Molly Weasley greeted them all with a blustered smile and a warm hug, ushering them into the kitchen. Professor Blue began to talk in whispers with a tall, black wizard. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were talking to Molly, Arthur, and the twins. Katherine felt a excluded until she was pulled into a big hug.
“Remus.” She smiled.
“Is it going any better?” he asked quietly, nodding towards Harry.
“Well, a little,” she answered truthfully, hoping to avoid furthering this conversation.
“Well,” he said beaming, “I have news for you.”
He side stepped, revealing a woman with pink hair.
“This is Nymphodora Tonks, although we call her Tonks,” he began. The woman smiled warmly. “We’re getting married.”
Tonks beamed and added, “We haven’t told anyone but my parents yet. We wanted family to be the first to know.”
Katherine was both excited and overwhelmed. She pulled Tonks and Remus into another hug.
“That’s brilliant,” she said, finally finding the words. “When’s the wedding?”
“Soon,” Tonks said. “It’ll be small, just family and close friends.”
“Ok, everyone take a seat,” said a man with a very scarred face and mismatched eyes, one of which was moving freely of the other.
As Katherine looked around, she saw that the room was more crowded than she had first noticed. She moved to sit by Remus, but Professor Blue’s firm hand pulled her to stand with him by the wall.
“Ok,” whispered Professor Blue, “I’ll go around the room. You know Molly, Arthur, Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. That is Bill and Fleur Weasley. Bill is the eldest of Arthur and Molly’s children. That young man is Lee Jordan, I think I heard Molly say. Of course, you know Remus and Tonks. That man is the Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt. I worked with him when I was at the Ministry. There is Mundungus Fletcher and Elphias Doge. Oh and lastly that is Alastor Moody, or as we call him ‘Mad-Eye’. He’s the fiercest Auror I’ve ever heard of. He’ll get this started soon, but I thought you’d like to know who everyone is.”
“Thanks,” she whispered back, watching as the last had finally settled into place.
“Alright, alright,” Mad Eye began. “Straight to the point then, You-Know-Who is preparing to take the Ministry.”
“Didn’t we already know that?” Bill asked.
“Yes,” Moody continued, “but now we know it is coming soon. Sooner than we first thought. We have information that more senior Ministry officials are under his control. His ranks have swelled enormously from the escapees of Azkaban today. He will not want to wait long before making his move. This meeting is to let everyone know what to do when that happens.”
Mad-Eye proceeded to give each person directions on what to do as soon as Voldemort had the Ministry under his control. There were many discussions over the best approach to different situations, but no argument arose. Throughout the whole meeting no one mentioned anything about the four Hogwarts students in the room. Not until the end did Moody even mention Professor Blue’s role.
“Blue, when the fall occurs, you and Minerva will have limited time to evacuate the Muggle-born students. This is very important because once they take Hogwarts, the Death Eaters will use it as a prison to keep the Muggle-born students in until they are ready to deal with them. They won’t take long to get to Hogwarts after they’re in control, so every second counts.”
Professor Blue simply nodded and Moody continued, “Everyone else, when you finish you tasks go find other Muggle-born wizards and witches. Help them get away before it’s too late. I think that’s about it for tonight. Any one have anything else to add?”
There was a murmur of agreement and the meeting was over. Blue turned quickly to Katherine and said, “Stay here for a moment.”
Then he walked through the small crowd so that Katherine could no longer see him. Soon he returned, followed by Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Bill. He motioned for her to follow.
“Ron, can we use your room?” he asked when he reached the bottom of a staircase.
Ron glanced at Harry, then said, “Sure, this way.”
Ron began to walk up the stairs and everyone followed in silence. Katherine sighed in relief as they stopped climbing and filed into a violently orange room. After everyone had entered Blue locked the door and muttered, silently tapping the door with his wand.
“Ok, everyone. Here is the reason I brought you. Harry, it is time for you to leave Hogwarts, no more weekend gallivants. Ron and Hermione, I assume you’re going with him?”
Both nodded in agreement.
“And what of the decoy, Ron?”
“Yeah, it’s still set up.”
“Well then, everything will go as previously planned, except I won’t be with you. Is that right?”
Harry nodded.
“Alright, then you should decide everything from here on only among yourselves. Good that’s everything then.”
“What did she have to come for then?” Hermione asked, attempting not to sound indignant.
“Well, if she is missing from school for one day, at the same time as some previous friend… Do you see? It buys you one day.”
“Now, could you three leave so I can have a private conversation with Bill?”
This was not really a question. He was telling them that their conversation was over and he had more business to cover. Hermione left first without a word. Harry and Ron followed soon afterward wishing Professor Blue good luck and shaking hands in an awkward goodbye. Bill closed the door behind them putting on more enchantments. As he turned back his face broke into a small grin.
“So, you really going to let them go do this alone?” he asked quizzically.
“I think Dumbledore never really intended for me to go with them,” Professor Blue answered, talking to himself as much as Bill. “He only wanted me to help them at the first. He gave me everything I needed to choose, but in the end, he knew I’d have to go with her.”
“I don’t think he could ever stop teaching,” Bill said reminiscently.
“What are you two going on about?” Katherine asked exasperated, tired of remaining quietly tucked at the back.
“Blue wasn’t joking when he said you were fiery, was he?” Bill said laughing. “I think you might have a little red-head in you.”
“Ok, can we get to the point now?” Katherine began. “Why did you bring me, really?”
“I needed to tell you what’s going on,” Professor Blue answered. “Today, there was a breakout from Azkaban.”
“I know,” she interrupted. “I’m not deaf.”
“Well, that’s not all that happened today. My family was… interrogated by Death Eaters. They know I’m teaching at Hogwarts and they know that I’m close to known Order members, although they don’t know that I am a member myself. Also, they are looking for someone else. They are searching for the Seer who gave the prophesy about you. You-Know-Who does not wish to make any mistakes. Once he has you he wants no doubt that the prophesy has been fulfilled.”
“Yeah, but I thought he would do that anyway,” Katherine said, softly.
“No, he doesn’t have to. This shows us that he is taking this seriously. It shows us that he will not give up on getting you until he has you.”
Katherine thought about this for a moment. She didn’t know exactly what she was feeling, but amid the muddled emotions she recognized helplessness. It must have shown, because when Professor Blue began to speak again, it was in a more comforting tone, “But that’s what we’re here for. That is the real reason I brought you with us. I wanted to make a plan for when the Ministry falls. I think that getting you out of Hogwarts is the first thing we want to do. I need to stay and help get other students out, so we need a meeting place. When you get out of the Hogwarts grounds, you need to Apparate to Shell Cottage.”
“Where’s that?”
“That is where Fleur and I live,” Bill said with a slight smile. “You’ll stay with us until Blue can get away from Hogwarts.”
“As soon as I get away, I’ll come get you. When you get back to Hogwarts, you need to get everything ready so you’re ready to leave whenever the time comes. Don’t pack everything though. I think, well you are a girl, so three sets of robes or something like that. You’ll need some sweaters for the winter, too. If you have any books you want to bring, but I’ll be bringing others as well. You get the idea. Anyway, when you have it all together bring it to me and I’ll pack it with my things.”
“What if I need it?” Katherine asked indifferently.
“Keep what you need, but pack it all in that bag you brought today so you can just grab it and go if need be. Is there anything else?” Blue said, looking at Katherine and Bill. Both shook their heads.
“Well, Katherine, I need to speak with Bill. If you go find Molly, she can tell you where you’ll be sleeping.”
Katherine left the room and climbed down the long staircase. She found the kitchen where Molly and Arthur sat talking at the table. Looking around the room, Katherine saw that the twins were eating cake down the table. They all looked up at her as she entered.
“Professor Blue and Bill are still talking,” Katherine told the room at large.
“Harry, Ron and Hermione are in the other room. There’s some cake if you’re hungry.”
“No, thank you,” Katherine answered, but took a seat anyways and studied the wall.
“So, you’re the spy who is sneaking around with Draco Malfoy,” one of the twins said.
“Not really,” she answered, turning to face them.
“Well, at least you sound convincing,” said the other, smiling.
“I think she’s telling the truth, George,” the first said, turning to his brother.
“Na,” said George, shaking his head, “she’s lying. I’ve got a fifth sense about these things.”
As the argument continued, Katherine couldn’t help but laugh. Finally the twins reached a compromise.
“Are we in agreement?” George asked in mock seriousness.
“I think we are dear brother,” Fred began in a pompous tone. “We must cut out her spleen.”
George roared with laughter, then said, turning to Katherine, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Forge and this is Gred. We are the cream of the Weasley crop.”
“We’ve got all the brains of the family,” Fred added, smiling contently.
“Ah, here they are,” Molly exclaimed from behind her. Katherine turned to see who was there and saw Bill and Professor Blue coming into the kitchen.
“Well, now we get to bed,” she said, calling the others into the kitchen. As the entered, she began to tell everyone where to go.
“Ron and Harry, you’ll be in Ron’s room. Hermione, you can go to Ginny’s room. Fred and George, your old room is good enough for you for one night. Lorenzo, you can stay in Bill’s old room. Katherine, why don’t you stay with Herm…”
Professor Blue coughed loudly and shook his head, stopping Molly from finishing.
“Katherine,” she continued, thinking about where to put her.
“Why doesn’t she take my room and I’ll sleep on the couch?” Professor Blue suggested.
Molly smiled and said, “That sounds lovely. Now everyone, off to bed.”
Harry, Ron, and Hermione left with only a goodnight to Molly, who frowned.
“They really are angry at you, aren’t they?” she asked.
“I suppose,” Katherine answered, looking after them.
“I think I’d more than suppose,” Bill said laughing.
“Fred and I think she’s merely a pawn,” George said.
“We think they’ve stolen her mind and replaced it with one of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack,” Fred finished.
“Who are ‘they’?” Professor Blue asked indulgently.
“Oh,” began George in a sinister tone, “the infamous ‘THEY’!”
Everyone laughed, but was soon being ushered to bed. Bill left after hugging his mother, who immediately turned to shoo Fred and George upstairs.
“Let me show you where to go,” Professor Blue said to Katherine. “My bag was put in there anyway.”
He followed Arthur up the stairs but passed him up when Arthur entered the first door. Professor Blue continued up the stairs until he reached the fourth landing, entering a dark, wooden door. Moonlight shown into the room and illuminated the small desk, wardrobe, and bed that were its only occupants. Professor Blue grabbed his bag from the floor and muttered, “Good night, Katherine.”
Katherine closed the door behind him and locked it. She put her bag on the desk and pulled out her nightgown. As she pulled the blanket, she wished things could be easier, but put the thought from her mind and lost herself in dreams.
Someone was knocking on the door, but Katherine just rolled over in the warm bed. They knocked again and Katherine threw something at the door.
“Katherine,” Professor Blue’s voice yelled through the door, “wake up!”
Katherine finally gave in, pushing the blanket off of her. Standing up, she stretched slipping on a pair of jeans.
“KATHERINE,” Professor Blue yelled even louder.
Out of his sight, Katherine did not try to stop herself from rolling her eyes. With her nightgown over her pants, she opened the door and said, “What did you want me to come out in my pyjamas?”
“No, but Merlin’s beard, it’s a wonder they got you out of that house before the Death Eaters got you,” Professor Blue said with much exasperation and anger.
Katherine’s voice caught in her throat. She knew he hadn’t meant to, but he had caught her off guard. Now memories of that night were sweeping over her and left only a deep feeling of loss. Professor Blue saw his mistake immediately.
“I… that…,” he began, stumbling for words. “That was out of order. I didn’t mean it.”
“How come people say things they don’t mean?” Katherine said bitingly, then closed the door to change. When she left the bedroom to go downstairs, Professor Blue was still standing there.
“I’m sorry,” he said, clinching his teeth.
“I’m not mad at you,” Katherine said, then seeing how difficult it was for him to apologize added, “It’s ok, I forgive you.”
His face relaxed a little as he led the way to the kitchen. Katherine was slightly surprised to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still there, when she entered the kitchen. She took a seat away from them next to Fred and George.
“Morning,” Fred said, buttering a piece of toast. Katherine smiled and spooned some eggs onto her plate. Professor Blue sat next to George and took a piece of toast.
“Katherine, today you’ll be working with me on defensive spells and such,” he said while reaching for the butter. After he had finished only a single piece of toast, he left the kitchen.
“Strange man,” George said, taking some more eggs and toast. He looked up to face Fred and Katherine and explained, “He didn’t take seconds.”
Laughing, Katherine took a drink of milk.
“I’d be careful if I were you,” Fred said, suddenly serious. “There nothing worse than laughing and having milk come out your nose.”
She rolled her eyes, looking across from her at George who was laughing. He looked back at her and stopped laughing.
“Wow, your eyes look so familiar,” he said, mouth open he looked deep into them. “Take a look, Fred.”
Fred pulled her head around to face him, saying, “Yeah, I know I’ve seen those eyes before. They’re so green. It’s almost like…”
He stared for a moment more, but shook it off. Katherine smiled but averted her eyes for the rest of breakfast. Fred and George both left soon afterward, hugging their mother and kissing her goodbye. Katherine went outside to find Professor Blue. As soon as she stepped outside she saw him flying twenty feet in the air.
“OI,” she yelled up at him.
He looked down and finally saw her. Flying down, he landed beside her.
“Ok, now that my pride is beginning to recover, we’ll be duelling all day,” he said smiling. “We’ll only stop if I think of a new spell to teach you.”
Professor Blue was true to his word. He spent all day teaching Katherine new spells, making her practice them until she was proficient. They only stopped once for lunch, before they were finished for the day. When Professor Blue finally announced that they had finished, Katherine lay right down in the grass closing her eyes.
“Hmm,” he hummed. “Somebody looks a little tired.”
“No, just exhausted.”
Katherine opened her eyes and stood up.
“So, why are Harry, Ron, and Hermione still here?” she asked.
“They will Disapparate at the same time we do, but to a different place. That way it appears as though they are with us. Also, with us here it buys them a day to plan their moves before they go out. Do you see?”
Katherine nodded and began to walk back to the house. When she entered the kitchen the unmistakable smell of good food filled her up. Suddenly she was hungrier than she had been in days. Everyone sitting around the table appeared to feel the same way. Fred and George had returned for dinner and were levitating food off of Ron’s plate while he was turned away. Dinner was wonderful. Katherine enjoyed the buzz of conversation that filled the kitchen. Laughter punctuated the air around Fred and George every now and then. Katherine saw that Molly sat silently observing the table. The smile on her face beamed, but tears were forming in her eyes. Finally everyone had eaten their fill and leaned back from the table. The sky outside was getting dark and made Katherine wish she was laying in bed. Conversation went on until Professor Blue stood and announced, “We really must be going now. Everyone get your things.”
After gathering their belongings, they walked out the door saying goodbye to Molly, Arthur, and the twins. While Ron finished a last conversation with his family, Katherine grabbed Harry and pulled him aside.
“Harry, I wanted you to know,” Katherine began quietly, “I never betrayed you. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I will miss all of you very much. So, watch out for each other, because I still need to earn your forgiveness.”
Finally, they had finished saying goodbye and walked down the path to the gate. All of them standing side by side, Professor Blue whispered, “Good luck, Potter. All of you stay safe.”
Then, in his normal voice, he said, “Ok everyone, Apparate on three.”
“One...”
Katherine took in what might be the last time she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
“Two…”
She saw Molly, Arthur, Fred and George waiting for them to Disapparate, the men smiling and Molly crying.
“Three…”
The image of the Burrow was burned into her mind as all sight turned to darkness.