Sirius dragged me around all through the Castle, showing me every single room.
"You know, Sirius, I do know my way around." I try to tell him as we were leaving Uncle Al's Office, "I've been here before."
"You have?" He asks, tilting his head down to look at me – he's about a foot taller then me -, confused.
"Yeah, I stay here for summer sometimes." I answered.
"Ooh, that's why I've never seen you before." He said, and then stops at a door, pulling it open, "This is the Charms class room." He continued the tour, pulling me into a fairly large classroom.
"Hey, Professor Flitwick," Sirius called upon seeing the tiny man sitting at his desk.
"Oh, hello Sirius," He answers, looking up from his work to smile at the boy. "And Katarina! How are you, kid?"
"Good," I grin, happy to see him, "How 'bout you? Has Uncle Al been treating you nicely?"
He smiles, "Same as always. Your Uncle is very generous."
"I know it." I say, pulling a confused looking Sirius over to Flitwick's desk, "What are you working on?"
"The Third Year's class," He answers.
"Boring stuff," I answer, looking over his papers, "The Sixth year's work better be more fun," I joke, laughing to show him I'm kidding.
"So it's actually true?" He asks, sounding every bit like a gossiping girl, "You've finally got kicked out of Durmstrang?"
"What do you mean finally?" I ask, frowning, "I wasn't that bad!"
"Oh yes you were!" Flitwick laughs, "Albus used to show us the letters the Head Master sent him about you 'Katarina hung 12 second years from the ceiling at lunch today-'"
"That was one time!" I defend as Sirius barks out a laugh, "And they deserved it!"
"Oh, no," Flitwick says, turning to Sirius and ignoring her completely, "My favorite one was when she transfigured Igor's robes into a cocktail dress at the Welcome back speech in her Third Year!"
Flitwick laughs and laughs, and Sirius barks out his laughter –sounding weirdly enough like a dog, I notice.
"Okay, come on, Sirius. It's time to go." I say as I pull Sirius out of the room by his forearm, "Thanks for the story time Flitwick, but we have to go!"
I pull Sirius out of the classroom and down the hallway, Flitwick's laughter echoing down the hallways behind us.
"I've never seen him like that before!" Sirius exclaims excitedly, "He's fun!"
"Yeah, I know." I say sarcastically "He's just full of good stories!"
Sirius laughs, "You were horrible to your Head Master – Igor, I think he called him."
"Igor Karkaroff." I nod, "Vile man, really. He's a Death Eater."
"He what?" Sirius exclaims, looking appalled.
"Yeah, I know." I sigh "It's horrible. He tried to recruit me, but I would never join Voldemort."
Sirius flinches slightly.
"Come off it, it's just a name!" I assure him, looking at him like he's crazy.
"Yeah, I know. I just can't get used to it, is all," He answers, shrugging like its nothing.
"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." I say, smiling. "My Mom used to say that."
"Used to?"
"Yeah, used to," I answer, not wanting to talk about my Mom. "Anyway, lets go outside, it's to nice out there to stay indoors."
"You can meet my mates!" He says, letting the previous topic drop.
I nod enthusiastically, "Race you outside."
He looks at me like I'm crazy, "You're so going down."
I raise my eyebrows, my eyes twinkling, "I wouldn't be so sure."
"My friends are by the lake, under the tree." He tells me, glaring at me jokingly.
"Okay. First one to touch the tree wins." I glare back, "We start as soon as we reach the end of this hallway."
"Ready…GO!" He shouts, taking off as 10 feet before the hallway ended.
"CHEATER!" I chase after him, catching up quickly.
We ran down three flights of stairs before one of them changed and we had to change course, making our way to the other staircase.
He was heading for a tapestry when I yelled, "No secret passages!" and proceeded to pass him as he groaned.
He sped up a bit and we were neck and neck, running past the Great Hall and out the front doors. People were watching us curiously, but I paid no mind, to intent on beating Sirius.
With a sudden burst of speed, Sirius passed me. He was about two feet in front of me.
We were almost at the tree when he tripped and face planted into the dirt. I laughed loudly and passed him, but then he grabbed my foot and brought my down with him. But if he thought that would stop me, boy was he wrong. I only had a few feet left for Merlin's sake!
I got my foot out of his grip and started walking up to the tree, only to have him grab my foot again and pull my down, making my face plant into the tree, hitting my nose on the trunk.
"Merlin! That hurt!" I exclaim as hot blood gushes out of my nose, getting in my mouth as I talk. "You play dirty!"
"God, Kat. Are you okay?" Sirius asks, crawling over to me and holding my chin in his hand, inspecting my nose.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" I try and say, but it comes out like a loud of mush.
Sirius laughs, "Moony, can you fix her?" Turning to a boy on his right.
"Yeah, sure." He said, pulling his wand out. "This might hurt a bit," He told me, waving his wand and muttering a spell under his breath.
With a loud crack my nose melded back into place.
"Thanks." I say as the blood flow stops, enabling me to talk again.
"No problem." He smiles, his warm brown eyes lighting up.
"I'm Kat, by the way." I say, holding out my hand, before realizing it's covered in blood.
"Here." Sirius pulls out his wand and waves it at me, cleaning me of all the blood.
"Oh, thanks." I smile.
"Yup!" Sirius says, "Sorry about tripping you, I didn't know you were that close to the tree."
"No, you're not. And yes, you did. But I forgive you anyway." I laugh, leaning back against the tree. "And by the way, I so won."
"That's because Wormtail got in the way!" Sirius says angrily.
"Wormtail?" I ask, confused.
"That's me!" Says a small, chubby boy with short blonde hair and beady blue eyes, smiling at her.
"Oh. Hi! I'm Kat!" I smile brightly at him.
"Hey! Your eyes do that weird twinkling thing just like Dumbledore's!" A boy to my right says, he has short, messy black hair and hazel eyes.
"Yeah, I know." I laugh.
"I'm James." He says.
"So you guys are; Sirius, Moony, Wormtail and James?" I ask, raising an eyebrow – and yes, I did mean just one eyebrow, I have that ability.
Moony laughs to my left, "No – well, yes actually. But Moony is my nickname. I'm Remus Lupin." He says, sticking out his hand.
"Katarina Dumbledore." I shake his hand.
Wormtail gasps, "Are you Dumbledore's daughter?"
"No, I'm his niece." I say, making a face as I think of Uncle Al having kids.
"That's kind of cool." James says, "Anyway, I'm Prongs, or James Potter."
"Potter? Is your Dad an Auror?" I ask, remembering a Charles Potter.
"Yeah," James says, sounding proud "You know him?"
"Yeah! Charles Potter, right?" He nods, "And your Mom is a Healer, Martha, right?"
"Yeah!"
"They're very nice." The boys nod in agreement. "Anyway, you are?" I ask, turning to Wormtail.
"Peter Pettigrew!" He says, "Or Wormtail. Whichever."
"And I'm Sirius Black!" Sirius says, "Or Padfoot."
"So how did you get your nicknames?" I ask curiously. I've never heard anything like them before.
"It's a long story." Remus says.
"Actually it's not very long." Peter argues.
"It is if she wants all the details." Sirius fights.
"Okay, so let's say it's a medium-sized story." James reasons.
"I don't think she really cares how long it is, Mates." Remus says.
"No, not really, I was just curious." I say as a bell rings across the grounds, "But it's dinner now, so you can tell me later."
"Fine." Sirius grumbles, "But I get to tell the story."
"No way!" James argues, "I get to tell her!"
"I think Moony should tell her." Peter says.
Sirius and James look at Moony, then at each other, and then say, together:
"No, he'll take too long!" And then laugh as we walk up to the Castle.