Chapter 106: Learn the Hard Way (1)

"Do you understand it now?" – asked Catherine, her voice tinged with exhaustion as she rubbed her eyes – "It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it."

"Easier said than done!" – sighed Peter, glancing at the complicated diagrams the girl had sketched to aid his preparation for the Transfiguration exam.

"You seem to have the best results with turning mice into snuffboxes. Maybe start there and build on it." – suggested the young witch, her gaze sweeping across the nearly empty hall – "I'm going to call it a night and find the boys. Coming?"

"No, I'll stay a bit longer and make some more progress. There is almost an hour before the Library closes." – Peter replied, rifling through the stack of parchments spread out before him.

Catherine shrugged and slowly walked towards the exist, contemplating a detour to the Kitchens for a treat. Turning left, she lifted a heavy tapestry that revealed a map of Scotland and a shortcut to the ground floor, allowing her to bypass the Grand Staircase and Entrance Hall. On the other side of the corridor, a tapestry depicted fairies dancing in a verdant meadow. As she stepped through, a chill enveloped her, as if she had plunged into an icy pool.

Shivering, the third-year looked up to find the ethereal figure of a tall woman with waist-length hair, exuding an aura of nobility and pride. It was the House Ghost of Ravenclaw, her gaze fixed on the young witch who had inadvertently disturbed her evening stroll by walking right through her.

"My sincere apologies, Grey Lady!" – Catherine curtsied, her voice filled with contrition – "I wasn't aware you favoured this route for your walks."

The ghost merely nodded, her expression inscrutable, and made to continue her path. However, the Gryffindor, sensing an opportunity, swiftly stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

"I'm sorry for being so upfront, but I really hoped for the opportunity to speak with you." – the girl blurted, finally capturing the Grey Lady's attention. The ghost paused, raising a transparent eyebrow in a manner that dripped with indifference.

"I've heard word of a Gryffindor student seeking my presence" – she spoke in a distinctly aristocratic tone – "However, I prefer not to interact with mortals outside my obligations as the House Ghost of Ravenclaw. Thus, your desire to converse holds little relevance to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to leave before I encounter someone sinister."

Catherine blinked a few times, attempting to grasp the ghost's words. Without hesitation, she decided to cut to the chase before the Grey Lady could vanish through a nearby wall.

"I wish to inquire if you're aware of a secure location within this castle where I might conceal a certain item without fear of discovery?" – the young witch inquired.

"Why should I answer your question?" – asked the ghost emotionlessly.

"Um, because I seek knowledge?" – the girl gave her best shot.

"Your attempt is both arrogant and lacking in wisdom." – the Grey Lady judged before drifting towards the ceiling.

"No need to offend me!" – shouted Catherine, frustrated – "Can't I try again?"

"Maybe some day, should you present a more compelling proposition." – shrugged the ghost before disappearing.

The third-year seethed with anger, swiftly turning on her heels and bolting towards her Common Room, no longer in the mood for a snack. As she entered the Gryffindor Tower, her eyes scanned the chamber in search of the boys. Finding no trace of them, the young witch sauntered towards the Dormitories, feigning nonchalance. Pausing as if to tie her shoe, she discreetly confirmed that nobody was watching before darting in the opposite direction, ascending the stairs to the bedroom of the third-year boys.

Inside, Remus lay on his bed engrossed in a book, while Sirius sprawled on his stomach, was sketching in a book gifted to him by Catherine for Christmas. James stood at the centre of the bedroom, vigorously drying his wet hair with a crimson towel, clad only in loosely-fitted jeans that remained unbuttoned.

"Do come in!" – chuckled Sirius, setting his work aside and springing off the bed.

"How about you knock next time, Flame?!" – James snapped, clearly irritated – "I was naked a minute ago! For your information, boys need privacy too!"

"I doubt you have anything I haven't seen before." – Catherine smirked, taking a seat on Peter's empty bed.

"He doesn't but you would have noticed size may differ depending on the person!" – Sirius grinned, as James threw a sneaker, aiming at his friend's head – "Don't sulk, mate! Nature has been generous with me!"

"Who said I was talking about you?" – the girl teased with a wicked smile.

James and Sirius stared blankly at her and then at Remus who immediately turned bright red.

"It wasn't me!" – he quickly muttered, causing the other three teenagers to burst into laughter. 

"So now we have to find a way to satisfy a ghost lady that died a few hundred years ago?" – groaned Sirius unhappily.

"In a way." – nodded the young witch – "I suppose the answer I give her must be surprising and clever, yet sensible. It's quite a challenge!"

"At least we know her price." – shrugged James – "We're still in the dark regarding the cost of the Ashwinder egg. Right Sirius?"

"Right." – confirmed the other boy without much enthusiasm – "Let's hope we can settle this before the exams are over, though."

"I just hope for exams to be over." – moaned Moony, setting aside his heavy book, and reaching for another one.

***

Catherine wasn't particularly concerned about her exam results. Confident in her abilities, she expected to achieve 'Outstanding' in every subject. With a multitude of other concerns occupying her mind, academic performance ranked low on her list of worries. James and Sirius echoed the young witch's sentiment, though they chose to outwardly display their arrogance to everyone around them.

In contrast, Remus and Peter harboured anxieties about their performance. Remus, driven by inner insecurities, found himself grappling with worry, while Peter had very tangible reasons for concern, chiefly centred around the upcoming Potions exam. Fortunately, despite any imperfections in Peter's Girding Potion, they paled in comparison to the calamity brewing in Cassius Mulciber's cauldron. The vividly green liquid bubbled violently, each eruption amplifying its putrid odour and showering bystanders, leaving holes in their clothes and rashes on their skin.

"Don't worry, Peter!" – Catherine attempted to console the boy during dinner – "Your potion might not have been very good, but at least it wasn't dangerous. If it weren't for Slughorn's intervention, Mulciber would have spent the afternoon in the Hospital Wing."

"True!" – James chimed in, adding – "Although, he still ended up there."

"Why?" – asked the girl, surprised.

"Apparently, he expected Snape to help him during the assignment. When Snivellus didn't so much as glance at his cauldron, flew into a rage and tried to attack him like a Muggle after the exam. However, since he was nowhere near as formidable as you, Flame, Snape managed to dodge, whipped out his wand, and… oh well, sent poor Cassius straight to Madame Pomfrey." – explained James with a bit of a sadistic satisfaction.

"I don't think Mulciber would have been able to get anything but 'Troll' in Potions even if Snape did everything instead of him!" – scoffed Catherine condescendingly, glancing at the Slytherin table. She noticed that as usual Snape was sitting alone, reading a book while absentmindedly chewing his dinner.

"Anyway!" – shrugged James, changing the subject – "only have History of Magic tomorrow, and then we're free!"

'Depends on your definition of free.' – the young witch smiled sadly, her thoughts drifting to the impending two months confined to her home.

The next day was sunny and hot, providing both motivation and distraction for the third-years as they sat down to write their final exam of the year. Afterward, the Gryffindors spent a lazy afternoon lounging around the lake, relishing the cool shade of the trees while sipping on chilled orange juice.

The last evening before the trip back to London felt bittersweet. Catherine found herself in a gloomy mood and preferred not to linger in the noisy Common Room, where excited chatter about the upcoming vacation filled the air. Instead, she and Remus spent most of the evening playing Wizarding Chess. Although Catherine wasn't particularly skilled at the game, she knew Moony enjoyed it, even if he never explicitly requested it.

"Checkmate!" – the boy announced with a grin as Catherine's King surrendered its crown to his Knight.

"I truly suck at this!" – laughed the girl – "Well played, Moony!"

"Thanks." – the wizard replied with a smile, his amber eyes sparkling in the candlelight. The young witch couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked when he was relaxed and having fun, especially with that charming dimple on his right cheek.

"Are you losing again?" - James teased Catherine as he and Peter entered the room, carrying several butterbeers and a bag of sweets which appeared to be originating from the Honeydukes – "Where's Sirius?"

"He said he had something to do." – answered the girl, reaching for a jelly slug from the bag.

"I hope he's not getting into trouble again." – the black-haired boy remarked, carefully folding his invisibility cloak, and placing it in his trunk.

"Quite the opposite!" – Sirius announced, bursting into the room with an excited expression, holding a piece of paper and a torn envelope – "I found us an Ashwinder egg!"

"You did?!" – James and Catherine exclaimed in unison, while Remus frowned but approached his friends, who had gathered around Sirius.

"I've just received a letter from Dung, and he promises to help us for only 50 Galleons!" – the grey-eyed boy explained eagerly.

"Who's Dung?" – asked James curiously.

"50 Galleons!" – Remus gasped in complete shock.

"His name is actually Mundungus Fletcher." – chuckled Sirius – "As you probably know, my family is not as pure as they like to present themselves, so they're involved in a lot of shady dealings beneath the surface. Being the first-born son, I've had the 'great pleasure' of being dragged around by my father to learn the ins and outs of the family business. That's where I know Mundungus from. He's relatively harmless, especially compared to other guys I've encountered, but he's very well-connected and doesn't mind bending the rules for a price."

"50 Galleons!" – Remus repeated, still finding it hard to believe the amount.

"Great! Then we shall arrange to meet him somewhere in London and get the egg." – Catherine suggested, pleased that they were close to acquiring yet another ingredient for the Animagi Potion.

"He suggested mid-August in the White Wyvern on Knockturn Alley." – Sirius informed them.

"We can do that!" – James stated decisively – "Since Sirius is going to spend most of his vacation at home anyway, we'll just tell my parents we want to go buy our school supplies that particular day!"

"Why is Sirius going to be at your place?" – asked Peter, who had been silently observing his friends.

"Merlin, I told you yesterday!" – snapped James – "His family's going to the States to visit relatives, and he needed somewhere to stay."

"Why aren't you going with them?" – asked the other boy surprised, turning to Sirius, who simply shrugged indifferently.

"I guess they just don't want to take the risk of me saying anything that would make them look bad."

"Well, it's not like you wanted to go anyway! And now, we're going to have so much fun! I wish all of you could come!" – exclaimed James, looking at the rest of his friends.

"My mom won't allow me to." – sighed Peter sadly – "She insists on going everywhere with me. I can't even persuade her to stop holding my hand when we go to Diagon Alley!"

"I sincerely doubt my parents would let me spend any time away from home, but I can join you to meet this Mundungus." – said Catherine trying to hide her inner disappointment at not being able to spend her holiday with Sirius and James – "In any case, we need to take proper care of the egg because it's very delicate and could burst if not frozen immediately."

"Don't worry, Flame! Everything's going to work out just fine!" – Sirius ensured her enthusiastically.

"50 Galleons!" – mumbled Remus, shaking his head in disbelief, helplessly watching his friends as they nonchalantly planned to break the law by acquiring and sneaking an Ashwinder egg back to Hogwarts in September.