A Mind Gone Astray

The next morning started early for the Slytherin. She wanted to be ready and out earlier than the Weasley family so nothing would look suspicious. She saved herself the breakfast and walked down the stairs with her trunk when it was way before nine o'clock. Silently she stepped up to the kitchen to see if anybody was there and saw Mrs. Weasley preparing breakfast already.
‘Good morning,’ she said with a smile. ‘Are you leaving already?’ With a nod the blonde answered and snatched herself a toast for the way.
‘I'll head off to the train station already and wait at the platform. I got some school books to read while I wait,’ Cathy said with a shrug. ‘So I guess … we'll see us next summer? I think I am going to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. I never liked that holiday anyway.’
‘Oh don't be silly! You are of course invited to spend the holidays with us. Ginny seems to really like you and that almost makes you part of the family.’ With a surprised look at Mrs. Weasley she assured her that she will think about it though deep down she knew that this sounded way better than being alone at Hogwarts. When she finished her toast an uproar broke loose, caused by Fred and George who jinxed their luggage to fly down the stairs themselves and unfortunately the hex was not thought-through because it knocked Ginny off her feet who was just walking down the stairs. While now Molly Weasley stood there and yelled at her boys, Mrs. Black started screaming next to her and it was all just a wild mix of high-pitched voices. Cathy decided that this was the alarm she needed to leave. One last look on the twins, chuckling about the lecture and their faces while getting it. It seemed like the only thing they could be scared of was their mother.



The trunk clattered over the pavement and there were only a few more steps to go until she reached King's Cross. At the doorsteps of the big train station she stopped and got her pocket watch out which once was in her mother's possession and additionally had a little mirror on the inside. She needed her mirror to check on her perfectly trained and icy cold facial expression. The eyes were already good enough for it as they were. She tensed her jaw so it constantly looked clenched and her cheekbones stood out more and her slim face appeared more dangerous. Satisfaction about her appearance was written across her face and she peeked over the edge of her mirror, seeing a few obvious wizards and witches with their children.
‘No sense on fashion. At all,’ she huffed silently as she put the watch away.
‘What do you expect? They're filth under the rug we walk on,’ a male voice next to her answered and she didn't had to turn her face to know who that was. Theodore Nott has always been after her attention and he, surprisingly, turned out to be a witty and with a good sense of dark humour.
‘Ahh I nearly forgot. Thanks for reminding me,’ the blonde smirked and finally turned her head to him. ‘Good to see you again, Theo. But let us get inside. I am getting the creeps being outnumbered by these … muggles.’ With a nod he said his silent agreement and they both walked inside with their trunks. Cathy didn't want to ask about his summer. Mainly because she didn't want to talk about hers but also because this part of the society wasn't really a smalltalk community.
Nott and Cathy got into the train early. None of their parents was there so nobody held them back. The blonde was thankful for that because that meant that she wouldn't have to watch the scenery of the happy Weasley family. Quickly she shook her head to ban those thoughts into the depts of her mind, throwing her trunk up to the baggage rack.
‘Don't you have prefect duties to do?’ Nott looked at her with a frown. His black hair, perfectly styled up tastefully with his hazel eyes watching her.
‘Relax, the train didn't even head off. I can do that once Draco is here though I'd love to know who told you that I am prefect,’ she said as she sat down in the comfortable cushions and closed her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath just as the answer to her confusion walked inside.
‘I did, of course. Or was that top secret and I missed it?’ She opened one eye to look at the blonde who had his hair a little to the side which, admittedly, looked very good on him. The taunt in his grey eyes was conspicuous and the blonde just surveyed him for a moment before she looked into his eyes.
‘If so, I had you little wuss make the Unbreakable Vow,’ she countered and everybody was looking at him now. Catherine was the only one who was OK to speak to Draco Malfoy like this and usually it was a back and forth until one started a new topic. This time it happened real quick.
‘Come on, let's go and get to the prefect department,’ he said coolly and she slowly got up. Everything was well as long as she danced to his pipe and everybody saw and knew it. Before she followed him out of the compartment her eyes went to her brother, his troll-like friend Crabbe and Pansy, the one Slytherin she hated most. With a satisfied smile Cathy followed Draco and saw out of the corner of her eyes that Pansy looked at her with jealousy in her eyes. Ever since second year, she was craving for Draco's attention who just used her like some kind of servant. Often she ridiculed herself when she didn't realise that Draco was just playing games with her. Out in the aisle Draco turned around to her as if he wanted to say something but instead he just took her hand and started walking again. Cathy was a little confused by that much closeness but didn't mind it either. She knew how to play her role. Curiously she looked at the compartments she passed. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except for the Weasley twins who sat in one alone with their friend, Lee Jordan, and discussed wildly, stopping when she passed it and the blonde had to hold a smile back. They kept walking to the very front and were the last ones to arrive. Ron and Hermione looked at them with a mixture of shock and disgust which made the Slytherin roll her eyes. Draco sat down and pulled Catherine sideways on his lap. Confusedly she looked at him for a moment before the Head Boy started speaking.
It took the Head Boy and Girl nearly an hour to explain everything and Cathy nearly dozed off twice but managed to wake herself up again somehow. While her second almost-asleep moment had passed, she looked at the other prefects. There was Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott for Hufflepuff. Macmillan was as normal as a person can be. His face was average and his thin lips were curled while he peeked at the Slytherin pair. His prefect-partner, Hannah Abbott, was a dull-looking girl. Her brown eyes barely had no charism and her long, dirty-blonde hair hung down in slight waves and her face was pale. Her thin eyebrows were straight and she didn't give away any emotion. She could make a good pure-blood with a face like that. Her observations were interrupted by Draco who patted her thigh twice and she realised that the meeting was finally over. Slowly she got up and stretched out a little before heading to their compartment again. Back there Malfoy recruited Crabbe and Goyle to do their usual walk through the train. Catherine meanwhile sat down and greeted Blaise Zabini.
The rest of the train ride was rather boring. The only exciting thing was the food trolley passing by. Nott and Cathy were mostly talking with each other while they played wizard chess. She wasn't good at all but it helped practising and learning from Theodore and it kept her entertained whenever the little figures smashed their heads in or destroyed each other in any other way. When it got dark, everybody changed into their school robes and after that it didn't take long for the train to finally slow down. Everyone got up to gather their belongings afore they left the train. The little group stuck together as always while they headed to the carriages and now and then some nasty comments were made towards the people they passed. Most of the time Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were their victims. With a mocking grin on their lips, the group hopped into the first carriage. Silently she looked at the big black skeletal horses pulling their ride. They were unusual and that is what makes them beautiful. Ever since last winter she could see them and she had no idea why apart from the fact that it had to do with her mother's death.
The little group of silver and green walked inside and a warm and fuzzy feeling spread in her insides. Whenever she was in Hogwarts, nobody could do her any harm because not only she was able to do magic again but also she could avoid everyone by just disappearing in a little corner which leaded to the next secret way to a completely different part of the castle. They all sat down together at the middle of the table and the first thing the blonde noticed when she looked at the staff table was that the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts who also was their teacher for Care of Magical Creatures was missing. The other thing that caught her attention was a small woman with mousy brown hair who sat next to Albus Dumbledore, who had his usual deep-purple robes on with little stars allover it. The woman talked silently to Dumbledore, speaking directly into his ear, while the extremely strange-looking pink Alice band on her head moved sideways like her hair. Her face reminded Cathy of a toad. Big eyes that bulged a little out of her head and the round, pallid face looked so wrong with this mixture of pink fluff of her robes. Catherine stared at her and couldn't help but feel disgusted by her looks and the aura that surrounded her.
‘What happened to you? It looks like somebody forced you to drink Bubotuber pus,’ Nott joked from the opposite side of the table. She turned her face to him and shook her head shortly, relaxing her face again as best as she could though the image of this toad in fluff just burnt itself into her head.
‘This … person sitting at the staff table in her pink robes just irritated me and I wonder if anyone ever gave her the dress code for toads,’ she mumbled and the people nearby answered with a short laugh that Draco stopped instantly.
‘Watch out, Cath. She's from the Ministry. Undersecretary of the Minister himself. She's useful for us and seems to be on our side,’ he said with a warning in his voice and the blonde had trouble not to roll her eyes about that. Everything from the Ministry of Magic was sacred to him and he was constantly afraid to lose his or better said: his father's good reputation.
‘Don't worry. I would never dare to be disrespectful to a person like that which you should know…’ she said to him, a playing pout resonating with it. He seemed to be satisfied with that answer and gave her a small nod before there was movement in the Great Hall. A line of first-years entered through the big wooden double doors and all lead by Professor McGonagall. Everyone went quiet at once and then The Sorting Hat started his new song.