The Cursed Chronicles: Year 6

Chapter 44

The hallways seemed to close in on Katrina as she made her way to Professor Griff's office. Leaving in the middle of class always set her heart racing. She knew that most students hadn't even noticed, but she couldn't help but wonder at the chance that some did. What did they think? Did they wonder where she was going? Did they care? Did they think she was a freak. 

Feelings from her first four years at Hogwarts filled her like poison rising in her chest. She was a freak then, she was a freak now. Would she always be this? A freak? Would she always feel different, cast off, misunderstood, abandoned? 

Even the one person in the world she thought she could depend on had let her go. Had turned his back and never returned. And she couldn't even blame him. 

She was sick of feeling this way. Sick of feeling hollow. Sick of being mistreated. Sick of being everyone's puppet. Sick of hiding. Her anxiety, her secrets, her fears, and herself. She wanted to be seen. She wanted to be heard. She wanted someone to care. Someone who could hold her when everything was falling apart and tell her it was going to be okay. But she had no such person now. Every step from here on out was alone. 

She had only herself. 

Perhaps it was always meant to be this way. Her parents, killed. Her orphanage, could care less. Shuffled from boarding school to boarding school, each slamming the doors with a similar grievance: "Katrina just doesn't seem to fit in here." Wherever she went the discrepancy was a little different. She was too quiet. She was too plain. She was too educated. She was too simple. She was too sensitive. She wasn't enough. For anyone. 

She thought she had found someone she was enough for, but apparently that wasn't it either. 

She was destined to be alone. 

Her therapy sessions had helped, but nothing seemed to ease the pain she felt. Professor Griff reminded her that she had Bella, Paris, Sabrina, and even Scorpius, and they all meant well, but none of them could understand. None of them could know her like Albus did. None of them could fill that hole. 

As Katrina sat in her session, she wrestled with herself to keep these thoughts hidden. There were some things that even Professor Griff didn't need to hear. Thankfully, a distraction presented itself. Scorpius burst through the door. 

"I thought I locked that!" Professor Griff exclaimed, a little flustered. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid you're-"

"I know how to reverse the hex!" Scorpius interrupted. "It's so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of it before! You just have to reverse the hex, that's it!"

"I don't know why I didn't think of that either!" Katrina agreed. "I was just so caught up. 

"I think a Hex Zapper should do the trick fine," Scorpius added. 

"A Hex Zapper that strong would require time and strength," Professor Griff advised. 

"Which I have none of the next few days," Katrina finished. "It'll just have to wait until after the third task. It's not like anyone's going anywhere anyways."

"Are you sure?" Scorpius asked. 

"Positive," she confirmed with a small smile. "Your face gets all crinkled when you worry," she teased. Scorpius scowled, and then purposely tried to fix it so his face didn't "crinkle", which only resulted in a hilarious feat of face manipulation. He gave up with a laugh when Katrina couldn't hold back her own laughter any longer.

Sighing to release the rest of her pent-up amusement, she checked her watch. 

"That's the end of my session, professor," she notified him. He looked at his own watch. 

"You're right, of course. Make certain you are on time for our next session. You were a bit tardy today."

"It won't happen again, sir," she assured him. 

"Then I suppose all there is left to say is that I wish you well with your task tomorrow. I'm sure you will do spectacular."

"Thank you, professor." Scorpius and Katrina left together. 

"Want to go to lunch?" Scorpius asked. Katrina managed a weak smile but Scorpius didn't miss the pain in her expression. 

"It's probably best if we aren't seen together," she pointed out. "Besides, I have to stop by the Headmistress' office anyways. Have to drop off my ring for approval tomorrow."

"Alright," Scorpius consented. "I'll see you later."

"See you!" Katrina quickly turned into the adjacent hallway leaving Scorpius to continue onward towards the mess hall, with a small feeling of sadness, but also a growing feeling of hope. Soon, this hex would be lifted, and maybe, just maybe, everything could go back to normal.