July 31st, 1995

Albus

Albus returned from his trip to Albania both empty handed and with even more questions than before. Nothing but a few remnants of dark magic that were old and withering to show that Tom had been there.

Putting his wand to his temple, he extracted the memory procured from Horace. The look on Tom's face haunted him. Seven. A powerful number. One that made his task daunting at best.

"What could I have done differently?" Albus asked, staring at the image of the charismatic young boy.

His hands were tied from the start. He had no evidence that a dark lord was breeding within the boy. He had nothing but speculation. He avoided the boy at best. Too disturbed by Tom's quest for power. Even Myrtle Warren's death wasn't enough. And by then it was too late.

He went to his pensieve and viewed the memory of his first meeting with Tom. Tom's penchant for hurting people. The stolen artifacts in the wardrobe. Tom's ability to speak to snakes.

He pulled another memory from his temple, one that he never dared place in reach for others to view. It was only four years ago and he watched as his younger self sat down on the park bench, watching as the school children ran out of the school and onto the bright and sunny playground.

A waifish girl stood in the background, wearing overlarge clothes. Her dark hair was unkempt, but there was a brightness in her eyes that gave him hope. The other children avoided her, giving her a wide berth, but the girl was unhindered by their blatant dismissal as though it was a frequent occurrence. She walked along the outer edge of the fence, trailing her hand along the metal links, muttering under her breath.

Uninvited, she sat at the other end of the bench. While his past self sat there, unperturbed, Albus walked around in the memory, scanning everything as he had done a thousand times before. The way she clenched her jaw, a hard look in her eyes as she watched the other children. Envy, hatred, both written clear as day on her face.

"How are you today?" Albus asked gently.

"Fine," the girl said with a snarl and then paused, letting out a breath and turning her bright green eyes to him. "Sir, I mean. I'm fine, sir."

"No need for formalities," Albus assured her. "Are you well? You seem quite irritated."

"My cousin is a lout." Mary tugged violently at her sleeves. "If I could get my hands around his fat neck, I'd strangle him."

Albus felt a chill crawl up his spine. "I'm sure you mean him no harm."

"I hate him," the girl answered with a glare. "I hate them all."

Albus could feel the wild magic reverberate through the air, crackling around him in a way that was far too familiar.

"Hate is a powerful word," he answered calmly.

The girl's eyes cut to his and he could see the fury and agony in those depths of green. "Not powerful enough."

The large boy went down the slide again, yelping as his legs touched the metal. The girl beside him grinned in satisfaction.

"Do odd things happen when you get angry," Albus asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

The girl shot him a terrified look. "Why?"

"Just asking." Albus sighed and bent his head down again, trying to appear trustworthy.

"I once ended up on the roof when my cousin and his gang were chasing me." Mary admitted, still glaring at the fat boy on the playground. "And last week my aunt chopped my hair off. It grew back overnight."

Albus let out a sigh. "That's very interesting."

The bell rang and the children rushed back inside.

Mary Potter stood and turned to him. "It was nice to speak to you, sir."

Albus reached for her hand, his wand hidden in his other sleeve. "It was nice meeting you as well."

The girl spoke a moment later. "Oh, I can talk to snakes as well."

Albus flinched slightly. "Can you?"

"Yeah." Mary smiled, a flash of triumph in her eyes. "It's brilliant."

"Obliviate."

Albus pulled himself from the memory at all haste, ashamed at his past actions, but resolute in his reasoning. There was a darkness in Mary that reminded him far too much of young Tom. He couldn't let that happen again.


Sirius

"As soon as Mary leaves, we need to start decorating. Bill, will Molly have the cake ready in time?" Sirius asked.

"She was putting the finishing touches on it when I left," Bill said with a smile.

"Kingsley has the portkey for Astoria ready, he'll be bringing it by this evening," Tonks said.

Despite everything, Sirius would miss the little Slytherin. She went against everything that Slytherins stood for. Kind, talkative, always happy. It reminded him of Regulus at that age. Her older sister was much more like Sirius and it brought up an odd conundrum in his mind. He hated the fact that they would be separated, if he had his way, they would stay at Grimmauld Place until their family came forward. Unfortunately, Ami had other plans.

Ami was another issue all on her own. Their relationship had been strained since Voldemort's return. Even though they were trying to put on a good act, there was a rift between them that Sirius couldn't repair. It would be for the best to break things off with her before they let it drag on any longer.

Andy stepped out of the Floo holding a small vial. "Nymphadora, Bill, I need a moment alone with these two."

"Come on, Bill, let's go torture the birthday girl." Tonks laughed.

As soon as the two were out of the room, Andy cast a privacy ward around them, setting the vial on the table. "We're going to force Dumbledore's hand. As committed as he is to see Mary fulfill the Prophecy, there is no way he'd sit back and watch her die."

Sirius leaned back in his chair. "That sounds risky."

"It's an unfinished Sleeping Draught." Andy pushed the vial toward him. "One of Mary's. At most she'll get feverish and tired. Nothing permanent. And if Dumbledore refuses to remove the spell, we can easily reverse the effects."

"When do we do this?" Remus asked with a sigh, clearly as uneasy with the plan as Sirius was. "Dumbledore's not supposed to be back until tomorrow."

"It should take about twelve hours for it to kick in, so I suggest dosing her tonight," Andy said. "Severus and I will both be here to monitor her so things don't get out of hand."

"We really should talk to Mary about this first," Remus said, looking to Sirius.

"I don't like it either," Sirius replied. "But you know Mary, she'll do whatever it takes to avoid Dumbledore. There's no way she'd agree to this."

"As it is, we must prepare for the headmaster's reaction to finding out the Cuff has been removed." Andy shot them both a dark look. "I daresay he will be none too pleased with Severus and myself."

"Well, you'll have us to back you up," Sirius said, lifting the vial and inspecting the clear liquid.


Mary

Aunt Minnie shrunk their purchases and put them in her bag, turning to Mary with a smile. "I know it's early, but I hear Florean has a new flavor of ice cream that I need to try. Would you care to join me?"

"Sure!" Mary grinned, following her to the small stand.

Mr. Fortescue paid her no mind, not seeing through her disguise, and Mary accepted the cone of Treacle and vanilla creme without saying a word. She and Aunt Minnie window shopped, simply killing time, while she knew Sirius was planning something grand for her birthday. Really, she would have expected a Marauder to at least be cunning and covert at hiding what he was up to, but Sirius was about as stealthy as a rhinoceros.

Attention focused on the newest broomstick, Mary crashed headlong into a tall man, spilling ice cream down the front of his nice dark suit. She stumbled backward, her cheeks flushing.

The man kept a firm grip on her elbow, holding her steady, while she scrambled for her wand to clean up the mess. His touch sent a shiver up her spine and Mary shook her head, trying to quash the feeling.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered through clenched teeth, trying to clear her mind. "I'm not usually this clumsy."

"No harm done," the man said with a cool whisper, tilting his hat up so that she could see the faint gleam of satisfaction in his red eyes.

She froze, her heart dropping into her stomach.

"Happy Birthday, Mary."

Mary lifted her wand, but it was too late. He disapparated without so much as a trace, leaving her standing there, wand out, and gaping like a fish while her heart stuttered beneath her ribs.

"There you are," Aunt Minnie said. "I was talking and then you were gone. Mary, are you okay, child?"

"Voldemort," Mary said, clutching a palm to her head. "He was here! Just now. He grabbed my arm!"

"Quiet, child." Aunt Minnie met her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Mary replied, looking around at the milling crowd. "We have to get these people out of here! He could come back at any time."

"It'll start a panic." Aunt Minnie grabbed her arm and pulled her in the opposite direction. "Are you sure it was him? Did he recognize you?"

"He said 'Happy Birthday, Mary'. Pretty sure he knew it was me." Mary bit out, rushing up the steps to her old flat. "Is it safe to be here? What if we were followed?"

Aunt Minnie knocked on the door and Chiara opened it, spotting the state Mary was in and all but hauling her inside. "What happened?"

"Mary thought she saw You Know Who in the Alley." Aunt Minnie pushed her towards the couch.

"It was him!" Mary paced in front of the fireplace, rubbing at her forehead. "I know it."

"If it was him, then why didn't he try to kidnap you, kill you, or something?" Chiara asked. "Why just leave?"

"I don't know!" Mary shouted. "It doesn't make any sense. Maybe he's toying with me."

"That's not like him." Aunt Minnie put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, this does ruin my plans, but there's nothing for it. Mary, you stay put. I've got a few Floo calls to make."


Twenty minutes later, Mary was glaring into the mirror while Lavender and Parvati forced her to stay still while they styled her hair and put makeup on her face. She wanted to be out there helping, clearing out the town, doing something other than being turned into a doll for the amusement of her friends. Aunt Minnie sat at the table, sipping her tea while staring down at the street below. Watching. At least her scar had stopped bleeding and all she felt was a tinge of amusement through the bond. It made her skin crawl.

"Just the dress now." Lavender clapped her hands. "Hurry up!"

Mary bit back a curse and stomped into the bathroom, changing as fast as she could and walking back out with a frown on her face. The crimson and gold dress was very pretty, but would be impractical in a fight. The high heels were atrocious and she knew she'd be ditching them as soon as the opportunity arose.

The sheer absurdity of dressing up when she'd come so close to Voldemort was making her head spin. No one else in the Alley seemed to notice him. What if it wasn't real? What if he was just a figment of her imagination? No, that couldn't be right. If it wasn't real, why did she feel the echo of his thin fingers on her arm.

Aunt Minnie stood up and went to her side. "The Aurors are in the Alley now. The Order is with them. If he returns, they'll make sure he's handled."

"People could get hurt," Mary whispered so her friends didn't overhear.

"He won't risk a public attack so soon after his return." Aunt Minnie gripped her shoulders firmly. "Calm down, Mary. He's trying to goad you into doing something irresponsible. Don't fall for it."

"How can I just sit back and do nothing?" Mary asked, fighting the urge to hex something.

"You will go with us to attend your birthday celebration and you will attempt to have fun." Aunt Minnie pushed her towards the fireplace. "You can't allow Tom to control your life. Now Floo on home, I'm sure everyone is waiting for you."


Sirius bounced Saphira on his knee, a sense of giddiness rushing through him as the scent of Molly's cooking wafted through the air. The dining room was heavily decorated and illuminated by hundreds of fairy lights, creating an ethereal atmosphere. Upbeat Muggle music played quietly in the background while her friends laughed and talked about their summer holidays while the adults stood in the kitchen finishing the final touches for the feast. Due to his previous fiascos in the kitchen, Sirius had been regulated to babysitting Saphira and Potterwatch.

Checking his watch for the third time, he stood up. "Okay everybody, anytime now."

The seconds ticked by and then the fire changed to bright green, spitting Mary out onto the rug. Righting herself, she dusted off her dress and looked up with wide eyes.

"Happy Birthday!" They all yelled at once.

Mary smiled in a way that didn't quite reach her eyes as she stared around the room. "This is brilliant!"

"And a surprise guest," Sirius said, pulling Saphira out from under the table.

"Saphira!" Mary gasped, picking her up. "How?"

"I asked Rolf to drop her off for a few days. I hope you don't mind." Sirius hugged her quickly.

"A toast to the birthday girl." Remus handed Mary a small glass of punch, hesitating as she reached for it. "To Mary!"

Everyone held up their glasses. "To Mary!"

Sirius drank the punch in one gulp, letting it settle in his stomach like a lead weight. Remus passed by him, squeezing his shoulder and letting him know the deed was done. The first step in securing Mary's future had been taken. All they had to do now was wait.

"Presents first!" Fred called out, dragging Mary to the end of the table and forcing her into a chair. "Ours first, sis."

Mary pulled back the colorful wrapping with a furrowed brow, staring down at what looked like a traffic light. "What is it?"

"What is it, she asks." George grinned.

"That, sis, is a Spell Pitcher." Fred tapped the top of the device. "Set it to the difficulty you want and it will pitch ping pong balls charmed with stinging hexes at you."

"That doesn't sound like a good gift, boys," Molly said with a frown.

"It's perfect." Mary breathed, setting it to the side and hugging Fred and George. "Thank you."

"Anything for you." George ruffled her hair. "Now to the next gift."

Mary opened the box of pranks and shot a wink at Sirius. "I'm putting these to good use."

"I'm all for it!" Sirius grinned. "It's been awhile since we've had a prank war."

Charlie leaned toward him. "I remember the sheep. You're outmatched."

"Bloody things," Sirius said with a laugh. "Yeah, I have nightmares about them from time to time. Not this time though. I'm pulling out all the stops."

Mary blinked, rubbing at her eyes as she opened another gift. "Oh it's lovely."

"What is it?" Ron asked, touching the hem of the coat.

"Basilisk hide." Mary stood up, hugging Snape. "Thank you, sir."

Snape scowled, his eyes narrowing as Mary sat down heavily. "Are you feeling well, Potter?"

"Yeah," Mary replied. "What's next, I'm starving."

Fred passed her the next gift and Mary opened it, smiling softly as she put the leather bracelet around her wrist. "Thanks, Charlie."

Charlie nodded, grabbing the bottle of firewhisky. "You're welcome."

Mary finished with her presents and they took a few minutes to bring the food to the table while Dobby and Kreacher took her gifts up to her room. Sirius watched her with a shrewd eye, a sinking feeling in his gut.

"What's going on?" Sirius leaned toward Andy and Ted. "You said twelve hours."

"I don't know," Andy said, standing up and going to kneel at Mary's side. "Are you okay, dear?"

"I'm fine." Mary nodded, picking at her food while Saphira curled around her neck.

Andy waved her wand at Mary and went back to her seat. "The fever is rising too fast. I'll speak to Severus about it."

Sirius nodded, a pang of worry flashing through him. There was no time to act. Mary let out a gasp, slapping her palm to her forehead.

A silver lynx patronus floated into the room. "St. Mungo's has been attacked. All able Aurors are required on site at once."

Tonks jumped to her feet, kissing Remus on the cheek. "That's me."

"I'm going too." Remus stood. "Sirius, the portkeys."

"Old Crowd, over here." Sirius directed the Order members to the kitchen, peering over their shoulders to find Mary standing there glaring up at Charlie. "Mary, calm down."

Sirius held out the stack of feathers to Snape and Remus. "Stay safe."

They'd barely had time to disappear before Mary pushed her way forward, grabbing a feather and disappearing as well. Sirius felt his heart lodge in his throat.

He passed the feathers to Minnie. "Take them. I'll find her."


Mary landed haphazardly on the pavement outside of the hospital. Smoke rose high into the air, the flames lazily licking at the sky above her. Witches and wizards scrambled around, wands out with injured people hovering on conjured stretchers.

With a flick of her wrist, Mary pulled the haze of smoke away from the injured people, holding it in place so that the Aurors had time to get the people out. There were no signs of Voldemort or his Death Eaters, just chaos. The two topmost floors of the hospital were leveled. Rubble littered the street and the faint cries of the injured and those trapped inside echoed around her.

Mary swallowed hard and apparated to the highest point, using all of her strength to grab hold of the magical flames and subdue them. It was dark arts at its finest; taking control of another wizards spell. Tom's curse fought her, but Mary had the advantage of closer proximity. That in itself gave her a sense of relief that bolstered her spirits. He didn't stick around.

Once the fire was out, Mary started to carefully dig through the rubble, calling out for survivors.

"Here," a broken whisper replied after nearly an hour of digging.

Mary levitated the huge section of the block wall away and lifted her wand to stare down into the gap. "Can you hear me?"

"I'm here," the woman replied.

Mary crawled into the gap between the beams, careful not to put pressure on the injured woman. "Are you hurt?"

"I can't feel my legs," the woman replied, blinking at Mary's Lumos.

Mary lowered her wand and tried to smile. "You're going to be okay. What's your name?"

"Miriam," the woman said softly. "Miriam Strout."

Mary touched the woman's hand. "You were my Healer."

"Miss Potter?" Healer Strout gasped. "Is it really you? What are you doing here, child?"

"I'm here to help," Mary said, examining the section of block with a critical eye. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here safe and sound in no time."

Healer Strout grasped her hand weakly. "You shouldn't be here, child. You Know Who was here. He could come back."

"I'm not worried about him," Mary said, calling her patronus. "Prongs, tell Tonks that I have an injured Healer on the fourth floor. I need help."

Prongs bounded away and Mary did her best to clear away the rubble that she could reach without jostling Healer Strout. Her head swam and her body ached as she moved each rock to the side, clearing the way for the rescue team.

"Sirius said you did loads to help me," Mary said gently. "I'm very grateful."

Healer Strout weakly grasped her fingers and Mary swallowed hard, her eyes stinging. "It shouldn't be long now, Healer Strout. I promise."

Healer Strout blinked drowsily and Mary knelt beside her, clearing the dust from her face with a wave of her wand.

"Potter!" Snape called out. "Are you down there?"

"I'm here," Mary said, lifting her wand. "I didn't think it would be wise to move her or take off the block."

Snape nodded, crawling down beside her. "You're needed down at ground level, Potter. I'll take it from here."

"I'll visit you soon," Mary said, letting go of Healer Strout's hand. "Compression Syndrome, Professor, be careful."

"I will, Potter," Snape said quietly.

The world spun around her as she apparated back to the street below, stumbling and catching herself on a streetlamp. Her eyes burned from the smoke and dust, but Mary trudged forward to where Aunt Andy was directing the rescue squads.

"Where do you need me?" Mary asked.

Aunt Andy grabbed her arms and pulled her onto an empty cot. "You're burning up, sweetheart. Stay right there."

Mary closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to center herself. He used her to cause a diversion. While the Aurors and Order were patrolling Diagon Alley, he had a different target in mind. And He marked her birthday with the start of the second war.

A flash of anger rolled through her and she opened her eyes to see Professor Dumbledore walk by, talking quietly to Kingsley. A part of her wanted to jump up and shout at him, curse him and ask him where he'd been. Mary shoved it all down, occluding her mind until it fell away.

"Hey," Charlie said, kneeling beside her and wrapping his jacket around her. "There's not much left to do here. Let's go home, okay?"

Mary nodded, her shoulders shaking. "Okay."

Charlie pulled her into a hug and the world spun again, dropping them on the rooftop of Grimmauld Place. Mary felt her entire body shudder, her knees giving way as the rush of amusement filtered through the bond.

Charlie knelt next to her. "Talk to me, MJ. What's wrong?"

Mary blurrily met his eyes, a lump in her throat. "Tom's happy. This was his birthday present for me."

"It's not your fault," Charlie whispered into her hair.

The tears burst out, uninvited and unbidden. "I dropped my ice cream on his shoes!"

Charlie held her tighter as another shiver ran through her, making her entire body ache. She took in another deep breath, letting the scent of smoke and leather envelope her. A sharp stab of pain erupted in her head and she bit down on her lip, occluding until everything went dark and she was on her broom, the cold spring air on her face as she followed the glimmer of gold in the distance.


Charlie

"Mary," Charlie said, shaking her shoulder gently. "Mary?"

Her eyes were dull, staring up at the dark cloudy sky. His heart dropped and he picked her up, rushing down the stairs, calling out for help.

"What is it?" McGonagall met him on the third floor, stopping when she caught sight of Mary. "Potter!"

"I brought her back from St. Mungos, but she collapsed," Charlie said quickly. "She's burning up."

McGonagall pursed her lips, putting her hand on Mary's forehead. "Take her up to her room, I'll be there shortly."

Charlie trudged back up the stairs, his heart in his throat. It wasn't the way he imagined the night going at all. He was only back to finalize the transfer papers with the Ministry. That had gone off without a hitch and with a few days to spare, Mum had roped him in to helping with Mary's birthday preparations.

After receiving Ginny's letter and the Omnioculars, the last place Charlie wanted to be was in close proximity to the sole person who had his mind in a twist. It made him feel lower than dirt to think of her, his little brother's best friend, as anything other than that. Mary was family. And if he was being honest, she was the first person in his life to really get him. To understand how much his job meant to him. It wasn't just a job though. Dragons were his passion. Caring for them, studying them, it was what he lived for. The rest of his family saw it as a decent paying job that was risky. Not Mary though, she understood that it was a passion and lifestyle that meant more than money.

"You're going to be just fine." Charlie pressed a kiss to her forehead, placing her on the bed and pulling her shoes off. "Bran; the little one, he burned all of Anita's hair off the other day. She thought she had him cornered and that he'd back down. It took three of us to get him back in his paddock. Anita's fine though. Just bald and really pissed off. You should see her."

"I'm sorry," Charlie said, tucking the blankets around her. "I shouldn't have rejected you. I just don't want to lose you. I didn't want to ruin what we had. Turns out, I failed miserably at that."

"Love you," Mary mumbled under her breath, shivering and rolling onto her side. "Charlie."

The world around him stuttered to a halt. All other thoughts and worries fled his mind. Charlie closed his eyes, sitting heavily on the edge of her bed. Hearing her say those words, even deep in the throws of a high fever, made him want to recant everything that he promised himself about staying away from her.

Smoothing the hair out of her face, Charlie kissed her cheek. "I love you too, MJ."

Charlie took a step back when the door opened and Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Snape, and Andy walked into the room.

"Your mum might need some help downstairs," Remus said in clear dismissal.

Charlie nodded wordlessly and went downstairs with a heavy heart. He found his siblings on the second floor in the Twins' research room. All of them were standing around cauldrons with Hermione pacing around them like an instructor. Saphira was curled up on the table, letting out small chirps and watching the puffs of multicolored smoke drift into the air.

Charlie lifted her into his arms and walked over to Hermione. "What are we working on?"

"Basic potions for St. Mungos," Hermione said easily. "Did they find Mary?"

"She's upstairs. Dumbledore and the rest are with her."

"Is she okay?" Ron turned around.

"Running a high fever, but she'll be okay," Charlie said, hoping he was right. "She saved a lot of lives tonight."

"We should have been with her," Ginny muttered.

"No." Charlie shook his head. "What you're doing now, that's more than enough. It's going to save the Healers time as well as save lives. I'm proud of all of you."

Hermione squeezed Neville's shoulder. "Another stir and it's perfect. You should go sit down, Neville."

"I'd rather keep working." Neville made the last stir and went back to the table of ingredients.

Charlie put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him to the side. "They're proud of you too. I'm sure of it."

Neville's shoulders dropped. "Gran never visits at the end of the month. And she never goes without me. I don't understand."

"She was a brave witch." Charlie squeezed Neville's shoulder. "The Aurors said that she kept the Death Eaters from attacking the Children's Ward. She's a hero."

Neville nodded quickly and went back to work. Charlie couldn't help but admire him. He didn't think he could have kept his composure in that situation. He remembered the last war all too well. Mum's grief when the news came in that her brothers were dead. For months afterward she'd kept them all in her room, unwilling to be apart from them while You Know Who roamed the Earth. And then on one cold November morning, it all ended. Mary Jane Potter succeeded where everyone else had failed, giving them almost fourteen years of peace.

Saphira chirped loudly, nudging his chin with the top of her head and peering up at him with her deep blue eyes. He ran his hand over the soft feathers and pulled her closer to his chest.

"Let's go find you something to eat, Little One," Charlie said to the beautiful creature in his arms. "MJ will wake up soon, I promise."


Mary shielded her eyes at the bright onslaught, taking a few steps forward. "Harry?"

"There you are," Harry said, walking toward her.

"Am I dead?" Mary asked.

"Not in the slightest." Harry laughed.

"Then what am I doing here?"

"It's a fever dream, I think." Harry shrugged. "Kind of interesting from this side."

"Glad I can entertain," Mary deadpanned. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm stuck here," Harry replied. "I don't know why or how, but I've been stuck here, forced to watch you live your version of my life ever since you jumped out in front of the Killing Curse."

"I'm sorry." Mary grimaced. "Gods, it's been years!"

"It doesn't feel like years. Time moves differently here. I don't get hungry and I can sleep whenever I want. Mostly I just watch your world."

"That sounds horrible," Mary said, putting a hand to her mouth. "Any theories on how this happened?"

Harry sat down on the bench. "The only thing I can think of is that you stabbed the Diary in your world at the same time I destroyed the Diadem in mine."

Mary let out a laugh. "We need Hermione to figure this out."

"We do," Harry said easily, smiling at her. "You're keeping your distance from her and Ron. Why is that?"

"I'm afraid, Harry. I'm always afraid that I'll say or do something that will end up with them dead."

"I was stronger with them. You're stronger because of them. Don't forget that."

"I can't bear it. I'm not strong like you."

"You are. Believe me. If Dumbledore had been honest about my fate when I asked in first or second year, I would have been a right mess."

"Have you not seen the train wreck that is my life?"

"It's kind of pathetic, really." Harry nudged her shoulder with his. "But you're managing. Just don't let your temper take over like I did. It got me into more trouble than I knew what to do with."

"Kind of difficult when I have a dark lord manipulating my emotions."

"I know." Harry deadpanned. "My only bit of advice is for you to focus on how you feel. Don't worry about Tom. Occlude and keep him out. Don't let him influence you like I did. Don't let him control your life."

"It's always in the back of my mind, the consequences of each action I take. Tonight, tonight he killed Neville's Gran and his parents. I- I couldn't do anything! I was having fun with my friends."

"You weren't having fun though. You were worrying about what Voldemort was up to."

Mary closed her eyes and let out a humourless laugh. "As always."

"Fight when you can. Save who you can. Trust your instincts." Harry patted her on the back.

"I'm so scared that I've changed too much. That I won't know how to beat him. That people will die because of my choices."

"This is Tom's war. Anything that happens is on him, not you."

"I'll try and be quick about all this so you can get back to your fight."

"No, to be honest, it's kind of peaceful here. It's lonely, but I like seeing Sirius and Remus happy. I like seeing Ron and Hermione together. It's almost like a holiday."

"I'd like to have one of those."

"I had seven years of fighting." Harry grinned. "It's your turn now."

"Any chance we can convince him to take a break?" Mary lifted a brow.

Harry shook his head. "It's doubtful. Why do you have a certain Magizoologist to track down?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "I wish."

Harry chuckled. "At least we both have a thing for Weasleys."

Mary fiddled with the hem of her jumper. "Ginny liked you back. There's a difference. Plus, I have bigger issues to deal with."

"The world isn't going to stop because you let yourself be happy, Mary."

"Pot, you're talking to the kettle here." Mary deadpanned. "How about you try walking the walk before you talk the talk, Mr. 'I broke up with Ginny for her safety'."

"You got me there."

"Can tell me what Tom's up to? Might make this go a lot quicker."

"You're the only one I can really see."

Mary grimaced again. "Sorry."

"It's not so bad," Harry said. "I get to see the way it could have been. If I'd focused more time on my studies and Occlumency Sirius would still be alive."

"It wasn't your fault, Harry."

"It was." Harry put his head down. "You have a chance though. Enjoy the little things in life. Spend time with your friends. Don't waste it chasing after Voldemort. That will happen when it's supposed to happen."

"Okay."

"When the time comes, I'll be here."

"Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this real? Or just the fever talking?"

"Hell, I don't know. We both might be dead right now."

"I'll make things right, Harry. I promise." Mary smiled and hugged him tightly as the white light engulfed her.


Albus

"This should have been brought to my attention before an attempt was considered," Albus said, his eyes blazing. "The consequences for removing the Cuff cannot be taken back. I warned you of this the day you helped me place it on her, Andromeda."

Andromeda stood there regally, chin in the air and looking every bit the part of a noble Slytherin, unfazed by his reaction. "I was led to believe that the Cuff would spare her life, not that it would bind her to your control. What you've done is a gross injustice to a young girl who risked her life to save students in your care."

There'd been many instances over the years where he'd put young Mary through difficult trials and tests, gauging her reactions to different situations. It always left him in a conundrum. On one hand she charged forward to protect her friends and family. On the other, her methods were less than desirable. If his theory was true, and some part of Voldemort's soul clung to her as a baby, then he needed her to play her part. The future of the girl and the Wizarding World itself depended on her doing what needed to be done to defeat him once and for all. How could he convince her to sacrifice herself when she was so focused on fighting back?

Albus' own worries went even further. It'd taken a healthy dose of Veritaserum to get Horace to admit to what Tom planned. Horcruxes. Seven of them. The thought alone kept Albus awake at night. And while he was confident in what some of the artifacts Tom chose were, he had no idea where they were. The destroyed diary sat in the bottom drawer of his desk. Nagini stayed at Voldemort's side. And Mary was a few feet away, helpless in her current state. Not counting Tom himself, there were four Horcruxes that needed to be accounted for and destroyed before Mary could face him. If she would face him.

The Prophecy said that she was the one with the power to vanquish him. Not that she would choose to do so. And now her guardians sat in front of him, asking him to give her even more power. Could he allow another burgeoning Dark Lord to rise?

Looking at those around him, he realized he was outnumbered. There was no one he could trust in this task. Each person standing around her bed would shield Mary from her destiny. They would hide her away. There would be no convincing them of the need for her to be sacrificed for the greater good.

So be it. Albus thought. He would placate them, give them what they wanted. His heart clenched. If the magic of the Suppression Cuff deemed it fit that she died as punishment for them removing the Cuff, then it was something that he would have to accept.

"I surmise that you've all studied the lore on Magical Suppression?" he asked, no longer hiding behind the guise of a benevolent old fool.

"The Unspeakables say that she's bound to your will and that by removing the Cuff, the magic is killing her until she returns to your control." Andromeda clenched her hands together.

"Did they tell you the repercussions for removing the spell completely?" Albus asked.

Andromeda looked down at her hands. "It will continue to affect her until the spell deems her punishment sufficient."

"So that means that even if you remove the spell from Potter, there's a chance that she won't recover?" Severus asked.

"I believe she will be in for a rough few days, but Mary will recover," Albus said honestly. "But she will never be as she once was. Already the magic has stripped her of her youth. The innocent young girl that you 'helped' by removing the Cuff is gone."

"You should have never put it on her!" Sirius took a step forward, pointing at him as fury rolled off of him in waves. "You should have told all of us what you'd done so we had more time to prepare."

"I saved her life!" Albus stood to his full height, leaning over the bed. "Despite the signs and my own reservations, I did what needed to be done. I was there when she was dying! I held her in my arms as the basilisk venom flowed through her veins! I was the one to pull it back and contain it within her right arm! Where were you?"

"In Azkaban!" Sirius shouted back. "Where you'd left me without so much as a word! You didn't visit! You didn't question my motivations! You left me there! I trusted you with everything! James, Lily, Mary, Marlene! I thought you had our backs! That you'd be there if we needed you. That's what you promised when we joined the Order. That you'd fight at our side. Where were you?"

"Sirius," Remus grabbed his friend's shoulder, pulling him back. "We're getting nowhere like this. What's done is done and we all know there is no going back. As it stands, Mary is what's important now. Headmaster, Albus, will you help her? Will you remove the spell?"

Albus took in a deep breath, considering his options. "I will, but you must all be warned. There is a darkness in Mary, something that I haven't witnessed since I met Tom as a young boy. The girl you love has every potential to become someone we should all fear."

And if the worst came to pass, he would put her down, like he should have with Tom all those years ago.


A/N:

Much love to CleverBrainer for listening to me talk about this for hours and the rest of you lovely people who have given help and advice.

I'm curious if ya'll are still reading and enjoying the story. Let me know your thoughts.

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