#if you read it and consider that its tedious or unecessary let me know so i can improve!

[katherinewilliams221b]

For A Greater Good 1/18

Gif not mine just the text

Summary: Kate Williams, young healer and member of the Order, joins Durmstrang's staff at Dumbledore's request. Her mission? Find a Death Eater and survive long enough to tell the story. Set in 1996.

Pairing: Charlie Weasley x ofc/mc

Masterlist

--

If one finds themselves in a situation where the world is moving too fast for the brain to process, it’s only natural to want it to stop. Cedric’s death, the return of the Dark Lord and learning about the Order of the Phoenix happened too close to each other to be able to digest it.

Kate’s first mission consisted in convincing the Albanian government that Lord Voldemort had returned and, with no evidence, try to put the country in red alert. Now she faced another kind of challenge: infiltrating in Durmstrang to unmask a possible Death Eater that threatened the school. This time she wouldn’t have her father’s help to win.

Thinking about it, celebrating Christmas had been a luxury she now regretted. There were too many things to be done, and she needed to focus on discovering Voldemort’s minion.

 A sudden icy breeze woke Kate from her thoughts. She stood impatiently in the place outside London that Dumbledore ordered her to go. She looked up at the sky, blue and free of clouds. A rare sunny day that she intended to enjoy for as long as she could.

She closed her eyes, resting her head against a streetlamp, and felt the warmth that the sun was providing.

The sensation of peace ended when the usual redness of her eyelids, because of the light, was replaced with darkness.

Three pairs of winged horses pulled a black carriage above her. After some manoeuvring, the carriage landed a few meters in front of her. She could see the Durmstrang emblem painted in bright red on the side of it.

A man, that shouldn’t fit inside a carriage of those dimensions, stepped out with a roll of parchment in his hands.

“Williams, Katherine. Meeting point L23, seven-thirty in the morning.”

“That would be me.” She approached the place where he stood and showed him her healer card. When he finished the register, he gestured to the door and conjured her trunk to follow him to the back of the carriage.

She stepped in expecting an extension charm but was rapidly disappointed to find a seat for one.

“Get comfortable.” murmured the man before slamming the door in her face.

Kate clutched her leather bag under her cape with one hand and her dragon necklace with the other and tried to calm her nerves with a deep breath.

 “Attention everyone,” the driver’s voice sounded amplified through the room “Welcome aboard the second flight of this year, one that I am not recompensed for. The estimated duration of the flight is three hours and fourteen minutes, time that could have been greatly reduced if I was allowed to bring outsiders with the ship. If it’s absolutely imperative for you to succumb to basic needs, tap your wand three times to the piece of wood in front of you.”

 She did notice he spoke to her in plural, but she decided to ignore it and rest her head against the window and watch how London got smaller and smaller as they ascended.

 Astrid Rhode was an acquaintance of Dumbledore and current headmaster of Durmstrang Institute. She had expressed the vulnerability of the school after the sudden disappearance of Igor Karkarov and believed that a teacher was providing information to someone outside the institution.

Since the start of the year, some odd things had been occurring; missing books from the library, professors suffering accidents and students getting involved in more and more physical fights.

She emphasised her concerns on the latter, since they allow the students to duel in the school.

 Dumbledore proposed her as a suitable mole, and professor Rhode offered a place in the hospital wing for her to work.

They both refused to give more details to the mission, considering that owls could be easily intercepted.

 She opened her leather bag and took a small pouch containing some toasted almonds. Biting one of them, a memory of that same morning played itself in her head.

  Kate brought a hand to her eyelids and rested her arm there for a moment. While she yawned, she could hear sounds coming from the kitchen. That gave her the strength to sit on her side of the bed and stare at the trunk that stood mockingly in a corner.

Looking behind her, she let out a heavy sigh at the sight of the still night sky. 

Throwing her robe over her shoulders, she ventured outside the half-opened door.

Charlie stood facing the counter while he rummaged through the cupboards.

Sneaking behind him, she put her arms around his middle and buried her face in the back of his neck, considering getting back to sleep then and there.

“I’m sorry I woke you. I figured you could use a little more sleep.” He whispered, leaving the mugs on the counter and covering her arms with his.

“You were not wrong…” she mumbled.

Charlie enjoyed the quietness of the moment and stood there caressing her forearms with his thumbs. Contemplating the almonds, he had placed in a small fabric bag, he thought about how another long separation would threaten their relationship, what other obstacles would come in their way, the possibilities of her not returning or if she did return, what would happen then? What if she didn’t even... make it?

Mentally admonishing himself for the thoughts, he turned his head to look at her and a deep chuckle came out from his chest.

“Did you fall asleep?”

Kate didn’t move, just answered with a short “hm” which didn’t reveal if it was supposed to mean “yes” or “no”. She reluctantly detangled her arms and rounded him to steal an almond from the bag.

“Hey, those are for your trip,” he tied the thin cord around it and put the bag away from her grasp “no touching!”

Kate popped the one she had between her fingers into her mouth and smiled in surprise.

“You roasted them!”

He chuckled, trying to push her arms away from the bag. The playful fight ended up with the grumble of Kate’s stomach, which triggered another round of laughing.

“Here, take this.” They quickly set the kitchen island with orange juice, coffee and toast and enjoyed their last breakfast together, before another goodbye.

“You promise you will take care of yourself, right?” Charlie fastened the cape of her black robes around her neck.

“Well, I wasn’t going to, but if you ask…”

“I’m serious.”

Kate shook her head and grinned. She walked to the couch and grabbed her bag before standing in front of him again.

“I’m going to be just fine, and I won’t ‘play hero’ as you so often put it.” Sneaking her arms around his neck, it was his turn to shake his head.

“I know that’s a full lie but hearing it, it’s oddly reassuring, anyway.”

He pressed his forehead against hers, and they smiled.

“Now you are the one I’m worried about,” she said firmly. “Can I trust you not to put your head inside a dragon’s mouth? And I mean that quite literally.”

“I’ve never done that…” he started, and the gleam in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed.

“Please don’t say ‘yet’.”

He chuckled and hugged her to him, holding her head against his shoulder.

Feeling her move, he met her eyes for a brief moment before touching his lips to her, a kiss that turned more intense than planned.

She touched his lower lip and pulled away, caressing from the corner of his mouth to his cheek.

“I have to go.”

Charlie nodded and walked her to the chimney where he helped her step in.

“What’s the plan then?”

When Charlie handed her the flu powder, she avoided the bowl and placed her hand on his wrist. Balancing herself, she stepped out of the chimney and grabbed Charlie’s face with both hands before stealing one last kiss.

“Head to Grimmauld Place and follow Dumbledore’s instructions.”

With his other hand, he freed the brown locks of hair that were trapped under the strap of her bag and brushed them out of her face.

“On your way, then.” 

 --

The moment Kate planted her foot on the ground and saw the castle before her, she understood, in some twisted way, why the school didn’t want to be found.

An immense paradise of mountains and lakes awaited her, and she couldn’t help but stare in awe at the medieval building in front of her.

It seemed smaller than Hogwarts, she thought, and less elegant, but the strong towers that were placed around it, gave the castle a unique and powerful appearance, like a defiant soldier prepared for battle.

A shiver ran through her and considered that, perhaps, she hadn’t prepared well enough to the hard weather of the place.

“Miss, the wand, please.” She turned to discover that someone was talking to her. “I won’t repeat myself…”

“Ah... the wand, yes.” She searched inside the layers of clothing and handed it to the insistent man that hadn’t bothered to look up at her. 

A tap on her shoulder made her turn around, but the only thing she saw was the end of a wand that pointed right between her eyebrows.

Before she could react, an odd sensation invaded her body, and she suddenly felt out of place. Just a second ago, she was stepping into the chimney of her home in Romania and heading to Grimmauld place.

“Is your name Katherine Williams?” asked woman hidden behind an opened roll of parchment.

“Y... Yes but…”

“And you were asked to join the Hospital Wing at Durmstrang institute as a healer, correct?”

“Yes…”

 Kate looked around her and had to do a double check when several people, elves and some ghosts seemed to pour out of a carriage near her. Confused by the scene, she didn’t hear the rest of the questions she was being asked until she heard the woman clearing her throat.

She had rolled the parchment, revealing a woman whose grey hair hardly reached Kate’s chest.

“Welcome to Durmstrang Institute! You came here in that carriage and we had to obliviate you for security reasons.” The woman signalled to the side, showing that the same was being done to the other passengers of the carriage.

“I’m Astrid Rhode, headmaster of the school. Albus informed me you were coming today, and I wanted to greet you personally. Come on, follow me. Don’t worry about your belongings.”

Kate tried to keep up with professor Rhode’s quick strides. They crossed the bridge that connected to the castle before standing in front of the entrance.

Warmth flooded through her the moment she stepped in, and she let out a grateful sigh.

--

“I’m afraid there’s something we didn’t think of: I won’t be able to understand a word,” Kate admitted as she sat on an armchair in front of headmaster Rhode’s desk.

Astrid made a slight attempt at a grin and grabbed a flask that was placed to her right.

“Unlike your dear school, it is a necessity here in Durmstrang to provide translating charms in all of our classrooms, as we have teachers from around the world. Take three drops of this potion every week and you will be able to talk to anyone, everywhere.”

Kate grabbed the bottle and looked at her curiously before smiling.

“I’ve never heard of this kind of magic... It’s fascinating.”

“That’s because it relatively new and not all countries are promoting this strategy. Here at Durmstrang, we value every kind of magic the world has to offer.”

Kate bit her tongue and swallowed the urge to ask about muggleborns’ magic. She accepted the papers Astrid was handing her and opened the first file.

“Now to the real reason you’re here. I did a first selection: the professors of magical creatures, quidditch and divination are out.”

Kate studied the four files while the headmaster talked.

“What happened that made you suspect you may have a mole?”

“I’m picking up the pieces of Karkarov’s terrible management. It’s left a school where its rules are based on fear and harsh discipline, and many others think like him. I believe you are familiar with his story?”

“I know that Dumbledore trusted him. Can I keep these?” Astrid conceded with a wave of the hand, and Kate slid the files under her robes.

“Yes, well, you gain a friend and a free enemy in the process. I don’t think You Know Who’s followers liked his betrayal. He went into hiding last year, he is probably dead”

Kate crossed her legs and shook her head.

“I don’t understand…”

Professor Rhode stood up and paced the room. She looked like a caged jaguar, Kate thought.

“I accepted the position because of my devotion to the obscure side of magic, but I don’t want murderers running around the castle.”

Kate could tell she was carefully selecting her words: because of the way she avoided her look and shifted her hands from back to front.

“I know that some teachers agreed with his ideas. I want to know how far they can go.”

“Isn’t it just as simple as looking at their forearms?”

“None of them has a mark.” Those words, pronounced so dryly and with the only purpose of surprising, caused the desired effect.

Kate leaned in towards the desk when professor Rhodes sat down again. Anticipating her question, Astrid hurried to talk.

“Those people,” she started, pointing at Kate’s chest, “have been acting strangely since I replaced Igor… disappearing without explanations, cancelling classes, suffering accidents… Something is happening in this school and I want you to discover what it is.”

“Why me?”

“Why you, indeed. Well, Albus can be very insistent. He assured that you were trustworthy and had a special ability in discovering things. Also, you being a healer is a side benefit, we always need more around here.”

 Astrid stood up again and walked to the door.

“Classes start again in less than a week, plenty of time for you to adjust. I’ll show you your room and then the castle if you’re not too tired.”

 After climbing infinitely long stairs, they arrived at the very top of the castle. Definitely the darkest place of the building.

“At the end of that hallway, you will find your room. Right in front of it, there’s a bathroom.” Kate nodded and thanked her, before making her way to what it would be her new bedroom.

It was dark and gloomy, and a layer of dust covered practically every surface. Kate approached the window and opened the curtains, revealing a breath-taking view of the mountains and a lake so wide that could have been a sea. It was a beautiful place wherever she was. Looking down, she saw the monumental stone bridge that connected the castle to the forest. Although unlikely, if one happened to fall off it, they would meet the deep abyss under it.

She was about to open her trunk when she noticed a figure stepping out of the woods and cross the bridge to the castle. From the fourth floor, she couldn’t see who it was, as the person was covered in thick robes and a hat.

Feeling cold, Kate started to clean the room and prepare everything for her new job.

 --

Astrid took a big key from her pocket and opened the wooden doors that were before them.

“This is the Events Hall, we host numerous duelling competitions, art exhibitions, conferences, the AEDA...” The place had some resemblance with the Great Hall of Hogwarts, without the dining tables. Big red curtains covered equally big stained-glass windows.

“What’s the AEDA?”

“Oh, that’s The Annual Exposition of Dark Arts: all the students are allowed to take part. In March we give a topic and they have until June to prepare something related to the theme. It’s held here, in this hall, and teachers give some prizes to the best ones.” Her voice was filled with pride, and it was clear that she was looking forward to it.

“Students are also allowed to experiment and train by themselves this is why we have empty rooms for them to study or practise, and also a high demand of healers.” She attempted to laugh at her joke and drew half a smile out of Kate.

She inspected the windows. Each of them represented medieval scenes of wizards in some kind of battle. Professor Rohde’s voice echoed when she spoke again.

“Let’s go, I’ll show you the hospital wing.”

They moved rapidly through the stone halls. She could feel the stares and the suspicious glances from those students that had stayed for Christmas, but she held her head high and pretended not to notice.

Astrid stopped in front of two grey doors with a symbol of a dragon curled up around a wand. She gestured her to enter and Kate complied.

 It was noticeably bigger than Hogwarts hospital wing, Kate couldn't help the comparison.

Big curtains covered equally big windows from where the sunlight was entering, hitting several bookshelves of untouched books.

Kate followed the illuminated dust that was floating and admired the large cabinet at the end of the room. A slim woman stood right in front of it, with her back to them.

"Miss Williams, that is Cassandra Steiner, head mediwizard. She will explain all you need to know about the healing system."

Presumably overhearing her name, Cassandra Steiner turned around and marched towards them with apprehension in her face.

"I imagine this is the new addition?" Kate's eyes couldn't help travelling to Steiner's chest, where a golden key was hanging around her neck. The healer quickly hid the key under her robes and pierced into Rhode's eyes.

"Yes, we can always use some help, don't you think, Cassandra?"

Kate extended her arm to shake Steiner's hand, and she complied reluctantly.

"Kate Williams." 

"I guess we can always find use to two new hands. Can you start right away?”

Astrid interrupted Kate before she was able to pronounce a word.

“I arranged it for her to start on Monday.” She announced to both Cassandra and Kate.

“Now I’m going to the kitchens to see if I can find a goblet of good wine. Do you want to join me?”

“I think I’ll return to my room. I want to write a letter.” Answered Kate.

“You will find paper and ink on your desk.” Astrid was almost out of the door when she turned to look at Kate again.

“Welcome to Durmstrang, miss Williams.”

--

[Part 2]