The Magical Adventures of Karmen Kimble

Harry Potter fanfiction by Stella Busby

Hey guys! I just want to say thank you everyone who takes the time to read this. If you have any input on this story, please comment below. I welcome anything you have to say, even criticism. Thanks again!

Enter story:

"What house do you think you will be sorted into?"

This was the question that had been nagging Karmen since the moment an owl brought her Hogwarts acceptance letter. This was the question that was pestering Karmen since the moment she stepped onto Platform 9 ¾. This was the question causing butterflies to flutter around in her stomach as she rode the Hogwarts Express.

Or it was just motion sickness.

And when Zion asked the question, Karmen's butterflies went berserk. Out of nervousness, she crunched the Pumpkin Pasty wrappers, kneading them like stress balls.

"What house do you think you will be sorted into?"

Hayes was very opinionated on the topic. "Anything but Slytherin," he said. "Every dark wizard in history was a Slytherin."

"Well," said Callum in an unusually high-pitched voice. "That's not very fair- "

"You-know-who was a Slytherin," said Hayes.

"Yeah, but-"

Hayes continued, "Every student that goes into Slytherin turns out dark. In my opinion, Hogwarts should only have the three noble houses. And if they bother to include a house for dark wizards, then they should just call it the House of Evil – hey! What was that for!?"

This time, it was Zion's turn to kick someone in the shin. The tables were turned; he gestured towards Callum, whose face was once again grape purple.

The offended silver-haired boy muttered, "My parents were Slytherins."

And it was Hayes' turn struggled like a fish out of water. His mouth gaped wide, and then closed. He didn't know what to say.

So Karmen once again intervened. "Hayes, what if you were a Slytherin?"

Hayes looked dumbstruck. He had obviously never thought about it before.

Callum looked up at this. Failing to fully contain his anger, he said with a rather nasty smirk "Yeah, isn't your mum a Slytherin?"

"That's it! I've had enough!" It was the last straw for Hayes. His face aflame with rage, and he abruptly stood up, upsetting the cage of Callum's eagle owl.

With one last glare, Hayes stormed out and slammed the compartment door behind him, leaving them in as stunned silence.

"If you don't mind me asking," said Karmen, trying to keep her voice level. "Who exactly is Hayes' mother?"

Callum hesitated, "A Dea –"

"NO ONE," shouted Zion. "She's no one."

After a pause, Karmen said, "Were you and Hayes friends before this?"

"Cousins," said Zion flatly.

Callum looked like he was about to explode. "His mum's a Death Eater!" he blurted. Then he slapped his hand over his mouth.

Zion looked furious. Karmen made a strangled sound in her throat. She was looking at him in a funny way.

Callum couldn't contain himself. "His mum's a Death Eater. A pretty famous one, too. Regina Fletcher. She's in Azkaban. She got locked up for murdering a family of muggles."

Karmen made another choking sound.

"What?"

"You are a blithering idiot!" And she, too stormed out of the compartment.

It took along time for Karmen to find Hayes. He was sitting on the back of the train, his feet dangling off the edge as the train rushed on. Karmen sat beside his. The watched the rolling hills fade into rugged terrain.

Karmen finally spoke, "He's a blithering idiot." Hayes just nodded. Karmen took a deep breath. "Look, it doesn't matter what house you are sorted into. Slytherin, Hufflepuff, I mean they could sort you into the House of Willywonky for all I care."

Hayes smiled at this. Karmen kept going. "It's just a name. Its not a label. Whatever house you are sorted into, it doesn't define you."

"Thank you, Karmen," said Hayes after a while. He smiled, and she smiled back.

Just then, the door slid open. Zion stood at the door. "You know we're not supposed to be back here, right?"

Hayes and Karmen both shrugged.

Zion sat down. Karmen noticed he was fidgety; he was playing with the buttons on his uniform. Karmen raised her eyebrows at him.

"What?" he said.

Karmen raised them higher.

"I'm nervous, that's all. About what house I'll be sorted into. My uncle, the only wizard in my family, is a Hufflepuff, so…"

"You want to be sorted into Hufflepuff?" finished Hayes helpfully. Zion nodded.

"If its any comfort," said Karmen. "Your hairs says so."

"Huh?" Zion and Hayes wore the most confused look on their faces.

Karmen gestured to the yellow-colored tuft of hair on top of Zion's mop of black curls. "Your hair says so. Its Hufflepuff colors, yellow and black. So, according to your hair, you are a Hufflepuff"

To her surprise. Zion started laughing. Belly laughing, and he couldn't stop. "The yellow's not hair," he choked out between giggles. "That's my Puffskein, Alice."

The clump of yellow hair opened its eyes and blinked. Hayes joined Zion, laughing. Karmen chuckled, too. Alice's big, purple eyes took in the new view.

The trio gasped as the train rounded the bend, revealing a grand castle. Towers spiraled high into the sky. Hogwarts was a breathtaking sight.

Then, Alice started to hum. Quietly at first, but it grew louder and louder until her song rose above the sound of the train's engine. Karmen joined in, too, humming in harmony to the Alice.

Hayes shook his head and said, "Karmen Kimble, you are the most peculiar person I have ever met."

Karmen just smiled and kept humming. Zion shrugged and started, too. And then, with a sigh and an eye roll, Hayes Fletcher began humming. They hummed the melody all the way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They hummed on the journey to a new beginning.