Of Greatness and Grandeur

Chapter 6

The next few weeks of classes passed uneventfully. Katherine did well in all her classes, with the exception of History of Magic. She excused her ignorance in this area by noting that the class focused on English history, and that she was more familiar with the history of continental Europe.

In wand work and potions she was nearly Riddle's match, and she was undoubtedly his equal in the more knowledge-based fields of arithmancy and ancient runes. Riddle was irked by this new challenge to his otherwise clear academic superiority, but since Katherine did not directly oppose him in any way, he made good on his promise to leave her be.

For the most part, the other Slytherin students were completely captivated with the new arrival. They flocked around her like eager puppies throughout the day, whether at meal times, in classes, or in the Common Room. When Katherine wasn't present, they spoke of the last time they'd seen her, and shared some clever quip or scathing remark she'd recently made with anyone who hadn't been present.

Katherine absorbed the attention like a goddess in her temple, rewarding her devotees with doting compliments, quick humour, and occasionally assistance with their schoolwork. The dynamic went beyond that of the typical excitement associated with a new student; the Slytherins' infatuation with Katherine appeared to grow with each passing day rather than fade with her novelty. Riddle wasn't used to sharing the attention of his peers with anyone else, and it made him somewhat nervous. He couldn't very well fault her for being too popular, though, and anyways, he remained better loved by the professors, younger students and other houses.

Aside from Riddle, the only other person who seemed displeased with this adoration of Katherine was Victoria Carrow. She sulked whenever Katherine's name was brought up, and tried in vain to convince Charles not to associate with Katherine. While the other Slytherins appeared to have taken Katherine's story about her background at face value, Victoria continued to emphasize that no proof had been provided of her family origins, especially with regards to her blood purity. Riddle kept her unsavory comments in check when in public, but Victoria continued to hint at Katherine's questionable background to whoever would listen when in private.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in late-September, Katherine and the Greengrass twins were sunning themselves by the Great Lake. They lay on the soft green grass, eyes closed like cats curled in front of a fire.

As a group of Slytherin boys walked past, Katherine propped herself up on one arm, and waved at them with the other. Abraxas, Orion, Thaddeus, Charles and Antonin were tromping towards the Quidditch pitch, brooms in hand.

Spotting Katherine, Abraxas jogged over to the lake. "Good afternoon, ladies. Enjoying the sun?"

Hearing his voice, Adeline and Celeste sat up from their dozing positions. Adeline blinked, her newly opened eyes adjusting to the sunlight. "Hey Brax! It's lovely here, want to join us?"

Abraxas shook his head. "The boys and I are actually headed down to play some Quidditch. We were wondering if you might want to join, Katherine, if you're still interested in getting on a broomstick."

Katherine's eyes lit up, and she sat up quickly. "I am definitely still interested. Give me a minute; I'll catch up with you," she said.

"Excellent," said Abraxas, lifting a hand to say goodbye before jaunting back over to the rest of the boys.

Katherine turned to Celeste and Adeline. "You should come along!"

Adeline shook her head. "I am staying right here until the sun goes down. I don't think I've ever been more relaxed."

Katherine laughed. "Alright, but you should really join us, Celeste. Thaddeus will be there," she coaxed.

Celeste screwed up her face. "Why should that matter?"

Raising an eyebrow, Katherine shot Celeste a skeptical look. "Surely you know that Thaddeus has a thing for you? He follows you around like a lost puppy."

Celeste's mouth fell open for a moment, before she clamped it shut and scowled. "How would you know? You've hardly spoken to him; I've known him for six years."

Katherine raised her hands in mock-defense. "I'm good at reading people. You don't have to come along, but you should pay more attention to how Thaddeus acts around you. You might find I'm right." She hopped up from the grass, and scampered off to join the pack of Slytherin boys.

A few hours later, Katherine and the Slytherin boys returned to the common room, looking rosy-cheeked and wind-swept. Victoria Carrow, Riddle, and a handful of 5th years sat studying at the carved mahogany tables. Charles and Orion immediately propelled themselves over to the 5th years and launched into a story about a Quidditch play from earlier.

Charles gestured excitedly at Katherine. "Hey Kat, come tell these guys about how you caught the snitch from under Antonin's nose!"

Victoria slammed her textbook down on the table, a vicious scowl marring her otherwise elegant features. "You're calling her Kat, now?"

Abraxas sauntered over and hopped up to sit on the table. "Yeah, because she's agile and quick like a cat. Pretty clever, huh?" He smirked, clearly pleased with his effort to wind Victoria up.

Victoria ignored his comment, and turned towards her fiancée. "Charles," she said in an overly sweet voice, "Would you talk to me in private please?"

Charles extricated himself from the group of 5th years, and walked off towards Victoria's room, looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else.

Katherine caught Orion's arm, pulling him away from the table of 5th years. "What's the deal with those two? They're engaged, aren't they?"

Orion rolled his eyes. "It's a bit of a mess, really. Vic is head over heels for Charles, obviously. He couldn't care less, except that his father wants him to marry Victoria because the Carrows are filthy rich." He paused. "Honestly, I think Charles could just as easily marry some other rich Slytherin witch, it's not as though they're in short supply."

Katherine's eyes widened. "But don't the Averys have their own fortune?"

Orion leaned forward, speaking in hushed tones. "They did, but Charles' dad got into trouble with the Ministry a few years back for distributing cursed objects to Muggles. In exchange for keeping him out of Azkaban, he gave the Ministry nearly everything except their house."

Katherine nodded slowly. "That explains a lot. Thanks for filling me in, Orion."

He shrugged. "Anytime. I'm going to go shower; I'll see you at dinner?"

"Definitely," she laughed, "After all that Quidditch, I'm starving."

After Orion had jogged off up the stairs towards the boys' dormitory, Katherine sauntered over to the table where Riddle continued to read. She sat on the edge of the desk, waiting for him to look up. When he didn't give any indication that he had noticed her presence, she reached over and flipped his book shut.

Riddle's eyes snapped up, glaring daggers at Katherine. "Can I help you?"

Katherine twirled her long dark curls around her finger, her head tilting thoughtfully to one side. "You seem to have a lot of friends with large bank accounts, Riddle. I was just wondering what a nice boy like you might need all that money for. It certainly seems like you're planning something big."

"I thought I made it clear that my plans do not concern you, Katarina," he said, yanking his book out from under her hand.

"But they could concern me. I could be an asset to you, rather than an inconvenience." She stood and walked around the back of Riddle's chair, running a hand along his shoulders.

His hand darted upwards to snatch her wrist, which he held tightly against his shoulder. "You have no idea what you're talking about, you stupid witch," he hissed, turning to look at her.

He released her hand and turned back to his book, which he began to flip to the correct page. Katherine had clearly been dismissed.

Quietly, she spoke from behind him. "You're right. I don't know what it is you're doing here. I don't know why you've charmed the people at this school, what you need so much money for, or why you were involved with Grindelwald. I don't even know what I stand to gain from finding out. But I do intend to find out, Riddle, and I generally accomplish what I set my mind to."

Riddle's body stiffened. He breathed out slowly, eyebrows furrowed. Making up his mind, he turned around to look at Katherine, but caught only a glimpse of her retreating figure disappearing up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

Frustrated, Riddle slammed his book back shut. He paused for a moment to think, running a hand through his dark hair. He then straightened and adjusted his tie, seeming to come to a decision.

"Antonin!" Riddle called. "Come here a moment."

Antonin stood up from the couch where he'd been chatting with Thaddeus since their return from the Quidditch pitch. His light brown hair was still wind tousled, and a blade of grass was stuck in it near his ear. A smudge of dirt darkened his cheek, further emphasizing his already dramatic Slavic cheekbones. As he walked over to Riddle's table, he frantically rubbed at his face and combed his fingers through his hair, but only succeeded in lodging the blade of grass further in.

"Yes, my Lord?" He said in hushed tones upon arrival at the table.

"Have you received a reply from your mother? Do we know yet whether the story Miss Morrigan supplied about her background is true?" Riddle inquired.

"Yes, my Lord. My mother confirmed that the Markova's eldest daughter survived the fire that killed the rest of the family. Her description sounds like Katherine, too. The thing is, though, Katarina Markova has been missing for half a year; she didn't show up at Durmstrang after their Christmas break," said Antonin.

Riddle nodded impatiently. "Yes, I know where she was during that time. Thank you for the information, Antonin. You may go."

Antonin hesitated a moment, before giving an awkward little bow and backing away from the table. He returned to the couch and joined Thaddeus, who had been watching the exchange curiously.

Katherine was in her room, getting ready for dinner, when Celeste knocked at her door. "Come in," she called cheerfully.

"Hey Katherine, I want to ask you a favour. Adeline and I were talking about how great your lipstick always looks, and I was wondering if you'd mind showing me how you do it?" Celeste looked hopefully at her, holding a tube of lipstick.

Katherine smiled. "Of course! You won't need that though; I don't actually use makeup. It's a spell!" She winked.

"A spell?" Celeste sounded doubtful. "But you can't transfigure yourself; that's one of the basic rules of magic."

"That's why I don't transfigure my lips; I transfigure the air directly in front of them, and then bind it there with a motion-impeding charm." Katherine picked up her walnut wand from the desk in front of her.

"That's brilliant!" Celeste hesitated. "But it sounds really difficult, I'm not sure I'd be able to do it right."

Katherine waved off her concern with a lazy hand. "Don't worry about it, Celeste. I'll just do it for you." She smiled coyly. "After all, you do want to impress Thaddeus, don't you?"

Celeste blushed bright pink. "Am I that obvious? I'm not even sure he likes me, but now that you've put the idea in my head…He is quite cute, isn't he?"

Laughing lightly, Katherine nodded her agreement. "I think you'd be cute together. Now come sit down so I can perform the charm."

Celeste sat down at the desk, and turned the chair to face Katherine. As she did, the chair knocked a necklace off the desk. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry!" she said, bending down to pick it up.

The necklace was a gold locket studded with bright green emeralds forming the letter 'S'. It had the warm, tarnished look common in very old and very valuable antiques.

"Wow, Katherine, this is gorgeous!" said Celeste, placing the necklace back on the table.

Katherine lips curved into a tense smile. "Thank you, Celeste. It was a gift, and it's very dear to me." She reached over, picked up the necklace, and slipped it into the desk's drawer.

AN: Things are starting to heat up! Both Katherine and Riddle are trying to find out what the other is up to...And that locket sounds mighty familiar, but how did Katherine get her hands on it?