Chapter 59: Back to School (2)

The rain cascaded onto the grand, timeworn castle, its interior bathed in a luminous glow emanating from a myriad of candles. Meanwhile, a long line of horseless carriages trudged past the main oak front doors, while students, their voices raised in excited urgency, attempted to dash into the Entrance Hall without succumbing to the downpour.

Sirius Black leapt from one carriage, his eyes fixed upon the majestic spectacle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A heartfelt smile graced his face as he brushed a damp streak of dark hair from his eyes. With a graceful turn, he gallantly extended his hand to the young witch who emerged from the carriage alongside him.

Catherine McMahon cast a surprised and slightly confused glance at him. With prideful disregard for the drenched gentleman, she jumped and landed straight into the mud puddle in front of the carriage she hadn't noticed. Ignoring the giggles emanating from James, Peter, and Remus, the girl promptly marched towards the castle of her ancestors, swearing under her breath with each step that produced a distinct squishy sound. Desperate to salvage her robes from the splattering mud, she attempted to lift them with a futile grace.

The young witch heaved a sigh of relief upon crossing the threshold into Hogwarts, only to have her joy cut short. Peeves, the mischievous poltergeist, hovered around the chandelier, gleefully lobbing balloons filled with ice-cold water at the already soaked students. His wicked laughter echoed through the halls each time he struck someone. As the person in front of Catherine swiftly ducked, she found herself on the receiving end of Peeves's prank, taking a direct hit from one of his balloons square in the face.

"Thanks a lot, chap!" – said Catherine, spitting water and rubbing her eyes.

"You're most welcome, Little Bird!" – the velvety voice of Lucius Malfoy reached the black-haired Gryffindor's ears. After regaining her sight, she felt her face flush with warmth while standing in the midst of the Entrance Hall. Her eyes locked onto the cold stare of the seventh-year Slytherin, adorned with a green and silver Head Boy badge and a nonchalant smile.

"Move it, Malfoy!" – shouted Sirius, who had finally managed to catch up with Catherine – "You're blocking the way!"

"I would sincerely advice you to watch your mouth, Black." – hissed the other wizard – "You don't want Gryffindor to start the term with negative house points, do you? It would be such a shame if you fail to win the House Cup, yet again."

A small crowd had gathered in the Entrance Hall, everyone trying to discern the cause of the traffic disruption.

"What's going on here?" – Carter Thorne's voice cut through the murmurs. The teacher swiftly surveyed the scene, and Catherine thought she detected a slight twitch on his face when his eyes fixed on her and Malfoy.

"Mister Malfoy, if you wish to impart your wisdom to our younger students, kindly do so elsewhere and clear the Entrance Hall. We are all eagerly awaiting the start of the Sorting Ceremony." – the DADA teacher said with a polite smile, though the young witch couldn't help but notice his eyes were ice-cold.

Lucius shrugged and promptly departed, trailed by a group of Slytherins. The Gryffindor third-years followed suit, but just before entering the Great Hall, Catherine felt a sudden gust of wind swirl around her. She gasped in surprise, turning around to find Professor Thorne still standing in the Entrance Hall, smirking in response to her questioning glare. 

'What the fuck is he doing? Does he realise I know he's an Air Mage? But how? Was this a threat? Displaying his powers out of the blue?' – Catherine wondered while automatically following the boys into the Great Hall, eventually taking a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to James. 

"Hey! How did you get dry so quickly?" – asked the astonished James, lifting one of his friend's braids which was dripping water just a few moments ago.

The commencement of the Sorting Ceremony interrupted their conversation, and the young witch tried to focus on the Sorting Hat's song. Nevertheless, she couldn't resist constantly glancing at the High Table where Professor Thorne sat next to Flitwick, deeply engrossed in a conversation with the Charms teacher.

Once every new student took their place around the table of their respective house, the Headmaster stood up, and the chatter ceased immediately. Albus Dumbledore smiled wholeheartedly and extended his arms as if he wanted to embrace the entire student body.

"Welcome, everyone! I am thrilled for yet another school year filled with wonder, discovery, and the potential for countless magical moments on your quest for knowledge! I encourage you to excel not only academically but also in building friendships that will endure beyond your time at Hogwarts! Before we indulge in the eagerly anticipated feast, I have a few announcements. First, entering the Forbidden Forest is naturally forbidden for everyone." – the Headmaster's blue eyes twinkled with amusement – "In addition, Mr Filch asked me to inform you that ever-shifting stepstools and sneezing powder puff are now prohibited on the school's grounds. The complete list of outlawed artefacts is available upon request at our Caretaker's office."

"Finally, there is a slight change in the Hogsmeade visiting schedule. I believe those in their fifth year and above would appreciate that, starting this year, they are allowed to visit the village every month. For those in their third and fourth years, visits are permitted every two months. That's all! Dig in!"

"Not fair!" – protested James, piling lamb chops onto his plate – "I was dying to visit Hogsmeade! Why are we only allowed a visit once every two months?"

"We can still go there! I think it's more of a reward for the older students, rather than a punishment for us." – Remus wisely determined, passing the baked potatoes to Peter.

"True! Plus, we can always use the passage below the Honeydukes." – Sirius winked at his friend. 

"I didn't mean that!" – Remus cried desperately, noticing James' enthusiastic face.

"Cheer up, Moony!" – James laughed – "We're allowed to be in Hogsmeade! The 'when' is more of an administrative detail. And we also have my invisibility cloak if you're that scared."

"Flame, back me up here!" – Remus pleaded, looking at Catherine, who was contemplating on whether or not to write to her dad and once again insist on him paying closer attention to Carter Thorne and his possible connections to one of the main Houses. 

"What?" – the young witch asked, confused when she realised the boys were staring at her.

"Where are you, Flame?" – asked Sirius, annoyed – "It's not like you to be so quiet. You didn't utter a word in the train, except for snapping at me for 'invading your personal space.' You didn't touch your food, and now you're staring at the High Table like you expect a Quintaped to spawn out of Thorne. You'll feel better if you share with us!"

"It's nothing!" – Catherine muttered, stood up and left the Great Hall.

"What about dessert?" – Sirius shouted after her – "What's the matter with her?"

"I don't know. She seems stressed. Maybe her vacation was not nice. She never really shares what she's up to during the summer." – remarked James.

"Maybe it's a girl's thing." – Peter suggested with a mouth full of blueberry pie. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" – asked Sirius, irritated.

"You know, changes in their bodies and such." – clarified his classmate.

"Nonsense, the only one whose body's changing is you, Peter! You have so many pimples now that I don't need a Moon map anymore!" – Sirius snapped and stared at his empty plate, suddenly losing his appetite. 

Catherine halted in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. A sense of dread enveloped her. She had eagerly anticipated her return to Hogwarts. The boys were justified in complaining about her behaviour, yet she found herself unable to escape the turmoil of her thoughts. Additionally, with the awareness that she was a Fire Mage, and her abilities could manifest at random, a chilling fear gripped her— the terrifying reality that she might unintentionally harm those around her, especially Sirius, who was almost always in close physical proximity.

'It's better for everyone if I keep my distance.' – thought the young witch, bitterness creeping in at the very idea of being away from her friends.

She wiped away the tears brimming in her eyes and gazed at the portrait. The Fat Lady, all dressed in pink, looked at her expectedly with a hint of annoyance on her face. It was then that Catherine realised she didn't know the password. In her haste to leave the Great Hall, she had completely forgotten to ask one of the Prefects.

"I don't know the password." – the third-year admitted – "Would you still please let me in?"

The Fat Lady opened her mouth, ready to say 'No.' However, her expression suddenly changed, as if she was momentarily stunned, and the portrait swung backward, revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower.

'That's what I call sheer luck!' – thought the girl, climbing the stairs towards the girls' dormitory – 'She shouldn't do that in principle, but who cares…I just want to go to bed.'