Standing with her friends in line at the Sorting Ceremony among the others of the midget army, her being one of, if not the smallest of the whole lot. An eleven-year-old in a seven or eight-year-old's body. JOY. Katie made sure to stay furthest away from Legend and his two partners-in-crime: Matias and Cyrus.

After what felt like forever, it was her turn.

Jae, in his thick irish brogue, reassured her before she set off toward the three-legged stool.

With the Sorting Hat covering her eyes, Katie heard the loud applause follow the words "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"I told you so, Legend!"

"Thank you, Uncle Legend." Said the five-year-old, seating herself on the edge of the couch as she munched on an oreo Legend handed her as Katie worked on untying her shoe lace.

"He's not your uncle." She muttered, correcting her niece.

"I make a better Uncle than you do an Aunt!" Legend protested, sticking his tongue out at her.

"You're NOT her uncle!" Katie shouted, abandoning the knot and threw her arms up for emphasis.

"That's not what Lainie says."

"FINE. Since you're so great, untie her shoe laces."

Legend grinned triumphantly, watching Katie storm off to get their coats.

"I challenge you to a duel!" Legend announced, a sly grin on his boyish face.

Eyeing him, Katie shook her head, brushing back the dark, wild curls that fell forward with the motion. "Absolutely not." was her reply before her head was hidden behind a book once more.

"What, wittwe Katie's scawed?" Mocked the green-eyed boy, knowing perfectly well he would hit a nerve. It was his goal, after all.

"You wish."

"That's okay. You better not accept, wouldn't want to Cub to get hurt and go crying to the nurse because she couldn't handle a duel with the Prince."

"MUUUUM! There's a boggart in the dresser!" Katie cried, pointing to the ancient looking, maple wood dresser covered in dust. Everything in the attic was dark with caked on dust, having not been touched in. . oh, who knew how long?

Behind her, Legend snorted. "It's not a boggart, Cub."

"Do NOT call me that!" Katie hissed, "And how would you know?"

"Because I know all." He answered, as if that made it so. The girl rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, sighing exasperatedly.

Ignoring the childrens bickering, Raine pulled open the rattling drawer, and out ran a tiny orange furrball.

. .but this group really doesn't need another drama - 'think she's' - queen.

"I don't think so, I know I'm Queen, Legend."

In front of their friends, the two were at it again.

When Katie returned from speaking to Grandma Angelina, his eyes narrowed on her. "You're NOT gonna be Queen, because I'M gonna be King; you'll be LUCKY to be a servant girl!"

"Servant girl?!" She repeated, shrilly. "You have some pretty far fetched dreams, Lysander!"

"Do NOT call me Lysander, Kaitlynnh Gelilah Cantara Kayleigh Mae!" Legend shouted back, furiously.

Nevermind servant girl, she was getting locked away in the dungeon!

Exhausted, Katie could be found in the corner in a puffy armchair, curled up with her skirt smoothed out over her knees that were pulled in close to her body. Her shoes lay abandoned on the floor beside the chair; a fairytale book resting against her legs, open to the page she had been reading before those large, dark brown eyes were suddenly having trouble staying open.

"Taking a nap in the Library?" Came a rather mocking question.

Okay, maybe not mocking - Katie just took it that way.

"I am not, Legend."

"Are too."

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"What are you doing?"

What was up with Legend talking to her at the worst possible moments?

Like when I'm trying to focus on something, she bitterly thought.

"Ignoring you."

"You just spoke to me, how can you be ignoring me? Ha! I win."

Taking a deep breath, Katie glared at the piece of parchment in front of her instead of paying Legend any attention. Positive or negative, and merlin knew it would be the latter of the two.

"No come back, huh, Cub?" There was no need to look up, she could simply hear the smirk in his tone.

This wasn't one of his best plans, but it would do for now until he and Mat could visit Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in Diagon Alley before going back to school for yet another year of learning.

Lightly tossing the 'water balloon' he held into the air only to catch it again, he returned to outside, in backyard where the others were, Legend shouted: "HEY! Katie!" knowing that she would turn, and chucked the balloon at her.

Caught off-guard, the fierce brunette was a direct hit: green, slimey, ooze splattered over her. Her expression went from shock to fury. "LEGEND CHOSEN!"

"Legend, what are you playing at? Mat is not an alien. I don't care what you or Mat have to say, even though I have questioned that myself - Mat IS from this planet." Katie rambled on at a quick pace, rolling her dark brown eyes at the end.

"Believe it or not, you'll see. Just wait. He'll turn you into space dust before you can even blink," Legend smirked, looking quite confident.

"Yeah right, by next week you'll be trying to tell me Mat's actually from the future come back to take over the world."

"No, that's MY job."

"Aw, what? Wittwe Cub scared of the harmless owls?"

Katie in all her bushy haired, dark curls glared fiercely up at the green-eyed boy. A look that clearly said 'don't mess with me'.

With their group of friends, they stood outside on the street of Diagon Alley outside Eeylops Owl Emporium, where Legend's eldest sister, Artemis, worked.

Naturally, Legend took the look as encouragement and pushed the matter further. "What are they going to do? Pick you up and fly you off to some unknown island?"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea.." Matias was next to recieve her piercing stare.

Don't egg on the boy!

The thought never left the young brunette's mind, but it was written all over her face. He needed no more encouragement, especially by his Partner-in-Crime of all people.

"Well are you coming, or are you going to sit out here and wait?" Legend finally asked, holding the door open to the store while Orlando, Danny, Mat, Jae and Kayla slowly, one by one, followed each other inside. Kayla waited until last, giving Katie a hopeful look as if to silently tell her 'You can do it'.

"Alright, I'm coming." Shuffling her feet, Katie went inside.

Even though she was one of the oldest, Katie still remained one of the smallest in the group. And at the moment, that was a good thing. Her attempt at nonchalantly hiding behind both Jae and Kayla would hopefully go unnoticed.

"I don't think there is any owls out of their cages, Katie." Offered her cousin, younger by a year; Danny was always the sweet one. Innocent and quiet. It was no wonder she fought with Legend, Mat and Cy to keep him that way. And Orlando, too.

HOOT! HOOT!

Startled, Katie jumped. Legend erupted in a fit of laughter.

"Would you keep up, Legend? Pick up your pace! We're going to be late for class." The brunette ranted on as she led the way out onto the grounds, directing them to a path that would hopefully take the least amount of time. Of course, that matter very little if Chosen wouldn't pick up his feet and get a move on.

Kaitlynnh huffed.

"Where's Mat, anyway? And Jae?" Danny had gone ahead with Kay; she assumed Orlando had gone with them.

"How should I know. Do I look like their babysitter? Unlike you, I don't follow their every move. Stalker."

Kaitlynnh spun around abruptly to face Legend, dark eyes narrowed in obvious fury.

"Woah, warn me next time you decide to suddenly stop right in front of me." Legend complained, taking a large step back from Katie after coming dangerously close to walking straight into her. "I thought you were whining about getting to class on time, what's with stopping?"

"I was not whining and I am not a stalker, Legend! It's called being a friend. Friends usually know where their other friends are, especially when they go to most of the same classes at the same time." Kaitlynnh hissed.

"Could have fooled me." Legend muttered under his breath, unafraid of the walking, talking firecracker in front of him hearing as they continued the journey across the grounds of Hogwarts.

There was silence. Not around them, for other students were coming and going in each direction, headed for their next class. But between them, there was silence. It didn't last long.

"You're going the wrong way, Creatures class is that way," Legend stated, paused in his tracks, he jabbed a thumb behind himself.

"We don't have Care of Magical Creatures right now. Herbology is next."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yes, actually it is!"

Seated in one of the large, over-stuffed red armchairs in the far corner of the library, was a Hufflepuff student of Third year. Books piled on her lap, a few of which were opened to pages the girl seemed to be looking over every now and then when her gaze wasn't on the parchment resting against the arm of the chair.

"Quell... Quell," the soft murmurs escaped her, eyes dancing from one book to the other in search of the word, or perhaps something relating to it. "Where is it?"

The sound of feet approaching broke her concentration, just barely.

Correction: A pair of feet. The young badger didn't bother looking up, she didn't need to. It was just Legend. "Don't bother trying to scare me, it isn't going to work." Katie stated. "What is it that you want, anyway?" Because it wasn't like Legend ever came to the Library to study.

"Why do you think I want something?" Legend retorted cooly, eyebrows raised. "Anyway, I think I deserve an apology since, being the good Prince I am, I'm going to help you. You're quill is right there,"

Katie sighed, curls bouncing around her face as she shook her head.

"Come here," Katie commanded, waving Legend over. It was a useless attempt, seeing how he didn't move an inch. Her neutral expression was washed away by one of clear annoyance. "FINE." She huffed, closing one of the books with a sharp, rather loud snap; another fell off her lap and onto the floor with an even louder THUD.

Please don't let Madame Kohan have heard that.

Gathering her mess, Katie said, "Here, take this and look it up yourself. Q-U-E-L-L." and shoved the Dictionary into Legend's hands before walking away to return the library's books where she had found them.

Pulling her cloak tighter around herself, Katie shivered as a strong gust of chilled air whipped through, picking up stray leaves on the ground and rocking tree branches back and forth against each other in the canopy of green above their heads on the pathway trail.

Changing course, Katie left Legend to his thoughts, staring up the Whomping Willow on their way past. Watching the branches sway and twig-like ends move, she was certain the tree was not affected by the wind - but merely dancing on it's own free will. "Look, it's playing along."

"No it's not. You're crazy."

"Santa Clause is not real, Legend." Katie huffed, hands planted on her hips. Her expression gave away her annoyance to the topic.

"Yes he is. You were one of those girls who got coal instead of the Pony she asked for, I bet. I mean.. it is you." Legend smirked, quite sure of himself.

Katie glared back. "I was not, and that's childish. Santa Clause is a made-up person meant for children to believe in."

"Just because you act like you're so mature doesn't mean you are. You don't know anything. He is real, and it's not childish! You're childish!"

"Ooh, good come back." Katie rolled her eyes. "He is not! And you have no proof, now do you?"

"Who do you think eats the cookies and drinks the milk and leaves presents on Christmas morning, the Easter bunny?" Legend inquired, emerald green eyes narrowed.

"HMMPH! Fine! I'll prove it. I'll stay up all night, and when I don't see him-"

"How's that gonna prove anything? Santa's not going to appear with you waiting for him. Don't you know how it works?" Legend interupted her.

Katie practically growled, "If you're such a genius, you come up with a better idea!"

Grinning widely, Legend replied "About time you give me credit for the genius I am. I don't need to come up with something better. I already have."

"Well, get on with it Chosen! I'm growing old here!" Katie paused, lips pressed in a firm line. Quickly, she added "If you value your life, you will not follow that up with a stupid remark." rather snappishly.

"Geez, grumpy! You know, old people take naps. You should try it," Legend chuckled, loping down the corridor without another word.

"Legend Chosen!" Katie hissed, arms crossed moodly over her chest. HMMPHing, she followed after.

"It was a JOKE! You do know what that is, Cub?" Legend had to use that name. He just had to. It was like he knew exactily how to make her mad and keep her that way.

Through gritted teeth, Katie spoke furiously. "You said you had an idea. Spit it out already! I'm in no mood to deal with you." When was she ever, really?

"We'll go up to the Astronomy Tower before midnight on Christmas Eve. Shouldn't be too hard to sneak out. Unless you're scared?" He asked, mock concerned. A sly grin on his face.

"As if!"

Sitting criss-cross on her four poster bed dark waves of hair had fallen forward sometime ago, partially covering a young girl's face who was leaned forward on her elbows, her chin in her hand, staring blankly at a notebook that layed in front of her.

Astronomy homework is what she was attempting to do, but it was hopeless. Astronomy had to do with stars and planets; the next word that instantly came to mind was the moon. Katie didn't want to think about any sort of moons; it always led her thoughts right back to Leah Moon, her best friend.