CHAPTER 29
| LITTLE ME |
After the kitchen scene, the screen shifted to show Ryan jump and land on his bed on his back. He placed both his hands on his stomach and groaned from how full he was.
“What’s this? What happened to dinner?” Peter wondered.
“It must have skipped over the dinner scene.” Remus concluded.
He only looked up when he heard someone knocking on his door. When he saw that it was his mother with a box in her hand, he told her to enter. Cathy walked in and sat down near the edge of the bed. Ryan sat up and shifted back until he was leaning against the headboard.
“What’s up?” Ryan asked.
“I have something here that I think you should have.” Cathy told him. She opened the box and pulled out Salazar Slytherins locket by the chain.
“It’s the locket.” Someone stated.
A lot of the Slytherin students and former students all leaned in to try and get a closer look at the object. Unlike the images in books and paintings, the one that Cathy had looked smaller and newer.
Ryan leaned in closer. “Cool. What is it?”
“A gift from a family friend I suppose you could say.” Cathy smiled. Cathy took the locket and placed it over her sons’ head and let it rest on his neck. “When I need it the most, he was there to help me. All that he asked in return was that I give this to you when the time came.”
Ryan took a close look at the locket and looked back to Cathy. “Who was it? The person who gave it to you I mean.”
“Salazar Slytherin.” Cathy answered.
“As in the bloke who contributed the most to the racism and segregation in this country?” Ryan looked at his mother questionably.
“That’s the one.” Sirius nodded.
Cathy just smiled. “Take it from me. Nothing and no one are ever what they look like. Time has a way distorting truth.”
“A thousand years of muggle oppression and racial inequality says otherwise.”
“Good point.” James agreed.
“Look all I was supposed to do was give it to you, do whatever you want with it, my job’s done.” Cathy said as she got up from the bed. She walked to the doorway and turned around. “Goodnight.”
“Night.” Ryan said. Cathy flipped the light switch and turned off the lights in Ryan’s room.
“And Ryan,” Cathy looked to her son and smiled, “remember that without Salazar Slytherin none of us would be here today. That’s why I named you after him.”
“That’s entirely true.” Professor Slughorn said.
“Because he helped create Hogwarts?”
“That’s one of the reasons yeah.” Cathy smiled and exited the room. After she closed the door behind her.
After leaving Ryan’s room she walked across the hall and looked into the rooms of the children that lived under her roof. At the end of the hall was a room that Regulus in a white vest and pajamas. He was taking the blanket off on side so that he could get in.
“Hey.” Cathy greeted him.
“Hi.” Regulus said. He put the beddings aside and walked up to his wife. “You ready to tell me about Thomas or should we wait for another interruption?”
“Finally! The big reveal.” Marlene said.
Cathy bit her lip as she looked uncertain for a while.
“I’ve been practicing everything I want to tell you but I not sure there is a way to tell you about Thomas and me and Mary and Amelia without screwing up the entire story. There are so many details in this story that you have to had been there to really grasp what happened.”
“So does this mean you can’t tell me or that you just won’t even try?” Regulus enquired.
“I’m saying that I can’t tell you,” Regulus looked down disappointed and sad, “but I can show you.”
Regulus looked up and met Cathy’s eyes. “You mean—”
Cathy raised her hand and her eyes glowed its warm red color. “If you let me.”
Regulus slowly nodded. He bowed his head lower and Cathy’s palm glowed red with Chaos magic. A small wisp of magic reached out and connected with Regulus’ forehead. So many images flashed through the screen.
Regulus gave a small gasp when the images stopped. He looked at Cathy who was looking back at him with a curious look.
“Wait! That’s it!” Marlene exclaimed.
“Come on!”
“Show us what happened!”
People in the audience began to complain.
“Silence!” Professor McGonagall shouted making everyone go quiet.
“Very impressive, Minerva.” Professor Flitwick clapped.
“I wanted to give it a go.” Professor McGonagall said. “I hope you don’t mid, Headmaster.”
“Not at all.” Dumbledore smiled.
“Well?”
“I can see why you wanted to keep that to yourself.” Regulus breathed out. “Wait! What about Cassie and Halley?”
“Calm down.” Cathy told him. “When the girls are older, I’ll tell them.”
“Tell them what?’ Marlene whimpered.
“Oh. Alright then.” Regulus said.
Cathy looked around her and then back to Regulus. “So…can we put this spat behind us now.”
“Sure.” Regulus said. Then a coy smile spread across his face. “Although given our history of…spats maybe we should resolve our issues the same way we always do.”
“And how is that?” Cathy asked.
Regulus reached behind Cathy and shut the door.
“Oh my god!” Regulus covered his face with his hands.
“Oh, I see where you’re going with this.” Cathy smiled. Cathy waved her hand over the door and the edges glowed red before fading away.
“Silencing spell?”
“Yes.” Cathy smiled.
“That’s my girl.” Regulus said as he kissed Cathy. He placed his hands around her waist and lifted her up. Cathy screamed with laughter as he picked her up and dropped them both on the bed.
A lot pf people began to whistle and tease the pair on screen. Cathy hid her face inside of her blouse embarrassed.
The scene faded away changed and the words ‘Three Days Later’ were printed on the screen in large letters.
“Aw!”
“Boo!” several boys complained.
“Oh, thank god!’ Cathy said in relief.
“Come along everyone!” Regulus said as they walked through King’s Cross. All the children were walking behind Regulus and the only one that wasn’t there was Cathy. When they came to the barrier, Cathy came through it.
“There you all are!” She spoke. “I was starting to get worried. What took so long?”
“Oh, the film skipped to the day they leave for school.” Evan said.
“Neville forgot his trunk.” Regulus said. He turned around and talked to the children. “Does everyone have everything they need? No one forgot anything else?”
Everyone looked to Neville for an answer. “Yes.” He said.
“Come on! Come on!” Cathy and her family all turned around to see the Weasleys rushing toward the barrier.
“The train will be leaving any moment!” Molly said as she and her family got to barrier. “Oh, hello Cathy!”
“Hectic morning?”
“It’s the same thing every year.” Molly gasped.
“Cassie.” Regulus looked down at his daughter. “You ready?”
“Oh, it’s her first year.” Euphemia clapped her hands slowly.
Cassie gave her father a nod as she pushed her trolley forward toward the barrier. She faded into the wall and vanished. Regulus followed in alongside Halley who was clutching his hand tightly.
“You guys want to go ahead?” Ryan asked the Weasleys.
“Thank you. Fred, George, Percy you first!” Arthur told his sons. The three boys all pushed their trolleys forward and disappeared into the barrier.
“Okay.” Molly tapped Ginny’s shoulder gently and nudged her forward. The little girl nodded and followed her brothers through the barrier.
“After you, dear.” Arthur smiled at his wife. Molly went through the barrier with Arthur close behind her.
“I’ll see you boys on the other side.” Cathy told the remaining boys. “I have to make sure that the muggle-borns I’m meant to look after are all seated.
“See you later.” Harry said.
Cathy went through the barrier and the cameras’ view followed her. On the other side of the barrier, Platform nine and three quarters Cathy came through. The startling difference of course was that she had a trolley and was in the form of her eleven-year-old self.
“What the hell!” Cathy exclaimed. “Oh my god, it’s little me!”
“I think this is like one of those flashback scenes.” Fleamont said. “You were so cute when you were eleven.”
“Come along dear.” Fleamont called after his daughter.
Cathy pushed her trolley and moved forward. As the two of them navigated through the crowd of families and students, they quickly found their way to Euphemia and a thirteen-year-old James Potter.
“Hey!” James called out the sight of his younger self.
“What are we waiting for?” Cathy asked. “Can we get on the train?”
“Just a minute.” Euphemia told her daughter before turning back to James. “Do you have your toothbrush packed.
“Yes.” James nodded.
“Oh, I remember this.” Cathy sighed.
“What about toothpaste? Do you have extra?”
“Yes.”
“How about socks?”
“Let me take that to the back for you love.” Fleamont said taking his daughter’s trolley.
“Want some help loading that?”
“That’s alright.” Fleamont said. He pushed the trolley forward and headed to the back of the train to load Cathy’s luggage.
“…and make sure that you keep an eye on him.” Fleamont turned to right as he stopped and used magic to levitate magic onto the train. “I don’t care that what you and those brats do this year—”
“They’re my friends!” A younger Sirius Black interrupted his mother.
“It’s me!” Sirius said. “I like how I looked with shorter hair back then.”
“Don’t you dare cause anymore problems for this family!” Walburga snapped at her son. “It’s bad enough that you were sort into the house of fools but you don’t need act like them. Have some semblance of dignity.”
“Good morning, Sirius!” Fleamont called out. The entire Black family looked to see Fleamont smiling warmly at them.
“Hey Mr. Potter.” Sirius said.
Fleamont nodded as he walked on back to his own family. When he got there, he found Euphemia still questioning James about whether or not he remembers to bring things. Cathy was to the side tapping her foot impatiently.
“James I just saw Sirius with his family.” Fleamont said.
“Great.” James exclaimed happily.
“Do you money for sweets and snacks?’ Euphemia continued to enquire.
“Yes mum.” James nodded.
“What about a scarf? Did you remember to pack one?”
“For the love of God woman, you’re sending him to school! You’re not sending him off to war!” Cathy exclaimed.
Several people laughed at Cathy’s little outburst.
“I’m just trying to make sure that he has everything he’ll need.” Euphemia said.
“Yes, I know.” Cathy replied. “Because you asked him while he was packing, before we left and, on the way, here. If he’s forgotten something at home while it might be the work of God telling him to go without.”
“She’s right, Mia.” Fleamont said. “I highly doubt he’s forgotten anything with the way you keep hounding him.”
“Well at least I care enough to check.” Euphemia told her husband. “Did you even check that Cathy has everything she’ll need.”
“One moment.” Fleamont said turning to his daughter. “Do you have everything you need?”
“Yes.” Cathy nodded.
“I checked.” Fleamont smiled turning back to his wife. “Cathy has everything she needs.”
Cathy and her father laughed out loud at their behavior on screen.
Euphemia rolled her eyes at her husbands’ antics. “Alright get on the train, the both of you.”
“Finally.” Cathy sighed. She and James made their way into the train. Cathy went in first and was glad to finally free of her mother.
“Sit next to each other on the train!” Euphemia yelled over the noise to her children.
As the brother and sister went in looking for a compartment to sit in, they heard a voice from the front of the train.
“James!” the eldest Potter looked ahead and saw Sirius Black waving to them. “We’re over here!”
“Sirius!” James replied as he pushed past his sister to get to front first. When he got there, the two of them embraced each other in a hug. “How were your holidays?”
“Mostly uneventful.” Sirius replied. The soon to be third year seemingly notice the young brunette behind James. “And who’s this?”
“Oh. This is Cathy, my little sister.” James introduced.
“Oh! You’re Cathy.” Sirius smiled. “Hey lads, it’s Jamie’s little sister!”
Cathy looked past her brother into the compartment and saw that there was a slightly puffy looking boy sitting down on one side and on the other side was a boy as thin as a stick biting into a chocolate bar.
“It’s us!” Peter exclaimed
“We looked so young back then.” Remus said. He smiled happily before he tilted his head to the side. “Is that really how I sit?”
“Yeah.”
“I need to work on my posture.” Remus commented.
“That’s Remus and Peter.” James introduced.
“Hi.” Peter waved.
“Nice to meet you.” Remus greeted her.
“Hi.” Cathy smiled.
“Well then,” Sirius leaned on the side of the door into the compartment, “you know James talked about you so much. You’re not at all what I imagined.”
Cathy raised an eyebrow. “Really? What did you imagine?”
“Someone with horns, fangs and bat wings.” Sirius nodded. “He talked about his little demon of a sister so much I feel like I already know you.”
Cathy smiled wickedly. “That’s funny. He’s talked about you so much that my father and I began to suspect he might have been gay.”
“What!” James looked shocked at his little sister while Remus choked on his chocolate and began to cough.
A lot more people laughed at this joke. James blushed red really annoyed with this flashback.
“Don’t worry we would have still loved you all the same.” Cathy assured him.
“Oh, I like her.” Sirius told her brother.
“Well, not that this little meet and greet wasn’t pleasant, but I have to got find a seat.” Cathy moved past her brother and Sirius and walked forward.
“You two didn’t sit together?” Euphemia questioned.
“Mum said you have to sit with me.” James reminded Cathy.
“She also says that I have to respect and look up to you and I think we both know that that’s never gonna happen." Cathy replied without looking back.
“Brat.” James said to himself.
“Oh, I really like her.” Sirius smiled.
As James and Sirius went into their compartment, Cathy continued to walked through the train in search of a seat. Several students went past her as she went about her search.
Finally, she stopped in front of a compartment that only had one boy inside. The boy, who had dark slightly curly hair, had a book in his hand and looked up when Cathy opened the door to the compartment.
“Well, well, well.” Cathy smiled. “Look who it is.”
Regulus smiled at Cathy while Fleamont looked confused.
“Who is it?”
“Hi, is anyone else sitting there?” Cathy asked pointing to the seat across to him.
“All yours.” The boy said.
“Thanks.” Cathy plopped herself down on the seat and smiled at the boy. “Are you a first year too?”
“Yeah.” The boy nodded.
“I’m Catherine by the way.” She smiled. “But everyone except my mother just calls me Cathy.”
“Regulus.” The boy introduced himself.
“Oh! That’s how you two met.” James realized.
“Not just the two of us.” Cathy said.
Before another word could be exchanged, the doors to the compartment opened again.
“See I told you there’d be space in the front.” A red-haired girl said to a dark-haired boy behind her. “Hi.”
“No way!” James said. “I completely forgot about this day.”
“Hi.” Cathy replied.
“Hello.” Regulus nodded.
“You guys don’t mind if the two of us sit here, do you?”
Cathy turned to Regulus who just shrugged and went back to his book. “I don’t really care.”
Cathy looked back to the girl. “Go for it.”
“Thanks.” The girl came in and the boy followed in as well. She sat down next to Cathy and the boy was seated next to Regulus. “First years?”
“Yeah.” Cathy nodded. “I’m Cathy and that’s Regulus. We just met.”
“I’m Lily.” The girl introduced. “Lily Evans.”
“Severus Snape.” The boy introduced himself.
“Nice to meet you.” Cathy smiled politely.