VERDANT OUTCASTS | cedric diggory

¹⁰ | the four champions

CHAPTER TEN,
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cw: harassment

Katarina swings the bag that holds her new books, whistling a tune she doesn't remember the name of as she walks. She looks at the ground, watching droplets of water spray up as her Converse-clad feet step into another puddle. The water, instead of soaking into the fabric, rolls right off her enchated shoes. She had changed from the Mary Janes she wore back at Hogwarts into the Converses, wanting to appear more Muggle-like now that was in Muggle London. Her mother, back when Katarina had just turned 11, had made the mistake of going to Muggle London with her daughter while still in wizarding clothes, which earned them quite a few looks. Not the good kind. So, Katarina isn't making the same mistake.

She had told Seraphine and Isadora that she needed to run some errands in Hogsmeade, politely declining their offers to join her by claiming she had personal matters to take care of.

After arriving at the Three Broomsticks, she slipped into Madam Rosmerta's back office with her permission, using her Floo Network to reach the Leaky Cauldron. From there, she ventured deep into Muggle London.

Her destination was familiar— Daunt Books, a bookshop she often frequented. The older cashier recognized her instantly, greeting her with a smile, as always. Katarina then made her way to the 'Historical' section and picked up the latest edition of The Villains of the World. The last version she'd read was about Idi Amin, a dictator from Uganda. This new one was about another despot, Adolf Hitler. Reading these books reinforced her belief in the wickedness of Muggles. She didn't need more proof, but the books definitely helped.

Still, before leaving, she allowed herself a small indulgence, grabbing a copy of a Muggle story titled Little Women as well.

Katarina now turns a corner into a dark, narrow street. The darkness doesn't bother her; she finds it comforting. She's walked this way plenty of times, the shadows nothing new to her.

But just before she reaches the end of the street, two guys stumble out from a side alley, laughing obnoxiously. Katarina scowls as she tries to move past them, her gaze fixed straight ahead, willing them to ignore her.

"Oi, lady!" One of them calls out.

She glances around quickly, hoping they're addressing someone else. No such luck.

"Yeah, you," the one with a cigarette says, his eyes scanning her up and down in a way that makes her skin crawl. Katarina feels bile rise up her throat, her fists clenching at her sides.

They look exactly like the kind of Muggle junkies, she thinks they're called, she'd heard about— Torn clothes, greasy hair, the stench of beer and smoke surrounding them. The second one, the one who'd called out to her, tosses his empty beer can carelessly into the alley, his gaze never leaving her. The cigarette in the other guy's hand glows faintly in the dark, the tip burning orange as he inhales. They seem to be around her age.

"The hell do you want?" Katarina snaps, her grip tightening around the strap of her bag.

The guy laughs, sharing a look with his friend, who puts out his cigarette against the grimy brick wall before flinging it to the ground. Katarina's scowl deepens.

The first guy takes a few steps closer, swaggering in a way he probably thinks looks intimidating, one hand dropping to adjust his crotch in that obnoxious way some guys do. Katarina finds it repulsive.