Halfway through the second week of her stay at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Katie had grown quite attached to the place. She and the others had been decontaminating the house, and the rooms that had been polished were actually rather elegant. Katie could tell that Sirius' family home had once been a rich and charming house.

Katie had told Lupin about the supposed Boggart in her wardrobe. When Remus had investigated, it had been discovered that the creature residing in the closet was merely a rat, much to Katie's embarrassment and to Lupin's amusement.

Growing sickened by the rotting smell and musty bed sheets, Katie had decided it was time to cleanse her own room. Luckily, it wasn't a very spacious room, so the task of cleaning it wasn't too time consuming.

Katie threw open the window to allow some air to sweep the room while she worked. It seemed logical to dust the room first, which didn't take long as there were only three surfaces — the black desk, the wardrobe, and the thick headboard of the bed. Sweeping took much longer and a large amount of effort. So much dust had coated the floorboards that Katie was surprised she hadn't sunk into the floor. While there were no spare bed sheets at hand, Katie could clean her current ones. They were still shabby, but at least the smelled better.

Once her wardrobe had been unsoiled and ridden of rats, Katie unloaded her clothes into it. She had been halfway through this chore when their was a gentle tap at her door.

"Come in!"

The door creaked open. Katie strained her neck to see who had come in, finding that it was Tonks. They grinned at each other.

"Tonks! Hey! What's up?"

Despite only knowing one another for two weeks, Katie and Tonks had grown relatively close. Tonks was a mere seven years older than Katie, and while that seemed like quite the gap, excluding Fleur, who Tonks wasn't too fond of, Katie was the closest girl in age with Tonks out of all the other people in the house.

As Katie and Ginny were both young girls, Tonks had taken a liking to the pair. She tried to be around them as much as she could.

"Just thought I'd check in. How's the cleaning—"

There was a loud thud as Tonks stubbed her toe on Katie's trunk. Tonks let out a wail of pain and clutched the end of her foot, hopping on one leg to retain her balance.

"Dammit!" Tonks cried.

Katie giggled. "You good?"

"Fine." Tonks replied in a strained voice. She was still prancing around on one leg.

"How you made it through your Auror training is beyond me." Katie joked.

"Tell me about it. I'm dead clumsy — OUCH! Who put that there?"

Tonks hadn't been paying attention to where she was going and had walked straight into the open door of Katie's wardrobe. Katie doubled over in laughter, falling back on top of her newly fresh bed.

The door opened again and Ginny appeared in the doorway. She chuckled at the sight of Katie rolling around in fits of laughter and Tonks massaging both her head and her foot.

"I thought I heard banging. What did you two do?"

"I walked into some stuff... again..." Tonks admitted, wincing in pain as she rubbed her head.

Ginny rolled her eyes playfully, still smiling broadly. She then turned her attention to Katie, who and regained her composure but was still letting out odd wisps of laughter every few seconds.

"Hermione just got here. She's downstairs." Ginny said.

Katie felt her heart jolt funnily. She had already been in high spirits, thanks to her polished room and Tonks' blunder, but Hermione's arrival somehow made her even happier. She bounced off the bed and went to join Ginny by the door.

"You coming, Tonks?"

"Er — yeah — yes," Tonks followed the two girls out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. "Who is Hermione, anyway?"

"My best friend." Katie told her. They were now talking in hushed voices as they made their way through the hall and down the staircase. Assuming that Hermione was in the dining room, which seemed to be the only used room in the house apart from bedrooms and bathrooms, Katie, Ginny and Tonks all filed inside.

As expected, Hermione was greeting Ron, Mrs Weasley and Sirius at the far end of the dining table. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and beamed, waving merrily.

"Hi Katie, hi Ginny!"

"Hello, Hermione, I'm—" Tonks had been making her way over to introduce herself to Hermione when she walked into and knocked over a chair. Mrs Weasley let out a huff and pinched the bridge of her nose, while Hermione stared captiously and the bubble-gum pink haired witch. "So sorry — I'm Tonks."

Seemingly deciding that Tonks was all right, Hermione smiled warmly and shook her hand.

Katie had just opened her mouth to speak to Hermione when a deafening crack like a gun shot sounded from behind her. Yelping loudly, Katie jumped around. She felt a blush of embarrassment rising to her cheeks when she realised that the cracking noise had only been the result of Dumbledore Apparating into Grimmauld Place.

She quickly shook her humiliation and, before Dumbledore even had the chance to utter a single word, began speaking.

"Professor Dumbledore—"

"Yes, it is nice to see you too, Miss Blair, but I'm afraid I do not have time to chat. Every second is precious, and I do not have many to spare." Dumbledore said calmly.

"But—"

"Out you go, come on now." Mrs Weasley bumbled, ushering Katie, Hermione, Ron and Ginny from the room.

Katie had wanted to tell Dumbledore about the new vision she had. After all, she had no idea when she would see him next. It didn't seem fitting to describe the vision in a letter, and Sirius himself had advised against that, saying that it would be better to give the information to Dumbledore in person, but now that she finally had the chance, she was being shoved away.

Before Katie could protest any further, the door was closed.

"Muffilato!" Mrs Weasley uttered from the other side of the door, and all sound from within the dining room was muted.

"Well, that was lovely." Ron grumbled.

***

That evening, at dinner, as Katie ate with Ron and Hermione, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to Harry. It was strange seeing Ron and Hermione without him. It wasn't right that they were all there together while Harry was stuck with his Aunt and Uncle.

"So," Katie said loudly to the entire table before she could stop herself, "when's Harry coming, then?"

Everyone fell silent as all heads slowly turned to face Katie. No one spoke. No one even blinked, not until Remus Lupin cleared his throat.

"When it is safe—"

"But when?" Katie pressed. She knew she was being petty, but she didn't much care.

Remus sighed softly. "It's not safe yet—"

"But he's safe with a couple of abusive and defenseless Muggles in Little Whinging, is he?"

Remus went silent for a few moments before speaking again. He was clearly choosing his next words carefully.

"We have people keeping an eye on him—"

"He's not going to like that, being followed," Katie cut in sharply. "You know he won't."

"Yes, but it's the safest way—"

"Why should he be kept in the dark?" Katie's voice was rising slightly. "He saw him come back, he fought him. I mean, if it wasn't for Harry, no one would even know that he was back, and he'd be picking us all off like flies. So why should Harry be kept in the dark? Why can't I write to him, for Merlin's sake? I just want to know if he's alright!"

Katie's outburst deemed enough to quieten Remus down. He blinked at her, his mouth marginally open in surprise. Remus cast a glance sideways at Sirius, who nodded discreetly, but this did not going unnoticed by Katie, who eyed the pair sceptically.

***

With gentle thud and a harsh rushing of wind, Katie landed on her feet. She threw her eyes around but couldn't see anything... not a single thing. All was black, in every direction. Katie looked down. She couldn't see her hands or her feet, or any of her body. It was as though she had suddenly gone blind.

Then, in the distance, a spectral figure arose, like a Phoenix from the ashes, from a ghostly gust of white smoke. It moved closer and Katie could now see that it was a man — the same man from the vision that she had when she touched Tom Riddle's plaque. A black, hooded cloak enveloped his entire body, including his face, and as he glided steadily forwards, an odious ringing filled her ears.

Katie clapped her hands over her ears to block out the sound, but it was no use. The ringing was in her head, rattling her brain, growing louder and harsher each moment, until it was so loud that it hurt. Katie tried to yell, and maybe she just couldn't hear herself over the horrifying noise, but the sound of her screams did not travel.

Then she heard it, the icy voice that drained all surrounding slivers of happiness from the district as it spoke.

"Join... join... join... join..."

This was Katerina's most recent nightmare. She barely snatched herself three hours of sleep every night, and when she did manage to drift off, her sleep was broken by one of her two dreams: her dad's death or the hooded man gliding towards her.

After two weeks of tossing and turning and waking up in cold sweat, Katie had given up on trying to sleep. She would sit on her bed and read into the early hours of the morning, until her exhaustion consumed her, and she would begin her few hours of broken sleep and blood-curdling dreams.

On that night, just as the clock struck midnight, there was a soft rapping of knuckles against the door. Slowly, the door opened, making a loud creaking noise as it did so. Katie stared, her eyebrows furrowed, as Sirius Black's face appeared in the small crack.

Sirius jerked his head backwards, motioning for Katie to join him on the landing. She did not move, instead shooting Sirius a querying look. Sirius jerked his head again before disappearing from view. Sighing in minor annoyance, but with a small bubble of curiosity growing in her stomach, Katie lay her book on the tattered bed and hopped off, joining Sirius in the hallway.

Katie shut her bedroom door and Sirius pressed a finger to his lips, signalling for Katie to be deathly quiet. He then motioned for her to follow him. They tip-toed down the stairs without making a single noise, and Sirius lead Katie into the lounge that usually went unused. Katie was confused to see Chris and Remus already waiting for them there. Chris seemed to be just as bemused as Katie. He was glancing between the two men as though answers were written on their faces.

Sirius sat down next to Remus, and when Katie didn't move from her spot by the closed door, Remus said, "You might want to sit down for this."

Saying nothing, Katie took a seat beside her brother. They both stared hard and Remus and Sirius, who's eyes were moving in a way that seemed to engage them in a form of silent conversation.

Remus nodded, drew a breath, and was about to begin speaking, but Sirius got there first.

"Forgive me, but I've been wanting to say this for awhile — you look so like your mother." he breathed, addressing Katie.

Her heart missed a beat and her eyes blew open wide.

"You knew my mother?"

"Oh, yes," Sirius hummed fondly. "Quite well, actually."

Baffled by this news and wanting to hear more, Katie decided to give Sirius a friendly interrogation.

"So, did you go to school with her, then?"

"Oh, Merlin, no," Sirius chuckled. "No, she was a good few years older than me. She finished school a couple of years before I started. She was an old family friend, you see, and we were quite close until..."

Sirius' voice trailed off mid-sentence, leaving Katie with a disappointed pang in her stomach. She was desperate to know more. Maria Blair never much discussed her past with her children.

"Until what?" Katie pressed.

Sirius' smile had now been replaced by a frown. "That's actually why we called you here." he said.

Remus picked up from here. "The others don't want us telling you this, but we feel you have a right to know."

Both Remus and Sirius went silent after this, but seemed to have resumed communicating with each other using only their eyes. Katie cast a frustrated look between them.

"Well, go on then." Chris demanded, and Katie had never been more grateful for her brother's arrogance.

Sirius nodded once at Remus and gulped thickly. "During the last war," he said slowly, as though the words would cut him if he didn't handle them carefully, "your mother went missing."

"My — she — like—?" Katie stammered.

"Like this time, yes." Remus nodded.

"She was gone for... a long time." Sirius continued.

Beside Katie, Chris swallowed harshly, and Katie was sure that the feeling of anxiety that was rippling through her veins was also arising in him.

"For how long, exactly?" Chris asked wearily, like he was scared of the answer.

"Long enough," Sirius was speaking extra slowly, almost hesitantly, now, "to conceive, carry and give birth to two children within the time she was missing."

Katie and Chris glanced tensely at each other. Katie's mouth was growing dry.

"So, you're saying we have two long lost siblings?" Chris inquired, sounding half disbelieving and half interested. Sirius ignored his question and proceeded with the story.

"Maria returned the morning after Lily and James Potter were murdered," Katie could see the pain in his eyes and hear the agony in his voice when he said this, "with no recollection of what had happened to her, and two children..." he took a long pause, in which he and Remus cast shadowed looks of foreboding to each other, "named Christian and Katerina."

Chris let out a gasp, while Katie's face remained expressionless. She had known for a while know that Anthony Blair was not her biological father. However, she was gobsmacked on hearing the news that her mother had gone missing for at least three years, during which that time she had given birth to Katie and Chris. Katie was also surprised to hear that Anthony wasn't Chris' real father either — that possibility had never really dawned on her.

"What Sirius is trying to say—"

"I know," Katie blurted out. Remus fell silent and he, Sirius and Chris all stared, open-mouthed at her. She chewed her lip nervously before advancing. "I know he wasn't my real dad."

"You know?" Chris raised his vocie to a level that was barely quieter than a roar. Katie snappily shut him down.

"I didn't know he wasn't your dad!" she said hastily.

Sirius was staring unblinkingly at Katie. "How — how do you—?"

"I figured it out. All these little things over the years were adding up — hints telling me that he wasn't my biological dad. Then, in that dream I had, the woman confirmed it. She said, 'Oh, Anthony, dear, both you and I know all too well that Katerina isn't really your daughter.' I tried to confront mum about it a few times, but she always shut me down."

Remus and Sirius were both looking at Katie with drooping eyes and sorrowful expressions.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way..." Remus said despairingly, shaking his head.

"And the woman didn't say who your biological father was?" Sirius asked, to which Katie shook her head.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chris questioned miserably. Tears were welling in his eyes and he refused to meet Katie's gaze.

Katie frowned. "Well, it's not exactly the easiest thing to bring up, is it? Hey, Chris, how are you today? Oh, that's great — hey, by the way, dad isn't really my father!"

Chris shook his head and buried his face in his hands. Then, he got to his feet and trudged towards the door.

"I need a minute." he said hoarsely, evidently trying to hold back a wave of tears. Katie moved to follow after him, but Lupin halted her.

"I've got it." he said, then left the room.

Remus had barely shut the door when an epiphany so great struck Katie that is was as though she had been hit upside the head with a rather nasty Bludger.

"Sirius!" she exclaimed. Sirius leaned forward, projecting his full attention on to the teenage girl across from him. "Sirius, what if Dumbledore really was right about the visions being memories? Hear me out, OK? The dreams aren't my memories — it's impossible for them to be. I didn't murder my dad and, well, a man's never floated towards me in a pitch black room before. They have to have been purposely shown to me, right? Someone planted those dreams in my head."

Sirius contorted his face as he thought hard. "And you think the visions you have when you're awake are your memories?"

"Yes, really old memories — so old that I've completely forgotten them, but they're triggered by these objects. And, Sirius, what if they're memories from the years when my mum was missing?" Upon seeing the unsure expression on Sirius' face, Katie elaborated. "It makes sense! My mum is really young in them — way younger than I ever remember her. There's another kid there, a boy, not much older than me, that could be Chris. It all fits, Sirius."

Sirius thought hard for a minute. He scratched his chin idly as he stared, through narrowed eyes, into space.

"Yes, but," Sirius argued finally, "you were only a year old when Maria came back. How would you have memories from that long ago, even if they were triggered by an object?"

Katie had already figured that Sirius would make this point, so she already had her counter argument prepared.

"That's why they're so vague," she said. "That's why they cut off at random points, that's why they're hazy."

"You really think so?" Sirius quizzed, still seeming uncertain.

Katie frowned deeply. "You think I'm a nutter, don't you?"

"I think that you know your own mind better than anyone, and if you believe that these are memories — your memories — then they are your memories." Sirius stated softly. Katie smiled.

"There's something else I would like to discuss with you, if you're OK with it." Sirius stated gravely. It was clear by his tone and solemn facial expression that this next topic was going to be very serious, so Katie brushed aside all he had previously told her and leaned forward, listening intently.

"If the Order find out I've told you, Katerina, they'll have my head, so you have to promise me you won't repeat this information to anyone. Not Harry, not Hermione, not Ron — no one. Do you understand?"

Katie's nerves were rising once again. She wasn't one hundred percent sure that she was to be trusted to hold whatever top secret information that Sirius was about to give her, but curiosity got the better of her and she found herself sincerely promising not to speak a single work to anybody.

Sirius leaned so far off the couch that he was resting his elbows on the coffee table. He now spoke so quietly that Katie almost had to strain her ears to listen.

"We think that Voldemort may be after something..."

"Something?"

Sirius visibly shivered. "The knowledge on how to kill Harry."

Katie grew suddenly very hot. "T-The what? Couldn't he just, you know, blast him with the Avada Kedavra Curse?"

"The first time he tried that, he almost died himself, and the second time he tried, the ghosts of his most recent victims sprouted from his wand and helped Harry escape."