Righteo, I'm sorry for the slight delay in updating! The whole story's finished, I just have to double space it and correct it and stuff...so yeah.
The chapter name andsome of the parts in the chapter was inspired by this song called "Stripped" by Shiny Toy Guns. It's an awesome song! Apart from the "Let me see you stripped down to the bone" part, then it pretty much relates to the bit at the end. I'll be putting in the song lyrics around the area where I was inspired.
Please review x

CHAPTER 4 – Come with me, into the trees.

Harry was really looking forward to the weekend – He really wanted to spend more time getting to know Krystal. Because, he felt like he knew her, as though it was from a long time ago. Krystal had also said she felt like she knew him too, which made it all the more important to discuss their past life together – maybe they had actually met.

However, he was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked that Saturday morning by his Quidditch team Captain, Oliver Wood.

"Potter! Wake up!"

"What's going on?" he said groggily.

"Quidditch practice, Potter." He said somewhat annoyed. "Only time I could have booked the pitch for practice."

Harry looked at his clock on his bedside table, yawning.

"At six thirty in the morning?" he said grumpily, getting out of bed.

"Yeah, sorry about that. The Ravenclaw team have got the pitch after lunchtime, which was the time I was hoping for."

Harry shrugged. "S'alright I guess." He croaked as he looked around for his cloak.

"Good man," Olive said. "See you on the pitch in about fifteen minutes, no excuses."

Harry quickly scribbled a note down to Ron as he was about to leave the dormitory.

Ron,
Sorry mate, I've got to go down to Quidditch practice. You're welcome to join me when you guys wake up!
Harry.

Ron met Krystal and Hermione downstairs in the Gryffindor common room about an hour later.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"He's gone down to a practice session."Ron explained, handing Hermione the note.

"Oh...well, I guess we can take some breakfast down and watch?" Krystal suggested.

Ron and Hermione agreed, and they all left for the Great Hall.

"Should we get something for Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Probably should," Krystal said as she took one of the baskets of toast and a flask of pumpkin juice for themselves.

The three of them walked down to the Quidditch pitch, talking and asking Krystal some more questions about her life before Hogwarts.

"So what was Red Fountain like?" Ron asked Krystal eagerly.

Krystal's good mood almost disappeared instantly, as though a plug had been pulled as she remembered her incident with Narelle.

"Oh..."she started. "Well, it's...kind of cruel to children, in some ways."

"Are the punishments bad?" Ron persisted, making Krystal slightly, very slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, they're psycho if you go out of line." Krystal said lightly, as she bit into a piece of toast. "I was one whipped for not doing homework twice in a row – five lashes."

"Really?" Hermione gasped, almost dropping her piece of toast in shock.

"Don't worry." Krystal said lightly. "I wasn't marked, it was petty whipping compared to some cases, but Red Fountain gives you a great education. By the time you leave you're able to speak one or two different
languages and you know a heck about wizarding history, plus you'll easily be able to become almost anything you want to be in your wizarding career."

"Ooh, languages?" Hermione said eagerly. "We only do Ancient Runes and Tea Leaves from what I've heard."

"Yeah, I took up Japanese and French. They were the easiest languages the school had."

Once they all reached the pitch, they all took seats in one of the highest stands so they could see the entire pitch.

"Do we really need to be up this high?" Krystal asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "Or else we'd never be able to see anything that's going on."

Krystal spotted Harry up in the air, searching for the snitch.

Within a few minutes, Harry had spotted the snitch and had chased it around the pitch, looping through the other members of the team, and finally catching up to it and capturing it in his fist.

"Wow!" Krystal said in shock as Harry caught the snitch with ease, and clapped with Ron and Hermione.

"Harry's the youngest seeker in a century." Hermione said. "His father was seeker too, he gets the skill from him."

"That's so...amazing." Krystal said, as Harry caught the snitch once again.

After about twenty minutes of watching the Gryffindor team practise their new moves, more people with green robes and brooms walked out onto the pitch.

"Uh-oh." Ron said, pointing to the intruders.

"What?" Krystal asked him. "What's wrong with them?"

"That's the Slytherin team," Hermione explained. "Gryffindor and Slytherin are rival houses. As in, they're at war with each other."

Krystal raised her eyebrows. "How old-school..."

Ron, Hermione and Krystal ran out onto the pitch, as the Gryffindor team landed to meet with the Slytherin Team Captain, Marcus Flint.

"What're you doing here, Flint?" Oliver said, not so politely. "I booked the stadium today, you guys can clear off now."

"Got permission from Professor Snape to train our new seeker." He stated, in a very troll-like voice.

"Proof?" Oliver said coldly.

Flint handed him over a scroll of parchment.

Oliver unrolled it, and read out "I, Professor Severus Snape hereby give permission for the Slytherin Team to Practise today, owing to the need to train their new seeker." Wood finished, and looked back up at Flint in
disbelief.

"I booked the pitch today! I booked it!" he said in outrage.

"You've got a new seeker?" Harry asked, distracted. "Who?"

From behind the six big muscularly figures, the seventh and a smaller boy was revealed.

Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" Harry laughed, hardly able to believe it.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" Fred Weasley said, eyeing the blond boy with dislike.

"Yes, Weasley." Draco sneered.

Another Weasley? Krystal thought to herself.

"Funny you should mention Lucius," Flint said. "He gave the Slytherin team a very generous gift."

The Slytherins all held out their brooms.

They all looked very new, and all were highly polished and cared for, and were obviously a very expensive make.

"Nimbus Two-Thousand and one, only came out last month." Malfoy said, carelessly flicking a speck of dust at the end.

"At least no one had to buy their way into the Gryffindor team; they all got in on pure talent." Hermione said stridently.

The smug look on Draco's face disappeared and was replaced with revulsion.

"Nobody asked your opinion." Draco spat at her. "You filthy little Mudblood."

The effect of those last few words was incredible – Krystal knew exactly what those words meant. And she was furious, she could even feel her anger burning up inside her.

"How dare you!" Alicia screamed at Malfoy.

The Weasley twins actually tried to attack Malfoy, but was saved when Flint stood in front of it.

"What are you going to do about it, Weasley?" Jeered Malfoy from behind.

"SHUT UP!" Krystal screamed, her blood boiling like mad.

How dare Malfoy insult one of her friends in front of her like that? Besides, what does it matter if she was muggle-born?

Without thinking, a bang came out of nowhere. At least, she thought she had. It was her; She didn't remember doing it, but one of her hands was raised and was pointing at Malfoy and a great ball of energy had left
her hand and had very nearly hit Draco.

"What is going on here?" came a strict voice.

It was Madam Hooch, looking very displeased at the breakout.

"The new girl just tried to attack our seeker!" Flint said at once, pointing an accusing finger at Krystal.

"You insulted Hermione!" Krystal yelled back at him, pointing at Draco with a shaking hand. "He called her 'Dirty blood'!"

"Gryffindor team, leave the pitch immediately. The Slytherin Team may stay to train young Malfoy here, he's the new seeker. Malfoy, I'll be having words with you later."

"C'mon, Krystal." Said a voice next to her, which was Harry.

Harry put his arm around Krystal's shoulders and steered her away from Malfoy.

Krystal was hardly aware what she was doing...but she cursed her stupidity of letting her power get out of control – she was meant to keep her being part-fairy secret! Would anyone recognise the power she used?

Would they know?

She desperately didn't want a repeat of Red Fountain.

"What was that?" Harry asked her as the four of them were seated in the empty Gryffindor common room a little while later.

"What was what?" Krystal repeated dully, as she re-read her essay for Charms, checking for spelling errors.

"Don't fool with me." Harry said firmly. "What happened after you shouted at Malfoy?"

Krystal smiled slightly, but kept silent.

But then she said "It's nothing, it happens all the time."

"Nothing?" Harry repeated, raising his eyebrows. Clearly he wasn't convinced.

"I just lost control." She said simply, but not looking at Harry.

She packed up her things and stood up. "I'm going to the library with Hermione; I need to find a book to help me understand something on my essay."

She and Hermione left the room for the library.

"Do you get the feeling Krystal's not telling us something?" Ron asked. "She's acting a bit...strange."

Harry didn't know. But he knew Krystal was hiding something.

No ordinary person could perform magic without a wand.

"It was a lie, Krystal." Hermione said as they weaved through the bookcases some ten minutes later in the library. "It wasn't just 'nothing', and you know it."

Krystal faced Hermione, fuming again.

"I was telling the truth, Hermione!" she hissed. "It happened all the time to me before, even before school. I just...lost control."

Hermione was still staring at her disbelievingly.

"Sorry." Krystal said quickly. "Not used to having friends."

Hermione just smiled and went back to her work.

"I have to tell you something, by the way." Hermione said.

"Mm?" Krystal said as she flicked through an old Charms book.

Hermione looked up at Krystal who was sitting on the desk next to her, letting her feet dangle as she read.

"Harry likes you." She said really quickly and quietly.

Krystal quite literally froze; her feet that were dangling carelessly were frozen, her blue eyes that were scooting through the book glazed over.

Krystal finally regained herself after ten seconds, and then said "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She said, grinning cheekily at her. "He's really good at hiding it, don't you think?"

Krystal blinked a few times, then said "When did he tell you this?"

"A little while ago, but I knew before he told me. I could tell by the way he was gaping at you like a fish every time he saw you. "

Krystal went back to reading, with a small smile on her face.

"I can't believe Harry Potter is in love with someone like me..." Krystal said without thinking.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, confused.

Oh, shit. You're not good at keeping secrets, are you Krystal?

"I mean...a kind of person who got expelled from her last school. A trouble-maker" Krystal filled in pathetically. "I think I know what this means now." She said, referring to the book.

She hopped off the desk, and left, getting away from Hermione as quickly as possible before she let anything else slip.

Harry had to get his facts straight with Krystal. She'd only been here a few weeks now, but he noticed how attracted he was to her.

He actually started having a crush on her the day he laid his eyes on her. She was very beautiful, even though she was only ten years old.

For some reason, he noticed how Krystal seemed to leave the Gryffindor common room every time she got the chance, or on weekends at a very late hour.

Krystal also was acting very weird when either Ron or Hermione suggested they did something together like friends would do.

Krystal still clearly wasn't used to having friends, and was trying to isolate herself.

"Oh...I can't. I have stuff to do." She'd mumble, or suddenly "remember" something and leave the table or room in a hurry.

Come with me...in to the trees...we'll lay on the grass and let the hours pass. Take my hand...come back to the land...let's get away...just for a day...

One Saturday night, when Krystal left the common room, Harry immediately shot up out of his chair and followed her.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Krystal's hiding something." He said. "And I'm going to find out what it you guys later."

Harry took his invisibility cloak and left the room.

Krystal was almost running down the path leading to Hagrid's hut, and (Harry gulped) she was heading for the forest. What was she playing at?

Harry, with no hesitation, followed her.

She didn't stop walking until they were both very deep into the forest. Harry was lost, but he had a feeling Krystal had been in this spot a fair few times.

She stopped once they reached the lake in the forest.

He saw Krystal cross her arms around her chest and mutter something.

The next thing he saw, surely, wasn't real...

Krystal had transformed! Not entirely, but she was changing at least...

Her entire outfit had changed, including her hair which suddenly became a lot longer than its normal length.

Her pink shirt turned a blue tank top that was just above her midriff, and her jeans turned into a skirt of the same colour and her black sneakers turned into boots that came just below her knees. Her hair had now
grown mostly down her back, and almost touching her backside.

Lastly, purple sparkling wings grew out of her back.

Harry accidentally dropped the cloak around him in surprise.

He had no idea Krystal was a fairy...Why hadn't she told them?

Krystal turned around and gasped.

"Harry Potter..." she sneered once she was over the intrusion.

"Krystal!" Harry gasped. He knew Krystal was hiding something, but not something like this. "I...I didn't mean to...I just got curious..." he stuttered.

"So, you're the first one to discover my...secret, then." She said nonchalantly.

"Secret?" Harry repeated.

Krystal turned her heel, looking away from him, a took a shaky breath.

"I decided not to tell anyone here what I was..." Krystal said somewhat sadly, bus it didn't reach her eyes. She was looking away from her reflection in the nearby lake, as if she was afraid of it. In fact, it was almost
self loathing. "My kind is disgraced in many countries."

"Don't talk like that." Harry said at once, still gazing at Krystal who was leaving against a tree, looking down into the water, disgust on her face.

"Like what?"

"I mean, don't talk like you're something disgusting. Krystal...you're..." Harry started, but faltered.

"I'm what?" Krystal hissed, taking a step towards him. "A half-breed? A pathetic little pixie?"

"No!" Harry said, so surprised the way Krystal was talking about herself. How could she hate herself? How could she despise something so stunning, so breathtaking?

"I mean...you're...beautiful." Harry said breathlessly.

Krystal froze in place, hardly daring to believe what Harry had just told him.

"So," She said after a little while, a bit of a mean smirk on her face. "Harry Potter likes mean girls."

Harry looked back at her, his face growing hot.

"Harry Potter," she continued on, a little bit nastily "Likes girls that beat up other girls. Harry Potter likes a girl that kills animals to relive anger and stress."

Krystal was taking steps towards him. They were now very close, too close. Almost nose to nose.

"Harry," Krystal said. "I know that you like me."

Harry nodded.

"But, you can't be with me." Krystal said, taking a step back. "I'm dangerous. To myself and especially to others. You saw what I nearly did to that boy, Malloy or whatever his name is."

"Malfoy." Harry corrected.

"Whatever. You saw how I nearly fried him! But the point is Harry; you have got to stay away from me, before I hurt you or anyone close to you."

Harry shook his head.

"I couldn't do that, Krystal." Harry said, taking a step towards her.

Krystal again, took a step back.

"I said, stay away from me!" she said, more forcefully.

Harry shook his head.

"Please, hear me out." Harry begged.

"No, you hear me out!" Krystal said angrily. She suddenly jumped and kicked off from the ground, and with her wings forcefully lifting her up with incredible strength, she flew up into a nearby branch, but close
enough so Harry could still hear her talking.

"Do you not even know what I'm capable of?" Krystal said, her voice shaking.

Harry shook his head, again.

"I've killed things before, such as animals out of fury. Out of loss of control."

Harry's heart hurt at these words Krystal was saying. He couldn't imagine Krystal killing anything. She didn't seem the type.

"I'm out of control, I'm a criminal!" She screamed. "I'm designed to kill!"

Then she raised her hand and shot a spell at a nearby tree and she destroyed it with a single shot, causing the tree to fall and almost crush Harry, who had to duck out of the way to avoid being struck.

But, she went on.

"I was transferred here because I hurt another girl in my class." Krystal said spitefully.

"One of your friends?" Harry asked.

Krystal shook her head. "Friends? Pah! I had no friends in my last school, Harry. I was a loser, an exile."

Harry felt so bad for Krystal – who on Earth deserved to be deserted like that? Especially to someone like Krystal?

"Will you listen to me now?" Harry asked gently.

Krystal reluctantly nodded.

"You need to understand that you have friends now. I care about you, Ron and Hermione care about you!" Harry said, his face growing hot as he admitted to her how much he cared for her.

"The worst thing you can do to yourself is isolate yourself." He continued. "It'll only bottle your anger up more. If you're angry, you have to talk to someone."

Krystal opened her mouth slightly, but shut it again.

"Like me." Harry said. "I'm not much of a talker, but I do love to listen."

Krystal said nothing.

"Will you come down now?" Harry asked, he held out his hand for her to take.

Krystal looked down at Harry again, smiling a little bit.

"I guess so." Krystal said as she took Harry's hand and dropped out of the tree.

She and Harry looked at each other for a few moments, not saying anything, but just looking at each other in the eyes.

Krystal suddenly wrapped her arms around Harry's waist and held onto him tightly. Tighter than she had ever held onto anyone before.

Harry felt something wet and warm on his shoulder – was Krystal crying?

"Thank you." Krystal said quietly.

Unsure what to do, Harry rubbed Krystal's back consolingly.

"Let's get back to school."


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