The Gryffindor Common Room buzzed with excitement as its inhabitants returned to Hogwarts in early January. Amidst the laughter and chatter, Sirius Black sat in a squashy burgundy-red armchair tucked away in a dark corner, his gaze fixed on the fireplace with a grim expression.
"I'm done unpacking." – Catherine announced, settling onto a big cushion on the floor beside her friend.
"Alright." – the boy responded absentmindedly.
"When do you think, James is going to come back?" – the young witch asked tentatively.
"Who knows?" – Sirius ran his right hand through his hair in exasperation – "If the funeral was today, I would assume he'd want to spend some time with his parents before coming back. I wouldn't expect him before the end of the week."
Catherine sighed audibly and joined Sirius in gazing at the merry flames dancing in the fireplace. Her hopes for finding solace in the carefree school life and forgetting about her family troubles and horrifying nightmares seemed to be already extinguished.
Once aboard the Hogwarts Express, the girl frantically searched the compartments for her friends, craving human company. The air between her and Greg had turned icy since their tense exchange on the hotel's terrace; he had since retreated into silence, offering only curt nods or monosyllabic responses when absolutely necessary. This had turned out to be quite unpleasant because after Florian Plantier had left for Iceland on Christmas day and the McMahon family returned to their home, Catherine had been left completely isolated.
Edward and Louisa had been preoccupied with various tasks and the kids had only seen them at dinner. The young witch had come with the realisation that she had honestly missed her brother, but at the same time she just couldn't find the courage to apologise. Deep inside, the girl knew the reason was that Greg did have a point and she didn't want to face some harsh truths about herself. To add to her troubles, the young witch was terrified to fall asleep. She had spent three days without being able to close her eyes for more than half an hour. At the point of complete exhaustion, she resorted to using a Dreamless Sleep Potion. However, due to its highly addictive nature, the third-year Gryffindor limited her consumption to no more than three times per week.
As a result, the heavily sleep-deprived Catherine burst into her friends' compartment, desperate to divert her wandering mind from her miserable holidays, only to find that James was not on the train. Sirius had informed her with a gloomy face that James' grandfather, Henry, was on his deathbed, and the boy had stayed behind to support his family. Naturally, this piece of news had cast a pall over the entire trip, and the four Gryffindors had spent most of it in silence.
"Have you completed your Charms' essay?" – asked the witch, looking for some sort of a conversation starter.
"Yeah, I had plenty of time to do homework." – Sirius responded, frowning – "It turned out to be a good excuse to spend most of the holidays in my room. Also, a much more pleasant option, considering the alternative."
"Family time being bothersome?" – the young witch inquired, although she already knew the answer.
"To say the least!" – Sirius barked a sarcastic laugh – "I think the only highlight in the past two weeks was that my uncle Alphard attended lunch on Christmas day."
"You haven't mentioned him before." – Catherine remarked with curiosity.
"He's basically the only decent person left in my family." – explained Sirius with a bitter smile – "Everybody else has been disowned. Uncle Alphard, however, hasn't given them the opportunity to do that yet. He just bugs my father and the other relatives every now and then by proclaiming how inventive Muggles are or how old-fashioned wizarding society is in Britain. Despite this, he hasn't committed anything that could be considered as the ultimate betrayal!"
"What would fall under that category?" – the girl asked with genuine interest.
"Oh, it could be anything – from marrying someone outside the established Pure-blood families to support Muggle-protection laws at the Ministry of Magic." – shrugged Sirius – "I think the reason why uncle is still in the family is because he's been constantly travelling around the world, never married, and he lives alone most of the time."
"You seem to envy him." – the young witch observed.
"Definitely!" – grinned the Gryffindor boy – "If I can choose how to live my life, I'll do exactly like him!"
"I'll miss you if you travel around the world all the time." – Catherine teased him, smiling.
"We can travel together…" – the wizard almost whispered. The black-haired girl could feel the intensity of his gaze on the back of her head. She cleared her throat.
"Well, once we graduate, we can make plans. For now, we're stuck with our families, and we can only be grateful we don't need to put up with them all the time."
"Light forbids!" – Sirius chuckled grimly – "But I still wish we spent Christmas together, especially since you were in London. I mean, not with my family of course! I wouldn't have subjected you to such treatment!"
"My family is not much of a prize either." – sighed Catherine, recalling the latest fight between her father and grandfather, the latter leaving without saying goodbye to anyone but his daughter and granddaughter.
"Still, imagine if I could have spent Christmas in a real Muggle hotel!" – grinned the young wizard – "I guess such experience is hardly new for you but for someone like me, being imprisoned in the wizarding world his whole life, it could be a blast!"
"I can imagine!" – the girl smiled back, thinking of the many ways one could be deprived of their freedom.
On Saturday morning, Catherine woke up around six. Since she had returned to Hogwarts, her sleep had improved. She hadn't experienced any nightmares, but the traumatic experience from the holidays still lingered on the back of her mind, preventing her from enjoying more than four or five hours of sleep per night.
Realising she wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep, the young witch silently opened the red curtains around her four-poster bed, donning a black cotton turtleneck, a pair of trackpants, a matching black jacket and her new Nike Waffle Trainers - a Christmas present from Greg. The third-year left the girls' dormitory and ventured outside the castle in the freezing January morning. Since jogging in the pitch darkness was not ideal, the Gryffindor resorted to using her wand.
"Lumiflux Iterum!" – she incanted, using the latest spell she had invented to conjure a luminous orb of light that hovered and moved in front of the caster, illuminating the path ahead. In fact, it was James who had suggested that such a spell would be useful for them; Catherine had simply modified a classic Luminous Spell widely used by wizards and witches to provide light in their homes.
The orb's light reflected off the large pool of black waters, casting flickering shadows around the witch. Suddenly, she heard the noise of someone quickly approaching from behind. Turning around, wand still in hand, Catherine saw another person apparently jogging around the lake without concerning themselves with insignificant issues such as being able to see where they were going.
The dark figure, wearing a Muggle hoodie, swiftly entered the light patch created by Catherine's orb, which prompt the girl to gasp and take a step back in surprise.
"James!" – she exclaimed, her breath hanging in the air in the form of silver mist – "When did you come back?!"
"Late last night." – James Potter responded, removing his hood, which had been covering his black, untidy hair – "I couldn't sleep, and I thought running around in the cold, dark morning would help me shut my mind off for a while. I'm surprised to see you here, though, Flame."
"I had trouble sleeping too." – the girl admitted – "I'm glad that you're back! I'm really sorry for your grandfather! I know the two of you were close."
James nodded and looked away from Catherine. She sensed he felt extremely uncomfortable. The truth was that James wasn't one who was prone to expressing his emotions when they could make him look weak, even if it was in front of his closest friends. In this aspect, he and Sirius were very different. With a flick of her wand, the witch made the light orb vanish, and then, acting on instinct, she reached out in the darkness to embrace James. At first, he jumped in surprise, but then his tense body relaxed, and he buried his head into the crook of Catherine's neck. Even through the collar of her turtleneck the young witch could feel the burning moisture of James' tears, seeping through the fabric.
The two teenagers stayed like that for several minutes. Finally, the wizard released his friend and cleared his throat apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Flame! I didn't want to show such a weakness in front of you."
"Oh, and who were you saving it for, then?" – Catherine teased him gently.
"I haven't been myself during the past week." – James admitted as they wandered aimlessly around the castle's grounds, attempting to warm themselves up.
"You don't need to explain anything." – the girl reassured him, taking hold of her classmate's hand, providing him with emotional support and to prevent herself from tripping on the hard, frozen ground.
"It just happened so quickly that it still feels surreal." – James exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly – "My grandpa was truly an amazing wizard, you know! He had been a very respected Auror… these are highly skilled wizards and witches who work for the Ministry, hunting Dark wizards… But beyond that, he was brave, honest, selfless, and always protected the innocent. He was everything I aspire to be!"
"You're lucky you have had him as a role model." – noted the young witch, reflecting on who could have had such a significant influence on her own life.
"That's true… I guess I'm also lucky because we spent so much time together. We went fishing, we travelled, he taught me how to do so many things… Grandpa bought me my first broom and even had a fight with my mom who was scared I was too young to fly and would end up hurting myself. I just wish he could have seen me growing up, starting my own family, and making him proud." – James' voice was warm with emotions, contrasting with the chilling darkness that enveloped them both.
"I'm sure he would be proud nonetheless, darling!" – Catherine ensured her friend honestly – "After all, the people we love can never truly leave us, as long as we keep their memory alive in our hearts."
"This sounds nice." – James noted as they slowly made their way towards the castle, which was still asleep and quiet.
"Is there anything I can do to make you feel a bit better?" – the girl asked, hoping she could help James through that hard time – "Perhaps a big, moist chocolate cake with hazelnuts?"
"You know I can't say no to your cooking, but you have enough on your plate." – the wizard responded – "Can I save this offer for my birthday?"
"It's not an 'either – or' kind of situation, James." – the black-haired witch chuckled slightly – "I just want to alleviate your pain, even if only slightly. You're still going to get your birthday cake."
"Then, how about you teach me wandless magic?" – suggested the third-year out of the blue.
"I don't know if I'm proficient enough to teach you." – Catherine hesitated – "All I can do for now is cast a Levitation Charm wandlessly. I have a lot to learn myself."
"Then, let's learn together!" – the other Gryffindor student insisted – "It's already remarkable that you managed to do so much by yourself at such an early age! If anyone could teach me, it's got to be you!"
"But why do you want to learn so badly? You have plenty of time. We're just in our third year after all." – asked the witch, still uncertain if she should agree to her friend's request.
"You, of all people, asking that?" – James snorted – "Because I want to be powerful as soon as possible. I want to protect everyone dear to me… and I want to become an Auror, worthy of Henry Potter's lineage!"
"I see." – said Catherine, and after a few moments, she smiled broadly – "In that case, I promise I won't rest until I make an excellent Auror out of you!"
The following week passed rather quickly. Amongst the growing mountain of lessons, the few parallel research projects that Catherine was conducting in the Library, and the private lessons with Dumbledore, there was not a lot of time left for other problems to occupy the girl's mind. Truth be told, she was extremely grateful for every night, finding herself on the brink of exhaustion as she collapsed into bed, her mind wandering between complicated transfiguration theories and advanced potions techniques. This level of fatigue meant she was less likely to succumb to any nightmares like the one she had during Christmas.
On Saturday morning, the young witch crossed the frozen school grounds. There wasn't a single person to be seen, with most of the students opting for the much warmer and cosier Common Rooms. The only sign of life was the noise coming from the Quidditch Pitch where the Gryffindor Quidditch team was practicing. The sound echoed oddly across the icy landscape, eventually fading into the dark silence of the Forbidden Forest. The sky loomed grey, ominous with the promise of an impending snowstorm.
Catherine knocked on Hagrid's door and felt relieved when the beaming Keeper of the Keys let her into the big room that served as his home. The crackling fire cast a warm glow throughout the hut, its flickering light dancing on the walls, while the massive copper teapot already hummed merrily.
"It's freezing cold outside, ain't it?" – chuckled the giant, placing two teacups the size of small buckets on the table – "Care for a cup of tea before we start baking?"
"Sounds nice, but I already had tea with my breakfast. Maybe we can postpone it until we put the cookies in the oven?" – suggested the girl, removing her heavy cloak and looking around for the ingredients she needed – "Did you get the butterscotch sauce we need?"
"Right yeh are!" – Hagrid nodded and swiftly retrieving a small brownish jar, as well as an impressive amount of butter, sugar, flour, and cornstarch.
"Alright." – said Catherine as she brought over a few bowls and a rolling pin – "Now, let's start by mixing the butter and the sugar here until they're light and fluffy. After that, we'll add the flour, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. I'll grab some vanilla extract for an extra burst of flavour."
As the third-year rummaged through Hagrid's spice rack for the vanilla, he continued to mix the ingredients. The good thing about cooking with the Keeper of the Keys was that due to his immense physical strength all the mixing operations were easier than using a Muggle electric mixer.
Once the dough was properly rolled out on the floured surface of the table, the young witch retrieved her wand and flashed a grin at her baking partner.
"I discovered this incredibly useful spell in a book called Enchantment in Baking. Let's put it to a test, shall we? Sideris Carpo!" – Catherine exclaimed, swirling her wand. In response, dozens of star-shaped cookies materialised, neatly cut out from the dough.
"Blimey, this is brilliant!" – Hagrid boomed, clapping together his massive hands – "Could yeh cut 'em into different shapes, like dragons, perhaps?"
"Ahm, I don't think so." – the young witch admitted with a smile – "But I could probably tweak the spell a bit to change the shape, although turning it into a dragon might be a bit more complicated."
"Ain't that a shame!" – sighed the giant while they were placing the cookies into several greased trays and carrying them to the oven.
Once everything was settled and a mouthwatering aroma filled the hut, Catherine and Hagrid finally sat down to enjoy their tea. They chatted about the Gryffindor team's chances of winning the Quidditch Cup, the amount of homework the third-years were receiving, and which classes the students were enjoying the most.
"Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy purely academic subjects like Ancient Runes, but if I were to take another one, like Arithmacy, it would have been way too much." – the girl explained, sipping from her cup, which she needed to hold with both her hands.
"I dunno where yeh fit all them facts!" – laughed the Keeper of the Keys – "Ancient Runes give me a right headache. That's why I never even thought about takin' it for electives!"
"Was it part of the electives when you were a student, Hagrid? You've never mentioned your favourite subjects." – asked Catherine with curiosity. Her friend had never really discussed his time at school, and the witch had never seen him use magic. In fact, the third-year was beginning to wonder if he could do it at all.
"Oh, err…" – Hagrid stammered uncomfortably – "It were offered as a subject, but, y'know... I mean... well, I s'pose it's no secret I didn't graduate, so I can't really say much about the subjects. Got expelled in me third year."
"They expelled you?!" – Catherine stared at the giant with astonishment and put down her tea – "But why?"
"It ain't that important..." – mumbled the Keeper of the Keys, his face looking upset and miserable under the bushy beard covering the most part of it – "I did some daft things, an' if it weren't for Dumbledore helpin' me land this job... he's a real great wizard, Dumbledore!"
Catherine genuinely felt bad for Hagrid. Despite his imposing stature, the Keeper of the Keys was truly a gentle soul, and he seemed deeply ashamed of his admission to the third-year. It was as if he anticipated her to laugh at him or to be shocked by his illiteracy. To mask his discomfort, the giant swiftly leaped into action, attending to the trays of cookies in the oven.
Meanwhile, the young witch tidied up the table and retrieved the jar of butterscotch sauce intended for drizzling over the cookies. With a warm smile, she gently nudged Hagrid's sleeve and passed him the jar.
"I hope you don't feel awkward about what you've just told me, Hagrid. I was surprised, but only because you possess such vast knowledge of magic and magical creatures. I never would have guessed that you hadn't excelled academically."
"You're right kind to say that." – sniffed the Keeper of the Keys, appearing truly touched by the compliment, even managing to squeeze out a wee smile.
"It's true though!" – said Catherine sincerely – "I know that you're an irreplaceable help for Professor Kettleburn. You also help Professor Sprout and Professor Slughorn, and on top of that, the Headmaster trusts you with all kinds of serious business for Hogwarts!"
Hagrid smiled broadly when he heard the praise and his black beetle eyes shined with pride. He left the now empty jar of butterscotch sauce and transferred some of the cookies into a plate which he took back to the table, taking a seat with an audible sigh.
"I s'pose I know a bit." – he stated modestly, snatching a hot cookie from the plate – "Even give Professor Kettleburn a hand with his lesson plans, y'know? Though, truth be told, we've had our disagreements more than once."
"What about?" – asked the young witch as she also returned to her seat and feeling relieved that she had managed to cheer up the Keeper of the Keys.
"Care of magical creatures, o' course!" – smirked Hagrid and gobbed another cookie – "He don't rightly appreciate the interestin' ones!"
Catherine hesitated for a moment. She sensed a good opportunity to gently guide the conversation towards the topic of Thestrals without seeming manipulative. At the same time, she felt guilty for taking advantage of her friend after a difficult moment and since he had demonstrated his trust by sharing his 'disgrace' with her.
'It seems being sorted into Gryffindor does affect you at one point.' – she thought, deciding to come up clean to a certain extent, without compromising the mission.
"Speaking of interesting creatures, Remus told me that the carriages we use to get to Hogwarts from the station were pulled by Thestrals. Is that true?"
"Oh, could he see 'em?" – Hagrid's voice tinged with sadness – "Aye, it's true, it is! Hogwarts 'as the biggest herd of trained Thestrals in all of Great Britain!"
"This is very impressive." – the girl said, adding – "I don't fathom we're going to learn about them any time soon in Care of Magical Creatures."
"Ain't likely." – the Keeper of the Keys shook his head with disappointment – "Them folks at the Ministry of Magic slapped a Class XXXX label on Thestrals. Professor Kettleburn only brings 'em out and show 'em for his NEWTs students... ahm…'show' might not be the right word here, though."
"Are they really that dangerous?" – asked the young witch being actually curious about the beasts she could not see.
"Not at all!" – exclaimed Hagrid defensively – "They're as gentle as can be, and mighty useful too! Dumbledore himself sometimes chooses to ride one of our Thestrals instead of apparating!"
"So you can ride them?" – asked Catherine – "Though, I guess it's going to be really odd if you don't see them."
"It's best if y'don't see 'em, believe me." – mumbled the giant – "I love the herd, truly do, but I'd trade takin' care of 'em in a heartbeat if it meant gettin' me old man back."
"I'm sorry, Hagrid. It seems I keep upsetting you today." – the girl apologised, considering if she should give up for the present moment.
"Nah, it's nothin'." – Hagrid patted Catherine's hand as gently as possible – "Life moves on. Proud of the work I do 'round here, especially with the Thestrals. And if ya ask old Slughorn, he'd say it's the most crucial part o' my job."
"What do you mean?" – asked the Gryffindor confused.
"Yeh might not know this, but Professor Slughorn, he's got an eye fer them rare ingredients, see? Always on the hunt for 'em, thinkin' he can turn a tidy profit. But, not too long ago, Dumbledore put the kibosh on teachers usin' Hogwarts' resources to line their pockets. Ruined old Slughorn's little scheme, it did. But he's a stubborn one, ain't he? Keeps tryin' to wheedle anythin' rare outta me that I might find in the forest. Can't say I'm fallin' fer it, though!"
"Sounds like him." – Catherine agreed.
"Ah, them sneaky snakes, they do tend to slither about like that." – Hagrid chuckled – "So there was Slughorn, heard I'd been gatherin' up some of them Thestrals' shed hair, and he comes knockin' at my door, all full of praise for my work and fussin' over them 'precious darlings' in the cold without their hair. But o' course, he left with his hands as empty as his flattery!"
"But why are they shading during winter, indeed?" – asked Catherine contemplatively, her tone laced with amusement at her Potions teacher's clumsy attempt to obtain the same ingredient she was after.
"They do just fine in the cold." – Hagrid explained – "The hair's actually for protectin' 'em from the heat. It sorta radiates coldness, y'see. That's why, among other uses, Thestral hair is mighty suitable for weavin' bandages that soothe wounds caused by fire."
"That's not what Slughorn needs it for, I reckon." – suggested the girl, finally taking a cookie from now almost empty tray.
"Not likely." – agreed the Keeper of the Keys – "It's probably for his potion-making or to sell it, and I assure you, it costs a 'uge amount of gold."
"Then he's definitely not done with you." – the witch smiled.
"Hah, he could give it a go, but I says to him: all them hairs I've gathered, they're for Madame Pomfrey, and whatever's left, well, it's for St Mungo's." – Hagrid exclaimed, puffing up his chest as he glanced proudly at the ceiling. Catherine's eyes trailed after his, but all she spotted were a bunch of hams and pheasants dangling about.
"The hair is also not visible unless you've seen death, is it?" – the young witch suggested, earning a nod from her huge friend.
'That makes things rather complicated.' - the girl thought and sighed. Finally, she took a bite from the cookie she had been holding for a while and immediately choked.
"Hagrid, next time the recipe requires 'a pinch of salt' remind me to consider the difference in the size of our hands!"
"So, bottom line, we need to find a way to obtain some Thestral hair before Slughorn gets his hands on it." – Sirius summarised the situation.
The Hogwarts Library was an imposing place where students spent many hours, most of them rather unwillingly. Under the unwavering gaze of Madame Pince, there was little room for rule breaking. Despite this, the numerous tables and secluded reading nooks provided a degree of privacy not easily found elsewhere in the castle, where the constant risk of eavesdropping or unexpected interruptions loomed.
In one such secluded corner, adjacent to a section dedicated to the history of ancient magic and wizarding civilizations, the familiar group of Gryffindors had found sanctuary, and Catherine had managed to brief them fully on the latest development regarding their hunt for ingredients.
"I don't think Hagrid's going to allow Slughorn to take anything. He seemed adamant about that." – Catherine replied contemplatively – "The problem is that it would have been easiest if I were to grab some Thestral hair since I'm there often enough. However, given that I can't see Thestrals, it's simply not possible."
"Can't you use magic to get it?" – Peter chimed in.
"Not really. It's generally not recommendable to use magic on potion ingredients. It compromises their properties. That's why we cut, grind, crush them by hand instead of using spells." – Catherine explained.
"Better not risk it then." – agreed Sirius – "It's best if we manage to get Moony inside Hagrid's hut so he could take some Thestral hair. We don't need that much, do we?"
"The recipe says a handful should suffice." – said the black-haired girl.
"Wait a minute! I'm not stealing anything from Hagrid!" – Remus finally managed to express his dissatisfaction with the role his friends volunteered him for.
"It's not really stealing it from Hagrid. The Thestrals belong to the school, right? So, we're just using school supplies in a way." – Sirius attempted to smooth the situation.
"That's the most Slytherin-like thing you've ever said!" – Remus retorted angrily – "I agreed to help you with your crazy plan, but that does not involve me stealing! I've already betrayed Dumbledore's trust more than enough. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here!"
Uncomfortable silence settled over the group of students. Catherine understood Moony's point, however, if he was reluctant to assist them, the only option left was to approach Hagrid directly, and she doubted their friendship would justify such a major breach of the school rules.
"I'll do it." – declared James, breaking the sudden silence, prompting the rest of the Gryffindors to stare at him in surprise – "After last week I should be able to see Thestrals as well."
"Are you sure you're up for this, mate?" – Sirius asked with genuine concern.
"Yes, I am! We can't let Flame take all the risks, and it wouldn't be fair to involve Moony either. It's up to us to find a solution!" – the black-haired boy stated decisively.
"In that case, we need to find the right moment and provide you with an opportunity to get the hair we need." – Catherine smiled encouragingly – "Maybe you can come with me during one of our upcoming baking lessons. Then, we can try and create a situation where you would be alone in the hut."
"Sounds like a plan!" – Sirius said as James nodded curtly – "Now that we've got this sorted, where do we stand with our research on the Homonculous Charm?"
"We are making progress… sort of…" – James replied with a frown, casting a disgruntled glance at the stack of books before him – "It's more complicated than we anticipated, and we don't have that much time to practice."
"What matters is that we're already working on it." – Sirius reassured the group, spreading the blank parchment on top of their table and drawing out his wand – "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"
Black lines spawned in every direction, forming the articulated plan of the castle and its surroundings. The five teenagers huddled closer together, shielding the map from any potential onlookers.
"If we're not ready for the major enchantment, then how about we try this protective spell I found called Aureum Aegis Augmentum?" – suggested the map's creator with a playful grin.
"I haven't heart of it." – shrugged Catherine – "What exactly does it do?"
"It adds and extra layer of protection against anyone who insists on reading our ingenious masterpiece without knowing the password!" – the grey-eyed wizard chuckled – "Allow me to demonstrate! Aegis Secrecus!"
The map briefly glowed before returning to its normal state. Sirius touched it again with the tip of his wand.
"Mischief Managed!"
The lines vanished, leaving the parchment blank once more. The young wizard paused for a second then tapped the concealed map.
"Revelio!"
Nothing changed, but Sirius seemed undeterred. On the contrary, he confidently swirled his wand above the parchment.
"Aparecium! Clarus Delineo!"
"Now we can be certain that the map is well protected from anyone who tries to use Revealing Charms of any sort to break the Concealment spell!" – he declared with a satisfied smirk.
"That's reassuring, especially once we cast the Homonculous Charm." – James agreed – "I'm certain that McGonagall is going to confiscate the map instantly if she finds it. It has way too many mischievous applications, so to speak."
"I believe it's well protected for now." – Catherine remarked, flipping through one of the books on the table – "We could perhaps enhance the protection further, but for the time being, it's quite sufficient. Plus, I've been thinking about improving the Homonculous Charm to detect ghosts, people who are invisible or those under transfiguration."
"Absolutely!" – Sirius exclaimed with enthusiasm – "We need to be sure the map would never lie!"
"You focus on the planning, and I'll take care of the task at hand." – James frowned, trying to cram as many books as possible into his schoolbag – "Let's go! I need to drop this off at the Gryffindor Tower before we head to Quidditch practice."
"I'll come with you!" – declared Peter eagerly – "Moony, are you joining us?"
"No, thank you. I need to send some letters." – Remus replied immediately, prompting Catherine to suspect it was more of an excuse to avoid spending two hours in the cold next to the overexcited and overwhelming Peter on the stands.
"What about you, Flame?" – Peter asked, undeterred.
"I need to finish my Ancient Runes translation. It will take a while." – the girl answered, not bothering to conceal her satisfaction, which earned her an amused grin by Sirius.
As the boys departed from the Library, the young witch retrieved her almost finished translation, already occupying a good half of a roll of parchment. She then made her way to the Ancient Runes section to gather additional references. While debating whether to select the Practical Directions towards Ancient Runes Transcription, the Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Runes Interpretation, or both, she heard footsteps approaching from behind. Turning around, she spotted Gwendolyn Lockhart, balancing an impressive pile of thick volumes whose titles seemed obscure to Catherine.
"How nice to see you here, Catherine Plantier." – the Ravenclaw sixth-year smiled, revealing a picture-perfect set of white teeth.
"Just call me Catherine." – the third-year remarked – "Do you need help with the books?"
"Not really." – the blond girl answered, and the books flew from her hands, finding their places on the shelves.
"Your wandless magic is truly remarkable!" – Catherine complemented her sincerely.
"Thank you. I do have a certain talent with wandless magic, if you don't mind me bragging a bit." – Gwendolyn chuckled.
"Since when did Ravenclaws consider telling the truth about someone's abilities as bragging?" – asked the other witch with a smirk.
"Indeed, we do not. However, we try to adapt to speaking with other people who may not necessarily share the same philosophy as our House." – the sixth-year explained with unmistakable air of dignity.
"How very considerate of you." – said Catherine with an almost imperceptible hint of sarcasm – "You know, I thought I would be sorted into Ravenclaw."
"Really? That would have been my last guess." – Gwendolyn commented, mimicking the younger girl's sarcasm – "You definitely strike me as more of a blend between Slytherin and Gryffindor – constantly torn between two diametral opposites."
"Touché!" – the Gryffindor grinned, as she suddenly had an idea – "Say, Gwendolyn, I remember reading that Rowena Ravenclaw spent her last years searching every nook and cranny of Hogwarts looking for something that was stolen from her. Do you know if she had found some secret places like new passages or hidden rooms?"
The blond witch paused for a moment, her bright blue eyes gazing into the distance.
"It's better if you go to the source and ask this question."
"What do you mean?" – Catherine asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Talk to the Grey Lady." – the sixth-year suggested with a mysterious smile, building up another pile of books – "You should show me your wandless magic one of these days."
"How do you know I can do wandless magic?" – the third-year inquired, surprised.
"Your friend James Potter told half the school." – Gwendolyn chuckled, settling nearby behind an impressive tower of dictionaries.
"Well, at least he only told half of it." – the black-haired girl retorted, gathering her reference books and preparing to leave the Library.
"Indeed, Sirius Black told the rest." – the Ravenclaw smirked, waving the annoyed Gryffindor goodbye.
During the winter term, Gryffindors were scheduled to have a double class of Defence Against the Dark Arts every Friday afternoon. At the sight of the program, Catherine's immediate reaction was a desperate grunt she couldn't contain. Not only did she need to put up with Thorne for two consecutive hours, but they also had to share the class with Slytherins. And while the DADA Professor continued the trend of his unexplainably good behaviour towards the young witch, the Slytherins weren't shy in demonstrating how much they hated her every chance they got.
For some reason, Snape was especially vicious after the Christmas break. Each time their eyes met, he would bite his lips, leaving the Gryffindor with an unsettling feeling that he was suppressing the urge to hex her. She was puzzled by what she could have possibly done to intensify his hatred towards her, especially since they hadn't seen each other during the holidays. However, the young witch had grown accustomed to Slytherins treating her badly often without any apparent reason, besides her perceived blood status. The only issue was that during their Ancient Runes class, she felt constantly on edge and couldn't concentrate entirely on the lessons.
Unfortunately, Lily couldn't provide any additional information, therefore Catherine decided to ignore Snape as much as possible and stop worrying about him. Moreover, she had her friends always watching her back, thus she had no reason to feel anxious.
During the final week of January, a thick blanket of snow enveloped Hogwarts and the neighbouring mountains, casting a serene hush over the landscape. Despite the wintry tranquillity, students were adamant to seize every opportunity for outdoor amusement. The mild weather and the abundance of snow provided great conditions for entertainment such as sliding down the slopes with enchanted toboggans that went way swifter than the Muggle ones.
Catherine and Lily had spent their lunch break eating sandwiches in the courtyard, enjoying the friendly but fierce snowball fight between the Hufflepuff fourth-years and the Gryffindor fifth-years. The skirmish culminated in a spectacular victory for the lions, largely thanks to Fabian Prewett and his remarkably accurate aim.
"You could have been one hell of a Beater, Fabe!" – laughed Marvolo Wood as they headed inside to dry their wet clothes – "Too bad you're a complete disaster on a broom!"
"A bit like me." – chuckled Lily, glancing with amusement after their laughing housemates – "But Daisy, you really should consider trying out for the team next year! You're a natural flyer!"
"We shall see." – the other witch replied, skilfully using one of the lower branches of the cherry tree, which grew in the far end of the Courtyard, to climb to the top. With graceful ease, she balanced on one of the highest points and gazed out at the snowy clouds already blanketing the nearby hills. After a moment, she swiftly descended and leaped down, landing beside her red-haired friend.
"Such a show-off!" – Lily laughed, teasingly – "And you wonder why Gwynnie calls you a tomboy!"
"I don't wonder why she does it. I just think she means it as an insult." – answered Catherine, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"I think she's just jealous because she likes Sirius Black, and he doesn't even look at her twice." – said Lily, as they entered the castle and made their way toward the Grand Staircase.
"And how is this my fault?" – fumed the black-haired witch, earning a shrug from her friend – "If she's that interested in Sirius, she should try talking to him about something more engaging than the latest hair conditioner potion she saw in a magazine."
The girls walked the rest of the way to the DADA classroom without speaking, Catherine preoccupied with much more pressing matters than Gwyneth Jones's crush on Sirius. Following her conversation with Gwendolyn, the young witch was determined to seek advice from the Grey Lady on a discreet location for brewing the Animagi Potion. However, finding the house ghost of Ravenclaw proved to be a challenge. She was generally not known to be one to wonder around the castle and Catherine couldn't just hang around the Ravenclaw Tower in hope of encountering their ghost.
The girl had asked Sir Nicolas if he could arrange a meeting with the Grey Lady, but despite his efforts the answer was negative. She had proudly declined, dismissing the invitation as a waste of her time. It seemed she was wary of outsiders and rarely interacted with anyone outside her house Undeterred, Catherine sought a different approach. She speculated that demonstrating a shared interest might garner the Grey Lady's cooperation. Yet, when she inquired with Sir Nicholas about the Ravenclaw house ghost's interests when she had been alive, the third-year received a severe scolding because it apparently was considered rude asking about a ghost's life prior their death.
'I need to find out more about the Hogwarts ghosts or somehow get into the Ravenclaw Common Room.' – thought Catherine, chewing the tip of her braid – 'It's better if I can avoid breaking into another House's premises. I'm going to be in a lot of trouble if they catch me there.'
"Get off my face or you're going to be sorry, Potter!"
"Oh really? What are you going to do, Snivellus? Wipe up your nose in my robes?"
A sudden outburst of voices prompted both girls to quickly take the last turn, leading to the DADA classroom, only to find Gryffindor and Slytherin third-years crowded in front of the door, many of their wands already drawn. James Potter stood no more than ten centimetres away from Severus Snape's face, looking down on him with complete disgust. The Slytherin appeared ready to fight, his uneven teeth bared and his hands trembling slightly. Sirius was right next to James, along with Remus and Peter. The rest of the Slytherin boys were a bit further away, with Cassius Mulciber leaning against one wall, still laughing at something.
While Catherine was trying to comprehend the situation, Lily darted and stood between Snape and James, her emerald-green eyes flashing dangerously.
"What is wrong with you?!" – she screamed, directing her anger mostly at James – "Why do you always feel the need to offend him?"
"Stay out of this, Evans!" – James shouted, though he did take a step back – "As usual, you rush to save Snivellus faster than he runs when he sees a shower. You have no idea what happened!"
"I know that you and your friends are standing here with your wands ready, behaving like a total toerag, James Potter!"
"Yeah, because you missed the part where Mulciber accidently sprayed poor Mary with some cologne and she turned into a human-house-elf hybrid just like Archie Smith last month!'" – yelled James, while Lily's face softened a bit, her gaze scanning the scene, likely checking on Mary.
"Thorne took her to the Hospital Wing." – Sirius interjected, his frustration mirroring James's.
"This is despicable, but as you've pointed out, it was Mulciber, not Severus!" – the red-headed Gryffindor persisted, steadfast in defending her friend.
"Don't talk about me with that dirty mouth of yours, Mudblood!" – Cassius spat, his trademark insolent grin fading – "So what if MacDonald's ears grew a bit? She looks better now, much more subservient as she should be!"
"I'll show you subservient!" – shouted Sirius, raising his wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
Professor Thorne swiftly intercepted Sirius' wand, shooting Mulciber a stern look that wiped the grin off his face as he hurried into the classroom.
"Everyone inside! The class should have begun already!" – the teacher's voice cut through the murmurs – "Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Black, and don't argue unless you want more! That also includes you, Mr Potter!"
"Professor, how's Mary?" – Lily inquired as she passed the wizard on her way inside.
"She's going to be fine. Madame Pomfrey already knows how to treat this prank, but she'll need to spend the afternoon in the Hospital Wing." – explained Thorne calmly – "I already notified both Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn. Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of that series of practical jokes, and the initiators and participants will be severely punished!"
"Like you care!" – hissed James at Lily as he took his seat, next to Sirius and behind Catherine.
"I do care, but I do not understand why you blame Severus for everything that happens. You just enjoy bullying him!" – the red-haired witch insisted angrily, taking a seat on the opposite side of the classroom next to Gwyneth Jones.
Catherine shook her head in disappointment. While Mulciber's behaviour seemed to have triggered Mary's transformation, Remus had already told her that when Thorne initially inspected the cologne bottle, it did contain cologne, and there was nothing unusual about it. This indicated that if they were indeed dealing with a potion, its complexity would have been beyond Mulciber's abilities in Potions, which were comparable to Peter's. Therefore, James's suspicion that these pranks were performed via something brewed or created by Snape was quite reasonable. Lily's refusal to acknowledge this straightforward logic was baffling.
A sharp tug on her braid caused Catherine to lean back, as James whispered angrily in her ear.
"We're far from finished with Snivellus! Evans can defend him all she wants, but we know he's behind these attacks on Muggle-borns! We'll make him pay, and I have the perfect idea, but I need your help, Flame!"
Author's note: Dear all, I wanted to thank you for reading my work with such dedication, and also for the feedback. It really helps a lot when you know that the readers actually enjoy your story. Stay tuned for the next chapter, it's going to be a dramatic one! :)
~ Sailea ~