The next morning, Hermione remained huffy about the flying car incident. As the Gryffindor girls got ready for the day, Pavarti and Lavender were chattering away about it. For some reason, they seemed to find the boys' actions quite attractive.

'It's very brave, really, isn't it?' said Lavender, as she packed her pencil case into her bag.

'I'll say!' agreed Pavarti. 'I mean they're quite dare devil aren't they, especially after last year?'

Carina bit her lip to keep herself from laughing, but Hermione shook her head in irritation.

'Are you coming down to breakfast?' asked Lavender.

'We'll catch you up,' said Carina. Hermione was trying to fit all the Lockhart books into her bag with no success.

'Do you really need all of those?' she asked skeptically.

'Yes,' snapped Hermione. 'They're textbooks and we might need to refer to them today.'

'Okay, okay. Don't bite my head off.'

Carina and Hermione left the dormitory and made their way out of the common room and down for breakfast. Hermione's mood was not improved when they passed a group of excitable Gryffindor first years. One particularly small boy, who wore a muggle camera around his neck, was re-enacting the Ford Anglia hitting the Whomping Willow to general applause.

Hermione made an irritable sound and did not speak when they sat down for breakfast with the boys. Instead, she propped yet another of Lockhart's books against the milk jug and began to read.

'So why couldn't you get through the barrier at King's Cross?' asked Carina as she helped herself to scrambled eggs and bacon.

'Don't know,' said Ron thickly, half way through a bacon sandwich. 'Sealed itself somehow.'

'I still can't believe you didn't get expelled,' muttered Carina. 'Snape must have been baying for blood.'

'Oh he was desperate to get us out,' complained Harry in disgust. 'Dumbledore rescued us. We've just got a detention and a letter home. Well, my aunt and uncle will only be disappointed that the tree didn't squash me.'

'Lucky you,' muttered Ron darkly. 'Mum will kill me, just wait and see.'

Hermione made a noise from behind her book.

Ron fired up immediately. 'I suppose you think we deserve what we got?'

Hermione raised her head above the Lockhart book and sniffed. 'You did steal a car, fly it in broad daylight and crash into an old and valuable tree. I'm surprised you got away with only a detention to be honest.'

'What do you think of this?' Ron demanded of Carina.

Carina had been hoping that if she busied herself with pouring tea for everyone, she wouldn't have to get involved. Unfortunately not so. 'Well, I mean it was a cool way to arrive and everything, but you could have just sent an owl when the barrier wouldn't open.'

'God you two are such kill joys,' muttered Ron angrily. He violently stabbed a sausage with his fork.

'Excuse me, Ron. But we spent most of yesterday worried about where you were!' Carina was getting wound up herself now. 'Hermione's only annoyed with you because she was so concerned yesterday about what had happened to you both!'

The boys exchanged slightly sheepish looks. Harry opened his mouth to say something when they were suddenly all distracted. A grey mop head had bounced off of Neville's face and landed in the middle of the table, knocking over a jug of pumpkin juice.

'Errol!' Ron retrieved a red envelope from what turned out to be a very old owl.

'It's alright, he's still alive,' said Hermione reassuringly.

But Ron did not seem bothered about the owl's well being. Instead, he was staring in horror at the small, red letter in his hands. Carina could not resist sniggering as the envelope began to smoke at the edges.

Mrs Weasley's voice filled the hall. It was so loud that the fork on Carina's plate began to clatter around. Ron looked on in horror as the letter continued to yell at him for bringing shame on the family. When it finally stopped, it took a good couple of minutes for chatter to resume in the hall.

Ron was as a red as a tomato, Harry very pale.

'Don't you dare say I deserved that!' Ron pointed his finger at Carina and Hermione, but his voice shook.

The girls took one look at each other and burst out laughing.

/

To Carina's delight, she received full marks in all her summer holiday homework. Even Snape, who refused on principle to praise anyone but Slytherins, had grudgingly scrawled complimentary feedback on the bottom of her essay. McGonagall had been much more vocal and had called Carina back at the end of Friday's lesson.

'This is just outstanding,' said McGonagall. The Transfiguration teacher was sat behind her desk, gesturing at Carina's summer essay. 'I'd be happy if an OWL student presented me with this. Very happy in fact.'

Carina tried to look modest. 'Thank you, Professor.'

McGonagall eyed her beadily. 'You must read a lot.'

'There's not much else to do during the summer,' admitted Carina.

'Well I am impressed, Miss Lestrange.' McGonagall rifled through some paperwork on her desk and pulled out a sheet of parchment. 'Here, take this away and have a read of it.'

Carina glanced at the title. 'Medal for Magical Merit?'

McGonagall nodded. 'It's an award given to exceptional students across the European wizarding schools. You need to be at least fourteen to qualify, then a teacher recommends you and the panel will judge your suitability. It's very prestigious. I believe only a few Hogwarts students have received them over the years.'

Carina was taken aback. 'Do you think I'm good enough?'

'Certainly,' said McGonagall briskly. 'Or you will be in a couple of years, at least. Now, since you're ahead in my class, I need to find something for you to do.'

McGonagall handed her two heavy books on magical theory and a copy of Transfiguration Today. 'I've marked the relevant articles for you. This should keep you going for a while.'

'Thank you, Professor.'

McGonagall nodded. 'That's quite alright. Go on, go and enjoy your first weekend.'

Carina thanked her head of house once more and hurried away with her new reading material. She smiled all the way back to Gryffindor Tower.

/

The next morning, on the first Saturday of term, Carina, Hermione and Ron had a long, leisurely breakfast with the other Gryffindors. Harry did not join them, having been summoned down to the Quidditch pitch at some ungodly hour by Oliver Wood.

After as many bacon sandwiches and cups of tea as they could manage, the three of them wandered slowly down through the grounds with the plan to meet Harry on his way back up.

To their surprise, the team hadn't even started practicing yet.

'We'll save you some toast for when you finish,' Carina said to Harry, who was looking enviously at the extra food they had brought down with them.

But the three of them had barely been sat in the stands for five minutes when seven figures clad in green strode across the pitch.

'Oh I don't believe it!' muttered Carina in outrage. She had caught sight of the smallest boy on the team. Draco looked even smugger than usual, in his new Quidditch robes and clutching the Nimbus 2001.

Carina gasped as she took in the rest of the scene. She nudged Ron and his mouth fell open in horror- all seven of the Slytherin players were holding brand new broomsticks.

Anticipating trouble, Carina jumped up and hurried across the pitch to the Gryffindor team. Hermione and Ron darted along behind her.

'Oh look a pitch invasion,' laughed Marcus Flint.

Carina ignored him and glared at her cousin. It was one thing for Lucius to buy Draco the best broomstick around. It was quite another for him to supply them to the whole Slytherin team and buy Draco's spot on the squad. Happy that he had irritated his cousin and the other Gryffindors, Draco merely smirked smugly back.

It was Hermione who voiced what Carina was thinking. 'At least no one on the Gyffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent.'

Draco flushed around his cheekbones but recovered quickly. 'No one asked your opinion you filthy little mudblood.'

A lot of things happened at the same time. Carina pulled her wand from her robes, ready to shout whatever curse came into her head at Draco. Unfortunately Angelina, who had been standing in front of her, grabbed Carina's wand arm just in time ('Don't he's not worth it!') Fred and George, meanwhile, had tried to launch themselves at Draco; they had only been unsuccessful because Flint had jumped in front of his new seeker, while Oliver Wood had grabbed onto the back of the twins' robes. Alicia Spinnett and Katie Bell were shaking their fists at Draco and shouting their disgust.

'How dare you!' Carina shouted at her cousin. Angelina was still holding tightly onto her wand arm. Unfortunately, she had a lot more physical strength than Carina, who was unable to shake her off and throw a curse.

Ron, however, did not have the same problem. He pulled out his own wand and pointed it threateningly at the Slytherins. 'You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!'

There was a flash of light and Ron was knocked off his feet and thrown backwards several feet.

'Ron!'

Carina, Hermione and Harry ran over to Ron, who was lying on the grass looking very green. Harry helped him into a sitting position, after which Ron promptly vomited up slugs.

'Let's take him to Hagrid. He'll know what to do.'

With the Slytherins roaring with laughter in the background, Carina, Hermione and Harry helped Ron stumble back up the grounds to Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid did not seem particularly shocked when someone arrived throwing up slugs on his doorstep. After hurrying Ron away from his precious vegetable patch, he set a large bucket down at Ron's feet and made a pot of tea as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

'Who was Ron trying to curse anyway?' asked Hagrid once he had supplied everyone with tea and homemade scones.

'Malfoy,' said Harry angrily. 'He said something about Hermione.'

Hermione looked anxiously over at Ron who had his head in the bucket. 'I don't know what he meant, of course. But I could tell it was really bad. Oh Ron, you didn't have to do that.'

Ron waved her concerns away. 'He called you the worst thing he could possibly think of.'

Carina took a large gulp of tea and then practically slammed her mug back on the table. 'He called her a mudblood, Hagrid.'

Hagrid looked very shocked. 'No, he did not!'

Ron nodded and opened his mouth to say something. Unfortunately a fresh wave of slugs came out instead.

'What's a mudblood?' urged Harry.

'It's a foul name for someone who is muggleborn,' explained Carina through gritted teeth. 'You can imagine what it means, dirty blood, unworthy blood. People like the Malfoys use it because they think their own bloody purity makes them special.'

Harry looked disgusted, Hermione taken aback.

'Wouldn't have thought he'd say that at school in front of people,' muttered Hagrid. 'At home, yes, but you can't say that sort of stuff.'

'He doesn't care, Hagrid,' said Carina shortly. 'He genuinely believes that being rich and inbred makes him better than people like Hermione.'

Hagrid shook his head and patted Hermione sympathetically on the hand. 'You listen here, Hermione. I don't want you to pay any attention to that rubbish about bad blood. After all, they've yet to think of a spell you can't do.'

Hermione flushed bright red and hid her face in her mug of tea.

They stayed at Hagrid's for most of the day- although they were sensible enough to refuse lunch. By the time they walked back up to the castle, the smell of dinner was wafting in from the Great Hall. Ron had largely stopped throwing up slugs and Hermione had cheered up a lot.

Carina, however, was still furious at her cousin. She barely spoke to the others as they ate their way through cottage pie and apple crumble. Instead, Carina found she could barely raise her cutlery to her mouth without her hands shaking in rage.

The audacity of Draco appalled her. She had always known how much faith the Malfoys put in blood status. The Manor was practically a shrine to centuries of magic and lineage- all oil paintings and Dark family heirlooms as far as the eye could see. But to have Draco finally put those beliefs into words, to actually use them against someone as though it proved his own superiority, absolutely disgusted her.

Carina was only knocked out of her thoughts when Professor McGonagall arrived looking stern.

'Potter, Weasley, you are to serve your detentions tonight.' Her lips narrowed as the two boys audibly sighed. 'Do not look like that, you deserve this! Weasley, you're to help Mr. Filch polish the trophy room. Potter, you're to go to Professor Lockhart's office. I believe he wants your help in answering his fan mail.'

Harry looked appalled. 'What? Oh, can't I go to the trophy room too?'

'Absolutely not! This is not a treat you know. Besides, Professor Lockhart has asked for you personally.'

With that as her parting words, McGonagall hurried away to tell off some first years who were making quite the racket a way down the table.

'This is a disaster!' exclaimed Harry in horror. He ran his hands through his hair in despair, although the only purpose this served was to make it look even messier than usual.

'What about me?' protested Ron. 'Detention with Filch! I'll be there all night.'

Hermione remained silent. Carina suspected that, had Ron not jumped to her defence with Draco earlier, she would have told the boys they deserved the detentions.

After dinner, the four of them returned to Gryffindor tower and took seats in the common room. After an hour or so, the boys grumpily got up from their armchairs and traipsed off for their detentions, both of them looking thoroughly fed-up.

Hermione had spread books out across a table and was working on a Defence Against the Dark Arts essay that was far longer than Lockhart had asked for. Carina tried not to laugh. She had finished her own homework and was reading a book about the discovery of the Wolfbane Potion.

The two girls sat there in comfortable silence until Fred and George started making a commotion. Judging by Percy's yelling, they seemed to have set off fireworks in the sixth year dormitory, causing their brother to jump out of his skin in shock. Percy had chased the twins down the staircase and was now shouting at them in front of the entire house.

After a good half an hour of listening to the Weasley brothers argue, Hermione huffed irritably and picked up her work. 'I'm going to finish this off upstairs. I can't concentrate.'

Carina said goodnight and tried to carry on reading. However, the twins had managed to set off more fireworks, so it was quite hard to take in the words. She thought about going upstairs and reading in bed when a sudden idea struck her.

Acting completely on impulse, Carina left her book on the mantlepiece above the fire and hurried out of the portrait hole. She took the main staircase at a jog and didn't break stride until she'd reached the Entrance Hall. Another set of stairs and she was in the dungeons.

Carina deliberately kept her footsteps quiet. It was still half an hour before students had to be back in their common rooms, but she didn't want Snape catching her skulking around so far from Gryffindor tower.

Following a couple of Slytherins, Carina found herself in a long, dark corridor lit only by a few lamps. At one end stood a door that could only lead to the house common room.

'Excuse me!' she called out.

The two Slytherins, both fifth year girls whose names Carina did not know, turned to look at her.

'Can you please fetch Draco Malfoy for me? I'm his cousin and there's a family emergency.'

The two girls looked surprised but nodded and headed into their common room. A couple of minutes later, Draco emerged looking confused.

'What's going on?' he demanded, when he spotted Carina leaning against the wall. 'Something about mother and father?'

Carina remained silent and gestured her head towards an empty classroom. Draco followed her inside looking irritated. Carina closed the door quietly behind them.

A flicker of something that looked suspiciously like fear crossed her cousin's face. He seemed to have just noticed that he was trapped alone in a dark room. To add to his unease, Carina got out her wand and positioned it inches from Draco's throat.

'Now, listen here, my dear cousin.' Carina's voice was low and dangerous, even to her own ear. 'If you ever- and I mean ever- use that word in reference to Hermione again, I will make you regret it.'

Draco actually flinched at her words, as though she had already struck him with her wand. Carina knew she looked like she meant business; her face was smooth and calm but her eyes were blazing. Her voice sounded far too commanding for a thirteen year old girl.

She pressed the tip of her wand into the underside of his chin, just to make sure he got the point. 'Remember, Draco, remember that I am one hundred times better at magic than you. If I say I'll make you regret something, you know I will. Now, do we have an understanding?'

'Yes,' stuttered Draco.

Satisfied that she had scared him enough, Carina pocketed her wand. Draco didn't wait for her to say anything else. He threw open the door and hurried away down the corridor back to the safety of his dungeon common room.

Carina breathed deeply. That had felt fantastic. To finally put a sniveling, suck-up in his place, to remind him that his blood made no difference to his worth. She grinned and headed out of the classroom herself.

Carina jogged back up the main staircase, smiling to herself. Draco had seemed suitably intimated not to call Hermione a mudblood any time soon. She thought briefly about telling Harry and Ron what she had just done, but then thought better of it; this seemed like something that should be kept between her and her darling cousin.

Carina was on her way back to Gryffindor tower, somewhere near the third floor, when she heard someone talking. Except, it surely couldn't have been a student.

LET ME RIP! LET ME KILL... KILL... KILL

Carina pulled her wand out and looked wildly around. The corridor was completely deserted. Yet she could hear that voice, as clear as if the speaker had been standing right beside her. It was blood-curdling, a truly awful sound that sent goosebumps up her arms.

'Who's there?' she called.

No response.

Feeling very exposed standing in a dark, empty corridor, Carina broke into a run and headed for the next set of stairs. She didn't slow down until she could see the comforting sight of the Fat Lady's portrait.

Once inside the common room, Carina threw herself into a chair and wondered what on earth she had just heard.

'Alright, Carina?' asked Seamus, looking up from a game of Exploding Snap he was playing with Dean.

'Yeah, I'm fine.' Her voice was not very convincing.

She grabbed the book she'd left on the mantle piece and pretended to read. It was only so that she didn't attract any attention. Really her mind was running at a thousand miles an hour. She had certainly heard a voice. But it did not sound human. Perhaps it was one of the ghosts, or another spirit that could make itself invisible?

Carina was so deep in thought that she barely noticed the common room empty around her. Seamus and Dean finished their game and said goodnight. Even the twins went up to bed before her, still laughing at their success in winding up Percy. It was only when the portrait hole opened that Carina gave a start and realised the room was empty.

'What are you still doing up?'

It was Harry, returning from his detention.

Carina double checked that no one was around and told him about the strange, threatening voice. To her surprise, Harry did not look concerned, rather, he looked relieved.

'Oh thank goodness! You can hear it too. I thought I was going mad when Lockhart didn't notice anything.'

'Wait, you heard it?'

'Yeah. I heard this really creepy sounding person say they wanted to kill and rip and stuff.'

Carina frowned. 'But, if you and I can hear it, why couldn't Lockhart?'

Harry shrugged. 'He was very preoccupied with his fan mail. Perhaps he just wasn't paying attention.'

'I don't know, Harry. That voice was so clear. I don't think I'd have missed it from miles away.'

'Yeah, me too,' muttered Harry, looking unnerved.

The portrait hole opened for a second time and Ron stumbled in, looking tired and fed-up. 'Had another slug attack all over a trophy, didn't I?' he exclaimed angrily when he spotted the other two. 'Some special services for the school award. Filch made me polish it about twenty times until he was happy. What's up with you two, you look pale.'

Harry quickly filled him in on the voice they had both heard.

Ron looked at them both and frowned deeply. 'Maybe it was a ghost?' he suggested uncertainly.

'Yeah, maybe.' Carina threw herself back against the cushions in frustration. She did not like not knowing something.

/

A few weeks later and Halloween was just around the corner. Carina was very much looking forward to the feast. She had heard good things about it but had not been able to attend last year due to the small matter of having to rescue Hermione from a mountain troll. Unfortunately, a few days before the night itself, Harry gave her some bad news.

Carina was sat alone by the fire in the common room. Harry was at Quidditch practice and Hermione had gone to the library to help Ron with his Potions homework. Carina was steadily working her way through a dense book on Transfiguration theory.

The portrait hole opened and a very muddy Harry walked into the common room, leaving a trail of dirty footprints behind him.

Carina raised an eyebrow. 'Fun practice?'

Harry threw himself into an armchair, apparently not caring that he was getting that filthy as well. 'Fine. But I ran into Filch on the way back and he tried to write me up for getting mud everywhere. What's a squib by the way?'

'A non-magic person born into a wizarding family. Why?'

Harry shrugged. 'Filch had a correspondence course for squibs.'

'Well I'm not surprised by that. Must be why he hates students so much.'

Harry glanced at Carina out of the corner of his eye. 'Fancy doing me favour?'

'Depends what it is.'

'I need a guest to bring to Nearly Headless Nick's death day party on Halloween. He got rid of Filch for me so I had to say I'd go.'

Carina considered it for a moment. A death day party might be interesting but then she'd be giving up the chance to gorge herself on Hogwarts' best food. 'But what about the feast?' she moaned.

'Oh please come. I don't want to go alone! Please.' Harry gave her what he obviously thought to be puppy dog eyes. 'Pretty please.'

'Oh alright fine. But I'm getting Ron to sneak me some pudding out of the Hall.'

Later that evening, up in the girls' dormitory, Carina filled Hermione in on the death day party.

'Wow that does sound interesting. I bet not many living people can say they've been to one of those,' said Hermione. The two girls were sat on Carina's bed in their pyjamas, working their way through a large pile of cauldron cakes. The sound of rain pounding against the windows made it feel very cosy.

Another voice suddenly joined in the conversation. It was Lavender Brown, who was sitting on her own bed flicking lazily through a magazine. 'Harry asked you to go to a party with him? Like a date?'

'Erm no, not a date,' protested Carina. She could practically feel her cheeks reddening, and she never got embarrassed normally.

'Sounds like it to me,' added Pavarti from the other side of the room. 'I mean he could have taken Ron but he chose you instead.'

'I think I was just the first person he ran into.'

Lavender waved this away. 'No chance. You know, I've always thought you two might get together at some point in the future. It'd be quite Romeo and Juliet, wouldn't it?'

'What's Romeo and Juliet?' asked Pavarti as Hermione rolled her eyes.

'A muggle play,' explained Lavender. 'Two teenagers fall in love but their families hate one another. It's all very romantic.'

'Yeah, until they commit double suicide at the end,' pointed out Carina. She appealed to Hermione for help while Lavender and Pavarti giggled in the background. 'Tell them they're being ridiculous.'

Hermione hesitated, clearly choosing her words carefully. 'Well, I suppose it wouldn't surprise me either if you and Harry did get together when we're older,' she said delicately.

'What?' yelped Carina. She had expected Hermione to see her point of view and back her up.

'Told you,' said Lavender triumphantly. 'Trust me, this is going to happen at some point.'

Carina made a sceptical noise and rolled her eyes dismissively. But later that night, as she was on the edge of falling asleep, she couldn't help think about what the girls had been saying. Could it be possible that Harry had something of a teenage crush on her? And were they as compatible as the other Gryffindor girls seemed to think? Carina had a sudden vision of telling Lucius that she was dating Harry Potter. Grinning to herself at this happy image, she rolled over and fell straight asleep.

/

To Carina's relief, none of the girls brought up her and Harry again, not even Hermione. Hoping to let the conversation fade away into memory, Carina did not broach the topic either.

On the evening of Halloween, she was almost regretting her decision to go to Nick's party. The smells from the kitchens were wafting throughout the whole castle. Hagrid had spent the best part of the week carving his enormous pumpkins and, according to Lee Jordan, a troupe of skeletons had been booked to perform during the feast.

Still, a promise was a promise so, while the others prepared themselves to eat the most food they'd consumed since Christmas, Carina got ready for the party. She had no clue how formal the event was so she chose her navy blue dress robes just to be on the safe side. She wove her thick, black hair into a neat knot, and even borrowed some mascara and lipstick from Lavender.

'You look great,' insisted Lavender, who was laying on her own bed watching Carina get ready. 'I hate how pretty you are.'

'Yeah you'll certainly show up all the dead people,' agreed Pavarti.

Carina wished them a good evening and headed down into the common room where she found Harry lounging in an armchair waiting for her. He had clearly not made the same level of effort. True, his robes were fresh and neat but his hair was as wild as ever. Trying not to laugh, Carina led the way out of Gryffindor Tower.

'You look nice,' said Harry. 'Do you think I'm under dressed?'

'Ghosts only have one outfit for eternity, Harry. I don't think they'll be judging you for wearing your school robes.'

They both exchanged wistful looks as they passed the Great Hall, where they could see live bats fluttering about the ceiling. Instead, they took another flight of stairs down to the dungeons. On the way down, they walked past Draco, flanked, as usual, by Crabbe and Goyle. He did a double take upon seeing Carina but, for once, remained silent. Carina smiled to herself and followed Harry.

As they descended into the dungeons, the sound of a thousand fingernails being scrapped against a blackboard greeted their ears. Nearly Headless Nick was standing at the door of one of the largest dungeons, greeting guests with a very solemn demeanour.

'Oh hello you two,' he nodded down at Carina and Harry. 'So pleased you could come. Do go in and meet my other guests.'

Carina followed Harry into the room. Although the dungeons were cold at the best of times, today it felt like stepping into a fridge. Ghosts of all shapes and sizes floated around the place, some dancing to the 'music,' others engaging in conversation.

'Let's get something to eat, shall we?' suggested Harry.

They moved towards a promising looking buffet table but then quickly recoiled at the sight of the food. Everything was rotting and giving off a strong smell.

'Wow, Harry, you really know the best places to take the girls, don't you?'

Harry glared at her. 'I'm hungry too, you know. Do you think we could just sneak out and go to the feast?'

'Maybe. Oh no, hide!'

'What are you on about?'

'That's Moaning Myrtle.' Carina pointed out the most miserable looking ghost in the place. A teenage girl with lots of spots, lank hair and thick glasses. 'She haunts a bathroom.'

'She haunts a bathroom?' Harry repeated, sounding appalled.

'Yes, I know, now hurry up!'

But it was too late. Myrtle had spotted them and was gliding over. She was the most downcast guest at the party, and that was saying something. As she surveyed Carina and Harry she couldn't even manage a smile.

Carina winced uncomfortably as Myrtle leant towards her. They weren't touching but it was still enough to drop Carina's body temperature by several degrees. Myrtle was analyzing Carina's face carefully.

'You're very pretty, you know,' Myrtle muttered resentfully. 'You look quite like this boy I used to know- '

Myrtle broke off. Peeves the poltergeist had arrived and was making his appearance known by pelting the crowds with peanuts. A particularly large handful struck Myrtle on the nose. She covered her face with her hands and stalked off.

Carina looked at Harry. 'That's what happens when you don't move quick enough.'

'Come on,' he muttered. 'Let's get out of here.'

The two of them made for the door but were unfortunately waylaid by Nick. He seemed to want Harry to tell his other guests how frightening a ghost he was. It was only when a game of headless polo got underway that Carina and Harry managed to sneak off.

They burst into the fresh air of the corridor, took one look at each other, and broke into laughter.

RIP... LET ME KILL... KILL... I SMELL BLOOD...

Carina jumped a foot in the air and grabbed her wand. Next to her Harry abruptly stopped laughing and turned to her in horror. 'Did you hear that?'

TRAPPED FOR SO LONG... LET ME KILL...

'It's moving!' yelled Harry.

He was right. The voice was gliding upwards as though solid floors and ceilings did not matter.

'Come on, don't let it get away!' shouted Carina.

They tore through a tapestry and raced up a concealed set of stairs that led all the way to the second floor. Carina strained her ears. 'Can you hear it?'

Harry shook his head. 'No. Perhaps it's g- Carina!'

Carina spun round to see Harry sprinting along the corridor. She took off after him and it didn't take long to see what had caught his attention.

Scarlet red letters had been smeared onto the wall.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE.

And beneath them, hung from a bracket by her tail was Mrs. Norris.

Carina took several steps back and grabbed Harry's arm.

'Move,' she urged.

'What?'

'We need to get out of here now.'

But it was too late. Footsteps were converging on all sides. The sounds of hundreds of students returning from a satisfying feast.

Those at the front of the crowds stopped in their tracks at the sight before them. Whispers and shouts shot through the mass of people.

'Come on, make way, make way!'

Attracted, as ever, by the chance to catch someone red-handed, Filch was shoving his way to the front of the crowds. His jowls were quivering with the excitement of apprehending a trouble maker.

The care taker's eyes fell upon his beloved cat, hanging like a corpse from the wall. His face switched from happy to murderous in the space of half a second. Without waiting for any explanation, he hurried towards Harry, his hands raised threateningly.

'You've murdered my cat.. you've...'

'Argus!'

Dumbledore was striding along the corridor, the crowds automatically parting at his approach. The headmaster's sharp blue eyes quickly swept over the scene.

'Prefects will lead their houses back to their common rooms immediately.'

The students hurried off, all of them whispering furiously at what they had just seen: a threatening message on the wall, Filch's cat immobilized, and Harry Potter and Carina Lestrange found at the scene of the crime.

'You two, come with me.'

Dumbledore led the way to Lockhart's office. Professors McGonagall and Snape hurried along in his wake, looking highly alert. Carina chanced a look at Harry. His pale face reflected her own intense worry. If Dumbledore believed Filch, well they might as well start packing their bags now.

Once inside the office, the headmaster leant over the cat, muttering incantations under his breath. The other teachers stood around waiting, all apart from Lockhart who was very excitable. He kept up a constant monologue of all the dangerous situations he'd found himself in over the years. Had Carina not already been risking expulsion, she would have been tempted to use silencio on him.

'She has been Petrified,' announced Dumbledore finally.

Carina's mind was whirling. To petrify something took a hell of a lot of Dark Magic. Surely Dumbledore could not suspect two second years of it?

'It was him!' announced Filch, pointing at Harry. The caretaker was sitting in a chair crying loudly. 'He was the one who did it.'

'I didn't touch Mrs. Norris!' protested Harry angrily.

'No he didn't!' exclaimed Carina. 'We found her like that. We only got there thirty seconds before you did.'

Dumbledore held up a hand to quieten everyone. 'No second year could have done this,' he said firmly.

Snape moved out of the shadows. His expression was most odd. It was as if he found the situation highly amusing but was trying to show it. His eyes glinted as they considered Harry for a moment and then came to rest on Carina.

'Ah, but headmaster, if I may, we are not dealing with two ordinary second years here, are we? I for one can attest to the advance level of Miss Lestrange's magical abilities. I could not rule out her being capable of Petrifying.'

Carina was taken aback. It was one thing for Snape to dislike her for being a Gryffindor. It was quite another to accuse her of attacking Mrs Norris without a shred of evidence.

'Oh really, Severus,' snapped McGonagall. 'There is absolutely no reason to suspect either of these two.'

But Snape wasn't finished yet. His dancing eyes narrowed again. 'Oh I am not so sure about that Minerva. It is surely too much of a coincidence-'

'Severus!'

Snape fell into silence as Dumbledore gave him a very sharp look. McGonagall glanced between them, looking utterly confused.

'I will say it again that I do not believe Harry or Carina to be guilty of this.' Dumbledore looked back at them. 'But I must ask what you were doing there.'

'We were at a death day party, sir,' explained Carina, throwing a furious look at Snape who merely smirked back. 'Nearly Headless Nick invited us and we thought we should go to be polite. But it was not, shall we say, the best party in the world. So Harry and I decided we'd just go back up to the common room. We knew we'd missed most of the feast and we've got loads of cauldron cakes upstairs anyway.'

McGonagall nodded in satisfaction at the explanation. 'There you go. Happy Severus?'

But Snape merely shrugged and took a step back into the shadows. He continued to watch Carina with interest.

Dumbledore stared at Carina for a long time and then nodded. 'And you, Harry, do you have anything else you would like to tell me?'

'No, sir,' said Harry firmly.

Dumbledore sighed. 'Very well, you may both go back to Gryffindor Tower.'

Carina and Harry did not talk until they were out of Lockhart's office and half way up the staircase.

'Do you think we should have told Dumbledore about the voice?' asked Harry, his voice low and urgent.

'Definitely not. Harry, you and I heard a voice only we could hear and then Mrs. Norris was Petrified at the same time.'

Harry nodded and changed tack. 'Have you heard of the Chamber of Secrets?'

'Yes,' she admitted. 'It's in Hogwarts: A History but it's supposed to be a myth.'

'What's the myth?'

'That Salazar Slytherin concealed a hidden chamber within the school. That said chamber contains a monster only the true heir of Slytherin can control.'

'Bloody hell,' muttered Harry under his breath. Then he frowned suddenly. 'What was Snape's problem in there?'

'I don't know,' admitted Carina honestly. 'I mean, I know he hates Gryffindors but, still, it was a bit much wasn't it?'

Harry nodded. 'Slimy git.'

The two of them fell into silence as they walked. Carina glanced at Harry out of the corner of her eye. Why was it just the two of them that could hear this mysterious voice? The Boy Who Lived and Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter- that was too much of a coincidence, surely?

So we've had the first hint of what Carina and Harry's relationship is going to turn into... We're also seeing the potential that is in Carina. She intimidates Draco for 'good' reasons but, in doing so, looks a lot like a certain other model student from fifty years ago.

I know so far I've been pretty much following the books. From now on, things are going to go slightly off piste. The books will still form the basis for what happens, but we will start to see the Golden Trio do different things now that Carina is part of the group.

Next chapter will feature: lots of suspicion towards Carina and Harry; Parseltongue; and more confrontation with Draco.

Thank you so much for reading. Please please please leave me a review. Big thanks to sharkdude5, emeraldguardian7, alexc1209 and shottas for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are so lovely, it's hard to describe how nice it is to see a new review.

Also, I'm going to France next week so the next chapter is probably a week/ 10 days away.

xx