A Mind Gone Astray

‘Whoa, who are you?’ The girl named Ginny spoke. It was easy to spot her because she was the only girl with red hair, reaching down her back. The scenery of everybody staring at her, made her instincts tickle. The urge to just turn around and run was nearly taking her over but she decided not to be a Slytherin for once in her life. Instead, she stepped further into the room and put down her trunk before she thought about what to say but Ronald was first to speak next.
‘She's in our year. A Slytherin!’ Everybody stared at him and then back at Catherine who now nervously kneaded her hands, taking in a deep breath yet again.
‘OK yeah, I am … but I wouldn't be here if I weren't against everything things are turning into, right? I … I have spoken to Professor Dumbledore and he trusts me so–’
‘Yeah but he also trusts Snape,’ said one of the older Weasley boys.
‘And he yet didn't turn out to be the best helper he ever got,’ said the other.
‘But he also didn't turn out to be the filthy rat you Gryffindors love to make out of him so you might as well sit back, relax and watch what happens, right? Right!’ Catherine's voice was drenched in sweetness and danger while she looked around for a spot to sit but realised that they all occupied the beds so she was thinking about turning around to leave and find another room to be at as the twins got up and clapped their hands once.
‘We'll better be off. Preparing for the meeting and working on some more of our … things.’
‘I think Fred is right. We have to use the time Mom is leaving us alone with her cleaning mission.’ And with another view on Cathy, which she wasn't able to interpret at all, a loud crack they vanished into thin air. Now only Ron, Hermione and Ginny were left in the room and an uncomfortable silence hung around the room.
‘Look, I don't expect you to trust me instantly or something like that. I would just love a calm rest of the summer. I promise I won't be a bother but I just … need a shelter, kind of,’ she said with a crooked smile and then her eyes found Ronald's who couldn't help but look at her the same way every boy at her age does. ‘Also, excuse my impolite behaviour, my name is Catherine. Short is Cathy.’ It surprised the blonde that the first to speak was the muggle-born, the declared fiend of the pure-bloods.
‘I am Hermione Granger, this is Ginny Weasley and that here,’ she said and looked at Ron who was still staring to give him an unpleasant nudge into his side so he snapped out of his trance, ‘that here is Ronald Weasley.’ She hoped for herself that this normal introduction was the first step into gaining their trust and maybe being at least normal to each other without any prejudices in the way.
There was a silence again before Ron and Hermione decided that they should go to the boys's room since they expected Harry to arrive soon. Now that there was only one person left with her, she felt much more comfortable. The feeling of being the little rat among a herd of hungry Hippogriffs vanished and she sat down on the one bed that was still free, so Ginny told her.
‘So, um … You're now in year four, aren't you?’ Catherine tried to open up a little bit of smalltalk. Ginny looked like she was having difficulties to decide whether if she would answer or not but it seemed like the good side of her personality won.
‘Yes. I'm the youngest in my family. My brother Ron seems to know you, which was weird how he looked at you, and the others were Fred and George. These are the ones from my family still at Hogwarts,’ she smiled while she sat down on her bed, surveying Cathy nosily.
‘Oh right, I think I saw all of you already. I am not OK to pay much attention to the “traitors” though so I am ought to be careful,’ she shrugged and smiled a little apologetic since she knows how words like these are offensive to people. Ginny's lips curled for a moment. ‘About your brother staring though, well, I am used to it. Boys my age and one or two years older and younger get caught in this Veela charm. I guess I don't even care anymore but it must look funny to other people,’ Cathy chuckled and finally decided to take off her traveling cloak to then sit down on the bed, taking in a deep breath before she flinched when screams filled in the room. It sounded differently than the ones of the portrait and now that she listened closely, it sounded like the voice of a young man or boy.
‘I think Harry arrived and it sounds like he isn't really in the mood to celebrate.’ Catherine couldn't help but let out a laugh at this comment and searched for one of her favourite books from her trunk to sink into another world. The tales of Sherlock Holmes and his incredible ability to solve puzzles and murders fascinated her so much that she didn't notice how Ginny left the room for a while and only when she nearly yelled her name Cathy peeked at her from over the edge of her book.
‘Dinner's about to be ready. In case you are hungry?’ And by that she left again, obviously not sure if she should be as open as she was with the Slytherin at the moment. Slowly she put her book away and then moved down the stairs. She saw the Golden Trio, how everyone in school named Harry Potter and his two companions, walking a little ahead of her. Curiously she watched them and some kind of dark atmosphere surrounded them. Before the nosiness could take her over though, they entered the kitchen and Cathy followed. With a light smile she walked over to Mrs. Weasley to ask if she could help but she was sent to sit down, assuring that everything was fine and that she should calm down from traveling and the day. Thankfully she sat down at the table and for a moment the ruckus stopped and everybody was looking at the newbie. She decided to answer the silence with a smile before she turned to focus on her plate. Moments later the talks were back up and whenever possible she risked looking up whenever she heard something interesting, laughed silently about some joked Fred and George told and couldn't help but look at Sirius Black. She knew him from photos her Mam had hidden in the very last of her bedroom drawer. He looked incredibly beautiful and he definitely looked like a dangerous and wild man after whom every woman longed. Now, even though he lost lots of his shine and the life-loving attitude, he still looked handsome. She just realised that she was staring at him when their eyes met and a frown decorated his forehead. Quickly Cathy looked back at her empty plate. It was embarrassing to get caught like this since it almost always looked like something it's not supposed to be: crushing on somebody.
‘Nearly time for bed, I think,’ yawned Mrs. Weasley just in time and a sign of relief came across Cathy's face for a moment before she buried it in the back of her mind again, looking up to Sirius who spoke now.
‘Not so fast, Molly,’ he said and looked at Harry then. ‘You know, I am surprised that you haven't yet asked one question about the Order or the plans of Voldemort.’ She didn't expect that at all, to hear this name and nearly choked on her last sip of pumpkin juice. If there is one thing she hated more than anything is to hear his name. Not because it was disrespectful in some way but because it brought memories back from the beginning of the summer holidays that she buried deep in her mind.
‘What is it? Have a problem when I say the name of your Master?’ Black's voice was mocking and challenging. She instantly snapped her head up to look at him, not sure if he was really going that far.
‘Sirius, let's not start this now …’ old Professor Lupin said who had joined for dinner. ‘We don't need any drama right now.’
‘Let him. If he thinks that I had my fun serving the Dark Lord then he must be the dumbest person in this room because I wouldn't be in here if there was truth behind that,’ she whispered in a weak voice and got up from her seat. ‘Just let me tell you one thing,’ her voice grew a little stronger and the looked straight into Sirius's eyes, ‘if the only person on the planet that you care about gets murdered right in front of your eyes, and I am sure you know what it feels like to loose family, and you'd have to serve dinner to the murderer every day and his great Master who is more than disgusting towards women any kind, you'd be wanting to get out of there as quick as possible as well.’ And with that she stepped away from the table to leave the kitchen, not sure if she ever wanted to return and face the people who just witnessed her humiliation.



The end of the dinner not only went bad for Catherine but also for Ginny. It appeared that she was the only one that allowed to the talk that was going on about the things the Order does and the things that the Dark Lord has planned. To Ginny's luck though was that Cathy at least knew about the plans of the Death Eaters so she could at least tell her a little bit about what she thought they knew. Thanks to Snape she knew at least what was important to the Order and so she kept Ginny up to date as best as she could that night. She kind of felt that it was the least she could do.
The next days were filled with cleaning the house off Doxys and of dark magic. At first Catherine didn't feel like helping them because no one really asked her to but after three days of hiding in her room she decided to be at least useful. Since there was no way to use magic when you were under seventeen, which Harry had to experience the bad way ever since he defeated Dementors in front of his cousin a little while ago and had now a trial to face, Catherine found herself in a big room full of dust that they freed off Doxys just a little while ago. At the moment she was trying to get rid of all the dust which was difficult because the ceilings were really high and so she came to climb a cabinet that was nearby. Just as she got on top of it to swoosh off some spiders someone entered the room. She didn't care to look since the treatment she got was more that one for a stranger who squished herself into a perfectly happy family.
‘Doing it the old-fashioned muggle way, aren't you?’ A male voice smirked and slowly her head turned around to see one of the twins standing there, looking up.
‘That's the thing about not being allowed to use magic, isn't it? But don't worry, that's how I did it at home as well so I am used to it,’ she answered with a wink before she took care of the dust again. Before any of them could speak again, the other twin walked into the room and Cathy heard him laughing but didn't mind it much. She just finished her deeds and climbed back down from the cabinet. Now she saw why the other twin, George she assumed, had to laugh: Fred was standing there, torn between saying something and being silent which made him look a little dumb as he was gaping a little.
‘I think my brother Fred here forgot that he was about to ask you something, seeing the way he looks at you,’ the other smirked and whereat his brother caught himself again and cleared his throat.
‘Right you are, George! The question of the day would be,’
‘that since you are quite obviously a Veela,’
‘which we not only know thanks to Mundungus,’
‘if you have ever turned into this harpy-like monster?’
‘And don't deny you do because we saw it at the Quidditch World Cup last year!’ Fred added when Catherine was about to protest. Instead she just closed her mouth again and looked at the two, not sure why they are interested in that.
‘I can proudly say that I never did, no. Our kind has to be in full control of their emotions,’ she said calmly with a touch of bitterness in her voice. ‘But why do you want to know?’
‘Well we simply thought that if we could make you real angry, there might be something useful for our Skiving Snackboxes,’ George shrugged as if it was nothing. The blonde glared at him for a moment to then shake her head slowly.
‘OK, listen … Veelas are not really proud of that feature though it's sometimes probably very useful but even if you could make me that angry, which I doubt, there would be nothing left of you once the beak comes out and the fireballs roast you. Maybe next time you ask me for some family treasure because those might have a lot of horrible and deathly jinxes but some might also be useful for your … snackboxes.’ With another wink to Fred and a fake curtsey she passed the two and walked out of the room to report to Mrs. Weasley and get another task. For the first time in her life she felt like she had a real good time around people.