'They wen' this way!' Hagrid barked, his crossbow ready as he lead Harry, Ron and Hermoine on through the forest 'Tha' lead's to the Hippogriff paddock tha' does.'

'Eeek!' Hermione gasped at the sound of a scream that echoed through the forest

'Hurry!' Hagrid commanded, and the group ran as fast as their legs could carry them...

'Over 'ere!' Hagrid yelled, spotting a fallen girl by the fence of the Hippogriff's paddock, cradling her arm as she backed away from the angry Hippogriffs head.

'Mara!' Hermione yelled, hurrying over to her 'What happened!?'

'H-he came out of the trees!' Mara cried 'h-he-he knocked out Daniel!' she bellowed, Harry looking towards the Auror's body lying, unconscious on the ground beside Mara.

'Who!?' Hagrid commanded 'Who was 'ere, Mara?!'

'I-I dunno!' she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks 'h-he was wearing rags-it was a-a blur, I-I-'

'It's okay, Mara!' Hermione said gently 'we'll get you to the hospital wing, alright? You can tell us there.'

Mara sniffed as Hermione helped her to her feet 'W-what about Daniel?' she sobbed

'He's comin' too.' Said Hagrid 'Harry, Ron, can yeh?'

'I'll do it.' said Hermione, waving her wand, the unconscious Auror rose into the air and a stretcher appeared beneath him.

'We'd better get a calming draught in her,' said Hermione 'we won't get any information out of her like this.'

'No!' snapped Mara 'I don't want any calming draughts!'

'We'll figure something out.' replied Hermione calmly, despite the surprise in her eyes at Mara's outburst.


Harry and Ron cast each other a surprised look as they followed Hermoine and Hagrid out of the forest...

'Out of my way, quickly now.' came Madam Pomfrey's voice, holding a couple of potions as she made her way through the crowd around Mara's bed.

'No!' Mara snapped 'I won't take any calming draught's!'

'It is potion to help heal your broken bones, Miss Morris.' Said Pomfrey incredulously 'If you do not want a calming draught we won't force it on you.'

'Please, drink, it will help.' said Pomfrey, Mara eyed the potion warily, before downing the liquid-after she had finished it off, Pomfrey swung her wand, and Mara felt a hot, burning sensation as her broken bones snapped back together in her arm.

'There, how does that feel?' asked Pomfrey, glancing proudly as Mara moved her arm back and forth

'Mara,' said Hermione 'you said you saw something, before?'

'That's right,' Mara whimpered 'someone was in the forest! But what about Daniel!?'

'He's right next to your bed,' said Pomfrey, pulling back the curtains 'he is fine, just unconscious, no lasting injuries.'

Mara's head leant back against the pillow in relief.

'You said no one can get through the enchantments, Professor Hagrid!' Mara bellowed, raising back up 'I believed you!'

'Wha-' Hagrid stumbled 'I was tellin' yeh the truth, no one ought to be able to get through 'em, Dumbledore 'imself helped.'

'That I did, Rubeus,' everyone looked to see Dumbledore arrive, with Professor Snape in toe 'Please, Miss Morris, tell us.'

Mara ran her hand over her head 'Miss Morris?' Pomfrey asked

'I've got a splitting headache.' Mara complained

'Alright, everyone, out,' ordered Pomfrey 'Except Professor Dumbledore, of course, and Professor Snape if required.'

'Yes, Poppy.' said Dumbledore 'However, I would like for Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Ms Granger to wait outside, please, I would like their account of the situation also.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione shot each other disappointed glances, as Hagrid led them out of the hospital wing.

'At your own pace, Miss Morris, please, tell us.' said Dumbledore, Mara's eyes darting warily to a stone faced Snape before continuing.

'W-well..' Mara began, wringing her hands, her gaze darting to the unconscious Daniel in the next cubical 'it's him.' said Mara, both Dumbledore and Snape looking towards the Auror 'he was annoying me, he wouldn't leave me alone!' she snapped 'So, so I ran, to get away from him, but-but I wasn't going in any real direction, I was just...just..' her eyes closed 'I just ran, Daniel, he-he followed me into the forest, but someone else was there, too,' Mara sniffed, Dumbledore glancing warily at Snape, who returned the glance 'That man came out from the trees, and he-he attacked Daniel, knocking him out, but the blast from the man's hand's knocked me backwards, and the hippogriff hurt my arm.'

'From his hands?' asked Dumbledore

'He-he used wandless magic.' Mara whimpered 'when-when Daniel was unconscious, he tried to speak to me.'

'What did he say?' asked Dumbledore 'Can you remember what he looked like?'

'H-he was wearing rags, striped, black and grey, with a number tag-' she whimpered 'his hair was all matted and he was bearded so I couldn't see much-but, he was rambling on, rambling about something-said I had his eyes.'

Dumbledore looked in alarm at Snape, who returned the look 'It's him, isn't it!' Mara cried 'it's my dad, right!?' she panicked 'he escaped, didn't he!? He escaped with the others, from Azkaban last year and he's finally come for me!'

'It..seems, that is so, Miss Morris.' said Dumbledore warily

'But how!' she bellowed 'How! How did he get through the enchantments, the security! You said it was foolproof!'

'It seemed, your father had help.' said Dumbledore, looking at Daniel, drawing Mara's gaze also

'He could be under the Imperius Curse, Headmaster.' said Snape in a low tone

'That is a possibility,' said Dumbledore 'your father could have happened to cross an Auror, and used the imperius curse to help him into the grounds, I would say around the beginning of the year.'

'This isn't right,' Mara sobbed 'Hogwarts is supposed to be safe.'

'We ought to give her a calming draught, Madam Pomfrey-'

'No!' Mara snapped, surprising both Snape and Dumbledore 'I don't want a calming draught!'

Dumbledore looked positively alarmed, but looked in realisation as Snape said something into his ear.

'Then we shall not provide you with one, however, perhaps a sleeping draught instead?'

Mara cast the Headmaster a wary look 'Once you are well rested, you will be able to tell us more of the incident.' said Dumbledore

'O-okay.' Mara said quietly after a lengthy pause and stare their way 'but what about Daniel? What will happen to him?'

'We will see that he is treated fairly, and under constant guard.' said Dumbledore 'he will be restrained to that bed, until he awakes to explain his situation.'

Mara glanced as Pomfrey appeared, handing over a potion to which she took

'Let us leave Miss Morris in peace, we will return later with news, Madam Pomfrey.' The matron nodded, and watched the Headmaster leave, Snape casting Mara a strange look before following after..

'Professor Dumbledore?' said Harry, as he, Ron and Hermoine rose to their feet

'How is she?' asked Hermione

'Miss Morris has just taken a sleeping draught, and I ask that you do not bother her whilst she is in slumber.'

'Of course, Headmaster.' said Hermione 'But is she okay? What about that boy?'

'They are both perfectly healthy,' said Dumbledore 'at least, physically, we will see in due course, now come, I am sure you are all hoping for information, the best place for this will be in my office without any listening ears..'