"Join me, join me, join me!"

"Wow, you really don't take 'No' for an answer, do you?"

Katie wasn't quite sure it was wise to be taunting Lord Voldemort, but, she supposed, people couldn't actually control what happened in their dreams, especially not in dreams that had been planted in their head by someone else.

"I know who your father is."

Katie froze. Her heart leapt.

"Liar!" she hissed. But somehow she knew, deep down, that Voldemort was telling the truth.

"Join me and I can give you all the answers."

"Another nightmare?" Pansy asked as Katie jolted awake. Judging by the faint brightness in the room, it was dawn. Pansy was already out of bed and was pulling on her socks.

Katie sat up, rubbing her eyes harshly. "No," she lied. "Just a dream about Quidditch."

With a great yawn, Katie collapsed back onto her pillow with the hopes of catching a few more hours of sleep, but something hard hit her in the head. Looking around, she realised that Pansy had thrown a shoe at her.

"Get up, our O.W.Ls start in an hour." Pansy said.

Katie let out a long, loud and pained groan. "I forgot about that."

Already sensing that this was going to be a terrible day, Katie regretfully heaved herself out of bed and started changing out of her pyjamas. Casting her eyes around the room, she found that Daphne and Tracey had already left the dormitory, while Millicent was still snoozing peacefully in her bed.

"What exam have we got first?" Katie inquired casually as she fastened the final button on her shirt before slipping into her grey skirt.

"Theory of Transfiguration," Pansy told her. "Then our Transfiguration Practical in the afternoon."

Katie received a horrible stab of panic and froze halfway through fastening her skirt.

"No," she said in a horrified whisper. "No, no, no, we can't have Transfiguration first!"

She was sure to do her worst performance in her Transfiguration O.W.L, and if Transfiguration was first, it would knock her confidence for the rest of the exams and she didn't feel she could receive her best grades.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Oh, relax!" she scoffed. "You'll be fine."

"Pansy, I haven't passed a Transfiguration exam since first year!" Katie proclaimed.

Millicent let out a guttural moan and stirred. Her eyes blinked open and danced around the dormitory.

"What are you two yelling about?" she asked, sounding vaguely annoyed as she yawned, stretching and climbed out of bed.

"Morning, Milly," Pansy said brightly. "Exams start in a little bit."

"Fantastic." Millicent responded sarcastically.

***

"That was the worst hour of my entire life." Katie announced bitterly as she, Pansy and Draco left their Theory of Transfiguration later that morning.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't so bad." Draco said.

The trio stepped through the doors of the Entrance Hall and into the dazzling sunshine. A gentle breeze ruffled the silky grass as they crossed the lawns.

"That's easy for you to say, Mr Know-It-All." Katie snapped, securing the strap of her bag tighter on her shoulder as it had begun to slip.

"Do not compare me to Hermione Granger." Draco scolded irritably.

"Oh, please," Katie laughed. "You're right behind her for marks in every class."

Katie, Pansy and Draco settled underneath a beech tree by the Lake and spread their books open in the shade. Nearby, a group of jabbering third year Hufflepuff girls were sat by the Lake's edge, their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.

For at least ten minutes, the three Slytherins revised their Transfiguration notes in silence. Katie had to admit that the Theory of Transfiguration exam had not been incredibly difficult — it was, after all, a matter of memorising notes — but how she was going to manage to pass her Transfiguration Practical, she had no idea.

After many minutes of reading the same paragraph on how to Transfigure a whistle into a watch but not taking any of the information in, Katie closed the book with an aggressive snap.

"Oh, this is useless," she cried. "I can't do it, I just can't."

"Don't be stupid," Draco told her reassuringly, reaching out for her Transfiguration book, wiping off a smudge of dirt that had gathered on it's leather binding, and passing it back to her. "Here, try turn this into a matchbox, it might be easier than a watch."

Draco slid a silver ring off his finger and placed it on top of his book that lay open on the grass. Katie, however, paid no mind to this, instead choosing to examine Draco's hand in an amused sort of fashion. She had only just now realised something that she had never noticed before — Draco's fingers were littered with rings — at least three on each hand, and all of them either a shimmering silver or glossy black.

Katie smiled at him in an entertained manner. "Have you always worn rings?"

Draco gave a rather dramatic roll of his eyes. "Does that really matter?" he asked, slightly exasperated. "Yes, I have, now, Transfigure that ring into a matchbox." he pointed sharply to the silver ring that he had taken off one of his pale fingers.

"Yes, Professor." Katie said mockingly, earning a snort of amusement from Pansy, whose eyes were still focused on her book.

Katie took out her wand and pointed it right at the glittering ring. Then, screwing her face up in concentration, she muttered, "Flintifors!"

With a crack, Draco's ring vanished and was replaced by a matchbox, only the matchbox was still entirely made out of silver.

"Not bad," Draco hummed, taking out his own wand. "I mean, not perfect, obviously, but it could be a lot worse. Here, try again."

With a gentle wave of his wand and another crack, the ring reappeared. Katie blinked at it slowly, as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing, then turned to look at Draco with a wondrous expression etched onto her face.

"You can do non-verbal?" she asked him, deeply impressed.

Draco shrugged. "With some simpler spells, yeah."

Glimpsing Pansy, Katie saw that she was also highly in awe of Draco's ability to do non-verbal magic at the age of only fifteen, but she didn't comment on it.

After an hour or practise and Draco's tutoring, Katie managed to successfully Transfigure his ring into a matchbox and back again, and she received proud high-fives from both Pansy and Draco. As the day ticked on and the afternoon dawned on them, Katie found herself trudging back up towards the castle with a deep feeling of impending doom settling inside her stomach.

"You'll be fine." Draco reassured her kindly as they made their way back to the Great Hall for their Transfiguration Practical.

As it turns out, Draco was very wrong, very wrong indeed.

"Fine?" Katie bellowed as they walked to the Great Hall for dinner that evening. Students left the Hall after completing their Practicals, so Katie had not seen Draco after the exam until she found him in the corridor on his way to dinner. "Fine? My goblet had a beak, Draco, a beak!"

"Please stop yelling." Draco begged, casting his gaze around at all the curious sixth years who were watching this exceptionally short girl with a rather messy braid shouting crazily at Draco Malfoy.

"I will get my broomstick and I will create a human chicken skewer, blondie, do not test me."

Draco eyed her in a mildly amused way.

"You know you're blonde too, right?" he teased, his face splitting into a wide smirk.

Katie opened her mouth to respond, but found her brain jammed, instead letting out a huff and dropping angrily into a seat at the Slytherin table. Draco and Pansy exchanged amused looks and sniggered. They seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the company of stressed out and snappy Katerina Blair.

Katie pulled a plate of roast potatoes towards her with such force that some of them spilled over the sides, bounced off the table and rolled onto the stone floor.

"You're blonder than me." she muttered under her breath.

***

Katerina's Transfiguration exams seemed to set the tone for the rest of the week. Her Theory of Divination and Divination Practical took place on Tuesday, on Wednesday she had Astronomy, and on Thursday, Defence Against the Dark Arts. However, she was convinced that she might have managed to scrape an 'Acceptable' in Defence Against the Dark Arts, thanks to being part of Dumbledore's Army.

Katie had quite the change in heart on Friday afternoon when she emerged from her Potions Practical with a cheery spring in her step. She was feeling very confident, as she was sure many people could tell by the triumphant smile that was plastered on her face. Today, she got the pleasure of being the poised and collected person, while her friend groaned about the exams. Ron Weasley was sure he had failed both his Theory of Potions and Potions Practical.

"I don't know what you're getting so worked up about, Ron," Katie said in a sing-songy sort of voice as she bounced through the corridors with her Gryffindor friends. "I found that quite enjoyable."

"I agree," Hermione nodded. "It wasn't bad at all, Ronald." She was also smiling. His face showing only utmost annoyance, Ron glanced aside at Harry, who shrugged and shook his head miserably.

"How do they do it?" Ron asked disbelievingly in a voice that Katie assumed he thought was too quiet for her to hear. "I mean, how the bloody hell do they do it? Potions is impossible!"

"I dunno, mate," Harry sighed out, "I don't know.

Katie and Hermione exchanged smug looks, shook with suppressed giggles, but did not say anything.

***

Think, Katie, think...

She was sat in the Great Hall taking her final exam — History of Magic — which was not one of her strongest subjects. Closing her eyes and massaging her temples, she desperately racked the deep caverns of her mind, trying to picture her notes on Goblin Rebellions.

Somewhere in the Great Hall, a person screamed. There was a loud chorus of clatters as several people, Katie included, jumped in fright and dropped their quills to the floor. Katie looked round. Four spaces behind her and one row to the right, Harry collapsed, fell from his chair and hit the cold stone floor. Almost everyone in the room gasped and stood up to get a view of him. The examiners, Katie, Ron and Hermione all rushed over to him and found that he was clutching his scar.

He awoke only seconds after his head hit the floor. His eyes were wide and alert and his face was pale with terror.

"What was it, Harry?" Katie asked apprehensively, crouching down to him. "What did you see?"

Harry, however, was completely unresponsive. His eyes were darting around the Hall as though he was waiting for some ominous threat to emerge from a corner. Professor Tofty, one of the examiners, was at Harry's side now, and together he and Ron helped him to his feet.

"Merlin's Beard," Professor Tofty said weakly. "Let's get you to the hospital wing."

And Harry, who still appeared scared and disorientated, allowed himself to be steered into the Entrance Hall. Once the doors had closed, Professor Marchbanks, another examiner, clapped her hands loudly to silence the whispers that were ringing throughout the Hall.

"If you would all please return to your seats," she announced curtly. "There is still ten minutes left."

Casting a nervous glance at the great oak doors, Katie lowered herself into her seat. There was no hope of her remembering what had happened during the Goblin Rebellions now. For the final ten minutes of the History of Magic exam, Katie sat anxiously tapping her foot on the floor and drumming her fingernails against the wooden desk.

At last, after what felt like a century, the exam papers were collected and the students were dismissed. Katie sprung up from her seat so fast that she banged her knee hard against the desk, but paid no mind to it as she, Ron and Hermione ran for the doors.

"Where do you reckon he's gone?" Katie asked as they started up the marble staircase.

"The hospital wing, I expect." Ron replied, panting slightly.

"Harry!" Hermione cried suddnely. "What happened? Are you all right? Are you ill?"

Harry was rushing down the marble steps towards them, still looking just as horror stricken as he had when he woke up on the floor of the Great Hall.

"Come with me," he said quickly. "Come on, I've got to tell you something."

Without asking further questions, the three of them followed Harry as he led them along the first floor corridor, peering through doorways until at last he found an empty classroom and ushered them inside, snapping the door shut behind them and leaning against it. Now that he was standing still, Katie could see that his knees were shaking violently.

"Voldemort's got Sirius."

"What?" Katie, Ron and Hermione gasped in unison.

"How d'you—?" Ron began.

"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

"But — but where? How?" Hermione said. Her face was very white.

"I dunno how," Harry answered. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these tiny glass balls and they're at the end of row ninety seven... he's trying to use Sirius to get whatever he wants from in there... he's torturing him... says he'll end by killing him!"

Harry's voice was trembling. He moved over to a desk and sat down, placing his head in his hands.

"How're we going to get there?" he asked them.

There was a moment's silence. Then Ron stammered, "Get — get there?"

Harry lifted his head up sharply. "Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius!"

"But — Harry..." Ron said weakly.

"What? What?" Harry shouted.

Katie glanced between Harry, Ron and Hermione, the last two of which were gaping at the first as though he was suggesting they do something unreasonable. Personally, Katie didn't see anything wrong with his proposition; if Sirius was in trouble then they had to save him.

"Harry," Hermione said in a rather frightened voice. "What if Voldemort wanted you to see this? I mean... what if he's using Sirius to get to you?

"So what if he is?" Harry snapped. "I'm supposed to just let him die? Hermione, he's the only family I've got left."

Hermione fell silent after this, as did the rest of them. For a few seconds, they all looked between each other, unsure of what to say or do, too scared to move.

"We'll use the fireplace in Umbridge's office," Katie said finally. They all averted their eyes to her. "One of us can cause a diversion."

"I'll do it," Ron said at once. "I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department or something, it's miles away from her office. Come to think of it, I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him along the way."

"Harry," Hermione whispered, ignoring everything that Katie and Ron had just said, "Dumbledore wanted you to learn to shut these things out of your mind, if you'd done Occlumency properly you'd never have seen this—"

"IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN—"

The classroom door opened. Katie, Harry, Ron and Hermione whipped around. Ginny walked in, looking curious, followed by Luna, who as usual looked as though she had drifted in accidentally.

"Hi," Ginny started uncertainly. "We recognised Harry's voice. What are you yelling about?"

"Never you mind." Harry hurled roughly.

Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"There's no need to take that tone with me," she said coolly. "I was only wondering whether you can help."

"Well, you can't."

"Actually," Katie stepped forward, "they can." Everyone looked round at Katie, Ginny and Luna looking pleased, Ron and Hermione looking riveted, while Harry looked angry. "Harry, we need all the help we can get to rescue Sirius."

"Rescue Sirius?" Ginny repeated quickly, her voice laced with worry.

"I'll explain on the way." Katie told her quickly, then looked back to Harry for confirmation. His eyes danced between Katie and the two fourth years before, finally, with a gentle sigh, he nodded his head.

"All right, let's go then." Harry said, springing to his feet.

Hermione's mouth fell open. "Now?"

"Yes, now!" Harry yelled. "What do you want to do, wait until after dinner or something? Hermione, Sirius is being tortured right now!"

"I... oh, all right..." Hermione sighed in defeat.

Together, all six of them rushed to the end of Umbridge's corridor, where they paused and stared around at one another, waiting for someone to take the first move.

"All right," Hermione whispered as a gang of loud sixth years passed them. "So, Ron — you go and head Umbridge off... Ginny, Luna, if you can start clearing people out of the corridor... Katie, you can stand guard, Harry and I will wait until the coast is clear and then we'll go into the office.

"Luna I can stand at either end of the corridor," Ginny said promptly, "and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garroting Gas."

Ron strode away while Katie, Ginny and Luna pushed through the moving crowds of jostling students.

"You can't come down here!" Ginny was calling to the crowd that was trying to move into the corridor. "No, sorry, you're going to have to go round by the swiveling staircase, someone's let off Garroting Gas just along here—"

Katie moved around a corner and hid in a crevice to keep watch for Umbridge, Filch and the Inquisitorial Squad. She could still hear Ginny, as well as people complaining, and one surly voice said, "I can't see no gas."

"That's because it's colourless," Ginny drawled in a convincingly exasperated voice, "but if you want to walk through it, carry on, and we'll have your body as proof for the next idiot that doesn't believe us."

Slowly, the crowd thinned. The news about the Garroting Gas seemed to have spread; people were not coming this way any more.

Once the coast was quite clear, Hermione and Harry moved across the hall and sneaked inside Umbridge's office. Katie kept her eyes fixed on the hallway from the shadow that she was hiding in. Hermione had told her that if she saw Umbridge coming, she was to break into a loud chorus of 'Weasley is Our King,' and she said the same to Ginny and Luna.

Not even two minutes had passed when Katie heard it. Ginny burst into song.

"WEASLEY CAN SAVE ANYTHING!" she shouted, horribly out of tune, but she wasn't singing to impress. "HE NEVER LEAVES A SINGLE RING! THAT'S WHY GRYFFINDORS ALL SING: WEASLEY IS OUR KING!"

With a jab of panic in her chest, Katie leapt out from her hiding space, her wand held out in front of her, to find Umbridge marching down the hall looking thoroughly livid, followed by some members oy the Inquisitorial Squad. Katie saw, to her bewilderment, that Goyle had hold of Neville and was pulling him along. Umbridge was dragging a pale-faced Ron by the ear, and when she saw Katie jump from the shadows, she pointed her wand at her.

"Expelliarmus!" Umbridge bellowed. Katie's wand hit the wall and fell to the ground. She made to turn and run, but as Umbridge passed, she seized her by the arm and dragged her up to her office, where she kicked the door in.