The next day was Saturday. Every third year and above was in a rush to finish with breakfast so they could get down to Hogsmead with their dates or friends. Everyone, that was, except for Zoe. She hadn't slept the night before, not that it was a surprise, and now she was irritable.

She had just stood to head to the common room, when Professor McGonagall walked up to her. "Headmaster Dumbledore wishes to speak to you in his office dear." She said, a bit of sympathy in her gaze. The older woman leaned forward so only Zoe could hear the next bit. "The password is Fairy Dust, and I'd advise you to brace yourself." And with that the woman walked off.

The boys looked at Zoe strangely, but she merely shrugged and headed for the Headmaster's office.

She quickly reached the gargoyle and whispered the password. She'd ridden up the moving stairs and now stood outside the Headmaster's office, silently debating on whether she'd go inside or not. Her choice was taken when the door swung inwards.

"Come in my dear." She heard Dumbledore's voice inside.

Zoe walked inside and seated herself on a chair, unsure what was going on, but refusing to ask.

"I'm guessing you're wondering why you're here." Dumbledore said.

Zoe nodded, but kept silent.

"I've noticed you're... problems with the Slytherin." He explained, but held up a hand when she began to speak up. "I already know you will not say anything, and I do not ask you too. There are some things we must do on our own, and even though help is offered, we will never take it."

Zoe bit her lip at his words.

"How much do you know about why they continue to dog your steps?" Dumbledore asked.

Zoe shrugged. "They know of my mother, and I'm assuming their parent's told them to get to know me." She answered.

Dumbledore nodded. "This may be true, but it's not only because of who your mother is."

Zoe's eyebrows creased in confusion.

Dumbledore smiled, but quickly sobered. "How much do you know about prophecies?" He asked.

Zoe shrugged. "A Seer sees something of significant, and then she reports it. It's kept in a special sphere in the Department of Mystery, and only the holder of the Prophecy, or who the Prophecy speaks of, may handle the sphere." She told him.

Dumbledore nodded.

"What does this have to do with the Slytherin?" She asked.

Dumbledore sighed. "Sometimes, a Seer's prophecy is seen by those it's not meant for, and when this happens there is usually a mix-up when it comes to who the prophecies about." He told her.

"Do I have a Prophecy?" She asked timidly.

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "It's complicated." He told her. "The telling is not something many could handle, and it may disrupt your life severely. Even knowing all this, if you wish to know the story, I shall share it."

Zoe sat, biting her lip in indecision. Not that she didn't know what she'd say, there was no question. "Please tell me."

Zoe waved at the departing Ashley and Remus - sad and yet not as she remembered Dumbledore's words, but she knew she'd do anything in her power to protect her best friend, this was just one of those things. She turned to James and Sirius, who'd been standing beside her as they waved the couple away. "Now," She said as she turned. "I have to hit the library and pick up a few books. I'll meet you two Transfig genius's in the Common Room." Zoe informed the two and set off.

She'd just got done at the library when she was cornered. Wow, you'd think someone who hangs around the Library so much, would at least have a teaspoon worth of intelligence.

"Hello my pretty looks like it's just you and me." She heard before she was snatched into the air.

Sirius had had enough with waiting, so he and James had set off for the Library to hurry Zoe along.

James heard it first, and Sirius not long after. They'd both assumed it was nothing more than a fight between a couple of boys, unfortunately they were wrong.

Sirius came around the corner to a terrifying, and stunning, sight. Zoe was pinned against the wall by her throat, her feet kicking and her hands scratching at her attacker. The boy holding her up had blood dripping down his face, his other arm was dead at his side, his clothes were torn and bloody, and when he turned to the new arrivals, they could see the other side of his face looked like raw meat.

Zoe heard feet running as she struggled in vain to get Amycus' meaty paws from around her throat. She'd taken a lot of the skin off with her nails, and she'd landed a solid blow to his face with her knees, but everything had begun getting fuzzy. Black spots were appearing. A headache started. And suddenly she felt herself hit the floor. She sucked in lungful of air so quickly that she made herself lightheaded.

Sirius dropped to his knees as James chased after the Slytherin. Zoe's outer robe was several inches away, her shirt slightly ripped - it had probably happened when she'd fallen and it had caught on the bricks - and he could see bruising on her arm. Her cheek was black and she had a lovely ring around her throat.

The last thing she saw was Sirius' face above her as she tried to keep the dizziness back.

Zoe opened her eyes and she was laying on a couch in the Common Room with Sirius and James staring down at her. She smiled at the pair and tried to sit up. She felt woozy, slightly, but other than that she was fine after her latest confrontation with Carrow. The boys weren't.

"How long?" Sirius asked softly.

Zoe gave him her best innocently stupid look. "What?"

"Oh don't play coy." This from James. "What in the hell are you doing not telling us your being harassed that bad by Slytherin."

Zoe growled slightly. "I don't need your help." She snarled back, reacting negatively to the tone in his voice.

"Oh," James snarled back, "clearly not. You had that all under control, didn't you."

Sirius just stood back as James and Zoe cursed at each other. He couldn't believe he'd ignored it. He'd known there was something off about her cheek last Christmas. And Friday, he'd known there was something wrong with her arm, but he'd ignored it.

Finally he couldn't hold in the anger any longer, he stood and lashed out at the closest thing, which just happened to be the fireplace.

Zoe jumped as Sirius suddenly stood and punched the brick behind him. She heard James gasp as blood steadily dripped from his hand, pooling around his feet. She sat up and threw herself forward - ripping at the bottom of her skirt - wrapping his hand as she reached him.

"Are you insane?" James yelled some more. "You're all insane!"He shouted once more, answering his own question.

"It's not your fault." Zoe whispered softly against Sirius' chest.

Sirius scoffed. "But I knew something was wrong, and I ignored it."

Zoe smiled. "No, I made it seem unimportant, because it is."

"You getting thrown around by a guy three times your size is unimportant?" He demanded softly.

Zoe ducked her head so she could look into his down-turned eyes. "I'm handling it." She informed him. "I can't have you constantly saving me."

Sirius' nostrils flared in anger, but finally he breathed out a breath of air, and calmed.

Before anyone could say anything else, people started pouring into the Common Room. Zoe's eyes widened and she looked around. She shouldn't have worried though. James and Sirius stationed themselves on each side of her, blocking her from view, and walked her up to their dorm.

The next morning came bright and early for her. The boys had decided - while she'd been sleeping snug and warm in Sirius' bed and he shacked up on the floor - that she needed help, and they were the ones to give it to her.

"I don't know what to say to her." Sirius whispered irritably. "I'm not a freaking girl."

"Well, you're the one who understands what she's going through." James whispered back. "Everyone expected you in Slytherin, and you're in Gryffindor, just like her."

"So." Sirius snarled. "I'm not a girl."

Zoe couldn't hold back the scoff, and finally sat up. "I don't need help, you two." She told them.

James snorted. "Yeah, ok." He told her in an unbelieving voice.

"He doesn't mean it like that." Sirius told her, glaring at James to shut up. "He's just saying that maybe you could tell us what's going on and then we can help resolve the issue." He told her, sounding more diplomatic then she'd ever heard him sound before.

Zoe laughed. "It's nothing major boys." She told them lightly. "The Slytherin are just mad that I'm a Pureblood who doesn't believe in there idiocy." She explained off-handedly as she stood. "Now, I'm going to head to my own dorm and get my Homework, because unlike you two, I actually have to do work on Sunday's." And with that she walked out of the room.

When she reached her own dorm room, she quickly shook Lily awake. "I need your help." She whispered.

Lily nodded and ushered the girl into the bathroom. She pulled out her wand and did the healing spell she'd taught herself for just such an occasion, and then turned to leave.

"Wait." Zoe said self-consciously. "Can I... talk to you?" She asked.

Lily smiled to herself, but wiped it from her face before turning and seating herself on the floor, back leaning against the wall.

Zoe slid down to sit beside her. "So, I've a complicated life." She began. "You see, I just learned about this prophecy thingy that says; a hidden Pureblood of two lines shall be born, she shall wed a hidden Pureblood of the other two line and they shall have the first of two Pureblood children of all four lines. The first of the two shall have the power of sight, she shall see and know and save those that would otherwise perish. The second of the two shall be the first's daughter, she shall be less powerful then her mother, but no less important." Zoe paused.

"Is that you?" Lily asked.

Zoe laughed, and then shook her head. "No." She said.

Lily looked on in complete confusion. "I don't understand then."

Zoe laughed harder. "You see, that's why it's so brilliant." She explained, but soon sobered. "Everyone assumes that it'll be my daughter who marries the son of two lines to have a daughter of all four, but it's not."

Lily looked at the girl as though she might have grown an extra head, completely confused where this was going.

"You see, my parents were given this prophecy because the Seer who first saw the prophecy, was willingly intercepted by another. The second Seer was not nearly as accomplished a Seer as the original, so when she saw a last name, my last name, she automatically assumed I must be connected." Zoe explained.

"Are you?" Lily asked unsure.

Zoe laughed. "Of course I am." She told her. "But not in the way the Seer assumed."

Lily looked like her head might explode with the confusion clouding it. "I don't understand." She said once more.

Zoe smiled. "Ashley Marie is a Pureblood who was placed in a Muggle family when she was a tiny baby, to keep her from an unknown evil wizard's sight. She never knew she was a Pureblood until her parent's came seeking her last summer."

Lily gapped. "Are you telling me that you are constantly being beaten half to death, because you were mistaken in a prophecy that's about your best friend?" Lily demanded.

Zoe nodded.

Lily gapped. "Why don't you just tell them you aren't who they want?"

Zoe shook her head. "If they know its Ashley, she'll get the same treatment I am now, and she couldn't survive it." She explained.

"You aren't going to survive it Zoe!" Lily said angrily.

Zoe laughed mirthlessly. "If these weak attempts were the worst I'd ever been given, that might be true." She told the naïve girl.

Lily looked at her strangely. "I don't understand."

Zoe sighed, she wasn't fond of whining about her problems, but Lily deserved answers. "My step-father tends to practice the Crucio curse on me. My mother's more inventive."

Lily's mouth dropped open. "You have to report this."

Zoe snorted. "Yeah, so I can be pulled from the only good place and disappear with the monsters, not likely."

Lily didn't know what to say. The only thing she had to deal with was a hateful sister, and that was nothing like what Zoe was going through. Lily sucked in a huge breath, and slowly let it out. "Well, I've learned a few healing spells this year, and if you need them, let me know." She told the girl, a soft smile on her lips. "And if you need to talk, I'm here." With those last words, Lily stood and walked out of the bathroom and down the stairs to breakfast.

Zoe sat there for a while before also heading down to breakfast.

Later on the boys found Zoe completely healed and writing an essay in the Gryffindor Common Room as though nothing had happened. The boys didn't know what to do. They couldn't force her to open up and let them help, but they couldn't just let other's continue beating her up either.

"Are you two going to stand there and stare, or are you going to come over here and sit down so I can get some help on this stupid potions homework?" Zoe finally demanded, making both boys - who were positive she didn't know they were there - jump in surprise.

James finally shrugged and walked forward. "What's up?" He asked as he seated himself beside her.

Zoe sighed. "I'm supposed to tell about the last stupid potion we made." She explained. "Unfortunately, I blew up my cauldron... again, last Potion's class."

Sirius snorted as he too sat down. Threw the afternoon, they proceeded to tell her about the potion assignment. By 4:30 all homework was done and they were ready for Quidditch practice.