A Contradiction of Terms

Chapter 9: Snowstorms and Cake

"I wonder what Miss Kate will have for our exam," Hermione wondered aloud. "I was up half the night studying."

"Hermione, you lived like a Muggle until you found out you were a witch. What do you have to study for?" Harry asked.

"She has a unique teaching style," Hermione bristled.

"And I don't feel prepared if I don't study, even if I know the material."

"Quiet, Hermione. You're making us look bad," Ron sulked.

The three walked through the halls of the old castle, dodging drafts and Peeves with his snow balls. It was nearly the end of the term, and snow was piling up outside the school. Kate had promised an interesting, practical exam, which all the students took to mean "difficult."

When they reached the door to Kate's classroom, Harry, Hermione and Ron stopped. It was closed. They tried the door, but it wouldn't open. Muffled scrapes, bumps, and thumps were heard inside.

"Miss Kate?" Ron called through the key hole. By now several other students had arrived. "Are you all right in there?"

"I'm fine!" she called back. "Just setting up your exam!"

"What's she going to make us do, climb a rock wall?" Draco sneered.

"Maybe she'll get us to trim rose bushes!" Neville said. He got several strange looks.

"Or drive an automobile," Dean Thomas said. More speculations flew around the room, much like the snowflakes outside. The wind picked up, howling around the towers and through cracks in the wall. The students pulled their cloaks tighter around their shoulders.

"I just hope it's not as cold in there as it is out here!" Lavender exclaimed. Several people agreed with her.

Finally, the door was wrenched open and a frazzled looking Kate greeted them with a wide smile.

"Come on in, water's fine!" she grinned. "Everyone take a seat and I'll explain what your exam will cover."

As the students hung up their cloaks, they exchanged curious glances. On Kate's desk were several tins of varying size, bowls, and measuring cups.

"All right. Like I said last week, your exam will be a practical one. In half of the desks are sheets of parchment. On them are recipes." The sound of desks opening and paper rustling drowned out most noise.

"If you'll notice, every other person has a recipe. Everyone with a recipe will pair up with the person on his or her left and complete it. I will be keeping an eye on you, so you had better share responsibilities. Each recipe is different; all the ingredients are here on my desk; there are little kitchenettes set up all around the room. Have at it!"

Harry looked to his left. He was paired with Neville. Ron was paired with Hermione. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Half an hour later, Harry wasn't so sure. With twenty or so ovens heating up, the room was becoming unbearably hot. Kate opened the windows, letting in cold air and snow. Neville wasn't doing too badly, but Draco was at the kitchen station next to Ron and Hermione, and that spelled disaster.

"Watch it, Weasel!" Malfoy snapped. "Get your own flour! Quit nicking our things!"

"I haven't touched your flour, Draco," Ron said calmly. The tips of his ears were starting to go red, however. "Shove off."

"No! I know for a fact that I measured out 16 ounces of flour and there are only," Draco examined the cup.

"12 here. You took them, I know it!"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Ron asked, turning to face Malfoy.

"If the shoe fits! You must've learned it from your family. You can't afford your own food, so you steal it!"

Before anyone could react, Ron tackled Draco, sending the measuring cup full of flour into the air. Its contents spilled out, covering the two boys and a number of other people, books, etc. in a white powder. Kate skidded over and pulled the two apart just as the class took sides and started cheering.

"What is going on, here?" she bellowed. "I had hoped you would start behaving like young adults instead of children."

Holding each boy by the scruff of the neck, Kate started to lead them out of the room. She stopped just short of the corridor leading out to address the class.

"Keep working on your finals. I'll be back in a moment."

Once outside, Kate flung the boys away from her.

"All right, you two. I know you've been spoiling for a fight. Do me one favour, though. Before you start, each of you throw a punch at my hands." She held out her arms in a pose of surrender. "Go ahead."

Draco wound up and hit her palm. Kate didn't even flinch. She tactfully kept her comments to herself.

Without ceremony, Ron let fly a mean right hook. Kate blinked in surprise.

Kate suppressed a chuckle. "Sorry, boys, I can't let you fight. It would be too unfair."

"How so?" Draco asked.

"Ron'd kick your arse, Malfoy."

Ron gave a smug look to Draco. "Hear that, Malfoy? I'd beat the stuffing out of you! I guess that's what comes from having 5 older brothers."

"Of course, since Ron's being a bit of a prat, if you still want to fight him, Draco, I'll look away. Just know that he's got one hell of a right hook. And head up to the Hospital Wing when you're done. Don't come back into the classroom all bloody. I'll fail you instantly."

Kate closed the door behind her and stopped just inside the room.

"I think I'm going to get into a lot of trouble for that," she said, addressing the rest of the class.

"Now get back to work. Pansy, I want to talk to you for a second."

"Miss Hanover," Pansy Parkinson scurried up to her.

"Do you know anything about this?" Pansy nibbled on her lower lip.

"Yes, Miss Hanover," she said reluctantly. Kate leveled her gaze at the girl. Pansy quailed. "I had started adding the flour to the butter, egg, and sugar mixture. I didn't have time to tell Draco that when he accused Weasely."

"Thank you, Pansy. I thought it must have been something like that," Kate sighed. Her shoulders fell when she heard a strict voice from outside the room.

"Malfoy! Weasley! What do you think you are doing?" Professor Minerva McGonagall had been on her way to her office when she passed the brawling boys. Kate rushed into the hall and slid to a stop. "Miss Hanover!" McGonagall said, her lips a thin line. "I believe these two gentlemen are supposed to be in your class. Do you know why they are out here in the hall, scrapping like common street urchins?"

"Um, well, yes, I do. I sent them out here to fight out their problems."

"You, of all people, should know that fighting is against Hogwarts policy!"

"Yes, Professor, I know."

"Then why are you permitting it?" McGonagall asked.

"Draco and Ron have been antagonising each other since the start of term-longer if I am to believe other reports from students and faculty. I don't know exactly what lead up to the initial blows, but from what I can gather, it started over a misunderstanding about flour."

"Flour?"

"Yes, flour. We are making cakes for our final. From scratch. Although, to be authentically Muggle I should have brought in boxed cake mixes and pre-made icing."

Draco and Ron shifted uneasily from foot to foot. Kate was successfully diverting McGonagall's attention away from the fact that they were fighting. Draco's nose was swollen, most likely broken, and bleeding rather badly, making his black robes blacker. Ron's robes were ripped, he had a fat upper lip, and the makings of a black eye.

"Please, professor, let me handle them. There is no need for you to worry about it unnecessarily."

"Very well, Miss Hanover. I trust you will be able to dole out a suitable punishment that is well within the school's policies."

"Yes, ma'am."

Kate was only able to relax when McGonagall had rounded a corner and was out of sight. She sighed, leaned against a wall and allowed herself to slip down to a sitting position.

"Okay, boys, head up to Madame Pomfrey and get cleaned up. Come back to class when you're done. Meanwhile, 100 points from the pot, and you'll each have an hour of detention with me. I'm sorry, boys, but I have to."

"I know, Miss Kate." Ron said, turning to go to the Hospital wing. "Come on, Draco," he added, motioning for the blond boy to follow. He silently complied.

Ten minutes went by, and the smell of a dozen different kinds of cake came wafting through the open door. Kate stood, shook the flour off of her trousers and went back inside.

-~-

Chapter 10: An Early Christmas

One evening, just after exams and before most of the student population left for the Christmas holidays, Dumbledore stood and tapped his spoon against his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"If I could have your attention please," he said.

"Miss Hanover has an announcement to make. Please give her your undivided attention."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Kate grinned, standing. "I have been watching the House Quidditch team practices and games, as many of you know. And as a few of you also know," she looked at the wash of red hair at the Gryffindor table. "I played Quidditch professionally a few years ago, as a Beater. That's not important. What I wanted to say was that while watching the teams play, I noticed that all the Slytherins have very nice brooms, top of the line, but very few players on any of the other teams have such high-quality equipment.

"As a former Beater, I know how important having good equipment is. As far as I'm concerned, the Beaters is the most important players on a Quidditch team." At this, Fred and George Weasley, as well as a few other Beaters cheered. Kate chuckled. "They prevent accidents-or at least try to. It's very hard to accomplish that on Cleansweep 7s. That brings me to my point. I've talked with Headmaster Dumbledore, Madame Hooch, and the heads of all the Houses, and they have all agreed to my little scheme. I'm pleased to announce that, as an early Christmas present of sorts, the Beaters on each House team will be receiving brand new Nimbus 2001s. Unfortunately, Slytherin House has no need for the new brooms, so I will have to think of a different present for them."

"That's not fair!" Warrington, a Slytherin Chaser, called out. "Our Beaters should get new brooms too!"

"Why, Calvin?"

"Well, Derrick's leaving this year! What then?"

"Thank you for raising that point, Calvin. I know that a few other Beaters are leaving after this year too. The new Beaters will be given new brooms as well, as a sort of scholarship."

"Why are you doing this, Miss Hanover?" Aaron Dorset, a Hufflepuff Beater asked. "It's a nice gesture; please don't think I'm ungrateful."

"I don't. I'm giving these brooms to each team because I want all the Beaters to have the same advantages. So that they can all protect their teammates better. Are there any more questions?"

A few hands shot up. Roger Davies, who was as obsessed with Quidditch as Oliver Wood, called out,

"What did you fly when you were here, Miss Hanover?"

"A Cleansweep Five. I flew a Six with the Falmouth Falcons, and a Stealth 390 when I was with the Manitou Marauders. Any more questions about Quidditch can be asked later. Just come by my office, and I'll be happy to answer them," she said, sitting down again. Murmurs floated around the Great Hall, and eventually the stir caused by Kate's announcement died down.

"I'm naming my first child after her," George said reverently.

"What if it's a boy?" Ginny asked.

"He'll still be named Katherine. What do you take us for?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her meal as Fred and George talked about their new brooms.

-~-

A soft knock on Kate's office door brought her attention up from the glossy Muggle brochures spread over her desk.

"Come in," she said absentmindedly.

"Miss Kate? I have a question about the final," Hermione asked, stepping into the office.

"No freebies, Harmony," Kate answered, grinning. She still had not been able to master Hermione's name.

"But trust me, you'll be able to handle it." Kate looked up. "Wait a minute. We just had our finals. What do you really need?"

Hermione fidgeted. Kate looked back down at her desk, and Hermione took that opportunity to change the subject.

"It's Her-my-oh-nee."

"What is?"

"My name. It's pronounced Her-my-oh-nee."

"Oh. I feel stupid." Kate rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"I don't mind being called Harmony," Hermione said quickly. "It's just not my name. And I know it's difficult to train people to say it properly."

"Do you have something you want to discuss with me?"

Hermione looked at the door, then back at Kate, with a pensive look on her face. Kate got up and shut the door, then sat on the edge of her desk.

"Spill."

"Excuse me?"

"American Muggle slang for 'tell me about it.' Go ahead. I promise that nothing will leave this room. You can sit, if you like," she said, indicating a comfortable looking, over-stuffed armchair. Hermione sat.

"I was just thinking about some of the things you said, back at the Three Broomsticks."

"Which one? I mean, which thing?"

"About your relationship with Sirius Black."

"Oh," Kate sighed. "What about it?"

"You said that you didn't have the courage to tell him how you felt, but you're so confident. And when we were at the Shrieking Shack on Halloween, the way you interacted with him doesn't suggest any lack of courage."

"Yes. We always messed around like that in school, and even out of school, so that night was like picking up where we left off. Remus and Sirius were-are-like brothers to me, and most likely see me as a sister. Do you have a friend that you liked more than a friend? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Yes," she said slowly.

"Well, do you think you could tell him? Or her?" Kate asked.

"It's a him."

"I was just keeping the option open."

"I think I could."

"Are you sure?" Kate said. "Absolutely, positively certain that you could? You wouldn't be devastated if he said that he didn't feel the same way?" Hermione didn't answer. "See what I mean? It's much easier to stay friends."

"Do you love him?" Kate was taken aback by the somewhat-sudden question.

"Whoa! That was a surprise. I did, at one time. I still might. I need the opportunity to find out.

"Will you ever tell him?"

"Eventually. Just before one of us dies, most like," Kate said, fiddling with a brochure.

"What are those for?"

"Next term. I don't like the look of many of them, but some are promising." She pushed a few toward Hermione. The younger girl picked one up.

"Primitive camping?" she asked.

"Yeah. There aren't many primitive camping sites anymore. And since Dumbledore's reluctant to let us go into the Forbidden Forest, I'm talking to the school governors about letting us go to America. I know some places that would be ideal for a wilderness survival test. There are a lot of hoops I have to jump before anything is final, but it's a possibility."

There were a few moments of silence.

"Harmony," Kate asked, a little uneasy, "You're a smart girl. Maybe you could tell me. Why didn't anyone tell Harry that he had a godmother?"

Hermione was reluctant to answer.

"I know that look. Please, tell me."

"It could be any number of reasons," she hedged. Kate gave her a look that clearly said "I'll fail you if you don't tell." Hermione swallowed.

"You abandoned him!" she said finally. "For all events and purposes, it looked like you had abandoned him and shirked your responsibilities as his godmother."

For a moment, Kate was uncharacteristically silent.

"But-I was leaving for America!" she whispered.

"You could have postponed, or even cancelled it. The wizarding community must've though that you didn't want anything to do with him-after all, You-Know-Who was gone, but the Death Eaters weren't, and you didn't want to become a target."

"That makes a lot of sense. And is completely untrue."

"Perhaps. But that's the most logical reason I can see. People wouldn't want to tell Harry that he had a godmother if she had abandoned him. He didn't need the rejection."

Kate rubbed her face, then emitted a very vocal groan.

"I wouldn't blame Harry if he never wanted to speak to me again," Kate murmured. "If he thinks that-"

"I don't think he does, Miss Kate. At least, he hasn't told Ron or myself as much."

"Thank you, Harmony. I need a few minutes to sort this out, so if that's all you need to talk to me about..." she trailed off. Hermione stood up.

"Of course. Thank you, Miss Kate."

"You're welcome. And thanks."

Before Hermione could reply, a frantic scratching was heard on Kate's office door, accompanied by a horrific screaming. Kate nearly sprinted to the door. She opened it slightly, but it was enough to allow a spooked Cavalier Jack into the office. He streaked into the room and nearly flew onto a high shelf.

"McGonagall!-Cat!-Animagus!" was all that Kate and Hermione were able to make out between his crazed caterwauling. Professor McGonagall herself, her hat askew and her robes slightly rumpled, stormed into Kate's office, her eyes emitting sparks.

"Hanover! I hope you learn to control your cat! He assaulted me in the most inappropriate manner!" She straightened her robes as best she could.

"Yes, Professor. It won't happen again. I'm sure he's learned his lesson," Kate apologised.

From his shelf, Cav nodded, his good eye wide with fear. He obviously had not known that Professor McGonagall was a cat Animagus.

"I hope so." Professor McGonagall said coldly, glaring at the large cat.