invisible string! → ron weasley

viii. the secret army

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"KATES, WAIT UP!" It was the evening before their Hogsmeade visit when Harry called after her, jogging to catch up. It was only the first week in October but there was already snow on the ground, and Kates thought it fitting; Umbridge was draining all the warmth from the castle, so the grounds might as well reflect it.

"Harry?" she said, her brows furrowing in interest. Whilst she was glad to see her friend, it was irregular that he would be so eager to talk to her. She slowed to a stop and faced him as he approached. "What's up?" Harry, looking as suspicious as ever, glanced up and down the corridor and then gestured for her to join him in an empty classroom. With one last glance outside, he shut the door behind him. "All right, now I'm really curious," she said as he walked to the middle of the room. She approached slowly, standing opposite him, and crossed her arms over her chest. "What's with all the secrecy?"

"We're all tired of Umbridge," he blurted. "We're sick of her not teaching us what could help save our lives someday, or at the very least help us pass our exams. So, we're going to—well it was Hermione's idea, really, and Ron was the one who suggested we bring you into it—"

"Harry," she interrupted, putting both hands out to stop his rambling. "What are we doing?" The corners of his lips turned out at the thought.

"We're starting a club, one Umbridge can't know about. I'll be teaching defensive spells, and...well, you're the best in our year at Charms, so I was wondering—we were wondering—if you'd want to help?"

"Are you joking?" Kates found herself beaming. "Count me in."

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THE MEETING WAS TENSE AT FIRST, to say the least. Whilst Kates had a good feeling about it all (as she often did), she could tell tensions were high before the meeting even started. There were people there who still didn't quite believe Harry, and there were others (like Dean) who felt uncomfortable keeping secrets from their closest friends by being there in the first place.

Harry's credibility was tested, but the more he spoke (and the more confidence he and Hermione gained) the more people began to believe him. Kates, who was sitting on a stool beside them, was comforted as she watched the others go from skeptical to reassured—most of them, at least.

"What about her?" asked Zacharias Smith—who had already been threatened by Fred and George at this point—pointing to Kates and bringing her into the spotlight for the first time. She blinked in surprise and sat up a bit straighter. "Aren't you Wesley Kinley's sister? I'm sure your family's delighted if You-Know-Who really is back—" He earned several lethal glares (courtesy of Fred, George, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Dean), but Kates spoke before any of them had a chance, which was perhaps for the best.

"You're right, my family is delighted," she said dryly, rising from her stool. "Which is how I know that You-Know-Who really is back, not that I would have doubted Harry in the first place." Harry's lips twitched up into a fleeting smile. "You don't know me, so don't make assumptions." Ron picked up where she left off, unable to help himself when it came to showing the Hufflepuff up.

"Not to mention she's the best at Charms in our year—"

"What's that got to do with defensive magic?" sneered Smith, rounding on Ron. The redhead opened his mouth to snap back a reply, but Kates was quicker. This time, however, she used her wand rather than her words. Without uttering a single incantation, she levitated the back of his chair, causing him to slide right out. Then, she summoned his wand, catching it neatly in her free hand. The pub was deadly silent, everyone staring up at her with wide eyes.