I don't own Harry Potter or Inuyasha!

Harry Potter

And

Dumbledor's Secret

Chapter 13

Lights flashed around her body as she made the jump and when she finally felt the ground once more beneath her feet, she climbed to the well's lip, and when she did not see the Marauders, her heart leapt in hope!

"It is good to see you well, Nightpaw," a centaur smiled grimly as he walked out of the shadows.

"Firenze!" Mary yelped happily and she ran to him, giving him a large hug, "You look older! How are you? How is my uncle? How is Hagrid? Is it still Harry's first year?"

"I am fine, as are both your uncle and Hagrid. It is still Harry's first year, but I am a bit surprised to see you back. It has been awhile…" Firenze sighed and hugged the young witch, "You have been crying."

"Some of my friends were killed while fighting a demon called Naraku," Mary buried her head into his chest.

"It is always sad to loose friends to death's waiting arms," Firenze sighed.

"I'll deal, I've dealt with death before," Mary sighed tiredly, but did not release the centaur from her hug.

"You need to get back to Hogwarts, the forest is not as safe as it was when you were last here," Firenze picked her up, and began to carry her off towards Hogwarts.

"Firenze, you're a great friend, but I can handle myself," Mary laughed.

"With your wand?" Firenze raised his eyebrows.

"Nope! With my miko powers," Mary whispered in his ear. "Plus, we're being surrounded."

"I know," Firenze sighed and placed her on his back so that he would not loose the young girl.

"I REALLY wish I had my bow and some arrows right now," Mary nearly hit herself on the head. "Crud! I forgot that I'm a witch! Acceio arrow quiver and bow!" A bow and a quiver full of arrows flew from the direction of the well, surprising Firenze.

"Nightpaw, what do you plan to do with that bow and quiver full of arrows?" Firenze frowned.

"Well, I plan on using a bit of my miko purification powers," Mary replied as she quickly strung the bow, and then began humming.

"And what will these purification powers do, exactly?" Firenze questioned her as the first spider stepped into their path. Mary pulled the arrow back and took aim, releasing the arrow just as the spider was about to jump. The spider disappeared in a flash of blue light. "Oh," Firenze blinked in surprise.

"Just keep going, I'll take care of the evil around us," Mary replied stubbornly as she fired another arrow into a snake that seemed to drop from the trees to take a bite out of Firenze's hindquarters as he ran towards Hogwarts. "Acceio arrows!"

"Nightpaw, are they gaining?" Firenze panted as he continued to run quickly.

"No, but they may be trying to lull us into a false sense of security," Mary replied calmly.

"Have you been in battles much?" Firenze gasped out as they neared the edge of the wood and sighted Hagrid's hut.

"If you count ancient demons from Japan, then yeah, I do have a lot of experience," Mary quickly placed her bow and quiver on her back, and wrapped her arms around Firenze's torso; holding on tightly as he jumped a felled log.

"Are you alright?" Firenze felt the sweat coming off of his body, and her arms tightly clasped around his human-like torso.

"Right as rain," Mary replied softly as Firenze slowed to a walk. "And my real name is Mary, Mary Stareye."

"It is nice to know you, Mary," Firenze grinned as he clopped up to Hagrid's door stoop and helped Mary get down from his back.

"I never did properly thank you for helping me, and now you've helped me again," Mary smiled up at the centaur. "Thank you, Firenze," Mary whispered, pulled him down to her level and kissed the centaur on the cheek. Firenze blushed in surprise.

"Who's out there?" a tall man appeared at the now open door and stared in surprise, "Lil' Mary! You're back!" Hagrid nearly crushed her into a hug.

"Hagrid, I do need to breathe!" Mary gasped, thankful that she had placed an unbreakable spell on her bow and quiver. Hagrid quickly released her.

"It's not been quite as exciting without you, but Harry and those other two have been getting into trouble," Hagrid sighed.

"Have you told them about Fluffy?" Mary stared right at the half giant, not caring that the centaur was standing right behind her.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" Hagrid frowned.

"Hagrid, where is Norbert?" Mary sighed tiredly.

"Norbert is inside me home," Hagrid blinked in surprise.

"Acceio Harry! Acceio Ron! Acceio Hermione! Acceio Harry's invisibility cloak!" Mary called as she quickly waved her wand. "Let's hope that Malfroy… Ugh! I hate that bloody, arrogant, two-faced, sniveling… Oh wait! That's Snivelus!"

"Mary, what are you going on about?" Hagrid frowned.

"Let's just say that I figured out why Snape hates me," Mary chuckled humorously.

"Snape hates you?" Hagrid blinked in confusion.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" three yells tore out of three throats, as three people appeared before Firenze, Hagrid, and Mary.

"Took you all long enough!" Mary smirked.

"Mary!" the three of them yelled happily and quickly surrounded her in hugs.

"Guys, you gonna let…" Mary yelped as the invisibility cloak flew over her.

"Mary, what are you doing with my cloak?" Harry frowned sternly.

"And where have you been?" Ron glared.

"Why did you leave? Are you alright?" Hermione fidgeted worriedly.

"Harry I'm sorry, but I'm gonna need to borrow it," Mary bit her lip nervously.

"As long as you don't ruin it or loose it," Harry sighed.

"I'm fine Hermione, and I left because Malfroy bloody well threw my mother's necklace into the forest!" Mary watched as Harry and Ron fought to control their anger, "Hermione, we REALLY need to talk to have a girl talk, after I speak with Uncle Alby."

"Uncle Alby?" the trio asked in unison.

"You three are as bad as four of my old… friends…" Mary felt her smile disappear.

"Your uncle is named Alby?" Ron looked at her with slight disgust.

"You are still on dangerous ground with me, Weasly!" Mary shot him a glare.

"What did I do?" Ron blinked in confusion.

"You're almost as bad as the rat-faced-fink," Mary hissed angrily at Ron.

"The WHO?!" Ron began to glare and growled, "Now hang on just a bloody minute!"

"Unless you want to apologize, I refuse to listen to anything that you have to say," Mary turned to a chortling Hagrid and a surprised Firenze. "Thank you both for your help. Oh, and Hagrid, send Norbert to Charlie Weasly in Romania. He'll like it there, and maybe Charlie will let you visit him. Harry, Hermione, I'm going to go see my uncle. I'll speak with you both later?"

"Of course," Harry replied a bit confused at why Mary was so ticked off at Ron.

"But what did I do?!" Ron yelled irritably.

"I'll return your cloak in the morning, and watch out for peroxide-headed ferrets!" Mary called over her shoulder as she threw on the invisibility cloak and hurried to the headmaster's office. "Lemon tart! Pumpernickel! Lambas!"

"Lambas?" an old voice chortled behind her.

"It's elvish way-bread, uncle," Mary turned to face Dumbledore.

"The correct password is trickle-tarts," Albus chuckled. "I will have to remember what lambas is."