Chapter 9: Strange Roommate
Kate Lewinster was a curious little witch—too curious, some might say. It hadn't been long since she'd earned the nickname Rita Skeeter II, much to her initial delight... until she realized it wasn't exactly a compliment.
Only Ravenclaws could come up with such a nickname—seemingly flattering at first glance, but with enough wit to carry a cutting undertone.
She'd earned that name after the infamous Rocky Crying Boy Incident.
Rocky, a cheeky little Hufflepuff, delighted in teasing pretty girls to get attention. Penelope had been one of his targets. Kate, secretly a little disappointed that she wasn't targeted—until she remembered her own baby face and short stature—decided to help.
Using her natural knack for stealth, Kate snapped a photo of Rocky's embarrassing black underwear and circulated it among the students. She even made it seem like someone else had done it. The result? Rocky broke down sobbing in the Great Hall, earning the unfortunate nickname Crying Boy.
Kate's stunt was discovered by some Ravenclaws, and the title Rita Skeeter II began to spread.
More recently, Kate noticed something strange.
Her roommate Penelope—quiet, clever Penelope—received letters every single day. And each time she read one, she'd smile in a way that was… different. After replying, she'd hide the letters in a peculiar box that would snap at anyone who tried to touch it.
Even more suspicious? The frequency of the letters had increased—two per day now. And Penelope had stopped going to the library in her free time. Instead, she'd sneak off to the fourth floor and vanish for hours.
Kate was convinced something was wrong. Maybe Penelope had found a cursed book—like The Wizard's Sonnets, the one that cursed a poor old wizard from Bath to speak only in rhyming limericks for the rest of his life.
"I'm just worried about her. That's all," Kate told herself, trying not to admit she also craved the mystery.
It was Halloween morning, November 1st. Only one Potions class stood between the students and the rest of the festivities.
Kate was glad she wasn't in Gryffindor—since she shared Potions with Hufflepuff, most of Snape's venom was aimed at them. Ravenclaws were only on the receiving end of the occasional scathing comment. Some even joked that Snape's 'simplified' instructions were easier to follow than the ones in the textbooks.
Most students had already changed into their costumes—except the first-years. They waited until class ended to dash back and dress up in their dormitories.
Kate dressed as a werewolf. Penelope, meanwhile, went for a classic vampire look, complete with a half-mask.
Kate had been planning this all week. She followed Penelope—still unrecognized thanks to her costume—as she headed once more to the abandoned classroom on the fourth floor.
Kate had already placed an empty box there days ago. She quickly hid inside, just in time to watch Penelope approach the statue of the one-eyed witch.
"Left and Left," Penelope whispered, wand in hand.
Nothing more was said—but a moment later, she was gone.
Kate waited, then crept out, heart racing. She tapped the statue with her wand and muttered, "Left and Right Separation."
To her amazement, the statue's hunchback opened, revealing a narrow tunnel just big enough to crawl through.
Kate glanced around the corridor, took a deep breath, and slipped inside.
The path sloped steeply downward like a stone slide. She squealed inwardly as she slid for what felt like forever, eventually landing on cold, damp stone.
Raising her wand, she whispered, "Lumos!"
The passage ahead was dark and narrow—just like a rabbit warren. Kate hurried through it, stumbling on uneven ground, clutching her wand like a lifeline.
After an hour of winding tunnels, the path began to slope upward. Kate wanted to give up, but she pushed on, telling herself she was almost there.
Eventually, she reached a staircase. She climbed, counting each step—until she lost track somewhere after the 200th.
Then, she bumped her head.
"Ow!"
At first, she thought she'd hit Penelope—but Penelope's butt couldn't be that hard. No, it was a trapdoor. Kate rubbed her head, then listened.
Silence.
Slowly, she opened the trapdoor and peeked out.
She was in a cellar filled with crates and chairs. She climbed out carefully and closed the door behind her—it blended so well with the floor, you'd never guess it was there.
She tiptoed upstairs toward the sounds of chatter and bells. When she opened the final door, she realized—
She was inside Honeydukes.
Kate blinked in amazement. No wonder Penelope vanished for hours—she was sneaking into Hogsmeade!
Kate crouched behind the counter to catch her breath.
"So tired…" she muttered.
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