"Marnie…" a gentle voice called after me as I ran through the tall grass I recognised fondly as being the fields around our cottage.
"Marnie darling be careful in the tall grass," the voice warned but I was too happy to turn around and acknowledge her.
"Ow!" I howled only a moment later when I felt my foot step on something rubbery with spikes.
I looked down to see a snake wrapped around my ankle with its fangs sticking into my skin.
"AHHHHH!" I screamed, alarming the voice that had been following me.
I was immediately lifted into the air and that's when I realised my height was significantly lower than I was used to.
"Impedimenta!" the voice exclaimed and I felt as the tight cord around my ankle loosened and the voice's hand tore it from my body.
"Marnie, this is why you have to watch where you're stepping. Let's go get some medicine back at the house," the voice said in a calmer voice.
I finally looked up to see who was speaking and saw that it was my mother. I didn't remember ever being bitten by a snake in the meadows, but if my mother was the one who was picking me up then I was only three years old at the most. I watched my mother lovingly but realised she was crying.
"Mum?" I asked, but the voice didn't emit from my mouth. "Mum, what's wrong?"
I felt more anxious that she was crying when it seemed I was alright now in her arms. My foot wasn't sore and we had medicine back at the house. But suddenly I was pulled away from my mother's concerned embrace into the dark of night lying in my four-poster bed. I also wasn't alone when I instantly noticed someone standing over me. She was distraught and I realised then that this must have been the crying I heard instead.
"Ginny, what's wrong?" I immediately sobered and sensed that something was very wrong if Ginny was waking me up in the middle of the night crying.
She only shook her head and pulled my arm so that I followed her out of the room. I figured she didn't want to wake up the others so I obligingly let her lead me out and down the stairs. I was even more anxious though when I saw Professor McGonagall in her nightclothes standing with Fred, George and Ron.
"What's happened?" I asked in a shaky voice.
"I'm sorry but we can't waste anymore time. Miss. Weasley insisted she wake you up before the Weasleys leave. I will come back escorting Harry so say your quick goodbyes and you wait here until I return," McGonagall said with urgency.
Ginny didn't need anymore insistence before she threw herself around my waist. I could feel her fear so I squeezed my arms tightly around her and watched the twins and Ron with worry.
"They're saying dad's in the hospital," Ginny whispered but let go to allow Fred to step forward.
McGonagall was already leading Ginny and Ron towards the exit so I threw my arms around Fred and held even tighter than before.
"I'm scared Hare," Fred barely whispered and I hated that I was being left behind.
"I love you," I whispered back fiercely.
Fred nodded, allowing for George to quickly yet very tightly embrace me before they hurried after our head of house and younger siblings. As soon as they were out of sight I started pacing the common room. I knew I couldn't wake up anyone else since I assumed this had something to do with the Order if they were all leaving like this, hurriedly in the middle of the night. I also thought back to the dream I had, since it had my mother in it and that always meant a warning. Especially since this is the situation I awoke to. But what could it possibly mean showing me getting bitten by a snake when I was a child.
It felt like an eternity by the time the common room door opened again.
"Harry!" I ran over to pull him fiercely into my arms.
McGonagall looked worn out and worried but quietly excused herself now that Harry was returned to his dormitory and I was fussing over him. I pulled Harry's hand so that we both sat in front of the fire.
"I think they all blame me for what happened," Harry whispered before sinking his head into his hands.
"Who thinks that? Dumbledore?" I felt like rushing up to the headmasters office immediately if he had been the one to set off my brother's keen sense for self-blame.
"No, Ron—and the twins, and Ginny," Harry sounded so much younger than he actually was admitting his insecurities.
Or maybe I was used to seeing him act so much older that this was more appropriate for this actual age.
"Harry, they don't blame you, they're just terrified right now. Just walk me through what happened," I replied gently.
I wondered if I should just let him fall asleep since he had no doubt explained what happened already to Dumbledore, but I felt this time Harry needed someone to confide his personal doubts.
Harry immediately set off into a summary of what happened, starting with his vivid dream of Mr. Weasley being attacked in the Department of Mysteries by a snake up until the Weasley's were whisked away to Grimmauld Place through Dumbledore's fireplace.
"Marnie, I was the snake that attacked Mr. Weasley. I think I'm somehow responsible for this," Harry buried his head back into his hands.
"Harry, did I ever tell you about the first vivid dream I had about my mother?" I looked at Harry but he only shook his head from his hands. "Well, it wasn't a memory like all the other ones. It started out that way but ended with me being my mother in her hospital room. It was really eerie and because I freaked out so much, mum got out of bed and broke her leg from tripping."
"Really?" this piqued Harry's interest as he brought his head out from his lap. "But, Mr. Weasley might die, Marnie! Lena was fine wasn't she?"
Harry was sounding more desperate now.
"That's not the point I'm making Harry. I'll say the same thing the twins told me when I broke down sobbing and told them. I was so scared that I had some kind of power that could harm people I ran away. But they tracked me down and told me that I don't have the capacity to harm people. Harry, you care for Mr. Weasley deeply. His family has cared for us like their own and all you feel is gratitude and love towards them, right? So even if you shared the same eyes as the snake like I did with my mother, neither of us shared their actions," I felt more confident about it now than I had years earlier.
Maybe I was beginning to see what everyone was talking about when they told me I needed to realise I was a Gryffindor. And the same goes for Harry who was almost sorted into Slytherin.
"You believe that I can't hurt people?" Harry sounded like he was clinging onto my words.
"Of course I believe in that, even when you don't," I replied evenly.
Harry offered a small smile before we sank into an uneasy silence. I hoped Harry believed what I told him, but there was still the matter that we both knew Mr. Weasley was in mortal peril and we didn't have any updates. I couldn't help wondering if the twins had gone to see him in the hospital yet or even if the Order got to him in time. We both lost track of time and didn't fall asleep so I was surprised when I heard people coming down for an early breakfast before heading off to the train for Christmas break.
"I should tell Hermione at breakfast," Harry yawned but we were interrupted by someone else coming into the common room.
"O'Hara. Potter. Detention for falling asleep in the common room. Go and pack you trunks and bring them to my office to serve your detention," McGonagall called out looking flustered under her usual steady gaze.
"But professor, we didn't even sleep!" I retorted but McGonagall looked more annoyed than usual that I was objecting to her harsh punishment.
"Yea professor, the train leaves in a couple hours for home," Angelina appeared looking perplexed that we would be given a detention for something so trivial right before the Christmas break.
"I will escort you to the station after your detention is served. Now, you have fifteen minutes to get ready and be in my office," McGonagall ordered and stayed rooted in place for observation.
I looked at the professor and wondered if this was some sort of plan. Maybe Harry was no longer safe after last night's episode so I didn't stall anymore and tore up the stairs to get packed and ready.
When Harry and I entered McGonagall's office a prompt fifteen minutes later there was a platter of muffins awaiting us instead of the usual parchment and quills for lines.
"Sorry you two, but I'm sure you're aware that four students leaving in the middle of the night already has the High Inquisitor in a frenzy. You will stay here until the last minute when I will escort you personally to the station," I smiled at McGonagall and hated to think of her taking the fall from that old hag who had it out for any professor loyal to Dumbledore, which was literally every professor here.
"And it's best if you don't tell anyone about last night until you are back in London. Possibly Miss Granger can be filled in but the more people who know the more precarious the situation," McGonagall explained and I nodded.
I would let the twins fill in Lee and the others as they saw fit and would just plead ignorance until then. Angelina might not believe me but she also wouldn't push the envelope either.
"I can't believe McGonagall gave you a detention just before Christmas break! What did you do to put her in such a foul mood?" Lee asked, while also giving me a look of admiration.
"Lee, I didn't do anything. I woke up early to talk to Harry and she just came storming in," I shrugged, keeping the story as similar to the truth as possible.
I noticed Angelina's appraising look, but like I figured, she didn't push the subject further.
"And the twins went back early because their father is sick? I hope he's alright," Alicia said worriedly.
Of course Lee had told them over breakfast that the twins were missing along with their trunks. So when I saw them at the train station they swarmed over me in concern. I'm sure Angelina suspected that my early rising had something to do with the twins so I was thankful she didn't voice her assumption.
"It's not like they're concerned with classes anyway, so they can focus on their family without being too sidetracked. As for me, I'm just glad to be done the term. NEWT classes are a special type of torture," Katie sulked.
"Yea, and quidditch is a nightmare with the twins and Harry gone. Ginny is quite good but the other two can't hold a stick to Fred and George's talent. Do you think they'll even come back from Christmas break?" Angelina looked more worried now.
"What do you mean Ange?" I hadn't considered the twins might not come back to school.
"Well, I mean we only have a semester left and it's no secret between us that the twins don't really care about studies. They spend every extra minute working on their joke products. Plus, now that they're not on the team is there anything really keeping them here?"
"Uhh, well I would hope Marnie counts as a reason for them to stay, especially Fred," Katie looked indignant that Angelina would even suggest such a thing, but the more I thought about it the more I sided with Angelina.
"I don't know about the twins, but their mother sure wouldn't let them skip out," I replied, knowing this was a true statement as well.
Even if Fred and George wanted to stay at home to perfect their joke products and keep by their father, Mrs. Weasley probably wouldn't let them.
The conversation eventually turned away from the twins but I couldn't shake Ange's comment. It wasn't anything the twins had brought up, but now they certainly had an argument for their mother if Mr. Weasley was in critical condition.
Once the train pulled into London, I grabbed my trunk and found Harry with Hermione in the hallway. Hermione gave me a knowing look but we just left it at that. I could tell she hated to be leaving us when Harry and I would be filled in by this evening and we couldn't even send her a letter as an update. I wondered if she would join us at Grimmauld Place later on after her parents took her home.
"Dad!" I shouted, seeing him standing on the platform with his hands in his pockets.
I also noticed Mad-Eye Moody and Nymphadora Tonks standing behind him, not looking at all discreet.
"Marnie! Harry!" my dad walked over while Hermione stayed with us for the time being.
He wrapped the both of us in a hug before shaking hands with Hermione. Dad always looked so relieved whenever he saw friends of mine or Harry's and I wondered if he doubted we could make friends very easily.
"Is he—?" Hermione let the pregnant pause speak volumes since it probably wasn't wise to truly ask the question out loud.
"He's stable. We all visited today in the hospital so there's nothing to worry about," my father reassured the three of us.
Each of us in turn exhaled rather loudly as if we had all been holding our breaths.
"Come on, we shouldn't be idly standing here," Moody barked, shifting his eyes suspiciously around the crowded platform.
"Right, well I'm sure we'll be seeing you later on in the holiday Hermione," my father said more politely.
Hermione nodded and then spotted her parents before rushing off across the platform to greet them. My father put both of his hands on mine and Harry's shoulders before following Mad-Eye and Tonks out of the station. I felt relieved Mr. Weasley was going to be alright, but my chest still tightened with anxiety. It felt like whatever was going on in the Order, this was only the beginning.