Taming the True Fire (HP)

Catherine sighed and shifted in her chair. She had been thrilled when the nausea, dizziness, and exhaustion finally subsided, but that relief was now replaced by the lingering discomfort of the failed Animagus transfiguration.

The weather was warming up, but clear skies were far from what she wanted. The girl had hoped they'd get another chance to hold their animal forms before the boys left for the Easter holiday, but with their departure only days away, it didn't seem likely.

She glanced at the pile of unfinished homework beside her. It was almost nine o'clock, and the Library was about to close. With Quidditch practices, detentions with Thorne and Filch, and all the other responsibilities piling up, the young witch barely had any time to herself. She hissed in frustration, her thoughts turning to her DADA teacher. As much as she hated to admit it, Thorne made her feel uneasy. Catherine could have reported him for using elemental magic on her, but it seemed pointless. McGonagall wouldn't do anything, and Dumbledore always insisted on trusting Carter Thorne. So, the fourth-year bit her tongue and mended the pile of old clothes—clothes she was sure weren't even his. Humiliating didn't begin to cover it. But if anything, it had fuelled her resolve to grow stronger and one day wipe that arrogant smirk off her Professor's face.

'I'd better continue working in the Common Room.' – the girl thought, noticing Madam Pince's impatient glare.

The young witch quickly gathered her books and headed to the Library exit, nearly bumping into Thalia Fawcett from Ravenclaw, who looked to be one of the last students left.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you." – Thalia smiled amicably – "Are you also trying to free up some time over the holidays?"

"Not really, I'm just a bit behind." – Catherine shrugged as they walked toward the Grand Staircase.

"It happens to me all the time." – the other girl chuckled – "But my family is taking a trip, so I need to finish everything to enjoy it."

"I'm surprised someone from Ravenclaw gets behind on their homework." – Catherine smirked, hopping across two vanishing steps.

"Being a Ravenclaw doesn't mean we're obsessed with schoolwork." – Thalia remarked, her dreamy brown eyes fixed somewhere far away – "There are many ways to seek knowledge."

Unfortunately, that moment of tranquillity was abruptly broken when Thalia's foot got caught in one of the vanishing steps she hadn't noticed. The Ravenclaw fourth-year stumbled, losing her balance. Catherine managed to catch her, but the other witch's weight pulled them both down, sending them tumbling through a hidden door behind a tapestry depicting an orchid garden guarded by a dragon.

The passage they ended up in was a familiar shortcut to Gryffindor Tower, although Catherine usually avoided it. She preferred a slightly longer route that didn't take her past the so-called "snogging corridor"—a nickname students gave to a secluded hallway on the fourth floor with numerous storage rooms and a few empty classrooms. Its out-of-the-way location made it a popular spot for couples seeking privacy, despite the risk of being discovered by Filch or Mrs Norris.

"Are you alright?" – the Gryffindor asked, helping her classmate back to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I can be so clumsy sometimes." – Thalia laughed nervously – "I think I can take this route to the Ravenclaw Common Room too."

"Probably." – the other witch shrugged – "There's a hidden staircase at the end of this corridor that leads to the western part of the fifth floor."

The two girls walked in silence for a few moments before Catherine stopped abruptly. "Do you hear that? It sounds like it's coming from that empty classroom over there."

"Well, you know people often come here to… be alone with their boyfriends or girlfriends." - Thalia said, glancing toward the closed door.

"I know, but that doesn't sound like someone… having fun." - Catherine replied, her expression serious. She approached the door, her hand fiddling with the handle, only to find it locked. "Alohomora!"

The wandless spell worked perfectly, earning an astonished gasp from Thalia, but Catherine had no time to bask in the admiration for her magical abilities. Since the attack on Lily, she had been constantly on edge, wary of retaliation from Lavinia or any of the other Slytherin bitches.

It seemed her instincts hadn't been entirely wrong. There was indeed a girl on the cold stone floor of the classroom, crying—but it wasn't Lily. Thalia quickly drew her wand and whispered, "Lumos." The dim light revealed something that made Catherine's stomach drop. A distinct metallic scent of blood hit her, and her eyes widened in alarm. She carefully approached the girl, who seemed unable to speak, her sobs stifled and broken. In the faint glow of Thalia's wand, Catherine recognised the wavy honey-red hair—it was Autumn Monroe from Hufflepuff.

'Another Muggle-born.' – Catherine thought, her wand already in her hand as she tried to locate the source of the blood.

"Circe, save us!" – Thalia exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and revulsion. Catherine followed her horrified gaze to Autumn's left arm. The sleeve of her robe was torn, the fabric soaked. The black-haired witch stared in disbelief at the letters carved into Autumn's skin—large, crude, and bleeding heavily: 'MB.' 

"Who would do something like this?!" – Thalia yelled, her voice trembling – "What do those initials even mean? The name of the monster who did it?"

"I'd bet it stands for Mudblood." – Catherine said quietly – "Go find a teacher, please. I'll stay with Autumn."

Thalia dashed through the door, leaving Catherine behind to soothe the injured girl while attempting to heal her wound. A soft blue light enveloped Autumn's arm, but the letters remained, glaring against her pale skin—if anything, they looked even more distinct.

'Fuck! Why won't it heal!' – Catherine cursed internally, pouring more of her energy into the spell, but to no avail – 'What kind of curse is this?'

The Gryffindor refused to give up, determined to help Autumn. But when Thalia returned fifteen minutes later with Professors Thorne and Sprout, there was still no progress. The DADA teacher conjured several glowing orbs that illuminated the room, casting bright light over the injured girl. He didn't acknowledge Catherine, but she noticed the anger that flashed in his sky-blue eyes when he saw the branded letters, and the gentleness in his voice as he spoke to Autumn, trying to find out who had done this to her. Unfortunately, she was unresponsive, and they had no choice but to escort her to the Hospital Wing immediately.

"You two should return to your Common Rooms as soon as possible." – Professor Sprout said, her eyes glistening with tears – "Thank you for helping Autumn, but as you can see, it isn't safe to be out alone after curfew—especially you, Miss Plantier."

Catherine nodded and made her way back to Gryffindor Tower. She felt sick inside—how could someone be so vile, so utterly disgusting, to attack a classmate like that? Someone they shared classes, meals, and living spaces with. She had to do something; otherwise, no Muggle-born student would be safe at Hogwarts. Asking the boys for help would be counterproductive—they were all overly worried about her and would never allow her to put herself at risk. Catherine, on the other hand, had very little fear, confident in her own abilities. But did that mean she was capable of catching whoever was behind these attacks?

The young witch entered the Gryffindor Common Room, ignoring James' enthusiastic wave, and headed straight to the girls' dormitory. Since she couldn't rely on the boys, she decided to discuss it with Lily—being a Muggle-born herself, she had a clearer understanding of the problem, and it directly affected her.

The fourth-years' bedroom was dark, and for a moment, Catherine thought she had missed Lily being somewhere downstairs. But then she heard faint sobs coming from her friend's bed.

"Lils?" – the black-haired witch asked hesitantly, stepping closer – "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." – the other girl replied, hastily wiping her tears.

"You know you can tell me if you want to." – Catherine said gently, uncertain if Lily's tears were somehow connected to the earlier incident with Autumn.

"I know." – Lily whispered – "It's nothing, really. Just silly drama I could have avoided if I wasn't so vain and easily fooled. Severus was right in the end."

"Snape?" – Catherine asked, confused – "What's he done now?"

"He didn't do anything." – Lily snapped, her frustration surfacing through her tears – "Except warn me that Greg would eventually dump me once he got tired of me. And it looks like he was right."