***JKR owns the people and places, I own Karista and the dream***
Chapter 10: Midnight in the Kitchens
Once back in the Gryffindor common room that night, Harry realized he had forgotten to read his letter that Karista had saved for him. He took it out of his pocket. The parchment looked like it sat outside a little too long. He slit it open and began to read it.
Harry,
I was just writing to see if you were well, then I realized I am in the castle with you. I want to see you tonight in Lupin's office. Meet me there at 8:30, alright? Bring your invisibility cloak.
Snuffles
Harry glanced at the clock and realized it was about 8. He pulled Ron and Hermione over and told them about the letter from Sirius.
"Can we go?" Ron asked, his eyes desperate for some action.
"Ron, maybe that isn't-," Hermione started, but paused seeing the look on his face.
"Maybe it isn't wise if you guys go," harry said. "It sounds important."
"oh, alright…" Ron muttered.
"I'll catch up with you guys later then," harry said, running up to his room and snatching the invisibility cloak and his winter cloak. He then trooped down into the common room, marauders map in hand, and excited the portrait hole.
***
"Open up! It's me in the cloak," Harry mumbled, making sure that Filch, who was a corridor away couldn't hear him.
The door clicked open and he saw Lupin standing there, a smile upon his face as he ushered Harry inside. On the corner of a bed sat Sirus, his hair considerably shorter and looking meatier upon having some decent meals and robes.
"Harry!" Sirius yelped, still having his animal side. "Wow, you've gotten taller and a little fuller, eh?"
Harry grinned cheekily and he gave Sirius a bear hug. "So tell me, what did you two do all summer?"
Lupin and Sirius' smiles flickered. It was obviously not something that was good.
"That is why we kinda wanted to talk to you," Sirius mumbled, looking at his toes.
"What? It isn't bad, is it?" Harry said, glancing at Sirius. Had he almost been caught?
"Well, that is for you to make your judgement on," Sirius said, the same look he had gotten from Azkaban in his eyes. "Voldemort, er…from some spies' accounts, is still talking about getting his hands on you."
"Well, he has been after me for 15 years…what else is new?" Harry said, a mishievious grin appearing on his face.
"Well, the spy says he keeps talking about his dear old mum," Lupin said. "You might understand better tomorrow in your history of magic lesson, as professor Binns might be looking at this er…subject tomorrow. You will then understand more."
Harry looked puzzled, not understanding it at all.
"It's really complicated to explain," Sirius said, a pivotal look on his face. "so you'll forgive me for not getting in to it?"
"Sure," Harry muttered, looking at his hands that were folded in his lap.
"you should probably be getting some rest Harry. I know for sure tomorrow that DADA is going to be interesting," Lupin said grinning sheepishly shuffling papers on his desk.
"I'll see you both tomorrow," Harry said, taking his cloak and shuffling out the door. He couldn't believe that is all that they wanted to tell him. He slowly pulled out the marauders map and glanced at it. A small dot labeled karista Flannigan was moving across the corridor in front of him, yet he couldn't see her.
"Where are you," Harry whispered to himself as he listened intently.
Suddenly, Harry felt someone or something smack into him. When he looked up, he didn't see anything but a wand floating in midair.
"Show yourself," the voice of Karista shrieked, obviously sounding petrified. Harry felt he had no other choice but to remove the cloak. As he did so, he heard a small gasp as another shimmery cloak fell to the floor.
"HARRY! What are you…how did you…what is happening here?" she said, her face white and expressionless.
"What are you doing out?" Harry asked, not as ruffled as Karista was about being out at night.
"I was looking for the kitchens…what are you doing?" she shrieked, more color draining from her face.
"I was visiting my godfather and Lupin," harry said, rising to his feet and picking up the cloak from the floor. "I never knew you had a cloak."
"Well-I-well..." she stuttered. "You wo-won't tell anyone, would you?"
"No! Why would I? Only a select few know about the damn thing anyways," Harry mumbled, dusting a fleck of dust off the material. He saw her eyes flicker onto the map.
"What's that?" she murmured, her eyes widening at the dots moving around on it.
"It's a map of Hogwarts. It reveals where staff and people are, invisible, animagus, or not," Harry said proudly as she took the map from his hands and examined it thoughtfully.
"Interesting…brilliance," she muttered under her breath. "Whoever invented it is a genious."
"My father, Lupin my godfather and, er…" he had paused at the mention of Wormtail, he least favorite person in the world compared to Draco and Voldemort.
"Do you know how to make one?" she asked, tounching the dots on the page.
"Haven't a clue," Harry muttered. "Hey, you said before that you were going to the kitchens. Mind if I join you?"
"Sure…the map would actually help since Fred and George Weasley preferred to let me find it myself in the midst of faculty interferring."
Harry and Karista headed off down the corridor wearing Harry's cloak; they figured it would be easier than trying to find each other with their induvidual cloaks on. Once Harry approached the familiar painting of the bowl of fruit and opened the door, Karista let out a gasp of surprise.
"WOW! The kitchen at my school was nothing compared…WOW!" she murmured, staring at the 5 tables near the back of the kitchen, as well as the hundreds of house elves now gathering around them.
"Harry Potter! Harry, sir!" a familiar squeaky voice called, pushing its way towards them. "Harry Potter, sir! Dobby has waited for you!
"Hello Dobby!" Harry muttered, blushing furiously as the elves were now clamboring to say their hellos to him and Karista also.
Their visit was short, yet they managed to get some delicious sandwiches and pumpkin juices away from the room before they left realizing how late it was. They stomped merrily up towards their common room and trudged through the door.
"They are so funny!" Karista laughed, setting down her sandwich and goblet. "I've never seen so many of them either."
"Yeah…Dobby is a little strange, even if he did try to save my life." Harry reflected upon his 2nd year, where he had almost thought his friends had forgotten him, a rogue bludger nearly killed him and Lucius Malfoy nearly rung his neck.
Karista stifled a laugh as everyone was now asleep.
"So, you only wanted to go out for a sandwich?" Harry asked, staring at the sandwich and goblet in front of her.
"A midnight snack, as I didn't eat much of my dinner," Karista smiled, chugging down some of her juice. "Did your parents give you that cloak?"
"No, well…actually, it was my fathers, and he left it in Dumbledore's possesion before he died. I then go it my 1st year," he said, taking a big bite out of his sandwich. "Your's?"
"My moms…my father was a muggle and my parents married. They, when I was a few months old, my mother became sick, told my father she was a witch, and died. When I was going to start school, my father went into the attic and found my mom's old trunk packed with many things, including this," she held the cloak up to the light. Harry immedeatly noticed that it was different from his in that it was an extremely pale bluish-silver. "She made it herself by hand."
Harry stopped chewing and placed his sandwich down on the table. He took the cloak out of her hand and noticed it was a little bit heavier than hers, yet smoother.
"Wow," harry murmured, gently running his hand over the fabric. "she really made it?"
"Yes," Karista murmured, looking at the cloak with pure love.
They sat and talked for hours, until just before 1 in the morning, Karista asked Harry about Quidditch.
"I heard they need a keeper and a chaser after Katie Bell's accident," Karista asked, wondering whether this was true or not. Harry nodded his head, so she kept going.
"What time do the tryouts start tomorrow?" she asked looking straight into his eyes.
"I think around ten. You're coming out?" He asked shocked and puzzled.
"Yeah, I am an okay chaser," she blushed, looking into the fire. "I should be off to my room now. See you tomorrow then."
"Goodnight," harry murmured and she turned and waived. She soon disapeared with her cloak, leaving Harry to enter his his room, surprised by her request.
Chapter 10: Midnight in the Kitchens
Once back in the Gryffindor common room that night, Harry realized he had forgotten to read his letter that Karista had saved for him. He took it out of his pocket. The parchment looked like it sat outside a little too long. He slit it open and began to read it.
Harry,
I was just writing to see if you were well, then I realized I am in the castle with you. I want to see you tonight in Lupin's office. Meet me there at 8:30, alright? Bring your invisibility cloak.
Snuffles
Harry glanced at the clock and realized it was about 8. He pulled Ron and Hermione over and told them about the letter from Sirius.
"Can we go?" Ron asked, his eyes desperate for some action.
"Ron, maybe that isn't-," Hermione started, but paused seeing the look on his face.
"Maybe it isn't wise if you guys go," harry said. "It sounds important."
"oh, alright…" Ron muttered.
"I'll catch up with you guys later then," harry said, running up to his room and snatching the invisibility cloak and his winter cloak. He then trooped down into the common room, marauders map in hand, and excited the portrait hole.
***
"Open up! It's me in the cloak," Harry mumbled, making sure that Filch, who was a corridor away couldn't hear him.
The door clicked open and he saw Lupin standing there, a smile upon his face as he ushered Harry inside. On the corner of a bed sat Sirus, his hair considerably shorter and looking meatier upon having some decent meals and robes.
"Harry!" Sirius yelped, still having his animal side. "Wow, you've gotten taller and a little fuller, eh?"
Harry grinned cheekily and he gave Sirius a bear hug. "So tell me, what did you two do all summer?"
Lupin and Sirius' smiles flickered. It was obviously not something that was good.
"That is why we kinda wanted to talk to you," Sirius mumbled, looking at his toes.
"What? It isn't bad, is it?" Harry said, glancing at Sirius. Had he almost been caught?
"Well, that is for you to make your judgement on," Sirius said, the same look he had gotten from Azkaban in his eyes. "Voldemort, er…from some spies' accounts, is still talking about getting his hands on you."
"Well, he has been after me for 15 years…what else is new?" Harry said, a mishievious grin appearing on his face.
"Well, the spy says he keeps talking about his dear old mum," Lupin said. "You might understand better tomorrow in your history of magic lesson, as professor Binns might be looking at this er…subject tomorrow. You will then understand more."
Harry looked puzzled, not understanding it at all.
"It's really complicated to explain," Sirius said, a pivotal look on his face. "so you'll forgive me for not getting in to it?"
"Sure," Harry muttered, looking at his hands that were folded in his lap.
"you should probably be getting some rest Harry. I know for sure tomorrow that DADA is going to be interesting," Lupin said grinning sheepishly shuffling papers on his desk.
"I'll see you both tomorrow," Harry said, taking his cloak and shuffling out the door. He couldn't believe that is all that they wanted to tell him. He slowly pulled out the marauders map and glanced at it. A small dot labeled karista Flannigan was moving across the corridor in front of him, yet he couldn't see her.
"Where are you," Harry whispered to himself as he listened intently.
Suddenly, Harry felt someone or something smack into him. When he looked up, he didn't see anything but a wand floating in midair.
"Show yourself," the voice of Karista shrieked, obviously sounding petrified. Harry felt he had no other choice but to remove the cloak. As he did so, he heard a small gasp as another shimmery cloak fell to the floor.
"HARRY! What are you…how did you…what is happening here?" she said, her face white and expressionless.
"What are you doing out?" Harry asked, not as ruffled as Karista was about being out at night.
"I was looking for the kitchens…what are you doing?" she shrieked, more color draining from her face.
"I was visiting my godfather and Lupin," harry said, rising to his feet and picking up the cloak from the floor. "I never knew you had a cloak."
"Well-I-well..." she stuttered. "You wo-won't tell anyone, would you?"
"No! Why would I? Only a select few know about the damn thing anyways," Harry mumbled, dusting a fleck of dust off the material. He saw her eyes flicker onto the map.
"What's that?" she murmured, her eyes widening at the dots moving around on it.
"It's a map of Hogwarts. It reveals where staff and people are, invisible, animagus, or not," Harry said proudly as she took the map from his hands and examined it thoughtfully.
"Interesting…brilliance," she muttered under her breath. "Whoever invented it is a genious."
"My father, Lupin my godfather and, er…" he had paused at the mention of Wormtail, he least favorite person in the world compared to Draco and Voldemort.
"Do you know how to make one?" she asked, tounching the dots on the page.
"Haven't a clue," Harry muttered. "Hey, you said before that you were going to the kitchens. Mind if I join you?"
"Sure…the map would actually help since Fred and George Weasley preferred to let me find it myself in the midst of faculty interferring."
Harry and Karista headed off down the corridor wearing Harry's cloak; they figured it would be easier than trying to find each other with their induvidual cloaks on. Once Harry approached the familiar painting of the bowl of fruit and opened the door, Karista let out a gasp of surprise.
"WOW! The kitchen at my school was nothing compared…WOW!" she murmured, staring at the 5 tables near the back of the kitchen, as well as the hundreds of house elves now gathering around them.
"Harry Potter! Harry, sir!" a familiar squeaky voice called, pushing its way towards them. "Harry Potter, sir! Dobby has waited for you!
"Hello Dobby!" Harry muttered, blushing furiously as the elves were now clamboring to say their hellos to him and Karista also.
Their visit was short, yet they managed to get some delicious sandwiches and pumpkin juices away from the room before they left realizing how late it was. They stomped merrily up towards their common room and trudged through the door.
"They are so funny!" Karista laughed, setting down her sandwich and goblet. "I've never seen so many of them either."
"Yeah…Dobby is a little strange, even if he did try to save my life." Harry reflected upon his 2nd year, where he had almost thought his friends had forgotten him, a rogue bludger nearly killed him and Lucius Malfoy nearly rung his neck.
Karista stifled a laugh as everyone was now asleep.
"So, you only wanted to go out for a sandwich?" Harry asked, staring at the sandwich and goblet in front of her.
"A midnight snack, as I didn't eat much of my dinner," Karista smiled, chugging down some of her juice. "Did your parents give you that cloak?"
"No, well…actually, it was my fathers, and he left it in Dumbledore's possesion before he died. I then go it my 1st year," he said, taking a big bite out of his sandwich. "Your's?"
"My moms…my father was a muggle and my parents married. They, when I was a few months old, my mother became sick, told my father she was a witch, and died. When I was going to start school, my father went into the attic and found my mom's old trunk packed with many things, including this," she held the cloak up to the light. Harry immedeatly noticed that it was different from his in that it was an extremely pale bluish-silver. "She made it herself by hand."
Harry stopped chewing and placed his sandwich down on the table. He took the cloak out of her hand and noticed it was a little bit heavier than hers, yet smoother.
"Wow," harry murmured, gently running his hand over the fabric. "she really made it?"
"Yes," Karista murmured, looking at the cloak with pure love.
They sat and talked for hours, until just before 1 in the morning, Karista asked Harry about Quidditch.
"I heard they need a keeper and a chaser after Katie Bell's accident," Karista asked, wondering whether this was true or not. Harry nodded his head, so she kept going.
"What time do the tryouts start tomorrow?" she asked looking straight into his eyes.
"I think around ten. You're coming out?" He asked shocked and puzzled.
"Yeah, I am an okay chaser," she blushed, looking into the fire. "I should be off to my room now. See you tomorrow then."
"Goodnight," harry murmured and she turned and waived. She soon disapeared with her cloak, leaving Harry to enter his his room, surprised by her request.