"SO, THE MIRROR SHOWS WHAT I desired?" Harry asked as he and Katelyn stared at the ceiling of an abandoned classroom. They were lounging along desks, having needed to get away from the noise of Hogwarts.

"Yeah, but, like, the deepest desire," Katelyn replied, huffing, "Things you might not even know you desired could be shown."

They hadn't really talked about it since they found the mirror together. Katelyn visited it twice more before Dumbledore had moved it. Katelyn faintly recalls what they said about their desires, but it was so overshadowed by everything that they decided to finally talk about it.

Harry hummed and turned onto his stomach to look down at Katelyn. Their heads had been resting against each other, just facing opposite directions. "But Katelyn, I don't know two of the people that were in the mirror. I'd never seen them before in my life!"

Katelyn looked up at him and then turned onto her stomach, too. "What do you mean? You didn't see your parents?" She asked, brows furrowed. She can't really remember what he said, mostly not having been listening. (Neither of them wanted to talk about it. Katelyn's cheeks still flush whenever she thinks about it for too long.)

Harry shook his head. "No, I mean—I saw my dad. I think. I mean, I recognized him from pictures your mom and aunt showed me. I just didn't recognize the other two."

Katelyn frowned, confused. "That's... odd. If you were going to see your parents, then why didn't you see Lily, too? You know what she looks like, right? Are you sure she wasn't there?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Harry huffed, sliding off the desk and onto the ground. He moved an old dummy out of the way, sighing. "Neither of them had red hair. All of them had dark hair."

"Wait, how many did you see?" Katelyn asked, criss-crossing her legs and resting her chin on her palm.

"Four," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He hesitated, looking conflicted on whether to add more. Katelyn waited patiently, drawing shapes in the air with her wand. "Theodore was there."

Katelyn paused and then looked at the boy, expression blank. "Theodore who?"

Harry gave her a dry look. "Your cousin. Who else would I be talking about?" He rolled his eyes.

"Theo Nott. He runs with Draco. Smart, quiet, doesn't really know which side he falls on in the blood purity issue," Katelyn replied defensively, frowning at him.

"Oh, yes, Katelyn, I saw a boy I'd never met in the mirror that shows my deepest desire! Obviously!" He drew sarcastically.

Katelyn flicks her wand and he grunts when he's shoved backward lightly into the desk. He frowns at her, but does not retaliate. She smirks back at him. "It's not like you know my cousin very well either, Hare," she mutters with a huff, scratching her nose as she slides her wand into her hair, "Please don't tell me you've got a bloody crush on my cousin."

Harry scowled and grabbed an old roll of parchment, chucking it at her head. She yelped and ducked, shooting him a glare. "No, I don't have a crush on your cousin! I just... I dunno," he shrugged, hopping onto the table across from Katelyn and matching her position, "What do you think it means?"

Katelyn shrugged, too. "Could you describe the other two?" She asked, tilting her head.

Harry's brows furrowed. He took a minute before he spoke. "Um, it was a woman and a man. The woman showed up first. She had brown hair on the darker side... uh, green eyes. She looked not much older than my dad. She was... smaller than my dad..."

Katelyn's brows drew together, a picture of the person he was describing in her mind. She saw her multiple times a year. Usually on the holidays and a lot during the summer.

"The guy... Well, he looked younger than both of them, but his eyes... They were haunted and they were green as well. He had short hair like mind, though messier. Like he ran his hand through it a lot and then tried to fix it. He was the most well dressed out of everyone," Harry's eyes had glazed over, remembering the scene in the mirror.

Katelyn blinked hard. "That makes absolutely no sense," she muttered, hopping off the desk and beginning to pace. At least she wasn't the only one who had a person who they'd never met. Nor had any connection to. "Why are we seeing people that we don't know nor have ever met—at least not consciously since we were babies and our brains aren't fully developed yet."

Harry blinked at her, not really processing the mumbling and the brain stuff.

"Who did I see?" Katelyn turned to look at the boy. He gestured to her, "You obviously know. You're pacing and freaking out. You know I've never met them."

Katelyn huffed a bit and turned to Harry. She stared at him, taking everything she could see of his features. Green eyes (Lily had green eyes, but so did Aunt Rose), black hair (James had black hair, so did Regulus), glasses. A picture of him smiling comes to mind which she compares to Theodores smile. They were almost identical, his lip raising just slightly higher.

"I... believe you saw my Aunt Rose and my Uncle Regulus. Theodore's parents. I think... I mean, I think they were close with James during school. Most of them were despite everything. I just... I don't know why you were seeing them," she said though a familiar voice whispered in the back of her head of course you do. She closed her eyes, stretching her neck and shaking her head to dispel the feeling.

"What did you see, then? You seemed a bit rattled the next morning," Harry asked, crossing his arms and changing the subject. Katelyn could tell the talk was making him uncomfortable—as if he had the same feeling as she did.

Katelyn huffed and jumped back up onto the desk. "I saw... Well, I think I saw your mom. Lily," she said quietly, her eyes distant. She thought back to the scene, how Lily touched her cheek. How Lily smiled so softly at her. How Lily had been the only one left when she turned back.

"Really?" Harry asked softly, his shoulders slumping a bit. Katelyn nodded slowly. "What did she... do?"

Katelyn reached up, touching her cheek and still feeling the phantom touch now that she was thinking about it. "She... touched my cheek. Smiled at me. Nothing big, just... yeah." She dropped her hand and crossed her arms, staring down at the floor.

Harry said nothing.

They sat in silence for a long few moments.

Then,

"Is there any chance Lily and James might not be my parents?"

◂◊●◯●◊▸

KATELYN SAT BESIDE HERMIONE rather than at her table with her cousins and friends. Killian and Draco kept looking at her with this... look, like they couldn't let what happened the night after Christmas go.

Rebekah seemed to be in the same boat, keeping far away from everyone other than her friends.

Katie took a seat beside Katelyn who was sketching. Hermione dragged her fingers along Katelyn's hand, her eyes focused on the studying material for their upcoming exams. Harry was studying, too but Ron was playing with his collectors cards.

Katie eyed Hermione and Katelyn silently, a bit confused. Katelyn usually hated when anyone touched her when she was sketching, especially the hand she was using to sketch with.

Ron met her eyes and Katie gestured to the two girls beside her. Ron shrugged, huffing as he shuffled his cards.

"What are you drawing?" Katie asked.

Katelyn glanced at her, a bit surprised to see she was there. "Nothing," she replied then went back to sketching. Katie frowned and tried to peek but Katelyn hid the paper. Hermione jumped a little when Katelyn's hand moved sharply. "Piss off, Kat," Katelyn said, stuffing her sketchbook into her bag.

Katie raised her hands in surrender, blowing out a breath. "Bloody hell, I was just asking," she muttered.

Hermione grabbed Katelyn's hand, brushing her thumb over Katelyn's own. She mouthed a 'sorry' to Katie before looking at Ron. "Look at you, playing with your cards," she frowned, "Pathetic! We've got final exams coming up soon."

Harry smiled a bit and looked at Ron.

"I'm ready!" Ron defended, "Ask me any question."

Katelyn cocked an eyebrow.

"All right," Hermione said, sitting up straighter, "What are the 3 most crucial ingredients in a forgetfulness potion?"

Ron looked down, "I forgot." Katelyn snickered. "Don't laugh at me. You're not studying either!"

"She has the highest marks in the class," Hermione stated matter-of-factly, "She's like a walking textbook. She doesn't need to study. You, however, do. What, may I ask, do you plan to do if that question comes up in the final exam?"

"Copy off you?" Ron shot back.

"No, you won't," Hermione snapped back, cheeks puffed out slightly. Katie giggled a little at the argument. "Besides, according to Professor McGonagall, we're to be given special quills bewitched with an anti-cheating spell."

"That's insulting!" Ron exclaimed, looking between his four friends, "It's as if they don't trust us!"

Harry stared at him then looked at the three girls in front of him blankly. Katelyn burst out laughing.

"Dumbledore again!" Ron threw down his card, huffing loudly.

Hermione shook her head and looked back down at her textbook.

Everyone began giggling and laughing, loud clicks ringing out through the hall. Katelyn looked around Hermione, frowning in slight confusion when she saw Neville hopping down the aisle.

"A leg-locker curse?" Ron muttered.

Katelyn sighed a bit. "Malfoy," she said, glancing over at her table to see Draco sitting beside Noah. She doesn't understand how those two got so close, especially after how adamant Draco was about hating him.

Neville hops his way over to them, leaning on the table to stay up.

"You've got to start standing up to people, Neville," Katie said, shaking her head.

"How? I can barely stand at all!"

Seamus stood up, wand in hand. "I'll do the countercurse."

"No! That's all I need!" Neville said, looking at him with slight fear, "You to set my bloody kneecaps on fire."

Seamus slammed his wand down. "I don't appreciate the insinuation, Longbottom. Besides, if anyone cares to notice, my eyebrows have completely grown back!" He spun around and walked away revealing a bald spot at the back of his head.

Hermione turned to Katelyn who looked at her with wide-eyes. Hermione giggled quietly, burying her face in Katelyn's shoulder.

"I found him!" The two girls jumped and looked at Harry who had given the Dumbledore card back to Ron.

"'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945... for his discovery of the 12 uses of Dragon Blood and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicholas Flamel!"

Hermione gasped excitedly, looking at Katelyn.

"Nicholas Flamel?" Katie asked, confused.

"I knew the name sounded familiar," Harry snapped his fingers, pointing at the card, "I read it on the train that day."

Hermione quickly packed her stuff up, grabbing Katelyn's hand. "Follow me," she ordered the boys who quickly collected their stuff. Katie sat silently, bewildered as she watched the four rush off.

"Hey!" Neville called, "Wait! Where are you going? What about the counter-curse?"

Hermione slowed and rushed back. She pulled out her wand and performed the counter-curse before sprinting back to Katelyn and pulling her along.

Neville yelped when his legs suddenly sprang apart and he fell backward.

"Thanks!" He called after her. 

◂◊●◯●◊▸

"I HAD YOU LOOKING IN the wrong section," Hermione said as she came back over to Ron and Harry who were studying while the girls found the book Hermione needed, "How could I be so stupid?" She shook her head at herself, slamming the book down.

Harry yanked his book away, eyes wide.

"I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading," Hermione said, quickly opening up the book and flipping the pages as Katelyn settled beside her.

"This is light?" Ron asked and Hermione paused in her flipping, leveling him with a deadpan stare.

Katelyn kissed her cheek which made the girl break her stare with Ron. She blushed a little and looked down at the page. "Here it is," she said excitedly, pointing to a bolded name.

Katelyn leaned over a bit, brows furrowing. "'Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone.'" Hermione's eyes widened as she and Katelyn shared a look.

"The what?" The two boys asked, completely confused.

Hermione and Katelyn both rolled their eyes. "Honestly, don't you two read?" Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "'The Sorcerer's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It'll transform any metal into pure gold and produce the elixir of life, which will make the drinker immortal.'"

"Immortal?" Ron repeated.

"It means you'll never die," Hermione explained lightly, barely glancing up.

"I know what it means!"

Both Katelyn and Harry shushed him, the latter's glare sharp.

"'The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated his 665th birthday,'" Hermione finished.

"That's what Fluffy's guarding on the third floor. That's what's under the trapdoor—The Sorcerer's Stone."

Hermione looked at Katelyn worriedly while the boys shared a look.

They had to stop whoever was trying to get it from taking the Sorcerer's Stone.

◂◊●◯●◊▸

THE FOUR CHILDREN RUSH toward a familiar cottage, the cold chill of the night weighing on them. They rush up the stairs and Harry knocks quickly on the door.

The door opens revealing Hagrid wearing oven mitts and an apron. Katelyn looks between the two items, confused.

"Hagrid!" Harry greeted.

"Oh, hello. Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today," Hagrid apologized, smiling as the door slowly closed.

"We know about the Sorcerer's Stone!" All four of them chorus.

The door opens back up quickly. "Oh," he said, staring at them blankly before turning away. They all walk in, unbuttoning their coats and setting it off to the side.

"We think Snape's trying to steal it," Harry explains.

"Well, they think Snape's trying to steal it," Katelyn corrects.

"Snape?" Hagrid repeats, sounding incredulous, "Blimey, you're not still on about him, are you?"

Harry and Ron take a seat on the couch near the fire while Hermione shuffles onto the large chair across from it. She grabs Katelyn's sleeves and tugs her onto the seat. The blonde goes willingly, settling in beside the Gryffindor.

"Hagrid, we know he's after the stone. We just don't know why," Harry said, looking up at the tall man.

"Snape is one of the teachers protecting the stone," Hagrid shook his head, "He's not about to steal it!"

Hermione's brows furrowed. She looks at the boys who share a confused look. Then she looks at Katelyn who doesn't seem surprised. "What about Professor Quirrell?" She asked. Katelyn blinked and looked at Hermione, brows furrowed.

"Quirrell? No, no way. He doesn't know anything about it," Hagrid waved off.

Katelyn narrowed her eyes slightly. She didn't believe that for a second. She and Hermione glanced at each other.

"Right. Come on now. I'm a bit preoccupied today," Hagrid said, shooing the kids. Katelyn tilted her head, leaning over Hermione to look at the fireplace which Hagrid seems to not want them to look into.

"Wait a minute. One of the teachers?" Harry repeats.

"Of course!" Hermione pushes Katelyn back a bit to look up at Hagrid with a grin, "There are other things defending the stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments."

"That's right!" Hagrid nodded.

Katelyn jumped a bit when Fang suddenly appeared at her and Hermione's legs, sniffing them. He jumped up onto his front legs, sniffing Katelyn's face. Hermione narrowed her eyes, leaning slightly back.

"Waste of bloody time, if you ask me," Hagrid huffed, shaking his head, "Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy. Ain't a soul knows how... except for me and Dumbledore, of course." He clicked his tongue, realization falling over him. "I should not have told you that. I should not have told you that."

Katelyn brushes her fingers over Fang's head, grimacing a little at the saliva dripping from his jowls. Hermione reached over and scratched the dog's neck, smiling at the low sound that came from his throat.

Suddenly, the pot started to rattle. All of them turned to look at the pot in the fireplace that was shaking slightly.

Hagrid reached in and brought out an egg, shifting it between his mitts quickly since it was extremely hot. Hermione rushed after him with Katelyn close behind.

"Uh, Hagrid, what exactly is that?" Harry asked as all of them stared at the egg with wide-eyes.

Ron and Katelyn shared an excited look while Harry and Hermione just seemed confused.

"That?" Hagrid's eyes widened slightly, stammering, "It's a—it's, um—"

"I know what that is!" Ron said, standing up straighter.

"Hagrid, how did you get one?" Katelyn asked, looking up at the half-giant with wide eyes.

"I won it," he nodded, looking at the girl before looking back down at the egg, "Off a stranger I met down at the pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid of it as a matter of fact." His brows furrowed.

Suddenly, the egg started shaking and cracking. Harry and Ron leaned backwards. Hermione took a slight step back, grabbing Katelyn's wrist. Abruptly, the egg shattered and pieces of it flew everywhere. Katelyn turned, hiding both her face and Hermione's with her arm.

"No way," Hermione whispered, pushing Katelyn's arm down gently as she stared in awe at the baby dragon. "Is that..." Hermione's eyes narrowed as she turned her head toward Hagrid, slightly incredulous, "A dragon?"

"Not just any dragon," Katelyn murmured, reaching out and scratching gently under the baby's chin, "But a Norwegian Ridgeback." She grinned as the baby latched onto her finger with its wing, crowing. "Hi, there. Hi," Katelyn cooed.

Her family has always been deeply connected with dragons. They were one of the first animals that her ancestors found they could speak to clearly. Right after wolves, of course.

"My brother Charlie works with these in Romania," Ron said, staring at Katelyn in horror, "They're one of the most dangerous dragons to exist."

"He's not dangerous," Hagrid cooed as the dragon turned toward him, "Oh, bless him. Look, he knows his mummy." He chuckled and reached out, tickling the dragon's tummy. "Hello, Norbert."

The baby squealed and grinned (it was a little freaky to see a dragon smiling but there was no doubt it was).

"Norbert?" Harry repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, he's got to have a name, doesn't he?" Hagrid grinned, looking down at the dragon.

"He's gonna turn into a beautiful and terrifying dragon... and you named him Norbert?" Katelyn added, sighing.

Hermione giggled a bit, nudging her friend. Hagrid waved her off, ignoring what she said.

Then the dragon hiccuped, fire coming out and lighting Hagrid's beard up.

All the kids jumped back as Hagrid frantically patted it down. "Ooh, well! He'll have to be trained up a bit, of course," he said, chuckling nervously.

"No kidding," Hermione muttered as Katelyn scooped up the dragon. The baby squealed, burying itself into her hands. Katelyn grinned, whispering something in a language none of them understood. The baby's wings extended and it shuddered before settling back down. Katelyn laughed softly. "What did you just say?" Hermione asked, brows furrowing as she pressed her shoulder to Katelyn's.

"I told him he's cute," Katelyn replied, glancing at the girl and moving the baby toward her. Hermione tensed slightly. "He's okay, promise. Go on." Hermione looked at Katelyn hesitantly. Though, she knew the girl would never put her in danger so Hermione lifted her hand and brushed her fingers over the dragon's head gently.

"Woah," Hermione shuddered a bit, retracting her hand. The baby's skin felt weird.

"Who's that?" Hagrid asked as Katelyn held it out for Ron and Harry to pet.

All the kids turned. Draco and Noah were standing at the window, their heads easily seen through the glass. Draco's eyes widened and he darted away. Noah quickly followed.

"Malfoy and Learman," Harry sneered.

"Oh, dear," Hagrid said quietly. 

◂◊●◯●◊▸

THE FOUR WALKED THROUGH THE corridors, trying to rush back to their common rooms. If they made it back before Draco and Noah got to one of the professors, perhaps they could trick them into thinking the boys were seeing things.

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon," Harry said, "Told me so the first time I ever met him."

"It's crazy," Ron shook his head, "And worse, Malfoy and Learman know."

"I don't understand, is that bad?" Hermione asked in confusion.

Katelyn and Ron freeze when they see McGonagall staring at them with a candle in her hand. "It's bad," the two say. Hermione's mouth opens then closes when she sees the professor, grabbing Katelyn's hand.

"Good evening," McGonagall said, a disappointed and annoyed look on her face.

Katelyn's eyes flick toward Noah and Draco who were hovering near the professor with a smirk.

"Come with me," McGonagall demands, walking into her classroom. The four kids share a look before following. They stand in front of her desk while Noah and Draco stand off to the side smugly. "Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken."

Hermione and Ron's jaws drop as they look at each other. Katelyn looked over at Draco and Noah, glaring sharply when they snicker.

"50?" Harry repeats, incredulous.

"Each."

"Professor," Katelyn goes to argue but McGonagall holds her hand up. She closes her mouth with a click.

"And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all six of you will receive detention."

Draco and Noah's faces drop as they look at each other. Then Draco steps forward. "Excuse me, professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said the six of us."

McGonagall smirks down at him. "No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, honorable as your and Mr. Learman's intentions were, you, too, were out of bed after hours."

Katelyn smirks at Draco and Noah, crossing her arms. She steps forward and drops her arm over his shoulders. "She's saying you're joining us in detention... goldie locks."

Noah looks over at the other three who all smirk smugly at him. 

◂◊●◯●◊▸

"IT'S A PITY THEY LET the old punishments die," Filch said, guiding the six children back down toward Hagrid's cottage. "There was a time when detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons."

Hermione and Katelyn shared a look, a matching look of disgust on their faces.

"God, I miss the screaming," he added, which just really drove the point home.

Katelyn thinks she heard Ron whimper.

They silently made their way down the steps before they grew closer to Hagrids. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight," Flich said.

The half-giant walked out of the cottage with a large lantern in his equally large hand. He's wearing a hunting outfit that sets Katelyn on edge. Absolutely not.

"He's got a little job to do... inside the dark forest," Filch smirked evilly at the students. Hagrid took a seat on one of the logs, picking up his crossbow. "A sorry lot this is, Hagrid."

The man sniffled, picking up his arrows.

"Good God, man. You're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?" Filch asked.

Hagrid ignores him, placing the crossbow under his arm and then looks at the four kids. "Norbert's gone. Dumbledore sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Hermione tried to lighten the mood, "He'll be with his own kind."

"Yeah, but what if he don't like Romania?" Filch stared at him with slight disgust before he rolled his eyes. "What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby, after all."

"Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man," Filch said quickly, obviously annoyed, "You're going into the forest, after all. Got to have your wits about you." His eyes widened for effect.

"The forest? I thought that was a joke. We can't go in there," Noah scoffed, staring between the adults incredulously.

"I hate to agree with him," Katelyn stepped forward slightly, eyeing the boy with slight disgust, "But I'm with him. I'm not letting my friends go in there. Students aren't allowed for a reason."

"And there are—" Draco paused when a howl cut him off. Hermione tensed, looking out at the forest and grabbing Katelyn's hand. The blonde took it, squeezing gently.

"There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad," Filch smirked.

"Except one bite and you get turned into a wolf," Katelyn argued immediately, "And they are highly aggressive. If we're not turned, we'll be ripped to shreds. Hermione and I are the only ones that know defensive spells against werewolves!"

Hermione tipped her head down slightly, her eyes still searching the trees. She retracted her hand from Katelyn's grip, crossing her arms.

"Then I suggest you don't split up," Filch said with little interest, "Nighty-night." He walked away.

"Right," Hagrid said and all the kids looked at him, "Let's go."

"Absolutely not," Katelyn deadpanned, putting her arm out in front of Harry. She didn't care if this was their punishment. She wasn't going to risk her friends and Hermione. Not when her arm was already tingling.

"I'm sorry, kiddo, but we've got to go," Hagrid said, sighing, "This is your punishment. At least your pet didn't get sent away."

Katelyn clicked her tongue, her expression dry. Hermione tugged the girl's hand, shaking her head. Katelyn's jaw clenched and she waved her hand, telling him to get on with it.

Hagrid nodded and guided the six kids plus Fang into the Dark Forest.

It was silent most times, only broken by random eerie moans and groans from creatures and trees.

Hagrid led the charge and Katelyn kept up the back, her head on a swivel. She wasn't going to let her guard down. Not when someone was trying to kill her and Harry; Not when Ron was jumping at every sound; And she definitely wasn't going to let her guard down when Hermione twitched at every howl.

Suddenly, Hagrid knelt down and stuck his fingers into silver liquid. It was thick and it smelled nasty.

"Hagrid, what is that?" Harry asked, and Katelyn could hear the hitch in his breath.

"Unicorn blood," Katelyn murmured from where she was standing beside Fang.

Hermione and Ron looked at her, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What we're here for," Harid pointed to Katelyn for a second before raising his fingers with the blood on it, "I found one dead a few weeks ago."

"Dead?" Katelyn repeated, her eyes wide and her face paling. Whatever or whoever was desperate enough to kill a unicorn was not something any of them should be around to find.

Hagrid nodded. "Now, this one's been hurt bad by something."

As he said that, Katelyn's arm tingles and a shiver wracked down her spine. Her and Harry's head snap toward the right, a lone figure walking through the woods covered in a black cloak.

Hagrid slowly follows their gaze but when he looks... nothing is there.

A howl breaks out and Hermione shudders again, bringing Katelyn's attention to her. She grabs the girl's arm gently, rubbing her shoulders. Hermione smiles nervously back.

"So, it's our job to go and find the poor beast," Hagrid said.

"You must be joking," Katelyn mutters, incredulous. She glanced around. Was she the only one here who knew how dangerous someone drinking unicorn blood was? They were desperate and obviously dying.

"Ron, Hermione, Learman, you'll come with me," Hagrid said.

"Okay," Ron strains, looking up at the large man with fear.

Harry and Katelyn share a look. Perhaps it was safer Ron and Hermione went with Hagrid rather than went with them. But also, what was the point of splitting up?

Katelyn didn't understand what was going on. Surely Dumbledore wasn't daft enough to send them on this mission with Hagrid without some kind of back-up?

Surely McGonagall wasn't letting this happen willingly...

Right?

"Of course, I've got to go with the filthy—"

"Shut up, Learman. I'll feed you to the bloody thing eating the unicorn if you finish that sentence," Katelyn interrupted, eyes sharp as they looked at him. Hermione put her arm out when Katelyn went to take a step forward, keeping the girl from advancing on the boy.

Learman sneered but shut his mouth.

Hagrid waited a moment, glancing between the kids. "Harry, Katelyn, you'll go with Learman. Malfoy, go with Hermione and Ron," he said, straightening up. Katelyn shot Hagrid a grateful look to which he winked in return. 

Harry side-eyed Noah and sighed, nodding.

"Okay, then I get Fang," Noah said, smirking as if he was so smart. Katelyn and Hermione glanced down at the dog sitting beside them. He wasn't going to be much help against anything.

Draco cocked an eyebrow at the dog then to Learman with a slight scowl.

"Fine. Just so's you know, he's a bloody coward," Hagrid said seriously. Fang whined as Noah's face dropped. Harry and Malfoy looked at the dog with pity. 

"You just wait till my father hears about this," Noah said, holding the lantern up high as they made their way through the forest. "This is servant's stuff."

"If I didn't know better, Learman, I'd say you were scared," Harry poked from beside him. Katelyn was on the end beside Fang, the dog staying at her heel.

"I'm not scared, Potter," Noah sneered. Another howl broke out and they paused. "Do you hear that?"

Katelyn shakes her head with a sigh, keeping her wand at the ready. She still felt uneasy and the cloaked person from before never left her thoughts for more than two minutes.

She glanced around as they slowly moved further into the forest.

("If I was there that night... and I survived, too... Why wouldn't my mom tell me? Why am I not in the history books as the 'Girl Who Lived'?"

"I don't know why your mother wouldn't tell you, Kalik. You'd have to ask her. For the history books... Well, most purebloods don't like the Royals and the Ministry sure as Hell doesn't. They don't want you linked to it because then it means that Voldermort had ulterior motives. That he wasn't just going after the Potters... but after a Royal. They don't want to think about the implications of that."

"So... I've been erased—my survival has been erased... because grown men can't get over the fact that I was potentially the target?"

"You said it, not me.")

Katelyn shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head rid of the thought. They made their way down into a lower part of the forest. Harry pointed at some weird flowers that were sprouting, "Do you know what those are?"

Katelyn blinked down at them. They were dark grey, as if devoid of life, but they weren't necessarily dead. "I've seen them before. Uncle Luca grows them in his gardens," she replied quietly, "I think they—"

She was cut off when her arm started burning almost to an unbearable level. Harry hissed beside her, hand covering his scar.

Both of them spun around when Noah let out a whimper.

A cloaked figure was gnawing on a unicorn's neck, slurping away the blood inside of it. It looked up, unicorn blood dripping from the corners of their mouth.

No eyes. Only teeth.

It was horrifying.

Noah screamed and booked it, not waiting for either of them to catch up. Fang followed the screaming boy closely, living up to his cowardly personality.

Katelyn clenched her jaw, clamping her other hand over her burning arm. It felt terrible. Harry gasped as the figure started to levitate toward them, inches off the ground.

Like a slithering snake.

Drawing closer to its prey.

Katelyn steps in front of Harry on instinct, unsheathing her wand. The pain in her arm is distant now, her protective adrenaline pushing everything but PROTECT HARRY out of her mind. She wasn't going to let him be harmed.

"Nik—" Harry said, grabbing her robes as they moved backwards. The figure continued to slither toward them and Katelyn could practically feel his anxiety. "Niko, what do we do?" He whispered urgently.

Katelyn just pressed herself as close to Harry as possible, keeping herself between him and the figure. Her hand trembled though it was more from the adrenaline than fear.

"Get ready to fight, Kallinikos," whispered an unfamiliar woman's voice. Katelyn's eyes flicked around but nobody was there. It was just her, Harry, and the figure. "Fight."

Katelyn's grip tightened on her wand, face setting into a stony look of determination. She would. She would fight.

The figure levitated upwards until its cloaked feet could touch the ground. It towered over the both of them. And it was worse when Harry tripped, causing the two to crumble to the ground.

"NIK!" Harry yelped as the figure closed in. They were cornered and all that was separating them was Katelyn's wand pressing against the cloak.

Katelyn almost threw up at the smell of the unicorn blood mixed with rotting flesh. She leaned her head backwards, pressing it into Harry's who curled behind her, unable to do much else.

"Reducto!" Katelyn cried out when the creature's mouth opened. It flew backwards, landing on the ground. She quickly got up, ready to finish whatever the bloody hell that thing was when hooves sounded behind her. She turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the bottom half of a horse. She ducked, covering her head as hooves jumped over her head.

The creature immediately backed up a step.

Katelyn looked up at the centaur as he reeled back on his hindlegs, kicking out with his front. The creature sneered and took off into the woods faster than Katelyn could comprehend.

She breathed out a sigh of relief and turned to Harry who had gotten over his shock and stood up. He rushed over to her, gently helping her off. They both wiped off the dirt and leaves that got stuck to their robes and turned to the creature that just saved them.

"Kallinikos Royal. Harry Potter. You must leave," the centaur said as he clopped over to them, moving leaves out of the way, "You both are known to many creatures here." He looked down at Katelyn, a kind look on his face. "As kind as your kind has been to my brethren and friends of the wild, many creatures do not think kindly. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you."

He towered over them, but unlike the creature from before, the centaurs' presence was comforting. Warm. Kind. He meant them no harm.

Harry glanced at Katelyn, a little awed at the creature before them. "But what was that thing you saved us from?"

"A monstrous creature," the centaur said, stepping forward. He gestured to the dead unicorn beside him with a solemn gaze, "It is a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive—"

"Even if you are an inch from death," Katelyn finished, staring down at the dead creature with both pity and sadness. The centaur nodded. "There's a price, right? You, um..." Katelyn frowned a little, brows drawing together before she snapped her fingers, "You live half a life."

"Yes," the centaur nodded, "For you have slain something so pure that from the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life. A cursed life."

Harry frowned in confusion, "Who would choose such a life?"

The centaur knelt so he wasn't so imposing, coming to be only a little taller than the two children. "Can you think of no one?" He asked softly.

Harry's breath hitched slightly, eyes wide. "Do you mean to say that that thing that killed the unicorn, that was drinking its blood, that was—"

"Voldemort," Katelyn filled in grimly. Of course it was.

The centaur leaned closer and Harry's eyes widened even more. Katelyn tilted her head at the seriousness on the creature's face. "Do you know what resides in the school at this very moment, young ones?" He asked slowly, trying to make it very clear.

Not that it needed to be.

They understood immediately.

Sharing a look, the two said the answer, a shiver racing down their spines.

"The Sorcerer's Stone."

The centaur nodded once and reached out. Katelyn's brows furrowed when she found a shell in his hand. It looked so tiny in his large palms. It was almost the size of her entire left hand.

She picked it up gingerly.

It was reddish and white. On one side it was shiny and smooth while the other had grooves and ridges. It was beautiful and she's never seen anything like it.

"Your mothers... they're friends of ours here. Kind. If you need anything from us at all, we will ride for you, little Royal," he said quietly, seriously.

She looked up at him, brows furrowed. Mothers.

"If you cannot blow it, trace one of the grooves. We'll know," he leaned back with a nod after she nodded in understanding.

"Cool," Harry muttered as he looked down at the shell. He reached out for it but Katelyn smacked his hand down. She then pulled her wand and drew a small circle above it. The shell disappeared.

Suddenly, a dog barked and the two kids jumped.

"Kali! Harry!"

The two kids looked up at their friend. Hermione tried to rush down but Hagrid held out an arm in front of her, keeping her from moving. Draco and Noah lingered behind the man while Ron and Hermione stood near Fang.

"Hello there, Firenze," Hagrid greeted, eyeing the centaur cautiously, "I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. And Miss Katelyn." The centaur stood to full height as Hagrid turned his attention to the kids, "You alright there, kiddos?"

The two glanced at each other, then nodded.

"Kalinikos Royal. Harry. This is where I leave you," the centaur said and they both looked up at him. He gave Katelyn a long look before nodding. "You're safe now. Good luck." He trotted away.

Katelyn watched him for a second. Then came to a decision. "It's the professor, isn't it? The one with the stutter?" She asked, the ancient language sliding off her tongue with ease.

Firenze stopped in his tracks. He then turned his head, meeting her eyes with a subtle smirk. "It's a shame you never met Miss Evans. You are so much like her. Brains and everything. I am certain great things will come from you, Kallinikos."

Katelyn held his gaze for another second, before they both looked away. Firenze leaped up the roots and took off into the forest.

Hagrid stared down at her, an unreadable expression on his face. That was unusual. He was one of the most expressive people Katelyn's ever met.

She didn't think she liked the way he looked at her.

Hermione brushed past Hagrid, rushing down to her friends and throwing her arms around Katelyn. The blonde caught her, wrapping her arms around the girl's waist.

"Are you two alright?" Hermione asked as she pulled back, setting a hand on Harry's shoulder, "When Learman came running without you two, I thought—"

"We're good," Harry assured, nudging Katelyn with a bright, awed look in his eyes as Ron came to a stop beside Hermione, stumbling a little. "Niko saved us!"

Katelyn side-eyed the boy, a small frown on her lips. "It only ran away because of Firenze," she reminded, shrugging her shoulders, "I didn't do anything."

Harry huffed, shaking his head and looked at Hermione and Ron. "Ignore her. She used a spell I hadn't even heard of! Sent it flying! It was super cool!"

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Which spell did you use?" She asked, grabbing Katelyn's sleeve excitedly, "Do I know it?"

"Probably," Katelyn muttered with a shrug, "It was Reducto."

"Wicked," Ron said, high-fiving her. Katelyn snorted. 

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AN: it may seem like i (and harry and katelyn) forgot about questioning who harry's parents are but trust they did not.