***Just so you all know, I do know I made a mistake with Sirius' name. I kinda got keyboard-happy when I was typing because I had a really good idea. And, now looking back at chapter 1 of my story, I realized it was almost exactly like book 4. I guess I liked that beginning. Also, if anyone has a good name for this chapter, please tell me!***
Chapter 4: Love birds and devils
"Harry...Harry...Come on, wake up! We're gonna be late if you don't get up!" Ron whispered harshly into Harry's ear. He rolled over and snatched up his glasses of the nightstand. 7 AM the clock read in bright orange numbers. He couldn't wait. Today was September first, and of course, it meant he would be returning to Hogwarts. Slowly, Harry stretched and let out a soft moan. He had had another dream about Karista. She showed up in a gold dress robe at Christmas and was positively glowing with pride as the walked together into the Great Hall. Not realizing he was smiling, Ron started sniggering.
"What are you laughing at, eh Ron?" Harry said, not able to control the humor in his voice.
"Oh, nothing...just caught you thinking about your new girlfriend, huh Harry..." Ron sniggered as he started packing the rest of his things. Harry thought maybe he should start packing also when Hermione entered the room.
"Ron, could I talk to you in private?" she murmured, not wanting to wake up anyone else.
"Sure," Ron said quickly. Ron and Hermione had been doing that a lot lately...he didn't know why, as they positively refused to tell Harry. All he knew is that when they came back, they were both blushing furiously and when Harry asked what was wrong, the both laughed giddily, much like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before Harry had found out what was so funny. Harry gathered up his books and shoved them in the bottom of his trunk, making sure not to smash the un-breakable crystal ball.
Ron and Hermione returned, both with smiles on their faces.
"I…um…should really go and um…pack," Hermione said, stuttering and turning pink.
"What has been going on with you two?" Harry asked quizzically, making sure he looked as menacingly as he could so that Ron would have to answer.
"Um, I don't think you wanna know," Ron muttered, flushing a bright red. Harry knew it was something quite important.
"Tell me, Ron! I won't embarrass you," Harry breathed. He couldn't believe his two best friends weren't telling him anything.
"Well, first I'd have to ask Hermione if it's okay."
Harry shook his head and kept packing. What ever it was, it better have been important.
***
Karista unloaded her trunk into the back of the limo her father had rented for them. He was just visiting to see her off to the train, yet it was still a big production. Everything was becoming more tense then it probably should have been, not to mention the fact that she was starting over. Once again he started yelling at the driver.
"Can't you see that my daughter needs help unloading her stuff? What do they pay you to do? Sit around? Not on my clock," he bellowed, making heads turn.
"Dad, please, calm down. Its no big deal," Karista said, raising her eyebrows so that her father could see that she was serious. He slammed the trunk shut and started to head inside. You'd swear that sometimes he doesn't care she said to herself as she glared straight into his back, hoping this would somehow help.
The driver wheeled the trolley inside the station, turned and left towards the limo. She then began to push the trolley towards the barrier, her father and Aunt behind her. Before them appeared a scarlet steam engine. The platform had a few families on it, yet she knew she had at least thirty minutes till the train actually left the station. She strolled down the train and found a compartment in the middle, which looked fairly promising. After unloading her trunk from the trolley, she kissed her father and aunt goodbye.
"Now dear, have a good term. We'll keep you posted on what's happening, okay?" her aunt whimpered, holding her hanky up to her eyes. "Goodbye dear."
Karista wanted to give her father a hug, but he was already leaving the barrier. She looked down into her lap, tears silently rolling down her lap. Cheer up, term will be great; you've already met some friends she muttered to herself as she opened her trunk and pulled out the box of candy she had bought in Diagon Alley. Carefully unwrapping a chocolate frog, she knew that everything would be okay. Suddenly, she heard a banging on the door of her compartment. Outside stood a short and scrawny boy, with pale blonde hair and a pointed nose.
"That Harry Potter fool won't know what hit him this year," the voice drawled. "He thinks that he is the best seeker in the world, I'll show him."
The boy was surrounded by two of the biggest possible 5th years she had met so far. They were laughing sardonically at the boy's accusations, cracking their knuckles and entering a compartment across from hers. Hopefully I won't be in the same house as them she smirked, pushing the rest of her candy away. Without warning, the boy with the pale hair and cold eyes stopped outside her door, and without knocking opened it.
"You new here?" The voice said, sagging under the weight of its own laziness.
"Yes, I am," Karista didn't even look up. Hopefully if I don't look at him, he won't be interested.
"Where you from?" The voice said, taking a seat in front of her.
"New York."
"Wow, really? Never been there," the boy answered, not showing any interest at all.
"hmm," said Karista. Please go away she said to herself.
"Well, why would a pretty little thing like yourself be sitting all alone? Why not join myself and my friends in our compartment?" the boy asked slightly enthusiastically. It was quite obviously to Karista that he liked her.
"Why would I want to sit with someone who I don't even know?" Karista muttered, looking the boy straight in the eyes.
"Oh! Pardon me, I am so rude. Draco Malfoy. This here is Crabbe and the other one is Goyle. We're Slytherins," Draco said, with a bit of a sneer. "And you might be…?"
"Karista Flannigan."
"Pretty name. Irish? Are you a pure blood?" Draco seemed to be asking a lot of personal questions she thought to herself.
"Yes, half blood, and no, I still would not like to sit with you and your friends."
"Whoa, easy there. I can see you are a little nervous. I'll tell ya what, you stay here, and when the nerves have calmed come join us. Till later," Draco slung casually as he waltzed out of the compartment.
As soon as Draco left, Karista put her hands around her throat and began trying to gag herself.
"KARISTA! KARISTA!" Hermione was yelling from the other end of the platform. "Hi Karista!"
"Hermione! Thank god, someone I know" she said with pure relief.
"You want to move your stuff down to the end of the train with us?"
"Please! I am afraid I have already started meeting bad people here," Karista said uneasily as she slid her trunk out of the compartment.
"What do you mean? We never get in trouble…I mean, we never get caught…" Hermione started rambling when Karista cut her off.
"No, No, not that kind of trouble. I met this guy named Draco and his two 'bodyguards'. They were hitting on me," Karista said, trying to hold her giggle inside.
"Are you serious?" Hermione was laughing. "Watch out for them. They wouldn't know what's good for them even if it danced naked in front of their noses!"
Karista and Hermione were both laughing when they reached the compartment down at the end of the train where Harry and Ron were already heaving their trunks inside.
"hi there!" Karista said spiritedly.
"Hi," Harry and Ron gagged at the same time, still trying to heave Harry's trunk into the compartment.
Harry, turned to look and see that Karista looked very nice. It was much unlike the clothing he was used to seeing, because it came from New York and was American, a completely different style.
"Guess who she met at the middle of the train?" Hermione asked triumphantly. "Draco Malfoy, and he was hitting on her."
Harry dropped his trunk on his toe when he heard this. Suddenly, his face was burning red with anger, and pain was shooting through his leg.
"We're going to go see Mrs. Weasley before we leave, okay?" Hermione said as Karista and she jogged off towards the middle of the platform.
"Harry, it's not worth getting your socks in a knot," Ron said, grinning broadly. "she said Malfoy was TRYING to hit on her, that means it didn't work."
Harry couldn't help thinking about her. It was strange, the way she kept popping into his mind all the time. If Harry didn't know better, he would say he was in love, but that was a strong word. He therefore had resided to calling it a major crush, even bigger than the one he had on Cho Chang. Harry and Ron hopped out of the compartment and dashed over to Mrs. Weasley, who was handing out sandwiches. She then kissed and hugged Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George. Then she stopped at Karista, with a warm smile on her face and gave her a hug.
"Watch out for them," She murmured.
With a last smile, they all boarded the train and headed off for Hogwarts.
***
Harry sat reading the instructions to his gobstones set. He already knew how to play marbles, but had decided that it was better safe than sorry. Ron sat, waiting mercilessly with his gobstones set, which had belonged to Fred and George…they were just on loan, after all. Karista and Hermione were reading the Daily prophet that Hermione had brought with her.
"Okay, I think I got it," Harry said, after fifteen minutes of reading the 40 page booklet.
"Thank you. I thought my stones were just gonna roll on back into the bag!"
Harry and Ron then started playing. It was a very messy game. Hermione had to put a charm on Harry's glasses to keep the liquid from ruining them. He kept on getting squirted till finally, he gave up.
"I think that we should play chess right now, because I don't think the train ride is long enough for me to learn how to play," moaned Harry, still trying to wipe the nasty smelling liquid out of his shirt.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see the lunch cart coming through the corridor.
"Lunch time," Harry said, sidling his way to the door.
After purchasing enough goodies to last them for a week, they sat down and looked out into the afternoon sun, which was casting an eerie glow over the wheat that was swaying in the fields outside. Then, in the corridor, Malfoy appeared, along with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Well, well, if it isn't Potter and Weasley and the-," Mafoy stopped, looking at the far end of the cabin, a look of surprise dawning on his face. "Karista, I am surprised to see you here."
"Why would that be, er, Draco?" She muttered, peeling a wrapper off the chocolate frog.
"Well, they are a little substandard. I think you might have found the wrong end of the train, that's all."
"Oh well, a little too late for me to move now, isn't it?" Karista said, looking up into Malfoy's cold eyes.
"Guess so," Malfoy drawled, as he left the compartment without another word.
Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.
"I think that is the first time in the four years that Harry and I have taken the train to school that he has just left us here without more words," Ron gasped, awestruck.
"You would almost think that he was scared of us now," Harry said, with the same astonished look on his face.
Then, they all started laughing as Ron pulled out his exploding snap cards.
"Hey, Ron, Hermione…are you going to tell me what's going on between you?" Harry asked, knowing he had better get the answer.
"Um, yeah, I guess. Hermione? Do the honors?" Ron asked, with a surprised yet happy face.
"Ron and I are…dating," Hermione said, blushing furiously, then looking at Ron for support.
Nothing could have prepared Harry for what he just heard. He couldn't comprehend this. Then, he looked up, and saw that Karista had almost the same face on her.
"That…is…a little weird…just a little," Harry whispered to Karista, who nodded.
"Well, what do you think, Harry?" Hermione urged, leaning in closer to Ron.
There was a long pause and finally, Harry answered, "I'm happy for you guys."
For the rest of the trip, they enjoyed a long game of exploding snap, when finally, Ron made the deck explode, once again singeing off his eyebrows. Hermione laughed and Ron wrapped his arm around her.
"I think we are going to have fun this year, with or without you-know-who back," Ron murmured.
Harry couldn't help but glance at Karista, who was grinning at Harry. Harry couldn't have made a better prediction himself.
Chapter 4: Love birds and devils
"Harry...Harry...Come on, wake up! We're gonna be late if you don't get up!" Ron whispered harshly into Harry's ear. He rolled over and snatched up his glasses of the nightstand. 7 AM the clock read in bright orange numbers. He couldn't wait. Today was September first, and of course, it meant he would be returning to Hogwarts. Slowly, Harry stretched and let out a soft moan. He had had another dream about Karista. She showed up in a gold dress robe at Christmas and was positively glowing with pride as the walked together into the Great Hall. Not realizing he was smiling, Ron started sniggering.
"What are you laughing at, eh Ron?" Harry said, not able to control the humor in his voice.
"Oh, nothing...just caught you thinking about your new girlfriend, huh Harry..." Ron sniggered as he started packing the rest of his things. Harry thought maybe he should start packing also when Hermione entered the room.
"Ron, could I talk to you in private?" she murmured, not wanting to wake up anyone else.
"Sure," Ron said quickly. Ron and Hermione had been doing that a lot lately...he didn't know why, as they positively refused to tell Harry. All he knew is that when they came back, they were both blushing furiously and when Harry asked what was wrong, the both laughed giddily, much like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before Harry had found out what was so funny. Harry gathered up his books and shoved them in the bottom of his trunk, making sure not to smash the un-breakable crystal ball.
Ron and Hermione returned, both with smiles on their faces.
"I…um…should really go and um…pack," Hermione said, stuttering and turning pink.
"What has been going on with you two?" Harry asked quizzically, making sure he looked as menacingly as he could so that Ron would have to answer.
"Um, I don't think you wanna know," Ron muttered, flushing a bright red. Harry knew it was something quite important.
"Tell me, Ron! I won't embarrass you," Harry breathed. He couldn't believe his two best friends weren't telling him anything.
"Well, first I'd have to ask Hermione if it's okay."
Harry shook his head and kept packing. What ever it was, it better have been important.
***
Karista unloaded her trunk into the back of the limo her father had rented for them. He was just visiting to see her off to the train, yet it was still a big production. Everything was becoming more tense then it probably should have been, not to mention the fact that she was starting over. Once again he started yelling at the driver.
"Can't you see that my daughter needs help unloading her stuff? What do they pay you to do? Sit around? Not on my clock," he bellowed, making heads turn.
"Dad, please, calm down. Its no big deal," Karista said, raising her eyebrows so that her father could see that she was serious. He slammed the trunk shut and started to head inside. You'd swear that sometimes he doesn't care she said to herself as she glared straight into his back, hoping this would somehow help.
The driver wheeled the trolley inside the station, turned and left towards the limo. She then began to push the trolley towards the barrier, her father and Aunt behind her. Before them appeared a scarlet steam engine. The platform had a few families on it, yet she knew she had at least thirty minutes till the train actually left the station. She strolled down the train and found a compartment in the middle, which looked fairly promising. After unloading her trunk from the trolley, she kissed her father and aunt goodbye.
"Now dear, have a good term. We'll keep you posted on what's happening, okay?" her aunt whimpered, holding her hanky up to her eyes. "Goodbye dear."
Karista wanted to give her father a hug, but he was already leaving the barrier. She looked down into her lap, tears silently rolling down her lap. Cheer up, term will be great; you've already met some friends she muttered to herself as she opened her trunk and pulled out the box of candy she had bought in Diagon Alley. Carefully unwrapping a chocolate frog, she knew that everything would be okay. Suddenly, she heard a banging on the door of her compartment. Outside stood a short and scrawny boy, with pale blonde hair and a pointed nose.
"That Harry Potter fool won't know what hit him this year," the voice drawled. "He thinks that he is the best seeker in the world, I'll show him."
The boy was surrounded by two of the biggest possible 5th years she had met so far. They were laughing sardonically at the boy's accusations, cracking their knuckles and entering a compartment across from hers. Hopefully I won't be in the same house as them she smirked, pushing the rest of her candy away. Without warning, the boy with the pale hair and cold eyes stopped outside her door, and without knocking opened it.
"You new here?" The voice said, sagging under the weight of its own laziness.
"Yes, I am," Karista didn't even look up. Hopefully if I don't look at him, he won't be interested.
"Where you from?" The voice said, taking a seat in front of her.
"New York."
"Wow, really? Never been there," the boy answered, not showing any interest at all.
"hmm," said Karista. Please go away she said to herself.
"Well, why would a pretty little thing like yourself be sitting all alone? Why not join myself and my friends in our compartment?" the boy asked slightly enthusiastically. It was quite obviously to Karista that he liked her.
"Why would I want to sit with someone who I don't even know?" Karista muttered, looking the boy straight in the eyes.
"Oh! Pardon me, I am so rude. Draco Malfoy. This here is Crabbe and the other one is Goyle. We're Slytherins," Draco said, with a bit of a sneer. "And you might be…?"
"Karista Flannigan."
"Pretty name. Irish? Are you a pure blood?" Draco seemed to be asking a lot of personal questions she thought to herself.
"Yes, half blood, and no, I still would not like to sit with you and your friends."
"Whoa, easy there. I can see you are a little nervous. I'll tell ya what, you stay here, and when the nerves have calmed come join us. Till later," Draco slung casually as he waltzed out of the compartment.
As soon as Draco left, Karista put her hands around her throat and began trying to gag herself.
"KARISTA! KARISTA!" Hermione was yelling from the other end of the platform. "Hi Karista!"
"Hermione! Thank god, someone I know" she said with pure relief.
"You want to move your stuff down to the end of the train with us?"
"Please! I am afraid I have already started meeting bad people here," Karista said uneasily as she slid her trunk out of the compartment.
"What do you mean? We never get in trouble…I mean, we never get caught…" Hermione started rambling when Karista cut her off.
"No, No, not that kind of trouble. I met this guy named Draco and his two 'bodyguards'. They were hitting on me," Karista said, trying to hold her giggle inside.
"Are you serious?" Hermione was laughing. "Watch out for them. They wouldn't know what's good for them even if it danced naked in front of their noses!"
Karista and Hermione were both laughing when they reached the compartment down at the end of the train where Harry and Ron were already heaving their trunks inside.
"hi there!" Karista said spiritedly.
"Hi," Harry and Ron gagged at the same time, still trying to heave Harry's trunk into the compartment.
Harry, turned to look and see that Karista looked very nice. It was much unlike the clothing he was used to seeing, because it came from New York and was American, a completely different style.
"Guess who she met at the middle of the train?" Hermione asked triumphantly. "Draco Malfoy, and he was hitting on her."
Harry dropped his trunk on his toe when he heard this. Suddenly, his face was burning red with anger, and pain was shooting through his leg.
"We're going to go see Mrs. Weasley before we leave, okay?" Hermione said as Karista and she jogged off towards the middle of the platform.
"Harry, it's not worth getting your socks in a knot," Ron said, grinning broadly. "she said Malfoy was TRYING to hit on her, that means it didn't work."
Harry couldn't help thinking about her. It was strange, the way she kept popping into his mind all the time. If Harry didn't know better, he would say he was in love, but that was a strong word. He therefore had resided to calling it a major crush, even bigger than the one he had on Cho Chang. Harry and Ron hopped out of the compartment and dashed over to Mrs. Weasley, who was handing out sandwiches. She then kissed and hugged Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George. Then she stopped at Karista, with a warm smile on her face and gave her a hug.
"Watch out for them," She murmured.
With a last smile, they all boarded the train and headed off for Hogwarts.
***
Harry sat reading the instructions to his gobstones set. He already knew how to play marbles, but had decided that it was better safe than sorry. Ron sat, waiting mercilessly with his gobstones set, which had belonged to Fred and George…they were just on loan, after all. Karista and Hermione were reading the Daily prophet that Hermione had brought with her.
"Okay, I think I got it," Harry said, after fifteen minutes of reading the 40 page booklet.
"Thank you. I thought my stones were just gonna roll on back into the bag!"
Harry and Ron then started playing. It was a very messy game. Hermione had to put a charm on Harry's glasses to keep the liquid from ruining them. He kept on getting squirted till finally, he gave up.
"I think that we should play chess right now, because I don't think the train ride is long enough for me to learn how to play," moaned Harry, still trying to wipe the nasty smelling liquid out of his shirt.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see the lunch cart coming through the corridor.
"Lunch time," Harry said, sidling his way to the door.
After purchasing enough goodies to last them for a week, they sat down and looked out into the afternoon sun, which was casting an eerie glow over the wheat that was swaying in the fields outside. Then, in the corridor, Malfoy appeared, along with Crabbe and Goyle.
"Well, well, if it isn't Potter and Weasley and the-," Mafoy stopped, looking at the far end of the cabin, a look of surprise dawning on his face. "Karista, I am surprised to see you here."
"Why would that be, er, Draco?" She muttered, peeling a wrapper off the chocolate frog.
"Well, they are a little substandard. I think you might have found the wrong end of the train, that's all."
"Oh well, a little too late for me to move now, isn't it?" Karista said, looking up into Malfoy's cold eyes.
"Guess so," Malfoy drawled, as he left the compartment without another word.
Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.
"I think that is the first time in the four years that Harry and I have taken the train to school that he has just left us here without more words," Ron gasped, awestruck.
"You would almost think that he was scared of us now," Harry said, with the same astonished look on his face.
Then, they all started laughing as Ron pulled out his exploding snap cards.
"Hey, Ron, Hermione…are you going to tell me what's going on between you?" Harry asked, knowing he had better get the answer.
"Um, yeah, I guess. Hermione? Do the honors?" Ron asked, with a surprised yet happy face.
"Ron and I are…dating," Hermione said, blushing furiously, then looking at Ron for support.
Nothing could have prepared Harry for what he just heard. He couldn't comprehend this. Then, he looked up, and saw that Karista had almost the same face on her.
"That…is…a little weird…just a little," Harry whispered to Karista, who nodded.
"Well, what do you think, Harry?" Hermione urged, leaning in closer to Ron.
There was a long pause and finally, Harry answered, "I'm happy for you guys."
For the rest of the trip, they enjoyed a long game of exploding snap, when finally, Ron made the deck explode, once again singeing off his eyebrows. Hermione laughed and Ron wrapped his arm around her.
"I think we are going to have fun this year, with or without you-know-who back," Ron murmured.
Harry couldn't help but glance at Karista, who was grinning at Harry. Harry couldn't have made a better prediction himself.