Chapter Three - Kate.

This morning it's the Beatles going round my head as a I make my way to the Slytherin table - ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is too catchy to expel from my mind so I leave it echoing in there and turn my thoughts to something else whilst humming. It's the first day of term and I'll be starting my N.E.W.T. work again - only now that I'm a seventh year it's going to be even more tough. Still, I can handle it. Last year whilst my classmates fretted and crammed for the end of year exams, I was chilling by the lake and reading fiction - or rather Claire told me everyone was having panic attacks due to the exams - I tend to keep away from my irritating peers.

The point is, I don't have anything to worry about. Or rather I tell myself this, believe it and up goes my confidence and grades. Most people think I'm a lunatic, the way I act - and yes, they're right - but I'm also a very clever lunatic, as I have evaluated over the years.

This morning I have Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology, I believe - all of the core classes I'll need to succeed in my dream career; Magizoology. Unlike so many of my classmates, I knew exactly what to choose for my career path - or rather I flipped a coin because I couldn't choose between that or a Seer career path. I just couldn't pick one myself so I left it to the godlike force of this world known as randomness. Well, at least I was decisive in my methods to choose one.

I reach the Slytherin table and find Claire - or ‘Groot’ - as a I call her (she had an owl that hooted a lot and her middle name is Grace - it seemed to fit) - sitting at the very end, consuming a cup of what looks to be coffee and reading a book that's titled ‘The Witch in the Well and other Ghost stories’. I wrinkle my nose at the coffee as I sit down - it's too bitter for my liking - but approve of the book and start speaking as soon as I've pulled the volume from her hands and grabbed the nearest mug of hot chocolate.

“It is said that you can still hear the cries of the plague victims when the sun goes down each night.” I read out clearly before Groot lunges at me to try and retrieve it. 

“Kat, give me that back!” 

My reflexes are too quick, however, and I bend back neatly in the stool as she swipes at me before blocking her hands and sitting back up again, flicking through the pages. “I will, I will, I just wanna read a bit of it.” There’s a pause and then I find the page that’s been marked by her and read out again;

“Adriana Dashwood, also known as ‘The Witch in the Well’ was said to have been a great sorceress during the seventeen-” I stop and look at her, then put down the book with my eyebrows raised.

“What?” She questions, despite knowing what my comment is going to be.

“Groot, this woman died in the 1700s. You’re never going to get a lead on that - even if it is true. Which it isn’t, of course.” I say in an unusually practical voice for me.

“Why not? She’s the only one I’ve found that far back and Adriana’s a common name in my family as far as my current records tell me. She’s got to be an ancestor.” Groot picks the book up again and I tut, which I know is winding her up. I just can't help myself.

Thing is, Groot’s been going through old books and records in a vain hope of finding who her real family is ever since I met her as a second year. She grew up with Muggles who adopted her, apparently, but she’s a half-blood and is obsessed in following her father’s Dashwood line and finding a relative. Not that she doesn’t like these muggles she lives with - I’ve met them myself and the only criticism I could dish out was their shoes looked about century old - but she is still set on finding her family. There’s no secrets with her - she’s an open book - but she’s never explained to me quite why she’s so bent on finding her family. I have wondered if it was my fault for not realising - I never interpret people quite right and I don’t listen enough - but maybe she should have realised I’m never going to work it out without her telling me.

“The records could be false.” I suggest, attempting to say it lightly but ending up making it sound like a line from a detective series.

“My records aren’t false, Kat, I’ve been verifying them for years.” Groot answers, not moving her eyes from the page as she skim reads. It’s when she appears to finish that page that she exhales and puts the book down to change the topic of conversation. “So, how’s Minerva doing?” She asks, turning to me and both of us then looking up to the staff table.

“I don’t know - I haven’t talked to her yet.” I say, realising I should have. 

Of course, Groot then does a classic Groot and makes me feel very foolish. “Why? Kat, she’s your Aunt and the person you live with. For god’s sake, go and see her now.” 

“But what about Breakfast?” I say, regarding the sausages with longing.

“Kat, go!” Groot gives me a push and I stand up, heaving a sigh over the sausages before turning to head to the staff table. However, before I can even take a step towards me desired destination, there’s a voice that calls to me in sneering tones, cracking like a whip as it hits me.

“Hey Fields - got over the fact that you’re friend’s a Physco yet?”

I spin on my heel, face beginning to redden in anger. It’s Mulciber again, the slimy blonde one with his hair cut in a pudding basin style that does nothing to hide his gaunt and ugly face. I’ll tell you one thing, though - he’s very good at getting to me.

For once I don’t answer - because I have nothing to answer with. I won’t have them talking about Lena in that way, but how am I meant to reply? Throw him a taunting insult and sink to his level? The best way would be to send a jinx his way to make his ugly face even more sickening, but doing in front of the entire school would not be a wise idea, I tell myself.

“Taking her to St. Mungo’s any time soon?”

Before I’ve had time to reply, Mulciber’s equally slimy friend, Avery, has joined in, and this time the comment gets to me. Because lately it’s been me visiting St. Mungo’s, never Lena. Saying the first thing that comes into my mind, I shout back.

“Well if I did I’d have seen you there, wouldn’t I? Getting treated for brain related issues, I hear?” 

“Oh no - I believe that’s you.” Mulciber leads the charge again whilst Avery snickers and I look at him with distaste.

“Really? They aren’t doing anything to stop you getting T’s in all subjects?” I know I’ve hit a nerve then because his face goes red and his expression is laced with venom as he answers.

“Think you’re so clever, do you, Fields?” 

I smile, caught up in it all. “Yes.” Beside me I can hear Groot trying to call me out of it but now I’m too involved. 

“More like insane.” I hear, finding the source to be Severus Snape. But I don’t want to pick an argument with him - I can only focus on Avery and Mulciber at the moment.

“So clever that you manage to have a breakdown in the middle of Potions, then?” Mulciber says with pure spite, smiling at I wash white and swallow, not daring to say anything. “Oh boo-hoo, I can’t get this serum of truth right.” He imitates me crudely now, loving my reaction.

Oh yes, I remember that breakdown. Not that it was because of potions - and he knows that. Mulciber knows my weaknesses and faults and exactly where to hit me. And I can’t do anything about it.

“What’s going on here?” A sharp voice makes me jump from behind and I turn to see my Aunt standing there, eyebrows raised and wearing a truly terrifying expression as she eyes Avery and Mulciber, who look at her with both loathing and guilt.

“Nothing.” A voice from beside me says - and it’s Groot, which surprises me absolutely, proving that when I turn to her, eyebrows sky high. And, unsurprisingly, My aunt does the same. But Groot holds a steady gaze of implication. “Kate was just expressing her views to our classmates.”

Mulciber and Avery are looking a Groot now - in fact, several of our classmates are and admiration and surprise is found on their faces. Betrayal, I think. Groot’s actually it's popular in Slytherin when she's not with me because she's clever and funny, and sometimes that's her weakness. Not that she's betrayed me before, but I still presume that's what she's doing.

“It's nothing.” Says Groot simply, still looking at Minerva.

Minerva gives up, to my anger, and sends a implying glare at Mulciber and Avery before turning back to Groot. “Well, if that was it, let us move on with the day. As you may have heard, I am your new Transfiguration teacher and I expect to see all Slytherin who are attending my classes to be on time and display better behaviour in my classes.” Another stare at Muliciber makes him turn tomato red but that's the only satisfaction I get because the next minute she's turned on heel and is heading towards the exit of the hall. It's then I hear speak as I turn on her.

“Kate! You can't use teachers like that!” She says, a little patronisation in her voice. I'm angry again, however, at her betrayal and the way that she thinks she can speak to me when she's actually a year younger than me.

“She's my aunt.” I say in steely tones. “Anyway, you were doing nothing to help me.”

Groot rolls her eyes, her sarcasm coming into play as she stand up and takes a step towards to me. “Oh yeah, besides stopping you making yourself the target for yet another of Mulciber’s painful pranks.” She sees the look on my face and knows what I'm thinking straight away. “Oh for god's sake, Kat, don't look at me like that. Calm yourself down, pour a glass of water over your head and go and find your aunt. I'm off to find Peggy - join us when your temper has dispersed.” Groot off whilst I, still boiling within. Damn, she knows me too well. It's not easy to make Groot worked up and sometimes I wish I could. When I'm in a temper it's lovely to have someone else angry with you so you have an excuse to get more furious and spend your raging energy.

I can't stay at the Slytherin table, though, and don't want to join her and Peggy because the latter gets on my nerves a little, so I inadvertently take her advice and exit the hall, heading for the owlery, where I can sit and calm myself. I would like to talk to my aunt but she'll be preparing for lessons and I don't want to get angry at her either - my temper can be very unpredictable.

It's my Aunt’s first year of teaching and it's also important she keeps the job and does well. Me and her have shared lodgings for a long time now, renting a little place in Dragon Alley with what little money we have. To be honest, though, Minerva's more of a sister to me because of this. All of my life I've felt like a misfit in my family, mostly because I have eleven siblings, got through three stepmothers in fourteen years and they're all very pleasant Ravenclaws - but Minerva was more like me. She was almost sorted into Slytherin, she told me, but chose Gryffindor instead, but is still very like me. So, as soon as I turned sixteen we got a place together and I moved out of the busy, noisy house that I never called home, finding a place in Liverpool. It's nice having my own place, though to be honest it's more of a room than a house but it suits me. In the holidays I just stay in my room all day listening to music and reading science fiction in a lovely pit of loneliness and get to be slowly driven mad. Well, that was until Lena came to stay. She lives with us now, I think. It’s either with me or her grandparents. As you may have noticed, I’m not always aware of what’s going on around me.

I make my way to the Owlery, gradually becoming more and more eager to reach the fresh air and quickening my pace until I’m running. Turning a corner, however, someone’s arm sticks out just as I’m passing and my quick reflexes cause me to duck and skid down the rest of the corridor on my knees. I can feel my legs have been grazed in various places but don't concentrate on the pain, instead turning back to view the owner of the arm that had intended to grab me and glare at them furiously.

James Potter and his gang are standing there, him and Sirius Black smiling arrogantly as I rise, Peter Pettigrew wearing a nervous smile and Remus Lupin hanging back as he looks away. I can tell my face is growing redder as I stand up, reaching for my wand as I advance with menace. I open my mouth to speak but James Potter gets there first.

“I must apologise, Kate - I just couldn't resist.” He smiles at me, cocking his head. 

“Shut up and stop calling my Kate.” I snarl.

“Isn't that your name? Oh no - I forgot - you're called ‘Loony’, aren't you?” James continues.

“Oh yes, I'm mad.” I say, still advancing. James Potter is one of those people who brings out both the Scarsdale and the bad sort of  craziness in me. “Completely insane, actually. Which means nothing's going to stop me from killing you today.”

“You couldn't take us on, with or without a wand.” Sirius Black says with a derisive laugh. My answering sound is very similar, however, as I chuckle back and raise an eyebrow.

“Maybe your pal here hasn't told you how I got him to his knees and covered in boils last time he tried to push me around, then.” I say, satisfaction blooming in my heart as I see James’ face stiffen. I laugh as Sirius looks to him with a raised eyebrow. “I think you forget that I am both a year old than you imbeciles and don't have brains that have turned to soup. I can beat you any day. So don't you dare try it with me.”

I turn round, ready to walk away and revel in my victory, but there's the sound of of rushing wind and I duck again, firing a jinx over my shoulder at once. Of course James Potter wouldn't let it go, the cocky arsehole. Well, if it's a fight he wants then a fight he shall get.

I hear them jump to the side as the Jinx hits the wall behind and I gather myself whilst they dive it, jumping up and spinning round to disarm the little fat one, Peter Pettigrew. I should be concentrating on James and Sirius but it's too tempting to ignore. However, in the time I'm doing that, Sirius and James have recovered and begin firing an array of jinxes at me. I'm too quick. However, running to get behind a pillar and then casting the shield charm, before hitting Sirius Black in the face with a nasty pimple jinx and temporarily putting him out of action. Remus Lupin’s still in the corner and has shied away but he's irritating me so a jinx goes his way, though he deflects it. But now the fuelling machine if the sixth year known as James putting is barreling towards me and I have to focus on him, the four on one duel suddenly becoming a personal battle. I've always beaten James at duelling and he hates it and for some reason that's lead him to pick on me and Lena an awful lot. Then last year, Lena cracked. 

I don't remember it very well - just that James screamed like a girl as rivulets of blood ran down his face and I blacked out with terror. But the consequences have been the causes of my depression and anxiety, my trips to St. Mungo’s. In a matter of seconds, Lena changed me forever. Not that I blame her. James’ gang were horrible to her and me and she can't stand that sort of thing. To be honest, it was going to me or her and she cracked first.

I’m concentrating hard as I aim to jinx James to the floor, anger hot in my veins and eyes glinting furiously. However, James is going for it too and even though I know I can beat him, I can tell his duelling abilities are exceptional. My mind is on nothing but this duel and my focus cannot be broken - or rather, I presume it cannot be broken. But then again, I'm often wrong.

“Remus?” James and an both break off to turn and see that new girl, Saoirse - or rather, Tortoise, as I named her - coming round the corner. “Remus, I-”

She follows the boy’s gaze to see Sirius Black covered in boils, Peter Pettigrew desperately trying to cast the counter jinx and James and I standing there, both panting, wands raised and faces still blushed with anger. There's a pause and she eyes us before turning back to Remus Lupin. “What the hell is going on here?”

“Ask your friend, Irish Gal.” Taunts James, eyeing me as I glare at him ferociously. 

“I'm not asking her, I'm asking you, you fecking eejit.” She quips, eyeing him angrily. 

“Well what happened is-” Peter begins, anxious to get a word in.

“Shut up, Wormtail.” James snaps sourly before tuning to Tortoise. “As you can probably tell, Irish Gal, you're friend-”

I can't resist it - the smirk on his face is too irritating and I halt him in mid sentence, hitting him full on in the face with a bat bogey hex and laughing as he starts to frantically drive the bats away. I then look back to Saoirse, expecting her to be pissed with me and start ranting. But instead she surprises me by smiling at the squirming James and walking past him.

“I think I can guess what happened - it's not that hard to figure out.” She says, pausing by him. “G’bye now!” She waves to an angry James and steps daintily past him, only turning abc, to send Remus Lupin a serious look before walking on. For some reason I join her and also walk. There’s a pause as I collect myself and suddenly realise I'm going the wrong way. 

“Oh - wait - damn.” I stop and turn round. 

“What?” She questions, looking at me with those disconcertingly grave blue eyes of hers.

“I was heading for the owerly in the west tower - I've got to….I have to go, Tortoise.” I say hurriedly, pointing down the hall at nothing in particular.

Tortoise raises an eyebrow. “Lena sent me to find you...apparently she has a quill of yours? And besides, it's nearly time for class.” She looks at me. “Unless you're bunking off?..”

“What's wrong with bunking off?” I question, not liking her tone for some reason. 

She shrugs. “Nothing. I was going to actually.” This time it's my turn to raise an eyebrow at her but she doesn't say any more on the matter. “But Lena wants to see you before class, Kate, and has something of yours that you need, apparently.”

I heave a sigh and give in. I have nothing against speaking to Eel (yes, another nickname - I use hers less though) but I need to cool down on my own. Still, speaking to her might work better. “Ok. I’ll come. Where is she?”

“Here, you numpty.” A voice behind me makes me jump and I turn round to see Lena, accompanied by a guy I think I know. She laughs as she stops, reaching me and Tortoise. “I thought you said you had excellent hearing?”

“I usually do. Are you wearing slippers or something so I can't hear you?” I fire back.

Eel just laughs. “No, me and Alex aren't wearing slippers. You were distracted, I guess.” I look to the boy she refers to as Alex and blink as she looks at me in humourous disbelief. “Kate, you can't have forgotten Alex already.”

The boy gives a good natured laugh and attempt to help as I look from him to Lena in confusion. “You saved me to your memory banks as Idiot Claw, remember?”

I blink again, then it clicks and I remember. “Oh! Idiot Claw! The one disagreed with me over Aliens being on Mars?”

“Disagrees.” He corrects. “And yes. I'm surprised you forgot me over the summer after that blazing debate.”

“I forget anyone who I don't see 24/7.” I inform him, then turn to Tortoise. “Actually, Tortoise is pretty lucky that I remembered who she was.”

Tortoise laughs at my comment as Eel notices her and pulls her forward for introductions. “Oh yes - Saoirse, this is Alex Matton, a friend of mine and fellow Ravenclaw, Jack, this is Saorise-” Eel pauses mid sentence and looks at Tortoise, laughing briefly with embarrassment. “Saoirse, what is your second name?”

“Evans.” She says simply, face unassuming. I laugh at Eel then realise that I know someone else with that surname too.

“Wait - like Lily Evans?” I ask, brow creased.

She nods. “Yes. She and I share the same surname.”

I raise my eyebrow in answer as Jack stand forward with a friendly grin and holds out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Saoirse. You from Ireland?”

“Yes.” She smiles a quick smile, shakes his hand and then turns to Eel, something else seeming to be on her mind. I don't really have time for Alex either so I don't regard her as rude or anything - it's understandable.

“Hey Lena - which classes are required for a healer career path again? I had a spreadsheet but I've forgotten in the mad rush of the morning.”

I note her words as strange whilst Eel answers politely - most people know what career paths their doing from, their third year or something and already have them completely sorted out. But not Tortoise, it seems. I sense her air of naivety now and wonder where she was schooled beforehand.

“Potions, Herbology, Charms, Muggle studies and Defense against the dark arts, I believe. Your first class I think is potions.” Eel answers in a friendly manner. “I didn't know you we taking a healer career path though.”

Tortoise smiles. “Thanks. And yes, it seemed the most suitable for me.” She moves off the subject of herself and looks around . “What career paths are you guys taking?”

“Magical Law.” Answers Alex. “I do love a debate.”

“Magical Historian.” Is Eel’s reply. “And Kate's doing Magizooolgy.”

“Not that it's going to be much use.” My tongues running away with me again and suddenly my thoughts are outing from my mouth, Eel looking at me in surprise.

“Why?” She looks at me in bemusement. “I thought you wanted to be a Magizoolgist?”

“Well yeah, but-” I’m cursing myself for starting this and am just trying to navigate a way out when the loud chimes of the school clock begin to strike nine. Suddenly Eel snaps into gear, as does Alex, and my strange comment is forgotten.

“Damn, I'm gonna be late for Ancient Runes. I'd better get going.” She says, doing up her bag anxiously, the quill she borrowed from me and was meant to give back this morning forgotten. 

“Same. See you, Kate, Lena-” Alex pauses, looking around. “Where’s Saoirse?” He questions. 

“Dunno. She must have gone off.” I say, though having neglected to notice the girl leave. “Anyway, bye guys.”

“Bye Kate! See you at lunch!” Eel calls as I turn to go.

“See you.” Mine is a flat goodbye, by my brain has switched on to the problem that I inadvertently unearthed during our conversation on career paths. I know Eel’ll chase me up on that sooner or later - she has far to good a memory for that sort of thing - and I need to think a way to put her off. I can't let her find out.

There's no way I can tell her the truth. I've thought about it, I'll admit, but she's still unstable and I don't want her to worry for me. I should tell someone, though. Groot, perhaps. But the thing is, I don't know if I can. Admit that I'm broke and won't have money to pay for the rent of my room any longer, let alone pay for a post-school Magizoology course. Admit that my dreams have been crushed and that I'm lost for what to do.

Admit that I've stolen from James Potter and he knows it.