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Trudging through the snow, Katie and Lori giggled as they recounted one of their Quidditch stories to a hand-in-hand Leanne and Cho.
The cold winds bit as their exposed skin, all four of them wrapped in thick coats, woolly hats, gloves and scarves as they trekked down to Hogsmeade.
Emerging into the warmth of The Three Broomsticks, they quickly found a booth and each ordered a Butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta.
"Sure you don't want yours with a sprinkle of Cedric's sweat?" Katie laughed beside her, the four amber drinks finding their table a few moments later.
It was fifteen minutes later, when they had all drunk their fill, that Katie left for the toilets, returning several minutes later with a package wrapped in brown paper.
Leanne shot her a curious glance as they headed back out into the snow, "Katie, you don't know what it could be."
She rolled her eyes, "I know what I'm doing. Madam Rosmerta says it's a present for Dumbledore, but she doesn't have time to deliver it."
Some of the packaging fell away, a black box now in Katie's hand as she plummeted to the floor. Leanne let out an ear-curdling scream, turning to Harry, Ron and Hermione behind them, "I warned her! I warned her not to touch it!"
Katie was violently shoved sideways across the snow, her limbs limp and flailing like a rag doll, Cho buried her head into Leanne, Lori pulling out her wand, "Finite Incantatem!"
It was no use, Katie continued to be thrown side to side before lurching up into the snow filled sky, her hair flying all around her as she hung there, her mouth open in a silent wail, muffled by the snow.
Suddenly, she dropped, landing on her back, her body twitching slightly as Lori ran over to her.
"Don't get any closer!" Hagrid bellowed, "Get back, all of you!" He bent, slowly picking her up and cradling her limp figure between his arms, Harry moved over to the package, "Do not touch that, except by the wrappings. Do you understand?"
A necklace had spilled out onto the floor, encrusted with jewels of jade and onyx as Harry slowly wrapped it back up, the eight of them heading back to the castle, much more terrified than before.
*
McGonagall looked sadly down at the necklace before rounding on the four Gryffindors, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, "You're sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she entered the Three Broomsticks?"
