Mariah woke up slowly, keeping her eyes closed. These didn't feel like her
sheets. or her bed. She clasped the bedspread in one hand. Nope, this
DEFINITELY wasn't her bed. She kept her breathing steady and thought
quickly. Where could she be? She had gone up to bed early and then.
nothing. Between there and here. wherever HERE was. was a blank. She heard
a noise and sat up, opening her eyes quickly. Before her stood a woman she
had never seen before.
"Good evening, Mariah," said the woman. She was beautiful: dark black hair practically sweeping the floor, and green eyes that seemed to draw Mariah in. She had on a dark green dress that accentuated both her generous figure and her paler than death skin.
"Good evening," Mariah automatically responded. "Who are you? Where am I?"
The woman raised her finger to her lips. "Shh. We don't want. him.to find you!" Her eyes were wide and panic-stricken. "My name is Leona. I'm here to help you."
"You... you are?" Mariah asked, confused.
"Yes! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has taken you for some reason, I don' know why! But I've managed to get you away so I can take you back home!"
"You will?"
"Yes. But I need your help."
"I'll do it," Mariah answered hastily.
Leona smiled, lips closed. "Good. Come here, my girl." She helped Mariah off of the bed and took her over to a book lying on a table.
"You-Know-Who LOATHES this book. He ordered me to destroy it, because it could kill him. But I would not, because I want him dead. But... only YOU can open it!"
"Me?"
"The Amulet is the key, my dear," Leona said, gesturing to the Amulet, which was glowing steadily. "All you have to do is open the lock."
Mariah moved toward it. "This lock?" she said, pointing at the silver lock.
"Yes, that one. Just pull, and it will open."
Mariah moved toward it, and Leona's smile widened. Fortunately, Mariah looked up and saw the small pointed fangs that Leona had for teeth. Then she remembered WHERE she had heard that name before. this was Voldemort's very concubine, trying to convince her to open this book! Mariah let her hands touch the book and snatched it up.
"I'll NEVER open this!" she declared. Leona's face changed in an instant of swift fury.
"You little bitch! Give me that book!"
But Leona couldn't touch it. As soon as Mariah touched it, the light from her Amulet exploded outward and covered the book in a pulsing red light. Leona grabbed her wand from her belt and screeched, "Accio book!"
The Book flew from Mariah's grip. Triumphantly Leona went to catch it. and dropped it as the red light pulsed up her fingertips and sped up her arms. She screamed in agony as the hissing light hit the right side of her face with excruciating force before leaping back to the Amulet. Leona brought her hands to her face as the skin on her right cheek began to blister and burn.
Mariah scrambled for the Book and retrieved it, grabbing her wand from the flailing Leona at the same time. She remembered her teacher's cryptic words," You'll become an Animagus when the time is right." She took her wand and pointed it at herself, muttering furiously as she prayed with all her might that it would work. She felt herself shifting and would have cried with relief. if cats had tear ducts. For she was a humongous black leopard, and what marveled her the most was the fact that the Amulet still glowed about her neck. She picked up the Book gingerly in her mouth, along with her wand, and leapt for the door. She fought her way out of Voldemort's lair, mauling Death Eaters, or simply shoving the Book in their faces. Twenty-five Death Eaters became permanently disfigured that night.
~*~
"Harry, listen to me for a moment."
The pacing Harry froze in his tracks. He had explicit trust in his Headmaster.
"I gave your father this talk many years ago, about your mother. Death Eaters captured her once, as well. And she was tortured, I'll not lie to you about that."
Harry's face became contorted with pain. Nonetheless, he allowed Dumbledore to continue.
"I made your father wait, knowing that your mother was more than capable enough to get herself out. I promised him that if Lily was not back in 2 weeks, I would allow him to go get her. But, I also warned him: anything he did might harm more than help."
The light was dawning in Harry's eyes.
"Sure enough, Lily came back, and soon after became an Auror. Do you understand what I am saying, Harry?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, Professor."
"TRUST in Mariah to take care of herself. It takes a strong girl to love a Potter, Harry."
At Harry's startled jerk and his almost horrified look, Dumbledore smiled. "I have had the privilege of overseeing three Potter men at this school, Harry. All three of them fell in love with brave, strong women. and such they had to be. Your grandmother Cassandra was one of the strongest women I've ever met, and had to be when Death Eaters killed her husband. Your mother was just as strong. and was hunted by Voldemort along with your father. And Mariah. she and you have been already plagued by dreams and kidnapping... and have yet to leave these halls as students. Simply trust her. That is all I ask. Have faith that she can take care of herself. As harsh as it may seem, that is the mistake your father and grandfather made. They did not. And, in rushing to save them, they died. I do not want to see the same thing happen to you."
Dumbledore looked positively sad. Harry nodded. "I trust you, Professor," he said simply. "Good night."
"Good night, Harry."
Harry swept on his cloak and left quickly. Dumbledore sighed. There was no doubt in his mind as to who Mariah really was. Yet he wasn't ready to show his hand, so to speak. He knew his knowledge would be deeply vital in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.
~*~
Harry got back to the Common Room and almost screamed when he saw a huge leopard lying on the couch. Thinking quickly, he froze. Yet the leopard's head rose, and when it did so he saw the glitter of the Amulet around its neck.
"MARIAH?" he gasped as he cast off the cloak. The leopard changed back into Mariah, who threw herself at him.
"Harry!"
They hugged tightly for a long while, and Harry felt the waves of relief crashing over him. She was safe.
"Thank God," he murmured. Then his eye caught a glimpse of red in the corner. "What's that?" he asked, reaching for it.
"DON'T TOUCH IT!!!"
Harry jerked his hand back. "The Book," he breathed.
"How did you kn-?"
"Remus told me about my mum and that book."
"Ah." Mariah looked to Harry. "Let's take it to Dumbledore."
"Agreed."
Mariah picked it up, and the red light danced over her fingers, identifying her. Then it dimmed slightly.
"It's almost like an animal," Harry observed as Mariah hid the book in her robes.
Mariah froze. "An animal." She took the Book back out a bit and ran her hand down its spine. Harry was reminded of the Monster books they had had in their third year.
Sure enough, the Book shivered and seemed to lean against her touch. Mariah looked at it for another moment, and then nodded. "Let's take it upstairs."
~*~
Leona stumbled into her lover's chambers, hood pulled over her face.
"T-"
"I know, Leona," hissed Voldemort silently. "Death Eaters have already been dispatched to retrieve the Book... and the girl. again. Let me see your face."
Leona shrank away from his reaching hand. He snatched her arm and roughly pulled her close, tearing away her cloak to reveal her completely disfigured face. Leona looked away from him.
"Do not look away from me... I prefer you this way. No one will want you... all the better for me," Voldemort hissed as his hand trailed down her ruined flesh.
~*~
When Dumbledore heard the knock, he smiled and rose. He had purposely not gone to bed for this very reason. He knew who was on the other side of that door. He made his way over and opened it.
"Good eve-. morning, Harry and Mariah. Ah, Mariah, you have the Book! Excellent. And it's... yes; it's bound to you. Even better. Follow me."
Dumbledore had allowed no time for their comments as he made his way to the back wall of a corner of his office. He took out his wand and performed five different counterspells before the wall opened into an alcove. There was a stand there.
"Place the Book on the stand, Mariah. Now that you have touched it, no one else can but you and Harry. That is very important. Now... Harry, if you'll go wait in the stairway, I have a few things to say to Mariah."
Harry nodded, gave Mariah's hand a squeeze, and left.
"What's the matter, Professor?"
Dumbledore sat Mariah across from him. "Mariah, do you know anything about your mother's side of the family?"
Mariah frowned at the blunt and unexpected question. "No, not really. All I know is that my mother's mother died when she was very young, and her father sent her to Beauxbaton's to keep her safe. Mother wouldn't tell me who he was. Why?"
Dumbledore reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a picture. He slid it across the table.
Mariah took it and bit her lip in shock. In the picture, a girl of about one that she recognized as herself was clinging to the legs of a much younger Dumbledore. Dumbledore then took two more pictures and laid them side-by-side. One was of a Dumbledore in his early twenties. The other was a recent picture of her. Looking from one to the other, there was no doubt as to who Dumbledore was to her.
"Gr-Grandfather.?"
"Good evening, Mariah," said the woman. She was beautiful: dark black hair practically sweeping the floor, and green eyes that seemed to draw Mariah in. She had on a dark green dress that accentuated both her generous figure and her paler than death skin.
"Good evening," Mariah automatically responded. "Who are you? Where am I?"
The woman raised her finger to her lips. "Shh. We don't want. him.to find you!" Her eyes were wide and panic-stricken. "My name is Leona. I'm here to help you."
"You... you are?" Mariah asked, confused.
"Yes! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has taken you for some reason, I don' know why! But I've managed to get you away so I can take you back home!"
"You will?"
"Yes. But I need your help."
"I'll do it," Mariah answered hastily.
Leona smiled, lips closed. "Good. Come here, my girl." She helped Mariah off of the bed and took her over to a book lying on a table.
"You-Know-Who LOATHES this book. He ordered me to destroy it, because it could kill him. But I would not, because I want him dead. But... only YOU can open it!"
"Me?"
"The Amulet is the key, my dear," Leona said, gesturing to the Amulet, which was glowing steadily. "All you have to do is open the lock."
Mariah moved toward it. "This lock?" she said, pointing at the silver lock.
"Yes, that one. Just pull, and it will open."
Mariah moved toward it, and Leona's smile widened. Fortunately, Mariah looked up and saw the small pointed fangs that Leona had for teeth. Then she remembered WHERE she had heard that name before. this was Voldemort's very concubine, trying to convince her to open this book! Mariah let her hands touch the book and snatched it up.
"I'll NEVER open this!" she declared. Leona's face changed in an instant of swift fury.
"You little bitch! Give me that book!"
But Leona couldn't touch it. As soon as Mariah touched it, the light from her Amulet exploded outward and covered the book in a pulsing red light. Leona grabbed her wand from her belt and screeched, "Accio book!"
The Book flew from Mariah's grip. Triumphantly Leona went to catch it. and dropped it as the red light pulsed up her fingertips and sped up her arms. She screamed in agony as the hissing light hit the right side of her face with excruciating force before leaping back to the Amulet. Leona brought her hands to her face as the skin on her right cheek began to blister and burn.
Mariah scrambled for the Book and retrieved it, grabbing her wand from the flailing Leona at the same time. She remembered her teacher's cryptic words," You'll become an Animagus when the time is right." She took her wand and pointed it at herself, muttering furiously as she prayed with all her might that it would work. She felt herself shifting and would have cried with relief. if cats had tear ducts. For she was a humongous black leopard, and what marveled her the most was the fact that the Amulet still glowed about her neck. She picked up the Book gingerly in her mouth, along with her wand, and leapt for the door. She fought her way out of Voldemort's lair, mauling Death Eaters, or simply shoving the Book in their faces. Twenty-five Death Eaters became permanently disfigured that night.
~*~
"Harry, listen to me for a moment."
The pacing Harry froze in his tracks. He had explicit trust in his Headmaster.
"I gave your father this talk many years ago, about your mother. Death Eaters captured her once, as well. And she was tortured, I'll not lie to you about that."
Harry's face became contorted with pain. Nonetheless, he allowed Dumbledore to continue.
"I made your father wait, knowing that your mother was more than capable enough to get herself out. I promised him that if Lily was not back in 2 weeks, I would allow him to go get her. But, I also warned him: anything he did might harm more than help."
The light was dawning in Harry's eyes.
"Sure enough, Lily came back, and soon after became an Auror. Do you understand what I am saying, Harry?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, Professor."
"TRUST in Mariah to take care of herself. It takes a strong girl to love a Potter, Harry."
At Harry's startled jerk and his almost horrified look, Dumbledore smiled. "I have had the privilege of overseeing three Potter men at this school, Harry. All three of them fell in love with brave, strong women. and such they had to be. Your grandmother Cassandra was one of the strongest women I've ever met, and had to be when Death Eaters killed her husband. Your mother was just as strong. and was hunted by Voldemort along with your father. And Mariah. she and you have been already plagued by dreams and kidnapping... and have yet to leave these halls as students. Simply trust her. That is all I ask. Have faith that she can take care of herself. As harsh as it may seem, that is the mistake your father and grandfather made. They did not. And, in rushing to save them, they died. I do not want to see the same thing happen to you."
Dumbledore looked positively sad. Harry nodded. "I trust you, Professor," he said simply. "Good night."
"Good night, Harry."
Harry swept on his cloak and left quickly. Dumbledore sighed. There was no doubt in his mind as to who Mariah really was. Yet he wasn't ready to show his hand, so to speak. He knew his knowledge would be deeply vital in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.
~*~
Harry got back to the Common Room and almost screamed when he saw a huge leopard lying on the couch. Thinking quickly, he froze. Yet the leopard's head rose, and when it did so he saw the glitter of the Amulet around its neck.
"MARIAH?" he gasped as he cast off the cloak. The leopard changed back into Mariah, who threw herself at him.
"Harry!"
They hugged tightly for a long while, and Harry felt the waves of relief crashing over him. She was safe.
"Thank God," he murmured. Then his eye caught a glimpse of red in the corner. "What's that?" he asked, reaching for it.
"DON'T TOUCH IT!!!"
Harry jerked his hand back. "The Book," he breathed.
"How did you kn-?"
"Remus told me about my mum and that book."
"Ah." Mariah looked to Harry. "Let's take it to Dumbledore."
"Agreed."
Mariah picked it up, and the red light danced over her fingers, identifying her. Then it dimmed slightly.
"It's almost like an animal," Harry observed as Mariah hid the book in her robes.
Mariah froze. "An animal." She took the Book back out a bit and ran her hand down its spine. Harry was reminded of the Monster books they had had in their third year.
Sure enough, the Book shivered and seemed to lean against her touch. Mariah looked at it for another moment, and then nodded. "Let's take it upstairs."
~*~
Leona stumbled into her lover's chambers, hood pulled over her face.
"T-"
"I know, Leona," hissed Voldemort silently. "Death Eaters have already been dispatched to retrieve the Book... and the girl. again. Let me see your face."
Leona shrank away from his reaching hand. He snatched her arm and roughly pulled her close, tearing away her cloak to reveal her completely disfigured face. Leona looked away from him.
"Do not look away from me... I prefer you this way. No one will want you... all the better for me," Voldemort hissed as his hand trailed down her ruined flesh.
~*~
When Dumbledore heard the knock, he smiled and rose. He had purposely not gone to bed for this very reason. He knew who was on the other side of that door. He made his way over and opened it.
"Good eve-. morning, Harry and Mariah. Ah, Mariah, you have the Book! Excellent. And it's... yes; it's bound to you. Even better. Follow me."
Dumbledore had allowed no time for their comments as he made his way to the back wall of a corner of his office. He took out his wand and performed five different counterspells before the wall opened into an alcove. There was a stand there.
"Place the Book on the stand, Mariah. Now that you have touched it, no one else can but you and Harry. That is very important. Now... Harry, if you'll go wait in the stairway, I have a few things to say to Mariah."
Harry nodded, gave Mariah's hand a squeeze, and left.
"What's the matter, Professor?"
Dumbledore sat Mariah across from him. "Mariah, do you know anything about your mother's side of the family?"
Mariah frowned at the blunt and unexpected question. "No, not really. All I know is that my mother's mother died when she was very young, and her father sent her to Beauxbaton's to keep her safe. Mother wouldn't tell me who he was. Why?"
Dumbledore reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a picture. He slid it across the table.
Mariah took it and bit her lip in shock. In the picture, a girl of about one that she recognized as herself was clinging to the legs of a much younger Dumbledore. Dumbledore then took two more pictures and laid them side-by-side. One was of a Dumbledore in his early twenties. The other was a recent picture of her. Looking from one to the other, there was no doubt as to who Dumbledore was to her.
"Gr-Grandfather.?"