I read the most horrifying thing in the paper today. There was a break out from Azkaban. (That's what the wizards call their prison.) I thought that was supposed to be impossible. What's even worse is that the person that escaped is a murderer that is said to have killed 13 people with one curse. One curse! Can you believe it? A definite follower of the Dark Lord himself. Sirius Black. I shudder at the name. No doubt he's after muggle-borns like me. Twelve of the people he killed were muggles. He blasted away half the street - in broad daylight! He's not a very smart criminal, that's for sure. Any normal person would know you're bound to get caught if you kill people outside during the day. And all the bumbling idiot did was laugh! Stood there and laughed, right after he'd killed all those people.

The ministry was astounded by the breakout, and are "trying everything they can to recapture Black." What if that's not good enough? What if he reunites with his old pal Voldie and goes on a killing spree? What if Harry was telling the truth, that You-Know-Who is still alive, and still just as blood thirsty as ever before?

I've been at the Smith's all summer, of course, but school is coming up fast. I have missed it dearly. My first year at Hogwarts, I would have done anything to get out, to get away from it all, but now... now that I have Ron... I never want it to go away. The breaks are all too long and the school days aren't long enough. I have been counting down the days until the start of school, until I get to see Ron again. I just can't wait for school! Wow, I sound like such a nerd. But, seriously, last year, after we got off the train and said our goodbyes, Ron told me he loved me! It's all I could think about the entire summer. (Which, I might add, drove John completely insane.) Poor Johnnie has been heartbroken all summer. He tried to avoid me as much as possible. I never meant to hurt John. Really, I didn't. It's just that... well, could you imagine? Me, as a wife? Me settling down and having kids of my own? I'm still a kid myself! I never wanted to break his heart. Really, I didn't, but marriage just isn't for me. Maybe sometime, in the very, very, distant future... but certainly not anytime soon.

Finally the day came when the Smiths dropped me off at the train station, and I could at last rejoin my friends that I had missed so very badly over break. Belle, my bestest friend in the whole wide world, didn't want to let me go. We had become like sisters over the summer, and she almost cried as she held me tight in a goodbye bear hug. Jake gave me a friendly hug, and then I was off. I stepped onto the platform and saw Harry talking to a man that had to be Ron's father. Steam started blowing from the train. Oh, Belle, why must you be so emotional? Now I'm going to be late! I quicken my steps, and walk as fast as I can while carrying my heavy trunk. Please don't leave without me... Please don't leave without me..."Arthur, quickly!" yelled a woman by the train that I assume is Mrs. Weasley.

"Kat!" says Ron, throwing open a compartment door. "Hurry up, come on, in here." The train started to move. With Ron's help, I jumped in, quickly followed by Harry.

"I need to talk to you." said Harry to Ron and Hermione. He looked at me. "In private."

I took the hint. Where to go? Where to go? Ahh! First years! Perfect. I was reading my Spell Wars book that Belle had given me, when the train started to slow down, and eventually stop. I checked my cell phone. It was way too early to be at Hogwarts. All of a sudden everything went dark.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" I heard a first year complain.

The light seemed to take all the heat in the room away with it. I heard the compartment door open. "Who's there?" I ask. There was no answer, just the sound of a long rattling breath. A breath that was trying to suck the life out of everyone, and it seemed to be working quite well. The cold became unbearable. It was inside my very being... deep into my bones. Then I heard something. It was a woman, and she was crying. Then a man's voice, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. There was fog all around me. As the sounds became clearer, so did the picture. I was in a beautiful old-fashioned house, with high ceilings and gorgeous furniture.

"Take her, Kurt!" the woman sobbed, "Get as far away from here as possible!"

"Mom?" I asked, trying to run to her, and finding that I couldn't move. I was forced to watch the scene going on before me, helpless. There she was, my mother. So young, so beautiful. I had almost forgotten what she looked like. I only ever saw her in the picture on my dresser. Her hair was long, and reddish-brown, and full of alluring curls. Her soft brown eyes shone with tears as she looked over at my father. I saw my father pick me up and carry me away. "Mommy!" I cried, stretching out my tiny arm towards her. The big double doors of the mansion burst open, and a hooded figure stood in the doorway. In a flash of green light, my mother was dead on the floor. "NOO!" I screamed, the fog returning.

"What? What is it?" asked a scared first year.

"Huh? Um, nothing." I was back in the dark on the train. I sat in silence pondering what had just happened. This was just making everything worse, so I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried not to think about it. The cold had finally gone away, but the lights were still out.

"Does this happen every year?" asked another first year.

"No, you guys just got lucky." I said. When the lights finally came back on, I realized I was sitting on the floor. I chuckled nervously and got back into my seat. A while later, the door opened again. I jumped, dreading the thought of going through my mother's death again. Thankfully, it was only Ron. I smiled. "Ron!" He hugged me.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright." he said, looking me over.

"I'm fine." I say. "What were those things?"

"Dementors. Guards of the wizard prison." He said, taking my hand and leading me out the door.

"They're absolutely frightful!" I say.

"I know. When they came in... I had this feeling... a fear that I'd never see you again... never smile, or laugh, or anything."

"I... I saw..."

"What?"

"Nothing." How could I tell him I saw my mother die? Was I going insane? Was that the start of my life flashing before my eyes? And why was I on the floor? What was going on???