SIX

Harry was startled into full wakefulness by Mary Sue's voice whispering his name.

It was not yet dawn; his watch told him it was still only two in the morning. Mary Sue had risen, looking somewhat distracted.

"I changed my mind," she said in a whisper. "Let's go to Dumbledore."

Somewhat cheered, Harry followed her out of the portrait hole. ("WHAT do you think you're DOING?" the Fat Lady demanded, but they ignored her.)

They walked in silence down the dark corridors, in the direction Harry knew the office of the Headmaster lay. When they were halfway there, Harry became aware that they were holding hands. The realization cheered him further, and he had no wish to break the connection.

When they had nearly reached Dumbledore's office they were startled to find a discarded hat lying in the middle of the corridor. "Someone will miss that," Harry sad, and bent down, thinking that he would take it to Dumbledore and let the Headmaster replace it to its original owner. Mary Sue reached for it at the same moment, and as their hands touched the hat her large blue eyes gave him a startled glance. A moment later, he felt a tugging sensation in his stomach, and found himself and Mary Sue not in a Hogwarts corridor, but in a grassy field he didn't recognize. There was only one other person in the field as well – a tall, black-robed man who gave a quiet chuckle when they appeared.

"Right on time," he said, his voice soft. "And now I come face-to-face with the two people I have most desired to meet."

Harry felt like asking the man who he was and what he thought he was doing, but was distracted as Mary Sue rose from the grass beside him. She seemed taller than she had a few moments ago, and her face was that of a woman, not a child. For a moment he gaped at her, before turning back to the black-robed man who had not spoken again.

"Your plan was clever, Arlando Plume," said a cool, musical feminine voice from somewhere near Harry. He was startled to realize that it was Mary Sue.

"Yes," the man, Plume, agreed. "It was."

"Yet I think that you did not think of something," Mary Sue said, still more coolly.

Plume chuckled. "What?"

"The fact," she hissed, "The we are not defenseless children."

Harry sprang up beside her and drew his wand, noticing that hers was already clasped tightly in her porcelain-white fingers.

Plume laughed again, and raised his wand. "We shall see," he said.

Before he was halfway through his spell, there was a flash of light and Harry found himself by the lake at Hogwarts. Mary Sue, looking slightly shaken, was beside him. "I didn't know I could do that," she said, and wonder tinged her voice.

"What use is it?" Harry asked. "He'll come anyway."

"It bought us some time," said Mary Sue, jumping up suddenly. "We can raise the alarm. If no one else is going to fight, at least they won't be murdered in their beds." Without another word she began to run hard toward the entrance to Hogwarts.

Harry stared after her. Would he ever figure this girl out? After a moment's indecision, he, too, began running.

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Within twenty minutes, everyone in the castle had been aroused. Mary Sue had said only that they'd touched a Portkey and been transported to a meeting-place with Arlando Plume; that somehow she'd managed to bring them back to Hogwarts, and that Plume would probably try another attack soon. Dumbledore looked grave, but did not question them further.

"Headmaster," Harry had said suddenly a few minutes after they'd arrived, "Plume wouldn't actually come to Hogwarts, would he?"

Dumbledore shook his head, his keen blue gaze fixed on Harry. "We do not know until it happens, Harry," he said solemnly. "But Arlando Plume was long known to be one of the most rash, daring, impulsive, and talented of Voldemort's supporters. I do not know if any power other than that of the Alenai would be strong enough to destroy him. It is said that Lord Voldemort gave Plume power to destroy the enemies of the Dark Lord, even myself. Whether this is idle gossip or true happening, we do not know."

Harry and Mary Sue sat alone with Dumbledore in his office. A moment after Dumbledore had finished speaking, there was a rap on the door.

"Come in," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

Ron and Hermione tumbled into the office, both still in their pajamas and looking very confused. Their confusion was only heightened by the sight of Mary Sue and Harry, both completely dressed, looking as if they'd been up for hours (which they had).

"What happened?" Ron asked as soon as he'd caught his breath. Mary Sue explained as concisely as possible, leaving both Hermione and Ron staring at the pair of them in amazement.

"A Portkey?" Hermione asked. "Arlando Plume?"

Ron was more interested in the details of their return to Hogwarts. "You did that?" he asked Mary Sue keenly. "What was it, Apparation?"

Mary Sue shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I didn't know I could do it." She smiled.

Dumbledore stood abruptly. "I am afraid that we must go elsewhere," he said. "My office is not the most accessible of regions."

Hermione began to protest, but Dumbledore silence her with a raise of his hand. "Miss Granger, you may wait with Miss Smith and Mr. Potter. As may you, Mr. Weasley. Good luck to you all. I will not be far if you have need of me."

Wordlessly, they followed the Headmaster down the stairs in into the Great Hall, where the students had gathered. Dumbledore said gravely that matters were now out of his hands, but that he thought they should return to their Houses and 'get some sleep'. The main body of the students did as he instructed, leaving only a handful – mostly Gryffindors – with Harry and his friends. For nearly an hour they sat in silence, waiting for something. After a while, Harry grew tired of the terrified atmosphere.

"Anyone up for a walk?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

Hermione had fallen asleep, as had many, and did not answer. Mary Sue stood without a word, and Ron jumped eagerly after her. As they paced toward the door out of the Great Hall, Seamus Finnigan and Fred Weasley – George had fallen asleep as well – came running up behind them.

"We're coming too," said Fred quickly. "It's horrible in here."

Harry nodded wordlessly and led the way toward the Entrance Hall and then out of the school. "Do you think we should go out?" Dean asked, but no one answered.

The slightly frigid air was refreshing, and Harry brightened a bit. He sat down on the grass outside and stared out across the dark grounds. Seamus, Fred, and Ron sat quickly beside him.

"Where's Mary Sue?" Harry asked. Fred shrugged.

"Don't know. Took a wrong turn?"

Seamus shook his head and pointed to the lake. A figure was silhouetted in the dark, her golden hair silvery in the moonlight.

"I'll go see if she's okay," said Ron immediately, jumping up. Harry raised his eyebrows, but Ron was already dashing toward the lake.

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When he reached her, Mary Sue had sat down, her arms wrapped around her legs, staring out across the water. Her long blonde hair blew softly in the whispering breeze, and she didn't seem to notice Ron.

"Hi," he said awkwardly after a moment.

She turned, startled. "Oh! Hello," she said. Ron was startled; her voice was different than he had remembered. It was strong, and musical – it was not the voice of a child.

"Er . . ." he started, and couldn't seem to go on. "I thought you might be lonely."

"Thanks," she said softly. "Maybe I am." She patted a spot on the bank beside her. Obediently, Ron sat, and began trailing a weed in the water.

"I'm going to be sad to leave," said Mary Sue wistfully after a moment's silence. Ron, startled that she was able to think such a thing in such a time, gaped at the water.

"It's really nice here," she continued when he didn't respond. "Not at all like America. And I have friends here."

Ron turned to her in surprise. "You mean, you didn't have friends in America?"

Mary Sue smiled and shook her head slightly. "Not really," she said. "Not like . . . not like here."

"Oh," said Ron, lost for words. How could she not have had friends?

"Back at Benel's Academy, everyone knew . . . knew about the Alenai." Mary Sue gave a small, pained smile. "They were all kind of afraid, I think. None of them were very open."

"Oh," Ron repeated. What could he say?

Mary Sue looked down at the grass, a little forlornly. On instinct, Ron scooted a little closer to her.

She looked back at him and smiled. "But you . . . and Hermione, and Harry . . . all of you don't seem to care."

"Well," said Ron fairly, "We didn't know that there was such a thing as the Alenai until a few weeks ago."

Mary Sue nodded, now looking a little wistful. "But you didn't change," she said. "That matters a lot." She shivered slightly in the breeze.

"Are you cold?" Ron asked.

"A little," Mary Sue admitted. Ron put his arm around her, and she looked up at him, her large blue eyes grateful. "Thanks for not changing," she said softly.

"Er," said Ron awkwardly, "You're welcome. I think."

Mary Sue gave a small, quiet laugh. "I'm really going to miss it here," she said again.

"We're all going to miss you," said Ron emphatically. "I'm going to miss you," he added after a moment.

Mary Sue smiled, and suddenly she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll write."

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