22nd February, 1995
"Ugh." Mary groaned, looking at the deep mud color of her potion.
"Another failure," Snape drawled, vanishing the contents of the cauldron. "Three hours, a severe hit to my ingredients stores, and you have yet to make even a passable draught. My, my Potter, one would think you were utterly incompetent."
One would also get his teeth kicked in. Mary thought viciously, gripping the handle of her knife until her knuckles turned white. "Again, sir?"
"No," Snape shook his head, causing Mary to look up in surprise and see the ugly sneer on his face. "Would you rather we make fairy cakes? I overheard you tell Longbottom that potions was akin to cooking class, so why shouldn't we endeavour to make useless things and sugar filled treats. AGAIN!"
Mary glared down at the knife in her muggle hand. "Yes, sir."
So for the fifth time Mary sorted out the ingredients she needed and carefully prepared them. The antidote he'd assigned her was tricky at best. Another potion that was far above NEWT level in complexity, but Snape demanded she brew it. Why? She couldn't figure out other than Snape saw it as a way to knock her back down to size, giving him material for years to come about just how stupid and brainless she really was.
Mary pulled her hair out of it's tie and twisted it up into a bun while she tried to mentally retrace her steps and figure out where she'd gone wrong this time. She put her hand on the worktable and paused, staring down at the appendage. She'd touched the ingredients at some point, that had to be it. They'd have better luck bringing Dudley in to brew potions for all her right hand was worth. It didn't help that Snape hovered over her like a dark cloud, barking out orders and instructions, constantly questioning her on her knowledge of potions that were leagues beyond her skill level. It set her nerves on edge and made it far too difficult to concentrate.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled as he stalked past once again. She occluded her mind while the light cadence of his footsteps fell into a pattern that mimicked the slices she was making with her knife. Slice. Slice. Slice.
Her vision blurred and her head throbbed, but her hands continued to move. Slice. Slice. Sli-
A cold hand grasped hers, pulling Mary out of her daze.
"Idiot girl!" Snape loomed over her, his grip painful. "Unless you aim to add pieces of my worktable and your own fingers to the antidote, I think the ginger roots are sliced finely enough."
Mary waited for him to let go, and then added the roots to the potion. She stirred carefully, adding each ingredient at the proffered time. And when it came to the last step, she said the charm, watching and waiting with bated breath.
The liquid bubbled and hissed, turning from a puce brown to a vibrant red. She'd done it! She looked up, expecting Snape to at least nod or give some form of praise, but thought again. He wasn't the type. The past four years had taught her that in explicit detail.
She let out a sigh of relief and carefully set the stirrer on the worktable. "Again, sir?"
"Bottle the contents." He pointed his wand at the shelf behind her and a set of small vials floated down, landing neatly on the worktop. "When you are finished, take two vials and keep them on you at all times."
Mary did as instructed, not wanting to waste another minute in the dungeons. It was a rare sunny day and Viktor had organized a pick up game of quidditch. A glance at her watch told her that she had less than a half hour before everyone would meet up at Hagrid's. That would give her just enough time to grab her broom and put up her things.
But as she was placing the filled vials on his desk something odd caught her eye. A chocolate rose sat unwrapped on his desk, a small portion of it cut away, placed next to a cauldron filled with a liquid that smelled wonderful. Like smoke, leather, and sunlight on a spring morning.
All at once she lost her breath, air lodged in her throat, and jerked away making Snape lose his grip on her robes. She landed in a heap on the ground while Snape placed a lid over the cauldron a dark look in his eyes as he turned and leaned down toward her. Those coal eyes glimmered nastily and she couldn't help but look away.
"Find something you like, Potter?"
"No, sir." She clenched her fists, standing quickly though he was blocking her path.
It'd been quite a while since she'd felt so trapped. Not since the Dursleys. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her wand was in her hand and pointed at his chest before she could even blink. He won't hurt me. She told herself, meeting his gaze.
"Get. Out." He spat the words out as though she was some lowly creature that had wandered into his home.
Not needing any more of an invitation, Mary fled the classroom. What the hell was Snape playing at grabbing her like that? What was in that potion? Who in the sodding fuck would want to give that man a chocolate rose? The thought alone made her shudder, her breakfast nearly making a return trip. She swallowed hard. Damn that hurts. She rubbed at her neck. Another bruise. It made her regret wearing a normal jumper. Had she wore her school robes she would at least have something to cover the red marks she was sure were there.
People once again avoided her in the halls. Slytherin territory. The fourth years were somewhat okay with her, other than Malfoy and his cronies, of course, but the upper years despised her. The lower years were scared of her. That fact was almost amusing as she passed a group of firsties who scrambled to get out of her way, darting behind a suit of armor to hide. Mary stopped walking, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She turned to tell them not to be scared, but the moment her eyes landed on them they darted back towards their common room. She stood there staring at their retreating backs for a moment. How would she ever get the Slytherins on her side if they feared her?
Minutes later she had her broom over her shoulder, stepping out of the portrait hole when she was accosted from both sides. Fred and George flanked her, walking like bodyguards as they chuckled and acted as though she couldn't hear them.
"What am I missing?" Mary stopped to stare at them.
"Nothing, Mary dear." George put his arm around her shoulders, turning her back toward the Entrance Hall.
Fred hooked his arm through hers. "You're our second favorite sister, you know that, right?"
"I guess." Mary tilted her head, trying to find what they were playing at. "Spill. I don't do well with this vague shite."
"It's mum." George answered. "She's always been a touch inclined to believe the Prophet."
"Fuck." Mary groaned, her hopes of missing out on Mrs. Weasley's ire due to Rita's dabbling were dashed.
Fred laughed. "We're both pretty sure that mum's just gone mad, you see? But we don't like leaving these things up to fate."
"So, sis, the two of us are going to be looking out for your virtue."
"My what?!" Mary's mouth dropped open.
"You heard him." George ruffled her hair. "We're going to keep the nasty boys away."
And it was just her luck that when they rounded the corner, both Cedric and Cho were standing there. Cho was shaking her head, and Cedric was waving his hands in an exaggerated manner. Cho crossed her arms and glared in Mary's direction. Cedric followed her gaze and then blushed furiously, looking anywhere but at her.
It'd been like that for almost a month since the 'Incident of Hogsmeade' as Lavender called it. Cedric pleading with Cho at any given time and her giving him the cold shoulder. It was a spectacle that the majority of Hogwarts had a betting pool on.
As for Cedric, he'd been downright odd, cagey at the best of times. Not that Mary had spoken to him. He avoided her at all cost, and when they did get in close quarters, he put as much distance between them as he could. She was grateful for that much at least. She didn't need that rumor spreading any further than it already had.
Viktor nodded a smile lighting up his face when she and her 'bodyguards' walked into the paddock. "Are you ready?"
Mary couldn't help but smile back, gripping her broom. "Let's go."
Viktor put his fingers to his lips and let out a high pitched whistle. "To count of ten. Then ve fly!"
Mary mounted her broom, as did the other fifty something students. The twice weekly broom races were slowly becoming a thing of legend. Everyone with a broom was allowed to participate, and usually McGonagall or Madam Hooch joined them as referees. Today they both did. Seeing that, Mary let out a sigh of relief. Things got nasty if they didn't have supervision. Already two students had been sent to the hospital wing due to cheating.
McGonagall blew the whistle and they were off. All of Mary's worries floated away, left behind as the wind rushed through her hair and the scenery blurred around her. The group kept the path of the tall stone wall that encircled the grounds. The hippogriffs and abraxans stomped at the ground as they flew past, almost like they felt left out.
Placement didn't matter to Mary much, she was just glad to be out in the fresh air. Especially after the bad business with Snape. Still though, that competitive thrill had her urging her broom faster. Malfoy on his Nimbus 2001 was to her left. Viktor was pulling ahead on his Firebolt. That just wouldn't do. Mary thought, crouching lower to give herself an aerodynamic advantage. She barrel rolled over Malfoy slimly missing the boundary line and crept closer to Viktor's side until they were neck and neck.
The water shimmered over the Black Lake, the snow on the ground next to it was blinding in contrast. The world was clean and bright. Mary sucked in a deep breath of crisp winter air and urged her broom to go faster. She rounded the next tight corner with no time to spare, breaking away from the others and pulling ahead. The finish line was growing closer, she could see the smoke from Hagrids chimney in the distance, lazily drifting into the sky like a beacon. She peeked over her shoulder, seeing Viktor right at her heels. A smirk pulled at her cheeks and she refocused on her goal. And just like their other broom races just as Hagrid's hut was within spitting distance, she pulled her broom straight up into the air. Viktor let out a little laugh as he followed. Mary pulled her broom to a halt, hovering there, high in the sky as she tried to catch her breath, watching as the tiny dots below zoomed by.
"Last place again." Viktor smiled.
Mary let out another breath, feeling more relaxed than she had in awhile. "Totally worth it."
"Race you to the ground?"
"You're on."
It was a tie in the end. Neither McGonagall or Hooch could say who had been closest to the ground when they'd pulled their brooms up. All Mary knew was that she was winded and hungry. Tired too. It'd been days since she'd had a decent nights sleep, and given everything that was to come, she couldn't help but look forward to simply rest.
"So Sluggie was no help." Sirius brushed the ash from his robes.
Remus cast a cleaning charm on his own robes and sat down at the table. "His insight was quite helpful. And there is certainly more than he is willing to tell us."
"You got that too?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair, feeling his fingers come away greasy. "I need a shower."
Remus pulled a thick tome closer. "Dinner first. I think Dumbledore is right though, we may end up needing a Curse Breaker."
"Dobby!" Sirius called out.
Seconds later the little elf appeared, dressed in a garish purple tuxedo complete with tails and tophat. "What can Dobby be doing for sir?"
Sirius blinked away his confusion. "Are there sandwiches in the icebox?"
Dobby looked over his shoulder, eyeing the the cabinetry. "There are being sandwiches. Is that all sir needed to know?"
Sirius lifted a brow. "That's all, Dobby."
Dobby giggled, white gloved hand held out before he snapped his fingers, disappearing with a faint 'pop'.
"The nerve! This is all Mary's doing, Moony! She's corrupted the sanctity of house elves!"
The words had barely left his mouth before a tray of tea sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice materialized in the middle of the table. Moony just shook his head and laughed, grabbing a plate and glass from the tray and serving himself. Sirius, on the other hand, stared at the offerings with deep distrust. Given that the little elf was in cahoots with Mary, he didn't know whether to trust the food or not. Any manner of things could happen.
"It's safe." Moony took a second bite, washing it down with some juice. "See?"
Sirius watched him with a critical eye, waiting. When nothing happened, he decided all was well and served himself. It would take time for them to receive a reply and there was no use in going hungry in the meantime.
A loud 'ding' echoed through the kitchen and they both turned to the Floo in time to see Bill stepping out. "Came as soon as Karnok's owl reached me. So what on earth do you need a Gringotts Curse Breaker for?"
"You know how a defense professor at Hogwarts has never lasted more than a year?" Moony started, giving Bill time to digest the statement.
Bill smiled widely. "It's a good thing I'm back in England. This isn't something I'd want to miss."
"Good to have you on board." Sirius gestured to the seat across from him, singing; "Help yourself to some lunch, the pumpkin juice packs a punch!"
Moony slapped a hand over his mouth, dissolving into giggles. Bill rolled his eyes but made no move to sit.
"I think Sirius is the target for this latest prank." Moony, the betrayer, told their guest. "It should be safe enough for the rest of us."
Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. There was no chance in hell that he'd be interrogating the young man on his younger brothers' possible relations with his goddaughter while singing. And now he was no longer hungry.
"What do you have for me?" Bill asked, sitting down and flipping through the stacks of parchment Moony had passed his way. "This is really in depth research. Have you had the chance to study the room itself?"
"We'll be going in the morning." Moony said. "You're welcome to join us. The castle should be empty given it's the second task."
Bill looked up sharply. "You don't want to be there for Mary?"
"Oh we will." Moony caught Sirius' dark gaze. "Classes are canceled, so Mad-Eye gave us permission to poke around the office and classroom both before and after the task."
Bill leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Could you not figure out a way to get her out of the Tournament?"
Sirius stupidly opened his mouth. "Old Dumbles plan sucked, guess Mary is fu-"
"Sirius!" Remus cut him off, a high pitched reprimand on his lips, though he was trying to hide his laughter. "I told you that she would get you back for the singing sweets."
Bill looked between the two with a raised brow. "I don't want to know, do I?"
Sirius tried a counter spell, hoping it would work, muttering under his breath until he was no longer singing when he spoke. "Karnok assured me we'd get the best Curse Breaker. You sure you're up for the job?"
"They called me in from Egypt for this alone, so I hope I'm up for it. Otherwise I'm out of a decent paycheck and lost time on our most recent dig." Bill replied, confident but not cocky.
Sirius waved his wand, sending a bottle of Firewhiskey and three tumblers floating onto the table. "Enough work. Let's have a drink."
February 24th, 1995
"You'll do just fine, Potter." McGonagall put a hand on Mary's shoulder, moving closer to her side as they walked towards the small rowboats. "Just try your best. And be careful or Madam Pomfrey will have both our heads."
Mary tugged her thick cloak tighter around herself. "Yes, Professor."
It was still early and a low fog wafted off the water as they stepped into the boat and let it magically propel them towards the stands in the middle of the Black Lake.
The judges looked up at them the second they stepped onto the platform and Mary realized that they were the first to arrive. She took a seat and put her elbows on her knees –her head in her hands– and tried to control her breathing. It felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest and she gulped down another lungful of air while McGonagall patted her arm worriedly. Bagman shook his head in sympathy when he spotted the state she was in.
The crowd loudly shuffled in followed by the true champions and quite a few professors. Cheers rose loudly in the thick misty cold morning, creating an ethereal atmosphere for such a daunting task. With each thud of footsteps, bile lurched into her throat and she choked it back down.
Grindylows. Mermaids. Three hostages. Mary recited to herself. Grindylows. Mermaids. Three hostages.
Mary lifted her head, taking a peek at the gathering crowd. Hermione and Ron waved at her from the tallest balcony. She let out a breath. Sirius and Remus were to their right. They hadn't arrived in time to speak with her, but she knew they were wishing her the best. Her eyes continued to scan the crowd, blocking out the noise with Remus' helpful charm. Who was missing?
Ludo Bagman began to speak and Mary focused on him, cancelling the noise reduction spell. "It is time for the Second Task to begin. The three Champions have spent months working on the clue gained from the First Task. Today is their test in cunning and skill. Champions, best of luck. At the sound of the cannon, you have one hour to return with you treasure."
Fleur pulled off her cloak and stood at the edge of the platform in a simple one piece silver swimsuit and waited for the judges to announce their start. Mary shot her a thumbs up and mentally wished the blonde girl luck and turned to smile at Viktor who looked almost as nervous as she felt.
Mary pulled the wad of gillyweed from her pocket and swallowed it, then shrugged off her warm cloak. She thanked all things Muggle for the dark red wet suit that she wore and hoped it would help her be far more flexible in the water. A frigid gust of wind blew in from the east, making her teeth chatter and her bones ache. She looked back at her cloak with longing, but there wasn't time.
Bagman blew his whistle. Viktor and Fleur jumped into the lake. Mary stood there, heart pounding in her throat, eyes watering with the bite of cold air.
Mary took in a deep breath then dived deeply into the murky water until she felt the gillyweed kick in. A horrible choking feeling overtook her and she gasped pulling a lungful of water into her gills. Once. Twice. She opened her mouth and breathed in, acclimating herself to the new sensation. Meanwhile, she observed the watery world around her and examined it carefully, descending further into the dark lake. She hoped that she would be fast enough to get to her hostage in time and wondered who they had picked for her. Fred, George, Katie, Alicia… The list was longer than she wanted. So many people who could be used against her. None of them would come to harm, not if she could help it.
Despite her apprehension, it was eerily peaceful, with the way the water tugged at her with each forward motion, and how all that she could hear was the whooshing of her webbed hands and feet as they propelled her quickly downward.
Until she heard the song. The low mournful tune hummed in her ears the closer she came to the lake-bed and Mary's heart soared, knowing that she was close to the place she was suppose to be. The mermish village came into view, unworldly and beautiful in it's own way. In the distance she spotted the mermaids swimming in slow lazy circles, darting to and fro as though searching for something.
A low shriek of fear sounded from somewhere to her right and Mary turned to see a school of grindylows pulling a struggling Fleur towards the muddy floor. The blonde girl was shrieking as loud as she could flailing and panicking as she was pulled into the thick crop of seaweed. With a kick of her fins, Mary sped after them, shooting non-verbal spells as fast as she could to keep up with the onslaught of tiny sadistic creatures. They came from every direction, hundreds of them, sharp clawed hands scratching, tearing, tiny teeth biting everywhere they could reach.
"Bombarda!" Mary pointed her wand at the lake bed, shielding her eyes as the concussion bomb rumbled through the area, creating a murky cloud that hindered her sight. Going on instinct alone, Mary dove further down, hands grasping at nothing, until suddenly she was being dragged around. A loud shriek erupted next to her left and she was face to face with a very angry and scared Fleur. Mary gripped the girls shoulders, pulling her upward and out of the mess now that the grindylows had mostly scattered.
'Stupefy!' Mary thought as she pointed her wand at the spindly hand that reached for Fleur's ankle.
The grindylow drifted away limply and Mary grabbed Fleur's outstretched hand, hauling her back towards the mermish colony where the hostages were being kept. A sharp pain hit her leg and Mary bit down a scream. Looking down she saw a small trident sunk deep into the tissue of her thigh.
"Diffindo!" Mary cast the severing charm, cutting the trident off to where only a small part of the handle remained.
There wasn't time to do much else. Her leg was beginning to go numb. Fleur held tighter to her when a rather irate looking mermaid came into view, pointing to the large murky dome where they'd just been. Fleur clutched her arm tighter, fear in her eyes. Mary gritted her teeth and shook her head as she kept swimming, ignoring the mermaid completely. Together they finally made it into the center of the mermish village.
Despite the delay, they were the first ones there. The three hostages floated in place, looking pale and limp, which seemed to scare Fleur. The girl let go of Mary's hand and swam quickly to her little sister, casting a spell that split the rope.
The moment the bond broke, Gabriella began floating towards the surface and Fleur looked back at Mary guiltily. Mary waved her on and stayed swimming in place beside little Colin Creevey, trying her best not to agitate the trident's spines that seemed to hit the nerves of her thigh at the worst moments.
Thoughts swam through her head like the many fish in the Black Lake. Why hadn't her friends warned Colin to stay out of sight? Why hadn't they taken him into the Room of Requirement with them? She'd begged Ron and Hermione the night before to take almost all of Gryffindor house there. She'd told them what she 'suspected'. That one of them would be the thing that she'd miss most. Warned them to stay hidden. Maybe that was the reason why McGonagall seemed none too happy when she'd found her in the prefects bathroom that morning, dressed and ready for the task while staring up at the stained glass image of the mermaid.
Out of all the people they could have picked, why him? Why make it the one kid that she would contemplate leaving there? Okay, maybe she wouldn't leave him floating on the bottom of the Black Lake forever, but maybe just a few days so she could walk ten feet without being blinded by his damnable camera. Where was it anyway? Mary looked around, wondering how they'd pried it out of the boy's hands.
I should get to the surface to get a better score. Mary thought, pulling the knife from her belt and holding it tightly in her right hand. The mermaids were still circling in an angry manner, and Mary just knew she'd have to be back down here to apologize at some point for disturbing their habitat.
With a burst of speed, Viktor swam up next her, his head still half transfigured into that of a shark, and peered at her with dark beady eyes. She pointed to where Elena was tied and pushed his shoulders until he passed. Together they pulled the two hostages toward the surface.
It was over, and she had no time left to think about it. Fleur was weak from her battle with the Grindylows and struggling to get herself and Gabriella to shore. Colin was sputtering and confused, gasping as soon as his head broke the surface. Viktor was just ahead of them, Elena was pulling away from him, her eyes wide and fearful, seeing nothing but a shark's head attached to a body.
"Take her!" Mary called to Colin, watching as her housemate grabbed Elena and guided her towards the shore.
Mary turned around, pulling Gabriella onto her back, letting Fleur grab hold of her shoulder as she slowly made her way to the bank. The second her feet touched the sandy lakebed, Mary let out a sigh of relief, hoisting Gabriella off her back and putting an arm around her to keep her head above water. Fleur heaved in short choking breaths, moving closer to her side. Mary's right leg was completely numb, making it difficult to hop onto the shore.
The water was only ankle deep when a group of people rushed towards them, Madam Pomfrey at the front of the frey. The matron's voice sounded like it was in a bucket, trapped beneath white noise.
"Don't-"
Mary wrapped her hand around the hilt of the trident and yanked. It popped out of her leg with a sick squelching suction cup like sound.
"-pull it out, you stupid, stupid, girl." Madam Pomfrey was suddenly in her face, wrapping a blanket around her, calling out orders for the rest to get warm towels and be taken back to the tent.
"Okay, yeah, that hurt." Lights danced in front of her eyes, a kaleidoscope of colors left in their wake. Mary simply closed them, letting herself be placed on the gurney and hauled into the tent while her mind drifted in and out of the present.
She felt nothing but dizzy. Sort of happy too. The thick haze settled in her mind and didn't appear to make any effort to leave.
"I have to cut your suit." Madam Pomfrey dragged her wand along the seam from Mary's ankle up to just above her injury.
Mary looked down at the three ragged holes now adorning her leg with a sigh. "That's gonna scar, isn't it?"
Pomfrey raised her eyes to Mary's, a hard glint in them that showed her ire. "Not if I can help it."
"Miss Bell," Aunt Andy was in Healer mode, and Mary turned her head to watch. "Take Mr. Creevey and young Miss Delacour out of here, they're fine and I'm sure they would prefer to change."
Katie turned and shot Mary a sympathetic glance before ushering the two children out of the tent. The curtain was pulled back and Aunt Andy smiled tightly, turning back to Fleur, handing her a vial.
"Pepper-Up first." Healer Tonks handed her another vial. "Nothing appears corrupted, so I will heal the larger bites and scratches. Professor Snape has made an adequate healing paste that should take care of the rest."
"Merci," Fleur replied, then turned to Mary. "Not so bad, no?"
"I've had worse." Mary grimaced as Madam Pomfrey prodded at the sore spot again. "Can I get some of that Pepper-Up?"
"No." The bane of her existence stuck his big nose around the corner.
"Come on!" Mary whined, realizing she sounded far too petulant. "All I need is a blood-replenisher and a dose of Skele-gro. Then I'm fine and dancy. Dampy. Or is it-"
Snape tossed the remnants of the trident onto the small tray. "Pepper-Up would only exacerbate the mind numbing effects of the poison you've been subjected to."
"Poison?!" McGonagall's shrill voice almost snapped her out of her daze. "Headmaster, you promised that we had the Chieftainess' full cooperation in this task!"
"It was an unfortunate occurrence," Professor Dumbledore replied, moving around the curtained off area until he was in view. "One that is understandable given the situation. Mary had no way of knowing that she would be obliterating one of their farming sites."
"Effing great." Mary drowsily put a hand over her face. "Just what I need, more enemies."
"No more than you deserve after you've jumped into another half-cocked plan." Snape shoved a vial of steaming blue liquid into her face. "Drink it all. Quickly."
Mary accepted the vial and chugged the foul tasting antidote without hesitation, leaning back against the pillows and wishing she could have some water to chase it with.
"This feels weird." She squirmed as the pins and needles sensation traveled from the tips of her toes to halfway up her back. "I don't like it."
"Good." Snape's satisfied eyes met hers. "You'll like it less when you get to brew it in your next detention."
"No, really," Mary begged, leaning forward to rub at her burning ankles. "When will it end?"
"Momentarily." Snape's dark eyes continued watching her, waiting. "I do believe you would prefer to suffer through, as that particular poison will rot your flesh and render you incapable of thought within a day's time." Snape smirked. "Not that you're rational at the best of times."
Mary looked away, gripping the edge of the thin mattress until the horrible burning feeling faded into a faint warmth that settled on her injured leg before vanishing completely.
"That's better." Mary let out a breath.
"Now this." Snape handed her a small glass of clear liquid that had a very familiar scent.
"Do I have to?" Mary grimaced.
"What eez it?" Fleur frowned, glaring at Snape like he was a slug.
"Skele-gro." Madam Pomfrey answered, giving Mary a stern stare.
"We'll be taking her up to the Tower to recuperate." Sirius stepped in, turning toward Andy. "As her Healer, you have no issue with that, do you?"
Aunt Andy and Madam Pomfrey looked as though they were communicating telepathically. It must have been some kind of super Healer power that they had, because in tandem they turned to Sirius and nodded, before Aunt Andy went to assist Fleur while Madam Pomfrey moved toward Mary with a pair of conjured crutches in one hand and a tray in the other.
"Here you are. Skele-gro and Pepper-Up." Madam Pomfrey handed her two tiny vials and a tub of healing paste. "Drink all of the Skele-gro now, then one sip of the other as needed. And after you've showered make sure to apply the paste generously. Well, you should know the drill by now."
Mary chugged the Skele-gro, then took a sip of the Pepper-Up, feeling the steam rise. The fog in her brain dissipated. Her lingering tiredness evaporated just as quickly. She felt good. Really good. Other than the lingering ache in her leg, it was the best she felt all day.
"I'll expect you back tomorrow to check on that leg." Madam Pomfrey ordered, repairing her wetsuit and wrapping a fresh warm blanket around her shoulders.
"She'll need to keep all weight off that leg for at least four hours." Aunt Andy added.
"Food might make her nauseous, so best to keep to a clear liquid diet." Madam Pomfrey moved forward, fussing with the blanket around Mary's shoulders. "Both girls need at least a full night's sleep. And Miss Delacour's bandages should be redressed first thing in the morning."
"I think we can handle it." Remus moved forward, placing a gentle hand on Mary's arm. "Come along now, Mary Jane."
Mary scooted to the edge of the bed, grabbed the conjured crutches and hopped alongside her godfathers. Fleur hovered at her left side, ready to lend a hand, but came to a halt when the walked out of the tent and were suddenly accosted with the bright flash of cameras.
Fleur let out a small squeak of shock, trying to shield herself from view. Mary hobbled in front of her, trying to block her with her blanket. Sirius and Remus didn't need any prompting. Neither did Madam Maxime. It was the tall Headmistress that had the paparazzi fleeing the scene like roaches in the light. They weren't the only ones waiting though. Fleur was nearly knocked off balance by her little sister, who darted into her arms, crying and babbling in French. Ron, Hermione, and Luna were next. All three were congratulating her, though Luna acted like Mary had done something as remarkable as yawning.
"You've tied with Viktor!" Hermione pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "First place!"
"Knew all that extra training would come in handy." Ron stood back with a beaming smile. "Told you, didn't I? These foreign schools have nothing on Hogwarts."
"You have new earrings," Luna said, leaning forward to touch one of the black dragon claws. "They've brought you good fortune."
Mary looked down at her crutches, feeling achy and jittery. If this was good fortune, she didn't know how she would survive the next few years.
"Best get back to the castle so you can get off that leg." Sirius moved closer to her side. "The twins have a small celebration planned for later if you feel up to it."
A small celebration it was not. The Room of Requirement was packed full of people. It was dark, loud, and the deep reverberating beat of music felt as though it shaking the castle itself. Mary stood behind the DJ table a few hours later and smiled at the way her classmates walked in, looking both awestruck and confused, before going to either get drinks or went straight to dancing.
Fluorescent lights moved across the room in typical rave fashion, matching the rhythm of the music as people danced. Mary sat happily in her own secluded spot, knowing that no one would recognize her unless they got close enough.
"Go away!" Fleur's raised voice sounded as the song changed. "I said I do not want to dance with you!"
Roger grabbed Fleur's arm and Mary could see the lustful look in his eyes. Without hesitation, she jumped up, crutches in hand, lumbering through the crowd, ready to pummel the Ravenclaw. Fleur was faster though, waving her wand and sending a light blue spell that sizzled out, knocking Roger back a few feet. He landed in a heap beside the dancing platform and glared up at her in obvious confusion.
"Get out." Mary growled at him, pulling him up by the arm and bodily dragging him out of the Room of Requirement. "You're no longer welcome."
Bill stood next to the bar, taking another swig of his Butterbeer. Parties at Hogwarts had certainly changed in the past few years. The last one he'd attended had been the night before his graduation. McGonagall had came in and warned them not to stay up too late and not to cause a ruckus. They'd stayed up all night and trashed the common room. But that had only been Gryffindor seventh years. This was a whole different monster. Four houses, two visiting schools, over a hundred kids in one massive room. What could go wrong?
That was until Mary happened. Going completely against Pomfrey's orders. Pulling him out of the chaperone mode that Sirius and Remus had assigned him with, and now he was having to stare down some stupid twit who thought he could grope and go.
Mary slammed the door shut, shuffling toward him. "You mind telling Fred and George that he's not allowed back in?"
"Sure," Bill replied, looking to where his brothers were talking to a pair of witches. "You need any help?"
Mary looked over her shoulder, towards the blonde French Champion from Beauxbatons. "Actually, Fleur might need a more mature dance partner. It's been a long day and we all need to let off some steam, but Davies was really taking advantage."
"I'll see what I can do." Bill shrugged, taking the last gulp of his Firewhiskey and moving onto the dancefloor.
Surprisingly, Mary got there first, a hand on the blonde girl's arm. "Fleur, this is Bill, my brother from another mother. Bill, Fleur."
"A pleasure, I'm sure." Fleur sneered up at him.
Bill steadily met her gaze, unwilling to let her standoffish attitude detour him. At Fleur's side, Mary watched them, a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite place, as though she was waiting for something to happen. Women, he didn't think he'd ever figure them out.
A/N: Sorry for the delay in this and the fact that it's not betad.
Next chapter Mary meets a legendary character and has an awkward encounter.
Question time: Please name one person you think Mary should tell that she has knowledge of the future.
We're on the edge of Mary changing the timeline, so things are about to get crazy.
