For all those who haven't heard a lynx before (I only have in a zoo), there you go:( watch?v=rbmObjwrB5U&feature= &t=1m)
Chapter warning: a lot of fast-forward later on
Chapter warning: mention of severe violence
New Year's Day, 1994
Her muscles were still sore from running all of Wednesday night and she'd drunk too much champagne last night – though the latter was to be expected at New Year's Eve.
If you thought muggles did fireworks, wizards would put that to shame. 32 magic wielding crazy people and two muggles had gone all out this year; well only about 25 of them were crazy. And eleven of the party-goers were underage and therefore not actually wielding.
But the so called grown-ups? They'd had a blast having Fred and George's very own fireworks go off. Hell, even Amelia Bones – whom Jupiter had invited since Susan and she'd always been alone since the war – had let lose and lit a dozen fuses.
Harry and Hermione, who'd never seen magic fireworks, had been fascinated.
Ron and Susan, much like Ginny and Ty, had been mostly envious that they couldn't do it themselves.
The two eldest Weasley "kids" had come home for New Year's too, and after Molly had gotten her fill of her boys, they'd mingled.
Bill, the oldest, was tall, had blue eyes and the family trademark ginger hair – though his was long enough he kept it in a ponytail. He was also wearing an earring with what looked like a fang on it. The Curse Breaker had almost immediately sought out Bianca, his old classmate, and spent the time catching up with her – given his profession they had a lot in common since the goblins required him to master in Arithmancy.
Charlie, second oldest, was stockier with broad shoulders and tanned skin – presumably from his work. The man studied dragons in Romania after all. He shared his brother's hair and eye colour but had freckles. He'd immediately retreated into a corner with David and Elias after the fireworks.
Percy, overly serious as ever, had attempted to schmooze Amelia but Jupiter had put an end to that fast and rescued his colleague.
The twins and Dora had been having the time of their lives, it had seemed – her cousin loved to make herself the party trick by morphing a lot.
Benjamin had fit in rather nicely after all the peace-making that had apparently taken place the week before. She'd asked about Narcissa – he was currently the only one who could actually talk to her without alerting Lucius. According to Benjamin, poor Cissa was attempting to "re-educate" her brat of a son. Good luck with that.
Remus and Dromeda had jokingly commiserated over the discrimination they'd always faced, and Ted had been absolutely delighted to explain the wizarding world in more detail to the Grangers.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Susan had spent the first half of the night being exicted about the animagus training, then they'd pulled Theo, Ginny and Ty into their circle and had started alternately complaining about Trelawney and Binns or praising Remus.
Carmen had kept running back and forth between her siblings and the twins while Marina had just watched.
Her father though had been the most interesting to watch.
With permission from the hosts, Jupiter had invited one of the Obliviators working under him because she'd mentioned that she knew her father and Remus from school.
Marina had thought the name Hestia Jones rang a bell as soon as she'd heard it but couldn't place it. The witch had been in her parents' Hogwarts class, sorted into Hufflepuff. She sure didn't look thirty yet though. Hestia had raven black, long hair and brown eyes – from what Marina had been able to tell she was a very caring and outgoing person. Then her Dad had smiled at the woman almost gently and Marina had remembered: her mother had written about Hestia – her father's first love. And given what had happened next, probably his only love. She'd returned his feelings too, at least her mother had thought so, but her parents had disapproved of their daughter dating a Black. Bloody morons.
So, last night had been a blast, both figuratively and literally.
It was only natural that her fruitcake of a cousin would chose today to make a mess.
Jupiter had been out of the tent (they'd converted it into sleeping baracks for them all so the kids could have one more day together) before the sun had been up, without a good-bye or word of explanation even to his wife.
Arthur had soon followed, hurrying out of the house still pulling his robes straight.
It hadn't been a terrible surprise that, after an owl everyone had actually seen, Amelia had disapparated after getting a sharp nod from Laura – presumambly an agreement to look after Susan.
The rest of them had sat there then, anxious despite the marvelous breakfast Molly had conjured. Hedwig, Iris, four family owls and several Post Office owls had then brought the Daily Prophet – and the disturbing news.
"Bellatrix Lestrange Strikes Again!
Terrible news now begin this new year. Escaped Death Eater at large, Bellatrix Lestrange, has made another of her infamous appearances. Early this night, around 3pm, the known sadist has sunk to new lows, even for her admittedly already non-existent standards.
With the help of her husband of twenty-three years, Rudolphus, and his brother Rabastan the devoted follower of You-Know-Who dragged an entire family of muggles out onto the open street. Given the New Year's celebration that also exists in the muggle word, that family consisted of two brothers and their wives and children.
Due to the wide open staging of the horrendous crime that followed, we know the very gruesome details: the Lestranges killed the younger brother, Timothy, and his wife, Doris, in front of the family before turning their wands on the elder spouses, Ethan and Vivian, and unleashing the Cruciatus on them – forcing the children to watch.
Witnesses report that Bellatrix' infamous laughter could be heard all the way down the street. When the muggles' minds broke due to the force behind the spells, the Death Eaters killed the children. One can only presume it was fear of recapture that spared those kids the torture.
And as if all that wasn't horrific enough, they slashed a lightning scar into the youngest boy's forehead.
For all of those who still don't get the significance: Bellatrix Lestrange staged this attack to be an imitation of the famous attacks on the Potters and Longbottoms – which effectively ended the Dark Lord's reign. Even more telling, the oldest girl's name was Marina – and the deranged witch carved the number 48 into her forehead.
Clearly, this was intended as a message to the fugitive's cousin, Marina Black, who'd ignored a previous message from the Death Eater, sent to her at Hogwarts.
Mere minutes after the muggle witnesses started to scream sorcery, the Heads of the Department for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, Arthur Weasley, and the Accidental Magic Reversal Squads, Jupiter Nott, arrived on scene with their most powerful Obliviators in tow. The Department of Magical Law Enforcment soon followed.
Both wizards are friends with the Blacks but were unavailable for comment as to young Ms Black's whereabouts and how she was taking the news of this spectactle undoubtedly aimed at her.
We will keep you apprised of any developments."
Marina suddenly had a very hard time keeping her breakfast down. That's how she was taking the news. Those cockroaches had added a picture of the crime scene; Bellatrix and her cohorts might only have mutilated two of the kids, but there had been five. She put down her her copy of the paper with trembling hands.
Nine people dead because that lunatic had wanted to make a point.
Harry, sitting next to her, put a hand on her closed fist and squeezed.
She closed her eyes so the tears she felt rising wouldn't escape. Ignoring Bella so completely had not been her choice, but it had been the right one. And giving her that book wasn't even an option. But knowing the right choice had been made did not make this any easier.
Bella hadn't just stumbled over a girl with her name – she'd looked for one. And then she'd waited to stage her macabre version of an I warned you.
When Marina opened her eyes again, everyone was still looking at her with concern, a mixture of horror and outrage still firmly in place. Yes, she sensed that a lot when Bella was the subject.
Theo was absolutely terrified though and couldn't take his eyes off the picture, his father's hand on his shoulder who had a composed expression on his face but had similar feelings, if not quite as pronounced as his thirteen year-old.
"Marina-," Dromeda started but her father cut his cousin off with a raised hand and just looked at her.
He'd seen her melt down before when she'd shown him her memories of Harry's first and second year and how she'd found out about his imprisonment; which was how he knew she wasn't melting down right now – though chances were it would hit her later on.
"How did the Prophet know to ask Jupiter and Arthur where I was?" she asked softly, even though she suspected the answer.
"Anyone in the Ministry can find you through the Trace," Hestia answered quietly.
"The what?" Harry wondered out loud.
"It's the spell that let's the Ministry know when someone underage uses magic," Susan told him, sounding like Amelia had made her learn it by heart.
"It automatically dissipates when you turn seventeen," Remus added, also watching her intently.
Marina huffed and met her Dad's eyes.
"Get me a Maturity Exception. I want it gone."
"Kitten-," he started in protest but she didn't let him.
"No, Dad. Death Eaters work at the bloody Ministry. All she has to do is contact any one of them and she'll know where I am – which is fine when I'm at Hogwarts, otherwise not so much."
None of the others asked but confusion must have shown on their faces because Ted took it upon himself to explain.
"It's like emancipation of a minor in the muggle world – except for us it's much more. Aside from flat-out breaking the law, there are no more age restrictions once you have the Exception; especially when a parent signs it in agreement. In fact, the magic involved actually 'ages' your magic so it will be registered as adult."
"Meaning I can use magic against her if she decides to ambush me at my duel – and no, I'm not cancelling. She doesn't get to scare me into hiding."
"I thought you already had permission to use magic outside school," Hermione said, surprised.
"At home to practice and during the duels themselves, yes. Anything else, no."
"Self-defence is still allowed," Laura argued.
"Like I want to take that risk with half the Wizengamot made of Death Eaters? All she needs is one opening to get me alone. I have the suspicion my Occlumency wouldn't cut it once Bellatrix got through with me – and she can't get her hands on..."
Marina didn't finish. There were entirely too many people, kids, here who didn't know just what the maniac was after.
"It'll take a few months," Hestia cautioned her while everybody else was still watching the staring match between her and her father.
"I'm going back to school in a few days. As long as I have it on my birthday, I'll be fine." It wasn't possible to get the Exception before you were sixteen anyway.
But there was no way she was going to spend another year as a sitting puffskein with Bella and every one of her bastard friends able to track her wherever she went.
Marina got the distinct impression that Molly was forcefully biting her tongue to hold in all that outrage she could sense across the tent.
"Consider it done," her Dad finally announced and grinned his Marauder grin – proud that she wasn't going to descend into self-pity or just take this lying down, she assumed.
"Mum-" Carmen immediately spoke up.
"You'll have to ask your father," Laura sighed, probably well aware that Jupiter was going to agree. He'd actually first mentioned it to the girls.
Meanwhile, Marina's brother and his classmates looked decidedly frustrated that they were definitely much to young to insist on the same.Thank Merlin.
January 6th, 1994
It was the day before Harry and Marina would go back to school and she had never been more grateful. As much as she loved being home with her Dad and Remus, everything else was driving her mad.
She couldn't leave the house without reporters trying to get a statement of how she felt about Bellatrix and what she'd done.
Owls were descending on her every minute of every day, half of them carrying Howlers from people who blamed her for the lunatic.
Finally, she'd just cracked and fled into the basement. Then she'd turned into her lynx form and jumped up a tree.
That's were she was still hiding out from the world, exploding with emotions she could barely name let alone contain. Thankfully, the basement was also soundproof so no one could hear her wailing. For the first time, her animal sounds didn't bother her because they adequately conveyed how she was feeling.
Furious beyond comprehension at Bellatrix, the dementors that let her escape, the reporters... the world.
Heartbroken over the muggles that had lost her lives for absolutely no reason.
Frustrated because she'd like to scream at the Ministry, for not catching Bella, and the idiots that blamed Marina for this.
Guilty, because she kind of blamed herself too – even though that didn't make any sense.
And helpless – because there was simply nothing she could do about any of it.
So she was hiding out as a feline, as if that would solve anything.
Starlight had taken up watch at the base of the tree she was hiding in. Marina had gotten her as a cub and now she was fully grown. She was only half kneazle so her ears weren't as big as her pure-breed relatives', but her tail was like a lion's. Her white fur was covered with black flecks.
Her cat hadn't moved a muscle since she'd turned and fled up the tree – even when she'd screamed her anger and grief.
But she moved now, realising that they had company a second before Marina did.
Her Dad walked in, a tray of ham sandwiches in his hand and concern making his insides coil. She must have been down here longer than she'd thought if he was bearing comfort food.
Sighing, which as a lynx sounded as if she was choking, Marina jumped down and turned back to human. Everybody had been impressed she could include her clothes in the transformation already – except McGonagall who'd mentioned her magical reserves were big enough for it.
She was barely sore this time around.
"They blamed Dromeda and me during the first war," her Dad told her when they'd sat down on the ground and dug into the sandwiches.
Marina sighed again – she'd suspected as much what with Dromeda's rather violently angry reaction. Dromeda didn't usually lose it.
"How did she get a wand, Dad?" she asked after a moment, voicing what she'd been wondering since the snake Patronus had dropped into the Great Hall. "They broke hers when she was sentenced."
"One of her friends, maybe," her Dad replied grimly. "Or she stole her mother's – the old house isn't warded."
"Part of me almost wants her to come after me," she admitted quietly. "At least then no one else would have to deal with her."
"I said something along those lines to Prongs in '81," mentioned dryly – given how that had backfired...
"The Prophet mentioned the Longbottoms. Harry and the others are bound to ask what they meant and I really don't want to tell them," Marina admitted. "Never mind that Neville should have been the one to decide if and when to tell people.
And now that everyone knows I'm related to that maniac... For the first time I really just don't want to deal with any of it. I get why you turn into Padfoot a lot – becoming a lynx is the perfect getaway."
"I know you don't want to hear this-," her Dad said, "-but you're still young. You're allowed to get overwhelmed."
Marina debated for a minute if she should counter with what was going through her head – it would likely freak him out. But if she couldn't tell her Dad, who else could she tell?
"You know what Empathy means, Dad?" she asked rhetorically, because of course he didn't really. "I sense the emotions of every person around me every minute of every day. I can't shut it off. It started when I was ten and scared me half to death.
Dromeda and Ted took me to St. Mungo's to figure out what was going on and we walked by a room where a woman had just been told that her husband had died. She broke down crying and screaming – and so did I. Ten years old and I had to go through a grown woman's heartache who'd just lost the love of her life.
After the Healers figured out I was an empath, they tried to block it – but there is no block. Occlumency helps to a degree but even that can't stop it completely – and of course people would have to use Occlumency around me all the time so I won't feel anything.
When Bianca's first boyfriend dumped her, I ate more comfort ice-cream than she did.
When David told Laura he was going to become an auror, I experienced her knee-jerk fear as much as she did."
With every sentence her father got paler but he didn't stop her. She needed to get this out now and he seemed to know that.
"The older I got, the more I could control myself so I wouldn't break down crying or scream in anger around strangers anymore. Over emotions that weren't mine no less.
It took me years to learn how to separate the feelings I was sensing from everybody else from my own – the ones I was actually feeling myself.
Let me tell you, it makes for a weird mix. When Carmen is on the pitch, I'm anxious myself and can barely watch. But at the same time I can sense, and feel, her joy and how much fun she's having."
And that was one of the more harmless examples.
"So, to get to the point:-," she concluded before she'd succumb to the emotional turmoil rising in them both, "- I might only be fifteen in years but if you measure age by maturity? I'm at least thirty." Aside from the occasional tantrum she threw because of the explosive emotional mix she was experiencing all the time.
Her father, apparently still processing, pulled her into a hug.
"What about Carmen?" her asked curiously. "Laura seemed sure Jupiter would agree."
Marina's first instinct was to brush him off. She'd never told anyone about Carmen's ability – even Jupiter and Laura didn't know. The girls had done research and found out that it had been Jupiter's great-great-great-grandfather who'd had it last and it had only been discovered after he'd died because he hadn't wanted anyone to know either.
But Carmen had given her permission to tell her Dad and Remus months ago, so...
"Carmen has innate abilities too," she explained quietly. "She got eidetic memory, like me, from Laura's side. And from Jupiter's... she's a Mimicry."
Confusion was what she sensed in response.
"It means she can copy any innate ability anyone has. If she touches Dora, she can use her metamorphmagic for 48 hours. Difference to me is, she can control it – she doesn't have to use it."
"That's..." Her Das was astonished.
"Not even her family knows – we did the research at Hogwarts. I found a Black, by the way, who was an Empath, two centuries ago; so I guess we know where I got that from."
It wasn't often he was rendered completely speechless.
"She touched me with the Mimicing active once, our first year, and had to content with Empathy for two days. She barely left the dormitory."
"And her parents don't know?"
"You have met Laura, right?" she retorted. "She'd worry herself grey. I think Jupiter at least suspects though – he's the one who brought up the Maturity Exception to us in the first place."
"Any more surprises you'd like to spring on me?", her Dad asked, only mildly ironic.
She hesitated but...
"I asked her to touch Harry at the beginning of school this year. Let's just say I doubt he'll have any troubles with the advanced fire-charms and non-verbal magic." In fact, he'd probably be able to do it already given his innate talent for it.
"Merlin," her Dad moaned quietly. "Don't tell him."
"Wasn't planning to... yet. But he might need it someday soon, Dad. Book or no book, He'll try to come back and if he succeeds, he'll come after Harry."
"Not if I can help it," he growled deeply.
They stayed sitting there, hugging each other, for a few more minutes with Starlight on her lap, purring.
"Alright, let's go," her Dad said then. "If we don't change now we'll be late for the performance."
He'd gotten them tickets for the wizarding theatre for just the two of them – feeling guilty about how much time he'd spent alone with Harry.
Marina could certainly use a better end to the last few days than wallowing in self-pity.
Late January 1994
"Bloody hell!" Marina cursed under her breath when yet another Howler dropped in her lap during dinner. Everybody was almost used to it by now. Unfortunately the Silencing Charm didn't work on a Howler, neither did the Vanishing Spell.
She really didn't want to open it but, as everyone knew, Howlers were worse when you didn't. Part of her was tempted to try the Cutting Charm but something told her it wouldn't work either.
The bloody thing started smoking in her lap and she closed her eyes, resigned to her fate. When it exploded with its content, she couldn't hear the first part due to the buzzing volume. But then...
"... DISGRACE TO THE NAME OF WIZARD. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! IF YOU HAD ANY DECENCY AT ALL YOU WOULD DROWN YOURSELF IN THE BLACK LAKE AT THE VERY LEAST..."
Oh well. It was one of the more harmless ones then. A previous letter had demanded she let herself be drawn and quartered to atone for Bellatrix' sins.
"... HOW DARE YOU FACE THAT POOR LONGBOTTOM BOY AFTER WHAT YOUR FAMILY HAS DONE TO HIS PARENTS..."
Now that was a wrinkle. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Neville yet, because when she wasn't busy studying, she was practicing the Patronus with Harry.
"... SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU BEEING TORTURED TO DEATH !"
The Howler went up in flames, message delivered.
Silence had descended on the Great Hall as just about everyone was staring at her.
Marina felt her cheeks reddening in embarassment. She figured she was toast now. Remus had, so far, not written to her Dad about the part that she was, technically, being threatened with those damn Howlers. But she had the feeling that he'd had enough, given his expression.
There was motion behind her and the Gryffindor Quidditch team rose as one, building a defensive wall around her. It would be touching if it wasn't so depressing.
Marina turned around and saw that it was, to her surprise, Theo and Draco Malfoy approaching her. This could get really ugly fast.
She stood up and pushed through the twins, standing in front of her would-be guards.
"From Dad," Theo said and gave her a letter – why Ben wouldn't just address it to her was beyond her. The black haired boy squeezed her hand comfortingly once before taking a step back. He still had an image as a Slytherin to maintain. If only his house-mates knew that he was meeting Harry and Ron on a regular basis to discuss Quidditch or play Exploding Snap.
Then Draco stepped forward and Marina was surprised – if she didn't know better she'd say she was sensing something suspiciously like sympathy from him.
"My mother asked me to give you this," he announced arrogantly as ever and handed her another letter. The handwriting was Narcissa's. He then lowered his voice so only the few students closest would be able to her.
"My father doesn't know," he added and then turned on his heels and stalked away with Theo.
"Looks like Narciss might be succeeding," Carmen commented quietly.
"Maybe, but I wouldn't go count your owls yet."
Later that evening...
Narcissa and Benjamin had assured her that both of them would keep their eyes and ears open for Bellatrix. They'd adressed the letters to their sons so that Theo and Draco would be seen publically supporting her. It was quite a statement and that Draco had gone along with it was telling.
"Harry will be joining us in half an hour," Remus told her when he'd set up the damn classroom for their Patronus training. It had been a stroke of 'luck' that a boggart turned into a dementor for Harry. The effects the creature had were still very real – she would know, as it also turned into a dementor for her.
But she suspected she was afraid of them for different reasons. She feared the memories they invoked. She'd believed she'd remembered everything but her visit to Azkaban had proven her wrong. Marina didn't want to remember – to relive – more.
She suspected Harry just didn't want to be afraid, period.
"Don't tell Dad about the Howlers," she asked Remus when she'd dropped her bag in a corner.
"He needs to know."
"Why? It's not like they can actually act on it. Besides, what's the Ministry going to do? Give them a fine?" Writing threatening letters, while disgusting, was not against the law.
"They are threatening his daughter – do you really think he won't find out anyway?"
Marina hated it when he used logic against her.
"Alright, I give," she caved and threw up her hands in surrender. "But don't blame me when he goes and does something stupid."
Her skin was itching with the urge to turn and hide. Disccovering her animagus form's uses as an escape had not necessarily been a good thing. Now she was tempted far too often to use it.
"More importantly, tell me why I just can't seem to get this spell right," she grumbled and glared at the trunk with the boggart in it.
"Your memories must not be happy enough," Remus suggested with a frown.
"Remus, I'll tell you what I told Dad: my happy feelings are always mixed with other people's emotions. I'm never just happy."
"Then, unless you can figure out how to focus on happy feelings only, you might never be able to cast a fully formed Patronus."
Before she could comment how she felt about that, Harry came sprinting in.
"Sorry I'm late," he mumbled, out of breath. "Professor McGonagall just gave me extra homework."
Harry, she and her Dad had agreed not to tell Remus about Harry's animagus training just yet. He was still getting used to the thought of her turning furry.
"I'll look over it with you later," she promised.
She'd checked on the Mandrakes yesterday and, of course, Sprout had been right. Marina estimated that the plants would be ready to be plucked in early March.
For now though, she focused on another hour of not getting the spell right...
February 6th 1994
Marina was tired. No, actually that was an understatement. Magical Exhaustion had never hit her like this before, but then she'd just dueled for 47 minutes and 52 seconds. It was a record in the Junior League – normally, teenagers didn't have that much stamina.
The record in the Duelling League in general was 93 minutes 28 seconds.
Like she'd seen coming (not magically, this time) half the audience had been her friends and family. And like David had predicted, she'd won. It was by far the longest duel she'd ever had and she felt like she could fall asleep standing up.
Then again, this was sports-duelling. A duel to the death would wipe her out more, she figured. The most famous one had been Dumbledore versus Grindelwald and had taken over three hours.
Her next duel, Quarterfinals, was on April 9th and her entourage was already planning how they'd all get there.
But even her, well earned if she said so herself, victory couldn't ease her worries. Since New Year's she felt like she had a lump of cement in her gut that just wouldn't go away.
Marina, a bloody Gryffindor, was almost afraid of reading the Prophet in the mornings because she was scared of what Bellatrix might have done overnight.
But apparently the increased auror presence all over Britain had forced her and her cohorts into laying low, at least for the time being.
Right now though, she forced herself to relax.
Remus had gone to the Headmaster, upon everyone's return to the castle, and Dumbledore had given his permission to Moony's surprise for her: they were throwing her a party in the Great Hall.
All of Gryffindor, half of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and even the odd Slytherin – Theo and Draco – were in attendence and celebrating the only Hogwarts student in the running this year.
Marina swallowed the comment that it might have something to do with Duelling not being offered at the school.
But she couldn't resist the overall mood and soaked in everyone's happiness and fun. It was by far the best she'd felt since New Year's.
March 4th 1994
The Gryffindor Tower was one hell of a party that evening – and Marina couldn't blame them one bit, even though she fled after two hours to get her Potions homework done.
Harry had gone and done what he did best: he'd caught the Snitch before the Ravenclaw Seeker and had thus ensured that Gryffindor still had a chance to win the Cup.
Carmen had been understandibly disappointed but given that Ravenclaw had lost to Slytherin in their last match, the Cup had already been out of reach.
But there had been a reason why just about all students of both Houses had had the time of their lives on the pitch today: Harry's Patronus.
Some idiot Slytherins had dressed up to look like Dementors from afar, in an effort to scare Harry. But her brother hadn't even hesitated, had pulled his wand and cast the spell. Something very big with four legs had burst out of his wand and scared the hell out of Flint and his cohorts.
Most of Hogwarts had burst out laughing at the picture they'd made. Remus had almost burst with pride – and Marina had blinked against her tears, because she'd seen what form his Patronus had taken. It seemed like Harry always took James with him onto the pitch.
April 9th 1994
Well, here it was: Marina's second duel. She was a lot more nervous this time. Her opponent, Lizzy Price, had beaten her at every training duel up until now.
Hermione had noticed and, undoubtedly in an effort to cheer her up or something, had provided a list of Junior League Winners she'd dug up somewhere:
1950: Minerva McGonagall
1961: Alastor Moody
1962: Alastor Moody
1964: Benjamin Nott
1965: Jupiter Nott
1966: Andromeda Black
1967: Andromeda Black
1968: Bellatrix Black
1969: Bellatrix Black
1970: Narcissa Black
1971: Narcissa Black
1972: Gabriel Yaxley
1973: Kingsley Shacklebolt
1974: John Dawlish
1975: Phineas Savage
1976: Phineas Savage
1977: Lisa Dearborn
1978: Vivian McKinnon
1979 – 1982: cancelled
1983: Augustus Gore
1984: Simon Lawrence
1985: Peter Simmons
1986: Paul Simmons
1987: William Weasley
1988: Elias Whitmore
1989: David Nott
1990: Benjamin Gibbons
1991: Jasmine Fraiser
1992: Jasmine Fraiser
1993: Jasmine Fraiser
Whatever the girl's intention, cheer her up it did not. Marina had known that Dromeda had won it twice, of course. The trophies were standing in the house afterall; and that's how she'd started duelling at all.
And it didn't surprise her that Mad-Eye was on the list – she knew he'd won the Senior League Cup three times in a row after all.
But she hadn't counted on knowing almost all the winners before her.
No pressure at all.
She entered the arena – it was more of a stage, really – and faced her opponent. Lizzy's duelling robes were, as always, magenta. Muts have been her favourite colour or something. Marina's own were green 'because it brought out her eyes'. That's the reasoning you got when you let your fashion-crazy aunt buy your robes.
Lizzy and she bowed to each other with presented wands, then walked to opposite ends of the stage and took their positions.
And then it began.
Duelling must have looked totally insane to a spectator. Lizzy got in the first spell but Marina blocked it with a simple Shield Charm before retaliating with a jinx. It only grazed Lizzy's arm so it didn't take for more than a few seconds – a few seconds that were enough for Marina to throw another jinx at her. Liz blocked it and countered with a lower level hex.
And on it went. At some point Marina was barely aware of what she was casting and reacted on instinct only. Yet she could still sense her friends' excitement from the other side of the room. It gave her a crazy idea – which was bound to fail. But she could feel herself, and Liz, getting tired.
So Marina focused on Harry's giddiness, it was the strongest by far, and cast the Patronus.
To her, and everyone else's astonishment, it was corporeal. A translucent, silver Irish Wolfhound that looked remarkably like her father's animagus form came running out of her wand and barked.
Liz was totally gobsmacked and let herself be distracted by the dog and Marina used the split second the other girl didn't pay attention and disarmed her.
A bell from the judge's wand sounded the end of the duel at 31 minutes and 10 seconds.
She'd won, but right now she was more proud of her Patronus which had circled back to her and was sitting at her feet expectantly, before she let it dissipate.
Marina looked up to find her entourage on their feet, applauding like crazy and grinning up at her. Lizzy and she bowed again and her strongest opponent yet gratulated her.
Not even the sighting of Bellatrix this morning could ruin her day.
April 30th 1994
"You don't have to come," Marina told Harry and the other animagi in the making. She was about to floo home and from there to the arena. It was her Semifinals duel today but she couldn't have been less concerned.
She'd beaten her opponent in every sparring duel and he didn't have as many tricks up his sleeve as she did. Granted, Marina had a bit of an advantage with Mad-Eye as tutor but the others had hired tutors as well. It wasn't her fault Chris hadn't.
Anyway, the kids had collected the Mandrake last month and started their potions. Over the past weeks they'd added all the other ingredients they needed. But they needed to add their hair today and stir it thirteen times every hour or it would all have been for nothing – the damn potion was on a strict schedule too.
Harry was massively disappointed and feeling guilty too.
"You come to all my matches," he pointed out.
"Because they're at Hogwarts. Tell you what:-," she said, "-If I win this today and make it to the Finale you can watch that one, okay? It's on May 7th so nothing gets in the way because you can only finish it at the next full moon, which is on the 25th."
May 7th 1994
She'd spoken too soon. Maybe Harry shouldn't really be here, given that her opponent today was Jasmine Fraiser – the reigning champion for the last three years. The girl had started winning the cup when she'd been thirteen, for Merlin's sake.
This was the last time Jasmine could win the Junior League Cup because she was sixteen. Next year she'd have to try for the League Cup.
Marina should have known it would come down to this. After Hermione had gotten her that list of Cup Winners, she'd done her homework. There wasn't a single duel Jasmine had lost in the last three and a half years – sometimes against people two years older.
Add to that the fact that Bellatrix had tried to break into Black House three times, injuring the aurors stationed there in the process, and Marina was nervous today. Very nervous.
Bella wouldn't risk exposure like that unless she was getting antsy – or her Master was.
Neither an anxious Bellatrix nor an anxious Voldemort was a calming thought.
Everyone in her Fan Club, as the tournament commentators had named her entourage, had brought their dark detectors today and her father had organised an emergency portkey for Harry and his friends – that's how nervous Bella's antics had made them all.
"Concentrate on the duel," David told her as she, again, checked the audience nervously. "We've got the rest covered."
"It's amazing you managed to say that with a straight face," she huffed and looked at him. "How am I supposed to focus on the duel when Bella is getting desperate enough to openly attack aurors? If she dares to do that, how much of a leap is crashing the Junior League Finale?"
"If she is that crazy, she'll find herself facing a whole bunch of aurors she didn't count on. Breathe," he added and grabbed her by the arms to stop her fidgeting.
Marina obliged and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. David was right of course. There was a possibility Bellatrix was mad enough to show, but half the auror department was here tonight. Even if she brought her husband and brother-in-law, they didn't stand a chance.
David didn't sense the least bit worried – which was saying something given his understandable fear of her cousin.
"It's ironic," she said once she'd calmed herself. "Harry has been feeling like this for the last two years – but feeling it myself is different." Because controlling her own emotions was a whole lot harder.
"Go win the Cup so you can pretend to be surprised at the party they've organised," David teased and rubbed her arms lightly.
"I might have been if they hadn't been doing it after every duel," she smiled. "Just stay close to the kids, please."
David was among the very few people who did not point out that, legally speaking, she was still a kid too. Just another reason why she... no, not going there.
"You got this," David smiled and kissed her on the forehead.
Marina watched him walk away and forced herself to get a choke-hold on her emotions. If Carmen had seen that she'd get all overbearing again.
When the sign came, she walked on stage and faced Jasmine. It wasn't that they didn't get along out of the arena – but if there was one thing that the other witch hated, it was losing. So she never did.
At first it was just like any other duel – shields and jinxes thrown up and at each other.
Marina actually liked that phase, because it showed you just how much power your opponent had, even if they held back at first.
Jasmine Fraiser had a lot of power.
The first jinx Marina hadn't been able to duck had hit her shield full force and it had made her stagger – only Mad-Eye had ever managed that before; holding back of course.
After what felt like days, but had probably been about ten to fifteen minutes, Marina realised she had a problem. Jasmine was working with a lot more power than her.
Consequently, she did what she hadn't done since she'd been ten: she let lose.
The grip she constantly had on her Empathy also kept her magic in check – which wasn't necessarily a bad thing for a student. But she needed all that magic she kept caged if she wanted to win this.
The windows rattled under her power when she shot her next hex (all lower level and non-harmful in the long run) and Jasmine ducked it with a shocked expression.
The girl responded with a hex while still lying on the floor, and Marina whirled out of the way in a move Dromeda had shown her – it looked like dancing.
While she was still twirling, she shot a Tickling Jinx that actually found its target.
Jasmine had more self-control than Marina had given her credit for however and choked out a counter-jinx through her laughter. While Marina was busy deflecting it, Jasmine used a reversal spell on herself.
But then Jasmine made a mistake (not that she could possibly have known it): she used a Freezing Charm.
After Quirrell and the basilisk, Marina had told Mad-Eye that the Glacio had saved her and Harry, and the grouch had then proceeded to teach her more ice- and snow- based charms.
Once again grateful for the mentor (she still didn't get why he helped her) that was so infamously paranoid, Marina cast a counter-charm that took control of Jasmine's own ice and sent it back to her twice as strong.
Not having seen that coming, the girl couldn't move out of the way fast enough – and was covered in ice within seconds.
Marina disarmed her and it was over.
While the audience exploded into applause, Marina walked to her opponent and started thawing the ice, even as two mediwitches were on the way to them.
"N-N-Not ….b-b-bad,... B-Black," Jasmine said through chattering teeth. "C-Cong-gratul-lations."
And that proved that she had just won the Junior League Duelling Cup more than anything.
Before she had a chance to reply, she was grabbed from behind and found herself crushed in a group hug.
Harry, Remus and her Dad had all picked a side and were hugging her, pride suffusing every single pore. Ted, Dromeda and Dora soon joined and took over.
Once her family was done, the Notts were next – David even going as far as spinning her in circles, laughing. She allowed herself to hold on, beaming, and enjoy the moment. (So sue her, she was human.)
Hermione and Susan hugged her too, then stood aside, grinning.
Next came a whole slew of Weasleys – even Bill and Charlie had portkeyed in for the finale.
Once everyone else was through, the twins hoisted her up on their shoulders and everyone started applauding again. Marina even saw Angelina, Katie and Alicia in the crowd.
Then Jasmine, disappointed though she was, proved to be a sporting loser and personally handed Marina the Cup, where her name was magically being engraved as she watched.
It was definitely the best day ever.
May 14th 1994
If anyone ever told her again that Quidditch wasn't dangerous, Marina would hex them.
She'd seen even Remus and her father wince when Flint had crashed into Angelina – and they'd supported James when he'd played Chaser all those years ago.
Fred's retaliation had been stupid but she was mentally cheering him on – Flint deserved everything he got.
Things only got worse from there and Marina was in full agreement with Jordon as he spouted insults through the magiphone – whether McGonagall liked it or not.
This had to be the dirtiest match ever played at Hogwarts, she mused, kind of surprised Oliver was still on his broom after both Bludgers had hit him like that.
Marina deliberately put herself in the way of jinxes and hexes – but this was just insane.
Harry, luckily, kept out of it and focused on finding the Snitch.
But when he spotted the golden ball, Malfoy (cheating little bastard, cousin or not) physically grabbed Harry's Firebolt and held him back.
Three quarters of the audience – even McGonagall – was outraged and screaming insults at Malfoy. Marina was surprised Harry didn't kick him in the face.
Hagrid, standing behind her, Hermione and Ron, was equally unamused and rumbling angrily into his beard.
She heard Hermione gasp and looked back up, only to see Harry flatten himself to his broom and shoot into the entire Slytherin team – all six of them had been about to block Angelina. She scored.
But Marina saw, at the same time as Ron going by his groaned 'No!', that Draco had spotted the Snitch.
Someone – Wood, given his hectic gestures – alterted Harry and he wrenched his broomstick around, shooting all the way across the field. Draco was almost close enough to catch it, but his Nimbus 2001 was out of its league against the Firebolt.
Harry closed in, physically shoved Draco out of the way – they could see it all the way from the ground – and CAUGHT THE SNITCH!
All three Houses around her screamed, screeched and celebrated Gryffindor's victory; even Hermione was so happy she hugged Marina, while she was dizzy from emotional overload.
Then Hermione, Ron and Marina herself tore across the field where Harry had landed with the team literally on top of him. Oliver was in tears with happiness.
It was once again the twins who lifted their hero up on their shoulders, from where he grinned down at his best friends and family – as Remus and her Dad had joined them.
When Oliver handed a grinning Harry the Quidditch Cup, he all but exploded with happiness – making this, as far as she knew, the best day of his life.
May 25th 1994
McGonagall had called her to the Transfiguration classroom for this. It was the full moon and today was the day: Harry, Ron, Hermion and Susan would take their potions after letting them get hit by moonlight and then meditate until the transformation started – and that could take hours.
While she watched the kids place the cauldrons in moonlight, Marina remebered the stupid poem she'd Seen months ago:
Across the sky black feathers sail,
Seeking treasure without fail,
Whilst feline grace and amber fur
From the ground watch it occur.
On a tree branch, protective Keeper
Nimbly climbing, always eager,
With copper fur a sharing friend,
Hidden well, a perfect blend.
They were about to find out if she'd seen right.
Once McGonagall gave the kids the sign, they poured some of their potions into vials. Then they clinked said vials in a mental Cheers and drank.
Marina and the Professor vanished the rest of the potions so no one else could drink from them – that would be disaster right there.
While the kids sat down to meditate, McGonagall and she walked away a bit and her teacher quizzed her on Transfiguration Theory – the woman definitely wanted her to ace her O.W.L.
Only an hour later, the first of the kids turned: Ron.
He gave a startled huff and Marina barely turned her head in time to see it start. The boy shrunk down immensely until he was only 24 inches long and grew red-brown fur on his back while the front was white. His new animal instincts kicked in as soon as he was on his four, short limbs and he shot up the tree next to him.
On a tree branch, protective Keeper
Nimbly climbing, always eager.
He'd turned into a stoat – one of the fastest climbers.
A few minutes later, Susan and Hermione turned simultaneously.
Susan was done faster, which was fortune given the girls' animagus forms.
The redhead shrunk down until she was all of nine inches tall with a bushy tail of six inches. Her fur, much like Ron's, was red-brown on her back and white on her belly. Her limbs were tiny. She developed very large ears – in comparison to her body.
With copper fur a sharing friend,
Hidden well, a perfect blend.
Susan the red squirrel shot up the same tree as Ron, only a bit higher – and once she'd found a place to hide in, you couldn't see her anymore.
Hermione's transformation looked familiar. She sprouted amber brown coloured fur, almost the same shade as her hair, and her limbs shrunk; she crouched even as her claws extended. When it was over, she was about 29 inches long, tail and all, and 9 inches tall.
Whilst feline grace and amber fur
From the ground watch it occur.
"A British Shorthair," McGonagall said quietly, obviously better acquainted with cat breeds than Marina. Hermione hissed.
And than Harry gasped, as his transformation kicked in too.
It was probably a good thing he was sitting, Marina mused. She'd predicted the others right so...
Harry shrunk until he was about 26 inches long and his face distorted, until both his jaws and nose had formed into a pointy beak. Instead of fur, he sprouted black feathers. When all that was done, he stood on two tiny legs – and instinctively spread his wings for balance; his wingspan was about 47 inches.
Across the sky black feathers sail,
Seeking treasure without fail.
Well, her brother had gotten his wish: he was a raven.
"Nice to know I see the fun stuff right, too," Marina muttered and McGonagall and she raised their wands in unison, turning Hermione and Harry back. They couldn't very well risk him trying to fly before he knew how. Then they magicked the stoat and the squirrel down from the tree and turned Ron and Susan back as well.
"Welcome to animagus training," Marina told them, a little gleeful. "The next few months you are going to learn how to navigate as animals – preferably away from each other at first. Harry and Hermione are both predators big enough to make lunch out of Ron and Susan."
"We wouldn't-"
"Yes, you would," McGonagall interrupted sharply. "The first half a dozen transformations your animal instincts rule."
"So: no turning without supervision," Marina ordered sternly and the kids nodded, properly cowed.
"Alright then, let's get back inside and get some sleep. We all have tests in two weeks."
June 1994
Marina was cranky, there was no other way to put it. Next week, everyone was having their end-of-year exams.
Only, of course, that wasn't completely accurate: Percy and his year were having their N.E.W.T.s and Marina and her year their O.W.L.s.
Needless to say, Percy was coming out of his skin and kids that breathed too loudly for his sensibilities would get detention.
Trisha, Carmen's best friend in Ravenclaw, had fainted yesterday because of the pressure she was putting herself under. To Marina's astonishment, Angelina wasn't doing much better.
You could even see the twins studying, which said it all, really.
To add insult to injury, Bellatrix had been spotted in company of someone the Ministry hadn't reported as an escapee – most likely because they'd be hard-pressed to explain how it was possible given that Barty Crouch Jr was supposed be dead an buried in Azkaban.
Of course, they still hadn't released just how the bloody hell they'd escaped in the first place.
Marina hadn't been convinced that it was true, papers got stuff wrong, but since half the people she knew worked for the Ministry...
Crouch Jr was out and colluding with old friends again, while his father was facing a hard time at work. Perhaps she'd feel worse about that if he hadn't been the bastard that had locked her father up.
That didn't mean, of course, that she wanted Junior on the lose – his future victims didn't deserve any of it.
And as if her mood wasn't awful enough already, now, at breakfast, they had received their testing schedule:
Monday → Care of Magical Creatures
Tuesday → Herbology
Wednesday → Transfiguration
Thursday → Charms
Friday → Defence Against the Dark Arts
Monday → Potions
Tuesday → Astronomy
Wednesday → Divination
Wednesday → Arithmancy
Thursday → Muggle Studies
Thursday → Ancient Runes
Friday → History of Magic
All the theoretical exams took two hours, the practical one and a half. McGonagall had issued her and Carmen one Time-Turner so they could do Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes both, as Dumbledore had agreed to – even though they'd only taken one class.
The magical device of course also explained how Hermione had been able to take and attend every class available.
"Tell me again why I'm doing this," Marina muttered, pushing a hand through her hair.
"Ministry of Magic, required O. for the Auror Office," Harry reiterated and handed her another plate with pancakes and bacon. "You have photographic memory – you'll be fine."
"I think there is a limit," she said half-hyterically. "Or at least my brain feels about ready to explode. Plus, it's practical I'm worried about."
"When was the last time you slept all night?" he asked her way too knowingly for a thirteen year-old who generally didn't freak out about tests.
"All night? After you won the Quidditch Cup."
"That's crazy," he offered logically. "You need to sleep or you'll accidentally conjure an elephant."
"Just wait until it's your turn," Angelina cut in wisely from across the table. "You won't sleep either." The Chaser looked like hell too.
Merlin help her, Marina couldn't wait for the O.W.L.s to be over...