The Witch and Her Vampire

Ten

Carina's P.O.V.
I sat next to Harry on the Hogwarts Express alongside our new friend, Ron Weasley, watching the countryside go by. Already Harry and I had done as we'd said; we got new clothes, we each had an owl—his was a snowy owl called Hedwig and mine was solid black, named Nyx—our wands and school things, and we had just bought a mound of candy for ourselves and Ron.

"So," said Ron around a mouthful of food, reminding me of Jake. "Where've you been, anyway? The Daily Prophet said they caught Black and that you were holed up somewhere horrible a for ages!"

"He's innocent," I said sharply. "My dad is no criminal. He'd never do whatever they thought he did—and, we haven't been holed up somewhere, we've—"

"—we've been at a distant relative of ours," finished Harry for me, handing me a chocolate frog. I held the squirming piece of candy tightly and viciously bit it's head off, squinting at Ron. "In America. We've actually had really good lives." He hurriedly went on before the boy could get ideas. "We're not spoiled, you see, but we had lives as good as any other normal kid. But these last couple months with my mother's muggle sister and her family....it's been horrid."

The redheaded boy held up his hands. "Blimey, mate, I didn't know—I didn't mean to make it sound like I was blaming your dad or anything, really!"
He sounded earnest, and I couldn't help but forgive him since he reminded me so much of my cousin.

"It's alright," I replied, before ducking my head and peering up at him through my hair. "Ah, sorry I snapped at you."

Ron helped himself to a pumpkin pastry. "It's alright. I would've done the same for my dad, anyway." He paused. "Wanna see a spell my brother taught me?" Harry nodded eagerly as he leaned forward in his seat little while I sat back, having a feeling that this wouldn't go so well. Ron pulled out his wand, but before he could speak a girl with bushy brown hair came to stand in the doorway.

"Have any of you seem a toad?" inquired the girl a little bossily. "A boy named Neville's lost one."

"No." Ron shot Harry a look that clearly read, She's mad!

"Are you doing magic?" The girl's eyes lit up and she almost immediately seated herself next to Ron. "Well, let's see it, then."

He shot me a helpless look, and I merely shrugged. So, Ron cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daises, butter mellow
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!" He waved his wand over his rat, Scabbers, but nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" The girl looked at him doubtfully. "Well, it's not very good, is it?" She paused and suddenly pointed her own wand at poor Harry's face—more specifically, his glasses, which had been taped from where Dudley had punched him in the nose (we hadn't had enough time to find a magical shop for glasses). "Oculus Reparo."

The tale on his glasses whizzed away, and I leaned in very close to his face to study them. They were fixed.

"Wow," I said, whistling softly as I turned to the girl. "You're good. Uh, who are you, by the way?"

"Oh!" The girl sat up a little straighter as she remembered her manners. "I'm Hermione Granger and, you are?"

"Ron Weasley," spoke up Ron first, chewing a large wad of candy.

She looked a little disgusted. "It's a pleasure." Now, she turned to Harry and I, but before we had a chance to speak, she noticed his scar. "Holy cricket! You're Harry Potter! I've read all about you in—" She rattled off a few book titles and my brother looked dazed. He'd known he was famous for a while, but this was a little too much.