Chapter Two. Strange Things Aboard the Hogwarts Express

"Is she okay?"
"I think she's coming round...Kar? Can you hear me?"
I awoke to Ron, Harry, Fred, George and Hermione gathered around me.
"What...Where am I?" I asked Harry who was holding my hand quite tightly. I looked at Hermione whose brown eyes danced with concern.
"So I hear Karry Potter can't handle a bit of pain?" The compartment door opened and in walked Draco Malfoy
"You want pain? Oh I'll show you pain!" said Ron as he lunged forward and tackled Malfoy. I was up in a flash and pulled them apart before anyone heard something and came to investigate.
"Ron go sit down, I'll take care of you in a second." I flashed him a smile and his eyes gleamed with joy. I turned back around to Malfoy, my eyes filled with repulsion.
"Look if you wanna go start trouble somewhere else, that's fine with me, but if you come back here again, you won't have a mouth to start trouble with! Got it!" and with that I slammed the compartment door shut on his foot.
I walked over to Ron and sat down next to him. I wiped his bleeding lip off with my sleeve.
"Karry are you okay? You still look a bit pale, and tired...Do you want to lie down?" He started to
sound just like his mother. I laughed and looked around. Harry and Hermione had disappeared and I knew why.
"Maybe I will take a nap, wanna be my pillow?" I took my opportunity.
He grinned, blushed and tried to look normal all at the same time.
"Uhhh...sure...I mean...yea alright" He stumbled over himself as I put my head on his shoulder and I felt his arm wrap around me, my heart skipped a beat and I'm pretty sure his did too. We sat there like that for a while.
All of a sudden, the train came to a stop, the lights flicked off, I grabbed Ron's hand as the train started to shake.
"R...Ron...What's going on?" I whispered.
Our compartment door blew open so hard the glass shattered. A strange silence filled the train. Ron and I slowly got up and crept up the hallway. Each compartment concealed a couple of heads sticking out the door, trying to see what was happening. Finally we found the cart that Hermione and Harry were in. I ran in and fell to my knees clasping a hand to my scar which shot with searing pain. I forced myself to get up. I looked around Hermione was unconscious on the floor and a strange figure over Harry.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" I screamed, trying to run to him, only to have Ron grab my arm and hold me back. The figure vanished like a wisp of smoke. The lights came back on and the train started moving again. The figure vanished like a wisp of smoke. The lights came back on and the train started moving. I fixed the broken glass in the door and shut it.
"Harry...Harry can you hear me?" I whispered cradling his head in my lap. He was covered in sweat and he was shaking. He opened his eyes and jumped.
"Karr-Karry! I saw them-" he said weakly
"Saw who?" I asked
"Mum and Dad...I saw them they were sitting there, just talking and ...they...they told me how much they missed me and how much I'd grown...they asked me about you, how you were doing, and they said to tell you that yes they're here and yes they can hear you." He smiled
"You talk to them too, don't you?"
"Yea" I mumbled, starting to blush.
I walked over to Hermione, who was still unconscious. Carefully, we moved her to a seat and I put my cloak over top of her.

We took a couple of seconds to regroup and then helped Harry up.
"Harry, what happened?" I asked. I noticed Ron's hand creeping next to mine.
"Well, me and Hermione left, we found this and shut the door, we were just sitting here talking when the train stopped...it was him Karr, I know it was." And unspoken understanding ran through each of us. Lord Voldemort.
"But...How? Why?" I shook my head and put it between my hands. My brain was rattling for answers as to why he'd attack Harry first, why now and why in front of so many people. Harry's voice brought me out of my thoughts.
"Well it's obvious why me," He said, "Two reasons, one, because he knows how close we are, like you take one and the other falls," He paused.
"And two?" I was shaking horribly now.
"Because you're the stronger one, the more cleverer one, braver, I suppose is the word I'm looking for."
I was shocked. Me? The braver one? Stronger?
"I'm defenantly not... I mean who fought Riddle in second year?" I asked
"Me...But who took on a fully grown basilk, got bit and still continued?" He replied.
"Yea but you do loads better on exams than me!"
"Exams? Exams have nothing to do with it, you're the one who got us through most of the charms in first year" He paused and looked at Ron for help.
"You're also the one who figured out about Sirius, and you took on three dementors just to save me." He blushed.
"You also produced a Patronus ages before I could." Harry said.
"Yea but you're the one who-"
"Kar, just stop being so modest!" Ron burst. "Honestly, don't you see where right?"
"He came after me thinking I'm the weaker one, thinking I'd have less of a chance to fight back, I think he's a bit scared of you too." Harry smiled.
"Well if he came after you, he might come after me too." I thought aloud. I couldn't sit there anymore. I climbed over the table and started to pace.
"Are you okay Kar?" Harry sounded nervous.
"Yea, I'm fine" I said, my voice sounded so unlike me.
"I'm just thinking of what I'd do if I lost you." All of a sudden my legs gave out of me. Ron and Harry pulled me to a chair and I shook. No one said anything. Harry's cheeks were slowly starting to fill with color.
"Kar, you know I'm fine, don't think that way." He said as if choosing each word carefully. "Even if something were to happen to me you'd still try to go on right?"
"Yea I'd try." I said as he wrapped his arms around me. I inhaled the familiar scent and I calmed down a bit.
"Wh...Er...Oh my head!" Hermione stuttered, trying to sit up, only to grab her head and lie back down.
We rushed over to her, crowding around her.
"Herm, what happened?" I asked.
"I...I...he...Harry! Oh my goodness! Where's Harry?" She demanded.
"I'm right here" Harry said smiling.
"Oh okay, You-Know-Who came in, or one of his Death Eaters or something, they tried to get Harry, but I stood in front of him. He must have mumbled a charm or something and I flew and hit the wall." She said.

The door flew open and Professor McGonagall, followed Madam Pomfrey, and to my surprise, Lupin.
"Are you okay?" Lupin asked us.
"Yea" I said.
"Have you gone mad? Look at you girl, you're bleeding!" Madam Pomfrey hissed
I looked down at my hands and arms which were bleeding quite a lot. My arms had tiny bits of glass stuck in them. I touched a hand up to my face, my lip was bleeding and so was my nose.
"Oh, well I guess I'm not okay." I said
"This is no time for joking Miss Potter!" Professor McGonagall snapped.
"Sorry" I said.
"Well, come on then, we'd better get you inside and straight into the infirmary!" Madam Pomfrey declared.
"What? What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Oh don't be a fool Karrosia! We've arrived at Hogwarts!" said Madam Pomfrey, who had this annoying habit of calling me Karrosia or Lilly, and even James on some occasion.
"It's Karry" I said though I knew she would never remember.
We walked off the train and there was no one else around. We all trudged up the hill and across the grounds. Just the sight of the castle made my heart race. I started running when I fell. My ankle throbbed in immense pain.
"Are you alright?" Four different voices asked me.
'No, I'm sitting on the ground grabbing my ankle and gritting my teeth because it's fun!" I snapped.
"Karrosia Lillian Potter, you will not take that tone of voice with me or anyone else, do you understand me?" Lupin ordered.
"Yes sir" I mumbled as he and Harry helped me into the infirmary. We got there and I collapsed onto the nearest bed. I looked at Harry, Hermione and Ron, they all looked exhausted.
"You guys can go and sleep, I'll be fine, really I will" I flashed them a smile.
No, I won't, I thought, I'm terrified what Voldemort will do if he comes here. What if I can't get away? What if I die? Even worse...what if Harry dies? I'm not stronger or braver, I'm just better at hiding my emotions.
"We've decided that one of us will stay with you for one day each because from what I'm hearing, you won't be out of here for at least a week." Hermione's voice brought me out of my thoughts.
"A week? What's so wrong with me that I need to stay a week?" I exploded.
"They said dehydration, malnourishment, shock, and over-heating." Harry said sheepishly.
"It's cause of those damn Muggles you live with isn't it? Do they feed you?" Ron said angrily.
"Very little but yes they do feed us." Harry interjected.
"What? You're still here? You need to leave at once, Lilly-"
"My name's Karry"
"Right, Karrosia needs her rest!" Madam Pomfrey said. Hermione took Dumbledore's arm, led him away and explained the plan. They came back over and he whispered the plan to Madam Pomfrey.
"Oh, very well, who's staying first?" she asked very unhappily.
"I am" Ron said, sitting in the chair next to me. Harry and Hermione said good-night with hugs and Harry gave me a kiss on the forehead.
"I love you Karr."
"Love you too."
"Okay Lilly-"
"-Karry"
"Whatever, time for a sleeping potion". Madam Pomfrey gave me a smoking cup filled with a purple liquid, which tasted like minty grape soda.
"Night Karry, sweet dreams" Ron smiled
"Night Ron" I gave him a hug. Soon after, I fell asleep.
I woke up and the torches were dim, Ron was snoring in the chair next to me. The grandfather clock said 2:21am.