The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow II » Harry Potter

2.30| Grey of Truths & Theories

A scream tore through the air. Margaret, Harry, Ron and Hermione halted in their tracks, their wands drawn in a heartbeat.

They turned to find Katie Bell floating several feet in the air, her arms outstretched, as though she was about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie...

Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream.

She continued to scream, her eyes wide open; whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, it was clearly causing her terrible anguish. Leanne started to scream too and seized Katie's ankles, trying to tug her back to the ground.

Harry, Margaret, Ron, and Hermione rushed forward to help, but before they could reach her, she began to fall in a heap on top of Leanne; Margaret reacted quickly, hands reaching out and eyes glowing red, her powers encircled Katie and lowered her gently to the ground. But Katie continued to thrash and scream, apparently unable to recognize any of them as they gathered around her.

Harry looked around; the landscape seemed deserted.

"Stay there!" he shouts at the others over the howling wind. "I'm going for help!"

He sprinted toward the school, returning only moments later with Hagrid in tow.

"Get back!" shouts Hagrid. "Lemme see her!"

"Something's happened to her!" sobs Leanne. "I don't know what-"

Hagrid stared at Katie for a second, then without a word, bent down, scooped her into his arms, and ran toward the castle with her. Within seconds, Katie's piercing screams had died away and the only sound was the roar of the wind.

Hermione hurried over to Katie's wailing friend and put an arm around her. Meanwhile, Margaret crouched near the brown-paper package that had been torn open. An ornate opal necklace was poking out of the paper. She took out her wand and gently levitated it in front of her face.

"Be careful," Harry warns, crouching next to her to look at it too.

"It's cursed..." she mutters.

"Hold on- I've seen that before!" Harry says suddenly. "It was on display in Borgin and Burkes ages ago! The label said it was cursed. Katie must have touched it." He looked up at Leanne, who had started to shake uncontrollably. "How did Katie get hold of this?"

"T- That's why we were arguing...! She came back from the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks holding it, said it was a surprise for somebody at Hogwarts and she had to deliver it. She looked all funny when she said it..." Leanne trails off, eyes widening. "Oh no, oh no, I bet she'd been Imperiused and I didn't realise!"

Leanne shook with renewed sobs and Hermione patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"Did she say who'd given it to her?" she asks.

"No... she wouldn't tell me... and- and I said she was being stupid and not to take it up to school, but she just wouldn't listen and... and then I tried to grab it from her... and- it-"

Leanne let out a wail of despair, unable to speak anymore.

"We'd better get up to school," says Margaret, "Harry, could you...?"

He understood it without her asking, having already taken off his scarf from around his neck. Margaret lowered the necklace back to the ground and Harry, ignoring Ron's gasp, carefully covered it in his scarf and picked it up.

Hermione led the way, her arm still around Leanne. Margaret, Harry and Ron walked in silence, their minds in different places.

Somehow, Margaret couldn't find it in herself to be angry at Draco. All she felt was pity.