Kim Shimmers and the Diviner’s Curse
A Harry Potter Fanfic by me (and sequel to Kim Shimmers and the Screech Owl)
(Art not mine, couldn’t find credits. Let me know if you know them!)
This Harry Potter fanfic will be posted, if all goes well, every weekend.
Chapter 12
Kitchens
Kim woke to the sound of fluttering wings and small clawed feet on her chest. Her eyes lulled open to see Strix hop here and there on the bed sheets, but they weren’t the bed sheets of her dormitory bed. She then realized she was still inside the infirmary, and the events of the night before came rushing in. Kim groaned, confused by Strix’s presence, until she glanced up with a light start to see Clemon standing apprehensively by her bedside.
“He really did you in,” she said quietly, looking apologetic. Kim swallowed hard, her throat still a bit soar but mostly fine. She looked meaningfully at Strix, whose wide yellow eyes seemed almost concerned. She gave a small coo that made Kim smile.
“Vic was trying to get at it, so…”
“At Strix?” Kim asked, sitting up with concern.
Clemon nodded, still looking apologetic and now a bit ashamed. “She couldn’t though. It just kept flying around the room away from her, like it knew she was no good. Then it landed on my shoulder so I figured I should… bring it to you.”
“Oh… thank you.” She ran a hand along the top of Strix’s head, rejoicing silently at how clever Strix was, and whispered, “I’m sorry I left you alone last night.”
“Kim, I-… I don’t know what Victoria told you… She’s truly evil, by the way. I can’t believe she would… even after what you did, I still can’t believe…”
“She told you what she did?”
“Not really, but…” Clemon gestured to Kim’s face and she realized she must still have blood stains on it. She let out a frustrated sigh and tried to wipe her cheek, even though she knew it would do no good.
“Here,” Clemon said, lifting her wand to Kim’s face. She froze. For a split second, she wondered if she was about to be hexed. But then she remembered, Clemon was her friend… she was safe.
“Lavaciem,” she said, and a small spurt of water arched elegantly from her wand and covered Kim’s face with a refreshing and fast splash. Then it all evaporated away into glistening nothingness. “There you go.”
“Thanks,” Kim said, glancing at herself in the mirror across the room to see that her face was clean again.
“Kim, look… I’m really sorry. I don’t know if she told you, but I’m the one who told Vic you were muggle born. But I didn’t mean any harm by it! I had no idea she cared about stupid stuff like that, you have to believe me. If I did, I wouldn’t have waited my time with her.”
“It’s okay,” Kim said. “I believe you. It’s not your fault anyway, I’m the one who put that stuff under her pillow.”
“…Which was utterly idiotic by the way. But I can’t help but feeling a bit responsible. Since I told her off that one day…”
Kim laughed a little, but Professor McGonagall coming through the doors interrupted anything she might’ve said in response.
“Good,” she said, walking to Kim’s bedside. “You’re awake. I need you to tell me what happened last night, who was involved.”
Kim’s smile faded. Clemon motioned to the door, muttering something about needed to go, to which Kim nodded. She then explained the situation to professor McGonagall. She explained that she and Victoria had bad history, that Kim had played a bad prank on her in poor taste, though she left out Fred and George’s involvement. Judging by McGonagall’s expression, she could infer that much without pressing anyway. Kim then told her how Victoria and Mile’s had cornered Kim in the hallway, how Victoria had called her a mudblood and said that was why she couldn’t let her grudge go. Then she told McGonagall the spells Miles had used on her, or at least the effects of them when she couldn’t remember the incantation.
Kim was then sent up to the dormitory that was thankfully empty. The idea of Victoria sitting there on her bed, waiting for Kim to walk through the doorway like a spider in her web made Kim’s stomach squirm. She knew she was going to have to face her eventually, and she would have to face her here, the place that was supposed to be home to her.
Fred and George didn’t stop looking pitifully at her for the next day and a half. She appreciated their concern for her. In fact she didn’t know what she’d do without them at this point. If they hadn’t been there that night, hadn’t run down to the medical wing to simply be by her side, simply keep her from being alone. But she wished they would let go of the guilt. She wished they would stop looking at her like a bird with broken wings.
Then Thursday afternoon came around and Kim headed for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Hermione was about just as bad as Fred and George when it came to shooting Kim sorry looks. Harry was only marginally better, but at least Ron was acting normal. When they sat down in Professor Moody’s class, he leaned over to Kim with a smirk.
“You should tell Moody about what happened,” he murmured. “Maybe he’d turn Victoria into a ferret.”
Kim made a face of both amusement and bewilderment, shaking her head. But it didn’t last because this reminded her of another issue relating to Professor Moody. Harry had told him that Kim gave Harry information about the dragons. Moody hadn’t said anything to her yet, but she also hadn’t seen him until now. But when he staggered into class and began lecture, his magic eye swiveling around wildly, it didn’t land on her for any unusual amount of time. The class passed by as usual. Kim even flinched when Moody dismissed class because she was so certain he would ask to speak with her after, but he didn’t.
“I can’t believe he didn’t say anything to me,” Kim murmured to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Harry shrugged. “He didn’t seem that upset at me for knowing the challenge ahead of time either.”
“No surprise there,” Ron said with a smile. “I bet he’s rooting for Harry, like everyone else. Right?” He nudged Harry in the shoulder.
“Suck up,” Kim said, rolling her eyes, but she smiled all the same.
