Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading my story. Here's the second chapter, sorry it's short but we get into all the good stuff after this. It's not necessarily a filler but I wanted to give you guys something :)
Previously on The Good Thing that Hurts: Immediately the order jumped into action. "Someone owl Dumbledore." Remus ordered firmly. His eyes reflected the fear and worry he was feeling, even if his face was stony.
A huge light and a bang sounded and suddenly Maria and Harry tumbled onto the floor. Maria jumped up immediately and drew her wand from its holster on her ankle. Her eyes moved around the room searching for threats. It seemed to take forever but probably in fact took seconds.
Suddenly someone shot a curse at them and Maria whirled around brandishing her wand putting up a shield. "That the best you can do?" She growled.
Another curse came shooting at her followed by three more spells. Maria ducked and rolled out of the way of two and blocked the third. Harry sat up groggily. "Wha-whas goin on?"
"Watch out!" Maria shrieked diving on top of him as another curse flew his way. She and Harry ran behind a long table and flipped it to use as a barrier, scattering food everywhere. The people sitting there screamed and ran away. Some people stayed and began fighting back. They crouched behind the table breathing heavily.
"What the hell!" Harry whispered furiously.
"I don't know!" Maria shot back shooting various curses over the table to the people attacking them.
In the midst of the battle the two of them stared at each other. "You ready?" Harry asked.
"I always am." Maria replied, smiling a crooked half smile.
They nodded at each other and ran out from behind the table shooting stunning spells. They fought like a well oiled machine, each knowing exactly what the other was going to do before they did it. People went down like flies as they made their way to the doors. Suddenly a familiar red curse flew at Harry.
"HARRY MOVE!" Maria shrieked. She leapt in front of him, shoving him out of the way. The pain was unbearable. She could hear someone screaming in the distance, maybe it was her. Her body writhed as she felt the dull stabbing pain seeping into her body with a vengeance. Harry lost it. He shot off every curse that came to mind and fought like a demon, trying to find the one inflicting the curse.
"You!" He shouted as he saw the man casting the curse. Harry ran at him but in his anger didn't see the petrifying curse being shot at him from behind. He fell to the floor and lost his wand.
Gritting her teeth Maria shakily stood up. She fell to her knees, and gasping in pain she crawled over to Harry. She looked up at the man who cast the curse. "Go to hell!" She spat.
A man with a long white beard walked over to her holding both their wands. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" He demanded.
Maria glared at him. "I don't know what sick trick this is but I know you aren't Dumbledore and this isn't Hogwarts, so kindly fuck off!"
He looked startled before stiffening. "This is Albus Dumbledore and you and your companion are trespassing. How did you get here?" He replied testily.
Compression dawned in Maria's eyes as she gazed up at him. "You think you can trick me Tom?" She snarled. "This is fake, you will never be able to get Harry. I will always be there to stop you. Fuck off." She spat at his feet.
The people in the hall gasped. Dumbledore's gaze faltered and he looked in wonder down at Maria. "How do-"
"I know a lot of things Baldynonose," she paused shakily pulling herself to her feet. "Like how much this is gonna hurt you." With that she punched him right in the face.
Dumbledore stumbled back dropping their wands and the hall immediately jumped to action. Maria barley had time to throw up the shield and block Harry before they began shooting curses at her. "Stop!" Dumbledore shouted. The spells slowly came to a stop, as people lowered their wands carefully.
Maria glared up at Dumbledore. "What you wanna play a little first? Come on Voldemort, you know as well as I do that all your monologging only leads to Harry and I kicking your sorry ass." She growled.
"I am not Voldemort." Dumbledore responded evenly.
"Wow yeah no totally, I definitely believe you." She replied, her voice dripping in sarcasm. She discreetly shot the counter curse at Harry and rolled him his wand. "I don't care what you offer me, what you threaten, how many times you try to kill me, I will always kick your ass. You made a huge mistake buddy, you went after my friends and family, and that made me only want to fight against you harder! I'm the fucking Slytherin Princess and I'll do as I like, including but not limited to, kicking your sorry ass back to the hovel you came from." She held her wand menacingly, assessing their reactions.
"I promise you, I am not Voldemort." Dumbledore repeated calmly. His blue eyes twinkling with curiosity at the sight before him.
Maria growled exasperatedly. "Goddammit, give it up already you aren't tricking us into think you're Dumbledore."
Harry stood next to her, glaring at him. "Wow, this has got to be your best performance yet."
Dumbldore sighed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "What will it take for you to believe me?"
Harry and Maria exchanged a glance. Harry nodded and smiled a little half smile at her and turned to face Dumbledore. "Tell us something only Dumbledore would know."
"Nothing of public knowledge." Maria added hastily. "That means no dragon blood uses, battleing Grimuald, sorcerers stone, or Nicholas Flammel. Make it something good."
Dumbledore recoiled a bit at her harsh tone. "How do you?"
Maria huffed and interrupted him angrily raising her wand. "This again, look you know the perimeters now prove you're Dumbledore."
Harry muttered an incantation and flicked his wand at Dumbledore. A pale blue light washed over the man, then disappeared. The crowd of people immediately raised their wands prepared to attack but Dumbledore raised his hand. "This is a truth spell is it not?" He asked calmly.
Harry nodded. "We are gonna ask you questions since you have been too slow to prove yourself and we don't have time for lies. If you speak anything but the truth then you will glow red and receive a shock equivalent to being tasered."
Dumbledore's eyes widened a bit at this. Maria saw his look of hesitance and jumped into questioning immediately. "First, don't bother trying to remove it as only Harry and I can. Second, Who did James Potter leave as his secret keeper?"
"Why would I know that?" Dumbledore asked. "I don't know."
He wasn't shocked. Maria turned quizzically to Harry. He shrugged looking equally confused. "What the hell?" he whispered. Raising his voice he addressed Dumbledore once more. "You mean to tell me you don't know who James Potter is?"
Dumbledore looked even more confused. "No James Potter is a student of mine, but why would I know his secret keeper?"
Maria frowned, her mind racing. Once more she assessed the room, focusing specifically on the people in it. "No… it couldn't… fuck." She thought exasperatedly. "Motherfucker." She exclaimed.