July 29th, 1994
"Come to the kitchen, kiddo." Sirius sighed, pulling Mary's focus away from her summer essay on Cheering Charms. "We need to talk."
Even if his tone hadn't clued her in to the ominousness of the situation, then Remus' distraught and pained glances would have told her that she wasn't going to like what she heard. Sirius looked ragged, his eyes had dark circles under them and his hair hung limply around his pale face.
"What's going on?" Mary stopped at the table looking from one godfather to the other, her heart pounding as she waited to hear the worst news. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes," Remus answered quickly, cutting a sharp look at Sirius that Mary didn't miss. "There are just a few issues that we need to address. But before we get into that, we need you to swear here and now that what we say stays a secret. It's imperative that you not tell anyone else what we speak about today."
"I can't agree to that unless I know what this is about." Mary told them firmly. "I love you both, and trust you with my life, but I can't agree to keep a secret that could cost me even more."
Sirius leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of himself so tightly that she could see the white in his knuckles. "Have you ever wondered why Voldemort has a twisted fascination with you? Why you were targeted more than anyone else? Why you bear that scar and are the only one that has ever survived the Killing Curse?"
"Sirius!" Remus hissed angrily. "We were supposed to ease into it!"
Mary breathed a sigh of relief and stood up with a laugh. "You two have nothing to worry about. I already know that it's him or me. I also know that he's not quite dead yet. Like me, he's just too stubborn to die."
The need to sit back down and tell them everything burned through her like an unquenchable fire. It was consuming all of her will-power, that aching need to have someone who would have her back and help her through the trials that she would have to face. She wanted to relieve herself of the burden and go about having a normal life for as long as she could.
I can't. She swallowed down the urge like the worst medicine. It'd only put them in more danger.
"But there's a prophecy!" Sirius ground out, looking as though he was at the end of his rope. "Two actually."
"Don't." Mary hissed, walking around the table, eyes blazing as she stared up at him. "Don't tell me what it says. I really don't want to know."
"You have to know!" Sirius argued, grasping her shoulders. "How else will you prepare?"
How prepared do you have to be to die?
"He's going to come back." Mary stood her ground. "But I'm going to do everything in my power to stop him. I don't need to know anymore. What do you want me to say? That I'll stand idly by and let others die to protect me. I've been dealing with Voldemort since I was a first year and I'm not about to let him start dictating the way I live my life. I'll kill him or die trying."
"Stop." Remus put his arms around her and pulled her into a strong hug. "You're not going to get anywhere near him whether he comes back or not. I won't let you."
"You can't stop Fate, Moony," Mary whispered, flashes of his pale lifeless body lying in the Great Hall with the rest of the dead flashing before her eyes. "No matter how much you want to."
"Read this." Sirius pushed a piece of parchment toward her, revealing two thin paragraphs written in loopy handwriting that looked vaguely familiar.
Thinking that they had finally put Grimmauld Place under the Fidelius Charm and Sirius wanted her in on the secret, Mary pulled it to her. The words seemed to burn into her min and she couldn't force herself to look away if she tried. The prophecies had not changed, which was an immense relief, but still seeing the words in front of her came as a shock. With shaky nerves she flicked her wrist and called her wand to her hand, setting the parchment alight with a single spell, then banishing the ashes with another.
Sirius stepped forward and grasped her hands. "I'm so sorry, kiddo. You may not want to know, but I can't let you walk around not realizing the danger you could be in. As such, we'll be moving to Grimmauld Place until we can be sure that the danger is gone."
Mary looked around the small flat with a pained expression. "But this is our home."
"We'll come back." Remus assured her. "There's just too much traffic in the Alley. No matter what protections we put on this place, there is still a chance someone will see us come in or out. It's best if we stay somewhere more secluded."
Sirius grimaced. "Dobby will be taking our things there later today."
"So soon?" She asked with narrowed eyes. "Why now? There's been no sign of Voldemort for over two years."
Remus put a warm hand on her arm. "That's what Dumbledore is worried about. It's been so quiet recently that we believe he is up to something."
Wormtail is still in Azkaban. Mary tried to align the changes she made that should have changed the future. But Barty Jr. is out and in hiding.
There was nothing she could do to stop the escaped Death Eater, but she full well could take out as many Horcruxes as she could get her hands on before he found and tried to revive Voldemort. All she needed was to study her journals and figure out exactly where the Resurrection Stone was, then she'd be one step closer in destroying the Horcrux in it.
"Mary?" Remus knelt down in front of her, grasping her hands and prying them off the chairs arms. "You okay?"
The arm of the oak chair had curved marks etched into the wood where her nails had dug into the grain. Her nails were broken and bloody where splinters had embedded under the soft flesh. A small gasp left her lips as the sharp bite of pain finally registered in her mind, shaking her from her daze.
"I screwed up by leaving the Blood Wards at the Dursleys', didn't I?" Mary looked down and the bright red drops that were splattered on the pristine floor. "I would have been out of the way and well hidden. You both would have been safer. I was selfish and wrong to leave there."
"No." Remus grasped the sides of her face and forced her to focus on him. "You were not safe or cared for there. And if I hear you talk like that again, you'll be grounded for the summer."
"But-" Mary tried to argue, but the sandy haired man shook his head, his amber eyes blazing.
"We'll take your wands and you'll be forced to spend the summer cleaning and doing your chores like a Muggle." Sirius threatened with a huff.
Mary balked at his stance. "Why the hell would that bother me? Actually, all you'd have to do is lock me in my room and it'd be like being back at the Dursleys."
Remus sighed in resignation. "We're not taking anything from you, Mary Jane. All we want is for you to be safe and happy. You'll be more than welcome to visit your friends and let them visit. We can come back here by Floo or Portkey anytime you need a break."
"Promise?" Mary looked from one guardian to the other. "I can even use the Floo?"
"Whenever you want." Sirius replied quickly. "If you're going to visit a friend all we ask is that you leave us a note or tell us before you go."
The two were constantly leaving the house for hours at a time while on different missions for Dumbledore. Not to mention that they would be gone overnight during Moony's monthly time. Having access to both the Floo and Knight Bus would help her immensely in tracking down the Stone, while not being in the Alley would be an added security that she wasn't being watched by either side.
"Okay." Mary shrugged quickly. "I'm in."
"That's our girl." Sirius patted her on the back. "Knew you'd listen to reason."
Mary smiled tightly and stood up. "I'm just going to go pack."
"Here." Remus pressed a small wooden box into her hand. "Inside this is a Portkey to your room in Grimmauld Place. If there's ever an emergency just say; "Crazy House" and it will take you straight there."
"Will it take me to the crazy house or just my room?" She asked quickly, lifting the lid and looking down at the bronze medallion.
Sirius laughed loudly, the stress lines on his face breaking as his smile pulled them away. "It's one in the same, kiddo."
Remus shook his head in exasperation and sighed. "Keep it on you at all times."
Mary quickly hugged them both. "I'll attach it to the inside of my wand holster so I never forget it."
As she walked back to her room, a plan had already started forming in her mind. Sirius had the full legal right to the Black Family Vaults and while Bellatrix was technically a Lestrange, her personal vault was well in Sirius' grasp. Figuring out how to get him to give her access to the Vault would be something that she'd have to think about, but it wasn't going to be as difficult for her to steal that Horcrux as it was for Harry. It was the Resurrection Stone and Nagini that posed to be the most challenging Horcruxes, but she was sure that she could get at least one of them destroyed before the end of summer.
Looking at the map of the UK that was pinned to the wall above her desk, she pushed a bright red pin into the spot that pointed out Little Hangleton. Voldemort was there, more than likely with help, biding his time until he could be resurrected into a new body. There was no way that she could stop his resurrection, but she could make his supposed immortality a lot shorter.
Like Harry, she'd spent the past few years striving and fighting to keep the Dark Lord from regaining his power over the Wizarding World. She'd almost died the night she faced Quirrell. She'd almost died going against the basilisk and sixteen year old Tom Riddle. But she swore then and there that she would not die until Voldemort was mortal once again. While the thought of dying seemed morbid to most, she knew that the sacrifice would be easier for her if she knew that her friends and family would be safe.
They were what mattered most to her.
Already Mary could see the way that the changes she made were affecting the future. Sirius was safe and free. Buckbeak was alive and happy with Hagrid. Wormtail was in Azkaban alongside Umbridge. Fudge had been disgraced and banned from the country. But it wasn't safe enough yet.
It was in those times of peace and seeming tranquility that she would sit on her bed and practice her Occlumency. It was a skill that had helped her immensely since she 'd been bitten by Moony. The calming techniques had helped her channel the sudden bursts of rage and aggression that threatened to creep up when she felt intimidated or irritated. It was also a skill she would need to perfect before she met Voldemort head on. Not to mention that the thought of either Snape or Dumbledore catching a glimpse of what she knew freaked her out. They'd probably Obliviate her.
So Mary spent the next few weeks secluded in Grimmauld Place, secretly planning and scheming the best way to take out Voldemort and his Death Eaters. And while planning it all out was simple, actually finding the time to do more research was proving to be far more taxing than she liked.
"Mary Jane?" Remus knocked, then opened her door. "Sirius is waiting for you."
Mary looked at her watch and winced at the time. It was almost nine thirty in the morning and her godfather had expected her on the dueling platform at nine. She quickly opened her desk drawer and placed her newly made portkey - fashioned to be a replica of the one Sirius had made - inside and locked the drawer.
"Oops." She grimaced, pulling on her dueling robes. "Got lost while reading."
"Happens to the best of us." Remus laughed, patting her shoulder. "Don't let Padfoot give you too much grief, he overslept and just made it outside ten minutes ago."
"Thanks, Moony!" Mary yelled back as she scrambled down the stairs.
Like every other morning since she'd moved into the Black family home, Sirius was waiting for her out in what used to be a small garden, covered in dead overgrown shrubbery and weeds, that was now a beautiful haven. Thick plush hedges surrounded the stone wall - thanks to Neville – and concrete paving stones led up to a highly polished wooden platform that was spelled with every safety and containment spell that Sirius and Remus could think of.
"You slept in." Mary stated, alerting Sirius to her presence. "I was up hours ago."
Sirius balked and flicked his wrist, calling his wand into his hand. "You were not."
"Was too." Mary argued lightly. "When you didn't show I figured I'd get started on next year's textbooks."
Her godfather coughed loudly and shuddered at her admission. "Enough of that. I haven't had tea yet and you're talking about schoolwork."
"Expelliarmus." Mary cast quickly, only to see that her spell bounced off Sirius' shield.
Sirius backed away and sent a bright red spell at her that she quickly dodged by diving to the ground and sending a leg-locker at him. He tripped but countered the spell and responded with a full body bind that she shielded herself from just in the nick of time.
"Incarcerous." Sirius hissed, his wand held high over his head.
Mary dropped to the ground, letting the spell soar over her head and cast both a stunning charm and binding hex in quick succession.
Moony laughed from the doorway and clapped as Mary leaned over Sirius' still form. "I'm starved. What's for breakfast?"
"My ego." Sirius shook his head and shuddered when Mary released the spells and pulled him to his feet. "Neat trick, kid."
July 31st 1994
Mary woke from an odd dream that she couldn't remember, groaning when she rolled over only to get a face full of brilliant sunshine. She knew that she had closed the curtains the night before, but somehow they had been pulled back while she slept. With a groan of pure misery she pulled the covers off and stood, eyes still tightly closed.
She found the dresser in record time and dug through the pile of socks until her hands came into contact with the small vial. She pulled the stopper and quickly emptied the contents into her mouth and swallowed. A wave of mint assaulted her nose and as the Invigoration draught went into effect, quickly waking her from her stupor.
The late nights and constant doses of energy potions were taking their toll and she knew it, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She'd spent most of the night combing through the Black Family library looking for a way to get around the wards that she might encounter at the Gaunt shack, but so far all she'd accomplished was learning a few Dark and extremely dangerous spells.
Mary quickly showered and dressed and made her way downstairs to where the kitchen was still dark and cool and set into her work. Half an hour later she had a large breakfast ready and piping hot, when Sirius and Remus emerged from their bedrooms.
"Mary!" Sirius looked at her in confusion. "What are you doing up?"
"Making breakfast," she said with a raised brow. "Dobby and Kreacher aren't up yet."
"But it's your birthday." Remus intoned quietly.
"It's just another day." Mary shrugged, wondering what she had done wrong to make them look at her like she was some kind of freak.
Remus stepped forward and took the pan of bangers from her hand. "Go sit down and eat. It's your birthday and we wanted to spoil you."
Mary chuckled at the look on their faces. "Seriously?"
Remus smacked his forehead. "You really didn't just say that, did you?"
"Of course she did." Sirius smirked widely. "Birthdays are Sirius business."
"I retract my statement." Mary deadpanned at her godfather's horrible pun.
"You both suck." Sirius moped.
Sirius and Remus had both taken long drags of their tea when Mary responded. "I've just turned fourteen. I don't suck at all."
Tea sprayed from both of the elder Marauders' mouths as Mary smirked and finished her breakfast.
Silence enveloped them as they finished the meal. Mary made a point to chuckle every time Sirius took a bite, making him twitch each time. Remus looked from one to the other, probably wondering what Mary had planned.
"I'll get the dishes." Mary stood and gathered the plates.
Halfway to the sink the Floo erupted in green flames. A tall thin figure emerged, revealing Professor McGonagall in her tartan green robes.
"Minnie!" Sirius erupted gleefully. "I knew you couldn't go another day without seeing me!"
McGonagall pursed her lips and put her chin in the air. "Shut it, Black. I'm here to take Mary shopping for her school supplies."
Sirius turned to Mary and stuck his tongue out teasingly. "Shopping."
"I'll get you a pretty pink bow, Snuggly." Mary patted his shoulder as she pulled her cloak on. "I know how much you love them"
Remus chuckled into his hand and Mary smirked at him. "I'll get you one too, Moony."
"Have fun, kiddo." Sirius waved from his chair.
She waved back while she threw the Floo powder into the fireplace and let the whoosh of green flames surround her. "Diagon Alley!"
As stern as McGonagall was when they were at Hogwarts, she was actually quite fun to be around. Her calm and vast knowledge about the ins and outs of shopping in the small magical town made the experience far more bearable. While Mary was very wealthy and had more than enough to buy her items at full price, McGonagall quickly taught her that the shopkeepers were more than happy to sell items in bulk at a far cheaper price. This was demonstrated as they walked through the aisles of Slug & Jiggers.
"Get double the amount on your list." McGonagall advised her quietly. "You'll get a decent discount and the ingredients will last you quite a while."
Taking her professor's advice, Mary did just that, but added ingredients to her basket as she found that the temptation of brewing different things was too much to ignore. She needed Healing Potions and a plethora of different helpful brews that weren't on the class list. And the only way to have them on hand without drawing unnecessary attention would be to brew them herself.
McGonagall lifted a brow at her as Mary put two vials of armadillo bile in her basket. "That is not on the list, Mary."
Mary shrugged. "I need to prank Sirius at least once a week or he gets irritable."
"I see," McGonagall said, her mouth twitching as though she was trying to hide a smile. "You might need more Bulbadox Powder to really teach him a lesson."
Shock ran through her as she looked up at her professor. "Do I even want to know?"
McGonagall shook her head. "All I can say is that they picked the wrong professor for their prank. Absolutely no one wanted to see Ogg, the old Groundskeeper, strip down while scratching his sides in the Great Hall. Just the look of shock on their faces gave away their guilt."
"Yikes." Mary winced and shook her head. "Rookie mistakes."
McGonagall peered at her over the rim of her glasses. "I better not hear of any pranks in Gryffindor tower this year."
"Never." Mary smiled innocently.
McGonagall grinned in amusement as she watched Mary pile more ingredients into her basket. They left the Alley hours later, arms heavily laden with bags of clothing and supplies for the upcoming term. McGonagall, once again, gave Mary her supply list in advance, giving Mary a headstart in her classes. It was something that she was grateful for. Schoolwork was about the only normal part of her life and while it was not always fun, there was always the chance to learn skills that she could use in her tasks.
"Here we are." McGonagall said when they Floo'd back to Grimmauld place a few hours later.
Mary set her shrunken bags down on the kitchen table, looking around for any sign of either of her godfathers, she turned to see Professor McGonagall digging through her tartan handbag.
"They must be upstairs." Mary walked out of the kitchen and down the long hallway. The large house was eerily silent, setting her nerves on edge as she went from room to room, searching for them.
"Dobby?" Mary called out. "Kreacher?"
Neither answered, cluing her in that something was amiss.
"Professor," Mary said when she walked back into the kitchen. "No one's home."
But the kitchen was empty. She hadn't heard the Floo and assumed that McGonagall was going to at least say goodbye before leaving.
A soft pop startled her so bad that she stumbled into a chair, knocking it over. Using the heavy oak table, she pulled herself up and saw the bright red feather and small scroll sitting in the middle of the fruit bowl.
"Fawkes?" Mary picked up the feather and twirled it between her fingers while opening the scroll with her right hand.
Dumbledore's thin loopy writing flowed over the scrap of parchment.
You're needed at the Weasley residence as soon as possible. -A.D.
The letter fell softly onto the table while Mary quickly pulled a set of dueling robes off the hook and made sure that both of her wands and knife were easily accessible. If she needed to fight, she'd be ready. There was no way she could let anything happen to her family. That in mind, she grabbed another handful of Floo powder and dashed back into the fireplace.
Mary stepped out of the Floo, wand in hand, ready to hex any enemy in her way.
"SURPRISE!" A chorus of voices yelled as fireworks exploded in front of her face.
A shake of her head cleared the spots from her vision, revealing the laughing faces of the entire Weasley family – minus Percy – including Bill and Charlie, Sirius, Remus, Professor McGonagall, and a plethora of her friends. Healer Tonks stood to the side with her husband Ted and their daughter. They were all standing around the table, laughing at the way her wand and hand dropped to her side as she realized that the only threat was Mrs. Weasley and Hagrid's hugs. A large feast of her favorite dishes covered the long table while a huge cake in the shape of a Golden Snitch floated above the guest. The surrounding surfaces had been cleared and covered with brightly wrapped presents.
Her breath caught in her throat and she had to pinch her leg to stop the tears from pooling in her eyes.
"Hairy Mary." Fred wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Were you really going to hex us for throwing you a party?"
George appeared at her other side. "You shouldn't hex anyone until you open your gifts. It's just bad form otherwise."
Ron pulled her away from his brothers, rolling his eyes as he guided her to the table full of presents. "It's a Weasley family tradition to open gifts before we eat. So get to it."
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley hissed while everyone else laughed loudly.
Mary felt like she'd been put in the spotlight and couldn't help the twinge of self-consciousness as everyone stared at her, waiting for her to open her gifts. While she was touched and thankful that they were kind enough to make her birthday so special, she inwardly longed to be in her little bedroom, talking to Hedwig in peace and solitude.
The last of the sellotape broke loose and fell to the ground as Mary sat there holding a box full of brand new cassette tapes, each showing colorful pictures of Muggle music artists. Her smile was so bright that it hurt her cheeks, she'd been begging for a trip into the Muggle world for just this reason, she needed new tunes.
"Here." Mr. Weasley carefully placed a large box on the table in front of her. "Open this one next."
Mary smiled kindly and set the box of tapes on the table and quickly worked on unwrapping the new gift. Her face fell when she saw the brand new boombox sitting there in front of her. Such a nice gift was extremely expensive and she wasn't quite sure if she was willing to accept it.
"Don't you like it, dear?" Mrs. Weasley walked forward, rubbing her hands together nervously. "The Muggle at the store said that it was the newest model."
"It's too much." Mary choked out, hoping that she wasn't offending them. "It's wonderful, but really, it's too nice."
"It's from all of us." Hermione stepped up, hugging Mary quickly.
Mary laughed then tackled the Weasley parents into a hug. "Thank you."
"Oh!" Mr. Weasley blushed bright red, reminding Mary of Ron. "It was nothing, Mary. It was great fun to play with."
"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley admonished her husband, her cheeks flushed. "You shouldn't be tinkering with Muggle things."
Mary leaned closer to Charlie and Bill in confusion. "What am I missing?"
Charlie laughed and crossed his arms smugly. "Dad's charmed it to work just fine around magic. Took him almost a month, but he finally got it."
"Bloody hell," she whispered, her hands holding the side of the box protectively.
Bill chuckled and patted her hard on the back. "Hurry up opening these gifts. That cake isn't going to eat itself."
Mary glanced at the mouthwatering cake and quickly went through each present, taking just enough time to thank those responsible. All through cutting the cake, her attention was split and she felt torn on what to do.
"Go ahead, dear." Mrs. Weasley encouraged her as though she knew what Mary was thinking. "Music would be most welcome."
Mary smiled and pulled the Boombox and collection of tapes out of their boxes and put a tape in. Almost immediately, loud music and a thrumming bass line reverberated throughout the orchard, filling the night with the most glorious sound. Bill and Ginny were dancing, as were many others. Mary felt a pang of bittersweet sadness when she saw Remus and Tonks picking fun of Sirius who'd just been pranked by the twins. Ted and Aunt Andy - as she'd demanded to be called-, sat together with Mr. And Mrs. Weasley sharing bottles of butterbeer, while the rest of her friends and teachers milled about getting more food or talking.
"Would you care to dance?" Mary turned to see Charlie standing behind her holding out his hand.
"I'd love to!" Mary laughed as the song changed into something more upbeat.
For the first real birthday party she'd ever had, she'd say it turned out pretty great.
August 6th, 1994
Mary Potter
With only an hour of forewarning before Sirius and Remus left for the day, Mary didn't hesitate in gathering what she needed for her next task. While her godfathers were out on a short mission for Dumbledore – only going to be gone overnight – she would travel to Little Hangleton and research the Gaunt House. The time to act was now. With Dobby tidying up the flat in Diagon Alley and Kreacher out running errands and grocery shopping, Mary had hours at most to do what needed to be done.
All it took was a few quick charms taught to her by Lavender and Parvati to get her appearance to change drastically. The face staring back at her in the mirror was almost unrecognizable. Thick sandy blond fringe covered her forehead, the rest was pulled up into a neat bun at the base of her neck. Freckles were flecked across her high cheekbones and bright blue eyes stared back at her mockingly.
The true test was when she walked a few streets away from Grimmauld Place and called the Knight Bus. Like a shotgun blast, the monstrosity appeared in front of her, swerving to avoid a lamppost. Stan Shunpike stepped off in a bored manner and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she didn't carry any luggage.
"Where to?" Stan asked gruffly.
"Blackburn," she answered quickly. "I'm visiting my Gran."
"The back." Stan bustled her to the rear of the bus, out of the way of the other staring and visibly annoyed passengers. "Stay here and stay quiet. The fares ten sickles."
Mary smirked and dropped the coins into his outstretched hand. "Thanks."
He walked away shaking his head. "Bloody nutters."
Mary pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Despite the humid mid-summer air, there was still a deep chill settled within her bones. It wasn't a physical ailment or any other explainable reason that she could think of, only that somehow the Horcrux within herself could sense the impending death of its counterpart. It was a cold sickly feeling that left her nauseous, clammy, and inexplicably tired.
Leaning her head on the cold glass window, she closed her eyes and retreated into her mind, working on her meditation and Occlumency as the Knight Bus stopped and accelerated once again, trying its best to make her lose her meager breakfast.
"Blackburn!" Stan poked her shoulder. "Whatchoo doin sleeping? Wasn't even a half hour trip."
"Sorry." Mary pushed past him and dazedly stepped off the cursed bus.
Her foot had barely left the landing when the bang sounded and the bus disappeared into the unknown.
Thick green grass covered rolling hills and a smattering of fog dotted the morning with a humid but ethereal landscape. According to her research, the Gaunt Shack was two miles south of Little Hangleton and another mile straight east of Blackburn. She'd chosen Blackburn because she didn't want to attract attention to the fact that anyone was traveling from London to a non-magical village like Little Hangleton, where the only known wizards were either long dead or had a track record like Voldemort and his demented family.
With a couple carefully cast spells, she disillusioned her Nimbus and herself, setting her course just above the road and following it for a few miles. While she got turned around quite a few times, she finally found what was left of the Gaunt family home. To call it a shack was a compliment. While the place had four walls and a roof, there wasn't a place where the wood wasn't rotted and falling apart from years of weather damage and lack of regular maintenance. Holes littered the roof and she finally settled on carefully flying down to the nearest tree to avoid any perimeter spells that might activate if she walked across them.
She carefully set her broom on the branches and laid down on her stomach, holding tightly to the old willow, letting it bow just enough to set her within the worst hole in the roof. She let go of the branch and assessed her surroundings. All was quiet as she knelt down on the floor and ran her hands along the splintered boards, trying to find that overwhelming sense of malevolence that would guide her to the Horcrux.
It was too quiet.
And then she felt it. It was like she'd stuck her entire arm into a dumpster or down the loo. She felt dirty. The thick aura of Dark Magic was pungent in the air, making her skin crawl and her hair stand on end.
Her hands shook as she pried the loose floorboard out. The small oak box looked completely innocent, covered in dust, but the sense of evil hung in the air like a dark cloud. Knowing it couldn't harm her, Mary plucked it from its dark confines and set it onto the dry dirty floor. Using the tip of her wand, she unlatched the small chest and tilted the lid open. The ring stood out like a beacon in the wandlight, a dark stone that was set in a gold ring laid in a deep velvety green jewelry box.
It was calling to her.
She never would have imagined just how strong the pull was for Dumbledore. But all Mary could feel was a deep sense of urgency to see her parents, to see the ones that she had longed for since she was just a small toddler locked in a dark cupboard. It was their voices that echoed through the late afternoon air. It was their faces that hovered just out of sight, beckoning her to put on the ring and see them once more. A sense of peace enveloped her as she lost herself in the memory and thought of how wonderful the reunion would be.
She could already feel their warm arms wrapping around her, holding her close and telling her that they would never leave her and never let her go. They would be a family again. She would be safe and happy, never having to face the harshness and cold of the world alone. All she had to do was put on the ring.
A sharp stabbing pain shot up her leg, barely pulling her attention away. A small viper, no longer than her arm, buried its fangs deep in her calf, sending intense bursts of pain up her spine. With a small grunt, Mary grasped the snake by the neck and tossed it across the small room. She shook her head to rid herself of the black spots that threatened to take over her vision, wondering what she was doing there.
She was getting ready to see her parents. They were waiting for her. Weren't they? But they were dead. Was she dead too?
A flash of green light.
NO!
"Not Mary!"
The ring! Destroy the ring!
She reached into the pocket of her robes and grasped the handle of the small iron blade and immediately plunged it into the center of the dark stone. The magical backlash caused a reverberation that sent her flying into the thin paneled wall behind her, the impact making the dark spots in her vision even more pronounced.
I've got to get out of here. She thought, shaking her head.
She scrambled forward, plucking the ring from the box, and looked up. Her eyes widened as she could see hundreds of poisonous snakes emerging from every crack and crevice in the decrepit house. They surrounded her at every angle.
Go away! She hissed in Parseltongue. I don't want to hurt you!
Master's order is to kill. They hissed in unison. Kill we will.
Mary gritted her teeth and raised her wand, knowing that she was blocked in. "Incendio!"
The fire spell blasted the snakes out of the way, giving her a somewhat clear path to the door. The only downfall was that the dry rotted old wood that made up the shack was burning far too fast.
On shaky legs Mary sprinted through the flames, dodging snakes and fire to reach the small wooden door. Her foot landed on a broken board, the rusty nail sinking through the bottom of her trainer and up into the soft flesh in the arch of her foot, making her yelp in pain. She pulled the handle open and flung herself forward, falling heavily onto the dry leaves just as the house exploded behind her, sending bits of debris flying into the air above. She curled up on the hard earth and buried her face into the ground as the splinters rained down.
A lone beam struck her injured leg, burning and cauterizing her flesh in one fell swoop. She bit back the scream and focused on getting the Portkey out of her singed pocket before she burned to death. Adrenaline was both working for and against her in that moment, clouding her senses and making even the simplest task difficult, while shielding her from the worst of the pain. With a wave of her wand, she summoned her Nimbus, letting it smack into her palm as she pulled the illegal portkey from her pocket.
"Safety," she gasped out, clutching the Portkey tightly, hoping beyond hope that she'd made it correctly and it would take her home.
The world spun around her and she landed on her bedroom floor with a loud thump. Her leg stung and ached so badly that she feared putting any weight on it would make her pass out. The cold burn seemed to travel throughout her body, making her head swim with each beat of her heart, making the wound throb and pulse. Using the desk as leverage, she lifted herself into the chair and winced as the splinters in her back buried in deeper.
The pads of her fingertips were blackened and blistered from the heat, but still she managed to pull the ring and dagger from her pocket and place them in the locked drawer of her desk for safekeeping until she could get them into her trunk. Before she closed the drawer, she pulled a red pin from the cushion and leaned forward. Her fingers were slick with blood as she stuck the pin into the map, signifying the locations of the Horcruxes. The only green ones left were; Two in Little Hangleton, Voldemort and Nagini. One in Gringotts, Hufflepuff's Cup. And one in Grimmauld Place, herself.
"Ouch," she whimpered, pulling herself onto her bed, not taking her eyes off the pin that signified herself on the map of the UK. "Only four left."
If she wasn't more careful, she'd end up dead before she could destroy the rest. First of all, she had to get the potions kit Sirius kept in the kitchen and patch herself up. But getting there would take time and planning that she wasn't capable of. Calling Dobby or Kreacher would only raise questions, and she knew for a fact that both elves were far too loyal to her not to mention the incident to Sirius. They would all freak out and she'd have to endure both a lecture and their hovering until the end of time. No, she would find her own way.
"Think." She ordered herself, digging her fingers into her hair and fighting back the urge to cry for help.
A soft knock startled her and she laid down, dimmed the lights and closed the curtains with a wave of her wand, she pulled the covers up just as Sirius walked in. "You okay, kid? It's the middle of the afternoon."
Mary choked down the bile in her mouth at the feeling of the heavy blankets touching the burns on her leg. "Tired. Don't feel so great."
"You're pale as a ghost." Sirius put a hand to her forehead. "Clammy too. And no offense, but you kind of stink, kiddo."
"You're making me feel better already," Mary replied sarcastically, forcing herself to sit up. "Can you bring the potion kit? I'm sure after a pain potion I'll be right as rain."
Sirius waved his wand and moments later the small metal case floated into the room. Her godfather opened it and passed it toward her, but to Mary's dismay, it held only the basic pain relievers and fever reducers, there wasn't a single anti-venom potion or burn paste in the lot.
"Anything I can do to help?" Sirius looked at her with furrowed brows.
"I-I'm fine," Mary slurred, the world blurring around her. "It's just a headache."
Sirius stood up and patted her hand. "You sleep it off and I'll check on you in a bit."
The lights dimmed and the door clicked shut, leaving her alone with her misery. Tears of frustration and fear ran down her face as she pulled the blanket back and pried the sheet away, sloughing off a layer of burnt flesh with it. She needed to clean the wound, but to do so, meant getting all the way to the brewing area they had set up in the basement. At the rate she was going, she knew she'd be lucky to make it to the bathroom. The spinning swirling room dragged her down, like being pulled down a drain, it was impossible to fight, leaving her laying face down on her bedroom floor unconscious.
Sirius Black
Sirius glanced at the clock again, knowing that Mary would never miss breakfast or the opportunity to visit her friends. She looked pretty tired when he saw her earlier, but he chalked that up to the fact that they spent weeks in the dingy old house, cleaning and remodeling without a break. Maybe it was too much too fast, while he had an entire year to get use to freedom, Mary barely had a couple of months outside of the walls of Hogwarts.
"Fred," Sirius said, pushing his plate away. "Would you mind fetching Mary?"
"Sure." The boy shrugged, darting up the steps without hesitation.
The other twin narrowed his gaze and lifted a brow at him. "Everything okay, Padfoot?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, shaking his head, "Just been a long few weeks. This house is taking its toll."
"It'll be cleared out soon enough." George smiled confidently. "Are we all set for taking down the walls in the main entrance? I think it'd open the place up a bit."
"Of course!" Sirius laughed. "The whole floor plan is changing, just like we talked about. Mary even added in an office for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes on the main floor."
Fred burst into the room, out of breath, Mary hanging limply in his arms. "She's not breathing!"
Sirius rushed forward and fell to his knees as Fred set Mary on the floor in front of him. "Get Dumbledore. St. Mungo's. Anybody!"
Panic took hold and he could do nothing but grasp her thin shoulders and stare, wondering what had happened and how. Her lips were tinged blue and he couldn't think of any spells that would help. His hand shook as he tried to find her pulse, but he just couldn't stop the tremors. And then he felt it, her pulse was weak and thready, but it was there.
"Anapneo," George whispered, his wand pointing at Mary's throat.
Much to Sirius' relief, his goddaughter took in a shuddering breath, but the wheezing and gurgling sounds she made had him worried all the more. Fred stepped away from the Floo to sit beside them on the gleaming floor.
"Black." Snape stepped out of the fireplace, a glare on his face. "What have you-"
"It's Mary." Sirius looked up at his old nemesis with hard eyes. "She was fine last night, but when I checked on her earlier she seemed out of sorts. She said she was tired and I let her sleep in."
Snape ran his wand over her and stared at Mary in confusion. "She hasn't left the house?"
"No." Sirius growled out defensively. "I'd know if she had! What are you trying to say, Snivellus? Do you think I did this to her?"
Snape's cold black eyes focused on him for the briefest of moments. "She's been poisoned."
"No." Sirius shook his head. "That's not possible. No one else is sick. And both Dobby and Kreacher love Mary, they would never hurt her."
Snape ignored him, looking through the leather bag that sat on the floor beside them and pulling out a bright orange vial. "She was bitten by a snake, you nitwit."
Sirius stared in shock as Snape gently lifted Mary's head and emptied the vial into her mouth. He wanted the greasy git to get the hell away from all of them, but knew that he could very well be the best chance that Mary had.
"Where was she bitten?" Snape asked after a moment. "I've given her an anti-venom draught, but unless the bite itself is treated, she won't fully recover or at the very least she may lose an arm or leg."
Sirius looked down and the only exposed skin, her head, neck, and hands, were covered in scrapes and scratches, but he couldn't see any bite marks. "I have no idea. She hasn't left the house in days and she was fine last night when Remus and I returned from our trip. What in the hell happened to her?"
"Her robes are burned." Fred pointed to the charred hemline of the green cloak. "Her jeans are too."
"Should I get Mum?" George interrupted, looking from Snape to Sirius. "Or someone else of the female variety?"
Sirius clenched his fists and glared at Snape. "Where's Pomfrey?"
"On holiday with her sister." He arched an eyebrow. "Now cut her damned clothes or get out of my way. You're not a poor man, surely you can afford more."
Sirius pulled away Mary's outer robe, being careful while he was unsure of where she had been bitten. Her arms looked scratched and dirty though there were no signs of major injury there. But when he looked down, he could see blood on her trouser leg.
"Left leg." He choked out in horror. "Roll her on her side."
Fred and George gently pulled her onto her side and George kept Mary's hands in his as she mumbled and groaned incoherently. Fred ran his hands through her hair and didn't take his eyes off her pale face.
The denim leg of her trousers was blackened and singed, leaving holes that revealed oozing burnt patches of skin and tissue. Not far above her left ankle, a pair of puncture marks marred the already grotesque looking skin. Sirius put a hand over his mouth as the putrid smell hit his nostrils. It smelled like rotten flesh and decay. The thin skin was taught and stretched over the swollen ankle and calf, blowing it up to twice it's normal size, while dark blue veins ran horizontally across her leg creating a spider web like pattern.
Sirius could only watch in horror, leaning back to hold Mary's hand, while Snape severed the trouser legs just above her knees. Snape worked quickly to pour a thick blue potion onto the wounds and sat back on his heels, brushing the hair out of his face as they all watched the swelling disappear and color return to Mary's leg.
"What about the burns and splinters?" Sirius asked quietly.
Snape waved his wand to vanish the foul smell and went to stand. "Show me to your brewing area. Burn-Paste works best while fresh. While I'm gone, see if you can remove the splinters. First aid is something you should get used to when living with idiots like Potter."
Sirius lurched forward, ready to strangle Snape, but was stopped by a small hand hitting him forcefully across the cheek.
"NO!" Mary shrieked, sending them all jumping back in shock as she sat straight up, her eyes staring at the wall in horror. "SIRIUS! GET BACK!"
She lifted her reddened left hand, palm up, and faced the blank white wall. "Voldemort!"
"She's hallucinating," Snape hissed suddenly, reaching toward Mary.
The second his arms wrapped around her, the wall her hand was pointed at exploded into a million pieces, sending plaster and bits of wood flying everywhere. Sirius dove beside the couch for cover, his hands grasping Mary's arms and dragging her out of harm's way as she thrashed and screamed, trying to get away from him.
"Kill me!" Mary yelled. "It's me you want! Leave them alone! RON! HERMIONE! RUN!"
"Potter!" Snape pulled himself forward, brushing debris from his face as Sirius struggled to hold Mary down. "Wake up! It's not real!"
Mary's eyes darted to him and back to the wall. "Hide, Snape! He knows! Voldemort knows you're a spy. He'll set his snake on you! I can't watch you die again. I just can't. Hide!"
Snape's jaw dropped and he seemed – for the briefest moment – to lose his composure completely. Sirius used all of his strength to hold her arms down, making sure that she was pinned to the floor hoping that he wasn't hurting her. Truth be told, the mixture of worry for her was warring with the way her pain filled screams echoed through the house. His heart broke at the thought of her being trapped in a nightmare where he could not reach her.
"Mary?" George knelt next to her, glancing at Sirius, then turning to pat her shoulder. "You're safe. Sirius is right beside you, and Snape's okay too. Don't worry."
"But Fred," Mary cried pitifully, tears running down her dirty face. "Not Fred."
"I'm here, Marrito." Fred patted her arm. "Come on, old girl, you're getting all sorts of attention right now and you're going to hate yourself for it later."
George looked up at his twin and then to Sirius. "We need Mum, and maybe Ron. They'll snap her out of this real fast."
"Get them." Sirius sighed, trying to keep Mary from moving.
Snape spat a mouthful of dust onto the floor. "If she hadn't just drank an Invigoration Draught I'd say we Stun her and leave her to sleep it off."
Sirius didn't reply, he was too focused on the way Mary was staring at the doorway in fear. Her fingers dug into his arm and her entire body shook with enough force to move him. Before he could even comprehend what happened, she lurched forward, running for the doorway, her wand in hand.
"Shit!" Sirius hissed, jumping up to follow her.
Had the situation not been so confusing and dire, Sirius would have laughed at the way his goddaughter limped through the house, ducking and weaving behind everything she could find, her wand brandished like a torch.
"It didn't occur to you to take her wand?" Snape sneered at him in disbelief.
Sirius shot the other man a disgruntled look. "Mad-Eye taught her how to put Anti-Theft charms on them both. If you want the piss shocked out of yourself, be my guest."
"I'm surrounded by imbeciles." Snape shook his head, then looked up to where Mary was teetering on the top step leading to the basement dungeons. "Don't move, Black. Any sudden noise and she could topple to her death."
"Wouldn't her magic save her?" Sirius responded, copying Snape as the other man took a few small steps forward while Mary was looking the other way.
Snape shot him a condescending look. "Accidental magic saves small children when they know they're in danger. Potter wouldn't know the difference between danger and daisies at the moment. Not that she's ever been very bright."
The Floo flared to life and Molly stepped out, followed quickly by Ron. Sirius waved them over, holding a finger to his mouth to signal the need for silence. Ron ignored him as he ran toward Mary with no hesitation, his arm wrapping around her and pulling her from the dangerous stairwell, holding her in place as Sirius and Snape hurried to assist him.
"Please don't tell her I did that," Ron squeaked worriedly. "She'll kill me."
"Ron?" Mary's glassy eyes focused on her friend. "Where's Hermione?"
"With her parents," Ron said softly. "She'll be back in a couple weeks for the World Cup."
"Ireland wins," Mary mumbled. "But Krum catches the Snitch."
"What's happened here, Sirius?" Molly looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"Mum?" Mary wheezed out. "Is that you?"
"It's Molly, dear." Molly knelt down on the floor and pulled Mary out of Ron's grip. "You're home. You're safe."
"But the house was destroyed." Sirius watched as his Goddaughter's face crumpled slightly. "Stupid Voldemort. It's all my fault. Maybe I should've just let him kill me."
Molly winced at the name, but didn't stop running her fingers through Mary's tangled hair while she hummed a soothing tune. "You need to sleep, Mary."
"Too much to do." Mary looked as though she was going to sit up, but Molly held her back. "I don't have a lot of time."
Sirius reached forward to speak to her, but before his knees hit the floor, her eyes had already rolled into the back of her head and her body went slack in Molly's arms.
"Quiet." Molly growled at them all. "Cast a Feather weight charm on her, Severus, I'll finish dressing her wounds and put her to bed. Fred, George, get the elves to send up tea and soup. Sirius, I'll call you in a moment."
"Put her in the guestroom, Mum." Fred requested. "I'll have the elves clean her room. It's a wreck."
Sirius stood by and watched in a daze as Molly carefully navigated the staircase with Mary held tightly in her arms.
"Mum will help her," Ron said quietly from beside him. "Don't worry about Mary. She's tougher than she looks."
The statement was simple and meant to reassure, but it only made him feel like more of a failure. It was his job to protect and take care of her and he'd left her alone to fend for herself against some unknown enemy. Not only that, but he sat back and watched as Snape - of all people – helped her when he could not. It was infuriating and depressing at the same time.
The door to the guestroom was shut and he didn't want to interrupt Molly, so made his way up to Mary's room, hoping to find some clue as to what she had been doing.
Fred wasn't wrong. The room was a mess. That should have been his first clue that something was amiss. Mary was almost obsessive about keeping things clean and orderly.
The bed covers were pulled onto the floor, dried blood and plasma on the sheets. The smell of decay hung heavily in the air, and the potions kit he'd brought last night had been upturned and its contents were scattered everywhere. She must have been in an intense amount of pain, but couldn't find what she needed in the meager supply.
"Sirius," Dumbledore announced himself, walking into the room, his blue eyes taking in the mess without so much as a raised brow. "Severus filled me in to the best of his ability. What can you tell me about Mary's injuries?"
"Nothing." Sirius leaned heavily on the wall, shaking his head in dismay. "Remus and I returned last night and I checked on her. She didn't look well but claimed that she was tired. I should have known something was wrong, but I honestly didn't put much thought into it."
Dumbledore listened quietly as Sirius explained, his blue eyes staring at the map on Mary's wall. Sirius stopped speaking and glanced at the map, wondering what the old headmaster was staring at. Four red and four green push pins were stuck in at random places. It didn't look like anything important, but by the look on Dumbledore's face, he realized that there must have been something more to it. And that made Sirius suspicious. Dumbledore was a brilliant man, well known throughout the world for his intellect and insight. Dumbledore knew something that he wasn't going to share with Sirius and quite frankly, it irritated him.
Dumbledore lifted a weathered hand and let his fingertips hover just in front of the map where a small smear of blood blotted out a location with a red pin. "Keep me informed about Mary's health, Sirius. Severus will be available should she need any medical attention while Poppy is on holiday."
Stunned that he was leaving so quickly and without so much as an explanation, Sirius' temper exploded. "What do you know? You can't tell me that you don't even have a clue of what Mary's up to, or how she became injured."
Kind blue eyes turned to him. "It seems that recent events have proven that as much as I think I'm prepared, I'm often wrong and left without the first inkling of what I need to do. As for answers, I think Mary is the one you need to ask. In fact, I have quite a few questions for her myself."
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