The Magical Adventures of Karmen Kimble
Harry Potter fanfiction by Stella Busby
Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do I love Harry Potter?
Answer: 9 ¾!
This is my first fanfiction story EVER, so it might not be the greatest. But I hope you enjoy it!
Just so you know, this story takes place during the gap starting from the temporary defeat of You-Know-Who to Harry's first year at Hogwarts.
This story revolves around the Karmen Kimble, a powerful young witch with a past shrouded in mystery. We follow Karmen on her seven year journey attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I will continue posting chapters so stay tuned!
Enter story:
Platform 9 ¾ is bustling with witches and wizards. People clad in robes and pointed hats are rushing this way and that. Trunks and owls are being shoved in train cars, teary-eyed mothers are sneaking one last kiss to their children, parents waving to the young wizards as they board the Hogwarts Express.
Among the chaos, a girl emerges. She walks quickly with her head down, as if she doesn't want any attention drawn to her. But it is her mysterious manner that attracts the gazes of curious passerbys. She caries very little; a small trunk, her wand, and a tiny, rather wild-looking owl.
The mystery witch quickly disappears into the crowd.
Meanwhile, on the train, a silver-haired boy is making his way down the crowded aisleway. He is struggling with armloads of books, dragging an oversized trunk. From the way he dressed to the manner he held his head, he looked like a kid from a wealthy and important family. The presence of new school books and a large eagle owl topped off the look. He made his way to the end of the train. Everywhere was crowded. He slid the door open to the very last compartment, and saw it was currently housing two other first years.
"Can I sit here?" he asked, with a heavy British accent. The shorter of the two boys nodded.
A few minutes went by in silence; no one wanted to introduce themselves first. The awkwardness was broken when the compartment door swung open. The mysterious girl from the platform was standing there. Up close, she was even more peculiar.
She was wearing about twenty charm bracelets that made a jingling sound whenever she moved. On her feet were beat-up hightops that once showcased bright colors. She wore a faded old shirt that was much too big for her, and it hung off her shoulders. She had a mischievous in her eyes.
"Can I sit here?"
Silent looks were exchanged between the boys. The silver-haired kid cleared his throat.
"Well, um, its kind of crowded in here, so..."
She smiled "Don't worry, I don't have too many things." And without waiting for permission, she took a set.
A few more minutes of nervous silence stretched on.
The girl sighed. "Since none of you guys want to introduce yourselves first, my name is Karmen."
The silver-haired boy breathed a sigh of relief. "The name is Callum. Callum Grey."
"What about you guys?" said Karmen, turning to the other boys.
"My name's Hayes" replied one.
"Hayes what?" asked Callum.
"Huh?"
"What's you surname."
"Oh" stammered Hayes, a look of poorly concealed panic on his face. "Oh, umm…, well…"
"Spit it out already!"
Hayes' shoulders drooped. "Fletcher" he mumbled.
Callum's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Do mean Regi-"
The short kid cut him off. "My name is Zion!" he blurted. "Zion Wilkerson."
Hayes blinked at him in gratitude, but Zion's interruption did not distract Callum.
"So you're from America, huh Zion?" asked Kamen, casually flipping through that morning's edition of The Daily Prophet.
"How'd you know?"
"The accent"
"Oh"
Callum puffed out his chest. "London born and raised" he said proudly. "What about you, Karmen?"
The question caught her off guard. But maintaining her cool, she barely looked up from the newspaper.
"Pine Creek," she invented. "A small town near Hastings. You won't see it on any map." At least the last part was true.
No on gave her lie a second thought, partially due to the fact that Callum was going on about his bloodline. "My mum says that I am a finest breed of wizard. Purely pureblood" he bragged. "What about you guys?"
Zion mumbled something.
"What? Sorry, I didn't hear you."
"Muggle-born," whispered Zion. His cheeks flushed from embarrassment. He ducked his head to avoid eye contact. Hayes elbowed Callum.
"What was that for?!"
Hayes pointed to Zion. Callum, realizing his mistake, tried to say something of comfort. He opened his mouth, then closed, and opened it again. He looked like a fish out of water.
Karmen was quick to interject. "Well, you're not the only one."
Zion looked up with wet eyes "You're – you are a muggle too?" he sniffed.
"Absolutely," said Karmen, lying through her teeth.
"Really?!"
"Yup," She forced a comforting grin to cheer Zion up. He flashed back a watery smile.
Just then, the Trolley Lady rolled to the compartment door, sparing her from more lying.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?"
The boys sprung up. After a few minutes of intense decision-making, they returned with arms full of sweets. Callum staggered back to the bench with a mountain of candy.
"Do you want anyfing, Karmen?" he asked through a mouthful of Cauldron Cakes/
"No thanks, I'm good."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Callum" she said exasperatingly.
Callum frowned, studying her poor, ragged appearance, her scuffed shoes. He smiled a warm smile. His eyes twinkled.
"What's your favorite kind of candy, Karmen."
"I don't like candy."
"Oh yeah?" he said, with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Well, what's this." He reached across the compartment and drew a Pumpkin Pasty wrapper from Karmen's pocket. The motion was so quick you could have blinked and missed it. With a smirk, he turned to the Trolley Lady.
"Callum Grey!" seethed Karmen. "Don't you dare!"
"I'd like two Pumpkin Pasties as well, please."
Karmen stared at Callum with such intensity it should have melted the silver from his hair.
"C'mon Karmen!" he begged three minutes later. He once again held out the rejected Pumpkin Pasty. "I already bought it, so you might as well eat "
Karmen shook her head, a firm no.
Callum sat back in his seat. "So you're stubborn like me, eh?" He smiled charmingly to Karmen.
"You better wipe that grin off you face, Callum Leslie Grey."
"Leslie?" Hayes sniggered.
Callum's face turned that shade of a beet. "How do you know my middle name?"
Karmen held up her hand. Clasped between two fingers was a crumpled piece of paper. Callum squinted at scrap of parchment, and he looked horrified when he recognized the loopy handwriting addressing the letter to him.
He frantically checked his pockets. "How did you even get that? It was in the inside pocket of my jacket."
Karmen smiled playfully. "I guess I have sticky fingers."
Callum's smug smile had vanished, replaced by a stoney expression. "Give it back."
She cocked her head back, pretending to ponder the decision. But Karmen Kimble shook her head. Another firm no.
"Give it back now," hissed Callum Grey in a low, threatening voice. Karmen, noting his clenched jaw, eventually leaned forward and tucked the folded piece of paper back in his coat with a sigh.
Callum's face was only the color of a tomato when he asked, "Did you read it?"
Seeing the hurt look in his eyes, she decided to say the right thing.
"No"
But the right thing to say isn't always the truth.
With another sigh, Karmen moved to sit back in her seat. She was stopped by a crunching sound. Sitting up, she discovered two slightly squished Pumpkin Pasties in her back pocket.
Karmen looked accusingly at Callum. He shrugged, an innocent look on his face "I guess you are not the pickpocket around here." The sparkle returned to his eyes as Karmen Kimble reluctantly sunk her teeth into the sweet treat.
