Belong (D.M)

Part twentyseven

"I'd consider it an honor sir" Harry said, making the old man smile. Then he turned to the table.

"You'd be welcome too Granger, oh and miss Ember"

"I'd be delighted sir" Hermione said.

"Thank you so much for the invitation sir" she said, smiling at professor Slughorn.

"Splendid, look for my owl" the old man cheered as he turned to Ron "good to see you Wallenby"

Then professor Slughorn walked off, holding his drink in his hand. Ron looked displeased as Hermione laughed.

"Wallenby?" he questioned, groaning "the three of you get invites to a select student dinner and I get Wallenby"

Harry laughed, sitting down again with a big smile upon his lips. Ron and Hermione began talking once more, and she took a last sip of her drink as her eyes wandered around the place looking for Draco, but she did not see him.

After another half an hour they decided to walk back to the castle. Outside the snow was whirling around, and the wind felt harsh against their cheeks. Harry and Ron walked behind her and Hermione, and for a moment everything felt blissful. That was until they heard a blood curling scream from further down the path. That bliss can't last forever, not even a short moment.

"What was that?" she asked, looking back at Harry and Ron. The four of them ran towards the origin of the loud scream and soon they saw a girl with dark hair, dressed in a red coat, lying in the snow lifeless.

"Katie?" she breathed as her eyes went wide. Harry grabbed her arm to stop her from running forward towards Katie.

"I warned her" the girl standing next to Katie shrieked "I warned her not to touch it"

Katie was yanked from left to right as the five of them watched in horror, behind her laid a brown paper package with something in it. Katie suddenly flew up from the snow covered ground, and was yanked up into the sky. She gasped as Katie's stiff body floated in the midst of the whirling snow. Katie's eyes were wide open and filled with terror and a painful scream escaped her lips, then she fell to the ground with a hard thump. All of them began to rush forward to her when Hagrid showed up behind them.

"Don't get any closer" he urged, walking past them "get back all of you"

Hagrid lifted Katie up, and her body looked like a rag doll in his arms.

"No no no, oh no no no" he mumbled as he looked at the girl.

She glanced in between Katie and the package on the ground, and Harry stepped over to it.

"Do not touch that, except from the wrapping" Hagrid ordered him "do you understand?"

Harry nodded as he kneeled down to inspect the item. It was a opal necklace, it looked old and dark with blue tinted jewels along it. Something about it made shivers run down her spine as she observed it. Hagrid walked away with Katie in his arms, and her friend hurried after them.

"What happened to her?" she asked, eyeing the necklace "what is that thing?"

"It must be cursed" Hermione spoke with concern "we should get it to professor McGonagall"

Katie was taken to the hospital wing, and the necklace was rushed to professor McGonagall. She found herself standing alongside Katie's friend who had been screaming, and her friends Harry, Ron and Hermione in the professor's office.

"You're sure Katie did not have this in her possession as she entered the three broomsticks?" professor McGonagall asked the girl who shook her head.

"Like I said, she left to go to the loo and when she came back she had the package, she said it was important that she delivered it"

Professor McGonagall was pacing back and forth, pushing her lips together.

"Did she say to whom?"

"To professor Dumbledore" the girl spoke quietly.

"Very well, thank you Leanne you may go" professor McGonagall said as she turned to the four of them "why is it when something happens it is always you three?"

"Believe me professor" Ron breathed "I've been asking myself the same question for six years"

"This is new for me professor, I usually only get the story after it has happened" she said, taking a step forward.

"I am well aware miss Ember, I am speaking about your three unlucky companions over here"

Professor Snape entered professor McGonagall's office, his cloak dragging along the stone floor as he walked.

"Oh Severus" the old woman breathed as she looked at him with a hand over her heart "I believe this to be more in your area of expertise"

Professor Snape pushed past the four Gryffindor students, a sour and stern look upon his face.

"What do you think?" professor McGonagall asked him as he lifted the necklace up with a charm to inspect it.

"I think miss Bell is lucky to be alive"

She felt her stomach twist as those words left professor Snape's lips, and she feared what would have happened if Katie only had held onto the necklace for a moment longer. Death was absolutely nothing she wished upon anyone, especially not sweet and helpful Katie Bell.

"She was cursed wasn't she?" Harry suddenly spoke, his chest heaving up and down heavily "I know Katie, off the Quidditch pitch she wouldn't hurt a fly, if she was delivering that to professor Dumbledore she wasn't doing it knowingly"

Professor Snape stared at the necklace, and professor McGonagall nodded her head slowly. She looked at Harry, and then to Ron and Hermione who both displayed looks of concern upon their faces. Harry was right about Katie, she would never hurt anyone.

"Yes she was cursed" professor McGonagall breathed, concern clear in her eyes.

"It was Malfoy" Harry blurted out, causing everyone to look at him.

"That is a very serious accusation Potter" professor McGonagall spoke with a stern voice.

"Indeed" professor Snape agreed, his voice low and unamused "your evidence?"

"I just know" Harry said.

"You just... know" professor Snape said, staring at Harry with his dark eyes.

She felt sick to her stomach being in the room, and her mind wandered to every single possible conclusion she could think of. Draco could not possibly have done this? He wouldn't. She knew him in a different way than Harry, she saw him in a different light. Harry surely must be blinded by his annoyance with the boy for the past six years, it's easy to get caught up. For Draco could not possibly curse someone, right?

Silence fell upon the room before professor Snape spoke, antagonizing Harry for throwing out such accusations about his favourite student.

"Once again you astonish with your gifts Potter, gifts we immortals could only dream of possessing, how grand it must be to be the chosen one"

Just as she was about to ask professor McGonagall if she could be excused due to the extremely uncomfortable climate in the room the old woman spoke.

"I suggest you go back to your dormitories, all of you"

Thank god, she thought as she turned on her heel and quickly hurried out of there followed by her three friends. Hermione stopped Harry halfway to the Gryffindor student home, looking at him with bewildered eyes.

"Harry, I know you dislike Malfoy, we all do but you can't go and accuse him of something like this just like that, it makes you look really bad"

"But Hermione he did it" Harry argued.

"He could not possibly have done this" she said, fighting back her tears.

"Yes Ellie, I most certainly know he's capable of doing this, I know it was him"