It took all of Maribella 's willpower not to visibly hyperventilate. This was it. The worst had happened. After Filch caught them wandering in the dark corridors, he took them to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without making any sound. Maribella clenched her fists so hard that she left half-moon marks on her palms. There was no way they were getting out of this one. They were out of bed, creeping around the castle, and had been up in the astronomy tower, which was strictly out of bounds for anyone outside classes, not to mention the dragon. Maribella was already packing her bags in her mind.
In came Professor McGonagall leading, very surprisingly considering Maribella was almost completely sure he wasn't a part of their plan, Neville inside.
"Harry!" Neville burst out the moment he saw them. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-"
Harry shook his head violently, signalizing that no they did not have a dragon, Neville please shhhh, but it was too late, McGonagall had seen him and heard Neville, and Maribella thought she was going to faint.
"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."
Maribella was frozen in place. She looked down, chagrined. Oh, caught right after McGonagall had faithfully defended them to Malfoy. Maribella was mortified.
"I think I've got a good idea of what's going on," said Professor McGonagall when nobody responded. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"
Maribella tried to catch Neville's eyes, as did Harry, but the boy looked hurt and stunned, his head hung.
"That's not true at all, Professor," Maribella said then in a small voice, her face reddening under the Professor's fuming gaze.
"Is it not, Miss Piccinni?" the older woman answered coldly. "Do tell then, what happened?"
Maribella opened her mouth, then closed it. There was nothing she could say that would help their situation. She inhaled and exhaled quickly, a small sound escaping from her lips.
"I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. As for you, Miss Piccinni, I'm appalled. After our talk of responsibility, I assumed you would know better."
This was it then. The end of Maribella 's studentship at Hogwarts.
"All three of you," McGonagall continued, "will receive detentions."
Maribella looked up. Had she said-
"Yes, detention for all three of you, Mr. Longbottom…"
McGonagall carried on speaking, but Maribella was no longer listening. She felt like jumping around and hugging Professor McGonagall until her hat fell lopsided off her head. She felt like grabbing Harry's broom and flying over and under and around Hogwarts, for she had just found her own snitch in the form of detention! She would not be expelled! Maribella was happy. No, she was ecstatic!
"Fifty?" Harry's incredulous voice brought her back.
"You'll lose fifty points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long pointed nose.
"Professor- please, you can't-"
"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do, Potter." Maribella didn't think fifty points were that big of a price to pay. She had expected worse. "Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."
While her friends dragged themselves back to their common room, Maribella was light on her feet. She felt much better, now that it was all said and done. She even enjoyed herself, with Charlie's friends and Norbert. What an adventure it had been!
It was only in the morning that she realized the consequences were a lot more severe than she had expected.
The story spread like wildfire; Harry Potter and his first year friends had lost Gryffindor a hundred and fifty points, and the House Cup was destined to be Slytherin's for the seventh year in a row. With their own house turned against them- as well as Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs- they again were pushed into the library, which turned into the sanctuary the rest of Hogwarts couldn't be.
"Can I borrow your Defense book, Ron?" Maribella drawled one afternoon as she lazily scribbled on a piece of parchment.
"Use your own, Maribella ," Ron said, his voice slightly muffled. He was using his book as a pillow, resting his forehead and arms on it.
"I forgot it in my dorm," Maribella answered.
"Then borrow one from the library."
"Fine," she replied, irritated. She pushed her chair back, delighting herself in the frown on her friend's forehead at the scrape of her chair. She was angry and tired of their forced isolation in the library and was taking it out on her friends. It didn't help that the full moon was only a week away, as were their exams.
She walked through the shelves, passing the student records without a second glance. Another thing she didn't know, probably never would, and another thing that exasperated her to no end. She'd get her sister to look it up for her someday. The younger girl was much more invested in the cause anyway.
She found her book and went back to the table, dropping it forcefully. Hermione hummed discontentedly and Ron lifted his head to glare at her.
"What's your problem?" he snapped.
But before she could replied, Harry arrived and caused them even more dissatisfaction.
"Quirrell's given up," Harry said. "I heard him and Snape. Snape was threatening him and now he's relented."
Maribella groaned loudly just as Ron said:
"Snape's done it then. If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell-"
"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.
"He probably already knows how to get past him," Maribella grumbled. "Snape knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, and Fluffy is just a dog. A three headed dog, but really, underneath it all. Just. A. Dog." She glared at her hands.
Harry looked at her strangely.
"What's wrong with you?"
"See, that's what I asked," Ron said, leaning forward. "So what do we do, Harry?"
"We go to Dumbledore," Hermione said instantly. "That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."
Maribella didn't know if Hermione was purposefully playing at her weaknesses and fears but still decided it was a cold move to mention expulsion. She resolved to be mad at Hermione as well.
"But we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Hallowe'en and that he was nowhere near the third floor- who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's no secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."
Hermione and Maribella were convinced, but Ron wasn't so sure.
"If we just do a bit of poking around-"
"No," said Harry flatly, "we've done enough poking around." And he pulled a map of Jupiter towards him. Maribella rolled her eyes at his bossy attitude but was quiet nevertheless.
The following night marked the date of their detention. At eleven o'clock they said goodbye to Ron and Hermione and went to the Entrance Hall with Neville. Filch was already there- looking oddly satisfied- and so was Malfoy, who the trio had forgotten would have detention with them. His presence just made Maribella more annoyed.
"Follow me," Filch said, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he gibed, leering at them. "Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out… hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed… Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."
Their punishment must be something horrid if Filch was so content.
The waxing gibbous moon shone over their heads as they walked. It would've been bright enough to light up their way if not for the clouds scudding across it.
"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started," a voice resounded.
Was that Hagrid? The one thing that could lift Maribella 's spirit was Hagrid and his joyful comportment. She looked at Harry and saw that he felt the same. Filch must have noticed, though, because soon after he said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourselves with that oaf? Well, think again- it's into the Forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."
Maribella huffed. She had seen enough of the Forest in her monthly routine and going back in there with her friends (and Malfoy) would certainly bring on trouble.
"We can't go in there at night," she heard Malfoy whine, "there's all sorts of things in there- werewolves, I heard."
Neville, who was walking in between Harry and Maribella , grabbed both their sleeves, scared by Malfoy's comment, and almost fell when Maribella stopped dead in her tracks.
"Are you daft, Malfoy?" she snapped angrily. "Do you understand the implications of what you just said?" She was met with blank stares from all three of her companions. Hello? If there were werewolves in the forest, there would surely be werewolves, human-formed, in the castle, but as far as they were concerned, there weren't any. The blatant ignoring of the human within the beast was typical werewolf discrimination.
Maribella huffed again. "The moon isn't even full tonight." She shrugged off Neville and stomped ahead.
"It looks pretty full to me," she heard a snarky reply coming from behind.
"It's not a full moon, it's a waxing gibbous moon," she shouted over her back.
"Did she say gibbon?" she heard one of the boys ask and bit her lips as not to say a very, very rude word.
She found Hagrid before any of the others. He strode towards her out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.
"Yeh alrigh', Mari?" he asked as she approached him.
She shrugged but crossed her arms. "People are infuriating."
"Tha' time o' the month again?" he asked, patting her shoulders as if to comfort her.
"Close to," she replied, feeling much better just from the short interaction with the man.
Then the others arrived.
"Abou' time, Filch," Hagrid said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry?"
"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."
"'Snot your place ter lecture 'em. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."
"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added, his voice cracking with glee.
Maribella rolled her eyes, annoyed for probably the fifth time that night. She had been rolling her eyes a lot lately, but it wasn't her fault she was surrounded by idiots.
As soon as Filch was gone, Malfoy turned to Hagrid.
"I'm not going in that Forest," he said.
"Scared, Malfoy?" Maribella jeered meanly.
"Shut up, Piccinni, I'm not scared." Maribella was pleased to hear a defensive note in his voice. "This is servant stuff, it's not for students to do," he explained. "I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"
"-tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Writin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it, doin' summat useful. Or yeh can back off ter the castle an' pack, if yer father'd rather you were expelled. Go on!"
Malfoy glared furiously at him but didn't move. Hagrid nodded, satisfied, and then motioned them to follow him. He led them to the very edge of the forest and down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick trees.
"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood." Maribella brought her hands to her lips, mouth open in shock. "There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."
"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, this time unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
"There's nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."
"I want Fang," Malfoy said quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth. Maribella , quite in her cruel mood, smirked at her feet. Fang had a nasty appearance, but just like Hagrid, he was all size and no attitude. He was as sweet as honey.
"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid and Malfoy grimaced. "But if it suits yeh… So me an' Harry go one way an' yeh three go with Fang to the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now- tha's it- an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh- so, be careful- let's go.
Harry gave her an apologetic look, and Maribella nodded curtly at him. She had no reason to keep up her snappy attitude towards him, when he hadn't done anything, but still was too generally mad to be completely friendly. Her group took the path to the right, and Harry and Hagrid went to the left.
The forest was black and silent. The towering trees had formed a sort of tunnel over the path, completely blocking out the moon. Their wands were the only light source available at the moment. She kept her eyes to the ground as they walked, looking out for the patches of unicorn blood. Neville kept whimpering by her side, occasionally grabbing her arm when the bushes nearby rustled. It didn't help that Malfoy kept sniggering at him.
"Piss off, Malfoy," Maribella snapped and grabbed Neville's arm, brushing past Malfoy and Fang and walking ahead with the boy. The air seemed to have cleared without Malfoy around. Neville and Maribella walked silently side by side before the boy broke the silence.
"Mari," Neville whispered, "can a werewolf kill a unicorn?"
Maribella was tempted to let Neville walk by himself with Malfoy and Fang. But then she reminded herself that the poor boy probably didn't know any better.
"Neville," she started patiently, "what people fail to understand about werewolves is that we- I mean, they- are still human. For only one night of the month, they turn into… into something, I don't know, but even then they are still somewhat conscious of their actions because there's a potion they can take that makes them pretty much harmless. The werewolves I know, at least, wouldn't harm a unicorn." Maribella was so so glad to get this off her chest and tell someone who would willingly listen and possibly understand what she meant. It had been bothering her the whole evening. "Besides, there's no full moon tonight, and werewolves can't turn without a full moon. Malfoy's full of gibberish, you shouldn't listen to him." Speaking of- "Neville, where is Malfoy?"
A branch snapped behind them. Maribella whipped around and held her wand tight in her hand. She could feel Neville shaking behind her. Malfoy was nowhere to be found.
"Malfoy?"
Another snap to the left. She pointed her wand towards that direction and urged Neville to do the same. Her wand hand trembled.
"Malfoy," Maribella snarled, "come out!"
The wind whistled, and suddenly a voice started screaming in Maribella 's head.
Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico…
It echoed over and over again, bouncing against the walls inside her head until they cracked and crumbled down before her eyes, releasing all the memories she had repressed. She was a little girl again and she was lost and alone and lost and alone. In front of her was a dead mooncalf, the cadaver of the animal, and it looked up at her abruptly and whispered, you're next, and she willed herself to run, but her body was stuck to the ground. And then, it came out. The werewolf. It stood before her, tall, dark, menacing, mouth wet and dripping with hate and hunger. She shrieked and closed her eyes, pointing her wand at it, and finally, finally, her body responded, it was hers again, and she stepped back. She collided with something and opened her eyes to find poor, poor Neville, sobbing and on the ground, his hand pointing straight up to the sky, his wand shooting out red sparks. But hold on. This bit wasn't part of that narrative.
She looked over to the werewolf, only in its place was Malfoy, with red sparks ricocheting off his chest, sparks that came straight from Maribella 's wand. He flinched until he realized no damage had been done and he wasn't in danger. Then he cackled. And Maribella fumed, angry at how pathetic she and Neville looked, two model members of Gryffindor house of the brave, angry at Hagrid and Harry for leaving her alone with Neville, and Fang, and Malfoy, and most of all angry, damn it, furious with the werewolf from that one night years ago.
"Wimps," Malfoy laughed. Maribella stood up straight, ignoring the tingle in her legs.
"D-don't recall you being so courageous yourself, Malfoy," Maribella said. Her words would've been quite effective, had her voice not quivered, "when we entered the forest."
Malfoy stared at her coldly.
"You Gryffindors- every last of you- all show and no go," he spit out. "No wonder you're over a hundred points behind Slytherin. Heard you had something to do with that, eh, Piccinni? Thanks."
"Why, you insolent little-" Maribella growled, but then a crashing sound was heard. In their fear, Malfoy grabbed her arm and Neville grabbed the other, and Fang whined. It, whatever it was, was coming towards them.
"A werewolf?" Neville asked in a small voice.
Maribella narrowed her eyes angrily and pushed both boys away. Though angry, she immediately regretted it. Without the obvious human contact, she was alone again. Her breath hitched, and the world started spinning, spinning, spinning when-
"Mari? Maribella ?" Hagrid was holding her shoulder, giving her what was probably meant to be a slight shake. Maribella coughed and cleared her throat. She was sweating profusely.
"Yes?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light as she wiped her face with her sleeve. The noise had only been Hagrid, as he came towards them. She was ok, she was safe. She was at Hogwarts.
"I asked yeh wha' happened," he repeated.
"Oh," Maribella cleared her throat. "Malfoy snuck up on us and- and scared Neville." Neville nodded, going to Hagrid's side and confirming her story.
"Longbottom, right," Malfoy muttered under his breath.
Hagrid stared at him with disapproving eyes.
"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket yeh three were makin'," he said, and they set off on the trail towards Harry. Maribella walked behind the group, holding her arms and moving them vertically, warming herself.
"Right, we're changing groups- Neville, you stay with me an' Fang, Harry, you can go with Maribella an' this idiot." He gestured towards Malfoy.
So Harry joined them, and they set off into the heart of the forest. Maribella walked side by side Harry, her step less sure, no longer with a gusto for adventure. Harry noticed.
"Are you ok?" he asked, bumping his shoulders with hers. She nodded and moved away. The blood on the ground seemed to be getting thicker, she noticed, keeping her head down and eyes strictly on the ground. Just like her friend should be doing.
"Is it because of what Malfoy said earlier on?" Harry asked. "With the werewolves and the forest? Because I asked Hagrid and there are no-"
"No, Harry, it's not because of the bloody werewolf," Maribella barked. "I-"
But Harry wasn't listening. They had arrived in a clearing, in the midst of the tangled roots of an ancient oak.
"Look," Harry murmured, holding his arm out to stop Maribella and Malfoy, who had been walking a few steps behind them.
Something bright was gleaming on the ground ahead of them. They moved closer, slowly and carefully. It was a unicorn. The unicorn. But it was dead, a beautiful tragedy. Maribella gasped and moved to get a better look, but Harry stopped her. A slithering sound in front of them made all three freeze. A hooded figure appeared, and it crawled towards the unicorn, dragging its body and cloak with it. Then, it lowered its head towards the ground and began licking the unicorn's wound, guzzling its blood.
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted.
It was just Maribella and Harry then. The hooded figure looked right at them, right at Harry, and it was coming towards them, blood staining its robes. It wasn't interested in her, Maribella realized, but her friend, and she felt the need to protect him. Her fears lay with giant beasts, not cloaked beings. She raised her wand and tried to think of a spell. She heard faint sounds of galloping hooves gallops and thought briefly of the unicorn and its herd, thought it was coming to save them, but no, it wasn't in their nature. Something else then.
Harry staggered backwards, falling to his knees, and before Maribella could react, something jumped over her head, charging at the cloaked monstrosity until it slithered away. It was a centaur. He had white-blond hair and a palomino body.
"Are you alright, Harry?" asked Maribella . She offered him her hand, and he took it, gripping tightly. Harry was blinking rapidly and breathing heavily.
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah- what happened?"
At this moment the centaur came nearer them. Maribella tiredly reviewed everything she knew about them. Half-man, half-horse. Classified as XXXX by the Ministry of Magic. Clairvoyants? Yes, and they are not very friendly to humans. This one had just saved them, though.
"How do you feel?" he asked as Maribella pulled Harry to his feet and decided he meant no harm to them.
"Fine- thank you- what was that?"
The centaur didn't answer. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar which stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead.
"You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time- especially for you." He looked at Maribella . His eyes flared with recognition.
"You, child. You know your way in and out this Forest like no other beast. Return to your carer." Maribella had heard that voice before. In a dream, in a nightmare. "Return, and bring him along."
Maribella stood frozen, avoiding Harry's gaze and the sure question she'd find burning on his lips. The centaur looked up in the sky, admiring the few bits he could see. His face darkened when he turned back to them.
"There's no time. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way."
He lowered himself to his front legs so that Maribella and Harry could clamber on to his back.
"My name is Firenze," he added as an afterthought.
There was more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two centaurs burst through the trees. One had red hair and a beard, and the other had black hair.
"Firenze!" the black haired centaur thundered. "What are you doing? You have two humans on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"
"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this Forest, the better."
"What have you been telling him?" growled the centaur. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"
"I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," the other centaur said in a gloomy voice.
"For the best!" his companion said as he kicked his back legs in anger. "What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our Forest!"
"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed. "Do you understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this Forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must." Maribella felt a chill run down her spine.
And Firenze whisked around, with the two children holding onto him as best they could. They plunged off into the trees, leaving the two centaurs behind.
"Firenze," Harry asked after a few minutes of silence. "What was that thing you saved us from?"
Firenze slowed to a walk, before stopping.
"Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"
Maribella gulped.
"No." Harry seemed to be startled by the question. "We've only used the horn and tail-hair in Potions."
"It keeps you alive," Maribella said. "Even if you're close to death, it keeps you alive."
"Yes. It is a monstrous thing to slay a unicorn," Firenze said. "It keeps you alive, but at a price."
"A terrible price," Maribella agreed. "You live a cursed life, Harry. From the moment the blood touches your lips, you are destined to a fate worse than death."
"How do you know this?" Harry asked, looking at her strangely. Maribella 's gaze softened. How could she not? When her own soul was damned to a similar fate?
"You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself and will have but a half life," Firenze finished Maribella's thought.
"Makes you wonder who would be that desperate, doesn't it?" Maribella pondered aloud. "Who would purposefully, willingly, ruin their own life like that." She couldn't understand.
"If you're going to be cursed for ever, death's better, isn't it?" Harry wondered.
"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else- something that will mean you can never die."
Maribella and Harry exchanged a glance, both thinking of the same thing. The Philosopher's Stone.
"Can you think of nobody," Firenze continued, "who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"
Maribella couldn't really. She looked over at Harry. He looked like he was going to throw up.
"Do you mean," he croaked, "that was Vol-" Oh!
"Harry, Maribella , are you alright?" Hagrid was staggering towards them.
"I'm fine," Harry said. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."
"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are both safe now."
They slid off his back. The centaur looked up to the sky and down to Maribella .
"We'll meet again. Soon," he said, eyes rolling up to the moon above. Maribella trembled and walked towards Hagrid, leaving Firenze and Harry to talk.
As they walked back to the Gryffindor common room, Harry was eager to talk about the happenings of the evening.
"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort… and Voldemort's waiting in the Forest… and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich… So now all we've got to do is wait until Snape has the stone and Vol-" he said nervously.
"Stop saying his name, Harry," Maribella hissed and quickened her pace.
"What's the matter with you?" Harry asked.
"What do you mean, 'what's the matter with me'?" Maribella snapped. "Merlin, Harry, we saw You-Know-Who! You-Know-Who! He killed a unicorn! And drank its blood, and we saw it, we saw him! Not only that, but Malfoy's been getting on my nerves the whole evening, and you guys- yes, you as well- just kept acting like werewolves were going to come in a pack and mutilate your faces, and that's just terribly generalizing them as a whole and very insulting."
"Werewolves?" Harry inquired. "I don't- why does that matter now?"
"You don't get it." Maribella threw her arms up in exasperation. "It's been a year and you haven't figured it out."
Poor Harry. Maribella knew deep down that he didn't deserve to be shouted at. But at the moment, she was too emotional to acknowledge it.
"What do you mean? What's the matter?" Harry asked, utterly confused.
"Me, Harry," she exploded finally as they neared the common room. "I'm the problem." She faced him. "I'm the danger you, and Neville, and even bloody Malfoy were so worried about. I'm the werewolf." And as soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could swallow them back and stuff them down her throat into her belly. But it was too late, and now Harry was staring at her incredulously, eyes wide and mouth agape.
So Maribella did the only thing she could think of. She ran.
She sprinted into the common room, past the sofa where a snoring Ron and a sleepy Hermione were seated at, up to her dorm and into her bed, sobbing silently until she fell asleep to the sound of her cries.