The short life of Kyrah Swanson

Chapter 14 | Year Three

     Too soon the holidays were over, and soon their trunks were packed. There were two Gryffindor trunks and the two Slytherin trunks. Despite being in different houses the four friends had an exceptionally great summer at the Potter's.

     They went to visit Cole's mum in a remote area, near a small town called Ottery St. Catchpole. There they played two-a-side Quidditch (James and Cole vs. Sirius and Kyrah). They laughed and ate iced butterbeer lollies and in general it was the best summer vacation of both Sirius and Kyrah's life's.

     As they arrived at Kings Cross station Sirius pointed out the Black sisters. They looked surly and annoyed by their mother and aunt. Greeting the Potter's and thanking them they made their way over to Sirius mother and sister.

     "There you two are." Aunt Willa barked, looking between the two of them. Kyrah noticed Aunt Willa's sister giving odd glares over her sisters shoulders.

     "Come on girls, time to go." She said when she caught Kyrah's eye. Shrugging it of Kyrah followed her Aunt with Cole by her side and James with Sirius. Sirius smirked at Kyrah as Bellatrix's mom stormed off.

     "Think she's still pretty mad that you bested her darling daughter, Rah..." he said.

     "Thank you, Ma'am." James started to say to Aunt Willa. She gave him a disapproving look but seeing James's father and mother she smiled more admiringly at James.

     "Ah a pure-blood!" she said in a fake sing-song voice, "Sirius does have proper friends then?" she asked. Knowing her Aunt Kyrah caught James eye and shook her head slightly, luckily he understood and they all come to a standstill.

     The trick to get onto the platform was to walk at the barriers between platform 9 and platform 10, but to do so nonchalantly so that no muggles notice their disappearance. The group were going in pairs, Regulus went with his mother, Andromedea and her mother went next. Followed by Bellatrix and Narcissa, leaving Kyrah, Cole, Sirius and James. 

     Deciding that they only had 10 minutes to go before the barrier closed they did it together, as they rushed up to the barrier Kyrah saw something or rather someone. With white blond hair and angelic blue eyes, watching them, watching her. She caught Kyrah's eye and smiled that devilish smile she had first seen in the forbidden forest in her first year at Hogwarts.

     Stumbling onto the platform Kyrah saw the scarlet steam engine, the woman was no longer visible, and she stared around frantically. Sirius and James had already left to find Remus and Peter. 

     Cole was staring at her with a shocked expression, not saying anything she heard his voice but not really registering what he was saying, "Was that Evangeline?"

     Slowly Kyrah looked over at Cole and nodded, neither of them had seen her for almost two years now, so why was she back all of a sudden?

-----

     "Moriarty! Swanson!" someone called and they both looked around to see Beatrice sticking her head out of one of the compartments, they both look at her and smiled. She had changed over the summer, and also she had cut her long red hair into a bob. It was odd but it suited her perfectly. Joining her in her compartment they exchange hugs.

     "Rah, I've missed you so much!" she started and smiled at Cole, "And you to, Moriarty." Kyrah Noticed her eyes shine when she looked at Cole, she couldn't blame her. Cole was quite handsome, he had that bad boyish look about him, and those eyes one could lose oneself in those blue pools.

     "So?" she asked looking between her two friends, "What have you two been up too?" and together they started speaking about their summer vacation with the Potter's. James and his gang came around to the group's compartment at lunchtime. They played exploding snap and went to greet Lily and the others too then they got dressed and the train started to slow down, Hogsmeade visible through the windows.

     "Rah!" someone called and Kyrah looked around to a beaming third year Ravenclaw.

     "John!" she exclaimed seeing him moving towards the group. They hugged and he handed her a box.

     "What"s this?" she asked amused and surprise by the gift.

     "Your birthday present." He smiled and winked at Kyrah, Cole started coughing loudly behind them, turning around to stare at him Kyrah noticed that he was  avoiding her eyes. "Are you okay? " she asked but Cole still avoided her eyes, was he upset with her? And if so about what?

     The carriages that took them up to castle was just beyond the platform, they moved slowly since everybody was jumbled on the platform greeting friends they haven't seen since school ended. The four of them entered one; it could only take four people at a time so they got in with John. 

     "Do you see that?" Cole whispered at Kyrah pointing towards Hogsmeade. Kyrah looked to where he was pointing, she could hear fear in his voice as he had whispered to her, and she was glad that Beatrice and John were talking animatedly about the Quidditch lead.

     She saw him pointing into a small ally way near the Three Broomsticks, turning around fully her eyes fell upon a man, a man like she had never seen before though he seemed somehow familiar to her. He was hooded and slender, but she could see his white face clearly as though it was lit up. He had slits for nostrils and his mouth was set in a thin line watching their carriage, but his eyes were blood red.

     The carriage took a rather hard knock and they all fell into a pile, laughing Beatrice got up and smiled at all of them, "Good to be home." And the carriage stopped before the great oak doors of Hogwarts castle. 

     Both Cole and Kyrah worried about what they have seen that day.