Erin hasn't talked to anyone about her conservation with her mother. Not even Hermione.

It's not like the Gryffindor didn't want to know anything. She was very curious, of course, but when Erin came back and didn't say a word as she sat down on a chair in McGonagall's office and sipped her then already cold tea while starring into nowhere, Hermione couldn't bring herself, figuring out that Erin would tell her if she wanted.

Professor McGonagall didn't ask either. It's like she knew exactly why Erin had to visit her parents that it couldn't wait until Christmas.

Erin repeated her mother's words over and over again;

"I didn't and still don't want you to know that their blood is flowing in your veins. I don't want you to think that there is a possibility you may one day go insane and end up just like them."

That didn't change Erin's thoughts about it as she was afraid that one day, she actually may go insane.

There were other things that Erin realized. One of these realization was while she visited Three Broomsticks with the Golden Trio, a full month and something after her conversation with her mother and aunt Andy.

"Oh my Merlin," she suddenly said, eyes widening. That made Harry, Ron, and Hermione look at her in concern.

"You alright?" Ron asked, eyeing her up and down.

"No," Erin shook her head. "Do you remember—" she looked at Harry, "— how Bellatrix tried to kill me but her curse hit Sirius?"

Bad question. Of course, they do remember that (minus Hermione, who happened to be unconscious at that moment, and Ron ).

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah?"

"Before casting the killing curse, she said—"

"That's for your mother, McKinnon," Harry finished.

"Yeah," Erin nodded. "So. . . Can some of you tell me that there's a possibility that Bellatrix doesn't know my mother is her sister?"

All of them stayed quiet, trying their very best to think of something.

Hermione took Erin's hand in hers.

"I'll protect you," she said.

The Slytherin smiled and pecked Hermione's lips.

“Harry, m’boy!” said a booming voice from behind Harry.

“Oh no,” muttered Harry. He then turned to see Professor Slughorn, who was wearing an enormous furry hat and an overcoat with matching fur collar, clutching a large bag of crystalized pineapple, and occupying at least a quarter of the shop.

“Harry, that’s three of my little suppers you’ve missed now!” said Slughorn, poking him genially in the chest. “It won’t do, m’boy, I’m determined to have you! Miss Granger loves them, don’t you?”

“Yes,” said Hermione helplessly, “they’re really —”

“So why don’t you come along, Harry?” demanded Slughorn.

“Well, I’ve had Quidditch practice, Professor,” said Harry, who had indeed been scheduling practices every time Slughorn had sent him a little, violet ribbon-adorned invitation.

“Well, I certainly expect you to win your first match after all this hard work!” said Slughorn. “But a little recreation never hurt anybody. Now, how about Monday night, you can’t possibly want to practice in this weather. . .”

“I can’t, Professor, I’ve got — er — an appointment with Professor Dumbledore that evening.”

“Unlucky again!” cried Slughorn dramatically. “Ah, well … you can’t evade me forever, Harry!”

“I can’t believe you’ve wriggled out of another one,” said Hermione, shaking her head. “They’re not that bad, you know. . .They’re even quite fun sometimes. . .”

***

On the walk back to the castle, Hermione and Erin were walking about thirty feet behind Ron and Harry, hand in hand.

"It's your birthday soon," said Hermione. "What so you wish?"

Erin grinned. "You."

The Gryffindor blushed and hit Erin's arm playfully.

She rolled her eyes. "You already have me. This is important, love, is there anything you want?"

"Hmm, I don't think so." Erin shook her head. "I can't think of anything. It's like I already have everything. A kiss from you and happy birthday wish is enough."

“It’s nothing to do with you, Leanne!” Erin heard a female voice. Both her and Hermione turned around to see Katie Bell and her friend.

Leanne made to grab hold of a package Katie was holding; Katie tugged it back and the package fell to the ground.

At once, Katie rose into the air, gracefully, her arms outstretched, as though she was about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie. Her hair was whipped around her by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed and her face was quite empty of expression. Harry, Ron, Erin, and Hermione, and Leanne had all halted in their tracks, watching.

Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open but whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, was clearly causing her terrible anguish. She screamed and screamed; Leanne started to scream too and seized Katie’s ankles, trying to tug her back to the ground. Harry, Ron, Erin, and Hermione rushed forward to help, but even as they grabbed Katie’s legs, she fell on top of them; Harry and Ron managed to catch her but she was writhing so they could hardly hold her. Instead they lowered her to the ground where she thrashed and screamed, apparently unable to recognize any of them.

Harry looked around; the landscape seemed deserted.

“Stay there!” he shouted at the others over the howling wind. “I’m going for help!”

"What the hell is that," Erin was about to reach for the package and the necklace that peaked out of it but Hermione harshly slapped her hand away. "Ouch."

"Don't touch it," Hermione demanded.

"Yes, Ma'am." Erin turned to Leanne who was sobbing beside her. "Um, hey, Leanne, calm down—"

“Get back!” shouted Hagrid. “Lemme see her!”

“Something’s happened to her!” sobbed Leanne. “I don’t know what —”

Hagrid stared at Katie for a second, then without a word, bent down, scooped her into his arms, and ran off toward the castle with her. Within seconds, Katie’s piercing screams had died away and the only sound was the roar of the wind.

Hermione hurried over to Katie’s wailing friend and put an arm around her.

“It’s Leanne, isn’t it?”

The girl nodded.

“Did it just happen all of a sudden, or — ?”

“It was when that package tore,” sobbed Leanne, pointing at the now sodden brown-paper package on the ground, which had split open to reveal a greenish glitter. Ron bent down, his hand outstretched, but Harry seized his arm and pulled him back.

“Don’t touch it!”

He crouched down. An ornate opal necklace was visible, poking out of the paper.

“I’ve seen that before,” said Harry, staring at the thing. “It was on display in Borgin and Burkes ages ago. The label said it was cursed. Katie must have touched it. How did Katie get hold of this?”

“Well, that’s why we were arguing. She came back from the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks holding it, said it was a surprise for somebody at Hogwarts and she had to deliver it. She looked all funny when she said it. … Oh no, oh no, I bet she’d been Imperiused and I didn’t realize!”

Leanne shook with renewed sobs. Hermione patted her shoulder gently.

“She didn’t say who’d given it to her, Leanne?”

“No … she wouldn’t tell me … and I said she was being stupid and not to take it up to school, but she just wouldn’t listen and … and then I tried to grab it from her … and — and —”

Leanne let out a wail of despair.

“We’d better get up to school,” said Hermione, her arm still around Leanne. “We’ll be able to find out how she is. Come on. …”

Harry made sure the necklace was completely covered before picking it up.

“We’ll need to show this to Madam Pomfrey,” he said.

“Malfoy knows about this necklace," Harry told Erin, Ron and Hagrid as they followed Hermione and Leanne up the road. "It was in a case at Borgin and Burkes four years ago, I saw him having a good look at it while I was hiding from him and his dad. This is what he was buying that day when we followed him! He remembered it and he went back for it!”

“I — I dunno, Harry,” said Ron hesitantly. “Loads of people go to Borgin and Burkes … and didn’t that girl say Katie got it in the girls’ bathroom?”

“She said she came back from the bathroom with it, she didn’t necessarily get it in the bathroom itself —”

“McGonagall!” said Erin warningly.

Harry and Ron looked up. Sure enough, Professor McGonagall was hurrying down the stone steps through swirling sleet to meet them.

“Hagrid says you five saw what happened to Katie Bell — upstairs to my office at once, please! What’s that you’re holding, Potter?”

“It’s the thing she touched,” said Harry.

“Good lord,” gasped Professor McGonagall, looking alarmed as she took the necklace from Harry. “No, no, Filch, they’re with me!” she added hastily, as Filch came shuffling eagerly across the entrance hall holding his Secrecy Sensor aloft. “Take this necklace to Professor Snape at once, but be sure not to touch it, keep it wrapped in the scarf!”

Erin and the others followed Professor McGonagall upstairs and into her office.

The woman closed the door and swept around her desk to face Erin, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the still sobbing Leanne.

“Well?” she said sharply. “What happened?”

Haltingly, and with many pauses while she attempted to control her crying, Leanne told Professor McGonagall how Katie had gone to the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks and returned holding the unmarked package, how Katie had seemed a little odd, and how they had argued about the advisability of agreeing to deliver unknown objects, the argument culminating in the tussle over the parcel, which tore open. At this point, Leanne was so overcome, there was no getting another word out of her.

“All right,” said Professor McGonagall, not unkindly, “go up to the hospital wing, please, Leanne, and get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for shock.”

When she had left the room, Professor McGonagall turned back to Erin, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

“What happened when Katie touched the necklace?”

“She rose up in the air,” said Harry, “and then began to scream, and collapsed. Professor, can I see Professor Dumbledore, please?”

“The headmaster is away until Monday, Potter,” said Professor McGonagall, looking surprised.

“Away?” Harry repeated angrily.

“Yes, Potter, away!” said Professor McGonagall tartly. “But anything you have to say about this horrible business can be said to me, I’m sure!”

“I think Draco Malfoy gave Katie that necklace, Professor.”

"Harry," Erin warned.

"What?"

"As much as I hate Malfoy, you can't blame him for every single thing that happens."

"You blamed him for getting an E in History of Magic just last week!"

"That's different!"

"Yeah, how?"

"Well—"

"Stop it you two!" said McGonagall. “That is a very serious accusation, Potter. Do you have any proof?”

“No,” said Harry, “but …” and he told her about following Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes and the conversation they had overheard between him and Mr. Borgin.

When he had finished speaking, Professor McGonagall looked slightly confused.

“Malfoy took something to Borgin and Burkes for repair?”

“No, Professor, he just wanted Borgin to tell him how to mend something, he didn’t have it with him. But that’s not the point, the thing is that he bought something at the same time, and I think it was that necklace —”

“You saw Malfoy leaving the shop with a similar package?"

“No, Professor, he told Borgin to keep it in the shop for him —”

“But Harry,” Hermione interrupted, “Borgin asked him if he wanted to take it with him, and Malfoy said no —”

“Because he didn’t want to touch it, obviously!” said Harry angrily.

“What he actually said was, ‘How would I look carrying that down the street?’ ” said Hermione.

“Well, he would look a bit of a prat carrying a necklace,” interjected Ron.

“Oh, Ron,” said Hermione despairingly, “it would be all wrapped up, so he wouldn’t have to touch it, and quite easy to hide inside a cloak, so nobody would see it! I think whatever he reserved at Borgin and Burkes was noisy or bulky, something he knew would draw attention to him if he carried it down the street — and in any case,” she pressed on loudly, before Harry could interrupt, “I asked Borgin about the necklace, don’t you remember? When I went in to try and find out what Malfoy had asked him to keep, I saw it there. And Borgin just told me the price, he didn’t say it was already sold or anything —”

“Well, you were being really obvious, he realized what you were up to within about five seconds, of course he wasn’t going to tell you — anyway, Malfoy could’ve sent off for it since —”

“That’s enough!” said Professor McGonagall, as Hermione opened her mouth to retort, looking furious. “Potter, I appreciate you telling me this, but we cannot point the finger of blame at Mr. Malfoy purely because he visited the shop where this necklace might have been purchased. The same is probably true of hundreds of people —”

“— that’s what I said —” muttered Ron.

“— and in any case, we have put stringent security measures in place this year. I do not believe that necklace can possibly have entered this school without our knowledge —”

“But —”

“— and what is more,” said Professor McGonagall, with an air of awful finality, “Mr. Malfoy was not in Hogsmeade today.”

Harry gaped at her, deflating.

“How do you know, Professor?”

“Because he was doing detention with me. He has now failed to complete his Transfiguration homework twice in a row. So, thank you for telling me your suspicions, Potter,” she said as she marched past them, “but I need to go up to the hospital wing now to check on Katie Bell. Good day to you all.”