The Holidays came and as usual, almost all of the students left Hogwarts to spend it with their family. The Hall was decorated beautifully and the ceiling showed snow falling from the sky, to give the room the Christmas spirit. But even with the Christmas spirit, the group of four Gryffindors were still divided as Harry and Carina still have not spoken to each other.
"So, where's Roman?" Hermione asked.
"He went home..." Carina answered, "His parents wanted him to celebrate Christmas at home – said that his cousins were coming home from America."
"But what about Professor McGonagall... I wonder if she also wanted to see her family..." Hermione trailed her gaze to the Deputy Headmistress.
"I guess... but she's really living up her duty as a Deputy Headmistress."
At the entrance of the Hall, Ron entered and came to where Carina and Hermione sat. he slumped on the seat across the two and sighed.
"Where's Harry?" Carina asked, noticing the absence of their friend.
"He's got this lesson with Professor Lupin." Ron muttered.
Knowing what lesson Ron was talking about, Carina stayed silent and played with her food. About a month ago, Harry told her that she and him would be taking that lessons – to learn how to fight the Dementors – and now he just went on with it without her. He didn't even bother telling her about it!
"So... when are you two going stop this anyway?" Ron asked Carina.
Hermione slapped Ron at the arm and gave him a look. Carina sighed and played with her food once more.
"I said I was sorry... what more does he want?" Carina said.
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Carina!" Hermione scolded.
"Nothing to be sorry?" Ron raised a brow, "She should have told us about her dad being Sirius Black!"
"Not helping, Ronald." Hermione glared at the red-head. "Besides, I think it was only you who didn't know."
"She told you?" Ron raised a brow.
"It's quite obvious, Ron. Carina Black – Sirius Black?" Hermione whispered.
"I knew that – it's just that, I thought he was a distant relative, that's all." Ron muttered.
"Why does everyone think Sirius Black is just my distant relative?" Carina asked, "Wasn't Malfoy's constant calling of 'murderer' and the fact that he is my cousin, or that there aren't so many Blacks alive, enough to say that I am Sirius Black's daughter?"
Ron shrugged. "Come on, let's go back to the common room."
The three Gryffindors entered the common room and went to proceed to sit on one of the lounges. Carina and Hermione made themselves comfortable at one lounge and sat with their legs crisscrossed on the cushion.
"Where's Maisie?" Hermione asked.
"Probably with Uncle Tom – he might have sneaked her out of the castle to bring her to Hogsmeade." Carina shrugged.
"Lucky." Hermione grinned.
"Hey." Ron called. "There's a present here."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Put it down, Ron, I'm sure it's not for you."
"It's for Carina." Ron handed the gift wrapped messily and was being held together by a string.
"Who's it from?" Hermione asked.
"Doesn't have a name." Ron said as he sat at Carina's other side.
Carina pulled the tie of the string and opened the messy wrapper. Inside she found a small wooden kit. She opened the kit and found a small parchment with written instructions, a branch of Mandrake leaves, and many other ingredients with a little warning writing on the caps of its jars saying: DO NOT EXPOSE TO SUNLIGHT OR HUMAN FEET FOR A FULL OF SEVEN DAYS. And along with the kit was lunar map.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"It's a Potions kit?" Hermione guessed.
"It's more than that." Carina smiled upon realizing the familiar ingredients and the instructions. "It's a kit that could create an Animagus Potion – it's all here! The Mandrake leaf, the dew, the Death's-head Hawk Moth, a lunar calendar, the instructions, and the incantation Amato Animo Animato Animagus – i-it's all here!"
"But who would give it to you?" Ron asked, "Who would go through all this trouble to get the ingredients and give it to you?"
"Look! There's something else!" Hermione pulled out a small pouch from the kit. Carina took the pouch and opened it, and out rolled on the palm of her hand was a silver band.
"A ring?" Ron asked.
"A wedding ring." Carina said.
"Whose wedding ring is it?" Hermione asked.
Carina took the ring and inspected the engraved name inside.
"E.B."
"Who's E.B.?" Ron asked, "Is that another relative we should know?"
"It's Emmanuelle Black." Carina said, she looked up to face Hermione and Ron, "It's my mum's."
•†•
Harry panted as he finally casted a strong enough Patronus to have the Boggart-Dementor return to the chest. Lupin clapped in Harry's victory.
"Well done, Harry. Well done!" Lupin said.
"I think I've had enough. For today." Harry panted.
"Yes... yes..." Lupin sighed. "So you know, Harry: you'd have given your father a run for his money. And believe me, that's saying something."
"I was thinking of him – and Mum. Seeing their faces. They're just talking to me. Just... talking. That was the memory I chose. I don't even know if it's real... but it's the best I have." Harry smiled bitterly.
Lupin gave Harry a smile and patted the boy at the shoulder. "Harry, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about..."
"What is it, Professor?"
"It's about Carina..." Lupin saw the sudden downcast look on Harry. "I've noticed that you two have not been acting normal these couple of days... is there something wrong?" Harry did not answer. "If this is something about Sirius Black, then I must tell you this, Harry... Carina is nothing like Black." Lupin paused, he knew that was a lie, Carina was just like Sirius when they were young: a troublemaker. A Marauder.
Lupin then continued. "Carina may be Black's daughter, but she's not like him... her traits, her appearance... she's more like her mother than her father."
Harry nodded. "Her mother – Carina's mother – what was her name?"
"Emmanuelle." Lupin smiled. "She and Lily were very good friends – best friends... and I hope that you two would continue to be as well."
•†•
Lupin and Harry made their way back to the castle before it could get dark. They were greeted by Peeves', who surprisingly wasn't calling them names or planned a prank on them.
"Gotten tired, aye, Peeves?" Lupin laughed at the Poltergeist.
"LUPIN! BLACK! BLACK!" Peeves called out.
Lupin's eyes grew wide and his whole body stiffened for a moment. Harry saw Lupin's sudden reaction and asked the man about what happened. But the man immediately bolted to Merlin knows where.
"GRYFFINDOR COMMON ROOM!"
Harry and Lupin raced to the common room and found Dumbledore, Tom, Snape and McGonagall already there with Carina, Hermione and Ron, and Maisie at the center of it all.
"Carina, dear, what happened?" Lupin asked.
"Remus." Dumbledore called, "Earlier, Ms. Black received a present from the tree."
"What's the present? What's going on?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore lifted the kit from the table and from the kit, the wedding band also floated in the air.
"It's an Animagus Potion kit, and with it is Emmanuelle Black's wedding ring." McGonagall said, her eyes welling up upon remembering the late Emmanuelle Black.
"How could have this happen?" Tom asked. "We found Emmanuelle's body, and the ring was lost."
"Shouldn't we ask you that, Goldstein?" Snape told Tom, "You are one of the Aurors who are assigned to capture Black."
Tom glared at Snape and was about to step up to him, if it weren't for Lupin intervening.
"That is enough Severus." Dumbledore said. He then turned to Carina and the others, "Have any of your touched this?"
"I have Professor." Carina spoke up. "I thought it was just a gift from someone, but then Hermione saw the pouch that held the ring..." Carina trailed off.
"Very well." Dumbledore nodded. "My apologies, Ms. Black, but I must take this kit and your mother's wedding ring with me to see if there are any Dark Magic placed in it."
Harry noticed Carina's glum look when Dumbledore told about taking her mother's ring and spoke up, "But Professor, the ring didn't even do anything to Carina, I'm sure she could have it..." He turned his gaze to Carina and saw her looking at him.
"We cannot be sure, Potter." McGonagall said. "We must first check if there is any trace of Dark Magic in these objects before we could give it back to Ms. Black... I'm sorry."
The Professors and Tom left the common room to inspect the supposed dangerous gift, leaving Harry, Hermione, Ron, Carina and Maisie behind.
"I'm sorry about Aunt Emma's ring, Carina... I hope you could get it back." Maisie wrapped her arms around Carina's waist.
"It's alright..." Carina sighed. "Besides, they're right, we can't be sure if Sirius Black didn't do anything to it... come on, let's go to bed..."
"Carina!" Harry called.
Carina and Maisie stopped on their tracks and turned to Harry.
Harry gulped before he spoke, "I'm sorry... about what I said to you the other day..."
Carina smiled, "I'm sorry too... Happy Christmas, Harry."
"Happy Christmas." Harry replied.
They spend the remaining of the Holidays hanging around the castle, running around, and even caused a bit of trouble. In those days, Carina retrieved her Animagus Potion kit and her mother's ring after being inspected numerous times for Dark Magic, but found nothing. The Holidays finally came to an end and all the students came back from home to start their classes once more, but as the Holidays came to an end, Tom was requested by the Ministry to report back and tell them of what was happening with the search for Sirius Black.
Upon arriving, Carina and the others immediately told Roman about supposed Sirius Black's little gift to her at Christmas – it truly frightened the boy on how close Black was getting, but then calmed down when he was told that the gift was clean.
"Maybe he's trying to bribe you back." Roman shrugged.
"If he was... he did a good job with my mother's ring." Carina said as she eyed the ring that she wore as a necklace with a chain, since it was too big for her to wear. "But I won't betray my friends for it..."
Later that day, the four Gryffindors and one Slytherin went to Hagrid, to see about Buckbeak's trial. They watched from the shore as Hagrid stood in the deep shallows of the Black Lake – knee deep – he skipped rocks as big as flagstones across the water's shiny gloss.
"How'd it go, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.
"Buckbeak like London." Hagrid said.
"I think she meant the hearing." Roman smiled.
"Oh that. Well, I got up an' said my bit – you know, how Buckbeak was a good Hippogryff an' as longa s yeh treated 'im with respect, he'd treat you the same... then Lucius Malfoy got up an' said his bit – you , how Buckbeak was deadly dangerous beast that no teacher in their righ' mind would expose their students to..." Hagrid trailed off.
"And?" Hermione asked. She dreaded to even ask as Hagrid slung another rock into the water.
"You mustn't blame yourself, Hagrid." Carina said.
"Malfoy." Ron sneered. "It's him the Committee should punish. It's him they should send off to the forest, not Buckbeak."
"Buckbeak's not going back to the forest..." Hagrid said somberly.
"Where's he going, Hagrid?" Carina asked.
"He asked fer the worse, yeh see, Lucius Malfoy did. An' the Committee granted it. Buckbeak's bin sentenced ter death!" Hagrid sniffed as he tried to contain his cries.
They watched as Hagrid cried for Buckbeak's fate. It was unfair. Totally unfair. Enraged to how the innocent Hippogryff's end, Carina got up on her feet and started to march back towards the castle.
"Carina?" Harry called after her in confusion.
"Oh no..." Roman sighed as he got up from the comfortable rock he sat on.
"Where's she goin'?" Hagrid asked, he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his coat.
"Somewhere she will get herself in trouble." Roman groaned. "I'm really sorry, Hagrid. Now I have to make sure that idiot doesn't land herself in detention."
Once Roman has left, running after Carina. Ron turned to Harry and Hermione with an amused look on his face.
"I wonder what she had in store for Malfoy." Ron grinned.
•†•
"I saw what you did to Malfoy..." Theodore said as he placed his Ancient Runes book on the table and his book bag at the foot of the desk that he shared with Carina. "I must say, I'm quite impressed... but I don't think his mother will appreciate it..."
Carina smirked, "Oh, please, that wasn't even close to what Malfoy deserved."
Theodore shook his head in amusement. The lesson started and the Professor have tasked them to take notes for the exams. Whilst doing the task, Carina and Theodore couldn't help but fool around... it started when Theodore 'accidentally' bumped Carina's elbow while she was writing which caused her arm to jerk forward and ruin the parchment she was writing on. Carina – pissed after she found Theodore chuckling to himself at the result of his 'accident' – 'accidentally' muttered a spell under her breath.
"Finestra."
Theodore's inkwell suddenly shattered – due to it made out of glass – and the ink spilled on his side of the table and stained his uniform. He made quite a scene when he got up from his table with ink-covered-robes. He glared at Carina whilst she laughed along with the class.
"Mr. Nott, you are excused, please change your robes."
Theodore collected his things and then glared at Carina before he left, "I'm coming for you, Black"
"I'll be waiting." Carina smirked.
•†•
At the Hall, everyone was busy studying for their coming class. It was quite a busy week, and a very hectic one for Hermione. Ron, Harry, and Carina sat at the Gryffindor table, with their notes wide open, but their eyes were glued at Draco.
Draco had a huge black eye. But that wasn't all, along with his black eye was a bite mark at the shoulder from Roman's cat, Lynx. Carina smirked when she saw Draco's glare at her, but her smirk grew when she saw Theodore's glare at her and Roman's amused smirk.
"You're lucky that Malfoy didn't tell you on his father." Ron said.
"Who said he didn't?" Carina said, "I'm serving a week detention, again, for that."
"Roman too?" Harry asked.
"Roman too." Carina took a sip from her tea. "So, where's Hermione?"
"She just stormed off during Divination earlier!" Ron said, "She's gone mental, Hermione has!"
"Wait – Divination?" Carina asked, "But she was in Ancient Runes earlier! I saw her! She was sitting a seat in front of mine and Nott!"
"But she was with us during Divination – she sat between Harry and I!" Ron said.
"How does she even do that?" Carina wondered out loud.
"I don't know... but I have something to tell you – Trelawney – when I returned the glass ball, she grabbed me out of nowhere and started to speak." Harry said.
"What do you expect, that woman's as mad as her hair." Carina muttered. "But, anyway... what did she say?"
"Something... Tonight, when the clock strikes twelve, the... servant shall break free... he and his Master shall be reunited once more... Something like that." Harry said.
"It's probably nothing." Ron said.
Draco got up from his seat and walked out of the Great Hall, he glared at Carina as he went to the entrance of the Hall. Carina smirked and thought of making one last score with Draco. She got up on her seat and called for Draco.
"HEY DRACO! MAKE SURE TO TELL ME WHAT DEAR AUNT NARCISSA SAYS ABOUT YOUR NEW LOOK!"
Laughter erupted from the crowd. Draco left the Hall blushing red, but he made sure to send a nasty look at Carina. Carina sat back down and sighed.
"I can't wait for the Howler that I will get for the summer." Carina smiled, and there was not an ounce of sarcasm in there.