Do The forest was quiet, except for her shallow breath. Her wand was in her hand, and her heart in her throat. She wanted to look back, but she knew she couldn't. Look back and you're dead. Think about it, and you're dead. But, if she did look back, she would see her father standing in the middle of the death eaters. She would see her foster parents. She would see the woman who used the Cruciatus curse on her so many times. She would see them all waiting for her to make a move. I could just run. She thought in despair. But she knew better. She couldn't. The Dark Lord would kill her in a second. No one runs from him. No one fails him. She closed her eyes and took a step forward. She entered deeper into the forest, searching for the boy who lived.

"Oh, Harry." She whispered. "Please don't be here. Please don't play the hero again."

She could hear the fight, even though it was muffled by all the trees around her. Bree couldn't help but think that she could've stopped this. Maybe if she didn't do all those things back in her fourth year. She shook the thought the moment it hit her. It was done. She couldn't change that. She did because she had too. She was scared, and all that she wanted was to survive. Survival. When it comes down to it, that's the reason she does everything. She was supposed to be brave. She's a Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake! Of course, she had always considered that the Sorting Hat put her in the wrong house.

Bree stopped still watching the boy, or man, in front of her. He seemed to have aged years. She remembered the first time she really talked to him for more than 5 minutes. 4 years ago, when they were the only students from the 3rd year in the castle. He was just a kid, like her at the time. They had absolutely no idea of what would happen to them, to the wizard community, to everything.

"I see you've changed sides." He said, his voice cracking at the last word.

The sun was high in the sky, and there were no clouds. Bree was already wearing her uniform. She hated the thought of changing clothes in the train. She was standing far from the Malfoy kid, even though they had got there together. Not that anyone needed to know that, of course. She looked around. She was still at the muggle part of King Cross. There were a lot of people. Some were going travelling, but not many. There were students going to their private schools, and parents waving them goodbye. There were little kids terrified of leaving their parents for months, and some teary-eyed mothers hugging these kids. They were couples hugging and kissing, some of them saying hello, and others saying see you soon. It was a whole mix of feelings. Everyone there had their story. Going from light-hearted stories to heart-breaking tales. No one could imagine that the 14-years-old teenager standing in the middle of the crowd would have such a tortured soul.

She kept her distance, and a few moments after Malfoy went to the platform 9 ¾, she followed him, pushing her baggage in front of her. The noise stopped for a moment, and then it came back, even louder. This time, there was owls complaining, parents giving their children tips, teenagers finding each other and hugging, anxious whisper from the first years and of course, the whistle of the train, that was getting ready to leave. It sounded like home. It felt like home. She scanned the place in the search of her friends. The word still seemed a bit wrong in her lips. Three years ago, she didn't really have any friend, or anyone, for that matter. She took a deep breath, and smiled lightly. She was friends with Harry Potter. Oh, if her father was alive he would most definitely kill her. Of course, her other friends weren't exactly what the Dark Lord would call appropriate. Three of them were blood traitors, and the other one a muggle-born.

Bree Johnson never stood out. She was a tall girl, and extremely pale. Her hair was of the purest black, and her eyes where a beautiful mix of green and brown. Her outsides were completely ordinary. Some boys liked her, and some boys didn't. Some girls were jealous of her weight, or of the color of her hair, but most of girls didn't even bother to think of her as a threat. Of course, people knew her. She made part of many pranks with Fred and George, but she was always the side-kick. People never gave her credit, but they most certainly knew the younger girl who walked with those two boys. But she knew that if everyone found out the true about her family, she would never be left alone. Bree Riddle. Just the thought of people knowing terrified her. Having to sign the papers or the test with that last name. She knew that some students would appraise her. They would cherish her. "The daughter of the Dark Lord himself? It's such an honor!" She shivered at the thought of her surrounded by all Malfoy's friends, treating her like she was some kind of authority. But there would be many - and she believed - most of her house, that would be disgusted. Especially, her friends. She couldn't bare the idea of her friends leaving her because of her last name. And they would. How could they not? She was the daughter of the person who murdered Harry's parents; Bree knew that if it was her in his shoes, she wouldn't be able to be in the same room as this person. She closed her eyes. Thinking about it, wouldn't help. It wasn't going to happen. She would make sure of it.

"Bree!" Said a known voice behind her.

"It's been a long time." Another replied. She looked at her two best – and first – friends and smiled at them.

"Hello, there." She replied, taking a good look at them. They've grown a little bit, but they were still the same. Tall, red hair, freckles and that sly grin, both of them. She dropped her trunk and hugged the two boys. "I've missed you both. Now hit me." They raised an eyebrow to her." I mean, about the cup. Couldn't hear any of it at home."

"Which we invited you. And you didn't go." George said. She grimaced at him.

"Sorry. I explained in the letter. Just couldn't make it." Even though all the Malfoy's would be there too, Bree couldn't just flee from home. She felt like she was the only kid in Hogwarts who didn't make it to the cup. Not that she didn't try to, but she was asking way too much. It was a big deal at the Malfoy's house let her have a good time with her friends. And it was a even bigger deal take her in a father-and-son outing.

"Well, obviously, we won!" Said Fred.

"Obviously." Agreed Bree, smiling at his excitement.

"You don't say we. We're not Ireland. We're England." Corrected George, rolling his eyes.

"No one asked for your opinion, brother. Anyway, it was awesome. And Ron was being a bitch."

"Krum's bitch, if you want something more specific."

"Well, you can possibly deny that Krum is hot." Replied Bree, gathering her trunk and climbing into the train. "Wish I could see that pumpkin pie in front of me." She joked.

"For God's sakes, Bree!" exclaimed Fred, with mocked disgust. "Holidays certainly don't make good to you."

"Okay, sorry." She replied. "Look, there's our golden trio."

Hermione quickly stepped in front of the two boys to hug her. They've became really close in the last year. Probably because, even though Hermione wouldn't admit it, she was starting to have feelings for Ron. They've talked a lot. Neither of them was very close to the girls of their year or dormitory, but now it was different. They had each other. It felt so much nicer to climb up the stairs knowing that you won't be completely alone in a room full of stupid teenager girls. When Hermione let her go, Bree hugged Ron and Harry, exchanging quick hellos and "how was your vacation?"s. Hermione opened the door of the compartment and sat down by the window, Ron followed sitting in front of her, and Harry sat beside him.

"How about you two? Staying?" asked Bree to the twins.

"Nope. Sorry, champs." She raised an eyebrow at the nickname Fred gave her.

"You know, people to see, places to go… We'll see you at dinner." Said George, saluting her.

"Right. And I want news about… those things." Their smiles faded, and Bree frowned. "What happened?"

"We're having some problems." Said George. "Nothing we can't solve." He assured.

"You guys gotta tell me about that later. Deal?"

"Deal, honey." Replied Fred, blinking an eye at her. They both turned in their heels and left, probably looking for their friend Lee. Bree entered the compartment and looked through the window. The train was already moving, and now they were crossing miles and miles of trees, grass, little farms and small groups of stock animals. The sun was still occupying a place of honor in the sky, and she knew that it was about noon.

"What are you guys talking about?" Bree asked, once she had fixed her trunk and sat down beside Hermione.

"Voldemort." Said Harry casually. The reactions were usually the same. Hermione and Ron gasped, and all the color from Bree's face disappeared. Of course, the former happens because they were scared of You-Know-Who. Bree was scared that even the subject of her father could cause her friends finding it out.

"What about him?" She asked, anxiously passing her hand in her hair, tossing it.

"Didn't you read the papers?" asked Hermione. "The Dark mark, in the sky!"

Bree was worried, but not worried about something like that. Her eyes got wide.

"What? " She whispered. "Does it mean he's back?"

"Well, it was his mark." Said Ron.

"Of course he's not back!" exclaimed Hermione. "I mean, he's dead. Harry killed him. Twice."

"I didn't kill him. He wasn't really alive, and in the first time I didn't do anything!"

"You two saw the death eaters. It was them. They were just fooling around, trying to have some fun."

"If you call fun what they were doing." Whispered Ron.

"What were they doing?"

"Traumatizing some muggles. Lifting them on the sky and things like that. Of course, we erased their memories, but still. They might be afraid of heights now." Replied Ron, seriously. "You know what, I bet it was Malfoy under one of those masks."

"Did he see you?" asked Bree, suddenly worried.

"What does it matters?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow. Bree stopped for a moment, thinking of an answer. None seemed fit.

"It doesn't, I was just curious. What else happened?"

"Besides all of this? Nothing, really."

"I don't think Voldemort is back." Harry said to himself.

"Why is that?" Ron asked. "He could be. He's weak, he could be hiding."

"Ronald, if he was hiding, why would him make the dark mark appear in the middle of one of the most important events of the wizard world?" asked Hermione, skeptical. "I think" She continued. "that it was some bored ex-death eaters. I mean, Harry was right under his nose, alone in the middle of the forest."

"We were with him!" exclaimed Ron, lifting a bit in his sit.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry Ronald. Of course we could beat You-Know-Who, you know, he never had to defeat three teenagers, one of them without his wand!"

"Harry lost his wand?" asked Bree, but no one cared to answer her.

"You-Know-Who could've killed him right in the spot. Why wouldn't he? The place was a mess. People were running and screaming and he could easily kill Harry and apparate somewhere else."

"You sound like a cereal killer." Said Ron. Harry tried to hold his laughter, and it ended up on little coughs, Bree followed him and faked a laugh too. After all, she was supposed to be a muggle-born. Even though she couldn't understand why muggles didn't say murderer.

"It is serial!" corrected Hermione, rolling her eyes in exasperation, but with a smile playing on his lips.

"Well, it's much easier to say murderer." Said Ron, putting the thoughts of Bree into words. The conversation lighten up after this. They bought some candies, and the rest of the trip went with no higher points. Bree eventually fell asleep, with her head on Hermione's shoulder. Someway along the ride, Hermione shifted and Bree's head rested on her lap. She could still hear mumbles and laughter, but they were muffled by her sleep.

"Bree, we're here." Said Hermione, poking her in the shoulder. "C'mon, we need to get a carriage before all of them are full. I really don't feel like walking."

"You go, I'll stay here and sleep." She mumbled. Hermione rolled her eyes at the girl in her lap, and got up, pushing her slightly.

"C'mon, it's going to be food. You love food."

"Everybody loves food." Bree replied, but sat down, and quickly started the mission of making her hair acceptable again. "Okay, let's go." She said, rising. "Where are the boys?"

"They've already gone to take a carriage. I just said that to get you up." Hermione said, getting her trunk and leaving the compartment. Bree stared at her, but got her trunk and followed. The moment she stepped out of the train, she wasn't sleepy anymore. There it was. The first place she felt at home. The castle was still a bit distant, but it was big, warm, welcoming, filling the whole place, a completely breath-taking view. She couldn't help but smile at the sight. Bree looked down to the carriages, and spotted one with Harry and Ron talking inside it, with the door open. She started to walk, with Hermione following her. They both sat inside, and then Hermione proceeded to close the door.

"No!" Complained Harry, who was busy staring at Cho Chang, the asian girl from Ravenclaw, that was a year ahead of them.

"Eyes front, soldier." Teased Bree, and then Hermione closed the door. "You can be a stalker in the castle, yes?"

"I'm not a stalker." He mumbled, blushing. Bree smiled, but her thoughts were everything but happy. Dark times were coming, and even though she tried to deny that, she knew it was true. She just wanted to freeze time for a minute, and keep things the way they were. The thought of having to deal with a war where she didn't know which side she would be was scary. She just wanted to be a teenager and enjoy it.