Do all Things Happen for a Reason?

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Chapter Four: The arrival of Katrina!

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James woke up the next morning and immediately remembered the conversation they had with Harry the night before. He couldn't believe him and Lily were dead. It was horrible to see the look of pain in Harry's eyes every time he talked about them. And his aunt. Lily's sister. Was she really that bad of a person? James was beginning to think so, with the way everybody was speaking about her. And this Katrina girl. James knew she would end up being more of a friend to Harry in the end. Maybe The Marauders could help get them together? It was good idea.

He got up and went to the bathroom. When he came back out Sirius and Remus were up.

"Is Lily awake yet?" he asked.

"No," Sirius said grimly. "The poor girl was tossing and turning all night."

"I think she was dreaming of what horrible things Petunia did to Harry," said Remus thoughtfully.

"What makes you say that?" asked James.

"Because she kept talking in her sleep," said Sirius. James nodded.

"Well, I'll wake her then," he said.

"We'll see you in the Great Hall then!" Remus called as they left.

James walked over to Lily's bed and sat down at the edge of it, looking at the sleeping Lily with total love in his eyes. Deciding that Lily would probably kick him if she knew he was watching her sleep, he leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Lily," he whispered. "Lily it's time to get up," she didn't move. "Lils," still, she slept on. And then James got an idea! "Lily, I got another girlfriend and she's so much better then you." Lily jumped up at this.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered, going pale. James laughed.

"I knew that would wake you up," he said, kissing a shocked Lily on the nose.

"You mean you said that just to wake me up?" Lily asked. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"What's wrong, Lily?" he asked, with concern in his eyes. "Usually you would be yelling at me for doing something like that, and now it looks like your going to cry."

Lily sighed. "I guess I'm just worried about everything, since Harry told us, well, you know."

"Don't worry about it, Lily," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you or Harry," he kissed her passionately after he said this. When they pulled away Lily looked a little bit more relaxed.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Now, come on, we got to get to the Great Hall. That Katrina girl is coming today and I want to know what is so special about her," James said, bouncing off the bed and pulling Lily with him.

Fifteen minutes later they entered the Great Hall and went over to where Sirius, Remus, Harry, Ron and Hermione were.

"What's up?" James asked Sirius.

"Ron was just telling Hermione how odd it is that Harry came in to the dormitory at ten past midnight last night," he replied.

"Uh-oh," James said. "Do they suspect something?"

"Obviously," said Remus, joining the conversation.

Just then Dumbledore stood up. The hall was silent within a matter of seconds. "I have an announcement to make," he said.

"Well, duh, I mean, why else would he stand up and call for silence?" said Sirius.

The Headmaster went on, "We have a new student joining our ranks today. She is from America, and will be joining the fifth years. But first," the Headmaster paused. "She needs to be Sorted," and he pointed to the raggedy old wizards hat on the three-legged stool in front of the teachers table. "Her name is Katrina Smith, and she is a muggle-born witch. I expect you all to treat her kindly and show her the kind of respect you yourselves wish to get in return and you shell receive." He finished his long speech with a long glance at the Slytherin table. Most of the pure bloods were very confused about what Dumbledore had said about respect, but the muggle-borns (or the witches and wizards with muggle blood in them) were clapping the loudest at the end of the speech (minus the Slytherins). (A/N: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' remember?)

The door to the Great Hall opened and in walked Professor McGonagall, a girl with short brown hair following her. She was about 5 foot, 5 inches tall and wore patched and frayed robes. She had flip-flops on that told you that she was really that tall and not just wearing heels. Her hair was cut just below her shoulders and it looked like she was having a slightly bad hair day. She had light green eyes with flecks of brown in them. They gave the impression that she was a very mysterious girl. She looked very weak, almost like Remus did before and after the full moon.

When they reached the stool with the Sorting Hat on it, the girl sat down and put the Hat on. They waited for at least thirty seconds before the Hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor's applauded loudly as the girl made her way to Gryffindor table and sat down next to Ron who was waving her over toward them.

"Hi, I'm Ron Weasley," he said, holding out his hand.

"Katrina Smith," she replied, shaking his hand. Hermione elbowed Ron in the stomach to make him get out of the way.

"I'm Hermione Granger," she said importantly, as if this was supposed to mean something. Hermione was eyeing Katrina's hair in disdain.

"It's nice to meet you," she replied politely. She turned to Harry, who was trying not to laugh. "And you are..." she asked trailing off and acting as if she didn't know who he was. Ron and Hermione's mouths dropped open in surprise. The Marauders and Lily were laughing hysterically and were practically gasping for air.

"Harry Potter," he said, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"Well, it's very nice to meet all of you," she said politely again, looking at Ron and Hermione as well.

"Wait a minute," said Ron, with a look of pure shock on his face. "Do you even know who Harry is?"

Katrina looked puzzled, "What do you mean? Of course I know who he is, he just told me, remember?"

"No, no, no. What Ron means is: Harry is the most famous wizard in the whole world, so are you trying to tell us that you have never heard of him before?" asked Hermione in total disbelief.

"Your famous?" she asked turning to Harry and also trying not to laugh. He nodded. "That's good for you, what did you do?"

"What did he do?" repeated Ron faintly. "He only defeated You-Know-Who!"

"You-Know-Who? You mean old Voldie?" she asked, unaware of the effect it had on everyone listening. Harry, The Marauders, and Lily all grinned proudly because Katrina was unafraid to say Voldemort's name. Ron and Hermione however, gasped in fear.

"Y-you said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron fearfully.

"So? He's not going to just pop up out of no where just because you said his name," she replied, dropping her sugary sweet and curios attitude. "Anyway fear of the name only causes fear for the person himself. And if you have fear you have doubt, and when you have doubt it leads to death." Ron and Hermione were gaping at her. She turned to Harry, "You look different since the last time I saw you Harry."

"Well, eight years does that to you," He said laughing at the even more shocked looks on Ron and Hermione's faces. "You look different too."

"Wait a minute," said Ron. "You two know each other?"

"Know each other? Harry, didn't you tell them?" she turned to Ron and Hermione, and The Marauders and Lily could tell immediately that this girl was a prankster and was going to pull a big joke on Ron and Hermione. "I'm his girlfriend. In fact," she paused and looked sideways at Harry as if asking him a silent question that only the two of them could understand. Harry nodded and put his head in his hand, but he was smiling. "In fact," she continued in a very low voice so that Ron and Hermione had to lean in to hear her. "I'm carrying his baby." The effect these words had on Ron and Hermione were hilarious.

Ron went pale and his jaw dropped so far it was in danger of falling off. Hermione gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. The Marauders were cracking up. Ron looked at Harry in disbelief.

"I thought you said the last time you saw each other was eight years ago?" he asked incredulously. Harry laughed a bit.

"I wanted to throw you off a little bit. Didn't want you to find out, but then I decided it's better now or never," he replied.

"Oh! Okay then," said Ron. Hermione was still speechless.

"You have to be lying!" said Hermione once she got her voice back. "She can't be pregnant. She just can't be."

"And what makes you say that?" asked Harry suppressing a laugh.

"Because, number 1: she doesn't look it. Number 2: You couldn't have seen each other even over the summer because she was in America and your aunt and uncle wouldn't let you leave the house anyway. And number 3: she's a prankster who loves to get into trouble or cause it. I can see it in your eyes," she added looking thoughtfully at Katrina.

"Damn," Kat muttered, looking at Harry. "You didn't tell me she was smart."

"I thought I'd let you find out on your own," he replied, grinning charmingly at her.

"There's something odd about that girl," Remus muttered to James and Sirius.

"What do you mean?" James asked. Remus shook his head.

"I can't put my finger on it but I know there's something different about her. I can sense it. Almost like she's..." he trailed off and his eyes grew wide in realization. "Almost like she's not human! Like she's a werewolf!"

James gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Positive!"

"Wait," said Lily, who had joined the conversation. "If you can sense her won't she sense you?"

"No," said Sirius. "Older Moony is here, so she'll only sense one Moony."

"There may be two me's here, Sirius, but that doesn't mean that she'll only sense one. She'll sense me and older me. Were two different people at this time. She'll sense a fifteen-year-old male werewolf and a thirty-five year old male werewolf with the same DNA. She'll be sure to suspect something. I'll bet you she can sense me right now, just as I can her."

"We'll have to tell her then, before she gets suspicious," said James. "Harry can help." They turned back to Harry and the others just in time, because Harry and Kat were getting up and were about to leave the Great Hall. Harry was going to show Kat around the castle. It would be a perfect time to tell her.

James walked over to Harry and whispered in his ear, (A/N: Harry can see the Marauders remember?) "Take Kat out by the lake and wait for us there, we have to tell her about us," and then walked away before Harry could ask any questions.

"Come on, Kat. Do you want to see the lake?" Harry asked her taking her hand and leading her out of the Great Hall.

"Sure," she replied cheerfully.

"How are we supposed to tell her?" Sirius asked the others while following Kat and Harry at a distance. "Harry won't know she's a werewolf, and we can't leave him in the dark about why we had to tell her."

"You have a point there, Sirius," said Remus trying to think.

"Wait a minute," said James. "What do you mean Harry won't know she's a werewolf? There best friends aren't they? She would have told him."

Remus shook his head as they walked through the front doors, "No. Number 1: They haven't seen each other in eight years, and number 2: She's probably scared Harry will hate her because of what she is," he paused, and then added quietly, "That's how I felt." In the distance they could see Harry and Kat sitting under a tree by the lake. Harry was saying something and Kat was laughing. As they got closer they could hear what was being said.

"I can't believe Ron fell for it!" Harry was saying as Kat started to laugh again.

"Yeah," she said after she had calmed down. "But that Hermione girl is smart."

"Well she is top of our year," said Harry.

"I kind of guessed that," she said. "She acted like a real snot!"

Harry laughed, "Yeah, she tends to do that a lo - what's the matter?" Kat had just gone rigid and pale and was looking in the direction of the Marauders even though she couldn't see them. Harry looked up and saw them then looked back down at Kat, "Did you see something?"

"No," she said in wonder, "But I felt..." she shook her head. "Never mind."

Lily walked over toward Harry and sat down next to him, "Tell her about us," she whispered.

"Kat, I've got something to tell you," he began nervously. "Do you know what a time-turner is?" She nodded, looking at him curiously and still a bit pale and fidgety. "Well..." An hour later she sat there gaping at him.

"Harry," she said gently when she got her voice back. She put her hand on his and he didn't look like he minded it much, "Harry, your parents are - are dead. This can't be true Harry."

"Why can't it?" he retorted. "I told you, they used a time-turner! There fifteen now."

"Okay, Okay. Let's just say this story was believable," she said. " Where are they then, hmmm?" Harry sighed and smiled slightly at her.

"Look behind you," He whispered with amusement. Kat slowly turned around and would have screamed if Harry hadn't put a hand over her mouth.

"Hi!" said Lily cheerfully while Harry removed his hand. Kat had gone pale again.

"How - how come I couldn't see you all before," she asked in a slightly high-pitched voice looking from Lily to the Marauders, her eyes finally settling Remus.

"Just a spell," said James, shrugging.

"The Ignore Us Charm, right?" she said, looking thoughtfully at the ground. "Remus explained it to me once. He said him, James, Sirius, and Peter invented it." Then she added as an afterthought, "Speaking of Peter isn't he here too?"

James' eyes flashed with pain and anger at the mention of the rat, "No. He didn't want to come. And how do you know Remus?" Kat smiled slightly at him.

"It's a long story," she said. "Where shell I begin?"

"The beginning," said Harry grinning at her. Kat rolled her eyes.

"I thought being away from me for eight years would have changed you a bit, but apparently it hasn't," she said smiling sarcastically at him.

His eyes darkened for a moment and then he said, "Just get on with the story. I want to know what's going on."

"Okay," she began nervously. "Well, what were we doing the week before I 'moved'?"

"A lot of things," said Harry, obviously not seeing how this related to her knowing Remus. "Chores, getting beat up by Dudley, chores, more chores, getting bullied by Uncle Vernon, getting you out of trouble with your dad...the list can go on and on." Kat sighed exasperatedly.

"Besides those things, Harry," she said patiently.

"Do you mean the game of Manhunt we played?" Harry asked.

"Yes! Thank you! I have finally penetrated that thick skull of yours!" she said gratefully.

"Hey!" he said, sounding offended.

"What's Manhunt?" asked Sirius.

"It's like...Hide n' Seek, only it's in the dark instead. It's a lot more dangerous," said Lily.

"Yes, it is. Do you remember what it was like that night?" Kat asked Harry.

He thought for a moment and then said slowly, "I think so. We were in the forest behind the development, you had already gotten lost once so we decided to bring flashlights this time. It was about one maybe two in the morning," he laughed a little here. "You know what? Even with flashlights you still managed to get lost. And it was a full moon too! It was the perfect amount of light!" Remus' eyes suddenly widened in realization, but he kept quiet and listened intently.

"But that's it," said Kat quietly. "It was a full moon. We didn't know about magic or magical creatures yet. It was just a bunch of fantasy that could never come true. Just a bunch of stories that parents told their kids. So I stupidly went deeper into the forest thinking that Harry would never find me there and I would win the game..." everyone knew what was going to happen next, even Harry, though everyone could tell he was trying to deny it.

"And?" Harry prompted nervously. "Technically you did win the game because I never did find you, so what's the big deal?"

"Harry," Kat said gently and looking at him in a way that said, 'I know you know, so please don't make me say it'. But Harry was stubborn and wouldn't admit to himself until she told him herself. Kat sighed defeated, "Harry, that night I was - was - I'm a -," she was stumbling on her words trying to form a coherent sentence. Finally she took a deep breath and said in a calm voice, "Harry, that night -,"

"I bit her."

Everyone turned to Remus, but Remus hadn't moved his lips. In fact he was staring, shocked, at someone standing behind Harry and Kat. They all turned around to see a thirty five year old Remus Lupin standing there, looking at them all with a very grave expression.