The Hidden Marauder (Harry Potter FanFiction)

Defence Against The Dark Arts

-CHAPTER SIX-

Defence Against the Dark Arts

The next morning, Katherine found herself waking up relatively late. She spent a while lying on the soft, red sheets and looking blearily at all of the decorations of the room. If Dumbledore's intention had been to make her feel 'at home', then he'd certainly succeeded. She'd slept so long that Katherine found she'd missed breakfast – not that it was any particular loss, as she didn't normally eat then anyway. She rolled out of bed and retrieved her hat, which had rolled onto the floor after she'd fallen asleep abruptly the previous evening.

Katherine grimaced at the fact that she'd been too tired to change, walking quickly into the bathroom that was connected to her room and showering and wrapping herself in a fluffy white towel upon exiting.

She changed quickly, into clothes much the same as she had worn the previous day, the only difference being that she substituted her black blouse for a white one, and dried her hair with a charm she'd learnt back when she was a student herself. She cast another charm on her, now wrinkled, robes to make them pristine again, before slipping them on, but not fastening them, so that they hung open from her shoulders.

Stepping through the portrait and sweeping out of her office, her mind drifted to the first task of the day. Speaking to Dumbledore. There weren't many students in the halls, as it was directly half-way through their second lesson, but the ones who had a free period for studying offered her a small smile as she walked past them. Unlike Umbridge, it was obvious that Katherine hadn't neglected to make a decent first impression.

Katherine realised, when she'd arrived outside of the grey, grouchy gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office, that she didn't yet know the password. She decided that instead of standing around until someone came along, she'd guess – the worst that could happen was that it wouldn't open, and it might actually save her time.

"Acid pops, Chocolate frogs, Jelly beans, Strawberry laces, Sherbert Lemons, Sugar mice, Cola bottles, wine gums, Fruit pastels, Polos... Jazzies? No? Okay then, stupid gargoyle." Said Katherine, getting frustrated, "I bet it's something bloody ridiculous like those disgusting Tooty Fruities..."

The gargoyle leapt aside, and Katherine couldn't stop herself from sighing and rolling her eyes as she passed. "Of course. The most damn disgusting muggle sweets..."

Before she could even raise her fist to knock, she heard a quiet, 'come in' from Dumbledore, so she simply twisted the handle and walked into his office. Katherine saw him sitting behind his desk with a knowing smile, and she returned it with an incredulous expression.

"You knew I was outside the whole time." She said, assuredly, closing the door behind her.

"I did." Dumbledore confirmed.

"Why didn't you let me in, if you knew?"

"Well, that wouldn't have been so amusing, would it?" Said Dumbledore, and Katherine opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off. "With such terrors coming to the Wizarding world, does it not make sense to enjoy the small things?"

To that, Katherine couldn't argue.

"So," Dumbledore began, pushing his spectacles up his nose slightly and flicking his long beard over his shoulder to rid it from his view, "What concerns you?"

Katherine didn't bother to ask how Dumbledore knew something was bothering her – she had often been told that she was quite an easy person to read, and Dumbledore seemed to know everything anyway.

"The day Harry was tried." She said slowly, and Dumbledore leant forwards in interest, "Arthur said that Lucius was at the Ministry, conversing with Fudge."