3rd Person's POV

"I heard you last night," said Dudley breathlessly, "Talking in your sleep. Moaning."

"What d'you mean?" Harry replied.

Dudley gave a harsh bark of laughter then adopted a high-pitched, whimpering voice. "'Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who's Cedric... your boyfriend?"

"I- you're lying-" said Harry automatically.

"Dad! Help me, Dad! He's going to kill me, Dad! Boo-hoo!"

"Shut up," said Harry quietly. "Shut up, Dudley, I'm warning you!"

"Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me! He's killed Cedric! Dad, help me! He's going to- Don't you point that thing at me!"

Dudley backed into the alley wall. Harry was pointing the wand directly at Dudley's heart.

"Don't ever talk about that again," Harry snarled, "D'you under- stand me?"

"Point that thing somewhere else!"

"I said, do you understand me?"

"Point it somewhere else!"

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"GET THAT THING AWAY FROM-"

Dudley gave an odd, shuddering gasp, as though he had been doused in icy water.

Something had happened to the night. The star strewn indigo sky was suddenly pitch-black and lightless. The stars, the moon, the misty streetlamps at either end of the alley had vanished. The distant grumble of cars and the whisper of trees had gone. The balmy evening was suddenly piercingly, bitingly cold. They were surrounded by total, impenetrable, silent darkness, as though some giant hand had dropped a thick, icy mantle over the entire alleyway, blinding them.

Harry turned his head this way and that, trying to see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a weightless veil. Dudley's terrified voice broke in Harry's ear.

"W-what are you d-doing? St-stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything! Shut up and don't move!"

"I c-can't see! I've g-gone blind! I-"

"I said shut up!"

Harry stood stock-still, turning his sightless eyes left and right. The cold was so intense that he was shivering all over; goose bumps had erupted up his arms, and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He opened his eyes to their fullest extent, staring blankly around, unseeing... It was impossible... They couldn't be here... Not in Little Whinging...

He strained his ears. He would hear them before he saw them.

"I'll t-tell Dad!" Dudley whimpered. "W-where are you? What are you d-doing?"

"Will you shut up?" Harry hissed, "I'm trying to list-"

But he fell silent. He had heard just the thing he had been dreading. There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing long, hoarse, rattling breaths. Harry felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in the freezing air.

"C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you, I swear I will!"

"Dudley, shut-"

WHAM!

A fist made contact with the side of Harry's head, lifting Harry off his feet. Small white lights popped in front of Harry's eyes; for the second time in an hour he felt as though his head had been cleaved in two; next moment he had landed hard on the ground, and his wand had flown out of his hand.

"You moron, Dudley!" Harry yelled, his eyes watering with pain, as he scrambled to his hands and knees, now feeling around frantically in the blackness. He heard Dudley blundering away, hitting the alley fence, stumbling.

"DUDLEY, COME BACK! YOU'RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!"

There was a horrible squealing yell, and Dudley's footsteps stopped. At the same moment, Harry felt a creeping chill behind him that could mean only one thing. There was more than one.

"DUDLEY, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! WHATEVER YOU DO, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Wand!" Harry muttered frantically, his hands flying over the ground like spiders. "Where's- wand- come on- Lumos!"

He said the spell automatically, desperate for light to help him in his search and to his disbelieving relief, light flared inches from his right hand- the wand tip had ignited. Harry snatched it up, scrambled to his feet, and turned around.

His stomach turned over.

A towering, hooded figure was gliding smoothly toward him, hovering over the ground, no feet or face visible beneath its robes, sucking on the night as it came.

Stumbling backward, Harry raised his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Karina sits up with a harsh gasp. Her eyes widen in shock as she goes back through her head trying to figure out what the heck she just saw.

Was that the future? The present?

All of her past visions had seemed to come true... not counting the recent ones she had. But this one... this one felt like it was going to happen sooner than the others. Shivers crawl down her spine, making her shake her head and jump out of bed.

...

"Well Karina it seems like you were right. Harry was in trouble. Arthur contacted Dumbledore. Everything is going to be fine. He's working it out as we speak."

Karina let's out a breath of relief. These visions were seriously draining. Sirius sits across from her at the dining room table. He watches her blank face as she rubs her wrist.

"You alright?"

Karina just nods not uttering a word.

Sirius sighs, "Karina, Harry is fine. Every-"

"No I-I know... it's just... I-I'm scared. These... visions... they're taking a toll on me. Professor Trewlaney said I was a seer. Thinking back, my Gran always said it was a gift... I feel like in reality it's a curse. I see when my friends and family are being hurt and are in trouble... even myself... what kind of gift is that?"

Sirius leans across the table and pats Karina's hand making her stop messing with her sleeve.

"I can't say I understand what you're going through... but I'm here. Whatever you need I'm here. And don't think of it as a curse. Sure it is bloody awful to see the death and pain of your loved ones, but think of it as a way to maybe change the future."

Karina nods slowly, "I guess."

Sirius nods and stands up walking out the dining room before coming back with a quill and ink. Karina stands up and walks over to the sink, grabbing a cup and filling it with water. Sirius writes a note as Karina stands looking over his shoulder, "Arthur's just told us what's happened. Don't leave the house again, whatever you do."

...

Ding Dong

"Karina could you please get that before my mother loses it."

Karina chuckles as she runs down the stairs.

"Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone-"

"Oh shush you." Karina hushes Sirius mother as she opens the door rolling her eyes.

On the other side of the door, the Weasley's along with Hermione all stand in shock staring at the Slytherin girl who stares back at them with the same expression.

"Um hello. Come in."

Karina steps aside as Arthur and Molly Weasley make their way inside saying a confused hello.

"Sirius is in the dining room."

The two adults nod before leaving the kids in the hall.

"Karina!"

Before Karina can say anything she is pulled into a tight hug between the two twins.

"Can't breathe..." she pats their backs as she tries to catch her breath.

"Sorry shortcake." Fred chuckles as he pats her head.

Karina frowns and slaps his hand away, "I'm not short. I'm average height."

"Maybe for a dwarf..." George scoffs with a snort.

Karina crosses her arms over her chest, "I hate you both."

"Um excuse me... I know I stand for everyone else when I ask, what the heck are you doing here?"

Karina grimaces as she glances over at Ron and wrings her hands together nervously, "Well my red headed friend I was having some s-slight problems with having a place to stay, since I'm still underage. I'm not allowed to stay by self at my Gran's o-old house so here I am."

"When are you leaving?"

"Ginerva Weasley!"

Everyone turns to see Molly stomping back into the hallway. Molly points a finger at Ginny as she rubs Karina's shoulder with freshly red rimmed eyes.

"Karina is a guest and she will be treated kindly. This girl has gone through quite enough she does not need any of you making her stay here worse. Do you understand?"

"Yes mom." The Weasley children say as Hermione chuckles.

Molly raises an eyebrow making Hermione's eyes widen.

"Yes ma'am."

Molly nods with a smile, "Good." She looks over at Karina with kind eyes, "I'm sorry for your losses... Anything you need we are all here darling. Just say the word."

"Thank you so much Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh please honey call me Molly." She waves a hand disregarding the name that makes her sound like a grandmother, before disappearing into the dining room.

"This is going to be fun. Don't you think so Ginerva."

Ginny groans watching Karina smirk as she makes her way up the stairs. Fred and George chuckle before taking their hands and messing with Ginny's hair.

"This is great. We finally have someone just as cunning as us to help with pranks."

Hermione shakes her head as the two twins disappear following the way Karina went.

"Well this isn't good."

...

"So how have you been? It's been a while since we last talked."

Karina nods not looking away from her journal as she smiles reading a note from Draco.

"Karina?"

Karina giggles under her breath then quickly writes something down as Fred and George glance at each other with knowing smiles.

"So who are you talking to over there?"

Karina glances up at their mischievous faces before slitting her eyes into daggers, "No one..."

Fred nods at George as the two of them slowly inch their way over to Karina's bed. Karina who had been distracted by Draco's fresh handwriting screams as Fred grabs her and George yanks the journal out her hands.

"No!"

"Read it George!"

"Don't read it George! I'll turn you into an ugly little gerbil!! I know how!"

"Don't listen to her! It's worth it!"

George shrugs agreeing with Fred before opening his mouth to read the journal. Just as he sees one word the whole page turns blank.

"What the?"

Karina smiles crossing her arms as Fred still holds onto her, "Nice try boys."

"You minx you knew it wouldn't show." Fred says letting her go.

"Of course I knew you bloke. Now give it back. I was having a very important conversation with someone."

George scoffs handing her the journal back, "Yeah sure. We know you were writing love letters to Malfoy."

Karina's face reddens slightly as she frowns, "Nuh uh."

Fred laughs slapping his knee, "Aw look at how cute she is George. You can't hide anything from us Karina."

Karina rolls her eyes sitting back against the headboard with the journal on her lap. The words reappear making her smile lightly.

"They're not love letters... We're just friends."

"Who are absolutely disgustingly in love with one another."

George holds up a finger and sits beside Karina, "But won't be together and finally stop moping around, loving one another from a distance."

Fred nods, "What did lover boy say anyways?"

Karina smiles sheepishly looking down at the journal as she closes it, "Nothing... really."

"Spill the beans now." George says crossing his arms.

Karina chuckles shaking her head, "It's spill the tea. And fine... all he said was that he misses me and can't wait to see me at Hogwarts."

The two twins look at each other before making a gagging motion, "Absolutely horrid."

Rolling her eyes she makes her way to the bathroom, "Be back."

The two twins glance at each other as the door closes. They nod and grab the journal trying to figure out how to read it.

"She must've put a spell on it."

"Or a hex."

The two give each other a scared look before bursting out laughing. Karina stands looking in the mirror smiling a little as she hears the twins joyfully chuckle. Pulling up her sleeves she rubs the fresh cuts that she made this morning when she woke up to her usual Crucio vision. It scared her to no end and she wondered how in the world she would be put in that kind of situation.

Not having Cedric or Draco here with her to hug her and tell her that everything would be okay, was taking quite the toll on her. It effected her everyday mood and her desire to do anything but mope around and harm herself. She was sure that Cedric was rolling in his grave now. If he was here he would give her the most disappointed face.

A tear falls onto her wrist making her glance up at the mirror once more. Her eyes had become red as she tried to hold back the storm of tears that wanted to burst. She wished she was in a huge nightmare and that she would wake up in Draco's arms and be able to call Cedric.

She wished to hear his voice once more. She wished to hold her Gran one more time. The last she saw Gran was years ago before she moved to Hogwarts. Her heart ached thinking about how her Gran had abandoned her just to go into hiding and be murdered.

Karina holds onto the sink and lets out a harsh shaky breath. She turns on the water and splashes it on her face then sighs.

"Get it together Karina."

Shaking her body and cracking her neck she stares at her reflection and smiles widely.

"Big smiles."

...

"SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS' FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT — WHO SAVED THE SORCERER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?"

"Damn someone is bitter."

Fred slaps Karina's arm.

"Ouch."

"Shh..."

Karina rolls her eyes at George before putting her ear back on the wall.

"WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME! BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?"

"Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did —" Hermione began.

"CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR —"

"Well, he did —"

"FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON —"

"We wanted to —"

"I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER —"

"No, honest —"

"Harry, we're really sorry!" said Hermione desperately, her eyes now sparkling with tears.

"You're absolutely right, Harry. I'd be furious if it was me!"

Karina could practically hear Harry pacing back and forth.

"He seems angry."

"Well yeah these secret meetings have been going on for a while now. And they're literally about him. I would be upset as well. I wish I knew what they were about." Fred pouts.

Karina just nods and says nothing. Of course Sirius had told her everything. And if he didn't, Severus would've. She was living here for over a month now and she was nosy, there was no way she wouldn't have found out.

Sirius was using this place as a meeting spot for the secret society- The Order of The Phoenix. Dumbledore founded it as a group of people who had fought against Voldemort. The group keeps tabs on well known Death Eaters and also recruits more people into the secret society.

Karina felt bad. She had to act like she knew nothing so the others wouldn't be upset but if anything, she was a big part of everything going on. Voldemort not only wanted to kill Harry but he still was on the lookout for Karina Grey herself. She knew Voldemort wanted her on his side. The promise that had been made to her dead parents on her safety was all a sham. It was just a way to control her parents into doing what Voldemort wanted...

"So what have you two been doing, if you're not allowed in meetings?" Harry demanded. "You said you'd been busy."

"We have," said Hermione quickly. "We've been decontaminating this house, it's been empty for ages and stuff's been breeding in here. We've managed to clean out the kitchen, most of the bedrooms, and I think we're doing the drawing room tomo- AARGH!"

With two loud cracks, Fred and George, who was holding Karina's hand, had materialized out of thin air in the middle of the room. Pigwidgeon twittered more wildly than ever and zoomed off to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe.

"Stop doing that!" Hermione said weakly to the twins, who were as vividly red-haired as Ron, though stockier and slightly shorter.

"Hello, Harry," said George, beaming at him. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."

Karina snorts as she hides behind George. She didn't know whether or not she should've tagged along or not. The last she had seen Harry was at the tournament. And she knew that he knew her families secret.

"You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out," said Fred, also beaming. "There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you."

"You two passed your Apparation tests, then?" asked Harry grumpily.

"With distinction," said Fred, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long, flesh-colored string.

"It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs," said Ron.

"Time is Galleons, little brother," said Fred.

"Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendable Ears," he added in response to Harry's raised eyebrows, holding up the string, which Harry now saw was trailing out onto the landing. "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."

"You want to be careful," said Ron, staring at the ear.

"If Mum sees one of them again..."

"It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having," said Fred.

The door opened and a long mane of red hair appeared.

"Oh hello, Harry!" said Ron's younger sister, Ginny, brightly. "I thought I heard your voice."

Turning to Fred and George she said, "It's a no go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."

"How d'you know?" said George, looking crestfallen.

"Tonks told me how to find out," said Ginny. "You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap."

Fred heaved a deep sigh, "Shame. I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to."

"Snape?" said Harry quickly. "Is he here?"

"Yeah," said George, carefully closing the door and sitting down on one of the beds; Fred and Ginny followed. "Giving a report. Top secret."

"Git," said Fred idly.

Karina pinches Fred's back making him yelp in pain. Harry glances over at him in confusion but just sees Fred holding his back smiling sheepishly at him.

"He's on our side now," said Hermione reprovingly.

Ron snorted. "Doesn't stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us..."

"Bill doesn't like him either," said Ginny, as though that settled the matter.

Harry was not sure his anger had abated yet; but his thirst for information was now overcoming his urge to keep shouting. He sank onto the bed opposite the others.

"Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad," Ron told Harry in a tense voice.

"Why not?"

"Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying," Fred said.

Karina thinks back to when she asked where the missing brother had been. Arthur squeezed his baguette and got jam everywhere as Molly ran out the room with tears running down her face. She felt horrid about it but now she knew not even even mutter the git's name.

"It's been awful," said Ginny sadly.

"I think we're well shut of him," said George with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face.

"What's happened?" Harry said.

"Percy and Dad had a row," said Fred. "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts..."

"It was the first week back after term ended," said Ron. "We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

"You're kidding?" said Harry.

"Yeah, we were all surprised," said George, "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain..."

"So how come they promoted him?"

"That's exactly what we wondered," said Ron, who seemed very keen to keep normal conversation going now that Harry had stopped yelling. "He came home really pleased with himself- even more pleased than usual if you can imagine that, and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts, Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."

"Only Dad wasn't," said Fred grimly.

"Why not?" said Harry.

"Well, apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore," said George.

"Dumbledore's name's mud with the Ministry these days, see," said Fred. "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know- Who's back."

"Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," said George.

"Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession-"

"But what's this got to do with Percy?" asked Harry, confused.

"I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family and Dumbledore."

Harry let out a low whistle, "Bet Percy loved that."

Ron laughed in a hollow sort of way, "He went completely berserk. He said... well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been — you know — not had a lot of money, I mean-"

"What?" said Harry in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.

"I know," said Ron in a low voice. "And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he — Percy — knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."

Harry swore under his breath.

"Mum's been in a right state," said Ron. "You know... crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face. I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work ignores him, I s'pose."

"But Percy must know Voldemort's back," said Harry slowly. "He's not stupid, he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof ..."

"Yeah, well, your name got dragged into the row," said Ron, shooting Harry a furtive look. "Percy said the only evidence was your word and... I dunno... he didn't think it was good enough."

"Percy takes the Daily Prophet seriously," said Hermione tartly, and the others all nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, looking around at them all.

"Haven't- haven't you been getting the Daily Prophet?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Yeah, I have!" said Harry.

"Have you- er  been reading it thoroughly?" Hermione asked still more anxiously.

"Not cover to cover," said Harry defensively. "If they were going to report anything about Voldemort it would be headline news, wouldn't it!"

The others flinched at the sound of the name.

Hermione hurried on, "Well, you'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up, but they — um — they mention you a couple of times a week."

"But I'd have seen-"

"Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldn't," said Hermione, shaking her head. "I'm not talking about big articles. They just slip you in, like you're a standing joke."

"What d'you-?"

"It's quite nasty, actually," said Hermione in a voice of forced calm. "They're just building on Rita's stuff."

"But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?"

"Oh no, she's kept her promise- not that she's got any choice," Hermione added with satisfaction. "But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now."

"Which is what?" said Harry impatiently.

"Okay, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?"

"Yeah," said Harry, who was not likely to forget Rita Skeeter's stories about him in a hurry.

"Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something," said Hermione, very fast, as though it would be less unpleasant for Harry to hear these facts quickly.

"They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears they say some- thing like 'a tale worthy of Harry Potter' and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'let's hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next-' "

"I don't want anyone to worship-" Harry began hotly.

"I know you don't," said Hermione quickly, looking frightened. "I know, Harry. But you see what they're doing? They want to turn you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going."

"I didn't ask... I didn't want... Voldemort killed my parents!" Harry spluttered. "I got famous because he murdered my family but couldn't kill me! Who wants to be famous for that? Don't they think I'd rather it'd never-"

"We know, Harry," said Ginny earnestly.

Karina plays with her sleeve as she listens and stays hidden. She honestly knew how Harry felt. This is the connection they had. When it seemed like everyone else believed them to be crazy, they understood one another. Voldemort killed Harry's parents and essentially, not literally, killed Karina's as well.

"And of course, they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you," said Hermione.

"Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control dementors. They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statute of Secrecy- we thought they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off. We think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town... I mean, if you're expelled, obviously," she went on hastily, "you really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you."

Harry cast around for another change of subject, but was saved the necessity of finding one by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Uh-oh."

Fred gave the Extendable Ear a hearty tug; there was another loud crack and he and George vanished, taking Karina along with them. Seconds later, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway.

"The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now, everyone's dying to see you, Harry. And who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?"

"Crookshanks," said Ginny unblushingly. "He loves playing with them."

"Oh," said Mrs. Weasley, "I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that. Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please..."

Ginny grimaced at the others and followed her mother out of the room. Harry led the way out of the door and onto the landing, but before they could descend the stairs... "Hold it!" Ron breathed, flinging out an arm to stop Harry and Hermione walking any farther.

"They're still in the hall, we might be able to hear something."

The three of them looked cautiously over the banisters. The gloomy hallway below was packed with witches and wizards, including all of Harry's guard. They were whispering excitedly together. In the very center of the group Harry saw the dark, greasy-haired head and prominent nose of his least favorite teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Snape. Harry leaned farther over the banisters. He was very interested in what Snape was doing for the Order of the Phoenix.

A thin piece of flesh-colored string descended in front of Harry's eyes. Looking up he saw Fred and George on the landing above, cautiously lowering the Extendable Ear toward the dark knot of people below. A moment later, however, they began to move toward the front door and out of sight.

"Dammit," Harry heard Fred whisper, as he hoisted the Extendable Ear back up again.

"Karina come down here please." Arthur Weasley shouts from the hall.

"Coming!"

Harry's eyes widen as he watches Karina stand from her hidden spot behind the twins. She grimaces slightly at him before making her way down the stairs.

"What is she doing here?"

"Um... she's been staying here for a bit." Hermione whispers.

If Harry could shoot fire out his eyes it would be happening at this very moment.

"And when were you two going to tell me this?"

"We didn't think it was important."

Harry bites his lip as they watch Karina talk to Snape. He hadn't told the two what Voldemort said about Karina's parents yet. He wanted to talk to her about it first. He just had no idea how to go about it.

"It's so weird..." Ron mutters to himself.

"What?"

"Everytime Snape is here, he speaks to Karina before he leaves. And she hugs him. What's that about?"

Right in que, the three watch Karina pull Snape into a one sided hug. Karina seemed to be fine with the fact that Snape was stiff as a board but he did pat her head.

"Very weird."

Harry jumps in fright as Fred pops up beside him. They heard the front door open and then close.

"Snape never eats here," Ron told Harry quietly. "Thank God. C'mon."

"And don't forget to keep your voice down in the hall, Harry," Hermione whispered.

As they passed the row of house-elf heads on the wall they saw Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks at the front door, magically sealing its many locks and bolts behind those who had just left.

"We're eating down in the kitchen," Mrs. Weasley whispered, meeting them at the bottom of the stairs. "Harry, dear, if you'll just tiptoe across the hall, it's through this door here —"

CRASH.

"Tonks!" cried Mrs. Weasley exasperatedly, turning to look behind her.

"I'm sorry!" wailed Tonks, who was lying flat on the floor. "It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over —"

But the rest of her words were drowned by a horrible, earsplitting, bloodcurdling screech.
The moth-eaten velvet curtains Harry had passed earlier had flown apart, but there was no door behind them. For a split second, Harry thought he was looking through a window, a window behind which an old woman in a black cap was screaming and screaming as though she was being tortured. Then he realized it was simply a life-size portrait, but the most realistic, and the most unpleasant, he had ever seen in his life.

The old woman was drooling, her eyes were rolling, the yellowing skin of her face stretched taut as she screamed, and all along the hall behind them, the other portraits awoke and began to yell too, so that Harry actually screwed up his eyes at the noise and clapped his hands over his ears.

Lupin and Mrs. Weasley darted forward and tried to tug the curtains shut over the old woman, but they would not close and she screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces.

"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers-"

Tonks apologized over and over again, at the same time dragging the huge, heavy troll's leg back off the floor. Mrs. Weasley abandoned the attempt to close the curtains and hurried up and down the hall, Stunning all the other portraits with her wand. Then a man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry.

"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!" he roared, seizing the curtain Mrs. Weasley had abandoned.
The old woman's face blanched.

"Yoooou!" she howled, her eyes popping at the sight of the man. "Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!"

Sirius rolls his eyes as the woman suddenly freezes seeing Karina step up behind him. Karina shakes her head with a slight smirk as the woman smiles crookedly.

"Not you dear Karina..."

Then within an instant the woman starts shouting again.

"I said — shut — UP!" roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he and Lupin managed to force the curtains closed again.

The old woman's screeches died and an echoing silence fell.

Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather, Sirius, turned to face him.

"Hello, Harry," he said grimly, "I see you've met my mother."

𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟? 𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔!! 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑠𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦!!