June had always been the quietest month at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The usual chatter and laughter were replaced by heavy sighs and whisper emanating from the Library and the Common Rooms, where students engaged in some last-minute cramming, perusing notes, and practicing wand movements.
The end-of-the-year exams had commenced, and Catherine was doing her best to focus on her performance rather than worrying about Lucius Malfoy or racking her brain for a way to uncover the instructions on preparing the Animagi Potion.
The girl found herself reading the same page from her One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi for the fifth time, her mind continuously replaying the encounter at Slughorn's tea party and what followed. After Malfoy's departure, Catherine hadn't returned to the gathering but instead walked straight back to the castle. Halfway there, she had come across Greg who appeared extremely agitated, almost sprinting towards the Greenhouses.
"Thank Merlin, you're alright!" – he said, panting.
"Why wouldn't I be?" – the young witch answered, much more calmly than she felt.
"Frank came running to tell me Lucius Malfoy took you somewhere. We split up to search for you." – Greg explained, looking around as if he expected the Slytherin sixth-year to emerge from behind a tree.
"He just wanted to talk about a disagreement we had with his sister." – Catherine lied.
"Really? Is that why the ring got activated?" – asked the older boy, irritated.
"How do you know it got activated? Is that why you gifted it to me? So you can spy on what I do?" – snapped the young witch.
"Don't be ridiculous. I don't know where you go or what you do. But I do know if the ring activates and you are in distress, as long as it's not too far away, the spell is not that powerful." – explained Greg sulkily.
"Can you stop with this big brother farce already?" – the black-haired girl asked sarcastically. To her surprise, Greg grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly.
"Do you think this is some sort of a game?! Don't you understand how risky it is for all of us if your true identity gets exposed, especially before people like Malfoy?! He's dangerous! Not only is his family associated with the House of Borealis through a few marriages in branch families, but they are also involved in some quite suspicious activities related to Dark Arts!"
"How do you know that?" – Catherine asked, completely shocked.
"It's not that easy to be the McMahon heir. There are a lot of things I need to keep a secret and be aware of, so we can act accordingly if needed." – responded Greg bitterly, releasing his sister.
"I'm sorry." – the girl murmured softly – "The ring indeed helped me, so thank you for the thoughtful present. I suppose it was expensive."
"Gold's not important." – the Gryffindor boy shook his head – "I just want you to be safe. Did he try to hurt you in any other way?"
"No…I mean yes, but…" – Catherine hesitated for a moment – "Greg, I'm a Parselmouth!"
"What?!" – the third-year asked is awe.
"I can speak to snakes." – the girl clarified.
"I know what being a Parselmouth means!" – the young wizard growled – "But you were not one before?! Are you even sure?"
"How do you know I haven't been one before?" – Catherine asked, annoyed – "I had never seen a snake in real life before today when Malfoy used the Snake Summons Spell in an attempt to intimidate me, I presume."
"So, you talked with the snake?" – Greg inquired, still in disbelief.
"I ordered it not to attack me, and the snake obeyed." – the girl admitted.
"And Malfoy saw that?"
"He did and was as surprised as I was." – nodded Catherine. Upon seeing Greg's anxious face, she tried to comfort him – "He wasn't suspicious of who I was. I think the likes of Malfoy could never imagine that someone would pretend to be a Muggle-born if they are not. For him, it's the worst fate possible that one can suffer. I believe he's just curious, in a way, like I'm some sort of an exotic pet."
"Sounds plausible from what I have observed from him so far." – said Greg contemplatively – "Nevertheless, please be careful around him! Or even better, avoid him as much as possible. He's going to graduate next year anyway, and you won't be seeing him around anymore."
"I promise. Believe it or not, I'm not interested in interacting with him or any other Slytherin whatsoever." – the young witch assured her brother.
"Glad to hear it, especially considering what type of interactions you usually have. I just hope Malfoy would keep it quiet that you speak Parseltongue." – the boy sighed heavily.
"I have the feeling he would rather keep this information for himself, although I'm not sure of his reasons." – mumbled the second-year.
Catherine closed the book and looked around the packed Library. So far, she had seen no indications that Lucius had shared what happened between them with anyone. He was ignoring her, just like before, and the rest of the Slytherins were either pretending she didn't exist or throwing her hostile glances, just as they used to do. The young witch buried her head in her hands.
'It's going to be a darn miracle if I manage to pass my exams in this state of mind.'
Regardless of Catherine's pessimism, she passed her exams with flying colours. The girl was particularly concerned about her results in Defence Against the Dark Arts, fearing some sort of retaliation from Thorne. However, he seemed completely disinterested in her and didn't even put much force into the Stinging Jinx they were supposed to deflect as part of the practical task.
The boys also didn't have any issues receiving top marks in almost every subject. Sirius' detest for Astronomy reflected on his overall performance. Catherine had the slight suspicion that the main reason her friend didn't like the subject was the duration during which they needed to sit quietly and observe the sky, characterised by the rebellious Gryffindor as 'a bloody waste of time.'
James almost didn't pass History of Magic because he somehow managed to fall asleep in the middle of the exam, woke up 10 minutes before the end, and as a result, the young wizard needed to leave a bunch of questions unanswered.
Remus was lucky enough that the full moon didn't coincide with any exams, but unfortunately, this didn't help his performance in Potions. His Fire Protection Potion never turned the icy blue colour it was supposed to be. Considering that the unique shade was produced due to a reaction of the dried salamander skin with the rest of the ingredients, it was easy to assume where things had gone wrong for Moony.
On the other hand, his red potion was nothing compared to the jelly in Peter's cauldron. Even Professor Slughorn was utterly surprised and clueless about how this could have happened. Sadly, Peter's troubles didn't stop there. Once again facing the uneven battle of transforming a raven into a water goblet, the panicked second-year swished the air with his wand so vigorously he lost his grip on the handle; the wand flew from his hand and hit the poor bird. The raven took this personally and flew away through the open window in the Transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall was very angry since the exam needed to be paused for twenty minutes until another raven was brought by Hagrid.
"I can't believe this year's over!" – sighed James as they enjoyed the End-of-Term Feast and discussed their vacation plans.
"Yeah, it was a wild ride!" – exclaimed Sirius, throwing a quick glance towards the Slytherin table – "On my end, I'm just happy they didn't win the House Cup."
Indeed, despite their victory in the Quidditch Cup, Slytherins couldn't secure the House Cup as well, mainly because of the huge number of points they had lost during what was now referred to as the Halloween War with Gryffindors. Consequently, the Great Hall was lavishly decorated in blue and bronze, commemorating the Ravenclaw's ultimate victory upon the two usual favourites.
Catherine also looked at the Slytherin table on the opposite side of the hall. The overall mood was not very high, but nevertheless, they somehow managed to be the loudest, occasionally bursting into Quidditch-related cheers, likely to remind everyone who had won the Quidditch Cup. Suddenly, Catherine's eyes met the gaze of the blond sixth-year sitting at the centre of the table. Lucius Malfoy smiled with satisfaction when the feisty little Gryffindor quickly redirected her attention to the bowl of ice-cream in front of her.
"Flame?" – the young witch looked at Remus, who was observing her with a questioning expression.
"I'm sorry, I got distracted." – she mumbled apologetically.
"You've been constantly distracted in the last week. What's going on with you?" – asked Sirius, annoyed.
"I have a lot on my mind." – the girl admitted – "I feel like I failed you all."
"Because of the potion?" – asked James – "Forget about it! It's just a setback. I'm going to try to find something in my grandfather's library during the summer, and you'll try again next year. I'm sure you can persuade Slughorn to tell you. You just need the right timing."
"Absolutely!" – Sirius agreed – "You can't help it if Slughorn was preoccupied with his other favourites. Your chance will come now that he actually invited you to one of his gatherings."
Catherine smiled at her friends. Their honest support and trust warmed her heart and made it even more painful that she couldn't be entirely honest with them. Keeping her secrets from the boys were becoming more and more difficult with every day. Naturally, she hadn't told them about her encounter with Lucius, first because they would have picked a fight with him, and second, because she didn't want to raise more questions about yet another one of her unusual abilities.
"Is there any point in me telling you once more that this is complete madness, and you should just give up?" – asked Remus sullenly.
"Nope!" – answered Sirius and James simultaneously, making Catherine giggle at the grimace on Moony's face.
The next day was filled with chaos, created by students running around to collect their belongings and secure the whereabouts of their pets. Catherine somehow persuaded Nyx to enter her cat carrier, locked Orion in his cage, and with the help of Lily, managed to bring all her luggage to the train. This time the black-haired witch provided her classmate with a phone number, neatly written on a piece of parchment, courtesy of Greg's help, and they promised each other to talk on the phone at least once every two weeks.
Sitting in a compartment on the last car, surrounded by James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, and travelling South towards London, the young witch felt like she was instead heading towards Azkaban, leaving all happiness, laughter and hope behind. The impending two months of summer vacation filled the girl with anxiety. She was not looking forward to hiding in her room while her mother entertained guests in the garden or hosted a dancing soiree. Furthermore, Catherine felt a pang of unease, the nightmare from last Christmas carved deep into her memories. She tried to persuade herself that it was just a bad dream, especially since it had been a one-time occurrence. However, she realised that she was afraid of going to bed in her own bedroom, which used to be her safe harbour.
"I hope this summer you will remember to write to me from time to time." – Sirius said, elbowing the black-haired girl.
"I think I explained to you that I had been grounded." – Catherine answered, irritated – "It's not like I didn't want to write to you."
"Fair enough. Then don't get grounded." – the boy was quick to find a solution.
"Sure." – the young witch rolled her eyes, glancing at James who had just returned from the bathroom.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. Catherine kept staring out the window, deeply engulfed in self-pity, trying to ignore James and Sirius, who were whispering something to each other and chuckling. Remus and Peter were occupied playing exploding snap until they all heard the steam whistle of the train, arriving at Kings Cross station.
"I'll help you with your suitcase, but you keep this beast of yours away from me!" – said Sirius, grabbing Catherine's luggage and carrying it to the corridor.
"Nyx can't hurt you; she's locked in her carrier." – the girl noted sulkily but nevertheless picked up her pets and followed the boys out of the compartment, pausing for a brief moment – "What's this noise coming from the end of the train car? Sounds like someone's banging on a door or something."
"Ah, that must be Snivellus." – said James casually – "He was running his mouth again, so I locked him in the bathroom. As I see, nobody particularly missed him."
Sirius barked a laugh, while Remus scowled but pretended he hadn't heard anything. Catherine cast a glance at the direction of the bathroom, then shrugged and got off the train. While she and the boys were saying their goodbyes, Lily came, looking around, and dragging her big suitcase.
"Need some help, Evans?" – James suggested with a smile.
"No!" – the red-headed girl refused immediately – "Catherine, have you seen Severus? I wanted to say bye to him, but I can't find him anywhere."
The other witch hesitated for a second but then decisively shook her head.
"Sorry, I haven't seen him."
'Well, I didn't lie, technically. She didn't ask me if I knew where he was.' – thought the girl, pushing a trolley heavily loaded with her possessions across the tiled floor of the train station.
Lord Gregory Lloyd McMahon was walking through a long corridor, his footsteps completely muffled by the thick violet carpet. Many portraits were watching him from the walls and some of them were even smiling and waving when he was passing by. The young wizard could still hear the shouting from the dining room downstairs, where his sister and mother were arguing about Catherine's hair and her alleged need for a haircut.
"The fact that you need to keep a low profile doesn't mean you should look like a street dweller!" – insisted the Duchess – "It's way too long and it lacks any kind of shape."
"Don't you have hair of your own?" – snapped the young witch – "You can shave your head clean for all I care! Leave my hair alone! I like it the way it is!"
This was the moment when Greg had left the room and went to meet his father, grateful that he didn't need to take more active role in the quarrel. The boy stopped in front of the Duke's private study and heard the loud bang of a door somewhere, indicating that his sister was done arguing. The young wizard knocked once and entered the spacious room filled with the soft light of several glowing orbs, levitating around the celling.
"Is the power off?" – joked the boy. He was perfectly aware his dad preferred this type of light, nevertheless, he couldn't help but tease him a little.
Duke Edward McMahon, who was reading some letters behind his mahogany desk, turned his attention to his first-born.
"Are they done shouting?" – he asked wearily.
"Yes, Catherine's in her room, and I suppose Mom's in her atelier, drawing." – confirmed the young lord.
"It's been a complete nightmare lately." – sighed the older man, closing his eyes for a few seconds – "I'm afraid your sister's losing her grip on herself."
"I don't think that's the case." – disagreed the boy – "She's fine at school. I mean, yeah, she had occasional outbursts, but nothing truly major."
"That's what Carsilion says, but then I see her like today and I just… I can't recognise my little girl." – said Edward with deep sadness in his voice.
"Well, she changed a lot in the last two years." – Greg admitted contemplatively – "But you should have expected that. She grew up completely isolated from the world, and then she found herself in the middle of this chaos that's Hogwarts. Honestly, I was surprised how quickly she adapted. Dad, trust me, she's completely normal! You should see Flame with her friends; they all love her. I think it just gets harder and harder for her to be Catherine McMahon."
"What do you mean? She IS Catherine McMahon!" – the Duke disagreed immediately.
"Is she, though?" – asked his son, shaking his head – "I've been thinking a lot about it recently, trying to figure out why she was always so mean and sarcastic to me and so different with her friends… and you know she once told me that she likes them so much because they only see her as Catherine. As for me, I'm a constant reminder of who she really is, and all that it entails."
"Son, you have no idea how much I wish to pretend she is just Catherine, my sweet adorable little daughter… but it won't erase the demon locked inside her, it won't change the fact she would be hunted down as an animal if the other aristocrats find out about her, and it won't alleviate the burden she carries due to her blood and her powers." – Edward said, pacing nervously in front of the fireplace.
"I know." – mumbled Greg – "And I believe she knows it too. She was so much against being Catherine Plantier in the beginning but at the end of the day, it turned out it was her shield and her safe space where she could be whoever she wanted to be. Don't judge her too harsh, Dad, she just doesn't want to be back to her old lonely existence."
The Duke turned away from his son and stared through the window. He felt like a complete failure as a father. All his planning and effort during the years had just one goal – to keep Catherine safe, both from herself and from the rest of the world that wanted to destroy her. Yet, it seemed he never prioritised her happiness. He had just assumed she was a little grumpy and self-sufficient, and he was completely fine with that, even loved her more because she was his hidden misunderstood treasure, that nobody could appreciate.
'I don't know my own child.' – he thought with regret, fighting the burning sensation in his throat.
He turned back towards his son and looked at his calm ocean-blue eyes, very similar to his own.
'At least I've done something right with this one.' – passed through the Duke's mind then he cleared his throat and said.
"You're a really good big brother, Greg, and I want you to know I'm going to think very seriously about what you've told me."
The young wizard nodded and headed towards the door.
"Wait, son!" – Edward stopped him – "I actually asked you to come here for a different reason. You're old enough now, and I believe you're ready to start your training as an Elementalist."
Greg's face turned a little pale. He knew this day was about to come sooner rather than later, yet he couldn't help but feel anxious about it. Learning elemental magic was a dangerous task, even if guided by a mentor. However, it was customary for the Heads and heirs of the major Houses to be accomplished Elementalists. There was a practical reason for that. Elemental magic was one of the strongest types of magic, as well as deadly in combat. No aristocratic family wanted to expose themselves at the risk of being put into disadvantage in a potential fight. Therefore, regardless of how strong their abilities turned out to be, every Head of the seven major houses and their heirs used elemental magic.
"Are you nervous?" – asked the Duke as if he had read his son's mind.
"A little bit." – the boy admitted.
"There's no reason to be." – smiled the wizard – "Thankfully, you are inclined to water, so I can teach you myself. I promise, no harm will come to you."
"I've heard about this boy who was training to be a Water Mage and he accidentally evaporated all the liquid he had in his own body and died." – said Greg softly, staring at the floor.
"This story was old even when I heard it for the first time in the Academy." – chuckled Edward, having a brief flashback to when the teenage Carsilion was telling him this exact scuttlebutt, of course including all the gruesome details – "Trust me, I know what I'm doing. There have been very few people who are stronger Water Mages than your old man."
"What about Salazar Slytherin?" – asked Greg with a grin, feeling a little relieved.
"Oh, well, the legend goes that he was the strongest Water Mage in existence. In addition to being a Kraken type, he also possessed the rare ability for a Water Mage to control living beings through the water in their bodies."
"Do you think I would be able to do that?" – the boy asked, a little excited.
"There's a chance, although a slim one. You have Slytherin's blood in your veins. You could have inherited some of his talents." – answered the Duke, smiling at his son.
Greg paused for a moment, considering whether he should share with his father about another heir of Slytherin and her newly found ability, but eventually decided that it would be best if he leaves this to Catherine herself.
'It's not like she would find any snakes nearby to speak with.' – he thought in an attempt to persuade himself he was making the right choice.
Even if there were any snakes in proximity, Catherine was indeed not able to see any of them because she had spent most of her summer break inside the McMahon castle. She did hardly anything but read and occasionally play with Nyx. The Kneazle and Betty, the house-elf, were her preferred company.
The Duchess was adamant that her daughter must eat with the family. The young witch, however, refused to obey. Consequently, she was present at the table, but her mind was somewhere else entirely, and she more often than not left her food intact. Louisa McMahon was not a woman who would give up easily, nonetheless, in this case, she admitted defeat and secretly instructed Betty to bring Catherine food into her room. This seemed to be the only way to ensure that her rebellious girl would consume something nutritious.
One August afternoon, Catherine was eating a peach seated on the open window, enjoying the deep shade that provided a much-needed relief from the scorching heat. A half-written letter to Sirius lay on her desk. As usual, she struggled to write anything longer than two paragraphs. Between all the things about her life at home she was hiding from her friends and the mind-numbing routine of her days, there was very little to be shared, besides the fact that Catherine painfully missed them all.
The girl found, to her surprise, that a tear was rolling down her cheek. She hastily wiped it away, and her gaze wandered around the garden, wishing she were somewhere far away from there. This summer, the situation at home turned out to be worse than usual. Her mother was as critical as always, however, the young witch was less prone to put up with it. Her father and Greg left the castle for almost a month, shortly after they had come back from Hogwarts. Catherine knew that they went to the seaside, arguably the best place for a Water Mage to start their training. The girl was shocked to discover that she was missing her brother. At Hogwarts, they rarely exchanged more than a few words, but she somehow got used to him always being there, sitting somewhere in the Common room or having breakfast just a few seats away at the Gryffindor table.
Fortunately, Greg and Edward had returned the week before, and life in the McMahon family home became a little bit more bearable. Catherine's eyes stopped at her brother, who was standing next to the fountain in the garden. Despite the heat, he was not moving a muscle, his hands extended forward above the water. Catherine knew he was practicing elemental magic and secretly hoped to catch a glance of what Greg was capable of. She knew her father wanted her to also become an Elementalist, and the young witch was looking forward to starting her own training.
Catherine smiled bitterly. She was aware that her parents had arranged for Dumbledore to be the one teaching her elemental magic, and it was plainly obvious how her father took the time to train Greg but couldn't be bothered to do the same for her.
'The Light forbid, he spends some time with me alone.' – the girl thought, watching how her brother sat on the ground, looking positively exhausted.
The young witch had heard that, in the beginning of the training, it was extremely difficult to learn how to open oneself to one's element, and this was required before attempting to do anything else. With time, it was supposed to become as natural as breathing, but it involved years upon years of hard work.
A knock on the door interrupted Catherine's train of thought. An old house-elf entered the room and bowed so low its ears touched the carpet, whining softly in pain on its way up.
"Betty, I told you not to do that!" – demanded Catherine, irritated – "You're way too old to bow to someone whose diapers you had been changing."
The fragile creature smiled softly, its ears twitching.
"Betty is fine, young Mistress. Betty could still work for her family, but young Mistress is so kind and noble." – said the house-elf, its big brown eyes were full of tears.
"Alright, just don't overdo it." – agreed Catherine, aware from past experiences that there was little point in arguing with Betty about chores or taking a rest.
"The Master ordered Betty to take the young Mistress to his study!" – hastily announced the house-elf, suddenly recalling the reason for its presence in Catherine's room.
'Can't be anything good if he wants to see me so abruptly.' – thought the girl, following Betty towards the Duke's study.
Edward McMahon was standing next to the open window, observing Greg's training in the garden. He turned around immediately when his daughter entered the room, suddenly feeling anxious about the task at hand.
The young witch immediately noticed that her father seemed oddly nervous for some reason. Her gaze casually drifted across the room and came to rest on a roughly crafted crystal sphere, positioned at the centre of the desk.
"Do you know what this is, Catherine?" – asked the Duke, seeing her interest in the object.
"No." – answered the girl.
"This is what we call an Elemental Orb. It's a magical object used to determine one's inclination to a certain element." – the wizard explained, opening a drawer, and taking out a thin silver knife – "It activates with a drop of blood. Your mother and I would like you to get tested and start learning how to use elemental magic. We believe this will allow you to better protect yourself in the case of… well, if someone attempts to hurt you. We won't force you, but I hope you see why this is necessary."
Catherine glanced at her father's face and couldn't quite figure out why he was such a nervous wreck. Studying elemental magic was dangerous, however, considering that Greg was already in training, it shouldn't have been such a big deal. The witch took the silver knife in her hand and asked:
"Would I be training together with Greg?"
"We shall see." – was the vague answer.
"I understand that you don't want to spend time with me, father, but maybe try to hide it a little bit better." – commented the girl with a sulky smile.
"What are you talking about?" – snapped the Duke – "You do realise that I can only train another Water Mage, don't you?"
Catherine paused for a second. She did know that, nonetheless, for some reason, she assumed she was also a Water Mage, and she thought this was just a formality.
'My father and brother are both Water Mages. Salazar Slytherin was a Water Mage. I speak Parseltongue, so it's probably very likely that I'm inclined to manipulate the Essence of Water.' – the witch thought – 'Although my mom is inclined to earth, despite not being trained as an Earth Mage.'
Somewhere deep inside the girl's mind emerged a memory of an amber glow, but she quickly shook her head and with a cold determination made a little cut on her finger with the silver knife. A few droplets of blood fell on the Elemental Orb. Suddenly, it came to life, turning bright red and glowing ominously. Catherine stared at it in disbelief. She heard the Duke's heavy sigh and felt his magic healing her finger.
"I'm… a Fire Mage?" – she almost whispered.
"You will be, once you get the proper training." – answered Edward grimly.
"But…how… aren't Fire Mages the rarest Elementalists?"
"Indeed." – nodded the wizard, avoiding his daughter's gaze – "The ability to handle True Fire is very rare because it's even more dangerous, compared to the rest of the elements. It's pure destruction. A lot of people who are inclined to fire decide not to get trained, precisely because of the risks involved. I'll completely understand if you…"
"You don't seem very surprised, Dad." – Catherine interrupted him.
The Duke purposefully avoided the girl's eyes. He cleared his throat and finally answered.
"We had our suspicions. Being inclined to an element manifests even if you never get tested or trained. The stronger your element is, the stronger the manifestation. For most people, it just means that they learn how to conjure water easily or know instinctively when the weather's going to change. However, if you're stronger than the weakest elemental type, there are other indications. That's why your mother has such incredible abilities with plants even though she has never been trained as an Earth Mage." – Edward explained.
"So, back then…when I hurt Greg in the garden…" – mumbled the girl.
"We thought that you manifested your ability, yes." – confirmed the wizard – "Thankfully, Greg's inclination also helped, so he was not hurt as badly as he could have been."
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you test me right there and then?" – asked the girl, holding her raging emotions.
"There was no point in doing it at that time." – sighed her father, pacing around the room – "It was way too early for you to start training, and we wanted to spare you any anxiety that information could have caused you."
"What are we going to do now?" – asked Catherine, feeling a little dizzy after all the information.
"The offer stays the same." – confirmed the Duke – "It's your choice if you want to study elemental magic or not. You know our opinion, but considering the results of the testing, nobody would force you in any way."
"If I decide to proceed with the training, who's going to teach me?" – inquired the young witch.
"Dumbledore, of course." – answered Edward.
"But isn't Dumbledore a Water Mage?" – gasped Catherine, surprised.
"No. Actually, we didn't really have much of a choice. As far as I'm aware, there is no other trained Fire Mage in Britain currently." – explained the Duke – "We asked him to potentially train you right after the incident with Greg. You're really lucky in this regard because he's a very powerful Elementalist, being a Phoenix type, but also, he can train you easily while you're at Hogwarts."
A silence fell into the room. Catherine was trying to figure out her emotions and feelings, ranging from anger for her parents keeping such important information away from her to tingling excitement about the possibility to handle power notoriously difficult to control and use.
"Alright, I'll accept Dumbledore's lessons on elemental magic. I suppose becoming a Fire Mage will prove to be handy when the other aristocrats find out about me eventually." – shrugged the young witch, trying to appear casual about the whole ordeal.
"Let's hope this never happens." – murmured the wizard.
"What do you mean by never?" – the black-haired girl asked tentatively – "They will find out sooner or later. I won't be staying at Hogwarts forever, and I most certainly don't plan on hiding here for the rest of my life."
"Of course not." – the Duke was quick to reassure his daughter – "Once you graduate from Hogwarts, you would be free to do whatever you want – travel, meet new people, explore the world in any way you see fit. With your grades, you won't have any issues finding a job, but it's not a problem even if you don't want to work. We'll provide you with sufficient funds."
"Somehow, I always knew this was the plan. Since the very beginning, I have suspected that Catherine Plantier was never meant to be just a temporary alias. She has always been intended to be my new identity and finally completely erase all kind of traces left from Catherine McMahon!" – Catherine started talking softly, but with every word, her voice got louder and louder, practically screaming the last part, her eyes full of angry tears.
Duke McMahon watched in horror how the books started flying from the shelves and the glass cases were shaking dangerously.
"What's going on in here?!" – the voice of Louisa McMahon startled both father and daughter.
The lady of the house stood in the frame of the door for a few seconds, her green eyes quickly moving from her husband's distorted face to her daughter's angry one, and finally resting on the Elemental Orb on the desk, still red and gleaming.
"You tested her without me?" – she shouted angrily – "What is wrong with you?"
"I…I've just received the Elemental Orb this afternoon and decided to be done with it once and for all. I didn't think the test itself was so important for you, my nymph." – stuttered the Duke, being caught in the middle of his wife and daughter, with two pairs of identical jade green eyes staring at him.
"You don't need to think instead of me!" – snapped Louisa – "What's this ruckus about anyway? It's not that we didn't suspect she was inclined to fire."
"Well, Mother, forgive me for being a little loud. It's not every day I realise my family's planning to get rid of me once I graduate." – hissed Catherine sarcastically.
"But isn't that what you wanted, Catherine?" – asked the Duke helplessly – "To be free, without the burden of your family lineage, and surrounded by people you like, instead of us who you barely tolerate?"
"How is this going to change the fact I bear a demon inside of me?" – asked the young witch miserably – "I want to be with people who see me for who I am, and I am Lady Catherine Margaret McMahon, whether you like it or not!"
"Nobody has ever denied that!" – said Louisa, her voice trembling slightly.
"Then don't try to erase my existence!" – shouted Catherine, her eyes darting from her father to her mother and back.
"It's not what we're trying to do!" – the Duke protested – "We did attempt to find a way for you to get your rightful place; however, it is much more dangerous than you simply living your life away from all this."
"This is my life!" – shouted Catherine – "You can't decide for me! I don't give a damn about the Council or how the rest of the aristocrats are going to see me! I'm not a criminal!"
"But we are, Catherine!" – exclaimed Edward hopelessly – "Our family vowed to never allow the demon to be free again. We kept our promise for centuries, in order to maintain relative peace among the main Houses. This is who we are! It's bad enough I've already betrayed our values."
"Oh, please!" – Louisa McMahon sneered – "What values? Nobody but you care about the Pact or promises made hundreds of years ago. Borealis and Redmond have been conspiring against us for ages, not to mention their constant flirting with the Dark Arts. You know perfectly well who was responsible for your parents' death, despite the lack of evidence. The House of O'Dargan turned the Academy into a joke for their own benefit. Lovett is only interested in gold and how to accumulate as much of it as possible. Whiters would do anything if it would save them the trouble of taking a side in any kind of dispute, and Duke Prince…well, he couldn't care less if the aristocrats stop existing tomorrow. My daughter is not a demon that needs extermination! After all, she's doing perfectly fine keeping it at bay. Why shouldn't the rules be changed? Why shouldn't we do everything possible to protect our family instead of sacrificing it for bunch of rigid fools and greedy elitists?"
Catherine felt an impulse to hug her mother. She remembered very few instances in which such a thing actually happened, but currently, she somehow felt protected by the Duchess, despite their turbulent relationship with each other. The girl, however, didn't act upon her instincts but instead looked at her father who appeared torn between the burden of his beliefs and the reality of his feelings.
"I know you're right, my nymph…" – Edward finally admitted, choosing his words with caution – "You are aware that my initial plan was that if Catherine could manage to keep the demon intact until she turns sixteen, I could attempt to persuade the Council to spare her life. No host, after Morgana le Fay, was able to survive past sixteen, when a witch's magic stabilises, and it becomes much less likely for the barrier to be broken. If they see Catherine as an asset for the Council…for the aristocrats in general, they may not pursue any charges. Accumulated value and benefits for all the Houses could go as far as allowing otherwise severe crimes to go unpunished. We would only need the support of three other Houses, two if Whiters remain neutral. But still, this plan is dangerous and risky, and it mostly relies on variables we have no control over, such as the disposition of the other Houses. Would you be willing to take such a risk?"
"Yes!" – answered Catherine, prompting both her parents to jump, being surprised by her firm and swift response.
"Catherine, think carefully about it!" – the Duke demanded – "This is a life-altering decision! Even if we succeed, you may end up being trapped in a very dangerous game where people would try to use you and take advantage of your powers."
"I'm not planning on allowing them, father." – the girl said softly – "If I indeed manage to survive until my sixteenth birthday, I believe I would have proven to everyone, including you, that I can be the mistress of my own life and I would be damned if I allow anyone to control me and take away my hard-earned freedom."
"Aren't you scared by how the aristocrats may react when they find out about you?" – asked Louisa, looking at her daughter with a bit of pride.
"Me? I suppose they should be the scared ones if they happen to reject perfectly valid arguments and attempt to harm me or you and Greg." – answered Catherine, her eyes sparkling by the intense emotions inside her thin childish frame – "In any case, I'm not just going to sit there and allow them to hurt me. Isn't that why Dumbledore is going to teach me elemental magic? If the other six Houses refuse to be reasonable and insist on playing with fire, they will get burnt!"
A/N Dear readers, thank you for your interest in the story. The updates for the next school year are going to come every week since I'm still in the process of writing the chapters. Thank you for the support and stay tuned!
S.