The Snowman spell didn't last too long, but Draco did end up serving his detention with a bad cold that night. Funny enough, it turned out he was nothing more then a big cry baby about it. Guess he'd never gotten a "muggle" sickness before. From the sounds of his constant sneezing and whining you'd think he was dying or something. Actually, Lucy took that back. She had hunted prey which hadn't complained as much on the full moon, then what this idiotic boy was doing.

Lucy had gotten detention for her "harmless" prank but she didn't care.

The trick had shut Malfoy up and made it so she could personally continue to keep an eye on her brother. Anybody who sent four first years into the Forbidden Forest alone with Hagrid at night. Personally, needed their head examined! But then again, the Wizarding World didn't believe in Shrinks, otherwise they would be having one and other mental experts routinely working with poor Neville's Parents, thought Lucy as she brought up the rear as the "creepy" Castle caretaker Mr. Filch lead their small group by lantern out to Hagrid's hut.

He was busy rattling on about the castle's early detention "history". Whether it was a scare tactic or not, what was coming out of his mouth was pretty revolting. Finally, they met up with the half giant at the edge of the forest, carrying a crossbow. The two men discussed Norberta for a moment then Filch left while the groundskeeper gave instructions for them to follow him. A ways in behind several rows of thin trees their group stopped as Hagrid bent down to the ground, dipping his fingers in a puddle of silvery sticky substance.

"What is that?" Lucy heard her brother ask.

"It's what we're here for," the "adult" replied, making his sticky fingers visible. "See that, it's Unicorn Blood. I found one dead a few weeks ago"

Harry and his friends looked at each other horrified. Way to ease them into this, thought Lucy.

"So, it's our job to go out and find what's been attacking them" Hagrid finished, the older girl found herself resisting to rolling her eyes. This was a job for the ADULTS. Not Children, unless this whole big thing was just another scare tactic. "Ron and Hermione, you'll come with me-"

And he's splitting them up!

"Harry- you will go with Malfoy. Lucy-"

"I'm going with Harry. Honestly Hagrid, these boys are trouble magnets."

"Hey!"

"He-Acchhooo! You're really going to leave her with me?! After what she did!"

"Just keep your mouth shut Malfoy and we won't have a direct problem" said Lucy, ignoring the younger boy's glare but "wisely" choosing not to say anything except.

"Okay, then I get Fang!" referring to the groundskeeper's dog who'd followed them.

"Fine," Hagrid agreed, "Just so you know, he's a bloody coward"

That wiped the smirk off of Draco.

"Oh alright," the sixth year huffed, this was getting ridiculous but they needed some kind of protection. Especially if they were going off alone.

Lucy got down on all fours and shifted into a lion, coming to stand and walk right between the two boys. Harry put his cold hands on her fur, while Malfoy more or less tried to ignore her. That is until they were a good distance away,

"Wait 'till my father hears about this. This is servant stuff!" he said, holding the lantern.

Close but not quite, the lion grumbled in her head.

"If I didn't know better Draco, I'd say "you were scared" Harry commented.

"Scared Potter?" he scoffed as they all turned around, hearing a noise before resuming their walk. "Come on Fang,"

But the more they walked, the deeper into the forest they got. Until Fang and Lucy's animal senses picked up something…

It was a black hooded figure leaning over the fallen body of a Unicorn! Instantly Harry's scar seemed to start burning as whoever it was looked up at them. Malfoy screamed and ran away with Fang. Surprise, surprise… thought the feline sarcastically as she stood her ground in front of her brother, ready to pounce as the figure came towards them.

Suddenly there were hoofbeats as a Centaur appeared out of nowhere and started kicking and fighting off their opponent. The figure eventually fled, leaving brother and sister alone with their strange Rescuer.

"Harry Potter," he spoke while silently acknowledging Lucy and deeming her trustworthy. "You and your companion must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you"

Finally! Someone who's making sense! The lion purred, but Harry didn't take the hint.

"What was that thing you saved me from?"

"A monstrous creature" the centaur answered, "It is a terrible crime to slay a Unicorn. Drinking the blood of a Unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price- To slay something so pure… From the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life, a cursed life"

"But who would choose such a life?" Really Harry?!

"Can you think of no one?"

Her brother's eyes widened behind his glasses as he started to catch on. "Do you mean to say? That thing that killed the Unicorn, that was drinking its blood? That was Voldemort?!"

The lion just nodded her head up and down for emphasis. In turn, the centaur lowered his own head and asked him a question: "Do you know what is hidden at the school at this very moment?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," Harry whispered, finally putting the two together as company arrived in the forms of Hagrid and the others.

"Harry! Lucy!" exclaimed Hermione while Hagrid greeted the centaur.

"Hello there Firenze, I see you've met our young Mr. Potter and his sister" gesturing with his free hand to the giant kitty. "You alright there?"

They both nodded as "Firenze" faced the boy one last time, "Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now, Good luck"

Can we just get out of here? thought Lucy, as Hagrid finally agreed they should leave.

Upon returning to the Gryffindor Common room, the golden trio wanted to stay up for a bit and talk but Lucy was tired. She soo wanted to go to bed, but she also knew better then to leave those three alone without a safety guard. She knew the prefect one:

"I want all of you to swear on your wands that all you are going to do is TALK tonight"

Ron gulped, "But I-! My family can't afford another wand, they're still saving up for Ginny's."

"Then don't break your word," the seventeen-year-old smirked, knowing she had them, while Harry and Hermione looked confused until Ron explained.

"Swearing on your wand means that if you don't keep what you promised, your wand will destroy itself and you will have to go through the hassle of finding and buying a new one that fits you"

"Oh!" the other two frowned at the thought.

"Lucy," said Harry, "I promise I-! We won't do anything tonight" But his sister shook her head,

"Not good enough, if earlier in the forest didn't teach you anything. I want you to swear-"

"I swear!"

"On your wand?"

"On my wand, I swear on my wand that we will only talk tonight. Are you happy?"

"I am now," she said as she felt the magical bind take hold.

"What was that?" asked her brother, feeling it too

"Never you mind," she smirked again as she now made her way up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. "Good night,"

"Bloody hell mate, she got you" said Ron putting an empathetic hand on Harry shoulder. "You now can't go against what you said without serious consequence. You are magically bound…"

...

It was really no surprise at all when the next night Lucy caught the trio trying to leave the common room after hours. No guess, as to where they were going. They hadn't noticed her presence as she came in from behind. Unfortunately, Neville was waiting for them.

"You're sneaking out again," the normally nervous boy stated, getting up from his chair.

"Neville… listen-" Harry started.

"No, you'll get Gryffindor into trouble again" Neville protested, "I-! I'll fight you" he said putting his closed fists up and out in front of him.

"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this" Hermione apologized, taking her wand out. "Pertrificus Totalus" The poor boy went stiff as a board and fell over backwards onto the carpet.

"You're really scary sometimes," said Ron, "brilliant but scary"

Not wanting to take a chance, Lucy transformed and actually pounced on the young witch scaring her and the young boys. "L-Lucy?"

But the lion just ignored them and focus on her front paw putting pressure on the girl's chest, pinning her while taking the wand in her teeth and tossing it away which the boys caught.

"Lucy! What are you doing?!"

The feline just stared down at Hermione, not breaking eye contact before magic changed the girl from human into a lion cub. Lucy then bent her head down and picked up the cub by the scruff of the neck and began carrying her away with Ron and Harry running after to keep up. Lucy led them up through the revolving staircases until they reached the third floor where the lion suddenly just put Hermione down and changed her back before walking off on another staircase.

"Lucy! Wait!" But she just kept going: "They have a choice to make and have to face the consequences sometime…"

"Maybe that wasn't the best thing to do? But how else are they going to finally learn?" thought Lucy when two of the three of them ended up in the hospital Wing!

Ron, with a head injury that was lucky it wasn't worse than Madame Pomfrey could handle. Her brother ended up in the other hospital bed, with minor injuries, yet unconscious. Apparently, it had been Professor Quirrell who was after the stone, he was being "Possessed" or sharing a body. More accurately the back of his head with Voldemort, this entire school year. Hence the purple turban he'd always wore. The man was dead now, and the so called "Dark Lord's" spirit had fled.

"Harry was very brave down there," commented Dumbledore as he walked in behind her.

"You call it "Brave," "I add "Foolish" to it. Don't think I don't know that it was you who set them up for this"

"Lucy! My dear girl! Whatever are you saying?!"

The seventeen-year-old turned to face him, "I think you know exactly what I am saying, though you won't admit it."

The old man raised an eyebrow, "You are also not innocent in all this either"

"Harsh realities are what I eat, sleep and breathe. I have gone to the extremes to protect him in the past, you know this. But there comes a time when all children must grow up. Learning and taking the consequences if they are to survive. No matter what world you are in.

My brother has to realize I'm not going to bail him or his friends out every time he gets in trouble of his own making. He had a choice, when I brought them to the third floor. They all did. Knowing what was behind that door, they could have easily followed my example of turning around and going back. Instead, they pressed on, thinking that bloody gem was endanger when you knew all along that it was safe from greedy hands" she said her eyes narrowing as the frost slowly crept out, giving the Headmaster a slight shiver.

"Your elemental powers are coming in" Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Just…STOP baiting my brother. This year should have taught you that he has no problem finding trouble on his own. Double dose of mischief he has, and half of it comes from the Potter line."

"Just half? Where's yours?"

"It was pummeled into submission long ago and now it's on a tether to be released when necessary" she answered. "Do we have an understanding?"

For what seemed like the one hundredth time this year Albus Dumbledore sighed and nodded. "Could I please talk with Harry when he wakes up?"

"As long as you promise not to fill his head with more dangerous places to go. If you say "never" go somewhere to a child, then that's the first place he'll want to check out. A little common sense" she said, excusing herself to go to the girl's lavatory.

Lucy returned to find her brother awake, sitting up and talking with Dumbledore.

"…Ah. You see, only a person who wanted to find the Stone, but not use it, would be able get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me, that is saying something."

"Does that mean with the Stone gone, I mean, that Voldemort can never come back?"

If only it were that easy, little brother. And the Headmaster actually agreed with her for once.

"I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Do you know why Professor Quirrell couldn't bear to have you touch him?" Harry shook his head, "It was because of your mother." Okay, this is getting interesting. What do you know Albus?

"She sacrificed herself for you-"

True,

"And that kind of act leaves a mark" Her brother reached up toward his scar. "Oh no, this mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin"

"What is it?" Harry asked, so gullible.

"Love, Harry… Love"

"Not only that," said Lucy, figuring now would be a good time to step in.

"Lucy?" "In the flesh, little brother. Adding to the Headmaster's comment concerning our mother. Lily wasn't exactly fully human-"

"I know, the rumor of her being part "elemental" fairy. I'm not entirely convinced"

"It's true Harry," said his sister, coming to stand on the other side of the bed. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. The awed gasps telling her it was working. When Lucinda Prince opened them, her irises were a different color then the previous dark, dark brown. They were bright red again for the first time in seventeen years along with the unnatural shade of blue, though this time it was more of a darker tone with a swirling diamond patterns along down bare her arms from the rolled-up sleeves and neck.

"Lucy?!"

"You have it too Harry," she said, grabbing his resting hand. Her brother and Dumbledore watched in awe as the change started happening in his fingers and quickly spread to half of his face, covering one eye turning red before she let go.

"We- We are the same, yet different."

"Because we're brother and sister from the same mother" said Lucy, deliberately dropping hints as she heard them discuss Snape earlier, and him not being the culprit. Like she had said so many times before.

"Amazing…" remarked the Headmaster, having never seen anything quite like this before in his many years.

"Don't touch sir! At least not with your bare hands." Madame Pomfrey warned the old man as she came in, seeing as he was about to reach out. "You'll get Frostbite, I know personally from delivering Lucy all those years ago. Better wait for them to turn back. It's very nice to see you again Lucy, though maybe you can convince your brother to not visit me so often? Like he has this year."

The teen sighed, "I've been trying, but the boy is slow to learning. Some muggles do say that girls mature faster then their counterparts, I'm starting to believe they're right"

"And I do believe that's my que to leave, I'm glad you're feeling better Harry. Good day, Lucy. Madame Pomfrey" said Albus, politely getting up and leaving the room.

"Lucy…" complained her brother, "Why did you say that, he was just-"

"I know what he was doing Harry. You forget that I have a different history with him. Dumbledore aside, I won't apologize for what I said, because there is truth in it"

"You know how I feel about being called "Boy!"

"And you know how I feel about you constantly charging head first into danger! Part of growing up Harry is taking Responsibly and I'm not going to cover for you anymore. If Ron or Hermione gets hurt or even killed? That's on them and you"

"That's a little harsh, but your sister is right, young man" agreed Madame Pomfrey.

Tears filled his (now back to normal green eyes and pale skin. Lucy as well) "I-! I'm sorry!"

His sister wordlessly pulled him into her arms and hugged him. "I'm just glad you're safe..." Little did they know that "safe" was the last thing the siblings were going to be next month….

Duh Duh Dah! Hope you enjoyed and will review... Many thanks to the new faves and followers.