A/N: Firstly, let me just warn you... this is an extremely long chapter, (24 pages in Microsoft word,) seeing as I really didn't want to separate the memories Mandy shows them for the sake that they all really do belong together in one way or another. Secondly, I profusely apologize for my lack of time, and thus, inability to comment on your comments. Although, I really do appreciate all you of you reading my story, (RavissemenT, Riina, Monkeys rok my sox, EW4eva, and Radical Princess,) honestly, thank you! Thirdly, for all those loyal readers of this story, as you can tell I've updated with a lot today – why? Mainly because I had all this written already, it just needed a HUGE amount of editing, and with pulling two all nighters in a row, I am done editing it! Huzzah! Lol So, saying what comes next will come as a completely shock to your system – there will be no updates for at least a week... seeing as tomorrow I'm going away to Virginia for a week and then, when I get back, a day after that, I have school again =0( so, honestly, I don't know how much I am going to update... alright, besides that.. gasps for air Throughout some of the memories, I use song lyrics from the bands including: Ok Go (Don't Ask Me), Trapt (Headstrong), Uptown Girls Soundtrack (Charmed Life), Nickelback (Flat on the Floor), Linkin Park (Lying from You), and Evanescence (Whisper). Finally, ENJOY! Lol.
The screen clicked to the first scene, which Harry recognized instantly to be a duel between Mandy and another person, a male who Harry did not know. Mandy appeared to be calm, pacing slowly in a circle, alongside the other person with whom she was dueling with, wand by her side, prepared for duel.
"So how are you, Mandy? I haven't seen you in awhile..." the male said smiling.
"Cut the small talk, Elliot, we both know you are here for a reason," Mandy demanded, her fingers twirling the wand in her hand.
Elliot's grin slipped off his face, which had lost some of its color at Mandy's demand, and demanded a question back. "Why did you leave me?"
Quit acting so friendly.
Don't nod don't laugh all nicely.
Don't think you'll up-end me.
Don't sigh, don't sip your iced-tea.
And don't say, "It's been a while..."
And don't flash that stupid smile.
Don't ask me
Don't ask me
Don't ask me how I've been.
"You know perfectly well why, Elliot..." she began lazily, "You follow Voldemort, and I exist to break him down," she replied icily.
He screamed, "You should've joined our side... your talent would've prospered, I would've loved you so much more."
She spit on the ground in anguish. She looked up towards him with eyes full of hatred. "I would never join his side, not even if it was in a struggle for my life; I'd rather die. I absolutely refuse to join forces from some pig-headed pompous ignorant maniac jerk!"
"Hmmm," Elliot said, pretending to think about what Mandy had just said seriously, "Yes, you're bull-headedness has always been a problem... Let's see what we can do about that then..." he paused momentarily. "Did I mention that nobody insults my master and gets away with it? Well, you like the rest, shall find that out!"
He ran up to her to attack her, perfectly aware he had a wand in his hand, but found that a physical beating would do more justice. He got up to her and attempted to grab her foot so he could drag her across the floor to begin the beating which he had promised her, although she apparently had other plans for him.
"Whatcha gonna do now, witch? Gonna use your useless magic?" He laughed.
"No, you aren't worth my magic, Elliot. You really wanna know what I'm going to do though?" she inquired innocently.
He grinned, thinking there was nothing she could do without her magic, and was thrown off as she grinned in return.
"This is what I'm going to do," she said, the smirk on her face obvious.
Don't think I've forgotten
you never liked that necklace.
So cordial, so rotten...
Kiss, kiss, let's meet for breakfast.
Don't show up so on-time
and don't act like you're so kind
Don't ask me
Don't ask me
Don't ask me how I've been.
Mandy, thinking quick, let him grab her foot, but dug her heel into his palms, pushed herself up a bit, then twisted the leg that was being held onto around to kick him in the face with her free foot, thus releasing her other leg. At the same time, Mandy was pulling her arms in across her chest to make it easier to perform this feat. Finally she landed with a thud, her feet had at last hit the ground, and she remained perfectly erect.
He landed on the ground on his back, a loud thud sounding in the area. "You witch!" He cried out of anguish and pain, pushing himself up from the ground.
She slyly retorted, "You don't have to state the obvious, Elliot."
"You're just a girl, you have no real power..." he laughed, "what are you going to do?".
"You know perfectly well what I'm capable of doing," she side-commented, "but just in case you don't remember..."
She walked up to him angrily, grabbed him by the arm, and flipped him over onto his back again. "Oops, did IIII, a girl, with no power... do that?" she mocked. "You frankly disgust me, Elliot... it's no wonder why you went to Voldemort," she paused, "because no one else wanted you." She sneered.
Don't sit there and play just
so frank, so straight, so candid,
so thoughtful, so gracious,
so sound, so even-handed.
Don't be so damn benign
and don't waste my freaking time.
Don't ask me how I've been.
She then knocked him against an adjacent wall so hard, so hard that he went unconscious.
"Curiosity killed the cat," she said, bemused, "or in this case - knocked out the prat."
Don't ask me how I've been.
The screen then faded, leaving a brief moment for them all to talk before it continued onto the next scene.
"Well she's a little bit violent," Ron stated sarcastically.
Dumbledore replied simply, bearing his usual smile, "Well, it's her job, it was self-defense, and it angered her that he was just using her to bring her into the dark side... they just wanted her because of the powers she possessed, she was completely disregarded as trash by him otherwise - he abused her."
Harry began to ask a question. "Wait, what job? What powers? Why is she so important?"
"Shhh...." Dumbledore whispered, "All your questions will be answered in time, Harry, just continue to keep watching the screen."
Almost as if on cue, the screen the quickly flickered to the next memory it would be displaying.
A door opened into a room, and Mandy walked in, commenting quickly upon the situation. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," she tutted sarcastically, "I'm so upset that I was not invited to this party," she paused, "although apparently my friends were..." gesturing at her two best friends, taking their mouth gags off in the process. "And I thought I was the guest of honor..." she paused, but quickly continued from where she left off, "but apparently I am not as important anymore," she raised an eyebrow, while wearing a mischievous grin - just tempting them to challenge her.
"Why we would never think of excluding you, Mandy," Lucius Malfoy replied smoothly, a smirk prominent on his face.
"I didn't think so," she proclaimed simply, "and thus here I am..." still smiling, she continued, "don't you have anything to say to me?"
Circling your head, contemplating everything you ever said
Now I see the truth, I got doubt
A different motive in your eyes and now I'm out
See you later
I see your fantasy; you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, Inside of our heads (yeah)
Well now that's over
I see your motives inside, decisions to hide
"Avada Ked-"
"Silencio!" Mandy raised her wand to silence him, a smile playing at her lips, "Now, now, I will not have any of that!"
The Death Eaters no longer restrained themselves as they had just seen one of their own attacked; now all other 11 Death Eaters had come in to fight, rushing towards her immediately.
"Oh, I'm so glad you all wish to talk with me, I've been meaning to have a word with you," Mandy replied sarcastically, still smiling.
There they were - attacking her, physically, magically, anything they could do to break her down... but she was too quick for them, too prepared and stepped up to the challenge.
Back off I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong we're Headstrong
Back off I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong
I can't give everything away
I won't give everything away
Two Death Eaters each grabbed one of her arms in a quick attempt to stop her and another replied, "Finished already?"
She smiled in return and simply said in a challenging way, "I have only just begun."
Conclusions manifest, your first impressions got to be your very best
I see you're full of it, and that's alright
That's how you play; I guess you'll get through every night
Well now that's over
I see your fantasy; you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads (yeah)
Well now that's over
I see your motives inside, decisions to hide
She then flipped backwards while the other two were still holding her arms in the process, and kicked their backs - forcing them to fall upon the ground, and then continued to flip backward once more, so she could land on her feet properly. She stopped afterwards, standing angrily, now impatient with the length of this fight.
"This fight is absolutely frivolous and ridiculous, pointless even... where is Voldemort, that cowardly fool I seek... he has sent his mere minions after me, to attempt to break me down, how absurd! Where is this man who fears the face of a mere teenager, where is the man who has been constantly thwarted by two teenagers, where is this man who fears me, who fears us? I dare him to reveal himself; hiding will get him nowhere... for if he does not come out to duel, I will come after him time and time again - to kill him for those he has killed, to reestablish a peace throughout the world, to finally see him defeated. It is time, after all, for revenge..." She boomed.
The Death Eaters were prepared to retaliate against her for offending their master yet again, but stopped when they heard their master speak. "You do not fear me then?" He called from a distance.
Mandy quickly swiveled around to get a view of him and replied: "I fear no one, I'm the most powerful witch you will ever live to see..." she paused, "Besides, you have stolen my friends in order to obtain me, have you not? So here I am..." she said, standing with her arms out to greet him, "but the question is, where are you?" She looked carefully to both sides of her, as if to suddenly seek him out.
"This is true, and so I am just as prepared to duel." Voldemort finally came out from hiding and revealed his face to Mandy, as they began to engage in a duel.
Meanwhile in the background, her friends continued to chatter on - as if this was normal:
"And why couldn't you save us, Abby?"
"Although you are a Muggle, you know perfectly well I'm a squib, Raven..."
"Squib... schmib, I happen to know Mandy is teaching you magic," Raven replied impatiently.
"I suppose... but I'm not that good," said Abby trying to defend herself in her argument about how well she could perform magic – which she remarked was not that good at all.
"Well, couldn't you at least try?" Raven asked impatiently, "I mean this is the 5th... 6th..." she paused, "How many times has she saved our behinds now?"
"Oh, I'd say about 10..." Abby replied carelessly, waving her hand to dismiss the subject.
Although the view was focused towards Abby and Raven, the trio could still hear the duel in process behind them with random incantations that included phrases such as: "Imperio!"
"You know fully well that doesn't work on a trained Occlumens, Voldy..." she paused to duck another spell aimed at her. "Impedimenta!" she countered.
"Stupefy!"
"Expelliarmus!" she paused again to add commentary, "Your wand is your weakness, Tom. For just as I have easily done, I can overcome you."
Back off I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong we're Headstrong
Back off I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong
I can't give everything away
I won't give everything away"Exactly my point!" Raven declared.
Abby gave her a disapproving look, still refusing to believe she was any good at magic.
"Oh, alright, well couldn't you at least zap us some food? I'm getting hungry here..." Raven replied truthfully.
"That I can do!" Abby beamed, as she zapped some popcorn there magically.
"That's more like it!" Raven smiled greedily, as she eyed the magicked popcorn hungrily.
The duel between Mandy and Lord Voldemort was still very audible in the background as the view was still focused on Abby and Raven background:
"Accio wand!" Lord Voldemort shouted above all the ruckus, "You have not defeated me, Mandy; you have merely delayed my plans... Come Death Eaters, we will take leave, but fear not Mandy – I will be back."
I know, I know all about [x3]
I know, I know all about your motives inside, and your decision to hide
"Coward!" Mandy shouted into the darkness, "How dare you run from a duel!"
She went down to a whisper, looking desperately downtrodden. "How am I supposed to fulfill my prophecy if you keep running away...."
The memory faded out; another part of Mandy's life had been displayed and ended in front of them, leaving them in a momentary pause of silence.
Harry paused for a moment after the screen had flickered onto darkness, and then looked at Dumbledore curiously. "She has a prophecy as well?"
"Yes, I didn't plan on telling you, but I suppose if it came up in her memories it would be just in doing so... I will inform you about them after we have gone through the memories she's allowing us to see."
"How the bloody hell does she do all that - that, well, that self-defense stuff?" Ron asked, in awe of how easily Mandy fought back.
Dumbledore chuckled as he responded with a simple word: "Training."
They all gave him a look of befuddlement; "Training?!"
Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "You'll see," he said.
"Why does she act so... so calm around Voldemort?" Harry asked, as Ron shuddered in the background at the mention of Voldemort's name.
This time, Dumbledore responded with a more serious nature; "She has encountered him more than enough times to know him, his weaknesses, his strengths. Remember how many times Abby and Raven said she saved them... Well who do you think she saved them from?"
"Bloody hell," replied Ron, "I didn't think anyone faced off with you-know-who more than Harry here," he said, pointing to Harry with his thumb.
The screen began to flicker impatiently, as if it were waiting for their conversation to end, then regardless, began to display a scene between Abby and Mandy. The pair of them were sitting by a cauldron, which contained a green simmering potion, talking to each other about the possibility of going to Hogsmeade.
"Mandy, after this, do you think we could head off to Hogsmeade?" Abby paused, "I mean - you do get days off right?" Abby asked playfully.
Mandy laughed happily, "I wish!" she paused, "Although... I could make my own vacation day..." she smiled mischievously.
"Oh dear, what do you have planned now?" Abby inquired, playing along with Mandy's scheme.
"Oh nothing, nothing that you should be worried about, m'dear." Mandy responded with a smile. "Meanwhile, I should check on this potion of mine - it only has 2 minutes left before I should finish heating it... If I don't get this potion right this time, he'll kill me."
"What potion are you making...?" Abby asked with a small air of interest.
"Well, I am supposed to be making a Swelling Solution to which he has the antidote, you know, in one of those rare incidents my potion works. But, for a day off..." she paused light-heartedly, "I all have to do is add one ingredient and it will become a different potion of which I need, one of which is the few I excel at!" She smiled while slipping some wormwood into the potion.
It's a charmed life
Innocence wild
Crayola skies for a thousand miles
It's a good life in the happily ever after
Last page of a very last chapter
It's the story of a charmed life
"What did you just add in, Mandy?" Abby asked curiously, a smile teasing her lips.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, Abby," Mandy replied, grinned from ear to ear.
Both girls laughed at Mandy's mischievousness; Mandy was fully aware of what potion she was making, whilst Abby was amused at the prospect of fooling Mandy's trainer.
It's a charmed life
Unexplainable grace
Stumbling, you fall right into place
It's a childlike world and you can feel the magic
Far from the typically tragic
That's the beauty of a charmed life
While they were laughing, the two girls hadn't noticed the entrance of a man with dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a common black robe. "What is so funny you two?" he inquired suspiciously.
"Oh nothing," Mandy replied innocently and sweetly.
Who needs to know
When it all comes and when it all goes
Who needs to know just when
Fate will take you there
He then approached the cauldron, looking back and forth between the expressions of the once laughing girls, becoming war; now approaching the whole situation with caution.
"What's wrong with you?" Mandy asked. "You act as if I put some ingredients in there that might endanger or sustain your health."
'Well, that was oddly specific,' Harry thought, amusedly.
"Well, you have been known for never getting your potions right on the first shot, so I don't know what to expect."
Mandy rolled her eyes; "Well, you've tested my potions before and somehow managed to survive, haven't you? Just test the potion so I can get on with my life," she huffed impatiently.
"Well, don't plan on going anywhere," the man responded, "we have training in the gym after this, as you well know."
Mandy mumbled a faint "Don't remind me."
"What'd you say?" The man asked, donning a raised eyebrow.
"I said you're an even worse procrastinator than I am... just drink the stuff already!"
"All right, all right, I suppose you really didn't do anything purposely to this..." He said, about to drink the potion.
"Now, I never said that," Mandy mumbled.
It's a charmed life
Innocence wild
Crayola skies for a thousand miles
It's a good life in the happily ever after
Last page of a very last chapter
It's the story of a charmed life
Na na na...
Na na na...
"For Merlin's sake, what'd you say?" he asked, clearly exasperated with Mandy's whispered side-comments.
"What'd I say?" she put on an outraged face, "Here I am waiting for you to test my bloody potion, and you keep procrastinating claiming to hear voices! I suggest you get a hearing aid so we don't come across this nuisance again."
"I just have a feeling you're hiding a secret from me," he responded.
"I'm not hiding any secrets from you," she said defensively.
Who needs to know
When it all comes and when it all goes
Who needs to know just when
I know you'll be there (I know you'll be there)
Although wary, the man finally drank the potion and instantly dropped to the floor.
"Okay, so I was hiding a secret," she smiled, satisfied, "but what's new? You only trained me to do so... honestly, next time, try Veritaserum, it works better," Mandy suggested to the unconscious body.
Abby stared at Mandy suspiciously; "What did you do to him?"
It's a charmed life
Innocence wild
Crayola Skies for a thousand miles
It's a good life in the happily ever after
Last page of a very last chapter
It's the story of a charmed life
She smiled back, "Simple Sleeping Potion... It'll knock him out for awhile, so do you think we'll be able to go to Hogsmeade now, Abby?"
They both laughed as Mandy continued to wipe away the remnants of the potion in the cauldron using "Evanesco!"
Na na na...
(It's the story of a charmed life)
Na na na...
(It's the beauty of a charmed life)
Na na na...
(It's the story of a charmed life)
Na na na...
(It's the beauty of a charmed life)
Na na na...
Na na na...
The screen yet again faded out, this time though, there was an immediate response from Hermione whose eyes seemed to be slightly glazed over. "B-before, she said she was a trained Occlumens, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did, and yes, she is." Dumbledore responded patiently.
"So that's why she kept giving me strange looks when I kept telling her those lies." Hermione said slowly, in a pace that showed she was grasping onto a concept.
Dumbledore laughed politely. "Yes, she was quite confused why someone as nice as you was lying so early to her."
Hermione blushed at the thought that Mandy knew she was already lying to her; had she known Mandy was an Occlumens, she would've been more careful.
"So that was her trainer I'm assuming?" Ron inquired.
"Correct again," Dumbledore said delightfully, "he has known her since childhood."
"Childhood!" Harry exclaimed. Why did somebody have to be trained for that long after all? Was she really that important?
"Why yes," Dumbledore said, his fingers clasped together to form a steeple position; the fingers lightly drumming upon one another in their upward position, "when she was 7 years old her talents began to show frequently. Later on, the Ministry found out of her true talent and of her prophecy, and immediately sent over a trainer to train her magically and physically while she attended a Muggle school."
"And just think, Ron, you've been complaining about only your magical studies! She has to do both," Hermione with great emphasis.
"Yes, but she didn't have to have you breathing down her neck the whole time!" Ron muttered.
"What did you say?" Hermione cast him an offended look, huffing with anger as she moved further away from him.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Shhh... It's about to start again."
The next thing they saw on the screen was Mandy running through a forest, fast and swift, almost as if floating on air. She was, as Harry goggled at the screen, literally floating on air - without trying, but kept forcing her feet back upon the forest floor.
Not like I need to depend upon anyone
Since I can see the lack of need for me to be here at all
One more anthem for the know it all
I won't be standing up for long I better learn how to crawl
Learn how to crawl
In ten minutes I'll be laying out flat on the floorAs she continued to run on the grass, through the thick brush and other natural obstacles, it seemed as if she did not run out of breath - for she did not stop running, she did not even pant, it was almost as if she wasn't human. At the same time though, she had to be human, for there were tears of anger, hatred, and frustration running down her cheeks, while she tried to keep herself from tripping over tree roots. And although her clothes were tattered a bit, her face almost out of conscious color and bearing splotches of dirt, and although it was obvious she was tired, she continued to run.
Like I need to defend my own innocence
So what, I did it, I admit it, and I'm pleading the 5th
One more anthem for the know it all
I won't be standing up for long I better learn how to crawl
Learn how to crawl
In ten minutes I'll be laying out flat on the floor
Mandy ran through the forest fast and furious; it was obvious that she was not just running for the sake of exercise, in fact, it seemed to him as if she running for only one reason, to get away from somewhere - from someone, and as fast as she could.
Next thing they knew, the memory flickered to another memory for a brief moment, showing a glimpse of a conversation: "Why couldn't you just levitate like you normally do?" Raven asked.
"Leaves a trail," she simply responded, "They've become apt at hunting The Mandy," she ended mock-dramatically.
8 minutes from losing it a little bit
5 minutes your description might be starting to fit
3 to go and I'm forgetting all that I've ever known
I won't be standing up for long I better learn how to crawl
Quickly, the scene flickered back to the original memory, but at this point she had finally made her way out of the forest and onto a desolate road. When she reached here, she seemed to have gained a better sense of security, because this is where she.... Apparated?
Yet again, the scene flickered to the brief conversation bit they had witnessed before, and continued on with it.
"Why did you Apparate here? I thought that left a trail too." Raven said, confused.
"It does," Mandy replied, exhausted and gaunt, "but I was desperate to get away..."
Not like I need to depend upon anyone
Since I can see the lack of need for me to be here at all
One more anthem for the know it all
I won't be standing up for long I better learn how to crawl
Learn how to crawl
"And I suppose you found a reason to not use the weather as a beneficial factor in this situation as well?" Raven asked rhetorically.
"Oh for heaven's sake," Mandy replied, exasperated at how long this conversation was continuing for, considering the circumstances, "it's too risky and noticeable. Listen, I really don't have time for this question and answer period."
Raven asked one last vital question; "Why?"
In ten minutes I'll be laying out flat on the floor
I can't stand up at all
Can't see nothing at all
In ten minutes I'll be laying out flat on the floor
Mandy hissed back a response; "Witch Hunters..."
"Witch hunters?" Ron asked blankly.
"Yes, well not literal witch hunters per se, it was something like a nickname Mandy gave them..." Dumbledore replied, waving his hand absently.
"Then what are they?" Harry asked, almost as if finishing Ron's question.
"Death Eaters," Dumbledore said, as if it should be of no shock.
Yet, Hermione was found to be quite shocked, still trying to grasp everything they were being shown within this brief expanse of time. "I don't get it, what do they want with her exactly?"
"Well, Hermione, it's not as much what they want with her," Dumbledore paused, his age becoming more apparent and prominent with every explanation he gave, "it's what they want with her because of her prophecy."
They all wanted to ask what her prophecy was again, but yet another memory was appearing on the screen, thus occupying their minds.
The memory had entered with Mandy kneeling down to tie her shoelaces, and talking to Abby, who was standing there waiting for Mandy to finish. They were on a navy blue track, and both seemed quite out of breath, yet they were continuing on from an already started conversation between their spurts of heavy breathing.
"Well... one of the things I hate about being an Auror, and being who I am, is that it makes you very paranoid," Mandy stated firmly.
"Oh come on, you're a natural, what do you have to worry about? How should that make you paranoid?" Abby asked rhetorically.
Mandy replied with an annoyed tone of voice, "Well gee, when so many people are constantly after you because you have some stupid prophesy you wish you didn't have in the first place, it kind of happens. Wherever you turn, there's another person to face - sometimes, one you wish you didn't have to. But, you have to because 'it's your job, Mandy,' they will say, 'it's your purpose.' And -"
Abby sighed, "You're rambling again, Mandy."
Mandy literally appeared as if she was shaking the situation off her mind, "Sorry, it's just sometimes it gets -"
"Frustrating?" Abby asked, completing her sentence for her.
"Yeah," Mandy solemnly agreed.
After running around the remaining semi-circle of the track in silence, they had just reached the marking of where one would finish a race, and began to leave the track when they were interrupted.
"Hello, girls," Mandy's trainer said.
Mandy groaned, "What do you want from me now?"
"Oh nothing... except a couple more laps around the track from you," he said, pointing specifically to Mandy.
"How many is a couple more laps, Mark?" Mandy asked tiredly.
"Only 20," he said, attempting a tone of innocence.
"That's 5 more miles!" Mandy complained. "I've already run 10!"
"Then 5 more won't hurt, will it?" Mark smiled.
Mandy rolled her eyes. "Maybe not me, but you may be severely damaged afterwards," she said, giving an empty threat, and aiming a cold glare towards Mark.
Abby though, sat out on the sidelines, waiting patiently for Mandy to come with her.
"Sorry, Abby," Mandy replied with a frown, "it appears I have to stay here a while longer... Listen, I'll see you tomorrow... I have more -"
Abby cut her off, completing her sentence again, "Training to do?"
"Yeah," Mandy said somberly, "Sorry, but you know how it is... I mean I really have no say over it, I would change it if I could..."
"Yeah, I remember," Abby mumbled, walking away upset, "Magic first, everything else - last."
Mandy watched sorrowfully as Abby walked away, and distinctly muttered, "If only I could magick a normal life... yes, that'd be the day..."
"Come on, Mandy, what are you waiting for?" Mark asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"The impossible," Mandy said under her breath, and began running the track again in a furious effort to finish.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were left seemingly speechless after this one. Was her life honestly that bad that she would sacrifice magick just to be a Muggle?
Not even Dumbledore was going to break the silence, he didn't dare; there was something too tense about a moment when one questions their life in such a way.
So the four of them continued to wait in silence, watching the screen for the next memory Mandana would share with them.
Luckily, they did not have to wait very long as the next memory was slowly coming onto the screen, displaying a place in the forest, with... Dementors?
Immediately, Harry's face flushed before the screen, he knew well how effective Dementors were.
The memory then closed in upon Mandy, who stood in front of Abby and Raven, in order to protect them from the Dementors. Although Mandy was trying to protect them, she didn't look in a very healthy condition herself. She stood there with a very wan face, and kept backing away from the Dementors as much as she could.
"No, No, I didn't mean to - I had to," she whispered with the slightest bit of fear lingering in her eyes, one of which she quickly tried to hide from the Dementors that were surrounding her and her friends.
She then turned back to her friends to talk to them, trying to shake the slight tremor out of her voice. "Guys," she said hesitantly, "I can only hold them up for so much longer - I only have the strength in me for one more," she paused, "well a big one more... Patronus I mean, and - and then it's up to you."
"Al-all right, just do it..." Raven replied quickly, her eyes wide and fearful of the approaching soul-sucking creatures.
Mandy stood there for a moment, clearly weary and slightly fearful, but tried to overcome all her weaknesses so she could save her friends from these horrible creatures. Then, with all the strength she could muster, she yelled the words, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!"
By doing this, she had produced the largest Patronus Harry had ever seen, and one of the most graceful - a unicorn. After that, it seemed she literally did as she said she would - she used all her strength, and fainted.
The image then slowly faded out, the light from the Patronus still glowing upon the screen as the rest of it faded black.
"Blimey," said Ron bluntly, "that was one huge Patronus if I ever saw one."
"Well," Dumbledore started, slightly bemused, "she did put all her heart and strength into it. Mandy is not the one to let her friends suffer, to her, they are family."
"But... what was she so frightened about?" Hermione asked curiously. "She doesn't seem the type to easily get frightened."
"Hmm," Dumbledore replied, smiling, slightly nodding his head, "Knowing Mandy, she probably placed that memory next for us to view."
Within a moment, all four heads flickered towards the screen in hopes to see the next memory Mandy would display that would hopefully clarify some of the foggy details.
Just as if on command, the screen began to show the next memory, which was apparently the exact - same - forest.
Mandy appeared to be having a breakdown, for her face was pallid with shock, disgust, and fear. Mandy's lip was trembling a bit, and it seemed as if she was utterly speechless for she had opened her mouth a bit and closed it, and looked around hopelessly, her eyes heavy with burden stronger than her age.
"Y-you, y-you, you, h-how dare you! How dare you!" she paused, her mouth partially open with horror and disgust. "How could you betray the Order like that... how could you betray me?" she asked, not really expecting an answer, wearing a face embedded with worries.
I don't know who to trust, no surprise
Everyone feels so far away from me
Heavy thoughts sift through dust and the lies
Trying not to break, but I'm so tired of this deceit
Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet
All I ever think about is this
All the tiring time between
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much out of me
"Mandy, I swear, please just forgive me, I didn't mean to, please - don't do it, please!" A girl who appeared to be of about the same age pleaded back.
Take everything from the inside, and throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you
"You were my friend, I - I could never forgive a betrayal like that," she paused, her eyes carrying great hurt and disbelief, "especially from a friend," she said, trembling, her eyes forming tears, "Y-you could never take back what you have said, what you have done, y-you've given away too much already - a-and t-that has c-consequences."
Mandy took her wand out and pointed it towards the girl, her hand holding her wand shaking profusely.
Tension is building inside steadily
Everyone feels so far away from me
heavy thoughts forcing their way out of me
Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit
Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet
All I ever think about is this
All the tiring time between
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much out of me
"PLEASE, MANDY, HEAR ME OUT! PLEASE, NO, PLEASE... PLEASE DON'T!" The girl pleaded with Mandy again.
Mandy's face clearly displayed that she was experiencing nothing more than pain at the moment. Well, except maybe dread.
Take everything from the inside, and throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you
"I'm sorry, Rachel, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, really... A-." she paused; gulping back all of her tears, trying to rid herself of all the emotion that was surging through her. "Avada Kedavra!" she slowly yelled as loud as she could with what little strength she had left.
I won't waste myself on you
Waste myself on you
You
The world was spinning around her, everything that was right, was wrong; it just didn't make any sense. She fell to the ground on her knees, and looked at what she had just done. She then broke into silent sobs; tears were streaming down her face.
I'll take everything from the inside, and throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you
"Why - why did you make me do that?" She whispered bitterly into the night.
Everything from the inside, and just throw it all away
Cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you
You
"S-she had to kill her own friend?" Ron asked slowly, appalled by what he had just seen.
"Well, in all reality," Dumbledore sighed heavily, "the matter should not have been addressed, for Mandy nor her friend was old enough to be in the Order, but sometimes things just happen that one cannot control," Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron all leaned in a bit more as if to show more interest in what Dumbledore had to say, and to encourage him to go on.
"Well, the story is that she, Mandy, was in the Order - not by our choice, mind you - she was finding out our secrets on her own. So, leaving us with no choice, we had to let her in. Apparently though, it was too late to stop the spread of secrets to Voldemort, because she had happened to let some of these secrets slip out to her friend with whom she thought she could trust her life, one that was later threatened by the Dark Lord himself for information. So, unbeknownst to Mandy, Rachel was continually leaking out all the secrets Mandy had told her to Voldemort - in order to save her own life. Ironically enough, it's also what caused her downfall. As soon as Mandy found out, she knew what she had to do, as much as she didn't want to do it, and did it."
"Oh," Hermione whispered, "that's terrible."
The screen yet again flickered impatiently, signaling the four of them to turn their attention back to the screen. In catching their attention, it continued with the next memory they were to be shown.
Yet again, Harry noticed they were in a wooded area - he was starting to see a pattern with these memories.
Raven was backing up unknowingly into a tree, and some unseen person had just aimed a spell at her. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, a girl with reddish-brown hair and tan skin appeared in front of Raven, blocking her from the spell, and absorbing the blow herself.
"You will not harm any of my friends," she said darkly. Although she had arrived just in the nick of time, she had, instead of her friend, received the effect of the spell and gasped slightly as it came into contact with her skin.
"Mandy!" Raven gasped.
Mandy then immediately grabbed Raven, supporting her, because Raven had already been hit by a few spells herself, and then Apparated Raven and herself to a separate, more desolate place in the forest.
When she got there, she was still supporting her friend, and began to limp; she was bringing her friend to the nearest tree to place her down. Both girls had left the duel harmed, bruised, and seemingly falling apart. Mandy had more of a severe injury, while Raven had more minor ones - but still enough to affect a Muggle severely as opposed to a witch or warlock, who naturally heals faster.
"Go, go save yourself," Raven replied weakly, breathing heavily as she leaned against the tree trunk.
"No! I refuse to, I have just enough energy left in me to save you and bring myself back to my normal appearance, so no Muggle can identify me."
"But, Mandy..."
"Listen, all I have is a prophecy to fulfill, Raven, it is assumed that once I fulfill it - I will die anyway. No matter what, I will die in the end as all people do," Mandy said,
"Let me save you instead, you have a whole life ahead of you."
At this point, Raven was too weak to argue her side of it any further; she was starting to go unconscious. Mandy quickly leaned over Raven, and placing her hands slightly above Raven's wounds, began to heal her by mending the cuts and other injuries inflicted upon her.
"Now," Mandy said, "once I am done healing you, there will be some magical residue that will linger on your skin for 24 hours... I'm just warning you in case -"
Although Mandy had continued to speak, Raven would not hear it, for she had completely blacked out at that point.
As soon as Mandy had finished healing all of Raven's wounds, she changed back into her normal appearance and, she herself collapsed on the snow-covered ground unconscious.
A few hours later, Raven woke up to find Mandy lying on the ground enclosed by red snow that seemed to form around her head.
"Oh my god," Raven said, panicked, "What happened to her?"
She then immediately rushed over to Mandy to see where she was bleeding from, and soon found out it was from the neck. "Oh, god, this is serious... What am I going to do? We are in the middle of the forest!"
Without thinking, Raven searched through Mandy's robes, and took out her wand, pointing it towards the sky. To her surprise, red sparks came out, giving her the exact result she had wanted.
"Yes!" She exclaimed, "Surely someone will see that!"
She paused, now realizing that she was a Muggle and had no magic in her, and wondered how she had just done that. She then reenacted the whole situation from the night before in her mind, and it was then she remembered what Mandy said. 'Now, once I am done healing you, there will be some magical residue that will linger on your skin for 24 hours...'
"Wow," Raven said, "Mandy, you are a genius. You just saved your own life!"
"How on Earth did she know she was going to need Raven to save her?" Harry asked, honestly baffled.
Dumbledore replied; "She didn't, she didn't have the time or energy to plan anything in fact."
"You mean, she truly thought and accepted the fact that she was going to die?" Hermione asked hesitantly, in an almost hushed voice.
"Yes." Dumbledore said simply, in the same tone of voice Hermione had used.
Waiting patiently, they all kept to themselves as they waited for the remainder of Mandy's choice memories to be displayed.
Finally, in breaching the silence, the next memory brought itself upon the screen.
The memory opened up to a typical Muggle high school with a shabby, yet durable interior. It had tan brick walls, vast hallways, and a red tile-like floor.
Raven and Mandy were walking to their next class, talking, when all of a sudden Mandy gasped and fell to her knees. She had shut her eyes suddenly, her eyelids pressed tightly against her skin. She then immediately grabbed Raven's arm and squeezed it so hard that it eventually dragged Raven down to her level.
Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me into madness
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away
"What are you doing?" Raven exclaimed.
Mandy proceeded to clamp down harder on Raven's arm, causing her to cry out in pain. "Ow! Are you ok? Do you need to go to the Nurse's Office?"
Mandy flinched, and then let go of Raven's arm; bringing her arm quickly now, alongside her other arm, to her stomach; appearing doubled over in pain, and moaned slightly. Raven involuntarily went to tend to her arm, trying to rub away the pain slowly. Although momentarily Raven was concerned about her own arm, she quickly brought attention back to Mandy.
"Mandy," she said, snapping her fingers, "Mandy, you there? You ok?" She paused for a moment, waiting for a response. "Helllllooooooooo..." she said, slightly annoyed at being ignored, and bent down to attempt to look at Mandy in the eyes.
Don't turn away
Don't give in to the pain
Don't try to hide
Though they're screaming your name
Don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light
Never sleep, never die
Then, at that moment, Mandy's eyes snapped open into pure shock. "Raven!" Mandy gasped.
"Oh, now you talk to me..." Raven retorted, annoyed at the charade Mandy had just put on.
"Sorry, I um, need to know... how long have I been in this... unconscious-like state...?"
"You were unconscious?" Raven asked, genuinely shocked.
"Sort of... Listen! I just need you to tell me... how long have I been like this?" she asked, urgently.
"Well..." Raven started, as if it was obvious, "about 5 minutes, why?"
"Damnit, we don't have much time then." Mandy jumped up, shaking a bit, but never the less, stable. "Come on," Mandy said as she gripped Raven's arm.
Mandy then broke into a mad dash down the hallway, dragging Raven along with her as she dodged her way past the other students.
I'm frightened by what I see
But somehow I know that there's much more to come
Immobilized by my fear
And soon to be blinded by tears
I can stop the pain if I will it all away
"Where are we going?" Raven asked demandingly. "What's going on?"
"We're going to find Abby, I -."
"Abby?" Raven cried, stopping short, "Oh, for heaven's sake, we don't have time to have idle chitchat with her... we have to get to class!" Raven said, exasperated.
"It's a bit more than idle chitchat, Raven, it's -" Mandy began, being cut off by screams and gasps. "Oh no, please don't let it be too late... Please! Please!" Mandy cried fiercely.
Raven stood shocked at the scene she was just brought into, her feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. The next moment, a gunshot sounded, there was a scream, and Raven could feel Mandy's grip on her arm suddenly vanish.
"Oh my god! Mandy!" cried a familiar voice. It was Abby. "Why did you do that? Why did you jump in front of me? That should've been me!" she cried, "That should've been me!"
Don't turn away
Don't give in to the pain
Don't try to hide
Though they're screaming your name
Don't close your eyes
God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light
Never sleep, never die
Raven now looked completely shocked at the scene unfolding before her eyes. Mandy was lying on the ground, doubled over, blood seeping out of her stomach. Students around her were screaming for teachers, but Raven couldn't hear them - it was all becoming a blur.
She immediately ran up to Mandy to hear what she was saying to Abby, for her mind could think of nothing else to do.
"I can't help what I see, Abby, I wouldn't be able to bear watching you die whilst fully knowing there was something I could do about it..." Mandy trailed off, weakly.
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear
She beckons me, shall I give in...
Upon my end shall I begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end"See it? What do you mean by you can't help what you see?" Abby asked, frustrated.
Raven was as confused and frustrated as Abby was, that is until she replayed the most recent events in her mind.
"Oh my god, she saw it," Raven said slowly, grasping the concept Mandy was talking of.
"Yes, that's what she just said! But, what does it mean?" Abby asked, exasperated, looking from Mandy to Raven.
"She saw it," Raven replied, hurriedly, "She saw it! That's what was wrong with her... a-and she reenacted it - the whole thing physically too... Oh my god, she knew it was going to happen."
It was all clicking into place for Raven, but Abby still didn't get any of it.
"What are you babbling on about?" Abby asked, completely lost.
"Mandy," Raven began slowly, obviously trying to prove that she knew more than Abby, (to which, Abby rolled her eyes.) "Well," Raven shrugged, "She had a premonition, she saw it...." Raven said, tapping her finer on her temple, nodding with a smug look on her face.
As odd as it was for that memory to begin fading out at that moment, it did. The memory faded out, leaving Ron to wonder what that loud sound was and why it did that to Mandy, and Hermione and Harry to try and absorb what they just saw.
Then, to the trio's disbelief, the screen rolled itself up and disappeared into the air; apparently, it was done showing them Mandy's memories. This sudden exit on the screen's part gave them ample time to discuss not only the previous memory they had been show, but all the memories they had seen in general. Yet, since they had not yet had the chance to talk about the previous memory shown to them, they were first concerned with that.
"What was that sound before, and why did it hurt Mandy like that?" Ron asked, completely baffled.
For once, unlike all the other questions that needed answering, Dumbledore did not answer, but instead, Harry did.
"Well, it's called a gun, Ron," he explained, "and from it come these things called bullets that travel at a really fast speed through the air, and then the bullet travels in that direction in which the gun was aimed, and can pierce through skin and damage the person for life, even kill them," Harry said, almost all in one breath.
"Oh," said Ron, a little shocked that Harry had answered so fast.
"She's really a Seer, then?" Hermione asked, curiously.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied, contently.
"They actually exist?" asked Ron, being caught completely off guard. After all those lessons with Professor Trelawney, he was beginning to think that the whole idea of Seers existing was a hoax.
Dumbledore chuckled heartily in response to Ron's sudden show of disbelief.
"Of course they exist, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, exasperated with him.
"Dumbledore," Harry began.
"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore responded, now glancing towards Harry.
"Well," Harry said, slowly, "Mandy has been getting all this trouble just from her prophecy, what prophecy could be so important that it could cause her this much trouble? I mean, what is her prophecy?"
Dumbledore lost the glimmer in his eyes after Harry had asked that question that obviously held an important value, and his complete expression changed from being content to be completely wearisome and worn down.
"Although her prophecy is important Harry," he replied, "I should not be the one to tell you of this prophecy, it should be the one who holds it. I'm sorry."
Harry nodded back, to show he understood, but in all honestly, his patience almost got the better of him. Throughout watching the memories, there were numerous references to her prophecy, but none of them actually told what it was. He would've thought that if she were honestly showing them her most important memories, the one where she found out exactly what her prophecy was would have come up. Maybe, he thought, she didn't want them to know, but why? What could be holding her back from telling them? Didn't she know he had one too? He hated the fact that he was so curious, and wished more then ever that he knew what Mandy's prophecy was, because he knew that until he found out what it was, it would bother him.
"Well, I have a question," Hermione stated very bluntly.
"Then please, ask away, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said politely, regaining his warm smile and cheerful disposition.
"Why is she an Auror? How could she be an Auror? She's so...." She began, trailing off.
"Young?" Dumbledore asked, rhetorically. "Yes, quite young to be an Auror, just as to be in the Order, but powerful, and prepared," he paused, "and although the Ministry did not wish for her to become an Auror any more than her trainer, it was actually them that helped her become one."
Hermione threw him a rare quizzical look before he continued on.
"You see," he said, "as I told you before, when she was younger, the Ministry found out of the magnificent powers she had to develop and the prophecy attached to her name. So naturally, they immediately sent someone to teach her - to teach her everything, from the basics in magic, to harnessing her magical powers, to creating herself to become physically fit - all to improve her power; she was a gold mine to them." He then paused briefly again before continuing. "As she grew older, she grew much more advanced - more advanced than the teacher even," Dumbledore chuckled.
"One time she got so mad at him, well she couldn't help her feelings - she was only 11 - committed a horrible crime - the Cruciatius Curse, which although it's known that it causes a lot of pain at least temporarily, it almost caused the death of her trainer."
Harry was shocked at two things in the previous statement made by Dumbledore; firstly, he wondered why Dumbledore was laughing about the matter, and secondly, he was confused how the Cruciatius Curse could have so much power - he thought it just made people go insane after a while.
Dumbledore continued, "But of course the Ministry couldn't punish her, because they were the ones who had trained her in the first place!"
With that explanation, Harry could know understand what Dumbledore had found so amusing about that crime. Harry had to admit that he too, found that very amusing, although he didn't say it aloud.
Dumbledore chuckled a bit more, and then continued, "As I was saying... She was growing older, and wished to become an Auror - she had figured that as long as she was doing all this training that she might as well take the test, even against her teacher's will. So, the Ministry being incapable of denying her of the testing, considering they had been training her and she had technically known all the things required, passed her, and thus became the youngest Auror they ever possessed."
"Ironic," Hermione stated, slightly bemused at this as well.
"Yes," Ron agreed, "I wonder why she rebels against the Ministry so much," he thought aloud.
"Actually," Dumbledore said lightly, "she doesn't support many of the things the Ministry does, so it doesn't bother her much to bend their rules to be in her favor," he concluded with a smile.
"Wish I could do the same," Harry muttered underneath his breath, so no one could hear him.
"Well, although I'm sure you three have many more questions you wish to be asking me, I think it is time you should be returning to your Common Room to go to sleep," Dumbledore said, in the form of a command.
So, reluctantly, the three began to leave Dumbledore's office and head off to their own Common Room for the night.
"So... what do you reckon of this Mandy girl?" Ron inquired.
"There's still something hidden about her, I think, I don't know... Something about her just doesn't seem right, or complete even," Hermione said, pondering to herself about it at the same time she was saying it aloud. "What do you think about her, Harry?"
Harry had not heard a word of the conversation going on between Ron and Hermione; he himself was engrossed deeply in his thoughts about this strange appearance of this new girl, and about the new girl in general. Why all of a sudden was she coming to Hogwarts when all these years she had been doing fine alone with her trainer? Why not come at the regular time, during the beginning of the year? What was her prophecy after all, and why was she so important to Voldemort? And what made her... Hermione, who was trying to get Harry's attention, had cut off his thoughts.
"Harry? Harry! You there?"
"What - uh, oh yeah, sorry."
"It's alright, what's on your mind?" Hermione asked, concerned.
"Oh nothing, just thinking. Hey, is that...?" Harry trailed off quizzically, looking ahead in the corridor.
Harry was looking down the corridor, noticing a person who looked quite familiar to him, walking down towards the Gryffindor Common Room.
"It is!" He exclaimed, in some form of triumph.
"What are you talking about, mate?" Ron asked, his right eyebrow raised.
"Mandy!" Harry called out, running towards her, trying to catch up with her. "Mandy!"
Mandy was walking down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Common Room, now containing the list of homework and class-work she needed to make up from the beginning of the year that she had received from Professor McGonagall.
All of a sudden, she began to feel a bit weak, and she was losing strength rapidly. She had just heard someone calling her name in the background, but she couldn't make out who it was, everything around her was blurring to make one again. She was trying to pull herself together, trying to avoid what was about to happen, and attempted to steady herself.
"No, no, this wasn't supposed to happen again, I was supposed to be protected from this... No..." She said, muttering to herself.
That's it, everything was fading away from her vision, and words were seemingly lost in thin air while attempting to reach her; everything was going black again. She had no strength left in her to continue walking; she just fainted, she couldn't help her responses any more, she had no control.
