A Piece of the Past

Over the next few days, Kate couldn't help but notice the attention she and Harry attracted everywhere. Even the teachers gave them odd looks, which puzzled Harry and shamed Kate. Harry had not reported the incident with the squid on Kate's request; she had begged him almost tearfully not to tell anyone what had happened. Later, she had wished she had the courage to kill herself--her pride would kill her anyway.

After Kate asked him not to report the ordeal at the lake, Harry began thinking hard about what Hermione had told him. One day, after a few weeks without incident, he asked her about it as they sat in an almost empty common room.

"Kate," he began, playing once more with her hair. "Do you keep secrets?"

Kate pulled her head away from his shoulder quite suddenly, and Harry turned to her, alarmed.

"Why do you ask?" she asked, her voice sounding terrified.

"I just wondered," he said, taking her hand and moving closer to her again.

"Why would you wonder that?" she continued shakily.

"I don't know," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "Forget it. It was a stupid question. Just forget I ever asked."

But Kate didn't forget. The conversation plagued her mind every night, as she cried into her pillow and prayed for an answer to all her problems.

Kate would have no relief until one day, after the bell had released the Gryffindors from Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall asked to see her after class.

Harry hesitated and then decided to wait for her outside. Kate approached Professor McGonagall's desk. McGonagall seemed hesitant to speak, but she must have decided it was for the best, because she began, "I've noticed, Miss O'Brien, that you've grown quite close to Mr. Potter."

Kate felt the blood rush to her face, and she was ashamed as she nodded and stared at the floor. But when she looked up, Professor McGonagall did not look stern but rather sympathetic.

"I know it must be hard on you to be secretive," she continued. "Especially since the company you keep has a knack for sniffing out secrets."

Kate wasn't sure if she was supposed to respond, but Professor McGonagall seemed to want to finish.

"I think it might be for the best if you told him, Miss O'Brien," she said finally.

Kate looked skeptically at Professor McGonagall. "But Professor," she said. "My parents--I mean...I'm supposed to keep everything a secret for...safety measures."

McGonagall shook her head. "It will be more safe if both of you are equally informed. We cannot always protect those we love from everything, Miss O'Brien."

Kate nodded. "But--the spell..."

Professor McGonagall looked grave. "I cannot remove it," she said. "Only the witch or wizard who cast it can remove it. But," she added. "You can break it yourself. You must use your will, Miss O'Brien...strong emotions may help to break the spell. But remember that once it is broken you are bound to keep your secrets by your own free will."

Kate nodded again. "I will, Professor." She turned and gathered her books from her seat and left the classroom.

Harry was waiting outside. "What did McGonagall want?" he asked.

Kate took a deep breath and reached for his hand. She gazed up into his eyes and whispered, "Harry, I've got to tell you something. A lot of things, actually."

"All right," he replied, concern flooding his face. "Let's go back to the common room."

Kate shook her head. "Not in the common room," she said. "There are too many people who might overhear us."

Harry's eyes were searching her face. "Where, then?"

She pulled him along the corridor. "We'll have to find an empty classroom."

They stopped at the first door they came to, and Kate listened to make sure no one was inside. "It sounds empty," she said, pushing the door open.

But Kate was mistaken. Upon opening the door, Harry and Kate were greeted by a most amusing sight. Ron and Hermione sat at a desk, books piled on the floor, kissing as though they were stranded on a ship that was going down in the middle of the ocean.

They pulled apart immediately when they heard the door open, and Hermione turned a bright shade of red. She began mumbling and picking up her books while Ron just grinned. Harry laughed and shut the door quickly. He and Kate were smiling stupidly as they ran off in search of a different classroom.

They finally found a totally unused classroom on the fourth floor and locked it once inside. Kate began pacing in between the desks.

Harry grabbed her arm, and their eyes met once more. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I--I don't know where to begin," Kate replied nervously. "I don't even know if I can tell you, I just know that I have to!"

"If you have to tell me, then what's stopping you?" he asked.

"It's complicated." Kate pulled away and began pacing again.

Harry stopped her a second time. "Sit down," he said, pulling her into a seat next to him. He sat as well. "If you're scared," he continued. "Just forget about it for a while. We have as long as we need."

Kate nodded, taking comfort in the way he held her hands gently.

The mischievous grin she loved played on his face as he said, "Care to take a leaf out of Ron and Hermione's book?"

Kate laughed uneasily, but she let him kiss her. She felt at peace as his arms wrapped around her waist, and they kissed again. Kate had never loved anyone like she loved Harry; she let him continue kissing her until she felt weak with love for him. And in her love, she found her voice.

Kate pulled away from him suddenly. "Harry, I'm under a spell," she blurted out.

He drew back and looked at her in shock. "What?"

Kate drew a deep breath, knowing she could tell him. "I'm under a spell--several spells actually. The Fidelius Charm is one of them."

Harry was altogether confused. "Whose Secret Keeper are you?"

Kate's eyes looked wan and sorrowful. "My parents'," was her reply.

All the facts Hermione had unearthed came streaming back to him in a torrent of memory.

Kate couldn't stop talking, even if Harry couldn't take in what she was saying. "My parents aren't Muggles," she sobbed. "I'm from a pureblood family on both sides. They both attended Hogwarts, they were both in Gryffindor, and they knew your parents, Harry. Your father and mine were on the House Quidditch team. They worked together after Voldemort reached the height of his power. The Ministry put together several teams of trained witches and wizards and other volunteers to work on missions against Voldemort. Your parents and mine were a team." Kate paused waiting for a reaction, but Harry simply stared at her, so she continued. "After--after Voldemort killed your parents, the Ministry sent us into hiding. My parents thought it was useless; everyone thought Voldemort was gone for good, but the Ministry sent us away as a precaution. We were sent to France, and my parents and I lived there as Muggles for almost sixteen years. They taught me magic in secret and told all our Muggle neighbors that I was home schooled. We were intending on coming back to England to make a living in the magical world again when Voldemort returned to his body. He captured and tortured our Secret Keeper a few months ago, and the Ministry brought us back here. They thought the best place for me would be Hogwarts because of Dumbledore. And my parents...well, if Dumbledore is keeping me safe, then the safest place to keep a secret would be inside me. So the Fidelius Charm was performed on me, and then I was placed under a whole load of enchantments so that I could never tell anyone about my past." Kate's eyes glistened. "Professor McGonagall said the spells could be broken if my will proved the stronger. She thought it would be best to tell you, Harry...because I suppose she fears what may happen this year as much as I do."

Kate gazed at Harry, looking for comprehension. He merely kissed her again, and said, "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine. Your parents and the Ministry are right; Hogwarts is the safest place in the world--much safer than living as Muggles in France." A shadow of a smile passed over his face. "Whatever you went through in those fifteen years is over." He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close to him

Kate took comfort in the embrace; she laid her head on his shoulder and breathed deeply. He smelled soothingly of soap and cotton.

"I feel bad," she sighed. "Because I'm here, with you, being happy, and there are so many other families out there still in hiding."

"How many other families are there?"

Kate shrugged. "Hundreds, I suppose."

They sat quietly for a few minutes before Harry asked tentatively, "Kate...the whole thing at the lake...did that have anything to do with..." He couldn't finish the sentence; Kate had begun to cry again.

"I don't know," she sobbed. "I don't know! I just know that by being here I'm risking your life as well as mine!"

"Listen, Kate," Harry said gently, tilting her chin up so he could see her face. "Nothing is going to happen. There's no safer place for you or me to be, and honestly, I'd rather be in danger and have you here than be perfectly safe and never have known you."

Kate wished she could leave it at that, but for once, her rational side had taken over. "Don't you see?" she cried in anguish. "I'm a part of your horrible past that won't leave you alone, and now I'm ruining the life you've built! Everything is not going to be all right, Harry!"

"No," he said, nodding in agreement. "Nothing's ever all right. But it doesn't have to be for us to be happy." He smiled and brushed away a tear that was making its way down her cheek. "And if you're a piece of my past, then I can't wait to see the future," he added, leaning in and kissing her softly.

Kate couldn't find any better arguments, so she succumbed to his logic and let him have the last word. A few more kisses later, she wiped her eyes, and said, "We'd better get back to the common room before we're missed."

Harry and Kate walked hand-in-hand back to the common room. Upon entering through the portrait hole, they found Ron and Hermione sitting quite close to one another, a book in front of them. Ron nodded as they entered, but Hermione gave Kate an odd look and turned back to her book.

Harry and Kate settled into one of the large, overstuffed chairs in the corner. Harry tried to keep up conversation, but Kate simply wanted to sit quietly, though she soon became distracted, as Hermione kept glancing their way suspiciously.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

"Hermione keeps looking over here as though she minds us sitting together," Kate said.

"Oh," Harry replied. "She's probably still embarrassed from when we walked in on her and Ron earlier. And," he added, a bit sheepishly. "She sort of looked up a bit of information on your parents a few weeks ago." Before Kate could react, he threw in, "But she didn't mean any harm or anything, I promise. Hermione's quite used to going into a mother-mode when anything gets suspicious. She and Ron have this unbreakable habit of trying to protect me from everything, so I'm sure that's all she was doing."

Kate nodded, slightly irked, but she understood. She wanted to protect Harry, too.

"Oh, no!" Kate cried. She had just emerged from Divination, and Dean Thomas had approached Harry and Kate to tell them that Gryffindor's best Chaser, a seventh year girl named Ariana Silver, was in the hospital wing. Apparently, she had been studying human transfiguration in preparation for an exam and had gotten herself stuck as a giant squirrel.

"I asked Madam Pomfrey if she couldn't just transfigure her back," Dean said. "But she said no, since Ariana mispronounced the spell as well as misusing it, she has to change back gradually. So, it looks like it's your big day, Kate."

Kate froze. "What do you mean?" she squeaked.

"You're our best reserve!" Dean, who played Keeper, exclaimed. "You'll be subbing for Ariana, naturally."

Kate felt as though she was going to faint. "I--I can't!" she cried. "I'm no good, I've never even played a match before!"

Dean sounded annoyed as he answered, "You've played practice matches! And anyway, all our other reserves are first and second years with no experience at all; we can't use any of them! Now both of you get ready; we're supposed to report to the field in twenty minutes!"

Dean stalked away before Kate could protest anymore, and she turned to Harry. "Don't worry," he said. "You'll be fine. Quidditch is easy; you forget about everything once you're up there."

Kate nodded, too dazed to say anything.

Harry and Kate collected their brooms from Gryffindor Tower and headed out to the Quidditch field. The rest of the team was already in the locker room. Kate changed into Ariana's spare Quidditch robes and sat numbly on a bench, listening to the excited chatter of the rest of the team.

Harry sat next to her. "Just try to forget," he said soothingly. "Don't think about anything but the Quaffle, ignore the people, ignore the other players. Just do what we do in practice."

He smiled at her, and Kate couldn't object, so she stood and walked out onto the field with the team, her legs shaking and her stomach doing flip-flops.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws mounted their brooms. Kate watched as Harry rose up quickly and hovered above the game, looking for the Snitch.

Kate sped about on her broom. Ravenclaw had possession of the Quaffle, and Kate was not about to attack any of them; she was having problems enough avoiding Bludgers.

Kate watched as Dean blocked the shot that a Ravenclaw Chaser made at the goal posts, and a fourth year Gryffindor Chaser named Caelin took possession. Kate flew parallel to Caelin, in case she was needed. No worry, however, for Caelin was almost as good as Ariana, and soon Gryffindor was leading, 10-0. Harry was right; Kate was beginning to enjoy the match. The Quidditch stadium was even more magnificent when filled with people, all of them wearing their team colors and cheering as loud as possible.

Ravenclaw was back in possession, but Gryffindor's third Chaser, Boyce Williamson, was more aggressive than Kate or Caelin, and he had soon stolen the Quaffle and was speeding towards the goal posts.

Boyce scored, and the Gryffindors erupted in cheers again. Kate was thoroughly pleased with her almost nonexistent role in the match when, out of nowhere, the Quaffle was zooming directly at her. Caelin had retrieved after Boyce had scored, but the Ravenclaw team had surrounded her, and she had to pass. Kate instinctively took her hands off her broom and grabbed the Quaffle. She looked quickly towards Boyce, who was coming around from the other end.

"GO!" he screamed at Kate, waving forwards violently.

Kate didn't need telling a second time; she leaned forward and pushed her broom as fast as it would go towards the hoops at the end of the field.

As Kate pushed forward, the Ravenclaw Chasers trying to catch up behind her, the people in the stands all seemed to gasp at once. Kate turned her head slightly and saw, directly to her right, Harry and the Ravenclaw Seeker, Cho Chang, both diving to the ground. A flicker of gold near the grass told Kate why. She noticed that Cho, who hadn't been flying quite as high as Harry, was going to get there first. Without even thinking, Kate diverted from her path to the hoops and began to dive as well--but she headed straight for Cho.

Cho, her eyes on the Snitch, didn't see Kate until she almost had the tiny gold ball in her hand. Her eyes widened, and she swerved out of the way at the last available moment. Kate rose again, shaken, but she had achieved her goal. The Snitch had disappeared, but at least Cho hadn't gotten it.

Kate again made a beeline for the tall hoops, but she had a difficult time, now. The Ravenclaws, angry with her diversionary tactics, swarmed around her, and she had to duck Bludgers sent at her by angry Beaters.

Boyce flew beneath Kate, and she dropped the Quaffle to him, watching him take off as he caught it. Kate was heading towards him in case he needed back up when she felt a sudden jolt. Her broom was jerking, as though she were stopping it in spurts. Suddenly, it stopped altogether, and she was thrown off the front. She still gripped the handle, but the broom was still jerking around. She heard the crowd gasp and saw the rest of the team coming towards her. But just as suddenly as it had begun, Kate's broom stopped moving and simply hovered. With the help of Seamus Finnagin, one of the Beaters, Kate mounted her broom again, and the Gryffindors cheered louder than ever. The game resumed.

Kate had just passed to Caelin when she felt the jolting again, but this time her broom didn't stop. It rocketed forward, carrying her along with it. No one took note of any strange behavior until Kate's screams were heard as her broom shot through a Ravenclaw goal, nearly taking her head off.

Again, the Gryffindor team raced to assist Kate, but they could barely keep up with her mad broom. Harry had abandoned his search for the Snitch and was rapidly gaining ground ten feet beneath Kate.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut and held tightly to her broom as it looped over and over again, trying to throw her off. It stopped in mid-loop and shot off again, Kate clinging for dear life. When she opened her eyes, she saw Harry streaking along under her, now level with her broom. She could barely hear him as he called, "Kate! When I say three, you'll have to jump off!"

Kate shook her head vehemently, but Harry yelled back, "Do you want off or not?"

And so, without waiting for a reply, he began his countdown. On his cry of, "Three!" Kate let go of her broom and rolled off the left side. She felt herself falling and knew that she would die. In the last moments before she hit the ground, she thanked God for letting her meet Harry and asked him to keep her parents safe once she was gone.

"See, that wasn't so bad," came a familiar voice in her ear. Kate groaned. Why couldn't she have died instantly? Now she was going to suffer for hours, maybe days, before the peaceful end finally came.

But when she opened her eyes, Kate found she had never hit the ground at all. She was soaring over the Quidditch field, Harry's arm around her waist. She realized she was clinging to him as she had earlier held onto her broom and loosened her grip.

"If you could just swing around the back," Harry continued calmly. "We'll be off again. The Snitch is still out there, and I reckon Cho's had a good while to look for it."

Kate numbly swung her leg over the back of his broom so that she sat behind him, her arms around his waist, and he could continue his part of the game.

Kate lay her head on his shoulder, breathing in deeply his comforting scent and saying silent thanks to God, once again, for letting her meet Harry.

Abruptly, Harry went into a steep dive, and Kate knew he'd seen the Snitch again. She held on tightly, but she managed to glance behind her, and she grinned. Cho was on the opposite side of the field; nothing would interfere with Harry this time. She faced forward once more, enjoying the spectacular feeling of the air rushing past her face, the ground coming ever closer, and the wild elation of the crowd as Harry pulled out of his dive, the Snitch in his hand and Kate laughing in his ear.

"Really, I'll never get any work done tomorrow if I don't go to bed now," Hermione complained. It was a little after two in the morning, and the whole of Gryffindor House had been having a raging party in the common room to celebrate their victory over Ravenclaw.

Ron kept his arms wrapped tightly around Hermione's waist. The two of them seemed to have forgotten they weren't dating, and they attracted many strange looks over the course of the evening.

"Aw, come on Hermione," Ron pleaded. "I'll help you stay awake tomorrow."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Right," she replied sarcastically. "That will keep me down here. I'll see you in the morning." She let Ron kiss her goodnight and then headed up to the girls' dormitory.

Kate yawned. She was sitting across both Harry's legs, and his arms were wrapped loosely around her waist. She curled up and rested her head between his neck and shoulder.

"Not you too," Ron said exasperatedly. "I might as well turn in. 'Night."

"'Night," Harry and Kate said in sleepy unison as they watched Ron ascend the staircase opposite the one Hermione had just disappeared up.

Harry rested his chin on Kate's head. Hermione had started a trend; the common room was beginning to empty. A few prefects were using magic to clean the common room.

"Tired?" Harry asked, but Kate didn't answer. He glanced down and saw that her eyes were closed and she was breathing slowly. She was asleep.

Harry smiled and, placing one arm under her knees and the other around her waist, stood very slowly and began to climb the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

He knocked on the door with one foot, and when no one answered, he pushed down on the door handle with his elbow and backed into the room, averting his eyes in case any of the girls were still awake.

Everyone in the room was asleep, though, and the curtains on all the four-posters were closed. Harry laid Kate gently on her bed and pulled the blankets up over her. He watched her for a few moments; she looked like an angel when she slept. Then he pulled her curtains closed and tiptoed softly out of the room.

Harry was dreaming about the Quidditch match. He saw himself flying under Kate, and she jumped. He saw himself stretching out his arms, as he had done, but she slipped through and went plunging toward the grass. He heard himself screaming, but his broom wouldn't budge. He screamed long after she had hit the ground...and then he woke up and found that someone really was screaming.

Harry grabbed his glasses and jumped out of bed. Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville were all sitting up when he opened his curtains, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

"What's going on?" Dean mumbled.

"I don't know," Harry said, but his heart was pounding. He sprang from bed and threw open the door, heading noisily down the stairs. All through the tower, people were emerging from their bedrooms.

Harry reached the common room and glanced into it. Something was floating by the fire! Harry saw the head of a dark-haired man for a split second before a deep voice muttered something, and the flames in the fireplace turned green. Then the head was gone.

The screaming stopped abruptly, and Harry realized it had been coming from the girls' dormitory. By now, everyone from the boys' dorms had reached the common room, and several were debating whether or not they should intrude upon the girls.

Harry left the arguments and bolted up the stairs, followed by a pale-faced Ron. They found the sixth year girls' door open, but before they could enter, Hermione spotted them and ran out. She was shaking.

"Harry!" she cried, near tears. "You'd better go in--someone's been in our room, and whoever it was tried to attack Kate!"

Harry needed no more coaxing; he pushed past Hermione, who collapsed into Ron, and found Kate crumpled on the floor next to her bed. Parvati and Lavender were standing over her, trying to console her. She looked a mess; she still wore the robes she had changed into for the victory party, but her hair was tousled and her face streaked with tears. Her eyes held more fear than Harry had ever felt in his whole life.

Kate looked up as Harry entered the room, but she couldn't stand; she buried her head in her knees, sobs racking her body. He crossed the room in one swift movement and wrapped his arms around her. She lifted her head and pressed her face into his shoulder, her breathing ragged from weeping.

"I'm sorry," he heard between her muffled sobs. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Shh," Harry soothed. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything, Kate...stop crying...please..."

Kate slowly ceased crying and held tightly to Harry. She breathed deeply for a few moments, taking comfort in Harry's presence.

She wiped her eyes on her robes, and Harry asked gently, "What happened, Kate?"

Before she could answer, Professor McGonagall had entered the room. Someone had obviously woken her, as she was still in her dressing gown, and her hair was escaping from the usually neat bun on her head. She swooped down at once on Kate, barely noticing that Harry was sitting in the girls' room.

"Miss O'Brien!" she said breathlessly. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

Kate took a deep breath. "I'm fine," she said. "I--I fell asleep in the common room. Someone," she tried not to glance at Harry, in case McGonagall disapproved of his being in her room. "Must have brought me up. I heard a noise, like something being ripped. I opened my eyes and saw the curtains pulling themselves down, but there was no one there. I screamed, but something came over my mouth--I think someone must have been here, in an Invisibility Cloak or something, because the next thing I knew, a hand had appeared out of nowhere, and it was holding a--a...something. A stick, a club, I don't know--I didn't stop to be sure. I rolled off the bed and hit something, and I heard someone gasp. I just kept screaming, and everyone woke up, and whoever it was left...I--I'm sorry if I woke the whole House," Kate said, her cheeks turning red. "I was scared--I didn't know what else to do."

"Never mind that, Miss O'Brien," Professor McGonagall said hastily. "Did anyone else see the intruder?"

Parvati and Lavender shook their heads. McGonagall sighed and stood up. "Well, I'll have the teachers perform a search of the castle, but I'm sure whoever it was is gone by now." She looked sympathetically at Kate. "Miss O'Brien, as a precautionary measure, I'd like to keep you in the hospital wing for the remainder of the night."

Kate nodded, and Harry helped her stand up. It wasn't until he stood as well that Professor McGonagall even noticed he was there.

"Potter!" she cried, flustered. "What on earth are you--" She stopped herself, thinking better of scolding him at a time like this. "You may as well come along," she conceded. She turned sharply and headed down the stairs. The crowd in the common room swelled around her when she came down, and she announced, "The intruder has left the tower, whomever it was, and I do not believe they will be returning tonight. I want everyone in bed immediately. You must get some sleep tonight."

McGonagall refused to answer any questions, but she guided Kate, supported by Harry, out of the portrait hole and down to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey appeared in her robes with curlers in her hair. She pounced on Kate, who was shivering and huddled close to Harry.

"Are you hurt, dear?" she asked frantically, pulling Kate away from Harry and towards a bed in the hospital wing.

Kate shook her head and sat down on the bed, allowing Madam Pomfrey to fuss over her. Harry stood at the foot of the bed, just behind Professor McGonagall, who was relating the story to Madam Pomfrey.

"Honestly, what next?" Madam Pomfrey ranted as she pulled a set of screens around Kate's bed and handed her a pair of pajamas. "What kind of world is this when students aren't safe at Hogwarts?"

"Dumbledore wants a search of the castle, Poppy," Professor McGonagall said. "I must go and fill the other teachers in. You will look after Miss O'Brien and Mr. Potter?"

Madam Pomfrey's eyes strayed to Harry. "Have you been attacked as well, Potter?"

Harry shook his head, but McGonagall spoke for him. "He is to stay here for the night. I believe Miss O'Brien will be wanting some company." Perhaps Harry just imagined it, but Professor McGonagall seemed to turn a bit pink as she said these last words, but she immediately gave him a very sharp look.

Madam Pomfrey bustled about, shoving Harry into the bed next to Kate's, handing him pajamas and pulling his screens shut. He heard her leave, and he changed quickly and pulled his screens back. He stood up and rapped tentatively on the screens still surrounding Kate's bed.

"It's all right," came Kate's small, shaky voice.

Harry pulled back the screens and sat at the edge of her bed. She was sitting up, the blankets pulled up around her knees, her deep blue eyes pouring over with despair.

She leaned in to him, and he held her gently, pulling the golden silk hair away from her tearstained face.

"Are you ok?" he whispered.

"No," Kate replied softly. "And I won't be until there's an end to all this. I can't keep living like this, Harry. I hate keeping secrets; I hate living lies. I just want out...I want out..."

"I know," Harry sighed. "I do too."

Just then, Madam Pomfrey burst back into the room carrying a goblet. She put on her sternest face when she saw Harry sitting with Kate, and shooed him away at once. "You've both had enough excitement for one night," she said. "Here now, Miss O'Brien; drink this, and you'll have a good sleep." She handed Kate the goblet--a powerful sleeping potion that Harry recognized; he had taken it once, too, at the end of his fourth year.

"You'll be all right, then, Potter?" she asked sharply. Harry nodded, and she placed Kate's goblet on the nightstand and hurried from the room.

Kate lay facing Harry now; her eyes were drooping, but she smiled at him before drifting off into a blissful, dreamless sleep.

Harry was not so lucky. He lay staring at Kate's peaceful face, unable to fall asleep himself. He thought it must have been hours that he laid there, his mind full of nothing but her, but he realized it must only have been an hour or so, because he soon heard footsteps in the corridor. Soon he could hear voices; one seemed to belong to Professor McGonagall, another seemed to be Madam Pomfrey, and the third was a low, rumbling voice that he could not place at first.

The three of them entered the hospital wing. Harry closed his eyes just far enough to look asleep, but he watched as Madam Pomfrey bent over Kate, making sure she was still asleep and that nothing had harmed her while they had been left alone.

"Dumbledore has asked for a guard over Miss O'Brien and Mr. Potter tonight," McGonagall was saying to the third party. "He's worried, of course, though he doesn't show it. If anyone thought Dumbledore was worried, there would be pure chaos!"

"Minerva," came the low voice. "I'd like to volunteer to watch Potter and O'Brien tonight. You've done enough for tonight; you should rest."

"That's kind of you, Nigel, but all the same, I'd prefer to watch them myself. I'll never sleep tonight," McGonagall replied.

Madam Pomfrey sighed as she looked at Kate. "Poor child," she murmured. "Her poor family! Her parents don't deserve this, and the poor girl has done nothing but been born into one of the best families our world has ever seen. Potter and O'Brien," she breathed. "Every witch and wizard in the world knows those names, but I'd bet my life both these poor children wish they didn't."

"Now, Poppy," Professor McGonagall said. "We cannot waste time pitying Potter or O'Brien. The two of them look happy enough when they are not in danger, anyway."

"Can you imagine," Madam Pomfrey continued. "If they married? That would be a celebration to beat the day that You-Know-Who was defeated. Just think of their children!" She sighed tragically. "I cannot help but pity them, Minerva. They are too innocent to deter compassion."

Without realizing it, Harry had opened his eyes while listening to their conversation. He noticed now that the third figure was Professor Fairclough, and that Fairclough had caught him awake.

Professor Fairclough coughed loudly and nodded towards Harry. Madam Pomfrey noticed him awake as well and swooped down upon him instantly. "Can't sleep?" she asked, and Harry nodded. She produced a bottle of sleeping potion and practically forced it down Harry's throat.

The last thing Harry remembered in the blurred moments between waking and sleep was Professor Fairclough glancing back at him from the doorway. Harry wasn't sure, but it seemed as though Fairclough was glaring at him angrily.