Chapter 5

The next few days passed quickly for Mari. She spent her days learning from Charlie, Molly, Bill and occasionally Arthur. At the moment she was practicing household charms to help Molly. Ron and his fiancée Hermione, Ginny and Harry were arriving on the Hogwarts Express in a few hours. Molly wanted everything to be perfect, since she was having a graduation party for the three that had just finished Hogwarts.

Molly and Charlie had told her all about Ron and Harry's adventures, and about why Harry was famous. She just couldn't believe the stories that they had told her about how people treated the boy. She was just itching for someone to do it in front of her, she would set them straight. How dare they harass the young man, just because he was expected to destroy the most evil wizard that they had seen in a long time.

Mari had been shocked to hear how the boy's relatives had treated him, and how well he had turned out despite that. Molly loved him and thought of him as her seventh son, and the Weasley siblings that she had met so far concurred. She and Charlie had spent a lot of time alone, Mari knew that her mother wanted her to marry him, and she was finding out why with every minute she spent in their home.

Albus had visited every day, and had told her stories about her mother during her time at Hogwarts. Molly and Arthur had contributed their stories about her after she had graduated and while Mari was a small child. For the first time in her life, she felt that she knew things about her mother, and she was forming a picture of her life before she was sent to live with her aunt.

Charlie had gone to Hogwarts to speak with someone, he wouldn't tell her who. So here she was stringing decorations with her wand. She loved using her wand, she had never imagined that magic was possible. She finished putting up the decorations and headed for the kitchen where Molly was preparing a feast for her returning children.

"Mari, are the decorations finished already?" Molly asked her.

"Just finished putting up the banner," she answered as she picked up one of the many platters on the table. "Where should I put this?"

Molly turned around to tell her where to put the dish, screamed and dropped the pot that she was holding. Mari turned around to see what had upset her and saw the hands on the family clock. Arthur's was pointed at work, Bill, Fred, George, and Charlie were pointed at traveling. The ones that had upset her were the placement of Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione, all were pointing at mortal peril.

Mari grabbed the pot of floo powder and threw a pinch into the fire. "Arthur Weasley!" she shouted and shoved her head into the flames.

Her head appeared in Arthur's office just as he was about to throw a pinch of the powder into the flames. "Uncle Arthur, the kid's clock hands are at mortal peril, do you know what is going on?" she asked quickly.

"I was just about to call Molly. The Hogwarts Express is being attacked by Voldemort," he told her.

Mari pulled her head back and looked at Molly. "The Hogwarts Express is being attacked, we have to go and help them."

Molly looked at the dark haired woman in front of her. She was standing with her feet firmly planted, her wand drawn. She looked like someone ready for a fight. "I can't allow you to come, dear, Molly told her. "It wouldn't be safe for you and I can't have anything happening to you. I would never forgive myself if you were hurt or killed trying to save the kids."

Mari squared her shoulders, "Molly, as much as I respect you, I have to go and help. I would feel useless sitting here waiting for this to be over." She walked over and hugged the red haired woman. "Fred and George have been teaching me offensive and defensive spells, they knew that Voldemort would be bringing the war to Harry and they wanted me to be prepared to help. I've even been learning general healing spells from the books that Charlie has been getting me. He's been asking Madam Pomfrey for names of books so that I'll be able to help when the time comes."

Molly wiped her eyes, "You're determined to come and help, so I'll take you. But you have to keep yourself safe. As soon as I find Charlie, I'll send him to protect you."

Mari grabbed her arm, "Charlie needs to help protect Harry, and if that's where I end up, I'll do what I can to protect him too. He has to kill that monster, and if there is anything that I can do to help him, I will. Let's leave this argument for when we're all back here at the burrow, every Weasley sitting a the table eating the feast that you made."

With a pop, the two women disappeared from the kitchen, leaving the burrow empty.

They appeared in one of the cars of the Hogwarts Express, right in the middle of a fight. Both women drew their wands and started sending spells at the dark robed Death Eaters. A flash of red crossed in front of Mari, and Molly shoved it behind her. "Stay behind me Ginny, I don't want you getting hurt."

A very angry Ginny Weasley turned toward her mother, "I'm trying to get to Harry," she shouted. "That snake is going to try and kill him, I can't let him face Voldemort alone."

Mari touched the girl's shoulder and felt the world around her disappear. With a pop she and Ginny appeared in a small compartment. Right outside the door were three people, one with red hair, one with long bushy brown, and one with black. "Harry," she shouted as she threw the door open.

"Harry Potter," came a hissing voice from further down the aisle. "It is time for you to die."