The Worst (Kathie Caldwell)

[hohum]

Lucinda felt carefree today. She had already completed her homework, so she had an entire Saturday off. She was contemplating on whether to go to Hogsmeade with the rest of the crowd, or to just stay back and relax in the Common Room for a while. She nibbled on a muffin while she attempted to sort out her dilemma. It was one of the first peaceful days Lucinda had experienced in a long time. The anxiety with her father seemed to cease as the Prophets continually announced his success in saving one person or another. She seemed much calmer now.

Right on time, the Owl Post came. Owls of all different shapes, sizes, colors, and types soared into the Great Hall, dropping parcels and letters into their owners’ laps. Lucinda searched the ceiling but wasn’t expecting to get anything. Who would she get anything from? Her brother was a possibility, but he rarely sent her anything useful. She sighed and turned back to her breakfast when the morning’s addition of the Daily Prophet was dropped square in the center of her plate. Thanking herself for only grabbing a muffin and nothing wet, she brushed the crumbs off and looked at the cover.

Sure enough, a picture of Kade Chaplin was plastered upon it, smiling broadly as usual. She wondered whom he had saved this time and if it were going to mention his return. As she looked at the bottom right hand corner where the pictures of those who had disappeared were put, she noticed a familiar face - it was the same picture as the larger version in the center. She felt her heart skip about a dozen beats. She didn’t think it was possible, and immediately claimed that the Prophet had printed a mistake.

She frantically scanned the paper and it was the headline that caught her attention. BEST AUROR GOES MISSING. Now her heart seemed to stop beating altogether. She read the article so quickly that she only caught the minutia of it all. She took a deep breath and slowly read through it again in order to absorb every detail. It said that her father had been missing for nearly a month already. The Ministry had tried to keep it hushed up for as long as they could, but couldn’t contain the news any longer. He was last heard from in the mountains.

Lucinda had been holding her breath the entire time, and didn’t realize it until she was through reading it again. An entire month! A month had gone by and the Ministry didn’t even think about informing her in any way, not even a letter! She was appalled and panicking all at the same time. She wondered if Carlisle knew about this. Without even thinking, Lucinda bolted upright from the bench of the Gryffindor Table that she bashed her knees on the underside of the top. Ignoring the sharp pain, she grabbed the Prophet and darted as fast as she could out of the place. She could feel long stares cast her way, but she didn’t care, nor did she acknowledge it.

She didn’t get farther than the first floor when a notice dropped from the Prophet. Halting, she pivoted around and tentatively picked it up. Unfolding it, she peered curiously at the contents. She dropped the notice in pure shock of what she had just read. It wasn’t only her father who had gone missing, but Kathie Caldwell’s grandfather. Lucinda hastily picked the notice back up and read through it again. Arthur Caldwell set out some weeks ago in search of Kade Chaplin, then mysteriously vanished around the same area in which Kade did.

Lucinda turned on her heel and bolted back into the Great Hall. She ran hard passed the Gryffindor Table to the Hufflepuff Table. Her eyes searched frantically for Kathie, and she spotted her relaxing with some Hufflepuff friends. Lucinda scrambled over to her and without preamble, she grabbed Kathie and pulled her breathlessly off the bench. Gripped Kathie’s hand, she tugged her all the way out of the Great Hall, up the stairs, and down the third floor corridor. She pushed Kathie into a vacant classroom that clearly had not had a visitor in years. Lucinda panted hard, doubling over from all that exertion.[/size]

[Kathie Caldwell]

Kathie smiled briefly on that morning when she had awaken up. Nothing would change that... Not her homework, because she had already finished it; not the classes, because fortunately it was Saturday; and, mainly, because she could do whatever she wanted with her time.

She was already eating her breakfast when some of her Hufflepuffs friends arrived and she smiled cheerfully at them. They were all excited with the perspective of going to Hogsmeade on that day, tough Kat had decided no to go... She had a good plan to put in practice, and for that she needed to be at school.

Kat smiled for herself when she heard her friends talking about their dates and she rolled her eyes amused. Please, could you just stop talking about boys for a while... she said for herself, but the only thing she did was nodding in agreement of whatever what they had said.

Kathie heard in the distance the noise of the owls coming to deliver them their mail and smiled happily. She was, indeed, expecting one letter from her grandparents, though she couldn't find any signs of her owl, Eleäen. Kat stared perplexed when she realized that her owl wouldn't come today.

Strange, Eleäen never gets late.

Kathie stared back at her friends and see them reading with a strange expression.

"Hey guys, what is so interesting on that newspaper?" she asked joking.

She saw their expressions became more tensed and saw them trying to avoid her eyes. Kat looked at them surprised wondering what was the problem when Amelia answered her.

"Hum...Er... nothing." she managed to said, in a small whisper, just for starting crying and running away of the Great Hall.

Kathie stared at her shocked and was about to grab the newspaper when felt someone grabbing her arm and taking her out of the Great Hall. She stared at the person and recognized her as being Lucinda.

First I was peacefully at Huffepuff table, now I'm being dragged by Lucinda to... not even Merlin knows where. Could this day get more strange?

They both reached the third floor and Lucinda pushed her into an empty classroom. She was about to ask annoyed why she had done that, drag her like a mad person, when she suddenly noticed her expression. She was not Lucinda, she was different.. there was something wrong with her.

"Lucinda, what happened? Are you alright?" She asked concerned staring at the girl.

[hohum]

As Lucinda looked up from her position, she saw that Kathie was staring at her as if she as a mad woman. Lucinda wanted to laugh, but the stitch in her side hurt too much. Instead, she tossed the paper that had been clutched in her hand atop one of the empty desks. Still unable to breathe properly, Lucinda just pointed to it, indicating that she should read it.

“It’s…your grandpa,” she breathed out. She sat down on the dusty seat of the desk, not bothering to dust it off or anything. She had finally recovered a normal breath by now as she unfolded the paper to show to Kat, and then pulled the notice out from the middle of the paper. She gave them both for Kathie to examine. Lucinda really wished that none of this had happened, but at least she was the one to tell Kat, and not a teasing Slytherin or something.

She waited patiently for Kat to finish her reading. Lucinda pulled out her wand in order to distract herself. She couldn't exaclty look at Kat to see her expression. Lucinda knew how much Kathie adored her grandfather, and to hear this news would probably kill her.

She moved her wand tip around in a circle in the dust, creating little pictures and designs in the thick coating. Inside, Lucinda had already a plan brewing. She didn't know if Kathie Caldwell would go along with it, but if Lucinda had to do this alone, then she would. She had no doubt that she would probably get in some serious trouble for it, but that didn't matter much to her. As long as she could get her father home safe, and Kathie's grandfather, then she wouldn't mind getting expelled.

The plan hadn't exactly been fully completed. There were still some tweaks in it, but she would have to deal with that when the time came. Improvising was something she was good at, thank god. Not only that, but she thanked god a million times that she had been so well trained by her father. This training would come in handy.

Lucinda looked up at the front cover of the Prophet, where the smiling picture of Kade Chaplin was visible. The Ministry was slow to act. He was alive, she knew it. He wouldn't give up that easily. They could torture him for years but he would still hold strong. She knew this well, but the thought of his suffering was what caused her more pain than losing him altogether. Her mother had suffered before she died and Lucinda had witnessed it. It was not a pretty sight and not something she was willingly going to let happen again.[/size]

[Kathie Caldwell]

Kathie stared confused at Lucinda when she heard her answer. It was her grandfather? What did she meant with that? Lucinda gave her the daily prophet and pointed her one page and she grabbed it.

Kat read the headline and felt like if her world was been turned, suddenly, upside down.

ARTHUR CALDWELL DISAPPEARED MYSTERIOUSLY.

One of the most recognized and know Aurors had get missing too. After the disappearance of Kade Chaplin Arthur Caldwell went in one mission to try to find him but everything ended bad and the he disappeared in the same spot had vanish one month ago...

Incapable of continuing to read the notice, Kathie felt herself losing her forces and seated herself on one chair, staring at at the paper while she felt her eyes filling with tears. Grandpa... Please, this couldn't be true. Let this be only one nightmare...

Then everything made sense. All her friends reaction when they read the Prophet, Eleäen didn't coming with any letter... Kathie felt her heart racing furiously and her pain crushing her. She hated the person responsible for that and she wouldn't be quiet about it.

Kathie tried to clear her tears, but they wouldn't stop falling. She stared back at Lucinda and saw also in her eyes the same pain she was feeling. Her father had also got missed, she was alone with her brother... They didn't have anyone else to take care of them while she, at least, still have her grandmother.

"Lucinda, I..." she started not even caring to clean her tears." Why us? Why does this only happen at the people we most care about? WHY ALWAYS US?" She said raising her voice and making some bottles on the old classroom explode.

"First dad, killed by death eathers... Even before I had born! I never meet him, only because of those stupid bastards! I didn't meet my mother neither and I know... I know it was also because of them. I wouldn't let them hurt anymore my family... I wouldn't let them do anything at my grandfather..." she said raising herself. "... He and my grandmother are the only family I have left." She finished crying.

[hohum]

Kathie’s reaction was reasonable, but a little unexpected. She began to cry, Lucinda’s initial assumption. Suddenly she exploded - which was something Lucinda did not expect. She ranted about how her father was killed before she was born, and how she had never met her mother. Lucinda got up immediately and put her arms around Kathie before she did anything rash. She calmly attempted to soothe her until she stopped crying. Lucinda released her after a short while. She kept a hold of her shoulders and looked at her square in the face.

“My father and brother are all I have left, too,” Lucinda said, keeping control of her own emotions. “They killed my mum too a short time after Carlisle was born.” She bowed her head and shook it briefly. Lucinda couldn’t help but to feel more angry than she was sad. If he was hurt, she would kill them all. She would show no mercy. She many only be a first year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but she was trained like a seventh year. She looked back up at Kathie.

“Now you listen to me,” she ordered calmly. “We are not going to let them get away with this. I am going to hunt them down and find them, for they must be together at the same place to have disappeared near the same spots. I cannot do it alone, though.” She dropped her hands from Kat’s shoulders and back away, straightening up. “I don’t know how much experience you have had with dueling and such, but that is something I can help teach you. All I need to know now is are you with me?”

She looked at Kathie Caldwell with a frank expression. She wanted to show Kat that this was not a joke and that this was not one of their little pranks that they could plan against a bunch of little Slytherins. This was real life and Lucinda was not going to back down no matter what. She would do whatever it took to find them and she needed Kat’s help, experienced or not. She would teach her right then and there, if she had to. She looked up at Kat, waiting for her answer.[/size]

[Kathie Caldwell]

Kathie felt herself starting to calm down and her tears stooping to fall when she felt Lucinda put her hands one her shoulders. She stopped sobbing and looked back at Lucinda when she spoked. She too was suffering, and then she was, being selfish and forgetting about Lucinda's feelings.

She heard Lucinda talking about what she had in mind, but for the first time it wasn't any prank or minor thing. Kathie knew it was serious, it was both her grandfather and Lucinda's dad lives that were in danger... She wouldn't also be quiet, waiting the ministry to do something.

"I'm in." she said honestly. Her blue eyes reflecting her decision.

Kathie wouldn't turn away, she wouldn't let those people get away with what they were doing...

"Besides the classes, I barely know anything more about dueling." she said. "Though, my grandfather taught me some advanced magic. I can't perform, yet, some spells, but I know the theory and I know enough to help us in a critical situation." she said in a serious tone.

[hohum]

Kathie began to calm as Lucinda finished her little speech. This pleased Lucinda, because she knew that Kat was listening to her and giving her thoughts careful consideration. She agreed with complete confidence that she would follow Lucinda through it. Kathie admitted honestly that she had not much experience with dueling, except for dueling class and perhaps some spells which her grandfather had taught her. Lucinda nodded. This might be a bit more difficult than she had thought. She was not going to give up.

“Then we must prepare,” she announced, turned and took a few paces back. Turned back, Lucinda whipped out her wand with lightening speed and pointed it at Kathie. She crouched in dueling position, like her father had taught her. “We haven’t much time, and so I will prepare you to the best of my abilities in the short time we do have. I plan to leave late tonight, which gives us all day.” She looked at Kathie with stern eyes and straightened up from her position. “That crouch is the best form to be in. It allows you to dodge and throw spells easier. But while you have not much experience, I won’t attack yet. Give me your best shot.”

Lucinda opened her arms, showing that she was an open target. She wanted to see what Kathie could do so that she knew more about what she needed to teach. She waited for Kat’s attack.[/size]

[Kathie Caldwell]

Kathie watched Lucinda walking to the middle of the classroom and starting felling nervous. She didn't want to hurt her, what if she would do something that could harm her. But, she also knew that Lucinda had been trained by her father, then she must could defend herself easily.

She sighed perplexed and pointed her wand at Lucinda. Please, I hope this won't really hurt her...

"Petrificus Tottalus!" she said throwing at her the spell, and looking back to see if it had worked.

[hohum]

Kathie looked extremely apprehensive about casting anything Lucinda's way, but she gave her a meaningful look, indicating that she better go ahead. Kathie performed the freezing spells, Petrificus Totalus. It shot out of Kathie's wand so fast that Lucinda only had a short time to dodge. It hit her arm, freezing it up immediately. Lucinda smiled.

"Very nice," she said, pointing her wand to perform the counter jinx. "This is good. Now I know how you duel." She wiggled her arm a bit to get it loose entirely. "You have really good casting."

She circled around the desk. "If we are forced to duel, it's good to know how your opponent works. You are pretty good, I am not going to lie." She nodded in approval. This might be easy and Kathie had already explained how her grandfather tried to teach her stuff.

"I am not going to say that I am an expert, because I'm not," she said, walking over to her bag and pulling out a book. It was a big book of defense spells and jinxes. "This is new. Anything you want to try? We can work on them together."

Lucinda gestured for Kat to examine the book for herself. Lucinda hadn't even tried half of these spells, so learning them together was going to be fun, even in their particular situation.[/size]

[Kathie Caldwell]

Kathie smiled lightly when she saw that her spell had hit Lucinda. Generally, she would miss it at the first try, but today it had been just.. good.

"Thanks, I thought I was gonna miss it. "She said blushing softly.

Lucinda then told her about a book and showed her, telling her to see if there was any particular spell she wanted to practice. Kathie looked at the book interested and smiled when she saw one particular spell on the book.

"Could we practice the shield spell and the disarming spell perhaps?" she said looking at Lucinda.

[hohum]

As Lucinda absently flipped through the contents of the book, Kathie said that she wished to practice the disarming spell and the shield charm. They had just learned this recently in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but clearly she desired some more practice on the study. Lucinda did not mind in the least. These were pretty important charms, in her personal opinion. She wouldn’t mind getting some practice in them too.

“Sure, why not? I could definitely use some shielding practice after that last encounter.” Lucinda smiled as she physically moved the scattered desks toward the back of the room in order to provide some practice space. She removed her robes and draped them over a lone chair, standing in her Gryffindor Hogwarts uniform. Backing up so that she was on the other side of the room, Lucinda pointed her wand to Kathie.

“You remember the spells from class, right?” she asked, although she already knew the answer. “Expelliarmus and Protego. Try and disarm me - and don’t worry about hurting me. If I am a Death Eater, you won’t be thinking about that, will you?” she winked, trying to lighten the already dense mood. “Let’s make this interesting. Try any spell you want to try and disarm me.” She smiled. She liked to spice things up a bit, even though this may not be the time or place for that. It made her feel less nervous to think of things that way, however, and so crouched in position, ready for anything Kathie shot her way.[/size]

[Kathie Caldwell]

"Sure, why not? I could definitely use some shielding practice after that last encounter.”

Kathie smiled when she heard Lucinda's answer and saw her moving the desks giving both some space to practice. She too needed to practice that spell... Not because she didn't know it, but because it was always good to improve her skills and those spells could be really useful.

Lucinda placed herself again in the middle of the classroom and asked her if she remembered the spells from the dueling class. She nodded in agreement and smiled briefly when Lucinda told her to try to use any spell she wanted to try, without being afraid that she might hurt her.

"Locomotor Mortis!" She spelled, curious to know if Lucinda already knew about this spell.

[hohum]

Lucinda hadn't dueled in such a long time and was extremely rusty. She didn't have the slightest clue what Kathie was going to do, and when she cast the spell upon her, Lucinda was not entirely prepared. It was the Locomotor Motis Charm. Lucinda immediately dodged, narrowly missing it. She couldn't help but feel a little embarassed.

"Sorry," she apologized, a bit sheepishly. "I'm a bit rusty." Lucinda loosened up and looked at Kathie. Her friend was really talented, as she could tell. She had never dueled someone who's spells shot out of their wand so fast. She grinned, wanting the challenge.

"Good use of spell," she complimented. "You are pretty speedy." Lucinda got into her stance again. "I'm not letting you off that easy, though," she teased. "Let's duel."

Lucinda swished her wand and said, "Expelliarmus."[/size]

[Kathie Caldwell]

Kathie smiled lightly when she saw Lucinda taking the spell she had sent without much time to defend herself. She heard Lucinda apologizing for not being ready and stared at her gryffindor friend, her blue eyes smiling in understatement.

Lucinda comment she was fast sending her spells and she nodded in agreement amused. "I have to be fast, or else how do you think I would hide myself before all the pranks I do?" She joked.

"I'm not letting you off that easy, though. Let's duel." Lucinda teased.

Kathie could see the challenge on Lucinda's eyes and prepared herself for anything she could send at her, but this time it was Lucinda that was too fast sending at her the disarming spell and, before she could even perform the shield spell, she felt her wand escaping from her fingers.

"That was really fast too... I see you don't want to loose against me. " she teased smiling. "And you probably will indeed win, at least until the day I learn how to do the Summoning charm. " she added cheerfully.

Kathie grabbed her wand again and turned around to Lucinda, facing her with a challenging smile. "Let's start again..." she said preparing herself for Lucinda to attack.

[hohum]

Kathie smiled up at Lucinda. The whole dueling process they were doing was definitely boosting Lucinda’s confidence, but it also seemed to be doing the same for Kathie. Kathie joked around about being fast, and Lucinda smiled. She was a good sport when Lucinda disarmed her, and Lucinda liked that about Kathie. Unlike Lucinda, who was competitive, Kathie didn’t seem to mind loosing at all.

“Yup, I’m a bit competitive,” she said, sticking out her tongue. Kathie insisted that they try again, and so they did.

……………………………….....

Their dueling went on for hours and hours. From breakfast time, passed lunch, and towards the beginning of dinner, Lucinda and Kathie practiced. They both learned a number of spells, and their techniques improved. Both of them were exhausted but neither of them wanted to stop. Bruised and exhausted, it wasn’t until dinner was halfway through when they decided they should finally stop.

“Wow,” Lucinda said, collapsing onto an empty chair. “I have never practiced for that long. How long was it? Must have been hours.” She was kind of talking to herself. She thought on the best way to approach their true plan. Different methods raced through her mind.

“We have to plan out how this is going to work,” she announced suddenly. “We can’t leave tonight, obviously.” She indicated the large bruise on her arm and the scratch on her face. “Rest is essential. I propose we leave tomorrow during the feast.” This feast day had actually been planned for their prank on the Slytherins. Lucinda remembered clearly how they were planning to feed Canary Creams to a bunch of first years from that particular House. That was before Daylor somehow caught them and punished them. Anger flashed up in her face just thinking about it, but she immediately subdued it. Now was not the time.

“Tomorrow, during the feast,” she said slowly. “All the teachers and staff will be there and we won’t be missed. If anyone asks we can say how we aren’t feeling well or something, but I doubt that anyone would bother us. We’ll have to travel by broomstick. We should go to my house first, so we can stock up and I can get a few things. Do you have a fast broom?” Lucinda had her Firebolt that Weasley had told her she shouldn’t possess at school. She never did get around returning it to her father, but now it was a little late for that. She wondered about Kat and if she had a fast broom. If not, she could borrow Carlisle’s. He left his at home but Lucinda figured that they could pick it up on the way, if need be.[/size]