As soon as they were out of the portrait hole, they sped walk towards the third floor corridor, stopping shortly to shoo Peeves away. A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor- and the door was already ajar.
"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly. "Snape's already got past Fluffy."
"Maybe he got mauled," Maribella quipped optimistically. "Come on, let's go." But Harry grabbed her arm.
"Wait," he said. "If you three want to go back, I won't blame you. You can even take the Cloak, I won't need it now."
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.
"We're coming," said Hermione.
"Let's go," Maribella pressed, and this time they all moved in unison, pushing open the door, the wood creaking loudly at the motion.
Maribella walked straight in, anxious to meet the infamous Fluffy, gasping at the sight of him. She was looking straight into three pairs of eyes of one single dog- a dog so large the four of them had to squeeze against the wall so not to risk touching him. He towered over them and sniffed the air madly, as if he knew there were four tasty first years waiting to be his midnight snack.
He was terrifying, even Maribella had to admit it. But as much as she feared him, she also pitied him. She thought of all the times she turned; how her body craved the liberty and freedom that came with the mind of an animal- no wonder Fluffy was so angry. Always isolated in a secluded chamber in the castle, with only his own heads and conscience, and for a brief amount of time, the greasy and sleazy Professor Snape, for company. She'd go crazy too. Fluffy only needed a good ol' sensitive soul who was willing to show him a scintilla of compassion, which she'd very much like to do so, and he'd-
"Maribella !" Harry's quiet panicked voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Sorry, sorry," she muttered, producing from her robes some meat. It was only when she threw a slice of beef to the opposite side of the room and the dog's giant noses failed to even snatch a speck of the food's scent, that she realized how unprepared they were. If anything, that failed attempt only served to startle the dog, who was now barking madly.
"What now?" Hermione croaked.
"Harry," Maribella called, trying to remain composed and not give in to her worries, "you brought the flute, didn't you?" He nodded. "Give it here." And even though she was absolutely horrid at anything that required as little as humming, she brought Hagrid's flute to her lips and blew hard. She played a tuneless melody- if it could even be called that- but it did the trick. Fluffy's eyes slowly began to droop and their growls ceased. He slumped to the ground, fast asleep.
They all took a moment to cheer, but Maribella was starting to get out of breath and gesticulated towards the trapdoor. They crept towards it.
"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, stepping over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open. Ron peered down. "Want to go first, Hermione?"
"No, I don't!"
"I'll go first," Harry said.
"Are you sure?" asked Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Harry said, lowering himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?" And he dropped down. A few seconds later, a FLUMP echoed.
"You ok?" Maribella asked panting and stopping to play.
"Keep playing," Ron warned. In the few seconds' silence, the dog twitched, but Maribella started playing again and the cacophony calmed him to sleep.
"Landing's safe, you can jump," Harry called.
Maribella kept on playing until all her friends were out of sight. Then she scratched one of the dog's head and jumped in before it awoke. She squeezed her eyes shut as she fell, only opening them again when her legs made contact with something soft and moist. A plant of some sort? She couldn't tell as she was absorbed in darkness and her eyes were not used to the gloom. She felt something slimy creep up her leg and wrap itself around her thigh. She shrieked and tried cutting herself free with her nails, might even have succeeded had the plant not taken a hold of her arms as well- and was that a vine in her ear? She strained against it, but it just tightened its grip.
"Look at you three!" she heard Hermione exclaim. "Stop moving! I know what this is- it's Devil's Snare!"
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," Ron said sarcastically from somewhere.
"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it… Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare… What did Professor Sprout say?" Maribella didn't even know they had already learned about this monstrosity. She ought to pay more attention in Herbology. "It likes the dark and the damp-" Hermione continued.
"So light a fire!" Harry choked.
"Yes- of course- but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"
"Oh, right," Hermione muttered nervously. She sent a jet of some bluebell flames and in a matter of seconds, they felt the plant loosening as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies and they were able to pull free. Maribella blinked as she fell, her eyes finally getting accustomed to the darkness.
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry.
"And lucky Ron doesn't lose his head in a crisis," Maribella said, jumping up and brushing some dust off her shirt. "Where to now?"
"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway sloping downwards, which was the only way on. Maribella used the walls to steady and guide herself as she walked. Up ahead she could hear a soft rustling and clicking.
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.
"Do you think it's a ghost?" Harry asked turning around from his place upfront to look at Maribella . The girl shook her head.
"Ghosts don't click and rustle," she told him. "Sounds like birds to me."
"There's light ahead- I can see something moving."
They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a well-lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small birds, that glistened like bright jewels. Opposite to them was a heavy-looking wooden door.
"Birds," murmured Ron, "you were right."
"No, not birds," Hermione corrected, observing them carefully, "look at them- they are glittering."
"They're keys! Winged keys! So that must mean…" He looked over to the door. Harry walked across and gave the door a good yank, but it wouldn't budge. "One of the keys will open the door," he concluded, looking around the chamber.
"But there are hundreds of them!"
Ron stepped closer, examining the lock on the door.
"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one- probably silver, like the handle."
"And look there! Broomsticks!"
"Can't we just 'Wingardium Leviosa' them down?" Maribella asked, but in their excitement, nobody heard.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione each seized a broomstick, while she stayed on the ground, waiting for them to toss captured keys at her so she could test them out on the lock.
"No- no- no," she scowled as she stuck the keys in hole and they didn't twist. The trio was having a hard time snatching keys, especially Hermione, who was trembling up on her broom. Maribella wanted to be more of help.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" she whipped her wand out and pointed at the nearest key and it obediently floated down to her hand. Despite her best efforts, though, she still was too slow. The bewitched keys darted and dived and twirled, and Maribella often missed.
Lucky for them, Harry was the youngest Seeker in the century, and he had a knack for spotting things other people didn't.
"That one!" he called, pointing at a large silver key that had bent sapphire wings and was too far away for Maribella to hit it with a curse. "That big one- there- no, there- with the blue wings- the feathers are all crumpled on one side- yes, Ron, grab it, yes- Oof." Ron had sped over towards the key, but ended up crashing into the ceiling. Maribella started laughing until Ron gave her a look, and she hid her amusement behind a cough.
"Mari, can you get on a broom?" Harry asked. "We've got to corner it."
Maribella hopped on and helped put in practice Harry's already formulated plan. Ron hovered above it, with Hermione a few meters below. Maribella zoomed in at the key from the left and Harry from the right. The key dodged Ron, swayed away from Hermione, skimmed Maribella's fingertips and ended up inside Harry's closed palm. They landed quickly and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned- it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very weary.
"Ready?" Harry asked them, and they nodded. Together, they pulled the door open.
The next chamber was pitch black. As they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal a huge chessboard. They were standing at the edge, behind the black chessman. On the other side of the room there were white pieces and behind that, another door.
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.
"I suppose we can't just stride across the room; the chessmen will stop us," Maribella said.
"Of course!" said Ron. "We've got to play our way out of this place."
"How?" said Hermione, nervously.
"I think we're going to have to be chessmen," he answered, and walked up to a black knight. He put his hand out to touch the horse, and the stone immediately sprang up to life.
"Do we- er- have to join you to get across?" Ron asked. The black knight nodded, and Ron turned to look at them.
"This wants thinking about… I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces…"
Maribella started sweating. She knew nothing of chess.
"Ron-" she started.
"Now, don't be offended," he said, "but none of you are that good at chess-"
Maribella thanked Merlin silently. Ron seemed to be taking charge.
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do."
"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, Hermione, you go there instead of the castle, and Maribella -"
"Can I be the king, Ron?" Maribella asked jokingly. Ron gave her a sideways smile.
"You'll be a pawn, Mari," he said with a grin, pointing towards one of the smallest, least valuable pieces. "Just that one at the corner."
Maribella huffed good-naturedly and walked towards the pawn, the last one on a row of many. She touched his shoulder lightly and he too came to life. He took off his stone helmet and handed it to her, before turning his back on the white pieces and walking off, to stand with Hermione's tower, Harry's bishop and Ron's knight. Maribella took his place on the chessboard, holding onto the pawn's headwear. It too was made purely of the heavy material, and it'd probably break her neck if she tried wearing it, so she held it in front of her like a buckler.
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes… look…"
A white pawn, the one standing directly to the right of Maribella's black counterpart, moved two squares forward.
"They are targeting us," Ron said with realization. "There's no other reason for that- it was a terrible initial move, I'll tell you that. He's coming for you, Mari," Ron seemed resolved to let anything but that happen. "Harry- move diagonally four squares to the right," he thundered with a certainty Maribella had never heard in his voice. And then the game officially started. Ron spit out orders faster and faster, an equal to the white pieces' strategies and pace. It looked like they were doing pretty well, and it was even fun watching their friend become that version of himself.
It was only when the white queen smashed the other black knight to pieces, and dragged his remains off the board, that they remembered the severity of their situation.
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
Compared to her friends, Maribella felt quite useless. She supposed it came with being the futile chess piece, but still. She watched Ron dart around the board taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost the black ones, and Harry conquer spaces and even deliver a few 'Checks', and Hermione, quiet and shaken from all the destruction the chessmen had caused, but still not as faded in the background as Maribella . Maribella herself only continuously and tediously moved one square forward, whenever Ron told her to.
"We're nearly there," Ron muttered suddenly. "Let me think- let me think…" The white faceless queen turned her blank face towards Ron.
"Yes…" he mumbled softly, "it's the only way… I've got to be taken."
"NO!" Maribella , Harry, and Hermione chorused.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and she'll take me- listen closely, here's what you'll do: Maribella , you've got to advance one more square. You're close to the end of the chessboard, you'll be queen, and the white pieces know that- they'll try to stop you. That leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry."
Ron had a plan for her all along. She felt bad for complaining- inwardly, but still.
"And if they don't try to stop me?" she asked.
"Then you'll be queen and you can checkmate- either way we win. You see why I've got no choice?"
"But-"
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"
"Ron-"
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"
There was nothing else they could say.
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go- now, don't hang around once you've won," he warned.
His horse moved forward and as it came to a stop, the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard on the head with one stone arm and his horse with the other. Ron crashed to the ground, limp. Maribella would've moved to succor him, had Harry not yelled, "Stay where you are!"
Maribella gulped, refusing to look to where the white queen had dragged Ron. Instead, she strode forward. One square, and all the white pieces turned to observe. Just like Ron had predicted, a white castle moved to block her way. Harry moved three spaces diagonally to the left. They had won.
The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. The remaining chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. Hermione walked towards Ron, but Harry stopped her.
"We've got to go," Harry said, holding her arm. Ron had told them not to loiter around.
"What if he's-?" she started, eyes wet.
"I'll stay with him," Maribella spoke up suddenly.
"What?" Harry said. "Are you sure?"
"It wouldn't be right, leaving Ron behind like that," Maribella replied. "A- and tomorrow's full moon. I haven't felt tired yet- all this adrenaline had to be good for something- but it'll come…" She hugged Harry tightly, then.
"Snape's no match for you," she whispered into his hair. "Good luck and be safe."
"I- uh- thanks," he said, confused. She could tell his face was reddening. Maribella pulled back and moved to hug Hermione.
"Take care of him," she whispered to the girl, "and be safe." She repeated. Hermione nodded, and the two girls parted. With one last desperate look back, Harry and Hermione charged through the door.
Maribella waited until their backs were completely swallowed by the darkness, before turning back to the rumble that was left from their match. She spotted Ron, laying lifeless with the black pieces, and walked towards him. She called the white queen a rather derogatory term as she passed and made an obscene gesture at the tower that had targeted her. She stopped finally before Ron.
"Oh, Ron," she sighed, bending down and checking his pulse. She let out a sigh of relief. He was just knocked out. She sat down, leaning her back against the wall. The adrenaline was wearing off, and she was slowly but surely getting tired. It had been a good thirty minutes, before the door slammed open again. Maribella immediately shot up, putting herself in between Ron and the door, and brandished her wand. She would not be letting Snape get past her without a fight. She relaxed when she saw the familiar mane of bushy hair, but tensed up again when she noticed her black haired companion was missing.
"Where's Harry?" Maribella asked, fearing the worst.
"He got through," Hermione said to her. "Harry went through, don't worry. How is Ron?" she asked, kneeling by the unconscious boy.
"He's fine. Just knocked out, thank Merlin."
"We have to go, Mari," Hermione said, once she made sure Ron truly was ok. "We have to go owl Dumbledore."
"We can't leave Ron here, though," Maribella argued. "And we can't float his body up there with us."
"One of us has to go," Hermione said, panicking this time. "Harry might be dying for all we know!"
"You stay with him," Maribella said, resolved. "I'll go. And if I can, I'll get Professor McGonagall too. Then I'll come back."
"Be quick," Hermione urged.
She ran back to the flying keys room, dodging some stray chessmen as she went. She grabbed a broom and took off. Maribella was nowhere near as good as Harry, or even Ron, but she was a decent flyer, having spent some time floating above her house's vineyard. She zoomed down the narrow passageway towards the Devil's Snare, and accelerated upwards, breaking through the plant. She shot up through the trapdoor, startling Fluffy so much he never even had time to growl- just to blink in astonishment. She stopped briefly to grab the Invisibility Cloak and to hop off the broom. She threw the door open, running towards the Owlery. Dawn had already started seeping through the windows of the castle, and she used the light to help guide her way. She was running down a flight of when suddenly- WHAM! Maribella smacked into something very solid. From her place on the floor she saw that it was Dumbledore, looking slightly disheveled.
"Sorry Miss Piccinni," he apologized, not even questioning why she was up and walking around so early. "Harry's gone after him," he said and even though it wasn't a question, Maribella nodded. Dumbledore turned hastily, and hurtled off towards the third floor. Maribella followed in a slower pace, meeting up with Hermione on her way there.
"Professor Dumbledore's with Ron and Harry," she explained, and together they made their way to back to their dormitory, where they fell asleep for the better part of the morning and afternoon. Rumours were already circulating by the time they woke up. About Quirrell, for some strange reason, and how he wouldn't come back to his post as the Defence Against the Dark Arts and how Harry Potter and his three meddling friends had something to do with it. The two were bombarded with questions, by strangers and not, as they made their way up to the Hospital Wing, to visit Ron and Harry, the latter still dead to the world.
That night, Maribella experienced her last full moon at Hogwarts, at least for the time being. Just like she had predicted, it was the hardest one yet, more so after the exciting night she had had with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She slept past noon the next day, waking to hear loud cheers and to find Hermione sitting with an open book by her bed.
"Quidditch match," Hermione told Maribella . "You've just missed Ron, he left to catch the last bit of the game with Neville."
"Shame," Maribella said, sinking back comfortably into her pillows. Then she shot up again. "Harry!" she exclaimed.
"Right over there," Hermione nodded towards a bed that was surrounded by so many things it was hard to see who lay on it, "still unconscious."
"He's not going to be happy that he missed the match."
"He hasn't got much choice, though," Hermione said, not lifting her eyes off her book.
"True," Maribella agreed. "What are you reading?" she inquired, changing the subject.
"This brilliant account on household pests!" Hermione showed he the cover, and the name Gilderoy Lockhart flashed brightly on it. It didn't sound very exciting to Maribella , and she was about to tell Hermione so when the doors slammed open. It was the Weasley twins, dripping with mud, and Ron.
"Alright?" one of the twins asked as they approached her bed. "Has Harry woken up yet?"
"Came to tell 'im we were Ooofficially Beaten today," the other told them, lengthening the o.
"Wood's still in the shower, probably trying to drown his sorrows," the first twin said again, and the two boys shared a laugh. Then they noticed Maribella was a patient in the Hospital Wing, not just there for visiting.
"Why're you here?" the twin she decided to dub as Twin One (she really had to learn how to tell those two apart) asked. Ron, Hermione, and Maribella shared a look.
"She had a nasty fall," Ron explained, his ears flaming red as they always did when he lied, just as Hermione affirmed she had an upset stomach.
"I er- fell on my stomach and now it hurts?" Maribella restated, and the three offered the twins a lopsided innocent-looking smile. The twins shrugged, not sufficiently interested in their younger brother and his two friends to suspect their story.
"Look here George," Twin One, presumably Fred, called, walking towards Harry's bed and picking one of the many Chocolate Frog packets the sleeping boy had gotten. "Maybe we should get ourselves knocked unconscious sometime, eh?"
"Don't kid yourself, Fred," George quipped warmly. "Nobody cares enough about you to get you a-" and he picked a random box of sweets, "-jumbo box of crystallized pineapples."
"Reckon we should gift him with something as well?" Fred asked.
"Only if he likes toilet seats," George replied. The two shared a grin and left, without saying goodbye, leaving their bodily secretions everywhere they went, like big freckled slugs.
Hermione and Ron eventually left to get some lunch. Maribella opted to stay in bed a little longer, hoping Harry would wake. He didn't, and albeit reluctantly, she was released from Madam Pomfrey's custody. It turned out that she could've stayed for another entire day, even two, and she still wouldn't have caught Harry alert, as he only woke up on the day before the end of the year feast.
It took some convincing before Madam Pomfrey finally let Maribella, Ron, and Hermione in. Once she did, she told them they only had five minutes, and to be quick. They rushed in and sure enough, there Harry was, sitting quietly on his bed. Maribella rushed over, resisting the sudden urge to wrap her arms around him, and pulling a chair instead. It felt slightly weird sitting around the bed and giving out pitying glances, rather than receiving them, like she was used to, but she got over it quickly. Harry mattered more than her petty feelings.
"Are you alright?" she asked. Harry smiled slightly.
"Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to- Dumbledore was so worried-" Hermione said.
"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"
He explained everything that had happened, from the moment he and Hermione left Ron and Maribella . For once, the actual story of what had happened was a lot more wild than the rumours. I mean, Harry had faced You-Know-Who himself! Even more surprising, Snape was innocent! By the of Harry's story, Maribella 's head was hurting.
"But what happened to you guys after I went in?" Harry asked, after they were done gaping and gasping over his story. Theirs was quite a bore after Harry's, but nevertheless they told him it.
Soon Madam Pomfrey bustled over.
"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT," she said firmly.
Maribella jumped up, giving Harry a grin and a two-finger salute before she hurried out with Ron and Hermione.
They next saw him the following night, during the final feast. The Great Hall was decked out in the Slytherin colors- (green and silver) to celebrate their seventh year winning the House Cup. Poor Harry- he walked in when the Hall was already full, and received a few hundred questioning stares. There was a second of silence when the doors opened and then everybody started talking loudly at once. Maribella waved at him from the Gryffindor table, and he took a seat next to her, facing Ron and Hermione.
Dumbledore arrived only moments later. The babbled died instantly.
"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them, nice and empty before next year starts…"
Hermione shook her head frantically, and Maribella and Ron laughed at her antics.
"Now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding and the order stands thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, in third, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw in second with an astounding four hundred and ninety-six, and leading the houses, Slytherin, with five hundred and twenty two."
The Slytherins erupted into applause. Maribella tried not to let her embarrassment show, as their appalling loss was partly her fault. And then Dumbledore continued.
"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account."
Not a breath was heard.
"I have a few last minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes…"
"First- to Mr Ronald Weasley for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points." The Gryffindor table exploded in cheers. Ron went red on his face as Hermione hugged him tightly and various Gryffindors thumped him on the back.
At last, there was silence.
"Second- to Miss Hermione Granger for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points." Hermione buried her face in her arms, and this time it was Ron who was side-hugging her. Maribella bent over the table, bumping and dropping her goblet on the floor, to pat Hermione's back.
"Third- to Miss Maribella Piccinni…" Maribella froze. Suddenly everyone seemed to know who she was, and they were all watching her practically climb over the table trying to reach her friend and make a fool out of herself. She blushed crazily and scrambled to get back on her seat, directing her attention to Dumbledore. The old man had a twinkle in his eyes. "... for persisting tirelessly despite the circumstances, I award Gryffindor house fifty points." He smiled like the two were sharing an inside joke. He had a way of making you feel special, that Dumbledore. She had barely time to think of that, though, because as soon as the words were out of the Professor's mouth, the whole Gryffindor house was consumed with euphoria, their jubilant shouts filling up the air. Her embarrassment vanished instantly. A lot of people shook her hand and gave her smiles. Harry hugged her excitedly, because with her points, they had just overtaken Ravenclaw, and were in second place.
"To Mr. Harry Potter," Dumbledore started, and the Hall fell silent, "for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award the Gryffindor house sixty points." Maribella shouted and shrieked and screamed for her friend, her glee mingling with her fellow housemates and turning into a deafening mess. They were tied for first with Slytherin! Even from her place next to him, Maribella couldn't reach Harry, because the entire house had piled up on him. But Dumbledore wasn't done.
"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."
How had Dumbledore known what had happened with Neville? She supposed it didn't matter, because Gryffindor had won! They had won! Beaten Slytherin and ended their six-year streak. And thanks to none other than Neville! Where was he? Maribella couldn't spot him in the crowd. The Gryffindors were united as one, hugging and cheering, and it was so nice, Maribella thought her night couldn't get better. And then Harry nudged her and pointed to the Slytherin table, where Malfoy was sitting looking constipated, and Maribella and Harry started a whole new set of laughter.
"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause. Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were cheering the downfall of Slytherin,"we need a little change of decoration." He clapped, and the green turned into a red and the silver lightened to a gold. A towering Gryffindor lion scared the Slytherin's serpent away with a roar. It was one of the best nights in Maribella 's life.
Suddenly, Maribella's things were cleared off her dormroom, her socks neatly folded, and her trunk packed. Notes were handed out to all students warning them to not use magic at home, as were their exams grades. Much to Maribella 's chagrin, her scores had all been mediocre at best (except, surprisingly, Potions. Whatever had happened?). She had gotten an A in most, except Potions (E), and Transfiguration (P).
Her scores were forgotten, though, as they travelled in the Hogwarts Express, talking and laughing, the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross station.
Maribella was the first to say her goodbyes as her friends crossed the barrier- she'd be waiting for her parents in the wizarding station.
"You must all come and stay this summer," said Ron as they waved goodbye. "I'll send an owl."
"I'll write as often I can," Maribella said, waving as well. It didn't take long for her family to find her.
"Mari," they chorused, as they all enveloped her in a warmful embrace. All except Giovanna, who seemed to be more interested in other things… or people…
"Where's Harry Potter?" she asked eagerly. "Do you think he could autograph my book?" Anna was holding up her Harry Potter graphic novels and standing on her tippy toes. Maribella grinned.
"Forget this rubbish, Anna," she said. "I have a much better story for you- it started on the first of September, when I-, uh, I mean, a young girl boarded a train that'd take her to..."
A/N.: And thus, first year has been completed :)
Thanks to all who favorited and followed the story and Maribella's journey. Her second year has already been written and finalized! Let me know your thoughts: what you liked most, constructive critiques, what are your expectations for the next chapter in Maribella's story...!