1I do not own Carrie or Harry Potter. This Chapter begins the new life of Carrie in the world of Harry Potter.
Chapter Six: The Beginning is the End is the Beginning
"Send a heartbeat to The void that cries through you Relive the pictures that have come to pass For now we stand alone The world is lost and blown And we are flesh and blood disintegrate With no more to hate!
Is it bright where you are Have the people changed? Does it make you happy you're so strange? And in your darkest hour I hold secrets flame We can watch the world devoured in it's pain.
Delivered from the blast The last of a line of lasts The pale princess of a palace cracked And now the kingdom comes Crashing down undone And I am a master of a nothing place Of recoil and grace
Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us No one can separate us For we are all that is left The echo bounces off me The shadow lost beside me There's no more need to pretend Cause now I can begin again!"
-The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by Smashing Pumpkins (Watchmen)
Carrie
When she woke Carrie felt frightened. For a moment she had forgotten everything that had happened. She found herself upon a richly made up bed, with silk curtains strewn across the top of four poles of a four poster bed. More silk draped down on all sides. She peeked out of one of the corners, spotting a young man not far away, dozing off in a chair. He had dark hair, and wore a strange black robe with a white dress shirt underneath. Upon seeing him, everything came back to her, rushing at once. She felt heavy still with the burden. She could never tell Tom just how she was that he helped her rid the images of her disastrous Prom Night from her mind! Upon spotting him, her fear began to dissolve, and curiosity took over. She looked around the large room, which contained two oak book cases, an antique couch of gold and velvet, a chair that looked the same.
Close to where Tom sat was a table upon which sat a great cauldron and empty beakers made of glass. There were tapestries, REAL TAPESTRIES on the walls! Warmth came from a miniture fire place in the left corner. She sat up, tried to stand, to get a better look at things. Like the pictures that moved! But she had apparently lost more blood than she thought, for she went down with a crash, taking a good part of the silk with her and startled Tom from his sleep! "Carrie!" he had exclaimed and was next to her in a moment, pulling her up, lifting her back up into the bed, even helping her to rearrange herself. "I'm glad to see you conscious my dear, but don't push to hard! After all, I would like to keep you that way! The sooner you heal, the sonner we can get back to work!" he said, giving her a bit of a devilish grin.
"Wasn't quite what I had in mind, how to get to your world. Unconscious and covered in blood. I am sorry, for everything." she replied, her eyes lowered. "None of that! There is nothing to be sorry about, we have been over this! Look up, take in the start of your new life!" he told her. "Yes, about that, where are we, exactly?" she asked. "We are at the home of one of my professors. It is called Dumbledor Manor." he answered. "That fire over there, I can feel power in it. It's magic, isn't it? A fire that never goes out?" she asked. Tom smiled at her, glint of disbelief hidden in his features but not in his eyes. "The things you can do and sense never cease to amaze me! Yes, you are correct." he answered. "The air here, it vibrates with power, I can almost see it! But why are we here instead of Hogwarts?" she asked.
Another voice, deeper and older replied to her. An old man, with long white hair and beard and sparkling blue eues came into view. "It is good to see you are awake! I think you gave Tom here quite the scare! He hasn't left the room for two days!" he said. "I am Professor Dumbledore, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Carrietta White!" he said happily. She looked upon his strange attire, not unlike Tom's really except that it was deep purple. "As to why you are here, how you have come to us is...different. Even for one of us. I wanted you out of the sight of the Head Master till all the proper papers can be drawn up and I can get in contact with the London branch of the White Family. Once that is settled, we can go get your supplies and we can start our very first Summer School at Hogwarts!" he beamed.
"Thank you then, for everything. I am not use to such...people being so nice!" Carrie finished shyly. Dumbledore looked at her sadly. "It is a pleasure, young lady. I'll leave you with young Mr. Riddle just now, but I'll be back later to speak with you privately." he replied. She felt it, as the older wizard left the room, making it a little easier to breathe, as the power in the room felt a little less suffocating. She returned her gaze back to Tom, who was now peering at her curiously. "You acted strangely, just now. Your body was rigid, your breath short, when he was in the room. What was that all about?" he asked. "To much power vibrating in the room, it was almost suffocating! I'm stil a bit dizzy. I suppose it is something I must learn to get use to, if I am to attend a school filled to the brim with it." she replied.
"We have time for that. It is interesting, how sensitive you are to the power around you. I never really heard of such a thing before." he said. "Could it be because of my non-exposure coupled with the strangeness of my abilities?" she asked. "Perhaps, but I think there is more to it then that. What that may be, we shall see." he remarked. Suddenly his eyes held a strange, almost sinister gleam to them. She asked him another question, as she had been feeling a little bit off since she woke. "The empty beakers by the cauldron, what was in them? I feel a little bit off..." "No need to worry about that, it's just the potions. They are supposed to keep you resting and in bed till you are healed." he answered. "Whence the inability to walk?" she asked. Tom let out a laugh. "Yes, whence the inability to walk, so don't try it again till it wears off!
As light as you are, it could get troublesome to have to keep picking you back up!" he joked. She laughed. "You know, regardless of what your motives are, I'm glad to have met you she said seriously. The smile left his face, replaced with a sincere look. "As am I. Motives aside, so am I! It's strange, for me to care about something other than the Cause, someone other than myself. It was your power that got my attention, I admit that. But it was your intellect and your loyalty that kept it." he replied. He was looking at her strangely again. In a way that was sending chills down her spine, made her want to blush and giggle like a fool! She was grateful when he turned that gaze away from her and she was able to recollect her wits!
"The professor, he is going to ask me what happened, isn't he?" she asked, changing the subject. She felt movement on the bed as he took a seat at the edge of it. "Yes, we need to talk about that, but I need to do something first." He took out his wind, spoke in that strange language, as light appeared at the end of the wand. "There, now there is a Silencing Charm on the room. Now no one can hear what we say, not even the House Elves!" he said. "Erm... House Elves?" she asked. He turned to face her and starting laughing. "Later, about them!" Carrie wondered how often he had done that, before she had come around. "Alright, fair enough. What is it you need to tell me about what Dumbledore will or will not ask?" she asked.
"It's not his questions I am concerned with, it's his actions. He may ask you to drink the Truth Serum. It is a potion that when drank makes it impossible for you to lie." he responded, looking worried. "We destroyed the memories, didn't we?" she asked him. He nodded. "There is no way for him to be able to see what happened?" she asked. "Well, no, of course not!" he answered indignant, looking confused. "One can tell the truth without revealing the WHOLE truth." she responded, looking thoughtful. "We have no need to lie, nor tell him everything. It's just a matter of coloring the fragments, painting that truth the right color." responded Tom, mostly to himself. "My earlier assessment seems accurate, you are indeed a Slytherin at heart he said, smirking to himself. "I don't know about that. Only that it would be common sense."she replied. "Self preservation." he agreed.
"So what will you say to him?" he asked. "What agrees with the memories we have left. The blood, the going home, being attacked. You cursing her to defend me, my power rising to my defense, causing her death. We will be trusted more, if we leave that in." she replied. He nodded in agreement. "I'm going to remove the charm now. No reason for us to cause suspicion. Since you are awake, I'll be returning to Hogwart's and helping Dumbledore get things ready." he told her, his face blank as he finished the last sentence. Carrie was sadded at his words. She hid it as best she could. He turned back to her, before getting up. "You don't hide emotions well Carrie, we'll have to work on that. Don't be down. This is a whole new world for you! I'll be owling you everyday, till you are healed and the professor makes everything ready." he said.
She looked up at him curiously. "What does 'owling' mean?" she asked. He leaned close to her ear and whispered "I'll leave that for a surprise" and pulled back, getting off the bed. "No fair!" she replied. In response she was given Tom's signature smirk. He left soon after, as did the older wizard, who only reappeared once, that first day she had awakened, though she was told he returned often while she was asleep. He wanted to be sure about what happened that night. He seemed shocked, and then touched, when she insisted on driking the Truth Serum, so there would be no doubt at the validity of her words. "You are a mystery and a wonder, Carrietta." he had told her. So she told him what parts of the tale she would but she could tell that there was so much more the professor wanted to ask her.
He was deeply interested in her abilities and saddened deeply by the pain she suffered because of her mother's hatred of them, and of her. He was merciful however, not taxing her to much. Then he was gone for a week, and she learned what House Elves were. She became delighted just by sighting one of them! While the wizard was away, Carrie began waling again. The owling she found delightful as well. An interesting take on the messenger falcons once used in the Middle East. Tom's owl was a beautiful one. Rare indeed was it for an owl to be entirely one color, and his was solid black! The professor allowed her to use one of his owls, a brown and tan speckled one, small in frame, who's name was Alistare.
Her sensitivity to the power around her still remained potent, but became easier to endure. At the end of the second week there, on Friday, the Head House Elf, Kaiser, came to her in the morning and told her to prepare herself. Masters Dumbledore and Riddle would be by to take her to Diagon Alley, and then to the school.