1The Seer, The Saint, and The Snare
By: Jaime
Pairings: Cedric Diggory/Female
Genre: Drama/Suspense
Rating: M
Summary: There's a new student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and she's an odd one, even for Hogwarts standards. They all welcome her humbly, but some students may be a little too welcoming. But when the true nature of this student is revealed will all hope be lost?
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter enterprise, I only own the character of Kai Carpenter.
A.N. This story takes placing during fourth year, there's no triwizard tournament, and Cedric obviously isn't dead.
Chapter One:
The Great Hall was a compendium of laughter, excitement, and chatter, each table lined from end to end with delicious treats and fantastical delights. Another year to fill the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry heads with boundless illumination and another year sure to be just as full of adventure.
Harry Potter, sat among the thick of the feast with one of his two best friends seated on either side of him. Both talking hurriedly about their summer holidays.
"We went and visited m'brother Charlie this summer...pretty boring if you ask me, mum wouldn't let Ginny go anywhere near the dragons. but Charlie says they're practically harmless as long as you know how to handle 'em."
"Well that excludes you Ron," Hermione pipped in.
Ron scowled and shook his head, "Don't the muggles take you anywhere?" He asked turning to Harry.
"Trust me Ron, a boring summer holiday is a good summer holiday."
"But I mean honestly...what...who do you suppose that is?" Ron was distracted by a very flustered looking Professor Snape who was escorting a girl, not much older then they, with long black hair, dark as ebony save a large portion that was stark white framing her face in an ethereal glow. She never looked up, and kept her hands folded in front of her while she walked. Professor Snape seated her at the end of the Hufflepuff table next to a group of 7th year boys, but she still did not look up, nor did she take anything to eat.
"Odd," Harry murmured.
"To say the least," Ron added.
"Let's not stare at her, she's embarrassed as it is," Hermione interjected.
They all turned back to their food but not to their previous conversation, "She's pretty though, isn't she? Never seen her around before, I would have noticed," Ron said, now picking at his food.
Seamus Finnigan broke away from his colloquy with Dean Thomas, "Lavender Brown said she's a transfer student from Durmstrang...she was too much for them up there."
"Too much?" Hermione repeated, "What do you mean?"
"Too powerful...Karkorof couldn't handle 'er, so he sent her here for Dumbledore to deal with."
"Deal with?" Ron mouthed.
"What kind of powers could she possibly have, she doesn't look that old?" Hermione asked more to Seamus then anyone.
"Don't know," He shrugged, "Lavender said she's mad as a loon though."
Hermione turned back to Ron and Harry, "Maybe we should talk to her? Make her feel welcome."
"I'm right after you Hermione, I'll be using you as a shield if she tries some weird spring loaded Bulgarian hex."
"Honestly Ron, she looks miserable, the least we could do is say hello."
"I'll go," Harry groaned.
"Thank you Harry, at least not everyone has forgotten their manners," Hermione huffed as she got up with Harry to go and speak to the new student, but before they could get even five feet to the Hufflepuff table, Cedric Diggory had swooped in and sat down next to her.
Hermione stopped almost instantly, "It seems someone already plans to make her feel welcome."
"Yeah," Harry sneered, "Let's just hope he doesn't give her the wrong sort of welcome."
"Kai Carpenter...what a beautiful name," Cedric smiled.
Kai gave a faint smile and looked slowly up at him.
"Transferred from Durmstrang, eh? I hear it's positively frigid there."
Kai nodded, "It has it's good points too."
"No doubt," Cedric gleamed. "Professor Sprout, our head of house, has put me in charge of seeing that you find your way around the grounds, and I plan on making it my top priority."
"Thank you, Cedric," Kai smiled again, more genuinely this time.
He moved closer to her and placed one arm on top of the table while he placed the other on her knee, Kai jumped at his sudden touch of warmth.
"So...tell me a little more about yourself."
Kai looked up at him, a twinge of fear edging around her eyes, "Like...what?"
"What's your family like...don't you have any brothers or sisters?"
"No," Kai shook her head.
"Your mum...dad?"
"They're both dead," Kai replied in a whisper.
"Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry...I didn't know," Cedric's words were kind, but his touch upon her was salacious and crude.
"It's fine, I barely remember them...but could you please...not touch me?"
"Why? Am I not allowed to touch you?"
"Not without my consent," Kai said in a quite but firm voice.
"Very well," Cedric smiled as he withdrew his hand. "You'd better eat up...you get the grand tour tonight." Cedric pressed into the small of her back as he stood up and gently grazed her backside as he walked away.
"He's a lot of tripe, isn't he?" Ron spat.
"If people only knew the scum bag he really was, I doubt he'd be as popular as he is," Hermione added.
"But his dad works at the ministry, I bet that gives him a lot of leeway."
"Not true, Ron's dad works with him and Ron isn't...well..."
"It's okay, you can say it...I'm a looser."
"That's not what I meant, Ronald."
"Yeah, but you were thinkin it."
"C'mon you too...dinner's over, we can talk more on the way," Harry said getting up, as all the other students were too.
"D'ya think we should warn her?" Ron asked tucking his coat under his arm.
"About what?" Harry asked dodging a 7th year.
"About what a cretin Cedric is!" Ron said louder then he meant to, he turned beet red when a group of 4th years turned to look at him.
"And what would we say exactly?" Hermione asked, the three of them had all stopped now, huddled around a suit of armor near the stairwell.
"I dunno...just sort of warn her...ya know? Tell her to keep clear," Harry suggested.
"But she doesn't know us, what makes you think she'd believe us?" Hermione added.
"It's better then doing nothing at all," Harry replied.
Ron nodded in agreement.
"But I don't see her here, I don't think she's come along with us," Hermione was peering over the passing students, looking for any trace of the girls white hair.
"Maybe she's still in the Great Hall?" Ron connoted.
"Probably, cos I don't see Cedric either," Harry remarked.
"That can't be good," Hermione said sullenly.
The trio headed back for the Great Hall, careful to avoid passing teachers and prefects, when they finally reached the Hall they found Cedric talking smoothly to the new student. Cedric smiled when he caught sight of them in the entry way.
"Ah, Harry, Ron, Hermione! Come here and meet our new fellow student."
Ron gulped audibly, and came down with Harry and Hermione to greet the new girl.
"This is Kai Carpenter, she's just transferred from Durmstrang."
Kai turned to face them and smiled, "It's nice to meet you all."
Ron smiled nervously, Harry waved and Hermione extended her hand to be shook,
"You speak English very well for being from Bulgaria."
"Oh I wasn't born there, I just went to school there...I was born in England."
"We were just talking about her years at Durmstrang, apparently she's very keen on ancient runes and divination," Cedric added, "But if you'll excuse us we've got a lot of touring to do and not much time to do it in." He took Kai by the arm and lead her out of the Great Hall.
"This can't end well," Harry groaned.