Before the Storm | {Fred Weasley}

20. Scratches

The second task continued before finally coming to an end. Harry was awarded second place for saving not one, but two treasures. The treasures ended up being someone the four champions were close to; Hermione, Ron, Cho, and Gabrielle Delacour.

Kat had earned reprimand from Kronoff, along with Bogdan. She was given detention and forced to scrub the training room clean—-with no magic.

News had quickly spread about Bartemius Crouch's murder. He was found dead close to the Black lake. They had no leads as to who the suspect was but were told to be careful and given a strict curfew.

"Why do we need a curfew?" Anya huffed as she slid under her bed comforter. "It's not like we murdered anyone. Though, I can't say the same about you," she added, glancing at Kat. "You did gut a fish."

Kat scoffed as she slipped on a cozy mesh sweater. "I didn't gut the fish—-besides it tried to kill me. It wasn't my fault."

"That's what all serial killers say," Natasha commented with a teasing smile. Kat laughed quietly as she climbed onto her bed and slipped under her sheets. "You're one to talk...didn't you kill a cactus?"

Anya snorted loudly, turning on her side to get a better look at the ashamed girl. "How in hell do you kill a cactus?" Natasha shot the brunette a playful glare. "How was I supposed to know you needed to water it?"

The girls fell into a fit of laughter, feeding off each other's giggles and finding it contagious. They only stopped when one of their other roommates threw a pillow in their direction.

Kat had been putting off writing back to her Aunt for weeks. She didn't know what to write back without sounding rude or annoyed. But today, she finally pulled out a piece of parchment and spare ink along with a quill. The brunette placed the items on her shared desk and began to write. She scribbled down a few words before quickly scratching them out.

Dear Aunt Adelaide,

Don't take this the wrong way, but I know you're full of—

Kat shook her head, crumpling the paper into a ball and tossing it into a nearby bin. She took out another piece of paper, thinking once more before writing her words down carefully.

Aunt Adelaide,

Thank you for the dress and shoes. I never would have pictured her in such a delicate dress. Though, that might just be because you never bothered to show me any pictures or tell me stories—

She scratched out her words once more, taking out a new parchment. This continued before she finally finished. It wasn't the longest letter, nor was it steady. In fact, it was a bit stiff.

Aunt Adelaide,

Thank you for the dress and shoes. The Yule Ball was actually really fun and I enjoyed myself. And, regarding S.B., You're probably right. It's probably nothing and I'll try not to worry myself over it.

Love,

Kat

It wasn't a total lie—she was going to stop fretting over S.B. but not by ignoring it. No, she was gonna figure out what or who S.B. was. Kat didn't know where to begin with this, who could she ask? Who might know what it meant? Harry? No, no he needs to focus on the third task that was quickly approaching. Maybe, she thought, a professor from Hogwarts might know. Kat's aunt had briefly mentioned her mom was born in London.

What if she went to Hogwarts herself?

Kat's mind was racing as she made her way towards the owlery to send off her letter. She tried not to let it overwhelm her, but that was becoming increasingly harder. Her mind only stopped spinning when someone called out to her.

"Marlene? Is that you?"

The brunette spun around, coming face to face with a ghost. He was rather large, dressed in rags, and had shaggy hair. The man had a large and kind smile on his face as he swung closer to the girl. "My, my, it's been so long."

Kat cleared her throat, looking around in search of 'Marlene.' "I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong person." The ghost furrowed his white brows, leaning down to get a better look. "Are you sure? I could have sworn—Oh, never mind that. Please excuse this old ghost, it seems my mind is finally catching up with my age." He smiled warmly, "my name is Friar. Though, you may know me as Fat Friar."

"I'm Kat." She smiled back, "and no need to worry." The brunette almost turned to leave, but she suddenly remembered something. "Say, how long have you been at Hogwarts."

The ghost looked away in thought and pursed his lips. "That's rather hard to say. Perhaps centuries." Kat nodded, playing with her mother's ring in her pocket. "Do you know anybody by the name of S.B.?"

Fat Friar thought for a moment, "I don't believe so. Unless you're referring to Sebastian Baker, he was a rather nice fellow. He was one of the only students to ask me how I died." The ghost sighed sadly, "he graduated years back and soon moved to America."

Kat thanked him for his help and promptly left. She wondered if Sebastian Baker might be a clue or who this "Marlene" person might be. Strangely enough, the name sounded very familiar. Where had she heard it?

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This chapter is really short BUT now it's fairly obvious who her mom is. Comment who you think she is down below! Don't forget to vote! Much love,

Dove :)