Riddle Me This

Chapter 3

Catherine's POV

I wasn't too late for Flying Lessons, and had been able to avoid any problems when I explained that Snape had kept me back.

"Alright, go stand next to your broom." Madam Hooch ordered and I went and stood on the Slytherin side. My broom happened to be next to Malfoy, and I made sure to give him a glare before facing Hermione, who was across from me. Madam Hooch told us to use our magic to get our brooms in our hand by using the command 'up'. It took me three or four tries before it came to my hand. Once we all had our brooms, Madam Hooch told us to mount them and hold on tight. Then she wanted us to hover in the air, and then touch back down.

Now, Neville Longbottom's broom didn't seem to want to listen to anyone. He went soaring and got caught on a statue before falling to the ground, breaking his wrist. Madam Hooch told us to stay grounded, or we'd be expelled while she took Longbottom to the Hospital Wing. Malfoy picked up Longbottom's remembrall. I was about to say something, when Harry told him to hand it over. In which case Malfoy got on his broom and went up. I glared as Harry then followed him. Malfoy landed before Harry after throwing Longbottom's remembrall. And once Harry landed, everyone crowded him, while I went over to Malfoy.

I slapped him over the head.

"You git!" I sassed. "What would you have done if Harry hadn't taken the bait and Hooch had come back. You'd be expelled. For what? Being a total arse." I got in Malfoy's face and pressed a finger into his chest. "If you're going to get yourself expelled, at least have it be worth something." Malfoy sneered, pushing my hand off from him.

"Don't talk to me like I'm inferior to you." He nearly seethed.

"Inferior?" I screeched, catching everyone's attention. "I'm trying to knock some sense into you! Sorry for caring if you get expelled!" I huffed and turned walking towards the rest of our classmates and watching as Harry's form disappeared across the courtyard with McGonagall. "What'd I miss?" I asked Hermione.

"I don't know. McGonagall must have seen him flying around." I frowned at this information.

"That bloody well sucks." I said before looking at the broom in my hand. "Did he get Longbottom's remembrall at least?" Hermione nodded. "Good." And we all just talked with each other until Madam Hooch came back and dismissed us.

Lunch was an interesting endeavour, as it seemed that if the Slytherin's were in the Great Hall, I sat across from Malfoy. And he glared at me the entire time. I rolled my eyes.

"Unless there's something on my face, I would like it very much if you'd stop staring at me, Malfoy. Or is there something you'd like to say to me?" I asked, leaning forward slightly as I reached for some of the food in front of me.

"I have nothing to say to the likes of you, Riddle." Malfoy spat.

"Then you have no reason to be glaring at me." I said. "And I'd prefer it if you called me Smith." It took until we were at dinner for Malfoy to quit glaring at me.

The following month was the same as the first day, more or less. Hermione and I spoke with each other in Transfigurations and breaks. Turns out, she's muggle-born. I got so excited that I hugged her.

"Why are you hugging me?" She asked.

"Because of who you are." I smiled.

"You aren't disgusted?" Hermione's voice shook slightly. I pulled back and quirked an eyebrow, before it really clicked. I scoffed.

"Anyone who is, can simply go jump in the Black Lake. You're still a witch like me. Better, and smarter, than most of the other witches and wizards in our year, and maybe second year. How many other students do you see studying as much as you do? No one. You're in a world you never knew about until recently, and you already know more than most purebloods." I saw Hermione began to tear up a bit. "And you're probably my best friend, so why would I be?" Hermione hugged and I just smiled. I decided that I would tell Hermione the truth of my heritage too. But when we weren't surrounded by so many people.

I never found the right time to though. And soon, it was Halloween, and we were in charms class, working on a levitation charm. Everyone, including me, was having problems. That was until Hermione got her feather in the air, having told Ron he wasn't pronouncing the spell right. Considering the entire class had been pronouncing it like Ron, neither was anyone else. Which made me smile a little. Hermione had proven herself again as one of the smarter witches, even without having been raised around magic.

Before dinner, I heard that Hermione was in the bathroom crying, so I went to investigate. When I entered, I could hear the soft sobs coming from one of the stalls.

"Hermione? It's Catherine. Are you okay?"

"Go away Catherine." I frowned slightly. She hadn't called me by my full name in weeks, having started calling me Cat.

"Not happening. You're upset, and I want to know who I'm hexing for it." I said, stomping my foot slightly.

"I'll be fine Catherine. Go to dinner, I'll see you there."

"Fine, but I better see you there! If not, I will be back." I turned and froze when I saw something that shouldn't be there. "Hey Hermione. Trolls don't normally walk around the castle, right?"

"No. Why?" She asked, finally opening the stall door to see the giant blue mountain troll in the bathroom. We both screamed and I crammed myself into the stall with her, ducking as the troll swung its club and destroyed the top half of the stalls. Screaming again, we crawled forward under the debris. I could Harry and Ron's voices, and for a moment, the troll was distracted, so Hermione and I headed to hide under the sinks. Well, it didn't work. The wood that had been covering us had made a noise, and brought the troll's attention back to Hermione and I, and it swung it's club and just missed us, destroying the sink behind Hermione and I.

Harry, bless the boy, got onto the troll's shoulders and shoved his wand up it's nose. Which made me flinch and nearly gag. Troll didn't seem to like it either, as it grabbed Harry and started to swing it, missing Harry because he curled himself up. Ron then used the charm we had been practicing earlier that day to successfully levitate the club, and drop it on the troll's head. Hermione and I hurried over to the boys, seeing that the Troll was now unconscious. Harry retrieved his wand, which had me gagging, when McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell came in.

"Explain yourselves." McGonagall demanded. Hermione jumped in to save the boys arses, saying she had gone after the troll and that the boys had saved her and I.

"And what about you Miss Smith?" McGonagall asked. I threw my hands up.

"I didn't know a troll was going to attack me while I was in the loo." I stated, flinching slightly as I felt my scar burn a little. We were dismissed and Snape escorted me to the Slytherin dorm.

"What really happened Catherine?" Snap asked. I shrugged.

"I was in the loo, a Troll came in, it attacked me, Ron and Harry saved Hermione and I." Snape gave me 'the real story please' look, and I shrugged. I hadn't lied. I just didn't say that Hermione had been in the bathroom first, or that I hadn't been using the loo anyways.

"What happened to your leg?" I asked, having noticed the scratch and it was bleeding. Snape said nothing as he continued to walk with a slight limp. I frowned. "Papa, what happened?" Snape stayed silent and I grabbed onto his cloak. "Papa-"

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Catherine." I flinched slightly at the tone in his voice. I looked to the ground, dropping my arm. Snape began to walk down the hall and I followed after him, trying to keep my emotions back. When I entered the common room, Sevy flew to me immediately and clung to me, hanging from my tie.

"Where have you been, Riddle?" Malfoy asked. I noticed that Snape hadn't followed me in and I felt a tear go down my face, which I quickly wiped away before looking up, giving a small smile.

"Troll problems. Sort of hard to leave the bathroom when it's standing in the doorway and trying to kill you." The entire room went quiet.

"You saw the troll?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. Real ugly thing too." I laughed to myself quietly. "I uh... I'm going to bed now. I'm sure you all understand." And I hurried there, Sevy hissing at anyone and everyone in my way. I curled up in a ball on my bed and cried a little.