Falling Into Black

Days passed, and Katie found herself at the train station with all of her friends. They were all going home. Natalie with her parents, and the Marauders with James’ parents. Katie was the only one staying.

“Promise me you’ll write me every day” Natalie ordered as she and Katie hugged.

“It’s only Christmas break, Nat. Not summer break” Katie chuckled lightly.

“Whatever. Just promise” Natalie repeated. Katie rolled her eyes, but nodded. James hugged her next.

“Bye, Katie” he murmured. “Have a wonderful Christmas.”

“Thanks, James. And you too” Katie smiled, pulling away. She hugged Peter next, but it was short.

“I’ll certainly miss you while we’re gone” Remus said, pulling Katie into a hug. Katie smiled into his chest.

“Me too. I won’t have anyone to talk smart to.” Remus chuckled as he pulled away. Katie turned to Sirius.

“Bye, Katie” he sighed, crushing her into his chest. “I’ll miss you. I hate that I won’t be here for your birthday.”

“It’s okay, Sirius” Katie murmured. “Just have a good Christmas.”

“You too.” Sirius placed a quick, sweet kiss on her lips.

“Come on, Sirius” Natalie sighed. Katie waved to her friends as they boarded the train, along with just about every other student. It seemed like she was the only other person left on the platform. But she wasn’t. There were about 9 other people there too.

Katie sighed as she walked alone back to the carriages. She had solved the mystery of the horseless carriages at least. They were actually pulled by Thestrals. They were big, black winged horse-like creatures with a skeletal body, a face with reptilian features, and large leathery wings that resembled a bat’s. They had blank white eyes and a keening call that was just beautiful to Katie’s ears. Katie could understand why people thought of them as a bad omen, given their gaunt appearance, but they were actually graceful and gentle. Different.

In the quiet of the carriage, Katie’s mind wandered without the distraction of friends. She thought of her brother, and how he was adjusting to the McCoy’s house. If he was, that is. She hoped he was enjoying it there, surrounded by love and a roof over his head. She had receive a letter from Mr. and Mrs. McCoy saying that he was settling in fine, but Katie couldn’t help but think that was a lie to keep Katie from worrying.

Then her mind wandered toward Sirius, like it often did when she wasn’t with him. She still couldn’t believe that they were....what? What were they? Sure, they’ve been on a few dates and had a couple snogging sessions, but Katie wasn’t entirely sure if they were official boyfriend and girlfriend. I’ll have to ask him later, Katie thought distantly.

Katie sighed as she got off the carriage, and went around to the Thestral pulling it. One good thing about the way Katie’s mind worked, was that she saw the beauty in all things, good or bad. Instead of seeing a terrifying beast, classified by the Ministry as ‘dangerous’, she saw a graceful, misunderstood creature who was loyal to its master.

This particular Thestral’s name, from what Hagrid had told her, was Sestos (Saays-toes). She was a sweet mare who had lost her cub in a forest fire a few years ago. ‘Never really got over it’ Hagrid had said. He said he had found her just laying on the ground, covered in soot and blood, nearly dead herself, and nursed her back to health. But, before Katie and Sestos had met, she had been temperamental and anti-social. ‘Wouldn’ even interact wit’ the other Thestrals’ Hagrid had said. ‘Now she’s been much more active. I even let ‘er into Kettleburn’s classes.’

Natalie had told Katie that she had felt something nip at her hair and tug at it a bit. Said she nearly crapped her pants. Katie remembered Natalie telling her that. Natalie went on to say ‘Hagrid said it was a Thestral named Sestos.’ Katie wondered if the reason Sestos had chosen Natalie too, was because she and Katie were friends, and Sestos could sense Katie.

Katie first met Sestos last week, when Katie was out in the Forbidden Forest looking for a flower for a potion, the name of which she could now not remember for the life of her, and had come nearly face-to-face with the Thestral. Hagrid had found her sometime later, stroking Sestos’ slick neck. To say he was shocked would’ve been an understatement.

Sestos nudged Katie’s shoulder, pulling her from her remembering. Katie smiled as she stroked the Thestral, before she pulled out a small box from her pocket. Inside the box were Thestral treats, which Hagrid had given to her. Sestos ate the offered treat eagerly.

“See you later, girl” Katie murmured, giving the creature one last pat before going into the castle. Well, since there’s nothing else to do, I might as well practice those spells, Katie thought, shrugging.

- - - - - - -

Some hours and many, many fails and curses later, and Katie was in the Room of Requirement, trying to perform the spell Engorgio non-verbally on a mini practice dummy. She was having trouble, just like with all the spells she tried to perform non-verbally. It would twitch, grow an inch in size, and then turn back to normal. ‘How hard could none-verbal spells be?’ she had said in first year. The answer to that question was ‘very’.

Finally, she huffed in frustration, threw her wand across the room, and sat down angrily on the couch. Her wand hit the wall with a little crack and then fell to the ground.

“You’re thinking too hard on the incantation” a voice said. Katie let out a squeak as she nearly fell into the floor. Regulus was standing near the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. His black hair was mussed, and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

“A little warning would be nice” Katie snapped, standing up from the floor. She brushed off her pants as he walked closer.

“You have to focus on the object and what you want it to do, rather than just the incantation” he continued. Katie frowned as her wand flew into his hand. “Try it.”

“How long have you been standing there?” Katie asked, taking her wand.

“Since the Disillusionment Charm” he answered, shrugging. He then nodded to the dummy. “Try it” he repeated. Katie sighed, but did as he said. This time, the dummy grew twice its size, until it fell out of the chair it was sitting in.

“Wow” Kati muttered. She narrowed his eyes at him. “Where were you nearly an hour ago?” He chuckled.

“I wanted to see if you would get it on your own” he said. Katie rolled her eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

“Professor Humphrey has been helping me practice almost every spell there is since I bit you to get my wand back” Katie answered, writing in the progress book. “And he’s been teaching me more self-defense moves and other physical things.” Regulus smirked.

“What kind of physical things?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“Not that kind” Katie huffed, rolling her eyes. “I mean, like, martial arts.”

“Boring” he muttered, flopping on the couch. “So what spell now?”

Katie flipped the page. “The Patronus Charm” she recited, but then did a double take. “What? He expects me to perform that?” Katie hissed to herself. Regulus chuckled from the couch.

“Best not go against what thy teacher has said” he smirked. Katie stuck her tongue out at him, earning one back, before she read through the page.

“A positive thought” Katie whispered, closing her eyes. Skimming through her memory, she searched for the happiest memory she had. What came to mind was the snowball fight she, the Marauders, Natalie, and Lily had had before she had gone on her date with Sirius. She thought of her friend’s smiling faces, and of her own happiness. She remembered forgetting everything except the snow around her and casting every bad thing out there in the world out of her mind. Katie felt herself smiling, and opened her eyes. “Expecto Patronum.”

A burst of silver-blue light came from the tip of her wand, and formed something on that ground at her feet. She watched the silver-wisps solidify more, until they came into the shape of a canine. It was rather large, coming up to her mid-thigh. But, she couldn’t tell if it was of the wolf family or the dog family. As she watched, the dog/wolf bounded around the room before coming back to her and tackling her to the ground, barking happily.

Katie laughed as she pushed the animal off (and was surprised she could do so), before she looked at Regulus. He was staring at the Patronus with wide eyes and his mouth flopped open. Sadly, her thoughts faded away from her, and the dog/wolf dissipated.

“Wow” Regulus breathed. “You did that on your first try.

“Why is that so surprising?” Katie asked, titling her head to the side in confusion.

“Well, it’s just that it’s a very advanced spell” he explained. “Not a lot of young wizards can perform a corporeal Patronus.”

“Can you?” Katie asked. He shook his head. “Have you tried?” Again, he shook his head. “Why don’t you?”

“When am I ever going to use it?” he asked.

“When am I ever going to use an Age Line? When am I ever going to use a Drought Charm? I ask myself that question every day, but Professor Humphrey always tells me that I need to learn them” Katie stated. Katie stood up from the floor. “Please? If I can perform it after my parents died, then you can too.” He stared at her for a long time, studying her face, before, finally, he sighed and stood up.

“What do I do?” he asked. Katie smiled as she picked up the book.

“’A Patronus is a kind of positive force, and for the wizard who can conjure one, it works something like a shield, with the Dementor feeding on it, rather than him’” Katie read. “’In order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory… Allow it to fill you up... lose yourself in it... then speak the incantation ‘Expecto Patronum’.” She looked up at him when she finished. Katie saw that his eyes were closed, and he looked like he was concentrating very hard.

“Just curious, but what did you think of?” Regulus asked, after a few moments of quiet.

“I thought of the snowball fight I had the other week with my friends, and of how I loved that we didn’t have to worry about anything that was going on” Katie said honestly. Regulus opened his eyes and looked over at her.

“What’s it like?” he asked quietly. Katie frowned.

“What’s what like?”

“Having friends that like you for who you are. And not who your family is” he murmured. Katie smiled sadly.

“It’s one of the most wonderful things in the world, Regulus” Katie said honestly. He looked at his feet. “I like you for who you are, Regulus. Not who you pretend to be. And if it helps, I’ve got no idea what your family is like. But I like that you can smile when you’re happy and can laugh when you find something funny. It makes you seem...human.”

“You’re much too kind, Katie” he smiled. “I honestly don’t know what would’ve happened to my life if I hadn’t of met you.” Katie walked forward to stand in front of him.

“You wouldn’t’ve gained a friend” Katie said softly, with a small smile. “And, I know I’m probably going to regret this”—Katie paused to chuckle lightly—“But I’m glad you pulled me into the broom closet that day. Otherwise I wouldn’t’ve gained another friend either.”

“I’m glad I pulled you into the closet too, Katie” he smirked. Katie rolled her eyes. “And thank you.”

“For what?” Katie asked.

“For being my friend” he murmured. Katie grinned.

“You’re welcome, Regulus.”