Philosopher's Stone Twin

Chapter 17 - End of Year

Katrina sat cross-legged on her bed, the thick curtains of her dormitory pulled halfway shut to give her a semblance of privacy. The first rays of dawn had already more than warmed the stone walls of Ravenclaw Tower, but she barely noticed the light invading the room. In her hands was her grandfather's autobiography, its cover worn and familiar, yet filled with mysteries she was only beginning to unravel.

After Defense Against the Dark Arts, while the rest of her classmates headed to the library to study for their upcoming exams, Katrina had slipped away, her thoughts too consumed by the book to focus on anything else. She felt a connection to the story unfolding within its pages, a story that began with her grandfather's earliest memories, narrated in his own voice. The book was alive with his thoughts, his emotions, his experiences — a magical relic that told the story of a life with a depth and intimacy that was impossible to convey in words alone.

The morning air was still cool, the sounds of the castle muted as most of the students were either in class or in the library. Katrina turned the pages slowly, her eyes drinking in every detail. She was just beginning to lose herself in the narrative, in the way Gordon described his home as an infant with such vivid clarity, when the door to the dormitory creaked open.

Padma and Lisa bustled in, their voices light and carefree. They were discussing the upcoming exams, debating the difficulty of the Transfiguration test and comparing notes on the latest Potions assignment. Katrina quickly snapped the book shut, her heart skipping a beat at the sudden intrusion.

"Kat, you're in here?" Padma called out, her voice filled with surprise as she spotted Katrina on her bed. "We thought you'd be in the library with everyone else."

Katrina smiled, though she felt a pang of disappointment at being pulled from her reading.

"I needed a bit of quiet," she replied, tucking the book under her pillow. "Too much noise in the library."

Lisa gave her a curious look, her eyes drifting to the book that Katrina had hastily hidden away.

"What are you reading?"

"Oh, just something I found," Katrina said casually, trying to steer the conversation away from the autobiography.

Padma didn't press further, but there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes as she sat down on the edge of Katrina's bed.

"You know, you should join us for some revision. We're going to need all the help we can get for these exams."

Katrina nodded, her mind still half-absorbed in the lingering thoughts of her grandfather's story.

"Yeah, I'll join you in a bit. Just need to clear my head first."

The interruption had broken the spell the book had cast over her, and as her friends began to chat about their study plans, Katrina felt the weight of the autobiography under her pillow. She knew she would return to it soon enough, but for now, she had to push it from her mind and focus on the tasks at hand.

Padma and Lisa grabbed a few textbooks and headed for the door, exchanging a few more words of encouragement with Katrina before they left.

"Don't take too long, Kat!" Lisa called over her shoulder with a smile.

"I won't," Katrina promised, smiling back, but as soon as the door closed behind them, her smile faded, and her mind snapped back to the task at hand.

With a quick glance around to ensure she was alone, Katrina reached into the depths of her trunk and pulled out her heirloom box. The ornate design glinted in the morning light, the metal serpentine designs coiling around its edges seemingly alive. Her heart raced as she prepared to open it, the familiar routine comforting yet filled with a sense of urgency. She pricked her finger on the tiny, sharp fang of the serpent latch, feeling the brief sting as it drew blood, and then whispered the secret phrase that had been passed down through generations of her family.