Katie had been drifting off to sleep, head nodding, resting on her palm, when Harry shifted in his bed.

He let out a small groan and Katie's eyes snapped open. Harry was blinking around confusedly, as though he didn't quite know where he was, but Katie saw the realisation set into his face.

"Katie—" Harry began, but Katie shushed him quickly, pointing to Ron and Hermione, who were fast asleep in their own chairs.

Katie shuffled her seat closer to Harry's bed.

"You stayed?" Harry asked, whispering.

Katie smiled. "Of course we stayed. How are you feeling?"

Harry frowned and broke his eyes away from Katie's face, and she could tell that he wanted to cry but was trying very hard to hold his tears back.

"Harry..." Katie said softly. "I know you're not OK — you'd be mad if you were, you don't have to hide it from me."

When Harry looked back at Katie, she was shocked to see a shadow of fear glinting in his usually daring eyes. He gulped, and his bottom lip quivered slightly.

"He looked exactly the same," Harry began in a quavering voice, "exactly the same as he looked in my dreams, but, when he spoke... it was like... like—"

"Like a Dementor?" Katie finished in a whisper, remembering the rattling voice from her vision. Harry blinked at her, surprised. "Like he sucked all the happiness right out of the air?"

Harry nodded slowly as he eyed Katie steadily. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, exactly like that."

An uncomfortable shiver ran down Katie's spine. She hadn't slept all night, and she told herself that it was just because she was worried about Harry, which was partially true, of course, but every time she shut her eyes, a daunting voice in her head reminded her that Lord Voldemort was back, and it terrified her beyond her wits.

"Kill the spare," Harry said suddenly, drawing Katie away from her thoughts. She cocked her head sideways in confusion. "That's what Voldemort said to Wormtail."

And then Katie knew exactly what Harry was talking about. Harry's eyes were beginning to fill with tears again. Instinctively, Katie reached out and gripped his hand.

"It's not your fault, Harry..."

But Harry was shaking his head. "I told him to take the Cup. I said that we should both take it."

With his free hand, Harry reached out for the bedside table and grabbed the large bag of gold that he had won. He stared at it through narrow eyes as though it were something disgusting that he had scraped off the bottom of his shoe.

"I don't want this stupid gold," he growled. "It should've been Cedric's."

"Harry..."

Katie didn't quite know what she wanted to say. She worked her brain hard in search of something — anything to say that might help Harry to feel better, but deep down, she knew that all he really needed was time and his friends at his side.

***

It was the day before the end of the school year. An empty sense of despair had loomed over the castle ever since the night of the Third Task. Katie, Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't so much as mention the task or the return of Lord Voldemort. It was as though they had come to a silent agreement not to discuss Voldemort or anything relating to him until they had gotten news about his whereabouts from an outside source — Sirius, perhaps.

Katie spent most of her time playing dull games of chess with Draco, who had also been exceptionally quiet since the Third Task. When she wasn't in the common room with Draco, Katie was in the library with Hermione. Neither of them actually read. They would sit across from each other with their noses tucked firmly behind books, but their eyes would mindlessly scan page after page, not focusing on a single word.

At breakfast on the last morning of the school year, Hermione broke a distressing and lingering silence by clearing her throat. Katie looked up, waiting for Hermione to speak, but Hermione just stared back at Katie while nervously biting her lip.

"Er — I've been refraining from asking, but, well, we're going home tomorrow, so I kind of have to ask..." Hermione said cautiously and Katie quirked an eyebrow. Hermione drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Where are you and Chris going to go for the summer?"

Katie was stunned by the fact that this dilemma had not dawned on her once all year. Suddenly, as though a storm cloud had materialised above her head, Katie felt strangely cold and a sensation of nervous bubbling occurred in her stomach. Where was she going to go for the summer?

Her dad was dead, her mother was missing, her biological father still remained a mystery, despite all the clues that had been trickled around during Katie's four years at school, and she had no other family members. All four of her grandparents were dead, her mother was an only child, and her dad had only one sister, who died tragically only the year before Katie started school.

She glanced down the table at Chris, as though the sight of his face would bring a sudden solution to her problem, but, of course, it didn't. Perhaps Chris had a plan? Katie wouldn't know. Despite everything that had happened, Katie still hadn't spoken to her brother since the day that they had their row.

"Because, I was thinking—" Hermione said, snapping Katie back into harsh reality, "—that you could come and stay with us. Mum and dad loved you, and I'm sure they would like Chris."

Ron, eyebrows furrowed, glanced up from his meal and said, "She's staying with me."

Katie, Harry and Hermione all stared at Ron blankly, though their perplexity was evident by their slightly tilted heads. Ron's gaze bounced between the three of them and he looked to be just as bemused as them. His gaze focused on Katie.

"Didn't mum tell you?" he quizzed, and Katie shook her head, still bewildered. Abruptly, Ron's mouth fell open, and he clasped a hand over his mouth. "Oh no! It was supposed to be a surprise!"

Now it was Katie's turn to drop her jaw. A slur of peculiar noises slipped past her lips before she finally managed to form a cogent sentence.

"What?" she gasped. "Ron — I — your mum doesn't have to—"

"Oh, give it a rest," Ron said, vaguely exasperated. "You know mum loves having you and Chris over."

"But... but the cost of—"

"Katie, please," Ron shook his head. "Mum and dad have seven children, alright? I think they can handle you and Chris just fine."

Harry spoke for the first time throughout the conversation. "Here, mate, you can take my winnings, then. They might help your mum out."

"No, keep it," Ron turned the offer down. "You already asked mum, remember? She said no."

"But—"

"Keep it," Ron said sternly. "Oh, and Katie, don't mention any of this to Chris. At least one of you should get the surprise."

Katie frowned. "No worries here."

Face dropping sadly, Hermione leaned closer to Katie and spoke in a gentle voice. "You should really talk to him."

"I know," Katie sighed, glancing at her brother, who was joking with Niall and the Weasley twins. "I know I should."

Chris glanced up. His eyes met Katie's, making her stiffen, and the grin on his face faltered. Leaning forward, he said something to his friends, who nodded, and stood up. Then, Chris walked the length of the Gryffindor table, rounded the head, and made his way up the side that Katie was sat at.

"Can I talk you you?" Chris asked Katie quietly. Katie's eyes flickered towards Hermione, and Hermione nodded subtly. Getting to her feet, Katie followed Chris from the Great Hall. They halted in the Entrance Hall, which was completely deserted, and Chris took a deep, steady breath before speaking.

"Look, Kat, about what I said that time, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it—"

"I know you didn't," Katie cut him off heavily. "Everyone's saying it, and the people who don't say it are thinking it. I know you didn't mean it, I know, but when... when the person... that you trust more than anyone says something like that—"

"I know," Chris frowned, a hint of a plea in his voice. "I'll be apologising for it forever, but we're leaving here tomorrow and we have nowhere to go. All we have is each other, Kat, we can't keep fighting."

Katie felt a pang of guilt when Chris said that they had nowhere to go, because now she knew very well that they were going to be staying with the Weasleys, but as Ron had said, she kept the surprise a secret by oppressing her guilt with great difficulty.

"You're right," Katie paused, her eyes scanning her brother. "And I forgive you."

As a bright grin split across Chris' face, his eyes lit up. He clapped a hand down on his sister's shoulder and gave it an attentive squeeze.

***

Despite the fact that she was going to spend the entire summer with one of her best friends, it was with a heavy heart that Katie packed her trunk the next morning. She didn't quite know why. Maybe it was because, for the first time since her education began, Katie truly felt at home in her Hogwarts house that year. While her own home had been destroyed, burned down in the event of her father's murder, she had finally found solace in Hogwarts and she wasn't ready to let go of that feeling of security just yet.

Lord Voldemort was out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows, making Katie afraid to step out of the boundaries of Hogwarts and the protection of Albus Dumbledore, even if it was only for two months.

Katie, Pansy and Draco made their way up to the Entrance Hall together, where they said their goodbyes. Pansy placed her trunk on the stone floor and pulled Katie into a hug.

"See you in September," she said happily. "Have a good summer."

"Yeah, you too." Katie nodded, grinning.

Draco didn't hug Katie, but he smiled, nodded and said, "I'll write to you."

Katie's smile widened. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Amidst the rest of the fourth years who were waiting for the horseless carriages to arrive, Katie glimpsed Hermione's bushy head of hair.

"There they are," Katie said, nodding her head in the direction of Hermione, who she assumed was accompanied by Harry and Ron. "I should go. See you!"

"Bye!" Pansy and Draco chorused and Katie made her way over to Hermione. As she had suspected, Harry and Ron were also there.

"'Arry!"

Katie looked around. Fleur Delacour was hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.

"We will see each uzzer again, I 'ope," Fleur said to Harry, who looked as though he didn't quite know what to respond with, so he just nodded politely. "I am 'oping to get a job 'ere, to improve my Eenglish."

"It's very good already." Ron said in a strangled voice. Fleur smiled at him and Hermione scowled.

"Goodbye, 'Arry," Fleur said, turning to leave. "It 'az been a pleasure meeting you!"

Fleur hurried back across the lawns to the Beauxbatons carriage, her silvery hair flowing behind her.

"Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting on?" Ron said, and Katie turned her attention to the Durmstrang ship that was bobbing idly in the lake. "D'you reckon they can can steer that ship without Karkaroff?"

"Karkaroff did not steer," a gruff voice said. "He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork. Could I have a vord?" Krum added to Hermione, who blushed.

"Oh... yes... alright." Hermione replied, looking slightly flustered, and following Krum through the crowd and out of sight.

"You better hurry up!" Ron called loudly after her. "The carriages'll be here in a minute!"

Katie and Harry kept watch for the carriages while Ron spent the next few minutes craning his neck over the crowd to try and see what Hermione and Krum might be up to. They returned quite soon.

"I liked Diggory," Krum said to Harry, and Katie felt her heart sink. "He vos always polite to me. Even though I vos from Durmstrang — with Karkaroff." he added, scowling.

Krum held out his hand and shook Harry's, then Ron's. Ron looked as though he was suffering some sort of painful internal struggle. Krum had already started walking away when Ron burst out, "Can I have your autograph?"

The carriages arrived. Harry and Hermione went ahead while Krum, looking surprised, but gratified, signed a piece of parchment for Ron. Not wanting to let the opportunity slip, Katie also asked Krum for an autograph. He happily signed a second piece of parchment for her before saying his final farewell. Katie and Ron looked at each other, grinning broadly, their faces flowing, and let out simultaneous squeals of delight — while Harry and Hermione watched from the carriage, both of them chuckling and shaking their heads.

When they had settled on the train, Felix curled up in Katie's lap and Crookshanks in Hermione's, the group finally had a full and long discussion about everything that had happened during the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Their main topic of discussion was what action Dumbledore might be taking to stop Voldemort, a conversation which was broken when Hermione took out a copy of the Daily Prophet.

Harry looked at it uncertainly. Spotting this, Hermione offered it out to him.

"There's nothing in there," Hermione told Harry. "You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking everyday. Just a small piece the day after the Third Task, saying that you'd won the Tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me, Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet."

"He'll never keep Rita quiet," Harry grumbled. "Not on a story like this."

"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything since the Third Task," Hermione said, her voice rising in pitch. "As a matter of fact, Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything for awhile. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her."

"What are you talking about?" Ron questioned.

"I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming into the grounds." Hermione said in a rush. Katie had the impression that Hermione had been dying to tell them this for days, but that she had restrained herself in the light of everything else that had happened.

"How?" Katie said.

"How is she doing it?" Harry said.

"How did you find out?" Ron said, staring at Hermione.

"Bugging." Hermione saud happily.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "But you said they didn't work—"

"Oh, not electronic bugs," Hermione went on. "No, you see... Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn—" Hermione pulled a small sealed glass jar out of her bag, "—into a beetle."

"You're kidding," Ron gasped. "You haven't... she's not..."

"Oh, yes she is." Hermione grinned, brandishing the jar at them.

Katie snatched the jar from Hermione's hand and examined it thoroughly with a look of surprise in her eyes. Inside were a few twigs and leaves, and one large, fat beetle.

"I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing," Hermione explained. "Look very closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears."

"Hermione!" Katie exclaimed, both very impressed and shocked.

Hermione took the glass jar back and smiled at the beetle, which buzzed angrily against the glass.

"I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London," Hermione said. "I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people."

Glowing triumphantly, Hermione placed the beetle back inside her bag. The compartment door slid open and in stepped Fred, George, Chris and Niall.

"Exploding Snap, anyone?" Fred beamed, pulling out a pack of cards.

They played game after game of Exploding Snap, and their compartment hung with cheery laughter. Katie almost wished that the train ride would go on forever, but of course, after what felt like no time at all, the Hogwarts Express was slowing down at Platform nine and three quarters.

Katie awkwardly maneuvered her trunk through the train, passed bustling students, and out onto the platform. Chris followed closely behind her, looking extremely anxious. His face was ghostly pale and his teeth were chattering nervously. He threw his eyes around, as though expecting their mother to materialise out of thin air.

"Remember — act surprised." Ron discreetly whispered to Katie. He then walked over to Mrs Weasley with Fred, George and Ginny.

Once Mrs Weasley had greeted her children, her head popped up and her eyes began to scan the platform. She found Katie and Chris, grinned broadly, and started waving enthusiastically at them.

"Katie, Christian, over here!"

Chris shot Katie a confused look and, so not to be suspicious, Katie scrunched up her face in false bewilderment. She and Chris heaved their trunks all the way over to the Weasleys, and Mrs Weasley hugged them both.

"Mrs Weasley, what — what's going on?" Chris asked, sounding slightly apprehensive. Mrs Weasley's smile broadened and her face glowed slightly pink.

"Well, you're coming home with me, of course!" Mrs Weasley beamed.

Chris' mouth fell open in surprise. He stammered awkwardly, seemingly unable to form a coherent sentence. Katie spoke for him.

"Mrs Weasley," she began in a small voice, "you really don't have to—"

"Oh, nonsense!" Mrs Weasley guffawed. "We can't have you sleeping on the streets, now, can we? Besides, you two are a pleasure to have around."

Although Katie had already known that Mrs Weasley was going to be taking her under her wing, she still felt as though she should argue against it. The Weasleys already struggled with money, and they didn't need another two kids to burden them with extra costs.

"But... Mrs Weasley... I don't think there's enough space at the Burrow—"

"Then it's a good thing that we're not staying at the Burrow, then, isn't it?" Mrs Weasley responded heartily.

"What?" Katie and Ron said in unison.

"Where are we going?" George inquired, sounding both curious and intrigued. "A holiday?"

"Don't be silly, George," Mrs Weasley snapped, causing the excited expressions on the Weasley's faces to diminish. "Of course we're not going on a holiday. No — you'll see when we get there. Oh — Harry!"

Harry had been sulking over to his Uncle Vernon when he caught the eye of Mrs Weasley. His manner brightening substantially, Harry stepped over to Molly, and she tugged him into a bone crushing hug.

"See you, Harry." Ron said, clapping Harry on the back.

"Bye, Harry!" Hermione smiled. She kissed Harry on the cheek before hugging Katie and smiling at Ron, then she rushed off to find her parents.

Harry hugged Katie, and it was at that exact moment that it hit her... she wasn't going to see him for two months. That thought made her cling on tighter to Harry.

"I'm going to write everyday," Katie told him. "I hope you know that."

Harry chuckled. "When did you get so clingy?" he joked.

"Shut up," she lightly slapped his arm. "Unless you'd rather no interactions for two months—"

"Oh, bloody hell, no," Harry said quickly. "No, a letter a day sounds good."

Laughing gently, Katie reached out and ruffled a particularly messy tuft of Harry's hair, then tucked it behind his ear.

"You need a haircut." she said matter-of-factly, examining his very unkempt hair.

Harry pouted. "I thought you liked it long?"