Hermione's P.O.V
"Are you sure we have to go in with them?" questioned Carina, looking a bit anxious. "I mean, they'll be fine on their own, right?"
"Unfortunately, yes," I told her with a sigh. "We have to. And since we're going through our more notable memories, the more important, dangerous ones...."
"Okay." My best friend let out a shaky breath, but turned to the Cullens, emotionless mask in place. She didn't want to show weakness now, I knew. "Alright, so, we're all going to go in. What you have to do is—"
"—stick your head in the bowl, one person after the other." I glanced at her. "Then, we'll follow."
"We're going to start with memories from first year on, but not all of them. Just the more...dangerous ones."
"There will be some that are good though, to even out the bad."
The Cullens all watched us, and Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, only for Carina to shake her head. "No questions. You first, then Esme, Edward, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and Rose. Me and Hermione will be right behind you. Just stick your head in."
So, they did. One by one they all approached the pensive, and Carina and I followed soon after, getting sucked into memories long past.
Carina's P.O.V
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.
"—I'm Carina Black," I interrupted, saving him from his embarrassment.
"The daughter of mass murderer Sirius Black?" She studied me.
I scowled a little. "No. I'm the daughter of a potato—" She frowned at me. "—of course I'm the daughter of Sirius Black!"
"It's alright." Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry I said it like that—I didn't get to finish. I was going to say the whole case looked suspicious and that he seemed perfectly alright to me when I saw him in the papers, not insane at all."
I liked this girl. "Good. Thanks, by the way. And, I'm sorry I got a little defensive." I grinned sheepishly. "It just happens. I did it to Ron, too, if it makes you feel any better."
"Yeah!" piped up Ron. "Looked like she was gonna rip my head off, she did!"
I rolled my eyes at him and turned back to Hermione, hopeful. "D'you want to stay here with us?"
"Well, I promised Neville I'd help find his toad..." began Hermione, before trailing off. "Would it be alright if I brought him too?"
Ron was frantically shaking his head at me over her shoulder, but I ignored him. "Yeah, it'd be great! We've got loads of candy to share, anyway, and maybe his toad will turn up sometime."
Hermione smiled widely at me, and left.
__________________________
Less than a few minutes later she returned, a shy boy I guessed was Neville behind her. She plopped herself down next to Ron, who groaned, while Neville sat the other side of her.
Before any of us could speak, the compartment door slid open and three boys stood there—two were huge, and the smallest one had slicked back blonde hair.
"I heard Harry Potter and Carina Black were in this compartment," announced the boy snottily, before catching sight of Harry and I. "This is Crabbe, and Goyle." He gestured to his friends. "And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." Ron sniggered, and I couldn't resist a snicker myself because of the way he introduced himself. He whirled on Ron. "Think my names funny, do you? Red hair, freckles, and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley." He studied our other two companions before turning back to us. "A Mudblood, a blood traitor, and a squib? You'll soon find that some families are better than others, Potter, Black. I can help you there."
"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks," said Harry cooly. Malfoy's cheeks tinted pink and he put his hand down.
"Now," I added coldly. "Leave." He had insulted my new friends and I didn't like it one bit.
"I don't think we'd like to, cousin," sneered Malfoy. "You've got more than enough sweets for everyone, don't they, boys?" His two cohorts grunted in agreement and one even reached out his hand, but I shoved it away.
"Get out," I repeated. "Now."
Malfoy laughed. "Or what?"
"I warned you."
I suddenly surged forward and shoved him back into Crabbe and Goyle, who quickly caught him and knocked me off me feet. This caused Harry to slam into them both and send them stumbling backward as I got to my feet, furious, and lunged for the closest boy, Crabbe, only for Harry to grab me round the waist and pull me back as the other boy let out a yelp and shook his finger—Scabbers was attached to the end, and flung back into the compartment as they bolted away.
I stopped struggling and sank into my seat.
"You shouldn't be fighting," scolded Hermione. "You could get expelled!"
"He called you a Mudblood!" I replied hotly. That was what had gotten to me most—it was the worst insult ever.
"What does that mean?" She looked a little frustrated. "I've heard it a couple times on here before..." Neville quietly told her, and she looked a bit crushed. "Oh."
"Yeah." I scowled in the direction the boys had gone. "But they're stupid."
"Yeah, don't worry about them," agreed Ron, seeming to forget his dislike of her for a moment. "They're just a bunch of prats, anyway."
........
As I stared up at the large, hideous, smelly beast, my mind went blank. All I could actually think of was that I had to get Hermione out of there, and fast—she had nearly been smashed into twice, and if she died...
I shook my head.
"Distract it," I whispered to the boys. "I'm going to try and get her out of here."
They nodded, and Harry snatched up a pipe and threw it as hard as he could against the wall. The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione and lumbered around stupidly, looking for what had made the noise. When it saw Harry it hesitated, but then made for him instead.
"Oy, peabrain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the room, tossing a pipe at it's shoulder. When nothing happened, he tried again.
Quickly, I started to run by the troll. I was nearly at the sink Hermione was hiding under when it suddenly whirled on me and swung it's club with a roar.
I managed to duck and began sprinting for the sinks, but the club came swinging again and I saw no other option than to push myself to run harder and suddenly dive for the ground, sliding across the wet floor and slamming straight into Hermione's legs.
"Ugh," I muttered. "Stupid troll..." I sent a glare at Harry and Ron. "I SAID DISTRACT IT, NOT SEND IT TO KILL US!"
"We're trying!" called back Harry, before turning to the troll again and throwing some more pipes. "HEY, OVER HERE!"
All the noise seemed to be driving the troll nuts, and with another roar it started toward Ron, who was the closest and had no way to escape.
I ignored the chaos happening, because we were in the clear for now. My heart beating fast, I turned to Hermione and spoke urgently. "We need to get out of here!" When she didn't respond, I shook her. "Hermione, wake up!"
That seemed to snap her out of her daze.
"You're right," said Hermione quietly, eyes darting toward the door. "But how do we get past it?"
I swallowed, and watched as it dangled my brother upside down. "We have to fight it." Standing on shaky legs, I helped her get to her feet as well and we crept around the sink.
"DO SOMETHING," shouted Harry frantically, narrowly avoiding a hit to the head.
"What?!" exclaimed Ron helplessly.
"ANYTHING!" Harry managed to pull himself up again as the Troll swung a second time. "CARINA, HELP!"
That sent a surge of adrenaline through me, and I rushed forward, jerking out my wand and brandishing it just as Ron did the same with his.
Somehow, as I ran forward, I latched onto the club of the Troll and was swung forward, landing on it's shoulders just as Harry had been before, and spoke the only spell I could think of, twisting my arm at an odd angle to point at the troll.'a eyes.
"Diffindo!" I cried desperately, waving my wand in an angry manner I had seen my Dad do when using the spell. The Troll cried out in pain as it's right eye was slashed open, and that sent another wave of energy through me. This time, I jabbed my wand at it's throat. "Diffindo!"
It's throat had a large gash now, and it began to bleed furiously, covering my legs and part of my robes. The troll staggered. I glanced about wildly and caught sight of Hermione mouthing something to Ron, who looked determined.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" chanted Ron, flicking his wand.
The troll's club was wrenched from it's hand, and through it's pain, it slowly looked up with it's one eye as the club floated higher and higher....until it dropped on it's head.
I screamed as the club nearly hit me and the troll swayed, hastily scrambling around the side of it's head to it's front as it fell backward with a loud thump, sending Harry and I flying.
I skidded across the floor, and when I finally stopped I just lay there on the ground for a moment, before Hermione carefully helped me up, and we made our way to the professors standing in the doorway, gaping.
"What on earth were you thinking?" demanded McGonagall, fury in her voice.
Snape gave Harry a look, and he ducked his head. I did the same, really wishing Ron would put his wand down.
"Please, professor," intervened Hermione in a small voice. "They were looking for me."
"Miss Granger!"
"I went looking for the troll because I-I thought I could deal with it on my own—you know, because I've read all about them." Ron dropped his wand in shock, because this was Hermione Granger, lying to a professor. "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead mow. Carina cut it's eye and throat, Harry stuck his wand up it's nose, and Ron knocked it out with it's own club. They didn't have time to get anyone. It was about to finish me off when they came."
I managed to keep a straight face, while Harry and Ron tried their hardest to as well.
"Well—in that case..." McGonagall stared down at the four of us, and looked a little disgusted by the blood on me. "Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this." Hermione hung her head. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get back to Gryffindor tower. The other students are eating in their houses." Hermione left, and the professor turned to Harry, Ron and I. "You each win Gryffindor five points." She flicked her wand at me, and I gaped at my robes—all the blood was gone. "You may go."
Rosalie stared at me, normally golden eyes obsidian and very wide. Emotionlessly, I stared at the scene, not in the least bit shaken....yet.
"You killed that thing?" exclaimed Emmett, he and the others looking very shocked.
"I didn't check," I told him.
"That was very dangerous," began Carlisle, and I shifted closer to Hermione before any of them could rush to me; I didn't need them. Not now.
Later, however....
"Save some of your worries for afterward," advised Hermione. "There's more."
I simply nodded along and cast another glance at Rose, who was stiff as a board, it seemed, eyes locked on the frozen face of younger me.
I looked away, for more memories were starting to play.