I couldn't quite tell what had taken over us—maybe this certain fear that a scream like that could have been from a friend— but we'd quickly climbed up the stone stairwell. Once we'd reached the arched entryway, my lungs were winded and my eyes blurred a bit out of exhaustion and the sudden change of the light from the dark boathouse to the fairly lit courtyard.

I'd lightly bumped into Regulus because he'd held one arm back to hold one of my shoulders. "What is it?" I was panting and large puffs were forming around my mouth from the cold.

The boy was silent, only starring out towards the direction of the figure that stood near one of the lamp posts. I wanted to figure out who it was but my eyes had immediately caught onto the other figure on the floor. My stomach twisted; there, on the snowy floor, was an unconscious girl; her face horror stricken and her eyes were wide with terror.

I knew this girl, she was from James' year, I think, possibly, one of Lily's friends… Mary, Mary MacDonald.

"What have you done?" I couldn't help mutter through my covered mouth at the figure who'd quickly escaped from the scene, but before they had, they'd ran under the dim light of the lamp post to reveal themselves to me.

"Mu-"

"Murderer!" suddenly a crowd had started to form and a girl from my year had pointed out to Regulus, screaming, interrupting me.

I grasped Regulus' shoulder, pushing him away to my side. "No, he didn't do anything. It was-" Regulus grasped my shoulder tighter, making me stop "… it was—" I tried to make her understand but there was just too many other students walking into the scene for me stop the rumors that were quickly spreading.

"Step aside!" the sea of students parted for Randletop and McGonagall. Spout surfaced as well and quickly took a hold of Mary. I watched the professor from the corner of my eye telling McGonagall that she was still alive but my attention was grabbed by my brother, Lily and the others making their way to the front of the crowd of students.

"Eli?" my brother mouthed astonished trying to understand what was going on.

"Where are the prefects?" McGonagall, in her initiative manner, waved for the four prefects "Where are they?"

In all the commotion and chaos, Dumbledore had appeared and stood tall, finishing McGonagall's order to escort the students back to their dormitories. He'd silenced the space instantly and, forced every one to avert their eyes and go about regular business.

Reluctantly, they'd started to file out and I wanted to leave as well when I noticed Regulus starting to head with his house but Randletop had quickly halted us. "You two!"

Behind the professor I saw McGonagall and Slughorn helping Sprout carry Mary inside.

"I thought my detentions would have-" he whispered harshly, waving a firm finger to us but Dumbledore had strolled up beside me "I will handle the students, Ocot, please assist Pomona, if you can"

Randletop's eyes which had been piercing the flesh on our faces had quickly darted away and he sighed, nodding to the Headmaster's request.

"Headmaster, Regulus didn't do it," I tried to watch the old man's eyes but they were focused elsewhere as he slowly raised his hand to stop me "No, no. I am not labeling you two as the suspects, but I'd like a word with the two of you in my office, perhaps?" his blue eyes finally met with Regulus' before he'd looked away silently to mine, to which I twitched in the inside because of how uncommonly honest yet questioning they were.

I was worried about my brother and the others; I was afraid of how all of them had perceived the scene: with my appearance such a mess and the two of us standing over Mary's unconscious form.
"Had you two seen anything?"
Dumbledore stood aside his desk, gingerly touching one of the gilded figurines with one hand had while the other was tucked behind his back.
Regulus and I watched our headmaster turning his back to us as he moved onto the bookcase behind his desk
"I..." I looked over at Regulus, who'd slowly met my gaze. He was hiding the fact that he, too, knew who had cursed Mary. I wasn't an idiot, it was clear from his face he'd also seen who had passed underneath the lamp post and he didn't want me, either, to blurt out who we'd saw.
Dumbledore had caught the lingering hesitance in my voice.
"Yes, Miss Potter?"
I tore my eyes away from Regulus to Dumbledore "I-I mean we'd stumbled upon the scene like any other student after that cry. We just happened to be the first to respond"
"I see" he uttered and I nodded to him while he finally turned to face the two of us
Regulus accidentally knocked his hand to mine which made me, in response to Dumbledore, awkwardly grin to the headmaster. I probably seemed quit more suspicious then I already had been.
"Alright then" the headmaster folded both hands behind him "you may leave"

I let go of the breath, nevertheless, I'd been holding. I was surprised he hadn't pressed either of us any further.

The two of us had made it over the wall lined with the portrait of the old headmasters and headmistresses, fast asleep. Regulus had gained in pace and quickly tried to leave, giving Dumbledore a chance to call out to me without him noticing.

"Elise, my dear?"

I watched the back of Regulus' dark haired head slip out of the door, without a last a glance towards me or a notice to Dumbledore.

"Yes, Headmaster?" I closed my eyes, crunching up like a ball in the inside.

I refused to turn around for a moment but then felt obligated, for it was rude to have my back to turned to the Headmaster.

"I've heard quite a lot of you from Professor Flitwick"

I wasn't expecting the smug and light hearted smile on his face when I'd turned around.

I blushed a little, "Oh…well…good news, I hope"

"Of course, of course" he nodded his head and I took a few steps closer to Dumbledore, who was, now, retiring to his chair. "I've heard your marks quite exceed above any other student in Charms"

"Professor Flitwick is an excellent professor; you should credit him for teaching me so well"

The headmaster chuckled, nodding his head almost glancing over at the sorting hat, sleeping almost near a comatose state on one of book cases. "you will be considering, I hope Head Girl for your year?"

I giggled from the flattery "There is still time for that, I need to become a Prefect before I can even consider that" I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Well then I hope you will thoughtfully consider Flitwick's offer for Prefect next year"

I looked up, excited, "Professor Flitwick, will?..." my sentence trailed because of the good news and how humbly Dumbledore was trying to make it seem that he'd accidentally slipped out this bit of information.

There was a period of settled happiness, before it had occurred to me that maybe I should confess to Dumbledore who I'd seen. I shuffled in place before just disregarding any other thoughts and going for it.

"Headmaster?"

"Yes?"

"Well you see..." I rubbed the corner of my eye only because I wanted create an excuse to look away from his overbearing gaze and presence. "I did see someone…"

I waited for him to ask another question in response but the Headmaster only silently nodded for me to continue.

"…I'm not sure really who…. I think it was a boy, Mulciber" I slightly shrugged. "Do you think it was him?"

"We cannot jump to a conclusion so hastily" he nodded and eyed me "What a person might appear on the outside to others might be quite different then what they truly are in the inside."

His response was loaded and had that quality of hitting me directly in my chest.

"Elise, there is not a great partition of good and evil on the world. We all have both qualities inside of us; it is just the path we choose to act upon which defines us"

I felt something warm in my eyes.

"…Do you understand?"

I stood there, watching Dumbledore let out a small cheery grin of hope. At times like these I always wondered if he'd ever conjured up the ability to look into one's core and extract the perfect words to advice to him or her.

I let out a faint smile; my eyes transfixed on my dirt stained and wet shoes, "Headmaster?" I spoke low.

"Yes?"

"It wasn't Regulus"

Dumbledore's face softened and he bowed his head with closed eyes. He understood and I only knew so because I saw that small grin in his lips again. "Goodnight, Miss Potter"

I nodded and started to make my way for the door" Goodnight, Professor"