A Mind Gone Astray

This year the song of the Sorting Hat had a warning in it towards all the students. He preached everyone to overcome the disputes of the Houses and that they should all work together. When the applause broke loose, many people muttered and discussed the meaning of the song and the reason behind it. The Slytherin table, however, was completely silent. Some of the students looked at the Hat in negative disbelief and hatred. Catherine, who sat in a perfect view on the Gryffindor table, looked at the Weasley twins and Fred's eyes met hers. She slowly put her hands down from clapping and kept looking at him for another moment before she turned to look at Professor McGonagall who started calling the names of the newbies to be sorted into their houses. Each House clapped whenever a new student was added to them. As more and more students were sorted the hunger of every student grew. Finally the last person was sorted into Hufflepuff and Dumbledore stood up to open the feast. Instantly Crabbe and Goyle grabbed a massive amount of food to pile it onto their plate. Catherine stared at what they were doing and shook her head in disbelief.
‘Still surprised I am his twin sister,’ she mumbled and put some roast chicken and potatoes on her plate before sipping of her pumpkin juice.
‘Trust me when I say that I will never believe it,’ Draco said to her and smirked for a moment. ‘Just be happy you're not a Millicent … or a Pansy.’ He added the last part in a whisper since latter was sitting very close and always longed to hear everything he had to say. Cathy had to chuckle and shook her head in amusement for a moment before the blank expression came back. A little while later, they all leaned back into their seats, full and exhausted from eating. Dumbledore stood up once more when he realised that so far everyone was done eating and when the food disappeared, he started speaking again. He gave out his usual warnings about the Forbidden Forest, Filch's rules and the changes in staff. The Ministry toad was introduced as Professor Umbridge who will teach Defence Against the Dark Arts and now Catherine knew why the lamest book they ever had for school was on their list. The Ministry never seems to be happy with Hogwarts and especially they were unhappy about students being able to defend themselves. Using magic against others just fed Fudge's idea of Dumbledore being the nutter and wanting to raise an army or some other sort of thing that could endanger Fudge's Minister position. That is at least what the Death Eaters were trying to bring across to Fudge. Lucius Malfoy scared him mindless in summer. He pranced with it one dinner night and it seems like the fuse sparked. Drowned completely in her thoughts, she didn't realise how Professor Umbridge got up from her seat, not that it was noticeable since she was nearly the same height sitting and standing, and started some speech on her own. It took about one minute until half of the students were either staring at her glassy-eyed, took out magazines or books to read or talked silently to other students. Nobody was really paying her any attention though scraps of her speech made it through. The toad confirmed Cathy's thoughts and the fact that she wants to prevent students from practising spells and learning more defensive magic. The blonde couldn't help but look around and at the Gryffindor table again and saw that Ginny was looking at her, obviously already for a little while, and she could read from her eyes that she was amused by the woman though also shocked by her ways. After a short look at the people around her she looked back at Ginny and nodded for a moment, smirking because she knew that her thoughts and Ginny's thoughts about Professor Umbridge were pretty much the same: Both instantly hated her.
‘Finally someone's cleaning up this rotten place,’ Draco said a little louder than necessary. ‘I know that father had a long talk with the Minister about the troubling conditions we suffer under.’ He obviously wanted as many people as possible to congratulate him on that and he achieved his goal when everyone who heard him verbally patted him on his shoulder. Umbridge stopped talking and there was a small round of applause. Everyone was relieved when Dumbledore finally dismissed the students and the four tables all got up instantly. The prefects were responsible for the first-years and Draco raised his voice as he called the newbies close.
‘We're heading off to the Slytherin Dungeon now and you better keep up the pace we have or you'll get lost. I won't be waiting for you midgets and neither will she,’ he explained with a nod at his prefect partner. She smiled slyly and nodded in agreement to what he had said before they headed off, dragging the group with them. They paraded out of the Great Hall and made sure to be the first one's out, pushing all the others aside. It was a little bit of a maze to find the wall of the common room.
‘The password,’ Catherine now said, turning to the first-years, ‘is changing regularly, every fortnight. The new password will always be posted on the noticeboard and keep in mind that if you ever forget it, you'll have to wait here until somebody is pitying you enough to let you inside.’ The blonde turned back to the wall before again. ‘Phineas Nigellus.’ She then said nonchalantly and the wall opened up to let the group walk inside. Since this part of the dungeon was under the Black Lake, the room had already a natural green tint but the green lamps added to it. The walls and floor were of black marble which added a rather cold atmosphere. On the walls next to the little pair of stairs into the big room hung tapestries of famous Medieval Slytherins. The big chimney on the opposite side of the entrance was the only source where warmth flooded the room. Once they went down the five stairs, everybody spread into different directions. Draco and Catherine walked up to their usual seats right in front of the fireplace as the other Slytherins slowly walked into the common room. Instead of taking her own seat, Draco made a gesture for her to sit on his lap. Again this was unusual behaviour for him but she wouldn't dare to complain. Not that she didn't like him being much more nicer to his future wife but the past year their friendship, or somewhat relationship, wasn't exactly the tenderest kind. She did like she was asked to for now and sat down sideways so her legs hung over the armrest of the big chair. Their usual gang joined them soon and Pansy looked at the couple as if someone forced her to eat a whole lemon. That alone gave Cathy the satisfaction she needed to keep sitting there like this with Draco.
It was getting later and the crowd thinned so that in the end only the grip of fifth-years was there along with some seventh-years such as Graham Montague and Adrian Pucey. They both sat around the fire as well and Pucey was currently talking about his summer in Russia. A round of laughter broke out when he made a joke about a woman looking like a troll and when the group had calmed down a little again, Cathy looked at Montague. He was a tall and rather muscular boy with a slim face and his eyes constantly showing anger.
‘Hey Montague, I heard you turned out to be Quidditch Captain this year?’ she asked him and looked at him carefully. He looked at her and nodded shortly. ‘Good. So how's the chance for me to get into the team, huh? I am trying to get in for two years and now that our both Beater are out, it's my year to get in, isn't it?’ Her voice was sassy and challenging.
‘I could make you a Beater but I wouldn't want you to get your pretty little face messed up. I'm not taking you in. I already thought of your brother and his solid friend here to make it in,’ he sneered. Cathy clenched her jaw and looked at him but didn't dare to talk back just yet.
‘Good choice, Montague. I would have killed you if taken my girl here in. As you said … that face shouldn't be in sports,’ Draco suddenly said behind her and slowly Cathy turned around to study his face for a moment to give in, at least for now. She wasn't the person to be talked down if she really wanted something and being in the team would make her life much more pleasant than just watching from the stands.
‘I think it's time for bed now. At least for this pretty little face.’ Her voice was sweetly and mockingly as she got up and stretched out. ‘I'll see you lot tomorrow.’ And with that she vanished in the girl's dormitory. Angry about herself for even trying to get in by asking and about forgetting how Slytherin boys always manhandle the girls. While she laid down into her bed, the curtains closed, she just hoped that now and then she could meet up with Ginny Weasley to have a bit of an escape from these people.