"Wouldn't it be better just to stay here?" George said on the last day before we were due to go back to the school.

I shot him an appraising look. "Angelina said you two would say something like that."

George seemed taken aback by this, turning his head to look down at the bed with heightened interest. I could still however see the blush forming over his cheeks.

"We did want to try out a few more products, like the Headless Hats Georgie," Fred easily intercepted with a grin.

"You figured the charm out then?" I looked up in surprise, knowing they had been working on that one for nearly a year.

"Yea, they're really something. George and I wanted to make sure our other products did well, instead of just the Skiving Snackboxes."

"Right, well there's only one term left before school is over. Doesn't seem much sense in staying back now," I replied but both of the twins looked a little uneasy.

"I guess Marnie, but I mean without quidditch and dealing with old toad face every day, school isn't really fun anymore," George's reply made it seem that maybe the twins actually had been considering ditching school early.

"You really think about not coming back?" I was too surprised to know how I actually felt if they didn't come back.

I didn't want to be the new clingy girlfriend, but the twins had been my best friends since the very first day. Hogwarts certainly wouldn't be the same without them.

"We are coming back, mum would lose her mind if we didn't go with you all tomorrow. If we start thinking about it again, you'll be the first to know Hare," Fred smiled but I frowned thinking that they hadn't told me the first time they obviously talked about it.

But I didn't want to argue when Sirius was already seeming moodier now that we were leaving and Mrs. Weasley would surely lose it on the twins if she found out why we were arguing I the first place.

The next day my mood felt sour, now that I had been stewing about the twins possibly leaving me to go open their shop sooner than June. Plus I felt guilty that Sirius would be cooped up again and Umbridge would no doubt have it out for me. The only thing I was happy for was that I didn't have to take Occlumency like Harry did, even though my father had advocated that I take it as well. But apparently Dumbledore had specified only Harry, not filling either of us in on the reasoning.

"Cheer up Marnie! We get to take the Knight Bus!" George pulled my arm as the lot of us crammed out of Grimmauld Place with our trunks.

Sirius and dad had already given us their goodbyes whereas Remus, Tonks, and Moody were accompanying us until we got to the school. Moody was as snarky as ever and I ended up sitting with the twins and Tonks at the back of the bus. I didn't even see my father at the end of the road as we took off at a blinding pace into the city. I keeled over, pressing my head to the cold window for some sort of reprieve.

"Hare, do you get motion sick?" Fred smiled wickedly but still took my hand in his.

"Of course not, this bus is just a death trap is all," I snapped, closing my eyes against the next wave of nausea as the driver took a sharp turn around something it probably otherwise would have hit.

I kept my eyes closed, wishing we could have used the Floo back but not having the will to voice my concerns. Thankfully, the bus took much less time than the train so when we arrived it was still daylight.

"Come on Hare," Fred pulled me gently out of my seat and I fought back against the instinct to heave onto the floor.

Tonks, Remus and Moody escorted us all the way to the wards of the school. I managed to hug Remus one last time without throwing up on his shoes and then let the twins guide me back to the castle. When we all finally entered the common room I kept going all the way up to the seventh year girl's dorm and flopped down onto my bed. Much like I had the first night at Grimmauld Place, I deposited my clothes at the foot of my bed and dove under the covers wearing my t-shirt and boxers again. Thankfully, I fell asleep before the girls even came back and didn't wake up until the early hours of the morning.

XX

"Look at this," Harry muttered, tossing a copy of the Prophet at me before I could even take my seat for breakfast.

The twins shot Harry an appraising look, already weary of him that he hadn't been very excited about the product display the night before for the Headless Hats. Since Harry was their main investor, the twins always kept him appraised of their products and Harry always seemed willing to oblige. But his mood about whatever Voldemort was up to seemed to sour the last of his Christmas spirit, turning him back into his broody self.

"Merlin's beard," I gasped, falling more into my seat than intentionally sitting down as I looked at the front cover.

Looking back were several head shots of prisoners who had been locked up since the first war as Voldemort's most loyal followers. I swallowed thickly, seeing the woman who had tortured my mother looking maniacal in her prisoner's uniform.

Among the prisoners to escape was Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted Death Eater for the torture of Aurors Alice and Frank Longbottom, along with Ministry Worker Lena O'Hara.

My mother's name stared boldly back at me, quickly drawing me into a fit of rage.

"They're out. They're all out!" my voice raised a little hysterically, this not being something I was ready for when I decided to come down for breakfast.

Of course I hadn't been foolish enough to delude myself that a prison break wouldn't happen, especially since we had heard it through the extendable ears that the Ministry no longer had control over the prison's guards. But I really wasn't ready to face the fact that the woman who took my mother away from me had dutifully returned to Voldemort's side.

Fred grabbed the paper from my hand. He wasn't usually interested in the goings on outside the school since him and George were more determined to fill the darkening world with laughter. But my alarming reaction caused his concern to pique. I looked down to see my hands were shaking, but Fred's hands crumpled the sides of the paper with his fists as he held on tightly.

"Bloody hell!" Fred's temper was evident, but he had the mind to keep his voice lowered.

I had also seen the picture of Antonin Dolohov and the listed names of Fred and George's uncles listed as his most well known victims.

I didn't say another word and instead got up quickly from my place and darted out of the Great Hall. I could hear Angelina and Fred calling out for me to wait, but my feet had already quickened to match my heart beat's pace. It wasn't until I heard an ever too familiar voice commenting from several feet behind me that I finally stopped. "O'Hara, that seems to be a popular name today,"

My shoulders tensed with the realisation that he had probably been watching me, waiting for my reaction to the information he had also recently learned. I had always kept the condition of my mother close to my chest, and this was exactly the reason why. Now, thanks to Fudge and his idiocy, and the ever indulging reporters at the Prophet, my secret was out.

"Lena O'Hara. That wouldn't happen to be your mum now would it?" Flint's voice was full of a sick sense of enjoyment and satisfaction.

I turned around, fingers thrumming against my wand in my pocket. I was too livid to think of something to say, but Flint took this as a sign of discomfort.

"The dirty squib grew up with a useless father and a cracked mother. Throw in The Boy Who Lived and your blood traitorous boyfriend and what hope did you ever have?" Flint's eyes were gleaming in satisfaction but my hands were the only willing part of my body to react.

Instantly, my wand was out, having taken Flint by surprise. He was expecting to make me cower and cry over the revelation of my mother, but I was only pissed off. It was nobody's bloody business to bring up my mother or my family, but it was certainly the Ministry's bloody responsibility to keep all of the crackpots locked up in Azkaban.

"Confringo!" my spell hit right onto Flint's chest and sent him sailing through the air.

But I didn't feel satisfied that I had finally made Flint shut the hell up or that I sent the message that I was much more capable than the little girl he decided to target and bully in our first year.

I did however draw a lot of attention since the reverberation of my spell and Flint's sailing body had made quite a lot of noise. I stood rooted in place, waiting for my anger to ebb away that was still floating through my mind.

"Marnie, what happened?" Fred and George came dashing out of the Great Hall, looking concerned like I wasn't the one who cast the first and only attack.

But before I could answer I heard the ever too familiar hem hem and knew I was caught. Twenty minutes later, after a very heated lecture, I was walking torridly towards McGonagall's office. Umbridge had got on my last nerve but the tiny voice in the back of my head was telling me that if I reacted now I would only make it worse; but I didn't know if I really cared much anymore. I didn't listen too closely to find out.

"O'Hara, you are lucky Dumbledore has decided to step forward and allow for you to stay at Hogwarts. You only have one term left, so don't mess it up on something as trivial as finally giving into the taunts of one Marcus Flint," McGonagall's lecture was severe but I knew it was justified so I kept my eyes staring forward in compliance. "You are lucky Mr. Flint only sustained somewhat mild injuries that Madam Pomfrey can easily rectify. Be thankful you had enough sense to hold back or the situation could have been much more severe."

"Yes professor," I agreed, not having any defense or justification for my actions despite my irrational anger.

I agreed with all Professor McGonagall was saying, only waiting for her to dole out her own punishment. Two weeks detention with Umbridge was brutal all in itself, but McGonagall couldn't see the permanent scar I had under my sleeve.

"Two weeks detention with me, to be completed after the two weeks with Professor Umbridge."

McGonagall continued with her pointed stare and I nodded that it seemed a suitable punishment for sending a potentially life threatening spell onto an annoying bully. But my simple agreeance seemed to do something to McGonagall's glowering gaze. I heard a sigh and looked up to see some of the previous anger turn to something resembling concern.

"O'Hara, I know you've had a time of it lately. And seeing your mother's name in the paper for the whole world to see is very trying. But if you are to pick up your mother's mantel after you leave Hogwarts, then you need to learn how to control your anger and emotions. Something you and Potter both apparently need to work on."

"Yes professor," I replied, but this time with a small nod and smile.

"Now get out, and don't let me see you outside of class and this round of detention until graduation."

"How did it go?" Fred asked, being one of many who looked up as I entered the common room.

"Four weeks of detention, two with Umbridge and two with McGonagall."

"Merlin's beard, that's a record!" Lee sounded almost triumphant, causing Katie to elbow him in the ribs.

"You're lucky you didn't get expelled," Hermione pursed her lips.

"Flint bloody well deserved it, he's been going after Marnie since our first day," George eagerly defended me, with a glint in his eyes that told me he wished he had seen it himself.

"Still, Harry has the same issue with Malfoy. You shouldn't be giving Umbridge or anyone else the satisfaction. She's really gearing towards trying to expel you and Harry, you should be more careful," Hermione pushed her reasoning.

"Malfoy would bloody well deserve it too though," Ron added, giving Harry a shared look but Harry looked too frustrated to notice.

"Alright, well I'm going to go up and study. At least I have a lesser chance of pissing off Umbridge if I hole up in my room," I shrugged, ignoring the looks everyone gave me and retreated upstairs.

Once I was upstairs on my bed I opened my Defense book, hating that I would have to understand this theoretical nonsense if I wanted to pass my NEWT. I remembered back to the last time reading Defense textbooks had been maddening, which was when I started taking my books out to the quidditch pitch and would run into Cedric. At this memory I threw my book aside and laid down, suddenly feeling how heavy my eyelids felt. Without much effort to fight it, I fell asleep and let the world fade away.

"Marnie? You're studying again?" I looked up to see Cedric's smiling face.

"I have to pass my OWLs Ced," I stuck my tongue out at him but the back of my mind seemed to have a fuzzy recollection that I needed to pass my NEWTs instead.

"Come on, it's a Hogsmeade weekend. Let me take you out on a date," Cedric's grin was just as contagious as ever and I watched it as he carefully took the book out of my hands and put it off to the side.

It disappeared in an instant and as soon as I stood up my feet stepped onto the gravel road on the way to Hogsmeade instead of the floor of the library. I looked up to see the village set below us and latched onto Cedric's arm, relishing in his warmth and company.

"I love you Marnie," he said warmly and I smiled up at him. But his expression was more serious and I felt like maybe I couldn't say it back to him anymore. "I mean it Marnie, I'll protect you from anything."

"I don't want you to," I felt panic well up in my chest, watching as Cedric stepped forward in front of me like he was blocking me from something.

I pulled on his arm but it felt like his feet were planted into the ground.

"Avada Kedavra!" a shriek let out and I watched as Cedric's body fell to the ground and his skin turned cold under my touch.

I screamed, bending down protectively over his body. But there was laughter from someone standing in front of me and I looked up into the face of Bellatrix Lestrange, looking just like she did in her wanted poster. She was laughing and waving her wand around triumphantly and all I could do was wrap myself protectively over Cedric. The last thing I saw was her wand turning onto me and a jet of green aimed right for my chest.

I woke up with a start, shaking and already feeling the tears of seeing Cedric like that. I looked around the room through my blurry vision and when I confirmed I was still alone I sobbed into my pillow until I fitfully fell back into a dreamless sleep.