bed. Her anger had melted away; instead, something her mother had said occupied the girl's attention. Werewolves were only dangerous to humans! Did that mean they were not a threat to animals? If that were true, maybe they could help Remus feel better during his transformations. If only they could…
"Betty!" – the young witch exclaimed suddenly.
The old house-elf appeared with a loud pop and bowed so low that her long ears touched the carpet.
"How can Betty serve the young Mistress?" – asked the creature with a squeaky voice.
"Go to the library and find what books we have on Animagi." – the girl ordered.
Half an hour later, Catherine was flipping through the pages of the Metamorphosis Mastery: Understanding Animagi in the Wizarding World. It seemed like an interesting book, exploring the origins, historical significance, and the unique magic behind the Animagi's transformative abilities, but there was not a single line, written about how to become one. Frustrated, Catherine closed the book. If there was a more detailed manuscript on the subject, it was likely in her father's study, a place she and Betty couldn't enter without his permission. The young witch could sense the magic spells, surrounding the room, even from her own bedroom, two floors below. Maybe Sirius or James could find more from their parents, but was it safe to write to them about such a delicate matter? Catherine knew enough about Sirius' family to avoid leaving any paper trial they could apprehend. She wasn't sure about James' relatives, though. Eventually, she decided and left the parchment she had grabbed unconsciously.
'It's better if we discuss this in person.' – she thought – 'But, Merlin, it's going to be a long summer.'
A long summer it was. After Catherine's one-week punishment ended, her family departed for two weeks of various social activities, including the infamous seaside aristocratic party. Greg, presented as the McMahon's heir, appeared quite nervous and clearly unhappy about the upcoming trip. Catherine's parents seemed to avoid her, giving the young witch the opportunity to spend her time however she saw fit. Left alone, her only company being the house-elves, she felt torn between the relief of being the sole mistress of the castle and the growing sense of loneliness. She regretted her prideful decision not to ask her family for their phone number; although without Orion, she wouldn't have been able to send it to Lily anyway.
The happiest day of her summer exile was around the end of July when she received a letter from James. It arrived attached to the leg of his brown barn owl, Nimbus. The letter was a joyful account of flying adventures, an upcoming vacation with his family in the mountains of Germany, and a tale about some new pet, described too cryptically for Catherine to understand. Nevertheless, she happily placed James' letter inside a beautiful green box designed for storing her quills and ink bottles. Catherine used the time Nimbus was resting to write down a short response.
'I wish I could write more,' – she thought while tying the parchment to the owl's leg – 'but there is only so much one can say about staying in one's room for the entire summer.'
The remaining vacation wasn't much better. After returning from their trip, Catherine's parents were constantly busy, including with organising a few gatherings in the castle. Greg spent most of his time out in the Muggle world, trying to escape being a wizard by going to the cinema, buying records, and hanging out at shopping centres.
Finally, in mid-August, the two McMahon children received their letters from Hogwarts with the necessary books for the next school year. Distracted while talking on the phone with the local bakery, the Duchess allowed Catherine to go alone to Diagon Alley and buy whatever she needed. The girl didn't wait for her mother to reconsider. She snatched a purse of gold from the kitchen buffet, stored there for shopping needs, grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the jar on the mantel, and threw it into the flames.
Twenty minutes later, standing in front of the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, Catherine realised she should have changed her clothes before running there in such a hurry. Her hair was a mess, picking here and there from her single braid. She was wearing a pair of not very clean grey jeans, now way too short for her. The black t-shirt, featuring the Muggle rock band Led Zeppelin, was faded and there were a few small holes. Her Converse sneakers were dusty, and it was hard to determine their initial colour. Moreover, due to spending her last week helping Betty in the garden, Catherine's nose and cheeks were covered with freckles.
"All in all, I look like I live under a bridge." – mumbled Catherine to herself.
"Still sounds better than where I came from." – someone said behind her.
The girl swiftly turned around and saw Sirius' smiling face. Wherever he claimed he was coming from, he looked much better than her, even appearing taller, which was remarkable considering they hadn't seen each other for just short of two months.
Catherine opened her mouth to greet her friend, but before she knew it, she found herself in his embrace.
"I've missed you so much, Flame!" – he whispered somewhere above her head.
"Okay." – a muffed sound came from the girl.
"Is that all?" – asked Sirius disappointed and let go of her – "If it was Remus, you would have been all smiles and pet names."
"You never give me the chance to do that with you, Sirius." – said Catherine flatly, trying to fix her clothes.
"Nevertheless, I still somehow missed you." – she added, smiling.
"Are you here for shopping?" – beamed Sirius – "Let's go together!"
Catherine was barely able to nod in affirmation, and she was dragged through a whirlwind of stores. She had to admit that she was utterly impressed by Sirius' shopping efficiency. Quills, parchment, potion ingredients – everything was ordered, paid for, and securely packed in two big bags in just fifteen minutes. Everything happened so quickly that they even managed to stop by a few Quidditch stores where Sirius bought a pair of dragonhide leather protective gloves, a pair of goggles, and a headgear.
"Do you plan to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" – asked Catherine after leaving the Broomstick Bazaar.
"Yes! I've heard that Lysander Finnigan failed quite a lot of his OWLs, so he's definitely not playing next season. This means there's a free spot for a Chaser!" – grinned Sirius.
"There might be even more open spots." – noted Catherine – "A few seven-years in the team should have now graduated."
"Yeah," – agreed Sirius enthusiastically – "however, none of them was a Chaser, and this is the position I want."
"How did you find out about Lysander, by the way?" – suddenly asked Catherine while they were navigating in the crowd towards Flourish and Blotts.
"Bella told me during one of the endless family lunches I was forced to endure." – Sirius answered carefreely – "You know how much she enjoys the misfortunes of others."
Catherine nodded and looked at her friend's face. He could have donned that mask of easygoingness and nonchalance, but she knew him well enough to perceive how lonely and depressing his own summer has been. This made her heart clutch a little bit, and she felt the urge to hug Sirius. Instead, she took his hand and dragged him towards the bookstore.
"Let's finish our shopping so we can go and have ice cream. It's my treat!" – she said with a joyful voice and looked back, smiling at Sirius' surprised face.
At this moment, Catherine felt she ran into a sold obstacle, resulting in her stepping back and losing her balance. She dropped her bags and would have found herself on the ground if it weren't for Sirius, who managed to grab her arm.
"Are you alright, Flame?" – he asked while bending over to pick up the girl's bags.
"Yes." – she said, rubbing her forehead. Looking around to find what she bumped into, her eyes widened when noticing the obstacle in question, standing up and dusting his old shabby clothes, swearing under his breath.
"Severus! Did you hurt yourself?" – cried Lily anxiously, rushing to help the thin, lanky boy – "Catherine, are you alright?"
"Yes," – the other girl answered – "I didn't see you there."
"Obviously." – hissed Snape, removing a streak of his long greasy hair from his eyes – "Spending so much time with the likes of Potter and Black, apparently turns you into the same kind of arrogant snob who thinks everyone else should make way for you."
"Watch your mouth, Snivellus!" – Sirius warned him with a ridicule in his voice.
"How could you be so immature?!" – shouted Lily at her fellow Gryffindor.
"How could you always side with the enemies, Evans?" – asked Sirius unapologetically – "Have some pride, for Merlin's sake."
"Plantier, put a leash on this dog of yours or you might end up losing him in the crowd." – said Snape mockingly.
"You're very brave when we can't use magic!" – barked Sirius back, looking at the other boy with disdain.
"I'm not particularly scared of your magical abilities, Black." – answered the Slytherin sarcastically.
"Indeed, Sirius." – intervened Catherine, throwing Snape a glance full of mockery – "What can you possibly do to him that could beat how mother nature had already cursed him?"
Sirius burst out laughing, took Catherine's hand, and led her inside the bookstore, leaving the pale angry Snape and the even angrier Lily, looking after them silently.
"I'm so going to pay for that." – concluded Catherine while picking up her copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk.
"You should rather concentrate on opening Evans' eyes." – said Sirius – "Why is she so mesmerised by this bat-like boy? He despises Muggle-borns and already knows more hexes and jinxes than most seventh-years."
"Sometimes we are blind to the faults of the people who we hold dear." – determined Catherine philosophically.
"What is that supposed to mean?" – asked Sirius with suspicion.
"Nothing, silly!" – smiled Catherine and then stopped dead in her tracks.
"What's the matter?" – asked the boy.
The young witch was staring at a glass case, located at one of the corners of the bookstore. It contained some very expensive-looking books. The one that caught the girl's attention, however, was a thick brown volume with silk cover, titled Animagi: A Complete Guide by Beaumont Marjoribanks.
'Maybe this one contains some useful information on how to actually become an Animagus.' – she thought and reached for the glass case.
"Excuse me, but these books are to be sold only to wizards and witches of age." – said a nearby shop clerk before Catherine could touch the case.
"What do you need this for anyway?" – asked Sirius, looking at his friend's disappointed face.
"I'll tell you when we're all together." – she answered shortly – "Now, let's go get this ice cream. I need a mood-booster."