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∞ Chapter Six ∞

Flying. It’s something Salazar missed dearly. Kat had been learning how to fly from Wood already, but she never had her own broom and always had to borrow one. But now that she had her own broom and Salazar, she needed to help him fly again. Throughout their first week she had tried to take Salazar out to the pitch to try get him going, but something was wrong. Salazar had built up his strength from the loving care he was receiving, and he was always ready to play. But he couldn’t stay off the ground or steer, always crashing to the ground a few seconds after take-off. After a couple of attempts Kat stopped him and realised that it was his tail. Whilst he had holes in his wings that were healing and getting better, he needed both of his end tail fins to steer and fly properly, otherwise he was useless in the air. Kat drew the design of his attached tail fin and decided she’d have to re-create one for him. She couldn’t use big magic anymore, so she wouldn’t be able to heal it and grow a brand new one. So she would have to build one. But she’d need to research materials that are strong and sturdy, but also lightweight and non-flammable. Salazar dearly wanted to come and watch Kat in the flying lessons, and Kat wanted to bring him too, but she knew he wouldn’t be able to stay hidden and he’d get caught. And that was definitely something that couldn’t happen, especially around the Slytherins.

“Come on Kat, we need to go.” Hermione called from the bottom of the dorm staircase. She was already dressed and ready for the day’s lessons, whilst Katherine was still sitting on her bed cuddling Salazar.

“Sorry Hermione, I’ll be ready in a sec.” She replied, getting up and dressed. Ready for the day she gave Salazar a kiss before hiding him again and following Hermione to the grounds for their first flying lesson. She left her broomstick behind, as she wasn’t supposed to have her own.

All the first year Gryffindors made their way to the grassy area where the school supplied broomsticks were laid out in neat rows. The Slytherins were already there and before long Madam Hooch arrived. She briskly walked past all of them to the head of the line of broomsticks before introducing herself and then barking for the students to stand beside a broom.

“Now, stick your right hand over your broom, and say UP.” Madam Hooch instructed. Kat didn’t even look at her broom or concentrate, lazily putting her had above her broom. It raised straight to her hand and stayed, not fighting her control. Other students looked with awe. The Slytherins scorned, before attempting the feat themselves, and failing. Some of the students couldn’t get their brooms to move, let alone in the right direction. Most of the students had their brooms rolling around on the ground. Kat heard Harry command “UP” and his broom flew to his hand instantly. She looked down the line to Hermione, trying to get her broom to move upwards. It was currently rolling around uselessly. Ron yelled “UP” to his broom which subsequently hit him in the face before falling to the ground again.

Next, Madam Hooch showed them all how to correctly mount their brooms and hold on. She walked around, correcting almost everybody’s grips. Malfoy apparently had been doing it wrong for years. Harry and Ron found this amusing. Next she continued to instruct them on how to hover. She blew her whistle and before anybody had the chance to attempt the exercise, Neville’s broom had begun to rise at a rapid rate.

“HELP!” Neville squealed, his knuckles white from the grip he had on the broom, his face whiter than paper. His legs were locked, trying to stay mounted to the broom whilst it rose. It stopped rising abruptly and began to fly around at high speed, causing Neville’s grip to loosen. He couldn’t hold on much longer and shortly afterwards, the broom flung him into the wall and he crumpled to the ground.

Madam Hooch ran over and inspected the damage. Luckily it was only a broken wrist. She ordered that everybody stay on the ground whilst she took the shaking boy to the hospital wing. But Draco had other ideas.

“Hey, looks like fatso let this behind.” The boy sneered, picking up Neville’s Remembrall. “Maybe if he’d have given this a squeeze, he’d have remembered to land on his fat arse.” He finished, gaining a roar of laughter from his housemates.

“Give it here Malfoy.” Harry said, his face hard, challenging.

“No. I think I’ll leave it somewhere for him to find it.” Draco responded, getting on his broomstick and floating ever higher into the crisp air.

The scene that followed was spectacular to say the least. Harry kicked off the ground, flying like a natural and surprising everybody with his skills. Malfoy threw the orb and Harry caught it before it shattered on Professor McGonagall’s office window and then gently landed back to the ground. He was welcomed by a massive group of his fellow Gryffindor’s cheering and hooting at his talents. But the celebration was stopped short when Professor McGonagall came to the grounds.

“HARRY POTTER!” Her voice screamed above the roar. It fell instantly as everybody’s eyes watched the teacher. Harry dropped the broom and walked to Professor McGonagall, Remembrall clutched in hand, preparing for his fate. She spun on her heel and walked back into the castle, a gloomy Harry following behind. The Slytherin’s laughed behind him. Kat was worried. She wanted to follow and try help, but she knew better, and silently walked away to the edge of the lake, still in sight of the class. Nobody else noticed but Draco, who stopped laughing and jeering for a split second, before shifting his focus and ignoring the crying Gryffindor.

Later on at dinner, Kat wasn’t eating her food. She felt horrible for not trying to help Harry and stand up for her friend. She had spent the rest of her classes at the back, alone. But Harry’s cheery face plonked into the seat beside her and gave her a plate of food, snapping her from her thoughts.

“I’m in the Quidditch Team!” He said to his friends with glee, but quietly so they could hear. Ron was about to shovel food into his mouth, before turning to his friend and demanding the explanation.

“I’m the youngest seeker in a century and I begin training next week. But you have to keep it quiet, Wood wants it to be a surprise.” The boy finished, before eating food himself, ravenous after the excitement.

Harry and Ron continued to talk about Quidditch before Malfoy and his goon-friends turned up. Kat took one look at them and quietly left, ignoring the look of confusion on Draco’s face. She didn’t know he saw her crying by the lake. She went to her dorm and woke Salazar, before hiding him in her big cloak and making her way out of the castle to Hagrid’s Hut. She knocked on his door and was greeted by a large black dog slobbering.

“Back Fang!” Hagrid yelled to the dog, who somewhat complied, still lingering near the doorway. “Hello Kat!” Hagrid cheerily said, before noticing that Kat was upset. He let her in and made some sweet tea, her favourite.

Kat told Hagrid how wonderful being a student was and how amazing it was inside the castle, but how unfair it was that Professor Snape was biased in his teachings and how she wanted to stand up for what she believes is right but she can’t or she’ll get expelled.

“Hagrid, I don’t know what to do. I wanted to tell Snape to stop and point out how unfair he was being, but then I’d lose house points too. And when Harry got taken aside with Professor McGonagall, I wanted to go too and try help him not be in trouble. Turns out he wasn’t in trouble anyway and was put on the Quidditch Team as the Seeker, but still. I thought he’d get into heaps of trouble and I wanted to help, but I was scared of getting myself into trouble. I was selfish and I don’t like that.” Katherine continued, gently patting Fang on the head whilst he drooled all over her cloak.

“Sometimes Kat, we ‘ave teh pick our fights.” Hagrid replied, scratching Salazar behind his head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if yeh think yeh can win, then yeh probably could get away with fighten’ that battle. Like with ‘arry, McGonagall would listen to yeh and would reconsider punishen’ him. But with Snape, yeh can’t win. Not by taken ‘im on yerself at least. Yer only gonna lose points and maybe even get a detention.” Hagrid explained whilst Kat sipped her tea. It was soothing.

“So, I could try and help my friends, even if it means I might get into trouble?” Kat slowly asked, trying to make sense of it all. “But, I’ve lived here all my life, I’m supposed to be a role model aren’t I?”

“No yeh not. The only role models the school ‘as are the Prefects and ‘ead Boy an Girls. They’re supposed teh set the standard for what behaviour’s expected. Just cause yeh lived ‘ere, don’t mean you ‘ave to be perfect.”

After a little more chatting about classes and how Kat was finding things Hagrid reminded her she needed to get back inside the castle or she’d get caught out and be in real trouble. She left Salazar behind this time, as some of the girls in the dorm were wondering why Kat had her drapes shut all the time. She said her goodbye’s and then made her was back to the castle and up to her dorm. She decided she’d stay in there and do more of her homework.

After the meal, Hermione came into the dorm complaining about Harry and Ron going off for a Wizard’s Duel later that night.

“Honestly, it’s as if they don’t care about the rules or their house points!” Hermione exasperated, after having a full-blown rant about the situation. Her face was red from talking so much and anger.

“Well maybe we should let them go.”

“WHAT? But Kat, they’ll lose the house points you and I got!”

“Yeah true, but we can always earn more, that’s the easy part. But if they boy’s don’t learn how dangerous the castle can be at night and why we have the curfews, then what’s going to stop them from getting hurt? Besides, if Draco and one of his goon friends are involved there’ll more than likely get into a fist fight. And I don’t like Harry and Ron’s odds against Crabbe or Goyle.” Kat explained.

“Well, I guess there is some sense in that approach.”

“I still don’t like the idea of them going for the duel anyway. I’ll see if I can talk them out of it, or maybe get Draco to drop it. If Draco doesn’t turn up, then there shouldn’t be any trouble and the boys can come back. The only problem is Filtch and his cat.”

“They’ll get caught by Mrs Norris for sure.” Hermione said, turning her attention to the book she had beside her. “Well, if you try talk to them now, I’ll stay up till they leave and try again to get them to stop.”

“Alright. But don’t get yourself in the way, I recon Draco might have something nasty planned.”

With that Kat got out of her bed and went down to find Harry. He was sitting by the fire with Ron, quietly discussing their plan. Ron went silent and looked at Kat as she approached.

“Hermione told me, I know.”

“Can’t she keep her mouth shut about anything?” Ron fumed.

“She had very good reason to tell me because she doesn’t want you guys getting into trouble.”

“No, she just doesn’t want us to lose her precious house points.” Ron retorted.

“Either way Ron the castle is dangerous at night. I know it is and that’s why we have curfews. So nobody accidentally finds things they aren’t meant to.”

“Like what?” Harry asked.

“Things that will hurt you if you go near them. Besides, Draco is from the Malfoy family, I doubt he’s going to play by the rules of the Wizard Duel, and with Crabbe or Goyle by his side, I double you’ll have a nose by morning. They don’t play fair and they will have something nasty planned.”

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

“I’m not going to dob you in, but I just want you to know what you’re in for before you jump head-long into it.” With that Kat left the common room and went to find Malfoy.

It was getting close to curfew before she found him lingering around the dungeons. He saw her approach and nodded his head to the boys beside him, who subsequently turned and left.

“What are you doing here Katherine?” He asked. His voice didn’t have the same sting as it usually did when he directed his words to others.

“Asking for a favour.” Kat replied, her voice even.

“I’m listening.” The pale blonde responded, his interest peaking.

“Don’t go to the duel, and don’t send Crabbe or Goyle.” The girl said.

“How do you-”

“Nevermind the how. I don’t want you or any of the goons you call ‘friends’ to be there tonight.” Kat snapped, losing her patience with the boy. He was taken aback by this.

“Why don’t you want me there? So I can look like I chickened out of a duel against little Potter and the Weasley?” He sneered.

“No. I don’t care about that or making them feel like they’re better than you. I don’t want my real friends to get hurt or get into trouble. They’d have my back if something went wrong, so I have theirs. Can you say the same for your so called friends Draco?”

Draco stayed silent, his eyes studying the girl’s face. It was hard and serious, almost challenging him to say no to her.

“What will I get in return?”

“A favour to recall from me when you choose to. As long as it’s sensible and reasonable, like my request is.”

Draco pondered this for a moment, before meeting Kat’s eyes and getting lost in them for a second. They were beautiful. Red. But not quite so, they were like the colour of a warm settling fire in its dying stages. He snapped out of it and responded.

“Fine, I won’t attend the duel and neither will Crabbe. He was going to be my second.”

“Thank you. Oh, and one more thing. Please don’t tip off Filtch. That wouldn’t be very fair, despite that probably being your original plan all along.” Draco’s face dropped for a second, but Kat didn’t get a chance to see it. She had already turned and rushed to get into the common room before curfew.