Professor Smith handed me a cup of tea. I took it, the warmth seeping into my cold fingers. I looked between the faces of Mr. Rookwood and Mr. Crouch, at a complete loss.

"It was very brave of you to come forward." Mr. Rookwood said gently. "Even after you were threatened with violence by those responsible."

"We need names," Mr. Crouch added, a quill in his hand, poised over a piece of parchment he conjured from the air.

I shook my head, the tea almost too hot in my hands now. "I didn't send any letters, sir."

There was a beat of silence. Then Mr. Rookwood chuckled and took a slurp of tea. "Oh, come now, dear, you're perfectly safe with the Ministry. We can offer you full protection and ensure that you remain anonymous."

"Please, Miss Harkstone," Mr. Crouch implored, "the lives and safety of other students depend on you."

Confusion was quickly being replaced by frustration. "I didn't send the Ministry a letter. I've never sent them anything."

Mr. Crouch's smile vanished. A muscle jerked in his cheek as he set his cup down on the cedar coffee table.

"Listen, child," he said quietly, "we must act quickly, or we will suffer the consequences."

"Here." Mr. Rookwood passed forward the letter. "Have a look for yourself."

Filled with trepidation, I accepted the proferred roll of parchment. It was wrinkled and severely creased. Clearly, this letter had been read by many people, many times.

Dear Ministry of Magic,

I'm not sure who to talk to, but you need to know that sometime in June 1973, there is going to be another attack like the one on Platform 9 ¾. It will happen when the Hufflepuff Games commence. The same people, the Death Eaters, will carry out this plan in the name of Lord Voldemort. Names of those participating are William Mulciber, Logan Avery, Edward Nott, Severus Snape, and Regulus Black are just a few that I am certain will attack in this heinous plan. Please stop them with whatever force you can.

Amber L. Harkstone

The letter fluttered from my hand to the ground. Mr. Crouch snatched back up, sniffing once and clearing his throat. "So, there you have it. Your own writing, in your own words."

"I… I don't understand." I hadn't written this. Whoever had must have had a purpose for using my name. Perhaps it was Mulciber, trying to frame me for a hoax in order to cast doubt on my reputation. My hands shook as I took another sip of tea, nearly scalding my tongue.

"Miss Harkstone, please," Mr. Rookwood begged, "this is a very serious accusation. Before we can give any merit to bolster confidence in this threat, we must know if it was a hoax or not."

My gaze pinned him where he sat. "You think I would make something like this up? Even if I had written it, which I didn't?"

Mr. Crouch stood up, pacing restlessly. "We have no choice. Willow, if she doesn't want to talk willingly, then we'll have to give her Veritaserum. Professor Slughorn must have plentiful stocks of it."

"Barty, really," Mr. Rookwood moaned, "using truth serum? On a girl no older than thirteen?"

"I've already given her some. In her cup." Professor Smith said calmly, surprising us all, even me. I gaped at her.

"You gave her Veritaserum?" Mr. Crouch repeated. "Without my authority?"

Professor Smith looked at Mr. Crouch coolly. "You may not trust me, but Dumbledore does. And that should be enough verification in my trustworthiness for you, Barty."

Mr. Crouch's face filled with color. "And then, who, I suppose, wrote this?" He looked at me accusingly, as if I was witholding the information he wanted.

"I don't know!" I half-shouted. "Honestly! I don't know who would write that letter in my name unless it was someone trying to frame me or trying to hide!"

"Perhaps." Mr. Rookwood allowed. He took a thoughtful sip of his tea. "Then, dear one, is there anyone you can think of who would do this?"

I bit my lip. Mulciber, of course. But if he was locked away in Coxe Arrington's, how could he write a letter to the Ministry? Maybe Regulus…

Or Sirius. James? Surely they wouldn't do this. This wasn't a prank. This was going too far.

Angelina?

"Don't you have magic that you can use to trace letters with?" I asked loudly. "I mean, shouldn't two high-ranking Ministry officials be able to do that kind of thing?"

I had spoken in defensiveness, and it showed. Mr. Rookwood looked startled, but Mr. Crouch's pink face turned mottled red with rage.

"Insolence!" He barked, pointing at Professor Smith. "Is this the kind of behavior we can expect from a Hufflepuff? You're Head of Hufflepuff House!"

Professor Smith looked amused. "Actually, she's a Ravenclaw."

"Couldn't tell by the blue tie?" I asked cynically.

Mr. Crouch's upper lip twitched. "You two think this is some kind of joke, do you? Lives are potentially at stake! We must act now, before this Lord Voldemort character takes his agenda even more into the public!"

"Look, Mr. Crouch," I said, trying to sound more appeasing, "I didn't write that letter and I don't know who did. But I can assure you, those boys listed in the letter do need watching."

His intense black eyes swiveled to me. "And what makes you say that?"

I glanced at Professor Smith for approval before going on. "They were very close with Mackenzie Folsom last year."

"The vampire." Professor Smith clarified. "Formerly known as 'Vincent' Folsom. We went to school with him, remember, Barty?"

"Not particularly." Mr. Crouch said dryly. "And what exactly have these boys done to make you believe they are dangerous?"

"William Mulciber used the Cruciatus Curse on me." I said steadily, though my heart thumped painfully in my chest at the unpleasant memory. "And I've seen the others, sneaking around together in the night like worms. If anyone in this school would be up to something, it's them."

Mr. Crouch shook his head. "I'm afraid that we can't take the words of a thirteen-year-old girl, who may or may not have written, if we're honest, a fake letter to the Ministry. Were these boys bullies to you? Ever go out of their way to make fun of you or hurt you?"

Indignant heat rose into my cheeks. I set my cup down hard. "What does that to do with this? Why don't you believe me?"

"We need proof before we can act." He said swiftly.

I pointed to the letter. "You readily believed that piece of paper. You readily accepted it as mine, even though it's not. Yet you don't believe me now, when I'm speaking to you. Is this the kind of men who run our government?"

Mr. Crouch stood up so fast I jerked back, afraid. But he merely glared down at me reproachfully before snapping his fingers. "Come, Rookwood. We're leaving. Clearly, this was a waste of time."

"Barty…" Mr. Rookwood pleaded.

But Mr. Crouch wasn't having any of it. He strode to the fireplace, threw a fistful of Floo powder inside, and said tautly, "Ministry of Magic" and vanished in a rush of green flames.

I was breathing hard, feeling like I had just stared down a dragon. Mr. Rookwood gave a long, gusty sigh.

"Well, that went about as well as I expected." He stood and gathered up his briefcase and my letter. Professor Smith offered him a tray of biscuits. He took one, nibbling it thoughtfully.

"Mr. Rookwood, please," I implored, "I didn't write that letter, but those boys are up to something heinous. Please don't overlook them."

Mr. Rookwood gazed down at me sadly. "You look very much like your father, you know. I can see some of Lena in there too, but it's hard to believe how quickly time passes."

I didn't know what to say to that odd comment. Instead I smoothed out the pleats in my skirt. Professor Smith nodded to Mr. Rookwood in farewell. A moment later, he had followed Mr. Crouch into the hearth and vanished in green fire.

The room suddenly felt much emptier without the two large men. Awkwardly, I crossed and uncrossed my ankles. Professor Smith carefully put away her teapot and tray of cookies before addressing me.

"Amber, you need to be more careful."

My chin snapped up. "What?"

She slid a meaningful look at me. "What I mean is that you have enemies. For whatever reason, someone tried to get you into trouble with the authorities and set you against those Slytherin boys."

"Do you think Folsom wrote it?" I asked her, immediately fearing the worst. My palms grew sweaty again. I wiped them against my thighs.

Professor Smith sighed. "I don't know, Amber. Maybe. But what I do know is that you aren't as much of a Ravenclaw as I hoped. You have too much Gryffindor fire and pride in you. You must learn to hold your tongue and not always salve your pride."

I could feel her admonishment, and it made me burn with shame. I looked away.

Professor Smith sighed gently. "You're still so young, dear. Don't fret too much. You've come so far… don't give up yet. I'm glad you know the Patronus charm now, but you must not rely on that. Try not to make too many enemies. Be very careful who you cast your lots with."

I nodded, wishing I could sink into the floor. "Something's coming, isn't it?"

She was quiet for a moment. She put on a pair of reading glasses and shuffled some papers around. "Yes, it is."

A chill spread across my body. Shivering, I rose to my feet. "Professor, am I in danger?"

She looked up at me through her half-moon spectacles. "Don't go looking for trouble, Amber. That's all I ask."

Not assured, I rubbed my arms to try and ward off the goosebumps. My eyes were drawn to a large tapestry covering one side of the office wall, very similar to the Black's family tree in 12 Grimmauld Place. I realized, after a moment of scrutiny, that it was also a family tree, complete with faces, names, and lifespans.

Professor Smith was near the top of the tree, on one of the leaves. There were so many leaves and branches that it was almost impossible to pick her out from the sea of faces. Spreading out below her was a brunnette girl named "Mara".

"Is that your daughter?" I asked as I studied her. She looked very much like her mother.

Professor Smith made a noise of assent. "Yes. She's twenty-one, off exploring the world. I haven't seen her too much since she graduated from Hogwarts."

I traced the huge tree to the roots. Two faces stood out: a round-faced man with a mop of brown hair and a rosy-cheeked woman with red curls. Ferdinand Hufflepuff, and Helga Hufflepuff.

It took a moment for the weight of those names to sink in. Then I traced the tree again. I turned, stunned, to face Professor Smith, who had a small smile.

"You're… you're a descendant of one of the founders." I gaped.

Professor Smith adjusted her glasses. "I am."

"Wow." I was in awe. I couldn't imagine the subtle nobility of having the blood of a Hogwarts founder running through your veins. I shook my head. I frowned as I looked at her daughter Mara's leaf again. There was no father.

"Who… who's her father?" I asked hesitantly. "Why isn't he there?"

Professor Smith opened a thick book and began to ready. "I never married." She said shortly, and I knew I was dismissed.

I left the room quietly. "Amber," Professor Smith called, "make sure you have fun at the Hufflepuff Games tomorrow."

I grinned at her. "You too, Professor."

The end of year exams were due to be finished at noon the following day. Due to my voracious appetite for reading, the written portions were easy, extremely similar to the homework we'd been assigned over the school year. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Smith had us demonstrate a defensive spell against a potential threat. She had us stand up before the class and draw a random slip of paper from a black top hat on the podium, which had the specific threat on it, and subsequently combat the threat, which would materialize instantly into whatever the paper said it was. I watched as Zoey MacDonald used a Revulsion Charm on the illusion of a grindylow, which had jumped on her instantly. James defeated a Boggart easily with the Riddukulus charm (which had taken the form of a zombie and was transformed into a rotten hamburger by his spell). I giggled into my hand when Remus ironically faced a werewolf and spurned it by conjuring a handful of wolfsbane in his hands and thrusting it at the fake werewolf. Angelina Azadian tried to trip me as I went up next. I jumped over her extended leg and picked a slip of paper that read: vampire.

Taking a deep breath to steady my now-frantic heartbeat, I pointed my wand at the illusion of an approaching vampire and focused on the memory of winning my first Quidditch match for Ravenclaw.

"Expecto Patronum!" I shouted. A silver griffin burst forth and charged into the frozen vampire, which disappeared into gray smoke. Professor Smith smiled approvingly.

"Charms master, just like your mother." She observed as she scrawled in my grade. The captive bat hissed in its cage in the corner, glaring at us balefully with its narrowed little eyes.

Professor Smith dismissed us as soon as Peter failed to defeat a flock of very aggressive doxies. He hung his head in shame as we left the classroom, heading for the grounds.

"It's alright, Pete," James said consolingly. "At least you're getting better with your Animagus practice."

Peter sighed. "I hope so. Maybe another year or two at most."

"I wish I could conjure a Patronus." Sirius muttered as he looked at me furtively. "Mind teaching me a few lessons, Harkstone?"

Remus looked annoyed. "I can produce one, too, Padfoot."

I laughed once as the warm summer air rushed over me, pushing my long hair back from my face. "I'll teach you how to produce a Patronus if you teach me how to be an Animagus."

"Deal." Sirius said brightly.

The entire school had assembled by the lake at that time. Lily hurried to my side, abandoning a gaggle of fellow Gryffindor girls. She ignored the Marauder boys as she sidled up to me, even though James surveyed her with keen, but one-sided, interest.

"Look what Dumbledore's done!" She said excitedly, pointing at the grounds. It had been completely transformed from the monotonous expanse of green grass into a sea of brightly colored booths and tents for the Hufflepuff Games. It looked like he had transplanted the annual county fair in Bellinghall and placed it directly between Hogwarts and the Great Lake. I glared at a first year who roughly jostled me in his haste to be the first of his group of friends to reach the butterbeer booth, just feet from us.

"This looks like fun!" Lily gushed. "Oh, Amber, come on, let's try the Truth Mirror over there! Remus, come with us!"

"I'll come." James said, swaggering over. But Lily's icy stare froze him.

"Actually, I invited Sev to come with me." She informed him coldly. James raised a brow.

"I didn't know the little creep ever emerged in the sunlight." He remarked nastily. "He's as white as a fish belly."

I scanned the growing throng of Hogwarts students. "Actually, Lily, I don't see him anywhere."

Lily didn't look concerned. "He said he'd meet us here." She said dismissively. "Sev always keeps his word. Always."

"If only he'd keep his word about washing his hair." Sirius laughed. James conjured a cloud of silver bubbles, blowing them at Lily, who waved them away angrily. She dragged me away by the arm. Remus separated from the boys and followed us.

"What is with Potter?" Lily snapped as we approached the long mirror standing beside the butterbeer booth. "He's always trying to talk to me now. And what's with the showing off? Does he really think he's impressing anyone?"

Remus caught my eye briefly. "Maybe he fancies you?" I offered, shrugging. Lily made a retching noise.

"How does this thing work?" I asked, keeping away from the reflection, nervous of what I might see. Somehow, "truth mirror" didn't exactly fill me with confidence.
Lily beamed. "It shows you what you most deeply desire."

Remus tapped the edges of the ornate mirror. "This can't be…"

"Be what?" Lily asked vaguely as she stepped before the reflection. She gasped and turned bright pink.

"What?" I asked curiously, trying to see her reflection, but all that showed was a backwards image of Lily. She pointed in disbelief.

"You mean, you can't see?" She asked, sounding less flustered and more relieved.

"No?" I waved a hand cautiously in front of it. Only my hand appeared.

"Then this must be the Mirror of Erised." Remus decided.

Lily's eyes popped. "No way! I thought this was locked away in some dungeon!"

"Maybe it was." Remus mused. "But it was brought out for the Games."

Lily tried to pull me in the reflection, but I resisted. "Come on, Amber! Don't you want to see?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm alright, thanks. What did you see?"

Lily blushed. "Nothing."

"She saw me as her husband." James guessed, sauntering over. Sirius sniggered into his hands.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Actually, no. It wasn't you."

"Wasn't it?" James asked with a gleam in his hazel eyes.

Lily snorted in disgust. "You are such an arrogant toe-rag, James Potter, and I'd rather end up an old spinster than marry you."

James chuckled, but I noticed how tried to hide the flicker of hurt in his eyes. I gazed at him in shock.

Could it be true? Did James actually fancy Lily?

"Come on, Harkstone, don't be such a chicken." Sirius chortled. He bumped me hard into the line of sight. I shut my eyes, afraid of what I would see. I didn't think I could bear seeing my sister's appearance in the mirror, if that was what was going to show in my reflection. After two years without her, it would be far too painful.

"Sirius!" Remus chided. "Don't."

"Don't what?" Sirius asked boisterously. "She needs to man up. It can't be that bad. Come on Amber, open your eyes."

I dared to peek.

Instead of my thirteen-year-old self staring back at me, I was looking up a few inches higher to my slightly-older face. I was bedecked in Holyhead Harpies Quidditch gear, the number four emblazoned on my back. I turned slightly to get a better look at it. Next to me was my mother, beaming at me in undisguised pride. Dad was holding her hand. A fully-grown and healthy Virginia flanked her, along with Naomi, who was the tallest of us sisters. I bit my lip, trying to hold back tears, when I caught sight of a final person standing beside me.

He was taller, with brown hair and a strong, protective build. Before I could dare to look at his face, James pushed me out of the way and cheered at his reflection.

"Look at me, Padfoot!" He exclaimed. "Quidditch Captain of Gryffindor, husband of a beautiful redhead, and you're by my side like a faithful dog!"

"No way!" Sirius shouted, trying to see his own reflection.

"If I wanted to see a bunch of monkeys, I would go to the zoo." Lily said waspishly. "Come on."

Feeling slightly dizzy, I followed Lily away from the Mirror of Erised, trying not to contemplate on what I had just seen. Was it true? Did the mirror actually show the deepest desire of my heart?

And who had been the handsome man standing beside me?

"Professor McKennitt's reading fortunes over there on her crystal ball." Lily pointed out. A long line of girls waited their turn at the table.

"If you guess Professor Flitwick's weight and height correctly, you win a prize." Remus observed, nodding to the next booth. The prize appeared to be various candy items from Honeydukes. Remus seemed greatly attracted to the large slab of their finest chocolate, perched beside a colorful array of pinwheel lollipops.

We walked deeper into the labyrinth of tents and booths. There was a karaoke contest that used your wand as the microphone and enchanted instruments as the background music. There was a pie-eating contest, made with Helga Hufflepuff's original recipes. Another booth hosted a giant wall of balloons that required darts to be thrown. Various joke-shop items, likely from Zonko's, were prizes. Near the edge of the booths was a large pen, where Professor Kettleburn was giving rides on captive hippogriffs that wouldn't go farther than his magical boundaries. We tried all of them.

There was even a duelling match going on, with two seventh year boys demonstrating their defensive and offensive prowess.

Lily looked upset. "Sev promised he'd meet me here. Where is he?"

I glanced around, surveying the thick crowd of Hogwarts students. It seemed that everyone had decided to attend today's festivals. I saw plenty of Slytherins, but strangely, Nott, Avery, Regulus, and Severus were all absent.

But then again, plenty of other students had probably chosen to abstain from the Hufflepuff Games. It didn't stop the niggling worry in my mind. It was a warm, sunny day. Who wouldn't want to be outside enjoying it, especially if there were lots of activities to try?

A large wheel-shaped object rose into the robin's-egg blue sky. "They brought a ferris wheel?" Lily said, astounded.

"I'm glad they did." I said, my palms tingling already. Few things compared to the thrill of being high off the ground.

Lily looked sad again. "I wish Sev was here. I really wanted to ride with him."

Remus smiled encouragingly. "Maybe he's just running late."

"He's almost half an hour late." Lily fussed.

We waited in line for the ferris wheel for five minutes before it was our turn. A man I had never seen before narrowed his eyes at us. "Two per seat only."

I looked behind us. There was no one. "I'm not that fat. Can't we fit three?"

But the man crossed his beefy arms. "No."

"You two go ahead." Lily offered. "I'll wait for Sev and we can go later."

I shook my head. "No, Lily. Your favorite ride at the carnivals is the ferris wheel. You told me last summer, remember?"

Lily smiled guiltily. "Yes, but you and Remus-"

"-are just friends, and don't need a romantic ride on a ferris wheel." I finished for her, smirking at the embarrassed look on Remus' face. "Go on. I'll take my turn with Remus later, right?"

Remus nodded. "I wouldn't mind going again."

The man let them pass. Lily waved at me excitedly as the chair rose into the warm June air, rising higher until I couldn't make out their faces anymore. The man was watching me coldly.

"No loitering." He said crossly.

Frowning, I cocked my head, put-off by his hostile aggression. "I'm waiting my turn."

He jerked his thumb hard. "Get out of here."

My mouth dropped open in indignation. "But-"

"Go." His face was hard, like stone. Setting my jaw, I stormed off, fuming.

At least Lily was happy.

I milled around vaguely, barely registering the fact that I had walked right into the middle of the duelling match. The warm air suddenly felt charged and heavy, like lightning about to strike. Stiffening, I instinctively dropped into a crouch, just as a red bolt shot overhead, cracking against something hard.

"Stop! Stop!" Professor Slughorn shouted. "Miss Harkstone! Please watch where you're going, dear!"

I raised my head warily. A seventh-year Gryffindor boy looked extremely startled, his eyes wide.

Cautiously, I rose to my feet. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"Typical reckless Harkstone." A familiar male voice teased. Heat filled my face as I faced the opponent: Sean Locke.

"I said I was sorry." I said indignantly.

Sean smiled indulgently. "You didn't mean it though, did you?"

I shrugged flippantly. "It won't happen again; that's all I'm saying."

"I'd like to finish the match, if you don't mind?" The Gryffindor interjected.

"Oops." I blushed again, stepping out of the way. It was too easy to playfully spar with Sean and forget everything else. I could feel him watching me with amusement as I joined the onlookers.

"Ready?" Professor Slughorn asked. "Three… two… one… resume!"

Instantly, the Gryffindor boy shot another Stunning Spell at Sean, which he blocked wordlessly. Even though I had practiced nonverbal spells, these two were performing like they had never needed to speak all their lives. I watched in awe as they duelled for another minute, until Sean landed a one-two punch on the Gryffindor boy with a full body-binding curse, instantly followed by a tickling charm. The Gryffindor boy was reduced to tears as he was completely defenseless against the onslaught of tickles.

"I give up!" He wheezed out between laughs.

Sean released him and crossed the distance, offering his hand and helping the defeated opponent to his feet. The crowd clapped as they melted back into the crowd. To my delight, Sean came to stand by me, his gray eyes bright with victory.

"I'm glad you got to see that." He admitted, beaming down at me. "Tomorrow's graduation, and it's my last real day as a Hogwarts student."

I hadn't realized that. I watched him sadly. "I wish you didn't have to go."

Sean smiled. "I wish I wasn't four years older than you."

His words held more meaning than he'd spoken, and I felt another rush of heat course through me. Self-consciously, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I wish I wasn't four years younger."

I didn't know how to flirt, but the words came naturally. Sean sighed. "Maybe when you're a little older, we can go out sometime. I really regret not escorting you to the ball this Christmas. You shouldn't have had to go alone."

"Oh, it's okay." I said, absolving him of his guilt. "I still ended up dancing with a bunch of boys."

"I saw." Sean said wryly. "I don't think their thoughts were entirely honorable."

"Their intentions were." I said, surprised that I was defending them. But then the truth hit me like a dragon: James, Sirius, even Peter… they were my friends. True, honest friends. I felt momentarily stunned by the weight of that knowledge.

"You know," Sean went on, "Anna and I aren't dating or anything. I'd like to take you out in a few years, maybe when you're sixteen or seventeen. If you'd wait on an old bat like me, of course."

"Why not fifteen?" I bargained. Sean laughed.

"Let's take it one year at a time." He responded brightly.

"Who's next?" Professor Slughorn boomed. "Go on, don't be shy? Why not one of my Slytherin gems? Avery? Nott?"

But they still weren't here. Momentarily distracted, I scanned the crowd for their faces, but they were absent.

"I'd like to try." I said, shrugging. "I'll have a go."

"Excellent, excellent!" Professor Slughorn yelled. "A brave young challenger! Who wants to try their strength against our youngest Ravenclaw Quidditch Team player?"

Sean grinned. "Am I allowed to enter again?"

Professor Slughorn chuckled, patting his portly belly. "Easy, boy! Let's let someone new try their luck."

"I'd like to try." A female voice said loudly. My eyes widened as Angelina morphed from the crowd, her face pale with rage. Zoey MacDonald tried tugging her back, but she shook her off and stepped into the ring.

I felt a twinge of foreboding. "I don't want to fight you."

"Why not?" Angelina asked quietly. "Afraid I'll kick your arse in front of the whole school?"

The crowd tittered. "Language, dear," Professor Slughorn admonished. But Angelina acted like she hadn't heard him. She was glaring at me like I was a dog squatting on her front lawn.

"I beat you last time, remember?" I shot back, the crowd vanishing in my mind as the world shrunk to the breadth of our distance. "If Remus hadn't been there to stop me, you'd still be in the infirmary, licking your wounds."

The heat behind my threat came from an old anger, one that had appeared when I was a young child and first felt Mum's disapproval and neglect. It had been like a monster, fed by years of guilt watching my sister fight her sickness and being engulfed by jealousy. It had been growing with every sleepless night, every unfair accusation, every painful blow dealt by words or hands.

Angelina shuddered with rage. "How does it feel to know that you're enjoying my leftovers? Or that your mother hates you?"

It was hard to believe that I had ever once considered Angelina Azadian a friend. Trembling, I fought to stay in control. "You don't want to do this, Angelina. Back off."

But she wasn't going to. I could see it in the hard line of her jaw, the angry tears brimming in her eyes. With a shock, I realized she blamed me for her breakup with Remus.

"You think you're so perfect, don't you?" Angelina spat out. "Little Miss Harkstone, daughter of the famous washout Walter Harkstone. Friends with boys only. You hate girls because of your sister. You know, the dead one? Lily doesn't even like you. She feels bad for you, that's the only reason why she stays around. That's what she told me."

"Stop."

"No! You stole Remus from me. I'm going to make you sorry!"

"The only thing I'm sorry about is ever thinking I could trust you." I said coldly, stung. "Goodbye, Angelina."

I turned my back to walk back to Sean and suggest we ride the ferris wheel together, but I felt an agonizing stab of pain between my shoulders blades. I arched my back and whirled around, the blood pounding in my ears. Angelina had raised her wand and was pointing it straight at me.

"Coward." She said softly.

An intense rush of heat -the kind that drove people to commit acts of violence, like murder - filled my vision with a red haze. Without waiting for Professor Slughorn to give the word, I drew my wand swiftly and fired off a blasting curse. "Confringo!"

The people gathered behind Angelina jumped out of the way of the fireball. Angelina barely missed it. She let out a scream of fury and shouted, "Incarcerous!"

A stream of ropes shot from her wand. I dodged two of them but a third wrapped around my legs like a boa constrictor. Struggling, Angelina took advantage of my position and said, "Petrificus-"

"Langlock!" I shouted. Angelina's eyes bulged out of her skull as she clutched at her mouth, which was silent. Her tongue had glued itself to the roof of her mouth.

I pointed the ash wand at my bound legs. "Relashio." I pointed my wand at her, wanting to teach her a lesson to never mess with me again. "Segmentum."

A few girls in the crowd screamed. As if an invisible pair of scissors had just gone to work, Angelina's hair dropped like black ribbons to the ground. I could see her trying to scream, but it was impossible because her tongue was stuck to the of her mouth. Her waist-length raven-colored hair was now cropped short, just above her ears. Tears filled her eyes and ran freely down her cheeks. She tried to curse me, but since she hadn't yet mastered nonverbal magic, she could not. Clearly, she did not know the countercurse for the tongue-tying curse either.

"This fight is over." I said in a shaking voice, afraid of the urge to go on, to humiliate her further. Sean put his large hand over my wand, giving me a measured look.

"Let it go." He said quietly. I was trembling so hard I could see his arm shaking too. Zoey ran to Angelina's side, trying to help. Sean steered me away from them.

"Langliber." Zoey said loudly, the counter-curse for the tongue-tying curse. And then Angelina: "Sectumsempra!"

A second later I felt knives slicing against my skin - my face, my arms, my back, my legs. I collapsed to the ground screaming, bleeding, and feeling like Mulciber had just used the Cruciatus Curse on me again.

The crowd erupted. People were screaming and shouting in horror. I could hear Angelina yelling frantically, "I didn't know it did that! I didn't know! Severus Snape told me the spell; he said it was for enemies!"

Sobbing, I tried to cover my wounds with my red hands. Sean scooped me up into his strong arms. "Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!"

A cloud of teachers descended upon me. Weakly, I looked up into the face of Madam Pomfrey, which swam hazily into view. "Merlin's beard." She whispered. I fought to stay conscious.

Sean brought me into a white tent and carefully laid me out on a cot. I felt stinging all over my body, where the wounds were. I cried out in pain.

"The essence of dittany isn't working." She said in a raised voice, sounding panicked. "It isn't working!"

"Where's Dumbledore?" Sean demanded. "Maybe he can help!"

A moment later, the Headmaster and Professor Smith hazed into view. I struggled to stay awake. A faint buzzing noise filled my ears. I felt drops like rain on my body, and instead of cringing away, it soothed the acute pain and brought relief.

"Phoenix tears…" Madam Pomfrey gasped.

"Poppy, I'd like a moment with Miss Harkstone when she's well enough to talk." Professor Dumbledore said. "In the meantime, Professor Smith, please accompany me for a little chat with Miss Azadian."

"Yes, sir," Professor Smith said grimly. They departed the tent, while Sean and Madam Pomfrey remained. A soft, musical cry filled the tent with relaxing sound. Faint with blood loss, I turned my neck and saw Fawkes the phoenix perched at the edge of the cot, watching me mournfully with his liquid black eyes.

"Relax, dear," Madam Pomfrey said in a forced voice, "you're going to be alright."

The acrid scent of rust filled my nostrils. I dared to look at my uniform, which was slashed and bloodied, like I'd been attacked by a werewolf. Sean looked no better.

"What… what was that?" I managed.

"Hush, questions later." Madam Pomfrey said. She thrust a cup of fruity-smelling liquid in my hands. "Drink this. It will replenish your blood supply. You've lost… you've lost quite a bit."

I grimaced, agreeing with her. Reluctantly, I lifted the cup to my lips and drank the cup. I sagged against the single pillow in the tent, letting my eyes drift shut.

It seemed like a moment later that the tent opened again and two people entered. "What happened?" Lily's voice demanded, half-strangled. I opened my eyes.

Lily rushed to my side, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's protest. Remus stood rooted to the spot, his face white. I saw Sean tense and lean towards me protectively.

"Now, really!" Madam Pomfrey said crossly. "This girl needs rest, not visitors. I told Dumbledore that duelling match was a bad idea… too easy for emotions to run high and things to get out of hand…"

"What happened to you?" Lily whispered.

Remus didn't move. He looked too horrified to.

"Her duel with Angelina Azadian turned into a catfight." Sean informed Lily. He grimaced. "More of a catfight to the death."

"She attacked me while my back was turned. Twice." I told Lily, then admitted, "...and I glued her tongue to her hard palate and cut her hair off."

Lily's hands flew to her open mouth. "You did what?"

I frowned at her. "Look at me. Do you really think I deserved to be sliced and diced for that?"

Lily surveyed my shredded clothes, the drying blood. "No, you didn't." She said softly.

Remus took a step toward me, but Sean rose to his feet. He crossed the room with surprisingly swiftness and towered over Remus by several inches. I tried to sit up, but gasped at the sudden rush of dizziness and sank back against the pillow.

"Boys!" Madam Pomfrey said in alarm.

"If you ever let her get hurt like this again, I'll make you sorry, Lupin." Sean snapped.

Remus blinked, his face hardening. "I didn't do this."

"It's your crazy ex that did this!" Sean accused, pointing a finger in his chest, making Remus stumble back a step. "Funny how she seems to get hurt around you, isn't it? You don't deserve her."

"Guys, stop." I begged. "I'm right here, and I'm not dating anyone… unless there's something I'm not aware of."

But they acted like they couldn't hear me. Remus was staring up into Sean's face, breathing hard. He swallowed convulsively.

"I mean it, Lupin." Sean threatened. "If this happens again, I won't hesitate to spill your little monthly problem to the school. I'm done at Hogwarts tomorrow. You've got another three years here. Maybe that'll drive some sense into her to find someone safer."

He strode out of the tent. Remus stared blankly, then swept his hands over his face and into his hair. He gave me a quick look full of pain and left.

"It's not his fault." I mumbled. Lily looked distressed.

"I'll bet Angelina's going to get expelled." Lily said. "She'll end up at Coxe Arrington's."

"I hope so." I grumbled. "My uniform is ruined."

Lily laughed once, then looked scared again. "This is really bad, Amber. You're a danger magnet or something."

"I know." I sighed. Lily patted my arm. "I'll go and get you a fresh pair of clothes to change into. Stay here."

"Wasn't planning on going anywhere." I said cheerfully, the strength gradually returning to me.

Lily smiled and left the tent. Madam Pomfrey got up and paced. She had the same air of anxiety that Mum had when she needed to relieve herself after long hours spent caring for Virginia.

"Madam Pomfrey, if you need to use the lavatories, I'll be fine for five minutes." I assured her from the cot.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Don't go anywhere." She gave me a furtive look and left. I was alone in the tent.

And then a very strange thing happened. A peculiar sense of peace and relief washed over me. I forgot about my pain and the fight with Angelina. I forgot the near-fight between Remus and Sean. I even forgot my own name.

Fawkes made a soft noise as I rose from the cot, totally calm and at ease. Every feeling of responsibility and anxiety was positively vanquished. A small voice at the back of my mind said something was wrong, that this wasn't right, but I ignored it in lieu of the cheerful bliss that flowed through me like Felix Felicius.

It was weird, how when I pulled the tent flap aside, I could see people running frantically in every direction, screaming in panic, running for their lives, as several wizards in black robes cast spells and pursued. Some engaged in duels. I recognized the ferris wheel attendant battling the same Gryffindor boy who had fought Sean. The same green skull and serpent that had been at Platform 9 ¾ back in September hung in the air above the lake. But I felt light, happy, calm. Smiling serenely, I walked through the melee with grace, careful step over a fallen Hogwarts student. I barely registered the fact that it was Zoey MacDonald.

I headed for the Forbidden Forest, where I saw several lucky students pelting into for safety. The cool darkness enveloped me instantly, but it felt good. Yes, this was good. As long as I did whatever felt good, I would be alright.

I walked purposefully into the thickening darkness, until I couldn't hear the screams anymore. It was just me. A small, orb of yellow-green light appeared out of the shadows before me. I followed it obediently, deeper into the trees, deeper into the darkness. It led me to a huge pine tree, where the roots opened up into a cave-like void. The orb stopped outside of the tree-cave. I halted with it. Inside, I could hear terrified sniffling and sobs.

A wand tip ignited in the cave. The orb of yellow-green light illuminated the figure huddled inside: Angelina. Sobbing, she burst forth from the cave, launching herself at me. She shoved me to the ground, crying.

"You've ruined me!" Angelina sobbed. "You made me look like a total monster in front of the whole school! I didn't know what that curse did! Severus Snape told me he'd invented it for enemies, and I thought I'd get your back for what you did to my hair. And for breaking up me and Remus! Wait until I tell my father. He's a Ministry official too, you know! I'll make sure you never go anywhere in life, Amber. Oh, just you wait. You'll be sorry, I promise!"

She stopped, breathing hard. "Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong with you? Say something!"

The yellow-green orb of light moved. It disappeared inside of her chest.

And I knew what I was supposed to do.

The small voice rebelled. Don't do this! Don't! It's unforgivable!
The stronger, dark voice spoke in my mind. Cast the spell.

I raised my wand. Angelina drew hers instantly, her red eyes wet and angry. "You want to fight again? I'll make you so sorry for embarrassing me, Amber! I'll kill you!"

She shook with furious sobs. The name of the spell came to me, from the class with Professor Smith. Still, the small voice objected.

Don't do it!
The stronger voice whispered in my mind: Cast the spell. Cast the spell.

I hesitated.

Cast the spell!

A flash of bright green light filled the dark clearing. There was a loud thud, like a sack of potatoes being dropped. The dreamy feeling persisted. Blankly, I regarded the lifeless heap at my feet, the empty eyes that gazed at nothing.

Angelina Azadian was dead.

A male figure, the owner of the voice in my head, emerged from the shadows. William Mulciber had shaved his head and grown larger in his time away at Coxe Arrington's. In just half a year, he looked like he'd aged ten years. He looked like a man now, a dangerous criminal. But I felt nothing but calm submission and indifference.

He grinned at me. "And now, to pick up after myself… It's too bad the Ministry didn't listen to that letter that Pettigrew wrote in your name, Amber. But I guess it's a good thing they didn't. You won't remember any of this." He raised his wand to my face. I watched him calmly, filled with nothing but mild tranquility.

"Obliviate."