Chapter 154: Bubbling Cauldrons (2)

The new term began with a relentless snowstorm outside and a mountain of assignments that felt like an avalanche burying the fourth-years. Both McGonagall and Flitwick had introduced new topics, and by Monday lunch, Catherine was completely overwhelmed—two essays to write and an entire book to read, already dreading the afternoon classes with Professor Kettleburn.

As she trudged toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest for Care of Magical Creatures, the girl had quite a hard time walking due to the excessive amount of snow, reaching above her knees. She stumbled a few times, barely keeping her balance.

'My socks are soaking wet.' – she thought irritably – 'I wonder if there's a way to dry them with magic without accidentally setting myself on fire.'

"Careful!" – James called, grabbing her arm to steady her as she wobbled – "I don't get why they didn't cancel today's lesson. Are we studying Yetis or something?"

"Too bad we've already covered the salamanders." – Sirius joked, earning an angry glance from Catherine.

Their complaints, however, were quickly forgotten when they reached the clearing and saw a unicorn so pure white that it made the snow around it look dull by comparison. The elegant creature paced nervously, bound by what looked like a shimmering rope of gold.

"Now this is a rare sight!" – James exclaimed, clearly impressed – "I can't believe Kettleburn managed to catch a unicorn! They're strong creatures. I wonder why it's not trying to break free."

"That's because the rope is made from Veela hair." – Catherine said, standing on her toes to get a better view over the heads of her excited classmates.

"How do you know?" – Sirius asked, surprised.

"Because it's the only way to capture a unicorn." – she replied with a shrug – "That's why they're almost never caught—Veela hair ropes are incredibly rare. Honestly, I'd say they're harder to come by than a unicorn itself."

"Now, I'm really intrigued!" – Sirius chuckled – "Maybe Dumbledore found a pot of gold somewhere and decided to splurge it on the school."

"A pot would not be enough." – Catherine smirked, glancing around – "Why are there so many people here?"

Indeed, the clearing was unusually crowded. Alongside their own group, there were Hufflepuffs milling about and, more surprisingly, Gryffindor fifth-years clustered at the front.

"Can I have your attention, please!" – Professor Kettleburn's voice boomed over the crowd – "We've got quite a gathering today, so I need absolute silence. As you can see, the school has managed to acquire a real unicorn for our Care of Magical Creatures class. I'd like to extend a special thanks to Greg McMahon and his family for making this possible."

"They paid for that?" – James muttered, glaring at Greg's back with obvious disdain.

"Greg's mom's a Veela." – Peter whispered in awe.

"Half Veela." – Catherine corrected automatically. Noticing their eyes on her, she added quickly – "But I suppose that makes it easier for his family to get hold of Veela hair."

"I'm so sick of this guy's showing off!" – James hissed through clenched teeth – "He can't stand it unless everyone's admiring him."

"As you've probably noticed, there are a lot of you here today." – Professor Kettleburn continued – "That's because we can't keep the unicorn restrained for too long. It's stressful for the creature, and you can tell when it starts affecting it by the way its coat would change colour. We've merged as many classes as possible this week so you can all see it while it's still here."

Catherine stopped listening, her gaze fixed on the unicorn. She could sense the immense magical power radiating from it—much different from the one of a phoenix, perhaps because it wasn't a creature of fire. What puzzled her most was why her family would go to such lengths for something as mundane as helping with a school lesson. It felt like a shallow display of wealth and influence, but she knew there had to be more to it than mere showing off.

Catherine bit her lower lip in frustration, recalling the argument she'd had with her father before returning to Hogwarts—a fight that ended with her storming off and locking herself in her room for the rest of the evening. Granted, she'd been on edge due to the lack of Dreamless Sleep Potion, which she'd relied on while staying with the Potters, but her father's attitude had been especially aggravating. She had made a simple request: to be provided with information about the other major Houses. She thought it would be useful when she inevitably faced them in the future, and she also secretly hoped it might help her discover who could hold the key to curing a werewolf.

But the Duke had flatly refused, stating that such information was reserved for the Head of the House and his heir. His condescending response had infuriated Catherine to the point where her magic flared, causing the fire in the hearth to explode and burn a hole in a nearby bookcase. The brief satisfaction of asserting her power had been dulled by the nausea that plagued her through the night, leaving her in a foul mood for the entire journey back to school.

The young witch wasn't about to give up on her quest for answers, but the way her family treated her—as if she were some helpless child in need of protection—left her simmering with irritation. She wasn't weak, and she resented being locked away when she was perfectly capable of handling the dangers around her. 

Suddenly, the students began to move and split into groups. Blinking in confusion, Catherine realised she had completely missed the assignment, too lost in her own thoughts to notice what was happening.

"Groups of three!" – Kettleburn shouted above the chatter, moving slowly among the students – "Two girls and one boy, to avoid upsetting the unicorn! They really can't stand males! Miss Plantier, if you're unsure where to go, join Mr McMahon and Miss Evans for the first tour. You might need to go again with another group afterward—I want everyone to have a chance to observe the creature up close."

Despite Sirius and James' exasperated looks, Catherine followed her teacher's instructions and quietly joined her brother and Lily. The red-haired witch was practically glowing with excitement, her emerald-green eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Daisy, come over here! He's magnificent from this angle!" – Lily whispered, crouching behind a large log.

"I see it just fine from where I stand." – Catherine replied a bit stiffly.

"What's going on with you?" – Greg asked in a hushed tone, noticing his sister's sour mood.

"Nothing much." – shre replied with a crooked smile – "Just wondering why House McMahon is bending over backward to improve Hogwarts' Care of Magical Creatures class. But I suppose that information's only shared with the heir, not someone useless like me."

Greg frowned, keeping his voice low. "Why would you say that? You know we do everything possible to gain favour with the Houses we can sway our way. It's all for you after all!"

Catherine's expression darkened. "Put yourself in my shoes, Greg. Not only do I have to constantly worry about the... thing inside me, but I also have to watch my back around aristocrats who would probably want to wipe us out if they knew I existed. Both of those are massive threats hanging over me, and I'm just supposed to wait? How can I prepare or protect myself without knowing anything? I asked Dad for information about the major Houses, and he refused because such knowledge was meant only for his first-born."

Greg shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't sure why their father insisted on keeping Catherine in the dark, but she had a valid point. Not being happy with his own role in the family dynamic, he completely disagreed with how their parents and Carsilion treated his sister—as if she were a rebellious child who needed to be controlled and protected from everything.

'It's like they're trying to lock her away in some bubble, keeping her safe from the world.' – he thought, his lips tightening with frustration – 'But they don't realise that confining someone as powerful and capable as her only makes her miserable, driving her to be unstable. That's why she acts so volatile and unpredictable at home. The Catherine I know here at Hogwarts is nothing like the person she becomes at Feywood Height.'

"Would you trust me to give you the information you want?" – Greg suddenly asked, prompting his sister to look at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Why would you do that?" – she asked, her tone edged with suspicion.

"Believe it or not, because I agree with you." – the boy replied simply – "I don't know everything, but I can tell you some core facts about the other major Houses if that's what you're after. It won't be easy to meet discreetly, but I'll figure something out and send you a note through Nyx."

Catherine stared at him, searching for signs of a trick, but after a moment she dropped her gaze and muttered, "Thank you."

"What are you two whispering about that's so important you're missing the unicorn?!" – Lily exclaimed, appearing beside them. Greg smiled and gently brushed her cheek, causing her face to flush as red as her hair.

"I was just telling Catherine about the properties of the rope my mother made." – he lied effortlessly – "It's woven from hair given by my grandmother and her flock of Veelas."

Lily's curiosity immediately piqued, and as they switched places with the next group, she eagerly asked about the Veelas. Catherine, relieved, left her brother with his girlfriend and rejoined the boys.

'Greg seem to have such a kind and sweet nature.' – she thought with a smirk – "But at the end, he might have more of Slytherin in him than I do.'