Bab 115: Chapter 115: Turning Points (2)
Sirius and Catherine finally reached the last train car with a lot of effort. Walking through the crowded, moving vehicle with the travel carrier of the rebellious Nyx, who was hissing and trying hard to escape, turned out to be quite challenging.
"You're sure she's locked, right?" – asked Sirius with genuine concern. He and the Kneazle didn't have the best relationship and despite Catherine's assurances and blind adoration for the spirited black furball, the boy had no doubt he would be the one on the receiving end of the beast's sharp teeth and claws if it managed to break free.
"Yes, she is locked and you don't have to look as if I'm transporting a Basilisk!" – smirked the girl, opening the glass door of the last compartment.
"Close enough!" – shrugged the young wizard, following his friend inside – "Wow, James, way to pick the prime spot at the very end of the train! We totally loved spending half the trip on a wild goose chase to find you all!"
"Huh? If you want a front seat that badly, you can try and be a good boy this year. Maybe this way you'll get to be a Prefect and ride at the very front of the train with all the other Prefects!" – James replied with a bright smile, winking at Catherine.
"Sure, and we'll be best chums with Greg McMahon!" – the other boy sneered, taking the free spot next to Peter – "Did you see him trying to show off in front of his parents, giving orders left and right? I thought I'd be sick!"
"Sadly, I've missed it." – James chuckled – "Who's the other Prefect from Gryffindor?"
"Seraphina Jordan." – Sirius announced indifferently, adding with a smirk – "I've heard Frank Longbottom cried for days because Gryffindor couldn't have two male Prefects and he was to be separated from his precious little lord while he's on duty."
"Come on, mate! Frank's not half-bad! Nothing like McMahon! You should give him a chance, right Flame?" – James defended Frank, turning towards Catherine, who had been unusually quiet.
The girl was standing in the middle of the compartment, still holding her pet's carrier, staring at the tall young man with broad shoulders sitting next to the window. His light brown hair was a bit on the longer side, and he was dressed in clothes that appeared old and shabby. As she and Sirius walked inside, he turned towards them and smiled kindly. His face was pale, with gentle features and full lips. A small stubble made him look like a wary traveller to some distant lands. However, his amber eyes were still a bit child-like and innocent, making Catherine gasp, unable to hide her surprise.
"Remus?!"
"What happened to you?" – asked Sirius with astonishment when he finally looked in the direction of his friend and realised he must be now be taller than both him and James.
"I'm not entirely sure." – Remus replied anxiously, blushing furiously and embarrassed by all the attention – "It happened in literally a few weeks. We wrote to Dumbledore and he had a theory that due to the difference in the maturity age of wolves and wizards, werewolves reach puberty earlier than what's normal for us, and I kind of had a growth spurt."
"We almost didn't recognise him!" – James chuckled.
"But it's kind of weird with your voice being the same, it doesn't suit how grown up you are." – noted Peter, who looked impressed by his friend's new appearance.
"That's the least of my concerns." – Moony said gloomily – "My parents were shocked, and we couldn't afford… I mean, we didn't even have time to get me new clothes. So now, I've got some of my dad's old ones, and I'm going to look ridiculous trying to fit into my school robes. I was hoping one of Hogsmeade's businesses would need help during the weekends we visit so I can make a bit of money, although I doubt it will be enough for a new set of robes. It's just one day every two months, after all."
"You can use one of the secret passages and go to Hogsmeade more often." – Sirius suggested helpfully – "Nobody would think you are a fourth-year! You can pull this off."
"Or we can just buy you new robes as a much more sane solution." – Catherine interjected, shooting Sirius a disapproving gaze – "This could be our collective Christmas present."
"I can't accept that! It's way too expensive!" – Remus protested vigorously.
"Flame's right!" – James agreed – "Plus, they can't be more expensive than the Ashwinder egg."
"Speaking of that…" – Sirius said grimly, interrupting Remus' continued objections – "I couldn't help but notice that your hands don't bear the slightest burn mark. Don't you think you owe us some explanation, Catherine?"
"What happened?" – asked Peter, confused, his pale blue eyes darting between his friends' tense faces.
"Well," – Sirius began, carefully closing the compartment door – "It seems our friend here wasn't exaggerating when she said she didn't feel cold like the rest of us. Turns out, she doesn't feel heat either."
The young wizard quickly briefed Peter and Remus on what happened during their trip to Knockturn Alley. Catherine listened half-heartedly, staring at the floor of the train. Her thoughts were racing as she pondered how to keep her secrets hidden from her friends and appease them at the same time.
"Come on, Flame? Spit it out!"- James urged her – "I've seen your wounds and they were pretty severe. Sirius and I were worried sick you would not be able to hold a quill for months. But, still, an ordinary person would have burnt to crisp holding the egg for as long as you did."
"You know you can trust us, right?" – Sirius added, his tone gentle, yet insistent.
Catherine took a deep breath, steeling herself. She lifted her gaze to meet her friends' anxious expressions. "I'm inclined to fire. When the inclination is very strong it manifests in certain ways regardless if you're trained in Elemental magic or not. In my case, I don't feel hot and cold the same way as other people do and any wounds caused by fire heal very quickly."
"Come again?!" – said Peter, bewildered.
"Wait a second! You're talking about this thing we discussed in the closet when we were hiding from Filch and Thorne, right?" – Sirius asked, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Yes."- the girl confirmed with a nod.
"I'm no expert, but isn't that something aristocrats do" – James exclaimed, adjusting his glasses – "You said you only heard about Elemental magic from McMahon."
"I did hear about it from him, but it's not something just aristocrats can do." – the young witch affirmed, her tone neutral as she attempted to conceal any trace of emotion – "I became curious after overhearing Greg and Lily's conversation. Apparently, Elemental magic was once much more widespread, but people grew hesitant to learn it due to the associated risks."
"Risks?" – Sirius interjected, his concern palpable, but James swiftly silenced him with a gesture.
"I was interested in finding my elemental inclination after everything that I read." – Catherine continued – "So, I reached out to the Headmaster to ask if anyone at school could help me, and it turned out Dumbledore himself was an Elementalist."
"He is?!" – the four boys gasped in unison.
"He's actually a Fire Mage. That's why when we discovered I am also inclined to fire, we decided he would teach me how to use this power. It's a very rare one, especially for a woman. Thus, I'm having lessons with him, starting this year on how to control true fire" – the girl finished her story.
"And why didn't you tell us that in the first place?" – snapped Sirius angrily.
"Well… I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to learn Elemental magic. It's hard, and I didn't want to look as a failure…" – Catherine explained, trying to portray a look of pure embarrassment – "And I knew it would be a bit dangerous, so I didn't want to worry you."
"So instead you decided to lie to us?!" – Sirius asked with an icy tone, his grey eyes flashing with anger – "I thought you trusted us a bit more than that."
"I didn't lie to you. I just didn't tell you about this. I would have eventually." – answered young witch, feeling ashamed of herself – "I never intended for you to find out this way. People tend to react poorly when they learn someone is training to be an Elementalist; they're often seen as unstable and dangerous."
"Are they?" – Peter asked, concerned, but James shot him an annoyed look, and the other boy lowered his gaze guiltily.
"Not if properly trained and if they don't break the rules set by their instructors." – explained the girl – "However, people are just wary, especially when fire is concerned. I didn't want you… to fear me."
"Oh, Flame!" – Remus exclaimed, rising from his seat and moving beside Catherine. He enveloped her in a comforting embrace – "I know very well how you feel, believe me. But it's important that you understand we will be here to support you no matter what, and we're certainly not afraid!"
"Yeah, I mean, I'd be much more concerned if you decided to punch me, considering how you decorated Snivellus' face!" – James declared with a grin – "Seriously though, you should have told us. We're not friends just because we have fun together, right mate?"
Sirius didn't respond immediately. His gaze bore into Catherine, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. There was something else she was hiding, and he couldn't shake off his frustration. Torn between anger towards her and anxiety over the new and dangerous endeavour, he sulkily asked "What are these risks you keep mentioning? Not for the others, but for yourself?"
"Mainly, hurting myself during practice, but I do trust Dumbledore to prevent that. I'm not going to use true fire unsupervised, I promise!" – she said, her cheeks flushing slightly – "Also, in the beginning of training, it takes a toll on the body. It's quite normal to feel exhausted, to vomit, to pass out or have other symptoms during the first several months."
"Is it truly worth it?" – asked James, who seemed taken aback.
"I believe so." – the girl assured him – "Especially because Fire Mages are so rare. But, yeah, it's going to be a very rough year for me."
"You know, you can rely on us. We're going to support you." – Remus said gently but firmly.
"My mom has a really good remedy for nausea. It's a family recipe, but I'll get it for you." – Peter offered with rare dedication, earning a smile from Catherine.
"And if you don't want to alarm your parents, since they're Muggles, you can spend Christmas with my family!" – James suggested with a grin.
"Oh! I'd love to, but I'm not sure they'll allow it."- Catherine admitted, sounding genuinely disappointed.
"You can't know for sure unless you ask!" – the boy refused to give up – "In fact, you can all come! My mom loves having the house full of young people!"
"I wish I could, but I can't leave my mom alone on Christmas." – Peter chimed in with regret.
"It's full moon again around then." – Remus murmured, his tone low and thoughtful.
"I can probably come. My family seemed thrilled to have me out of their hair for a while." – Sirius said with a casual shrug.
"Honestly, I'm surprised your Mom would let you to stay with the Potters. Doesn't she think they're blood-traitors?" – asked Catherine.
"They're teetering on the edge." – Sirius smirked with satisfaction – "I think the only reason, I'm allowed to visit James so often is because my great-aunt Dorea is married to James' great-uncle Charlus, so we're kind of related."
"I didn't know that." – the girl exclaimed, surprised that James and Sirius were relatives, albeit distant. The Potters and the Blacks appeared as different as night and day.
"If you insist on marrying only pure-bloods, the choice is fairly limited." – Sirius chuckled dryly – "That's why in my family we often rely on marrying our cousins."
"I bet Bella's the greatest possible spouse you can choose in your Mom's eyes." - James teased him.
"Second-best." – the grey-eyed wizard sneered – "However, I have no idea where I can acquire a willing aristocrat to marry into the shit House of Black."
"Ask McMahon if he has a sister." – James suggested, laughing.
"Flame, are you alright?" – Remus asked, concerned – "Your face turned completely white."
"I'm fine, Moony." – the girl replied, hoping it was not visible how hard her heart was pounding – "I just felt sick thinking about Sirius marrying Bella."
"You and me both." – Sirius agreed with a scowl – "However, you don't need to worry. Rest assured, I'd sooner face Azkaban than agree to such a fate."
"Don't worry, mate, I'll hide you if Bella decides to show up in a wedding dress!" – James offered with a grin.
"I'm glad you find my potential misery amusing." – Sirius replied, his smile crooked – "Between your total lack of empathy and the possibility of Flame setting my arse on fire if I displease her, who needs enemies?"
The food trolley arrived at this moment and they all stepped outside the compartment to see what kind of treats they can purchase for the remaining part of the trip. While James was busy with his selection, Catherine moved closer to Sirius and discreetly slipped her hand into his.
"You seem angry with me." – she whispered.
Sirius looked down at her, his heart tightening with concern. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was in some kind of invisible danger. Despite whatever she was hiding from them, he couldn't bear to leave her alone. So, he smiled cheekily, bending down to place a quick peck on her forehead.
"Not angry, just worried. Look how scrawny you've gotten! I'm personally going to make sure you eat properly!"
"I'm not scrawny!" – the girl protested, pursing her lips.
"You won't be now that you're back to our care!" – James declared, stuffing a chocolate frog he had just unwrapped into Catherine's mouth.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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