PRINCESS ➳ harry potter, draco malfoy (NEW VERSION)

13 || Christmas

Despite the fact that it had almost led to his untimely death, Harry did not seem keen on discussing his seemingly sentient broom. At least not with Katie around, anyway. Although Hermione insisted, Harry implored that they enjoy the post-game celebrations and talk about the broom later. But Katie did not miss the knowing glance he shared with Ron and Hermione. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she had excused herself and floated over to Chris and Niall, with whom she spent the rest of the evening.

As the Christmas holidays drew nearer and the days grew shorter, Katie found herself drifting from her friends. Free periods were spent in Pansy's company and she took care to finish her dinners quickly before hurrying off to the common room. Harry, Ron and Hermione still did not seem to trust her, and Katie wasn't going to waste her time chasing friends who showed her little appreciation. Though, she wasn't entirely sure she blamed them for their wariness. She was a Slytherin, after all, and Slytherins had a reputation of being dishonourable.

But during a free period on the second last day before the holidays, Harry approached Katie in the corridor and asked her to join him, Ron and Hermione in the library; they had something to discuss with her. Katie agreed, albeit reluctantly, and some minutes later she found herself sat with said company in a hushed corner of the library.

Hermione had a stack of books piled in front of her, which wasn't out of the ordinary. What shocked Katie was the large collection of books that Harry and Ron had also accumulated. They couldn't have all been for homework or leisure reading.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Katie asked, looking expectantly between the three Gryffindors. They shared a glance, riddled with apprehension.

It was Harry who spoke, breaking into a story that Katie had not been expecting at all. She listened intently, each new piece of information surprising her more than the last, though she was sure he was leaving out a lot of important details, judging by Hermione's furrowed eyebrows and the fact that some of the story didn't quite seem to tie together. When Harry finished, Katie sat in silence for a few moments to process what she had just heard.

"Okay, so, let me get this straight," she started, gathering her thoughts. "You went into a locked room in the forbidden corridor on the third floor, found a three-headed dog named Fluffy that belongs to Hagrid, saw that it was standing on a trapdoor, and now you think Professor Snape is trying to steal whatever the dog is guarding?"

"Yes."

"Exactly," Hermione said.

"That's right," Ron nodded.

"You guys are nuts." Katie slumped back in her seat.

"Maybe, but it makes sense," Harry said. "Remember that day in the staff room? Snape's leg was all mangled."

"So?"

"So, he snuck off on Halloween," Harry told her. "We think that he let the troll in to cause a diversion, allowing him time to get to the three-headed dog and try to pass it. But he was bitten, and that's why his leg is hurt." He tapped his finger on the table to emphasise his point, Ron and Hermione nodding along as he spoke. Katie's face contorted in concentration as she tried to piece together the point.

"I suppose it makes sense," she reluctantly agreed.

"When we asked him about the dog and what it was guarding, Hagrid mentioned something about a wizard named Nicolas Flamel," Hermione added. "We've been searching the library for anything on Flamel, but we've found nothing."

Harry continued on. "But the day Hagrid brought me to Diagon Alley, he took something top secret from one of the vaults. Later that day, the vault was broken into."