Returning to Hogwarts was the happiest moment in Catherine's short life. She couldn't believe how much she had missed the castle, the lessons, and her friends. That evening, the young witch sat on the carpet in front of the Gryffindor Common Room fireplace, reading her Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. She had the book leaned against Sirius' head, which was resting in her lap.
"Remus is sick again." – he said all of a sudden.
"I know, James told me earlier." – sighed Catherine – "I'm really worried about him. He looks very pale and exhausted after every time he's been sick, and that happens almost every month."
"I have the weird impression that he's hiding something from us." – continued Sirius – "Every time I try to ask him about his illness, he gets nervous and changes the topic."
"Well, arguably you are not the most tactful person." – smiled Catherine.
"Oh, this goes straight to the heart." – moaned Sirius dramatically and stood up – "Anyway, then maybe you can try talking to him?"
"I'll see what I can do." – promised Catherine.
At that moment, James entered the Common Room, followed by Peter Pettigrew.
"Sirius, Flame, do you want to make a quick run to the Kitchens?" – James asked – "I feel in the mood for some of the Hogwarts apple pie."
"Yummy!" – said Peter, his eyes gazing at James with admiration.
"You go without me." – said Catherine – "I'm still digesting all the boxes of Dragonfire Delights you sent me for Christmas."
"Who told you to eat them all?" – Sirius laughed jokingly.
Catherine responded to him by sticking her tongue out and left for the girls' dormitory.
"Merlin, I missed you all." – said Sirius – "I had the most dreadful Christmas ever."
"Did they give you a hard time for being sorted into Gryffindor?" – asked James.
"Yeah." – answered the boy.
"Why would they do that?" – interrupted Peter with a worried face.
"Same old bullshit about pure-bloods and keeping magical knowledge a secret, available only for the chosen ones." – imitated Sirius with contempt – "Can you imagine that the old hag wanted to get me engaged."
"What?!" – exclaimed both James and Peter.
"True story." – continued Sirius with bitterness – "She even presented me with a list of suitable candidates."
"Mate, this is insane!" – whispered James.
"What's insane is that Bella is also included in the list." – said Sirius with crooked smile.
"The fuck? Isn't she your cousin?" – gasped James.
"Such insignificant details have never stopped the noble House of Black." – laughed Sirius.
"I didn't know your family was that aristocratic." – said Peter, looking at Sirius with a newfound respect.
"Yeah, right, they certainly wish they were." – barked Sirius – "I know we are distantly connected with one of the aristocratic families, but they really don't care about us. My parents would have done anything to be recognised by aristocrats. Tough luck, though!"
"I'm really at a loss for words, mate!" – said James.
"No worries, I appreciate the support." – Sirius said, patting James' shoulder – "Now, let's go get that pie!"
***
The new term began with a snowstorm that lasted for three whole days and forced the students and the teaching staff to be imprisoned in the castle. Herbology was cancelled and the Potions class had never been so challenging in the freezing dungeons where one's breath was floating around in the form of a white fog. Catherine managed to cut her finger, stiff from the cold, while attempting to slice a piece of serpentroot bark and she was in a foul mood for the rest of the week.
On Saturday the first-years Gryffindor boys including Remus, who had recovered from his illness, went outside and dedicated their afternoon to a spectacular snowball fight. After an hour or so, Sirius got bored and took out his wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" – he said, pointing the wand towards a few freshly made snowballs.
"What are you planning to do with those?" – asked James, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"You'll see." – answered Sirius with a concentrated face while the snowballs were flying higher and higher, but suddenly they went right back, ending up falling on top of Peter's head.
"Am I seeing it now?" – asked James, laughing.
"Damn it, I wanted to levitate them to the Gryffindor tower and smash them on the girls' dormitory window." – moaned Sirius.
"Honestly, if you want to impress Catherine, that might not be the smartest idea." – said Remus through his thick woven scarf.
"Most of all, because she is not there." – said James looking at the path coming from the Forbidden Forest. Catherine was slowly climbing up the hill, carrying a whole bunch of dogwood stems.
"Flame!" – shouted Sirius, waving his hand.
Catherine didn't change her walking pace and reached the boys in a few minutes. Her face was pale from the cold, which made her green eyes appear larger and brighter. Sirius extended his hand, trying to cup her cheek.
"Didn't I warn you about touching me without permission?"- said the girl in frustration and slapped his hand away.
"You look cold." – explained Sirius – "Plus, you touch me all the time, how is that different?"
Catherine didn't bother to answer him and eyed the pile of snowballs.
"What are you doing with these?" – she asked.
"We were planning on throwing them at some well-deserved people, but nobody came around." – sulked James.
"What's the point? They'll see you and you'll get in trouble. There is a much more elegant way." – chuckled the girl – "Hold my stems."
"What are you using them for, Catherine?" – softly asked Remus, while James put the dogwood stems aside.
"For decoration of course." – answered the girl and took out her wand, making a tiny flicking motion.
"Glacies Amissus!" – said the young witch, and a few snowballs flew away towards the castle.
"What did you do?" – asked Sirius curiously.
"I enchanted the snowballs to find a certain DADA professor and hit him in the face." – answered Catherine carefreely.
"Ingenious!" – exclaimed James – "Is that one of your spells?"
"No, I found it in a library book called Stealthy Incantations." – explained the girl.
"But why Professor Thorne?" – asked Remus confused.
"I owe him for that unfair punishment with Madame Pince." – said Catherine vengefully – "Actually, it was during that time I found the spell."
"Nice!" – nodded James – "Now, will you teach us how to do it?"
"Certainly!" – smiled the girl – "It's pretty easy; you just need to concentrate on the person you want to send the snowballs to. The incantation is Glacies Amissus."
In fifteen minutes, the spell was adequately mastered, and the pile of snowballs had completely disappeared.
"Too bad I couldn't see Malfoy's face." – gloated Sirius.
"True that. I bet Snivellus also enjoyed it. Tomorrow his hair would be much cleaner." – laughed James.
Remus was staring at his friends with concerned expression. "Maybe it's better if we leave now."
"Why?" – asked Peter – "We're just chilling outside."
The first-years burst out laughing, except for Remus.
"Really, let's go back inside. I'm cold." – he pleaded.
"Fine, let's go." – finally agreed James, and the Gryffindors slowly walked towards the castle. When they reached the gates, however, Professor Carter Thorne was already waiting for them there, his lips forming a thin line. His hair was not wet but definitely didn't look as perfect as it usually did.
"If it isn't the Snow Fairy and her little friends?" – hissed the Professor, glaring at the students, his sky-blue eyes sparkling with cold rage.
"Good afternoon, Professor!" – James greeted him a little bit too enthusiastically.
"Your wands!" – said the teacher abruptly.
"Pardon?" – asked Catherine with a nasty feeling in her stomach.
"Take out your wands, all of you!" – ordered the Professor – "Priori Incantatem!"
The smoky echo of the snowballs erupted from each of their wands, except for the one belonging to Remus. The silence was deafening.
"Next time, Miss Plantier, choose your prank victims in a way that won't point straight to you." – Carter Thorne snarled.
"It wasn't Catherine's fault!" – protested James.
"Silence!" – the DADA teacher warned him – "50 points from Gryffindor and two weeks of detention with Mr Filch for all of you!"
"Why are you punishing Remus too?!" – shouted Catherine – "He didn't do anything."
"You are in no position to have this tone with me, Miss Plantier." – Carter Thorne bent over so his eyes were at the same level as the girl's – "Despite what all of you think, you are subject to the same rules as everyone else here. Hence, I, as a teacher, have the power to discipline you in any manner I see fit for the noble purpose of making you functioning adults. Mr Lupin is punished for being an accomplice. Is that clear?"
Catherine had the overwhelming desire to set this smug bastard on fire but that would have probably got her expelled. Therefore, she took a deep breath and answered with voice full of hatred.
"Yes, Professor!"
"Good, you are all dismissed." – the teacher said, moving from the gate and staring at the youngsters climbing the Grand Staircase. Carsilion wiped away the cold sweat, covering his forehead. He had the distinct feeling of narrowly escaping a great danger.