Mary Macdonald stood in front of the mirror, a frown evident on her face as she pressed her skirt down with her sweaty palms.

"Do you think it's too much?" she anxiously asked. Lily Evans' beaming face shone into the mirror from behind her nervous friend.

"You look lush, Mary! I've told you before that a little mascara here and a little lip gloss there and you're a walking bombshell! Sirius Black won't even know what's hit him!" said Lily with a firm nod. Mary smiled fondly at her friend's reflection before spinning around a nod nodding. She grabbed her school bag and held out an arm.

"May I have the pleasure of walking you to breakfast, Lady Evans?" Lily let out an unattractive giggle snort and bowed.

"Oh, why of course! How chivalrous of you!" The two girls made their way downstairs arm in arm, with Marry stiffening more and more as she reached the last step, her eyes searching for a particular head of black hair. She jumped and yelped as she felt a pinch on her arm. "Stop worrying! He's finally noticed you, yeah? After how cozy you two were last night, I doubt he'll even be able to keep his hands off of you!" said Lily with a suggestive wink as she dragged a smiling Mary out of the common room. Mary couldn't help but think back to the previous night in question where Sirius and herself had retreatd to a corner of the common room. She'd been beside herself with joy as the boy she'd crushed on for over two years started flirting with her. And when he kissed her… oh! Mary felt herself warming up just thinking of his lips on her own, his lips on her cheeks, his lips on her neck…

As the two girls reached the entrance hall, Mar frowned as the Marauders - nor Sirius - were in sight. The two girls sat down with Alice Stone and Marlene McKinnon.

"Sirius will faint when he sees yeh," said Marlene with a wink, biting into her pancakes. Mary blushed and shook her head.

"Speak of the devil and he shall arrive!" whispered Alice loudly. Mary could have given herself whiplash at how quickly she turned her head to the entrance. Sure enough, the Marauders were walking to the Gryffindor sleepily. James spotted them - much to Lily's disappointment if her groan was anything to go by - and sat with them. Mary wiped her palms on her skirt and grabbed a piece of toast, giving her giggling friends a dirty look. Sirius sat opposite of her, while Remus sat next to her, Peter next to him, and James on Sirius' other side.

"Morning girls!" said James brightly. The girls chirped back their hello's - all save for Lily who blatantly ignored the bespectacled boy. Lily nudged Mary harshly causing the girl to hiss and give a look to her feisty friend. Lily nodded encouragingly towards Sirius. She caught the eye of Alice, who winked at her, and Marlene, who gave her a thumbs up. Mary turned to the boy in front, only to be met with Sirius' steely gaze.

"Can you pass the butter, Molly?"

Everyone at the table froze.

Mary's own eyes widened in hurt. She stopped thinking, breathing, and rose up out of her seat without hesitation, grabbing her bag and escaping the Great Hall as quickly as she could. She sucked in a deep breath, refusing to cry about it as she wiped the lip gloss off her lips with the back of her hand. She headed towards the dungeons, deciding Slughorn wouldn't berate her for being early to Potions.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Mary Mac. Are you lost mudblood?" Mary froze as she was face to face with Severus Snape, Judas Avery, Ezra Yaxley, and Darius Mulciber. Mary grabbed her wand but was met with laughter.

"Aw, look, the mudblood bitch thinks she's strong enough to take us all on…" Judas teased with a smirk.

"I'm just going to Potions," said Mary in an uncharacteristically firm voice.

"You don't have the right to practice potions, you filthy bitch," spat Yaxley as he eyed her with disgust.

"I was born with magic just like you," retorted Mary quickly, silently praying for a professor to walk by… or any one of her friends. Surely they should have followed her in the wake of such an embarrassing and horrifying situation as she would have - as she has done - for them, right?

"How dare you compare yourself - " roared Yaxley, causing Mary to take a fearful step back, but Darius Mulciber stopped him.

"Ezra, please. I believe I have the perfect solution that will solve everyone's problems," said Mulciber giddily. He looked to Mary and she couldn't help but shiver involuntarily at his gleeful stare. "You see there's this spell I've been meaning to practice…" Mary gripped her wand and raised it to throw up a shield charm, but Mulciber was quicker.

"Imperio!"

Mary froze. A cooling sensation fell upon her, chilling her to the core. Her mind stopped and she instantly blanked. In the very back of her mind, she could feel a small sense of self… and she was terrified.

Good girl, an unfamiliar voice purred throughout her head, echoing slightly. Snap your wand in half… because you do not deserve one, right? Mary wanted to scream as she watched herself snap her own wand in half. Laughter met her ears, but she stared on blankly.

Now, I want you to finish the job. Go to the nearest bathroom and cut yourself all over until every last drop of your filthy blood drains into the sewers where it belongs.

Marry suddenly found herself walking away. She willed herself to stop, but it was no use. She was walking to her death.

"What did you do?" asked Snape.

"Oh you know… exterminating."

Mary opened the door to the first floor bathroom. With strength she never knew she had, she broke off a piece of metal pipe from beneath the sink. She sat down on the floor and began to scrape the sharp, rusted pipe against her flesh. All over her arms and legs. There was no pattern, just blind destruction. She pleaded and begged herself from within the depths of her mind, but it was to no use. She was too deep within the spell that she did not even hear the door open.


"…Do you have a heart at all?!" shrieked Lily as she continued to berate Sirius Black, who was beginning to look more and more like a kicked puppy. He opened his mouth but Lily silenced him with a glare. "Did I sound done to - " Before she could finish her sentence, however, a bloodcurdling scream tore through Hogwarts. Everyone froze in fear. The professors sprang into action, McGonagall quickly fleeing the hall. The sixth year Gryffindors found themselves standing up, in spite of their fears. Professor Flitwick stood up at the entrance, flanked by Professor Sinistra and Professor Slughorn.

"No one is to leave until we are given an all clear," said Flitwick as he began to put up safety wards. Lily collapsed back into the bench, tight-lipped and pale-faced. She didn't even respond to James Potter put an arm around her shoulders, whispering into her ear, "It's okay. Everything will be okay."


Minerva McGonagall found herself running to the direction of the scream as others followed quickly. She stopped and heard more cries of help, following them to the girls lavatory. She burst in, wand outstretched and gasping at the sight in front of her. Mary Macdonald was sitting in a pool of water and blood, maniacally fighting against Dorcas Meadowes who trying to pull away a stick of metal from the other girls' hand.

"She won't stop!" sobbed Dorcas in a panic.

"FINITE," boomed Dumbledore's voice. McGonagall jumped and Mary Macdonald instantly dropped the pipe, swaying back and forth confusedly. Dorcas stared wide-eyed in fear. Mary looked down at her skin, completely covered in scars and began to shake and sob violently.

"Oh my god… oh my god…" was all she managed to get out. Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes blazed as he sent a patronus to Madame Pomfrey to expect an emergency. He turned to Dorcas, eyes softening as they landed on the panicking girl.

"Thank you, Miss Meadowes, for your sheer show of bravery. 50 points to Hufflepuff. If Pomona could direct you back to the common room perhaps. We must take Miss Macdonald to the wing at once. Mary, I must put you under or you might cause internal bleeding by your shaking," said Dumbledore in a calm voice. Just then, Mary Macdonald let out a shudder, slipped into darkness, and moved no more.


The next morning, the Great Hall was in a state of frenzy. No one knew what had happened yesterday and the teachers had not said anything either. With exams coming up in mere days, it seemed as though every students' stress levels increased tenfold. The sixth year Gryffindor girls looked blankly at their empty plates of food. Mary Macdonald had not returned to the dorms last night.

The Marauders had taken to sit themselves next to the girls, as if forming a protective wall around them. Dumbledore cleared his throat and the students looked up hungrily, waiting for Dumbledore to quench their wish for the truth. He placed both his hands on his podium and sighed softly to himself before speaking.

"I apologize to you all for not coming to you sooner. I know you are all worried about yesterday morning's events, alas, many courses of action prevented me from discoursing your anxieties any earlier than now," Dumbledore paused and cleared his throat. "Mary Macdonald -" At this point, Lily's face fell into her hands and her body shuddered with a sob. " - was attacked in the corridors. It is believed the Imperious curse was used." He paused and watched in woe as horror filled the faces of the young students in front of him. "Luckily, another student happened to pass by, which was the source of the scream yesterday." Dumbledore didn't linger on the fact that Dorcas Meadowes was staring at the table in front of her with a blank expression. "Mary Macdonald was taken to the Hospital Wing where Madame Pomfrey believes she'll make a full recovery. Unfortunately, Miss Macdonald was taken home and will not be joining us for the last two weeks of this school year. I implore anyone who has information to step forward now before the consequences of these actions become greater," said Dumbledore slowly, eyeing the hall through angry eyes. When no one spoke he nodded. "Very well. Until we find out what exactly happened, no one is allowed to leave their common rooms without an assigned partner and curfew has been pulled back to 7 PM." Some of the students groaned but Dumbledore held up a palm.

"It deeply saddens me that students can do this to one another." He lifted a hand away from the podium and towards a candle that floated near him. With a quick wave over it, the flame disappeared beneath his palm… and, as he pushed his hand back, fire appeared once more. "Think of the choices you make carefully, because in the very end of it all, the future before us does not rest on the events to come, but on our decisions, on the paths we take, on the fates we have together. The future before us all does not rest on what will happen next… but, on what we choose to do about it."


A/N: Don't look at me I have no self control

YES YES another story stop giving me those looks! But it's vacation! Anyway, hope you enjoy! And don't worry, this is not the end of the story... just the beginning! ;)