CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN; katie bell

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PART FOUR
Katie Bell

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" y/n's point of view "

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SEPTEMBER FLEW BY and soon it was October and I was back at Hogwarts, but it felt different not being there as a student.

I walked through the familiar halls I had been down thousands of times during my seven years at the school, heading towards the Hospital Wing, when I bumped into a familiar pale face.

"Professor Snape." I acknowledged, and he eyed me suspiciously.

"I thought you left, Miss Black."

"And I thought you would never become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but I guess things change." I said, putting on a smile and shrugging. "Congratulations on that, sir."

Snape stared silently for a moment. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I said, maybe finding a little amusement in the lack of bullying. "Well, I need to get to the Hospital Wing. I'm working with Madam Pomfrey now."

"I see."

"See you around, Professor." I waved as I walked away, and he was still frowning.

Working in the Hospital Wing was great, too, because I saw the faces of lots of students I knew, like Nigel, who came in on my first day complaining of a stomach ache.

When he saw me, recognition flashed across his face and he looked happy, until Madam Pomfrey noticed and he was clutching his stomach in pain again.

The best part of working in the Hospital Wing, or at Hogwarts in general, was that I could always recognize when something had come from Fred and George's shop, which meant I knew how everything worked.

At dinner in the Great Hall was probably the most different experience, because I sat up at the front at the teachers' table and could look down at the Gryffindor table where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and many of my other friends were sitting.

That was where I met Professor Slughorn, the new Potions Master. Apparently he had taught at the school years earlier, but before I had arrived, obviously.

He told me how he used to be the head of Slytherin House, and how my entire family had been in Slytherin, except for my father. He said even though he taught my uncle, Regulus Black, when he came along, he would've loved to have 'collected the set'. He seemed a little disappointed when I told him I had been in Gryffindor like my father had been.

"It's a pity you already graduated." Slughorn had told me, shaking his head. "An 'O' in N.E.W.T level potions is quite an achievement. I haven't seen something like that since Professor Snape. Or since Lily Evans... Lily Potter, as you might've known her. Her son certainly takes after her Potions talent."

I turned my head towards the Gryffindor table, where Harry had been looking my way before he quickly turned to face Ron.

I knew for a fact Harry was in no way talented in Potions.

"Does he now?" I said to Professor Slughorn, who nodded. "Huh."

I enjoyed being able to properly talk to the Professors, some of which - like Professor McGonagall - not only asked me questions about myself and how I had been, but about Fred and George, too.

And everything at Hogwarts seemed alright, nothing that bad was happening and I thought just maybe, despite everything, this year would be a normal year at the school.

Then the first Hogsmeade visit came around and not too long into the day Hagrid came into the Hospital Wing carrying Katie Bell in his arms.

"She's bin cursed!" Hagrid said. "Harry and his friends jus' saw it happen."

"Y/N, go get Professor McGonagall at once." Madam Pomfrey ordered as she helped Hagrid get Katie, who was screaming, onto one of the beds. I ran out of the Wing and to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Professor!" I burst into her office, clearly startling her.

"Miss Black, what is the meaning of this!?" She exclaimed.

"It's Katie Bell, Professor. She's in the Hospital Wing, she's been cursed!"

Professor McGonagall had jumped to her feet and we hurried back to the Hospital Wing. We dodged students in the halls and Professor McGonagall even ignored Peeves as he drew inappropriate pictures all over the chalkboards in one of the classrooms.

"Oh, Severus." Professor McGonagall stopped as we passed Snape. "A girl has been cursed. Katie Bell."

"How?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow. Both Professors turned to look at me.

"I'm not sure. Hagrid said Harry and his friends saw it happen." I told them.

"Severus, you go to the Hospital wing, help Poppy to stop the curse from spreading. I'll go find Potter."

And we went two separate ways, me following Snape to the Hospital Wing and McGonagall walking towards one of the many entrances to the school.

I later found out that Katie was cursed by accidentally touching a necklace.

Her friend, Leanne, said that Katie had gone to the bathroom and when she came back she had the package which contained the necklace, and she had told her friend she needed to deliver it to Dumbledore.

And Harry insisted to Professor McGonagall, and any other professor who would listen, that the perpetrator was Draco Malfoy.

He had even told me this when he had come to the Hospital Wing later that day to see if Madam Pomfrey thought Katie would be okay by November when the Quidditch season was starting up, as Harry was the new Gryffindor Captain.

Obviously the answer was no, Madam Pomfrey had been talking to me about sending Katie to St Mungo's due to the extent of the situation.

The two of us had a chat, and when I brought up the topic of his sudden amazing Potions skills, Harry went quiet.

"I just got better, I s'pose." He said.

"And what is it that has made you better, then, huh?" I asked.

"All I've done is follow the instructions in the book, I don't know what to tell you." Harry shrugged and I narrowed my eyes at him.

Then he changed the topic to Quidditch, talking about how Ron's back to being a nervous wreck about playing, despite how the season had ended last year. He said that Cormac McLaggen was still after the position of Keeper, as if he was completely ignoring the number of other open spots on the team.

Ginny was one of the new Chasers replacing Angelina, Alicia and I, Katie had been one too, but now Harry would have to find someone to fill her position in the meantime.

I told him that if I was still working at the school when the season started, I would make sure I was at those games to cheer him on. But in the end I didn't end up seeing a single Quidditch match all year.

𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒; fred weasley x fem!readerWhere stories live. Discover now