In which, she gets rebellious and shocked

Not all is as it seems for Carina Estel Potter.

When she was entered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, she was of course, utterly flummoxed. That, and her whole school is against her for entering herself. Not only that, the whole Hufflepuff save one, bore a grudge for stealing Cedric Diggory's thunder and he was the only one in his house who didn't believe she put her name in. Even her own friends had trouble believing her.

'You should learn the rules, laws and at least benefits off this in somehow, in return for what you're about to put up with soon.' said Cedric. 'I know how vicious Wizarding Kids can be.'

'I learned that since my first year here.' said Carina bitterly. 'The 150 points loss thing and that wasn't even our fault, McGonagall was presumptious, and wouldn't even let us explain ourselves let alone listen to us when she caught us out of Curfew Hours that day. She kept shrieking at us before docking 50 points each off us.' she spat. Cedric cringed as he was among those who gave three first years the stink eye the first time. 'All I know is, I can't rely on any adult in this school. Ever again. I've had a hard time trusting as I grew up. I thought wizarding adults would be different...they bitterly disappointed me, especially the Headmaster and of last year, the Minister! Not only that, my friends of all people thought I put myself in and wouldn't listen to me when I insisted I didn't do it! I thought knowing me for three years, they would know better! Apparently not!' she cried hotly. 'I can't trust anyone here anymore!' she choked out with a sob and she ran off before the older boy can stop her.

As Carina ran away, she wondered who she can trust. Then she had a name in mind. 'Dobby!' she called out as Dobby appeared before her.

'Carina Potter call for Dobby?' Dobby asked her eagerly.

'Dobby, I'm in serious desperation right now and I'm all alone!' Carina cried as the elf did a double-take. 'I can't trust or rely on anyone in this stupid castle! This Tri-Wizard Tournament is the final straw!' she choked out. 'Is there a secret room in Hogwarts nobody knows of?'

'Well, there is one...we call it the 'Come-And-Go-Room'.' said Dobby meekly at the distraught witch.

'Good, take me to the entrance of that place, and after that, pack up my trunk.' Carina instructed him. 'Then tell me all you know about that room.' and she discovered the existence of Hogwarts' Room of Requirement, a room that becomes what the user wishes it to be. So Carina wished for it to become her personal living space, and that, nobody can find her even if they want to. She took to living there, isolating herself from everyone.

She has another task for Dobby. Get her all rule books about the Tri-Wizard Tournament and he is the only one she trusts for her meals and laundry.

Thus for one week straight, nobody saw her ever again, causing panic and she didn't give a damn.

And then she found a rule by the end of Day 2 of that week.

-in an event should an Underage Witch/Wizard enter themselves illegally, or they were entered unknowingly against their wills, both events would automatically make them
emancipated adults of the law as only adult witches and wizards who are of age can enter and compete. While they will gain the privileges entailed, it also means that if
they commit a crime, even a minor one, they would be tried as an adult in the community. The perks of being Underage lost to them forever. Not only that, they are free
game for anyone who wishes to court them for marriage as they are adults under the law.

'...shit.' Carina gulped. She then read some more until...

-But as long as they didn't even participate in the First Task, they cannot lose their magic. The loss of magic happens only if a participant quits halfway into the Tournament.

...she grinned ferally.

'Dobby!' she called out.

'Yes, Carina Potter?'

'You got everything I own, right? Including Gringotts Keys?'

'Erm, the keys nope, Dobby didn't find them in your trunk.' Dobby shook his head.

'Either the Headmaster to Mrs. Weasley has it.' she swore. 'My Vault Number is 687. It should be printed on the key.' Carina told him. 'Please find it for me and any Potter Vault Keys, go get it for me and give them to me.' she said. 'I decided! I'm gonna leave this shithole' she told him firmly. 'Damn, I should have listened to you that summer. Hogwarts really is a dangerous place for me.' she sighed lamentingly. 'But I chose to go if it meant freedom from my hateful relatives. Since I'm here against my will, and I have YET to actually participate, I have a way out while NOT losing my magic because I never accepted nor begun participating!' she squealed in glee. 'So yes, I'm getting outta here before I'm forced into the First Task! Time is of the essence and start tomorrow. Just uhh bring enough food and drink to last me a day while you're gone tomorrow to retrieve all my Vault Keys. Then as for Hedwig, triple-check her for spells before bringing her here. Right now, I only have two friends and that's the both of you.' she deadpanned as Dobby was behaving like Christmas came early when she said he was her only friend along with Hedwig.

'Okie dokie!' and Dobby was gone.

'Then on the other hand, I wait.' said Carina with a smile as she relaxed in her personal suite. 'Freedom..' she smiled wistfully. 'I'll be free soon.'

When Dobby got her keys, she went straight for Gringotts with his help, and the pair disappeared off Britain for good.

On the other hand, because she never showed up in her dorms or attended her classes, a search for her began.

The last person to see her, was her fellow Hogwarts Champion who remained silent and disturbed for a week...until he decided he can no longer keep quiet...and opened up to his father by sending him a letter on Day 7.

xxx

At the Ministry of Magic...

Amos Diggory was reading newspapers and the Headline was about the disappearance of the Girl-Who-Lived when he saw his son's owl come for him. 'Hmmm, sent me a letter eh?' and he checked it out.

Hey dad, Ced here.

Dad, as you know, she's been a no-show since that night
and I'm the last person-I think-who saw her. I knew she
didn't do it even if everyone, yourself included, didn't
believe her. Poor girl was clearly shocked and distraught,
and had nobody to turn to as the entire school is against
her for something that wasn't her fault, believing only what
they want to believe without even hearing her side and
giving her a chance to defend herself.

I talked to her after breakfast on November 1. Her house
gave her the stink eye while the Weasley Twins are pretty
casual about it, still buddy-buddy with her and joking about
her situation though the latter is the last thing she needed
as she just looked more miserable and adding fuel to the
fire unwittingly. I approached her to reassure her that I
believe her and advised her to read the rules that can
possibly help her out because I know how vicious the kids
can be, and this is what she told me while on the verge of
crying:

'I learned that since my first year here. The 150 points loss
thing and that wasn't even our fault, McGonagall was presumptious,
and wouldn't even let us explain ourselves let alone listen to us
when she caught us out of Curfew Hours that day. She kept shrieking
at us, before docking 50 points each off us.'

'All I know is, I can't rely on any adult in this school. Ever again.
I've had a hard time trusting as I grew up. I thought wizarding
adults would be different...they bitterly disappointed me, especially
the Headmaster and of last year, the Minister! Not only that, my
friends of all people thought I put myself in and wouldn't listen to
me when I insisted I didn't do it! I thought knowing me for three years,
they would know better! Apparently not! I can't trust anyone here
anymore!' and she ran off, crying.

I asked Granger about what she meant about the Minister and what
she meant by 'last year'. Apparently, the murder case of the betrayed
Potters has more to it than anyone knew about. Sirius Black is innocent.
He was framed for the betrayal and murder of 13 muggles and a man
long thought of to be dead, Peter Pettigrew who is in fact alive, and
posed as a pet rat to the Weasleys for thirteen years until Black broke
out of Azkaban upon finally locating him through a newspaper article,
recognizing his animagus form of a rat in the Prophet Headlines about
the Weasleys winning a lottery with the family on front page news in
Egypt. He broke out to prove his innocence but that didn't go too well.
Potter, Granger and Weasley worked to save him but Pettigrew got away
...and since they have no proof as said proof ran away, Snape and the
Minister thought they were Confunded and again, nobody listened to them.

Because Potter has trouble trusting adults as she grew up, it makes one
wonder what happened to her years before Hogwarts, and what kind of
place she returns to every summer, don't you think? It should speak
volumes as she was desperate to save Black as he is apparently, her
godfather and gave a damn about her in their short time together despite
being in the slammer, which was enough for her to risk her neck against
Dementors.

That, and he is clearly sane, something unheard of for someone being
'roommates' with Dementors for years and he is the only adult she
trusts, other than Professor Lupin who was with them on that night as he
too, wanted the truth as Professor Lupin was friends with James Potter,
Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew for years. No doubt Professor Lupin
is with him now to keep him company and keep him out of trouble while
Rat-Hunting.

Not only that, for someone who was wealthy because she is from a
Pureblood line and that means 'old money', she wears clothes five times
her size and clearly belonged to a boy's that she often favors her
school uniform and she's a skinny little thing, and eats too little its
a miracle she wasn't blown off her broom in Quidditch Matches because
she's so skinny and clearly, very underweight. I noted that the first time
I first saw her in school, she's the tiniest First Year there is to be sorted.

Please take my letter seriously as this is a case of a man wrongly
chucked to prison and her home life is suspect...and please hurry
before she does something drastic, like, do something really stupid
out of grief as we haven't seen her for a week now. Nobody, not
even Filch and the Weasley Twins can find her and those three know
Hogwarts' secret passages better than anyone and everyone knows
that so the teachers and strangely, Bagman are getting twitchy.

Really worried here now,

Ced

'Bloody hell,' he swore as he stood from his desk. 'I better go see Amelia.' and he went to the Director's Office. 'Amelia.'

'What is it Amos, I'm on my wits' end here right now.' said Amelia Bones gloomily. 'What with the disappearance of Miss. Potter and the idea that she'll become a Squib if she doesn't show up if she wasn't found on time...'

'My son sent me something that should be an eye-opener and a solution to our problem.' said Amos, giving her a letter. 'And if you do it right, that girl may come back on her own free will.' Madam Bones took the letter from the pudgy man.

'I'll read this so I'll return it to you later.' she said as the man nodded before leaving.

Indeed, the letter is a great clue, and many questions surrounding the people involved, and she has a lot to do.

But they're too late. Four days too late.

xxx

Third day of that week...

Carina wrote a letter to 'whoever manages the Potter Family Accounts, Assets, Properties and Wills'. 'Hedwig, Dobby will apparate you to Dufftown. Fly from there to Gringotts. This is so nobody from Hogwarts sees you OK? And when you're done, go straight to Dufftown and Dobby will pick you up and return you to me safely. Right now if you're caught, you'll be used to pressure me into participating that blasted tournament.' she told her owl. 'So we have to be really discreet about this and wait for a reply. Dobby will pick you up in Dufftown tomorrow morning.' Hedwig hooted in affirmation. 'Thanks girl. Give this letter to the needed person.' Dobby then vanished with the owl.

By nightfall, around 8 pm...a goblin named Narvak received her letter.

"From her eh? I wonder what took her so long." he wondered as he read it anyway.

To the goblin or person managing my family's assets and finances,

It took me a while to learn that all other possibilities existed as I was
hardly told anything since my arrival in the magical community at age
11, and I had to learn everything else from a good friend and said good
friend, is a wacky, but very nice House Elf Dobby. I tricked Malfoy into
freeing him when the little fella gave me subtle hints that he can't stand
the bleached prick, so yeah, I did it. He's more reliable than any human
adult and that's saying something. I can really count on Dobby.

As you know, I was in the Tri-Wizard Tournament but what nobody knows
because they didn't bother to ask my side of the story as I DID NOT PUT
MYSELF IN, being presumptious sheeple they are and the adults forced me
in, and Bagman was gleeful I wanted to smash his face. But when I read
the rules, its MY damn turn to be happy as this tournament emancipated
me as a legal adult in society, meaning, I can access my family vaults and
open wills, if any in order to secure my freedom to leave this damn country.
I wish to meet you as soon as your schedule is open but right now, I'm in
hiding to avoid being forced. My hiding delays the First Task somehow
despite it being scheduled on at November 24 as planned as nobody wants
me to be a Squib so they're pushing for delay until they can find me. Hah!
If only they read the rulebook THOROUGHLY!

Hedwig will wait for your reply and I hope for a good word from you.
And when I can come, Dobby will help me out with invisibility as I can
anticipate that they'll stake out Gringotts for me in a bid to catch me.
I just hope the scary guards with Halberds at the front door don't
chop us up!

C. E. Potter

'Well, this is interesting...' Narvak frowned as he drafted a letter and gave it to the snowy owl. 'Now what are these stupid wizards up to?'

xxx

Next morning...

Carina received Narvak's reply.

Dear Ms. Potter,

Your letter, however crudely-written, speaks loud volumes
that you were never educated about your heritage and what
you own by your Magical Guardian. Your self-proclaimed
Magical Guardian is Albus DUmbledore as Sirius Black is in
Azkaban without a trial, so he is still welcome to get his money
in Gringotts anytime and he knew that as he took enough gold
for a Firebolt and that's the only thing he did since his freedom.
Unless he is properly convicted, we have no reason to ban him.
Our rules are that flexible. Just learn to write more formally
next time.

No doubt Black cannot educate you without getting re-caught,
and since Dumbledore clearly didn't teach you worth a damn,
he will he charged for gross irresponsibility and failure to
stop this scandal regarding the Tri-Wizard Tournament adds
fuel to the fire, so I shall have him fired from this post in both
Gringotts and the Ministry. To be done discreetly of course as
I can see you have no love for anyone at the moment, and
prefer to spring up once you're done and preferably far away.

As your Family Manager, I am always free after I have to deal
with many attempts to take money illegally from your vaults.
I will talk to you about that in person before I file official charges.
You can come anytime as long as its not breakfast, lunch and
dinner time. Do not come at 6-8am, 12-2pm and 6-8pm on that note.
My office is at room 1050. Its way underground you would need
a cart.

Narvak.

'Tempus!' upon casting the spell, its 7:45. "I'll wait for 9 am just to be sure..." she thought as she enjoyed a breakfast of Crumpets with strawberry jam, Sunny-Side Up eggs with ketchup, and meatball soup. For a drink as she doesn't want to see Pumpkin Juice for a long time, she tried out with drinking tea. A bit weird, but everyone drinks this every day, right? And Britain is known for its Tea Culture anyway...she'll just have to get used to it.

xxx

Gringotts, after breakfast...

She made Dobby help her out. They stealthily went to Gringotts with the Entrance Guards eyeing them wryly before letting them in.

"They can see us!" both Carina and Dobby gulped nervously as they made a beeline for the carts while Dobby sent a note to the teller before anyone can line up.

Please tell Mr. Narvak that C. Potter is here to see him incognito.
I can see Ministry agents outside and inside the bank trying to
catch me and forcefully return me to Hogwarts when I am to meet
him in his office in secret.

Upon getting to the tunnels, the pair could relax.

'Phew! Bloody hell, Diagon Alley is out to catch me, there's even agents inside the lobby!' Carina swore irritably as they drove the cart with Dobby controlling it.

'We is OK Carina Potter!' said Dobby reassuringly. 'Nobody but us in here tunnels!'

'But just incase, keep up the invisibility and soundless magic on our cart so nobody hears us. There may be stakeouts in front of my Trust Vault.' Carina instructed. 'I know that's unlikely but still. We can only relax inside Narvak's Office.'

'Yes miss!'

Upon passing the 600th floor, Carina's eyes were on critical concentration.

Bloody hell, was that Hagrid and Mrs. Weasley in front of her Trust Vault?!

Upon driving past by to the 700th floor, Carina let out a string of angry swearwords.

So yes, Narvak can see how pissed off she is after she knocked politely and he let her in.

'Bloody hell, Hagrid and Mrs. Weasley are staking out my Trust Vault doors!' she snarled. 'They went that far! I can't believe this!' she shrieked, red-faced in rage.

'Is that so?'

'I thought of all possibilities in order not to get caught, even the most ridiculous ideas and one of them turned out to be bloody right sir.' Carina choked out, steaming in anger as she sat down on the nearest chair closest to her manager. 'I'm fucking caged in this country! No goddamn freedom at all! I hate them all!' she burst out in rage. 'What must I know about everything?' she asked him wearily.

'I'd say you're in for a long stay before you fly the coop, so to speak.' said Narvak wryly. 'And if you like, you can join me in lunch at the Goblin Cantinas.'

'...that would be nice.' Carina sighed. 'By the way, I didn't see any stalkers on this floor.'

'That would be because only wealthy clients and family members are allowed here and so far, there's only ten families on this floor.' said Narvak. 'So yes, its very free in here and three floors below is the Cantina. You need not worry about anyone from the Ministry here or some people you know trying to get you. Where do you want to start?'

'The wills.'

'Ahh yes, I have them ready.' Narvak took out two pieces of fancy parchment. 'Traditionally there will be a public will reading regarding beneficiaries involved, but that's up to you.'

'I want it private to me for now. And if one Peter Pettigrew is a beneficiary, I ban that fucking traitor from receiving even a single Knut from my parents. I'll explain while I read the public one.'

As her eyes read the public will, she told Narvak what happened a few months ago.

The beneficiaries are herself, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Neville Longbottom who is their Godson to her surprise. Not only that, there's also money for her maternal grandparents whom she never even met and freaking Petunia.

'So that's what's happened 13 years ago?'

'Yes.' said Carina, taking a swig of tea from Dobby, thanking her ever-prepared friend. 'Are my maternal grandparents still alive? I never met them, not even once.'

'Er yes, last I checked 13 years ago when Lily Potter made the will with your father, they were in their late 40s.' this caused Carina to swear. 'Right now, they should be 64 for your grandfather, and 66 for your grandmother. Still alive and springy, otherwise their names would blacken from the will.' Narvak explained. 'I have their address here.'

'...oh...just another thing denied to me I guess.' said Carina bitterly. 'Before I send them a shocking letter, I'll have Dobby secretly spike their food with as many health potions as possible just so they don't get Emergency Room-level shock after they read my letter in the future.' she then read the second will which was to her alone.

Dear Carina,

Its me, your mum. You know full well that your father and I
love you to bits. And if you're seeing this will, this means we
died to protect our darling star as its what 'Carina Estel' means.
I wrote this will without James knowing...and he probably died
never knowing that you are not really his daughter.

Carina choked on her own spit, Dobby raised up yet another warm tea, making Narvak raise an eyebrow.

Shocking right? Well, its brought on by wartime anxiety. There
was a time that James was out for too long with Sirius on wartime
missions and me, a wife fearing for the worst, went out to drink
in a bar in London out of fear. Its there I met your uhm, genetic
father. He's a doctor who's trying to be real smooth with the
ladies and a hopeless pervert and flirt. I ignored his dumb-assery
while I drank my fear off at the bar. Next thing I know, I woke
up naked on bed with said dumbass who's snoring too loud. I did
1+1 and I ran like hell after getting dressed, and took a long bath
back home. A month later, James came back, apparently stuck
in St. Mungo's for an injury that nearly killed him and Edgar Bones.
And during those four weeks, I missed my period. I took a muggle
test and bam. I'm pregnant with you.

James wanted er, 'comfort' as he has no telling when he could come
home to me again and if he could ever have a family. I agreed just
so I could hide the fact that I unwittingly cheated on him with an
idiot, but hey, I'm drunk, OK? And I can't bear to break James' heart.

And it so happens that James, due to pureblood inbreeding, has
severely-low fertility like his parents who had him waaaay late in
life, my in-laws were afraid they won't live to see a grandchild from
us, especially as Dragon Pox was a plague back then and children
and elderly are vulnerable to it. However, after days of constant
uhm...married-life 'fun', I told your father and his parents 'we got
lucky'. They were so happy that your paternal grandparents died
happy despite having Dragon Pox, dying days within of each other.

But the guilt killed me despite happy celebrations, and it was killing
me, which I hid with a smile. Because I lied to your father and your
grandparents who love you even while you're still inside me.
Because Sirius was made Godfather, Sirius was the one who named
you and stuck to Black Family Tradition. Carina is a constellation in
the Sky and also in Latin, means 'little darling' and Estel is 'star' in
french. When we made our public will, James left you everything.
When he got out on a job again, I made this letter for your eyes only.

Despite how you came to be, both your father and I love you.
And never get drunk all alone in a bar, OK? Don't be bad like mommy.
I left Narvak my memory of the man before I got drunk. And take this
secret with you to the grave. Because if anyone finds out you're not
a Potter, the Ministry will gleefully take everything of the Potters from
you and profit off it. It should be yours alone. Run like hell before this
gets out. And for the sake of your parents, be happy. Live happy.

Love,
Lily

Carina is deeply shaken by this revelation. She is not a half-blood, but Muggleborn like Hermione. 'Narvak...you knew this right?' she stammered out to Narvak.

'Long, long time ago.' Narvak confirmed to the shaken teenager. 'And through goblin technology, this is his face.' she was given a photo of a man with dark brown hair parted in the middle, wearing a white coat and casual outfit under it.

'The whole Gringotts knows that the Potter line is long dead long ago?'

'Yes. But we respect our client's wishes first and foremost regardless of facts.' said Narvak in a way that he sounded comforting as the girl burst into tears.

'Sniff...well, if this gets out I better make plans fast before I learn all I need to know about my...not-quite heritage.' Carina choked out as she felt like there's a lemon lodged in her throat. 'Narvak, please open up two new vaults in the most underground tunnels, and put my Trust Fund and Potter Fortunes and items there. Make it look like I drained it and ran off with it when in reality, the money is still here under your care.' she grinned deviously. To ensure nobody knows, make it a nameless vault that only the two of us can get into.'

'Very well. No goblin likes any attempt of stealing from others either anyway.' Narvak nodded.

'And is it possible for me to access my money here despite being in another country?'

'Yes, but with a fee charge due to money transfers.'

'I plan on going far away so I need to know locations of other branches worldwide and how to get there. That's all I need to know before I learn how to manage the Potter Estate and assets.'

And her lessons began, having to make several trips for it that lasted until Christmas, as she now took residence in a hotel in London, protected by Dobby who also subtly cares for her maternal grandparents before she could send them information about her.

She also didn't care much for the chaos she caused in her wake as 'it's none of her business'.