VERDANT OUTCASTS | cedric diggory

⁰⁷ | unexpected run-in

CHAPTER SEVEN,
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"Son of a bitch!"

Katarina Manasse lets out a loud grunt, stomping her feet against the stone floor as she spins around to face her friends.

"What, now?" she snaps, lips pressed into a thin line.

Lorenzo Berkshire and Mattheo Riddle had somehow both managed to misplace their ties while getting ready for their first class of the day, which meant all three Slytherins were already running late for History of Magic. Theo, however, made the bright decision to leave without waiting for his two dorm mates.

While Katarina wasn't known for being especially studious, preferring to study only when necessary, she prided herself on her punctuality. Thus, the idea of arriving late to class, even to a subject as dull as History of Magic, irritated her to no end.

Lorenzo gulps under Katarina's stare, "I forgot my textbook in the dormitories."

Katarina lets out an exasperated sigh, stomping her feet once more, "You two already made me late for class!"

"Relax, Rina," Mattheo says with a lazy grin, turning to Lorenzo with a shrug. "I'm happy to go help you look for it."

"Oh, shush!" Katarina snaps, pointing an accusing finger at Mattheo. "You're just looking for an excuse to skip class!"

Mattheo scoffs, rolling his eyes. "No, I'm—"

His retort dies on his lips when he catches the look on Katarina's face. He clears his throat, "Hm, so what?"

"Whatever, I'm leaving," Katarina declares, her tone final.

"Hey," Mattheo says, reaching out to grab her arm, "Leaving where?"

Katarina looks at him as if he's the biggest idiot she's ever seen, "To class?"

"Just wait two minutes, and we'll be right back," Mattheo pleads, not wanting her to venture into the corridors alone.

Katarina yanks her arm out of his grasp. "I'm a grown woman, Mattheo. I don't need a babysitter," she says, spinning on her heel and storming away without another word.

She soon finds herself in a corridor just a few turns away from the History of Magic classroom, and as she makes her way down the dimly lit hall, a sudden crash from the far end catches her attention. Katarina looks up. Nothing. Taking a deep breath, she takes a cautious step forward, and without warning, a bright red light zips past her, so close she can feel its heat on her cheek. She yelps, instinctively ducking as her hand flies to her face.

"What on earth?" she mutters, trying to spot where the spell came from. When she draws her hand back in front of her face, she notices it smeared with a thick layer of soot-like powder, and merely few seconds later, the sharp noise erupts again, this time followed by a series of loud, rapid pops. Katarina's eyes widen in horror as a barrage of fireworks explodes into view, crackling and hissing as they shoot straight toward her. She shrieks, stumbling backward in a desperate attempt to avoid getting her face charred off. However, her foot catches on the edge of her robe, and she tumbles to the ground, landing hard on her back as the fireworks whizz past her.