Morning dawned, though it was an insistent knocking on the portrait hole that drew a sore Lily out of bed. She wrapped James' terry cloth robe around herself and proceeded into the common room.

"I'm coming," Lily huffed yanking open the portrait to admit a terrified Kristiina into the heads' room.

"What in Merlin's name…" Kristiina said nothing as she slammed the portrait shut.

"Lily, what is going on?" James asked sleepily emerging from his bedroom. Lily shrugged, taking Kristiina by the shoulders and plunking her down on a scarlet couch. It was difficult for the head students to see the fourth year so terrified.

"Kristiina," Lily began, crouching in front of the brunette, "what's so scary? What happened?" Kristiina didn't – couldn't – answer. Her face dissolved as tears slid down her cheeks, the fear taking over her body. Lily was beginning to get scared. Kristiina had never behaved like this before.

"Come on, Kristiina, you have to tell us what's going on and why you are so scared," the redhead stressed, shaking the girl slightly. Kristiina's eyes cleared for a moment shaking her head and focusing on Lily.

"Lily…" That was the extent of the girl's comprehensible speech as the fourth year began to mumble.

"Lily? James? Have you seen Kristiina?" Lily identified the voice, accompanied by the knock on the portrait, as Karissa's and moved with alacrity towards the portrait.

"She's in here," Lily replied dejectedly, allowing Karissa, followed by Tanice, Alaura, Lia, Sirius, Remus and Lucy.

"Thank Merlin," Karissa breathed, rushing to her sister's side. The older Peters made no response to the insistent shaking. Kristiina continued rocking and Lily looked, painfully, towards her friends. Alaura returned the look, knowing full well how Lily felt. Kristiina over the last year had become like a little sister to the redhead and Alaura knew, from previous experience, what it felt like to be helpless and useless to some one so important.

"We can try Veritaserum," Lia suggested quietly. Lily had though before about using the potion, but had been apprehensive about probing too deep into Kristiina.

"We should ask Karissa," the redhead replied. Her heart had already broken for the sisters and the pain that now engulfed her body was substancial. Tears would not come, for they seemed to have already been shed and Lily's mind had now numbed with the memory and thought of Kristiina acting as she was.

"Ask me what?" Karissa asked, seeming to have overheard the comment. Lily sighed heavily.

"About us using Veritaserum. Madam Pomfrey is no use to your sister if we don't know or have any idea what's wrong," Lia responded sullenly.

"I… don't know…"

"If it'll help Kristiina then I would suggest it," Tanice interrupted.

"I don't… think…" Lily could tell that whatever Karissa was trying to say was difficult and the young girl seemed to be fighting a tough inner battle.

"Is this important?" Alaura asked impatiently. This scared Karissa and she too began to cry. Lily empathized with the girl, sending Alaura a reproachful look as she guided Karissa into her room. Sitting Karissa down on her bed, Lily crouched down in front of her, much like she did with Kristiina, searching the tear-streaked face.

"Karissa, please, if its something that will help Kristiina… you have to tell me." Lily's tone brooked no argument, her point and reasons hidden within the plea.

"Kristiina and the headmaster originally made me promise not to tell any one. I stumbled in, it was an accident, I swear. No one told me that I wasn't supposed to know…"

"Karissa! You're not making any sense. What weren't you supposed to find out?"

"I found her last year, in an empty classroom with Professor McGonagall…"

Flashback

"Focus, my dear! You will not improve if you don't give your whole mind to the task," the stern voice of the Transfiguration professor rang through the hall as Karissa passed. The brunette's curiosity got the better of her and she peeked inside the room.

"Sorry professor." Karissa's eyes widened. She would know that voice anywhere.

"Miss Peters, I know this is difficult for you but if we cannot…"

"I know the consequences of my failure, professor," Kristiina interrupted dully.

"And do you know the consequences of uncontrolled magic?" Karissa was about to step in and defend her sister but Kristiina was already ahead of her.

"Don't Karissa." Her sister's voice startled her, but the pride that swelled in her heart at the stunned look on the professor's face overwhelmed the worry and confusion clouding her mind. The silence that followed gave Karissa a chance to look around the room, her eyes finally coming to rest on a floating pencil. It was the only thing moving as it spun in fast circles and Karissa gasped when it flew and shattered against the opposite wall.

"Miss Peters, if you cannot learn to control your emotions…" but the forever hated Professor Komen was stopped by Kristiina whirling on him. Karissa gasped when she got a glimpse of her sister's appearance. Kristiina's eyes had turned from their usual blue to black. The room waited with baited breath but no action came.

"Kristiina." Karissa was quite relieved to find Albus Dumbledore standing across the room. The power Karissa had never realized that was, or seemed to, crackled just below her skin dissipated, clearing the room of thick tension that had pressed out the air moments before.

"My apologies, headmaster," Kristiina began, but Dumbledore stopped her with a raised hand.

"I am not hear to lecture you and therefore there is no apology in order. You may want to offer an explanation to your sister though, my dear." Kristiina looked at Karissa for the first time since the younger Peters entered to room, her eyes back to their bewitching blue.

"I've wanted to tell you for a long time that I was different. You've always known though, just not how." Kristiina looked heavenward sarcastically. "You always guessed that there was a very good reason why your perfect sister was failing charms and why I looked exhausted." She laughed hollowly, the sound containing no mirth. "Well, here's your explanation Karissa."

"Miss Peters," Dumbledore began, realizing that Kristiina was not going to continue. "Your sister had shown an ability to do one of the most fantastic things known to wizards…"

End Flashback

"And that is?" Lily had listened to the story in complete silence until that point but Karissa had stopped.

"Kristiina can do magic without a wand." Lily gaped in awe. This was a fantastic feat, one trait so rare that it had not been known or remembered since the time Hogwarts' founders had walked the earth. The redhead began to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"I'm not tutoring her, I'm teaching her, and of course the headmaster wants me to look out for her, he doesn't want her to be corrupted by the Slytherins…" Lily was pacing thinking through all of Kristiina's symptoms carefully. She remembered how exhausted the girl had looked with the latter had come with Karissa, Tanice and Lucy to check on Lily and the dullness of her eyes during their study sessions.

"I… no one else knows…" Karissa began, playing with her hands.

"I won't tell," Lily promised absently.

"That's not the only thing though…" Lily waited silently, standing still and looking at the young girl perched on the edge of her bed.

"The reason I was worried about using Veritaserum on Kristiina is because I don't know if it will work."

I know this is a short chapter but I'm working hard on the next one right now. This just seemed like the perfect spot to end the chapter and everything.

I am really really sorry that this took so long. I was in Bala with no internet access then at my cottage in Huntsville again without internet, then in Rome and no access to a computer and then back at my cottage. Chapters might now be coming further and further apart because school starts tomorrow for me and I'll need to get back to homework and extra curricular but I will try my best to update once ever two weeks or so.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed this. This chapter is for you guys and keep reviewing!

Kavi Leighanna