Hey guys! Back again! I think I got this chapter out at a pretty good time rate, don't cha think? Well, I'm kinda obsessed with One Tree Hill at the moment so I might be a little slow but I promise to try and get these last few chapters out nice and quick!

And can I just say, over 100 reviews? Thanks guys!

To:

Guest (the French girl): wow, you're so amazing at English! Honestly, I suck at French in comparison! Well, I'm so glad you're ready my story and are enjoying it! Thanks for the kind words! Keep reading and reviewing!

Beetle126: thank you for the support and kind words!

Nina98155: the next chapter is here! And yes, jaddie is super cute at the moment! Keep on reading and reviewing!

Kattttiiieee: I want something to happen with Adam but I'm not too sure what… any ideas? Thanks for the support and keep reading and reviewing!

Cap92A: glad to be back! I'll try keep updating regularly! Thanks for all the nice words and support! Keep reading and reviewing!

FanFicLover32: wow the Netherlands? What's that like? And yes, I'm soooooo excited jaddie is a thing! And no, I don't plan on making Maddie like that girl from Mean Girls... but we'll see… keep reading and reviewing coz you're awesome!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL YOU GUYS READING! LOVE YOU ALL!

Chapter 29: Homework I Have ) :

"And so the homework will be to do some of the practise exams I'm handing out now. Also, read up on chapters 6-9 and maybe 10 if you feel like doing something extension or you want to read ahead. Now, this is all due for next lesson which is… when is our next lesson?" Professor Skye asked, her high pitched voice drilling through my head, grating on my nerves. HOMEWORK? MORE HOMEWORK? I already have about a billion chapters to read and papers to write…

At least it's due next lesson.

"Ah, that's tomorrow, Professor," Maria said, her voice sounding normal but she was glaring daggers at Skye behind those glasses of hers. Hope was holding onto Maria's hand, trying to calm her down. I rolled my eyes. Cue Maria and Hope fight – they're a cute couple but they fight constantly.

Professor Skye lit up, her smile wide. Bitch. "Great! Due tomorrow then. Make sure you're all prepared for your potions assignment that we will be completing next lesson. Any questions?"

Ummm… YES! How can I possibly do that all by next lesson? It's too much. Ugh. I HATE school. With a passion.

My face morphed into some weird expression and my head fell into my hands. I groaned, as quietly as I could.

"Everything ok, Madison?" Skye asked, her voice filled with sick and fake concern.

"Peachy," I mumbled, holding up a thumbs-up.

I could tell Skye started beaming. "Lovely! Ok, well, class dismissed," she said. The sound of rushing students and sighs of relief filled my ears.

Ugh. School kills me.

"Uh, Mads? You good?" Scorp asked, shaking my shoulder. I mumbled something back in response.

"'Course she's good – she's screwing the pretty Potter boy," some random guy sneered under his breath as he passed me.

"Seriously? You actually believe the rumours? She and Potter aren't together – it's too weird," his friend scoffed, and they walked off, sniggering.

Meh. I was used to it. Only second day back and I was already sick of all the comments about me and James. The rumour mill was running like a cheetah on steroids.

But I was used to all the snide comments by now. They came at me constantly, from people I didn't even know! Especially the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff girls who wanted James all to themselves. I lifted my head up when Scorp prodded my neck. "What?" I groaned, sitting up.

Scorp gave me a half smile. "It's end of the day! Yay!" Scorp said, trying to be enthusiastic. I wasn't having it. I was already done only after two days of being back. Scorp sighed. "Fine, well, now we can eat if you want," Scorp tried.

Hmm… food. Always makes me feel better. "Meh," I shrugged, standing up and collecting my things. Food sounded good to me. Scorp and I walked out, chatting idly about all the homework we got. Hmm, let's see:

HOMEWORK I HAVE : (

Potions practise exam, potions chapters 6-9, prepare for the potions assignment (making a random potion that Professor Skye chooses for us on the day)

DA DA chapters 10-14, plus wand motion exercises, plus getting at least 5 new disarming spells down pat

Charms – all of book six finished and three papers on why charming is a better alternative to normal spells, transfiguration and potions

Do Quidditch land exercises – 50 squats, 100 crunches, 50 on-land dodges, a one minute plank and 50 burpees (fun)

And that's it so far – but, it's only second day so we'll see what happens.

It's not long before we go to the great hall with all our books and pile them on the Slytherin table. Spreading all my stuff out, I grabbed an apple from the middle of the table and took a huge bite, assessing my books.

"Ok… so, first, I'm doing Potions because that's gonna be the hardest," I said, sighing and sliding into the bench. Scorp slid in next to me, groaning.

"Ready to just pump it out?"

"No," I said, opening my potions textbook and starting torture.

I swear, if the Pure's want to torture someone, they should just make them do schoolwork – it sucks.

Oh shit. Pure's.

Nothing had been happening with them for a while… I hadn't even thought about them for ages. They were in the back of mind and I wanted them to stay there…

And then… there's the whole me being a seer.

Yeah…

I shoved that to the back of my mind too – not too hard, seeing as how nothing seer-ish had been happening to me. Nadda. Maybe I was just a seriously shit seer who only has like, two visions in my entire life.

That'd be right. That reminds me! Divination homework too. Once I became a true seer and all, McGonagall suggested I change Herbology to Divination seeing as how Divination will be much more helpful to me.

"I have divination homework too. I'll get that out of the way, I think. It kills me," I said, shoving the potions book away (good riddance) and pulling out my divination textbook, it's shiny cover catching the light, mesmerising me. The sudden urge to draw went through me, so I grabbed some parchment and a quill.

I sighed and started reading the book, the words… um, actually making sense. I got it – it seemed as if everything just seemed to click. Everything was clearer. Even… even my sight. What the hell? Whatever, it was cool. Smiling, I skimmed through the pages, understanding the concepts and the facts without having to read too much into it. The chapter was 'Dream Interpretation'. 'Dream Interpretation is otherwise known as oneirmancy,' that sounds pretty cool. 'Royalty used to hire Dream Interpreters,' sure, why not? These facts were making sense and they were sticking in my brain which is a rare thing for me.

"Maddie? Are you ok?" Scorp asked me, his voice loud in my ears and filled with shock and concern.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I said flippantly. What's with him? Ignoring him, I went back to my book, enjoying it.

"Maddie!" Scorp said, lunging for my hand that was holding the quill. His hand wrapped around my wrist and he yanked me back. Confused, I jerked away.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed, glaring at Scorp… until I saw the parchment I'd been using to draw.

It was a picture of a beautiful mermaid, looking exactly like the ones off the shore of Sydney – long hair full of shells, clear and pristine skin, full lips and doe eyes, small figures, glittering tails and sultry looks. My only thought was 'wow, I actually drew that? But I'm a crap artist! Doesn't make any sense…'. But I'd scrawled something all over it – it was hard to make out. It kind of looked liked words but not really. I squinted at it, confused.

"What the hell does that say?" I asked, weirded out. What the hell was happening?

Scorp leaned closer to the parchment. "I think… it says 'The Pure's' in there somewhere. I can see that for sure. As for the rest… gee, your handwriting is positively awful," Scorp exclaimed, rubbing his chin.

I stared at him. "Wow. Thanks. What even happened?" I asked.

"Well, you were reading and drawing at the same time - which was creepy by the way. And then… you just started violently scrawling on the parchment. I didn't know what was happening so I just… I dunno, pulled you away. It was weird," Scorp explained, staring at my drawing as he shuddered.

Drawing and reading at the same time? I can't even remember starting to draw! "Well, what do you think it means?" I asked, glancing at Scorp.

"I dunno. Al might have an idea. I'll go take it to him," Scorp said, grabbing the parchment and sprinting off.

Well, then. Sighing, I slammed my divination book closed. No way did I want to creepy-draw again. Instead, I reached back for my potions book when I heard someone coming up behind me. Grateful for the interruption, I turned around and instantly smiled.

James came swaggering over, his hair flopping everywhere and sticking in every direction and his bag slung over his shoulder casually. His eyes lit up when I met his gaze.

"Hey!" I said, craning my neck backwards as James came up to me, leaned down and kissed me, rubbing my cheek.

"Hey," he said, pulling away and slinking next to me. "What you doing?"

I sighed. "Attempting to do homework. Wanna join?" I asked, motioning to my mountain of books.

James nodded, smiling. "Yep! You actually make studying fun, if that's possible," he remarked, pulling all of his things out.

I laughed and shoved his shoulder. "Maybe that's because we never actually get stuff done when we study and end up making out," I pointed out.

James gave me a devilish grin, his eyebrows lifting suggestively. "And that's exactly why I love it!" I laughed and pulled my DA DA book out.

"Can you help me out with some spells? I'm in trouble, I'm afraid. I wasn't paying attention in class… and do you know why? I was sitting next to this absolute weirdo who kept distracting me!" I said, James laughing.

"Oh, and, pray tell, what did this 'weirdo' do that was so distracting?" he asked, his eyes light.

"He kept insisting I sit extremely close!" I said, laughing as James slid closer to me, until his side was pressed up next to mine, sending chills down my body.

"Like this close?" he asked, smirking when I nodded.

"And he kept playing with my hair," I explained, smiling when James started playing with loose strands of my hair from my ponytail.

"Hmm... was this weirdo's name… I dunno, James Potter, by any chance?" James asked, grinning at me.

"How'd you know?" I asked, widening my eyes in 'surprise'.

James laughed, nudging my shoulder. "Ok, now for DA DA," he said, making me pout.

School ruins all my fun.

James let go of my hair and intertwined my fingers in his under the table. I could see him trying to hide a small smile.

Hmm… maybe school didn't ruin all my fun…

LINE BREAK

I was back at home, at the Australian Institute of Magic. I walked down the super-clean hallways with glass walls that looked over the glittering sea. The Institute was in Sydney, which was also where my family lived. I saw Colleen, looking very precise and proper, not a stray of her ink-black hair out of place. She was walking next to Able, Sadie and Max. She was chatting their ears off and I could tell that they didn't like it. The three of them shared looks of annoyance. Colleen saw the look and looked exasperated until my older brother, Jeremy came around the corner. She smiled hugely and waved him over. He sighed and was roped into a conversation with her. My three friends sprinted away, leaving Jeremy alone with Colleen. It was obvious Colleen liked him which wasn't strange, seeing as how Jeremy was 'quite a catch' according to all my girl friends. They had an animated conversation about god knows what until massive figures came up at the glass walls. They were outside, on the rocks that led to the ocean. They were all hugely built, wearing clothes that were basically rags. They all raised their wands' at the same time and chanted something I couldn't hear until the glass shattered with a million tiny cracks. My brother swung Colleen back to shield her from the waterfall of broken glass. He grabbed her hand and they both ran down the hall, away from the people that were now climbing into the now broken walls. I could hear screams and shouts. It was terrifying. One of the persons that had broken in pulled out his wand and stalked over to the solid wall, opposite the now shattered glass walls. He lit a fire spell and wrote something on the wall, the smell of ashes somehow filling my nose. I couldn't see what he was writing but I knew for certain – somehow - what the word was:

Pure's

And my dream changed in a sudden flash of white.

I was staring a pile of broken bodies – mermaids. Their once beautiful tales were slashed and hacked into, the scales pealing and burned in some areas. Their hair all mangled into one tangled, burned, charred mess. The smell… it was awful. Like… like bad fish and too much smoke. Not a single sound was made – it was completely quiet. Except for my choked gasp when I realised how many bodies were in that pile of dead, mangled and burned mermaids. Around fifty.

I awoke in a panic, sitting up in my bed, breathing rapidly. I was out of breath and my nose was still filled with the scent of bad fish and smoke. I coughed a couple times, trying to get my breathing back to normal. I was completely freaked out and in such a state of panic, I found it hard to stop trembling. Max, Sadie, Able, Colleen… Jeremy… they're all in danger. They could all die! Might already be dead!

Those dreams… I'd had both of those dreams before. I swung my feverish legs out of the blankets, my feet padding on the ice-cold floor. I stood up, my legs shaky and hands clammy. I knew, in my gut, that those weren't just dreams – I'd just had more visions. I could feel it – right in the back of my mind. Not even bothering to throw on a dressing gown, I ran all the way down into the Common Room, shivering from the cold. Shrugging the cold off, I ran out into the dungeons and wildly ran to Lupin's office. Finally, my breathing getting more out of control and rapid as I went along, I found myself outside his office. I prayed he was still there. I flung myself at his door, hitting it and banging it over and over and over.

"Please, please, please, please, please, please," I muttered, growing more frantic, images of the Pure's breaking the glass and all of it raining down on Jeremy replaying in my head. A pool of panic, worry and dread formed in my stomach, growing bigger and bigger until I felt like I was drowning in it – I knew something bad was about to happen. I knew it. I could feel it, I knew it, as well as I know my own name. The door stayed shut and my eyes stung with tears. "Please, please, please, please, please," I cried, banging the door harder and harder, not caring how loud it was, not caring if my hands were sore and bruised. I was so frantic, I didn't even hear the footsteps coming up behind me.

"Maddie?" a deep voice asked me from the darkness. I spun around, gripping my wand as tight as I could. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was Professor Longbottom. "Are you ok? What's going on?" he asked, taking a small step towards me, as if he came across out of breath, crazed students with bad breath and bed hair every day;

I sagged against the door in relief. "Something bad is about to happen," I told him, my eyes wide.

Realisation dawned on his face, as if he just remembered I'm a seer and not just some crazed student. "I'll take you to Headmistress McGonagall."

LINE BREAK

McGonagall stared at me, her eyes filled with worry and dread. "And you're absolutely sure that it was a… a vision?" she asked, her voice still croaky from being woken up.

I nodded, feeling more awake than ever. "I've had the same one before. Ages ago, though," I explained, wringing my hands together, worry gnawing at me – has the attack happened yet? Are Jeremy and Sadie and Max and Able all safe? Are they hurt? Are they dead?

Professor Lupin walked over to me calmly, his hair blue and ruffled. "I'll take you to the infirmary now. You must be feeling exhausted and very exposed-" Lupin said before I cut him off.

"Exhausted? I've never felt more awake!" I argued, my eyes widening for emphasis. "Look, I can help. I know that I know more about what happened in those visions… maybe I can save my brother and my friends… I don't think it's happened yet… I just have a feeling it's going to happen – and soon. Please let me try and stop the attakc! I can't just let the Pure's ruin AIM and kill innocent mermaids!" I went on, my voice getting louder and higher pitched as I went along. I didn't need to add 'and kill my brother and best friends' to the end of that sentence – the words hung empty in the air.

Lupin didn't even raise an eyebrow. "Maddie, I promise you, the Headmistress and I are going to do everything we can so that we can prevent the events you foresaw from happening. But in order for us to do that, we need to know that you're ok and asleep in bed," Lupin explained as if I were three years old.

BULLSHIT! WHAT A LOAD OF BULLSHIT! I'M THE SEER HERE, I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! That's what I felt like yelling at his face. I knew my face was turning red – I could help them but they just weren't letting me! "But I can help you!" I pushed on.

"Ok then, Miss Taylor. Is there any other information that you have that we don't about the upcoming attack on AIM?" McGonagall asked, her voice sharp and cold.

"Yes!" I cried, wracking my brain… but there was nothing. I frowned, taking a step forward. "Ok, so maybe I don't have any new information now, but I might have some later!"

McGonagall sighed, obviously exasperated. "And the moment you do have new information, you can tell Madam Pomfrey and then she can take you to see us. Understood?" McGonagall asked, her voice holding no room for arguments.

I sagged, suddenly feeling deflated. "Understood. But can I just go back to my room? I feel completely fine!" I said, believing what I said. I felt fine! I just wanted to make sure Jeremy was ok.

Lupin cleared his throat. "Maddie, it is extremely cold in here and you're standing there, in a thin, short nightdress and you're flushed with fever. I think Madam Pomfrey should check up on you," Lupin said, turning on his heel, gesturing for me to follow him out of the room.

LINE BREAK

I woke up the next morning to find an empty infirmary room. I sighed and rolled over in the thin covers, trying to fall back to sleep. It took me a moment to remember what had happened the night before – the dreams, the visions, Jeremy, Max, Sadie, Able, Colleen, the mermaids, the feeling of utter dread – it all just washed over me. I sat up, choking on my sharp intake of breathe.

My first thought – Jeremy. Is Jeremy ok? Anything else I could handle… but if something happened to Jeremy overnight…

I didn't know if I could cope.

I bolted out of bed, black swirls playing before my eyes. Grunting, I swayed and fell onto a different bed. "Head rush," I moaned, squeezing my eyes until it passed. When it did, I sprinted off, shivering from the cold. I burst out of the infirmary, slamming into a startled Madam Pomfrey as I went.

"Madison! Stop right there!" she cried out but I just kept on going. I needed to find out whether Jeremy was ok. That was my number one priority.

I twisted and turned in different corridors, letting my subconscious guide me.

But man, the cold was bad. I looked down to find myself only wearing a thin black nightdress, just plain cotton that was short and left my legs and arms bare. Maybe I should change….?

I shook my head, flinging that thought aside. Who had time for that? It was then that I found myself rounding the corner to the entrance to the Great Hall. I saw students walking in and out and I found myself pushing them out of the way. I bolted into the hall to find everyone slowly turning their heads around to me.

Mmm. Yeah.

Maybe I should have changed.

But I was in such a panic I didn't even care. I scanned the hall for someone, anyone that could tell me if the attack on AIM had happened. I looked over at the Gryffindor table and immediately found James in the crowd – it was easy, seeing as how he was climbing out of his seat, his eyes on mine as he started running towards me. I felt a little bit of relief seeing his face, but the panic and dread was still in a huge clump in my stomach. I ran over to him, meeting him halfway.

His arms immediately gripped my forearms, his eyes looking me over frantically. "What happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" he asked in rapid fire.

I shook my head, trying to get the words out. "Jeremy," I gasped out, my eyes wide. "Is he ok? Is he dead? Is anyone dead?" I asked in a huge panic.

James let go of my arms to quickly shrug his cloak off. His arms wrapped around me as he draped me in it. "Here, you're freezing cold. And what do you mean Jeremy? As in your brother?"

I nodded quickly, not even noticing the cloak. "Is he dead? Please tell me he's not dead!" I cried gripping his forearms.

James shook his head, frowning. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Jeremy is fine. Well, no one has said anything about him. I presume he's very much alive and healthy," James soothed, his hands going to my head and smoothing out my hair, dark blue eyes locked on mine.

I sagged in relief, the energy and panic leaving me almost as quickly as it had come to me. I nodded, relaxing into the cloaks warmness and relishing the smell of him on it. I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself down. "I'm sorry for freaking you out. It's just… well, I had this vision... and I just thought he'd died… I don't know why…" I trailed off, flinging my arms around his neck, and pulling me into him, his arms wrapping my waist.

"God, you're shaking. What was the vision like?" James asked as I buried my head into his neck.

"It was… awful. All my friends were in it… and Jeremy. Oh, and Colleen. I just wasn't sure if it happened overnight while I was sleeping or if happened at all," I said, my voice muffled by his shoulder.

"We can talk about it a bit more later on, if you want. But, uh… I think Madam Pomfrey wants to see you," James said, pulling away. I turned, wiping unshed tears from eyes as I looked at a very grumpy Madam Ponfrey.

Oops. I smiled weakly. Her scowl deepened.

"I told you to stay put! I was coming to tell you that your vision didn't come true last night – except, you ran off to hug your boyfriend! Humph! Kids these days," she snapped, motioning for me to follow her out of the Grand Hall. I turned back around to see everyone – and I mean everyone – staring at me. And James. And they probably heard all of what just happened.

Well.

Looks like the rumours as to whether James and I were actually dating were finalised.

I scanned the Hufflepuff table, their faces in shock – some good, some bad.

Ravenclaw looked curious and surprised at the same time… until my gaze landed on Wendy Lovegood, Ellie's psycho sister. She was gripping her fork in a death grip, knuckles white and face a mask of stone. I dismissed her from my mind – I'd deal with her later.

The Gryffindor table was filled with very upset and cheated looking girls. The boys were all shocked, mouths wide open.

Last but not least, I looked over at the Slytherin table… and I saw some serious glaring going on. And looks of betrayal. My group of friends were smiling faintly… but that was it. No one else looked impressed. At all.

I sighed, turned to James who I saw was glaring at the Slytherin table. I whacked his arm. "Be nice! Maybe they won't hate our guts if we're nice to them," I suggested.

James smiled faintly. "Maybe. But probably not," he said, shrugging.

I raised my eyebrows. "They're my friends! And my house! I want them to like me and to like us," I said.

"Yeah, I know. It's just… are they really your friends if they hate that you're dating a Gryffindor?" he asked. I glanced behind him to the Gryffindor table where I saw some very angry and disgusted people staring at us. No, not at us, at me. I looked back at James.

"I should say the same to you," I said, motioning to the table. James turned around and winced.

"We'll figure it out later. You should go back to the infirmary. I'm sure Pomfrey and McGonagall want to speak to you," James said, giving me a light kiss on the cheek before walking back to his table.

Sighing, I turned and trudged out the Great Hall. The moment I stepped foot out of it, the shouting, whispering and gasps started. I tried shrugging it off and walked back to the infirmary. Emphasis on 'tried'.

LINE BREAK

After a long interrogation from McGonagall and an explanation from her that AIM was perfectly fine, all its students are ok, I went back to the Slytherin common room, having been granted the day off. So, there I sat, by the fire doing the homework I didn't do yesterday.

It was… annoying. Not the homework (though that was doing a great job of pissing me off), the way I would be treated when everyone came back from school. I was scared and anxious as to what they'd say and how much I'd cop from dating a Gryffindor, Slytherin's sworn enemy (now that everyone knew the rumours were true and all).

I mean, it would be better if I actually understood why the dislike for Gryffindor ran so deep. Sure, I didn't like some of them – too annoying and self-righteous (like Adam). But some were super cool, being brave and wanting to stand up for what they believe in, like Rose and James.

If only the other Slytherin's could understand that. Also, I don't understand why a Gryffindor and a Slytherin dating would be weird. As far as I'm concerned, being cunning (Slytherin) and brave (Gryffindor) are traits that work very well together.

With all the thinking that was going on, I didn't get much homework done. Instead, I decided to change into some warm exercise gear and go for a run – it would be at least an hour until school would finish, so no one would be on the grounds outside.

After doing a quick change, I walked swiftly outside to Hagrid's hut where I did some warm ups and started jogging. My breath was even, my pace constant. The cold bit my bare skin, but I liked it. I realised with a start I was getting used to the cold and the way my breath fogged with every breath.

I didn't like the cold in Australia – it was gloomy and sticky and the sky turned grey and the winds were strong. But here, I welcomed it – it was crisp and cool, the refreshing kind of cold. Smiling, I pushed myself and ran even faster. I turned a sharp corner into a wide clearing with rocks and a small fire burning. I stopped short. What the hell? Confused, I turned around, planning to run back the way I'd come. Hey, I wasn't in Gryffindor for a reason – no way in hell was I going to linger around a dodgy looking place with some crap fire burning.

Before I could take off, I heard laughter coming from behind me.

"Did you see the way Lupin looked at you when you just walked out of class? Priceless!" a deep voice said, laughing loudly.

"Oh god! It was hilarious!" another deep voice said, joining in on the laughter.

Someone snorted. "Looked like he had his wand too tightly up his arse," a girl's voice drawled, making the two boys howl with laughter.

"God, Marilynn, you're hilarious!" one of the boys said.

I turned around to see two boys and a girl all sitting down on the rocks, not even realising I was there. I saw their crest on their uniforms – Slytherin. I'd seen these three around before. They're in seventh year, so I try not to bother them. As if sensing my gaze, the girl looked up. She was quite pretty, in a very cute and traditional way, except it looked like her face was stuck in a permanent scowl.

She narrowed her eyes. "Who're you?" she said, her voice husky. She didn't enunciate her words, probably because she thought it made her sound cooler.

The two boys looked up, sizing me up. "Hey, I know you," one said, his hair looking like a birds' nest.

I gave them a tentative smile, a little shot of fear pulsing through me – those two boys were huge. I'm talking huge shoulders, bulging muscles, thick necks with the veins popping out and some huge torsos (they looked like bulls with human faces – kind of the opposite of a Minotaur). And that girl… she looked merciless, with her pretty face twisted into an ugly scowl, her amazing gold-coloured eyes empty. "I was just out for a run. I'll leave you guys to it," I said, planning to run but the girl whipped out her wand, pointing it at me steadily.

Her gaze held mine as she smirked, cocking her head to the side. "You're the girl disgracing Slytherin's name by dating a Gryffindor whelp. The Pretty Potter boy," she said, her voice menacing and mocking.

This is not good. She was in seventh year – she knew spells I could only dream about. "Look," I said, holding my hands up – I'd left my wand in my room, not thinking I'd need it on a run. "I won't tell anyone I saw you. I'll just leave and not say a word," I said, trying to keep my voice steady and level.

She smirked, rotating her wand in her hand. "You won't be able to tell anyone anything by the time we're done with you. I mean, we can't just let you go for interrupting us and for dating Gryffindor scum," she said, her eyes filled with anger.

This was certainly not good. The two boys stood up, flanking her. "What are you planning, Lynn?" one asked, his voice eager.

I needed to get out of there – and quick.

"I'm thinking we should rough her up a bit and see if Potter still wants her when her… average face is all scarred," she said, smiling but there was no joy in that smile.

One of the boys frowned. "How much are we roughing her up? I don't want Potter being mad."

The girl – Marilynn – smirked. "Scared of James Potter, are we?"

The boy shook his head. "Not James – Harry. I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy if his precious sons' girlfriend was beaten up."

Marilynn waved him off. "That's stupid – he wouldn't do anything," she said, shrugging.

This was by far the worst situation I'd been in – cornered by three, huge, older and more experienced Slytherin students.

Marilynn smiled cruelly, her teeth perfect except for on chipped one (I suspect she chipped it whilst fighting some street thugs in Knockturn Alley and maybe a few dragons just to keep it interesting). "Let's start with… the blasting curse!" she said, gleefully.

Ok, so maybe not all Slytherin's are nice… some are seriously scary! And deranged!

But, you know me. In the face of doom, I open my big, stupid mouth and try to bullshit my way out of it.

"Look, I'm not even this Maddie chick you think I am! My name is," I said, looking around for inspiration. My eyes landed on a tall tree covered in slimy-looking moss. Moss = seaweed = ocean = mermaids = The Little Mermaid = "Ariel! My name's Ariel Moss and I don't know who this Madison is," I said, wincing at the name. Ariel Moss? They're never going to believe that!

And they didn't. Marilynn scoffed. "Oh, sure. Likely story," she drawled sarcastically, aiming her wand at me. Real fear surged through me. My heart was racing and I was hot and cold at the same time. Shivering, I held my hands up, trying to get them not to do anything. Marilynn pouted. "Poor little Madison. Look at her, begging for us to stop!" she said to her two friends, the three of them laughing.

I didn't care. I knew I wasn't that brave when it came to confrontation – I didn't like fighting, I wasn't good at it, I wasn't particularly strong and I definitely wasn't brave.

Marilynn swung her gaze back on me. "Confringo," she said, her voice quiet and sickly sweet. The spell blasted into me, knocking the breath out of me. Gasping, I was flung back onto the ground with a giant 'oof'. Dazed, I opened my eyes shakily. My head was pounding and my whole body was shaking, especially my arm. I think I'd landed on it funny, and winced when I saw it twisted at an odd angle.

"That was ok. I have some other spells up my sleeve," one of the boys said. I heard clomping footsteps walking over to me. I needed to get up, to fight.

But I couldn't. I started shaking in fear and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for some other spell to hit me.

"Hey!" a loud, gruff voice yelled. One that was very familiar. "What are you three doin'? I already told ya! Don't come near me campfire! And shouldn't you be in class with – what is going on here?" the voice said, dropping lower.

I heard Marilynn snicker. "Nothing, giant. We were just leaving!" she said. I heard her footsteps running in the other direction, the two boys probably lumbering after her, their snickering and laughter fading away with their footsteps.

I heard footsteps coming towards me, a hazy face coming into view. "Maddie? Are you alrigh'?" Hagrid asked, his voice full of concern.

Groaning, I sat up slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine," I grunted, wincing as my head and arm pounded. Hagrid helped me stand and gripped me tight.

"What were you doin' with those troublemakers? No good, they are. Always burning my vegetable garden," Hagrid sighed, leading me towards the castle.

"I wasn't with them. I ran into them – and it was three on one. Looks like they weren't too happy that I was dating a Gryffindor," I managed out. Usually I would've been embarrassed talking about dating to teachers but I was so sore, I didn't even notice or care.

"Nasty ol' buggers, they are. I'll take you Madam Pomfrey," Hagrid said.

I sighed with relief – Madam Pomfrey. She'd make me feel better.

LINE BREAK

"Do I look like your mother?" Madam Pomfrey scolded as I sat on an infirmary bed. "Every day you get injured and then I have to hear all your problems – I've had enough! Plus, you were meant to be staying in bed and studying, NOT going for a run! I am very disappointed," Madam Pomfrey said, her eyes blazing and arms going everywhere as she examined me.

I sighed. "Sorry, but I was restless! And it's not my fault I'm always injured," I said, sticking my chin out.

Pomfrey gave a short laugh at that. "Really? I've stitched you up after you fell down stairs, fell into a window, fell down more stairs, fell off a broom, fell into a thorn bush, fell down stairs again and countless other things!"

I huffed, crossing my arms. "Not my fault I'm a klutz," I muttered.

Madam Pomfrey sighed, glancing around the room before leaning closer to me. "I can tell those students who attacked you have scared you. You know, if you actually admitted who attacked you, they'd get a rough time from the Headmistress. And Lupin. And Gerard. And that Potter boy of yours. Oh, and me, of course. If it weren't for you, I doubt I'd ever have anything to gossip about or anyone to heal," she whispered quietly, just loud enough for me to hear.

I chuckled. "Didn't know you cared so much," I teased, smiling at Madam Pomfrey's lined face.

Madam Pomfrey's smile disappeared, her scowl returning. "Maddie! You just put your bandaged arm in the vase of flowers! Now it's all wet!" she snapped, glaring at me. I looked down at my arm covered in water.

"Oops. I didn't even feel it!" I said, sheepishly.

"That's because I numbed your arm! Here, bring it over to me and I'll redo it," Madam said, gently pulling my arm to her.

So. I hurt my arm. Apparently Marilynn's aim isn't too good and her spell hit me in the arm and shoulder. Then, I landed on it funny (of course I did).

Thinking back to what Madam Pomfrey said, I frowned. I knew McGonagall would have no problem scolding Marilynn and her friends – but I didn't want that. I didn't want to be a nark or a tattle-tale. Besides, that'd make them even angrier at me. If I stayed low, not put up a fight and let them win, I'd be fine.

I was disturbed from my thoughts when Madam Pomfrey stood up, scolding a student.

"Now, I do not trust you for a second, Mr Malfoy! I don't want her running off and I know you'll probably convince her to do just that," she said, Scorp smiling over at me. He gave me a quick wink and looked back at Pomfrey, smiling his killer smile.

"Honestly, Madam Pomfrey! I'd never do such a thing!" Scorp said, giving her a reassuring smile. Madam Pomfrey grumbled but left us in peace.

I looked up Scorp, thankful for his friendly face. "Now you can help me break out!" I said, smiling up at him.

Scorp shook his head, face serious. "I meant what I said. You were attacked! I want to know exactly what happened, who did it and why it happened. You're not going anywhere until those brats who attacked you are punished," Scorp snarled, his lip curling.

Whoa. That was weird. I'd never seen Scorp like that before. I held my arms out, trying to reassure him. "Scorp, I'm fine! Honestly, I swear!" I said, smiling. "Calm down! You'd think I'd died or something," I muttered, shoving his shoulder.

"Don't you see? You could've! What if it was the Pure's?" Scorp said, lowering his voice. Shock went through me – what? The Pure's? I hadn't even thought about them in ages what with James and school and of all of this other drama. "You know they have people everywhere – and you know they could easily kill you," he said, his voice low and cold.

"Kill me?! What?! I'm Maddie, the Australian girl! They probably don't even know who I am!" I said, incredulous at the idea.

Scorp gave me a look. "Come on, Mads. You're the girl dating one of the most powerful wizards' son! Also, you just happen to be a True Seer! Do you know how valuable you are to our side? You could win us this war!" Scorp insisted, his eyes digging into mine.

Wait, what? War? "War? Side? What are you talking about? As far as the public knows, the Pure's are just rumours and don't even exist!" I said, feeling dread creep into my stomach.

Scorp shifted his eyes, looking uncomfortable. "Well…"

"What?" I pressed, panic rising in me. I had no idea what Scorp was talking about – it was freaking me out.

"The paper today… it came just after you left the Great Hall. And… they finally confirmed that the Pure's are a real threat. Hogwarts has been in an uproar – people are crying, arguing… it made it even worse that you – a true seer – raced into the Grand Hall this morning. People are beginning to think... all kinds of crazy things," Scorp explained, each word making my stomach drop further until it was basically on the floor.

WHAT? The Ministry finally confirmed the Pure's are real? "Well, why did they finally confirm it?" I asked Scorp, super confused.

It just didn't make any sense. None of it added up.

Scorp fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "When you had your vision. McGonagall informed the Minister of Magic and told them that if a true seer was having visions about the Pure's, then people needed to know so that they could be prepared," he said, trying not to hold my gaze.

Wow. So, my vision basically convinced the Minister of Magic to tell the public about the Pure's… that's pretty cool. I know, Pure's are evil and all that but… it felt like I'd actually done something – that I'd helped people.

It felt good.

I looked up at Scorp. "That's pretty cool. But… how do you know all of this?" I asked, frowning at him. At this question, Scorp lit up, returning to his usual confident self.

"You see, Al, James, Jo, Rose and I all snuck up to McGonagall's office and used this super cool spell that Rose knew and-"

"Hold up!" I screamed, my pointer finger smashing into his mouth to shush him. I glanced at him, giving him a suspicious look. "Did you just say that you… and Al… and Jo were working together with… Rose and James?" I asked, completely gobsmacked.

Scorp looked at me like I was crazy. "Well, yeah. Why is that so important?" he asked, his voice still muffled from my finger.

My face broke into a huge smile as I flung my arms around him, hugging him tight. "Yay! My Slytherin friends are getting along with my Gryffindor friends and boyfriend! This is the best news ever!" I squealed, feeling amazed. I can't believe that Slytherin's and Gryffindor's were actually working together – it. Was. Awesome.

It's a complete milestone! It really eased some of my nerves that my friends from different houses wouldn't like each other and really just made me feel… better, like a weight was off my shoulders.

Scorp laughed and hugged me too. "Well, duh! James and Rose are pretty cool. I'll admit, Jo was a little cold at the start, but by the end, she and James were pulling jokes with each other. And Rose is amazing – I'd totally date her if I was, you know, into that kinda thing," Scorp recounted, making me laugh at the thought of him and Rose.

I just couldn't see them together.

"Well, next time you guys all go on a secret, sneaking mission, make sure to invite me! I felt like I missed seeing you guys bond," I said, pulling away and sliding back onto my bed. Scorp shrugged, his white blond hair falling in his eyes. He quickly brushed it away, reminding me of James and his unruly hair.

"Nah, you only missed Jo complaining about how sore her thighs were from squatting the whole time!"

I laughed, smiling. "I can imagine!"

Scorp smiled and gave me a quick hug. "Well, I'll be off! I actually have so much homework to do. As a matter of a fact, I have all of the work you missed. Want it?" he asked, giving me a teasing smile.

I held my hands to my ears, scowling. "La la la la la la la! I didn't hear what you said! You did not just mention homework! La la la la la!" I sung loudly as Scorp whacked my arm and walked off, shaking his head. Once he was gone, I lay down on my bed, staring at the wall.

Let's just say, I was having some deep thoughts about the Pure's and about what we know so far…

What We Know About the Pure's So Far:

They kill half-breeds and other magical creatures

They hate half-breeds and other magical creatures

Enrico was a Pure and they apparently have people everywhere

They're going to attack AIM (hopefully they're prepared because McGonagall said she'd warn them)

They kill only 50 at a time and we think that's because they're using them as sacrifices (as creepy as it sounds) and siphoning the power from their deaths (ugh, creeeeeeeeepy) to give themselves extra strength, fast reflexes and improved magical skills (how and why we don't know) – but that was all speculation, we're not sure if that's right

That's it, basically.

What We Don't Know About the Pure's So Far:

Who they are

Who their leader is

Where their base is

Exactly what they want

Why they hate half-breeds and magical creatures

How many there are

How they kill so many creatures and half-breeds at one time

So… yeah. Looks like most of the important answers we don't have.

Which sucks.

I sighed, flinging an arm over my eyes. "Ugh," I groaned. Why is life so hard? And difficult? Why can't people just be nice and not kill other people? Why is this world so messed up? We usually look down on the muggles, but it's us we should be looking down on – why is it that after one giant mess (aka, Voldey) we immediately run into another huge, giant mess that's intent on killing innocents (aka, the Pure's)?

And why, oh why, did I seem to have the feeling that the Pure's will end in nothing but chaos and bloodshed?

Oh yeah – I'm a bloody true seer, just to make my life THAT. MUCH. HARDER! And if I have a bad feeling about something, usually it isn't just a 'feeling' but a full-on warning sign that says 'DO NOT EVEN GO THERE'. So yeah. My life is screwed.

Ok. I'm done ranting and complaining for now – I have it all out of my system.

"Well, either you're thinking really hard or you're constipated," and English accent drawled from beside me.

"Neither," I retorted, my voice flat.

"Hmm… then why are you scrunching your face up and wrapping your arm across your forehead?"

Without even missing a beat, I reply, "To try and keep arrogant jerks away," I said, flinging my arm off and staring at an amused looking James. "Oh look!" I said, smiling. "Didn't work," I said, rolling my eyes, my smile dropping.

James laughed and jumped next to me on the bed, reaching out to hold my hand. He looked over at me, smiling. "I assume you were joking," he said, smirking.

I couldn't keep a straight face any longer (not when his adorable smirk was looking down at me) and broke into a huge smile. "You assumed correctly," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder, sighing. It just felt so… nice and easy and natural. After such a long, long day with lots of news, it was… nice to finally just relax. I already felt the suckiness of my day draining out of me.

James leaned his mouth to my ear. "I missed you today," he murmured, making me tingle. I used to hate when that happened – now I love it. It feels good. "Did you miss me?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes. "Always fishing for compliments! And the answer is no, I did not miss you," total lie. I think he knew it too.

James laughed. "Is that so?" he leered, his hand running up my hand and arm.

"Yes, it is so."

"Not even a little?" he asked, shifting even closer (if that were possible).

I shook my head. "Nope," I said, popping the P.

James nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck, breathing deeply. He smelt pretty damn fine, as per usual. Of course, then he started kissing my neck… then I was a goner.

"Still saying… you didn't… miss me?" he asked in between kisses.

"Definitely missed you," I said, leaning down so his lips meant mine. As usual, it felt like bliss. And I don't wanna be cheesy, I hate cheesy, mushy-gushy love stuff. But honestly… I guess I can relate to all of that sort of stuff.

Don't shoot, don't shoot! I mean, he actually made me feel good – like I was something special, like I was worth something. I dunno how that works, seeing as how I'm very much 'you don't need a man to be special' but… having a man sure doesn't hurt!

LINE BREAK

I could hear screams and shouts. It was terrifying. One of the persons that had broken in pulled out his wand and stalked over to the solid wall, opposite the now shattered glass walls. He lit a fire spell and wrote something on the wall, the smell of ashes somehow filling my nose. I couldn't see what he was writing but I knew for certain – somehow - what the word was:

Pure's

Maddie… Maddie… MADDIE!

I bolted awake, the scent of smoke everywhere. I coughed, squinting at the harsh light. Everything was blurry, my head was pounding and I was… "Hot. So, so hot," I said, feeling shaky and dizzy. Everything was a haze… I couldn't remember anything… everything was just hot.

So, so hot.

"Maddie," a soothing voice said but it was so… so loud. I winced, trying to find out who said my name. My eyes focused on a tall person, with dark skin and glossy hair… but I just couldn't remember her. "Maddie, it's Jo. I think you know what just happened. Maddie, can you hear me? And for gods' sake, James, wake up!" she screeched, hitting the lump beside me on the bed.

Hot. I just needed air. And water.

"What the hell, Jo? What the – Maddie? Are you ok? Can you hear me?" the lump beside me asked. Lump. What a weird word. "Maddie, c'mon. Snap out of it! Jo, what happened?"

"It's AIM. They were attacked. Max, Sadie, Able, Colleen… Jeremy and Lucy… they were all there," Jo explained, her voice shaking, nearly hysterical.

Jeremy and Lucy… those names… they rang a bell…

I gasped, the haze and fog finally clearing from my mind. "Jeremy, Lucy," I gasped out, my voice scratching against my raw throat. I flung the bed covers off and quickly stood up, my bare feet touching the ice cold ground, the blood rushing to my head making me feel woozy. Jeremy, my sweet, hilarious, popular and amazing brother… Lucy, my unusual, sarcastic, odd little sister… I needed to know if they were ok.

"Maddie, wait! You're not well! You're still-"

I blacked out before James could finish his sentence.

There we have it.

Well, I'm out.

Kat xx