One more chapter to go y'all! How did this already get over 400,000 words? This chapter was a doozie to write and I had to be very careful with what I gave away/kept secret. Who is Sapphira Peverell? What does the Gray Lady have to do with everything? Well, now you get to find out.. SOME of it ;) Mwahaha. Shameless cliffhanger warning, but I promise I will deliver the final chapter of book 4 as soon as I can. Hoping for tomorrow, but we are supposed to get walloped by snow in my neck of the country, so bear with me if we lose power and it won't be updated till Sunday/Monday. You guys are the BEST and I'm so honored to have such loyal and amazing readers. You guys make this all worth it 3

Helena Ravenclaw clasped her hands together as I waited for her to speak. Though she was dead and a ghost, she took a steadying inhale as if she could still breathe. When she opened her eyes again, they were full of great suffering and remorse.

"My mother, Rowena Ravenclaw, had me at a very late age. She and my father Godric Gryffindor lived in a time when wizards attained great ages, when magical people averaged two hundred years old for a lifespan. Sapphira and I were both born in 1220. In our first years, she was Sorted into Gryffindor, and I was Sorted in Ravenclaw. I was the first Hatstall of the school, nearly being placed in Gryffindor myself. But like you, I was Sorted into Ravenclaw.

"We were both children of powerful witches and wizards. I myself was considered a bit of a princess, due to my parents being who they were. Sapphira was the opposite. While I embraced my status as a quasi-royal, she rebelled. While I would memorize sonnets, she would ride horseback in the forests. When I would practice guitar and sing, she would shoot arrows at targets in the fields of the castle. I loved dresses; she preferred tunics. Sapphira was a wild, untameable spirit, and I envied her passion with concealed envy. My parents, especially my mother, molded me and trained me in the magical arts. Sapphira forged her own path, forsaking the advice of her family and fashioning her own way.

"We became close in our first year. I had no siblings, and she had three older brothers and no sisters. We both found that missing sisterhood in one another and were inseparable. When we were sixteen, the Council revealed that she was a Seer. Back in those days, before the Ministry of Magic existed, there was a collection of elected officials in a group called the Council. It was a democracy and functioned quite well, for the most part. After they revealed that she was a Seer, people started treating her differently. Seers have always been rare, only one or two being born every century. Now, she was the princess, and I was the forgotten, lesser sister once again. Even my own mother preferred Sapphira, wishing to learn about her extremely rare ability. It was even rarer that she possessed the ability to See both past and future events. She is the only Seer in history to ever possess the double sight of being a Seer. And though I was jealous, our sisterhood never failed.

"However, in our final year at school, I discovered that she had been in an affair with our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Salvatore Slytherin. Even though his nickname was Dusk, I never once called him by it. How strange it was to me that my sister could fall in love with a century-old vampire, grandson of Salazar Slytherin. Of course, you know what Salazar Slytherin did?"

"He left the school," I said slowly, remembering the incident from one of History of Magic lessons. "He thought only pure-bloods should be taught by the school. And when the other three Founders didn't agree, he broke away from them."

"He broke their hearts." Helena said bitterly. "My parents were devastated. Helga Hufflepuff took it hardest of all, perhaps because she believed in unity more than any of them. Salazar Slytherin became as taboo as Lord Voldemort, and Professor Salvatore Slytherin was feared more than any other teacher or student in the school. He was a vampire, which made him even more fearsome. Yet, for whatever reasons, he and Sapphira were deeply in love. More so than nearly anyone else, even after almost a thousand years of roaming this world…

"Sapphira was there for me, even when I disappointed my parents, even when I could be jealous and brooding. We had our moments of disagreement, especially over her love affair with our teacher, but I kept her secrets. The two married in secret after she graduated. And for a few years, I believed that we would all be happy. At least, we could agree to live in harmony.

"But then she was taken from us. She was murdered by a scoundrel named Cygnus Scower, from their rival village. There was nothing we could do to save her. She died on September 9th, 1244. She was only twenty-four years old. I, of course, survived for only a few years beyond that. I was twenty-six when the Bloody Baron came for me, sent by my dying mother, when I was living in Albania. And just as my sister was taken from this life, I too was murdered by a man's hand."

"The Bloody Baron?" I managed. "The Slytherin Ghost murdered you?"

"Indeed." said the Ravenclaw Ghost darkly. "And that foul beast is doomed to walk this earth for eternity, haunted by what he has done. He shall forevermore be reminded of what he did before taking his own life out of guilt for ending mine. Those silver stains on his clothes are the ghosts of my blood."

My brain felt heavy, full, as if it couldn't absorb much more new information. I stared at Helena Ravenclaw, completely oblivious to Mara Smith and Julian Gray. "Why are you telling me all of this? What does any of this have to do with me?"

"As you know," Helena said quietly, never blinking, "Sapphira was a Seer. In my life, I have only ever been truly envious of two objects: my mother's diadem, and Sapphira's necklace. When she was thirteen, it was given to her as a gift. She never told me who bestowed it upon her, though I have always suspected it was a gift from Professor Salvatore Slytherin. That necklace was made with shards of harkenine. When she died, she did not remain as a ghost. But it seems that her powers remain in her necklace, magically manifested by own skill before she drew her last breath."

I didn't realize how badly I was shaking until I dropped my wand. It clattered to the floor of the office, and I found myself unable to move to pick it up. My mouth was as dry as cotton, and my mind buzzed like a hive of bees, unable to keep up with the amount of what Helena had just told me. "So the necklace…"

"A second necklace was made a few hundred years later by Nicolas Flamel." Helena said gravely. "A copy. It was originally a gift for his wife, Perenelle. It was to be passed down the generations of his family. The original necklace given to Sapphira was in my possession until my death. Professor Salvatore Slytherin discovered my body, alongside the Bloody Baron's. He took the original for himself."

"Then… how… what necklace is this one?" I asked, looking to the one Mara had.

"That one is the copy, created by Nicolas Flamel. The original remains hidden."

"How did it get taken from Professor Slytherin? Is it still alive?"

"That I cannot say." Helena said softly. "I stole my mother's diadem, and I stole Sapphira's necklace from her grave. I couldn't let it be buried with her. I wanted a part of my sister to remain with me while I lived, even though she was gone."

I stared at her, tears filling my eyes. I felt the exact same way about the necklace that Virginia had given me. At her funeral, I was going to allow it to be buried with her. Naomi had stopped me and insisted that I keep it. I felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude towards my youngest sister for what she had done, and a terrible sense of loss as I again realized that Virginia was dead.

"Your visions are exactly as Sapphira's were." Helena told me. "Past, and present. I believe that you can See through her eyes because of her powers she left in that necklace."

"But why do I get visions even without the necklace on?" I asked desperately, wishing to understand, to connect the dots and finally fill in the puzzle with the missing pieces. "How come I can See, when I'm not a Seer?"

"Powerful magic always leaves traces." Helena said, and her grief was more pronounced than ever. "The magic Sapphira left behind in her necklace has stayed alive and well throughout the centuries. And it has left its traces upon you, too."

I sank back against the wall, gripping it for support. I still had so many questions, so many holes I wanted filled. "How did my sister get the necklace?"

"I do not know." Helena said quietly.

"Why did she get sick? What did she have that killed her?"

"I do not know." She said, more gently this time.

"Can she be trusted?" I asked hotly, pointing an accusing finger at Mara. "Or is she acting on Lord Voldemort's orders?"

"Mara's mission lies beyond your reach," Julian said, startling me. "But perhaps now, you can see what happened to my family."

Mara held out the copy of the necklace, the one that looked identical to the one that Sapphira Peverell had once worn. The four of us touched the pendant at the same time - two ghosts and two living beings - and I felt the familiar dizziness blackening the edges of my vision.

"Brace yourself." Mara warned, as the office disappeared in a burst of white light.

The office was gone. I stood inside of a dark, musty-smelling room filled with broken furniture and dusty bookshelves. Broken windows lined the sagging walls, and there a stench of disuse and abandonment that made my nostrils flare. I did not have a wand, but I knew that I was safe. This was only a vision. I drifted through the black room, seeing a flickering orange light glowing at the top of a staircase. I followed the source of warm light, smelling woodsmoke as I came closer.

At first, I didn't recognize the broken and shattered picture frames on the walls. The occupants had been inside of them so long that they no longer moved. But then I saw them: Helena and Sapphira, the former wearing an elegant ballgown while the former donned a ripped tunic.

At first, I thought I was inside of the Shrieking Shack. But when I peered outside of the closest broken window, I saw nothing but thick, black trees and curling silvery mist threading through the tall trunks. I guessed that I was somewhere in the Forbidden Forest.

"My Lord… my Lord… I cannot wait any longer. I must be transformed, now. Please, my Lord… I have been a good and faithful servant. Please, do not deny me this gift."

I followed the familiar voice, which was still high-pitched and arrogant, but not yet haughty and cold. Standing before a flickering fire was a human Folsom, in his late twenties, his long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing maroon and burgundy robes, his flesh visibly pink and living. He looked agitated and upset.

"Why do you bother me, Mackenzie?" a deep, frozen voice said, and I realized I was looking at a high-backed, throne-like chair. It was backwards, the front facing the blazing hearth. The sound of the cold voice made goosebumps rise on my skin. Whoever owned that voice was evil, full of darkness. I could sense it like a malevolent presence filling the space.

Folsom swallowed hard, wringing his hands. "My Lord… please. I have waited long enough. I have served you faithfully all these long years. I see how Voldemort prosperes. I see how Willow survives, even thrives, despite her defection. I have remained constant in your service. Please, Master. I am nearly thirty years old, and still I am-"

"Be silent." The icy voice commanded, and Folsom closed his mouth like a trap. I watched sweat roll down his face, his hands trembling in terror.

"You annoy me with your frivolous request, Mackenzie." The voice growled. "Can you not wait on my promise? Did I not promise you that I would one day grant you the secret to immortality?"

Folsom licked his lips. "You did, Master, but I…"

"But you what?" demanded the voice. "Do you doubt my promise? Do you suspect my word is not to be kept?"

"No, my Lord… I do know you will keep your promise. I believe you."

"Liar." whispered the voice, and the blood drained from Folsom's face.

"Master." Folsom beseeched, spreading his hands, "I promise you, I will not fail. I will punish Willow for her betrayal. I will not rest until her blood is on my hands."

"So you have said for over a year." The voice sneered. "And how much longer will you take to fulfill your oath? You swore to collect her payment for her treason. You said yourself that you would carry out the punishment for her crimes."

"I did, my Lord, and I will. I swear I will. But she is too well-guarded… too strong…"

"You cannot beat a woman? A descendant of weak, meager, simpering Helga Hufflepuff? I pity the day you ever walked into my domain, Folsom… what a useless fool you are, as a human…"

Folsom looked paler than ever. Trembling, he swallowed, evidently mustering his courage, and said, "Master, forgive me… but perhaps, if you changed me, if you gave me the gift of immortality…"

"You said yourself you did not wish for the path I walked." the voice reminded him coldly. "Tom, or 'Voldemort', as he prefers now, chose Horcruxes. Willow chose the necklace of Perenelle. You still have not made up your mind."

"I thought the Elixir of Life might be suitable choice."

The owner of the voice laughed loudly, without any trace of mirth or humor. It raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

"Foolish boy!" He shouted, and the fire blazed forth, bright and spitting sparks forth into the room. "Must you never grasp what I have told you? Relying on such a substance to grant you immortality… your friends chose the smarter way. I had no choice when I became what I am. You, however, do. The Elixir of Life and unicorn's blood may sustain you, but only if you take it regularly! What if your supply dried up? You would be dead within days."

Folsom trembled harder than ever. "That is why… Master… I have chosen the path you have chosen. I seek your will. I crave your ways. Please, grant me the gift of vampirism. I swear I will never regret it."

There was silence from the chair. "So, even though you have not fulfilled your promise to destroy Willow Smith, you wish for me to have faith and mercy, and transform you?"

"Yes, Master."

"Very well." The cold voice said in an awful tone of finality. "This is a gift, however, that you may not thank me for, once you have opened it…"

Folsom paled again as the owner of the voice rose from his throne-like chair. If I could have screamed, I would have.

The figure was not human. It looked like at one point in its life, it may have been. But longer. The reptilian creature was tall, nearly seven feet, with a bald pate and scaly soot-colored skin. Its eyes were almond-shaped and snake-like, blood-red and glowing in the semi-darkness. The fingers were like claws, long, cruel, and sharp. The nose was long and snout-like, and two horrendous, long fangs jutted from the mouth. The reptilian creature wore a sweeping black cloak, a gold chain glittering around its neck. Before Folsom could run, the awful creature grasped him by the arms and jerked him toward him. Then the sharp fangs sank into the neck of Folsom, who screamed in agony. The reptilian vampire cut his forearm and pressed the bleeding wound to Folsom's mouth, who swallowed the blood and collapsed onto the antique rug, sobbing uncontrollably and clapping his hands over his bleeding neck. The evil creature gazed down at him with a mixture of cruel satisfaction and sadistic pleasure.

"Enjoy your new life." He said coldly, wiping his mouth and tasting the blood as if it was sweet syrup.

My vision blurred again, and when it cleared I was standing outside of a small townhouse in what appeared to be London. Folsom was standing at the door, his composure regained, his pain clearly over. But this was not the human Folsom I had seen just minutes ago. This was the snow-white, cold vampire Folsom I knew from my waking moments. There were two red circles on his neck, healing puncture marks from when the creature had bitten him.

Folsom knocked. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing a dark-haired, dark-eyed young woman who burst into tears at the sight of him. "Oh, Mackenzie! You've come home! Darling, I didn't hear from you for three days! I thought something awful had befallen you! Come inside, you look frozen to death!"

"Emilia." Mackenzie rasped, his ice-blue eyes changing to scarlet. "My love."

I felt sick, knowing what was going to happen. I couldn't close my eyes this time or leave the vision as Folsom stepped inside of the house and allowed the woman to embrace him. But after their kiss, his lips found her neck, and she let out a terrible scream as his fangs sunk in deep.

Two small children, little girls no older than five, appeared at the sounds of their mother's screaming. They both watched as their father finished on her, and then beckoned to them, letting her body drop softly to the couch nearby.

"Elsa," Folsom said coaxingly, his mouth dripping scarlet, "Ania."

The two blonde girls ran to him. This time, I managed to stare at the corner of the wall as Folsom did to his two daughters what he had just done to his lover. My gaze snapped back to the gruesome scene as the front door swung open again, this time as a young boy with black hair and piercing blue eyes came upon the living room.

"My GOD!" He breathed, staring at the bodies of his family and at Folsom. "You… you…"

"My son." Folsom said, spreading his arms to him. "Welcome home."

The boy paled, tears filling his eyes. Before Folsom could reach Julian, the boy yanked a cross pendant from his shirt. Folsom shrieked and leapt back.

"Begone!" Julian sobbed. "Begone, Father!"

Folsom blinked. The sound of his family name seemed to register with something deep inside of him. The scarlet eyes returned to blue. His gaze swept over the room, over the bodies of his lover Emilia Gray and his daughters Elsa and Ania, and he covered his mouth with his hands.

"My love!" He gasped. "My daughters! Oh, no! NO!"

"Begone!" Julian shouted again, his voice breaking.

Folsom stared at his son. I watched as he zeroed in on his son's neck. In the fever pitch of emotion, his jugular pulsed wildly. Folsom's blue eyes turned scarlet once more and he began to stalk toward Julian, humanity gone, monstrous hunger completely overtaking him.

"Lumos solem!" Julian wept, and the beam of sunlight that struck his father brought a screech of pain and the flash of black as his father leapt out of the open window and disappeared into the night.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in Mara's office once more. I dropped back against the wall, sinking to my knees, stunned and horrified at what I had just witnessed.

"Here. Try this." Mara said, bewitching my iced tea glass to float across the office towards me. Numbly, I took it, drinking deeply in spite of the intensifying urge to vomit. The cold liquid spread a strange numbing sensation throughout my body, and I found the violent shaking easing until it stopped altogether.

Do not go looking for answers, Professor Smith had warned me back in the Hog's Head. You aren't ready for what you will find. There is a world beyond the safe realm of Hogwarts that you know. Evil and magic exist that you cannot even comprehend.

Like Pandora's box, I had opened the lid from the secrets contained within. Some of the answers I sought had been revealed. Graphically, brutally, irrevocably.

"What did you see?" Mara prompted.

I drank deeply, craving more of the numbing effect the tea had. "I saw Folsom… I saw your father become a vampire."

Mara's brows drew up. "You still think Folsom is my father?"

"I don't know. He seems like a good enough guess."

"My father committed a heinous crime." Julian said quietly. "He traded his human life for immortality. The price he paid was more than he could bear. But his hold onto the shreds of humanity within him did not burn until my death a few years later."

"Who killed you?" I asked hoarsely. "Not your father?"

"You saw who killed me." said Julian simply.

I shuddered at the thought of the evil black reptile-like man. "That thing… what was that?"

"A very old and ancient vampire." Mara said.

"Folsom called him Master." I recalled quietly. "Master… why do I feel like I've seen that thing before? Who is he?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Mara replied, spreading her hands. "Julian is cursed. He cannot reveal the identity of who did this to him. But your necklace, and our combined touch, seems to have overridden his enchantment."

"Could it… oh, I don't know…" I mumbled, still rattled by what I'd seen. "Maybe Salazar Slytherin?"

"It's crossed my mind." Mara said. "But I believe this might be a creature that tried to become human. Instead, it walks the planet as a vampire."

"I don't know." I said, setting down the iced tea and burying my face in my hands, wishing I could erase the horrors of what I had just seen. "I don't want to know anymore."

"Amber," Mara said urgently. "You may hold the key to unlocking these secrets. Secrets that might save not just your friends, but the entire world."

"How?" I asked heavily, feeling like my heart weighed twenty pounds. "Because of these visions? Why can't anyone else See like I can, since the necklace has traces of power?"

"Because you are-" Helena began, but the door to the office suddenly burst open. Standing in the archway was Professor Willow Smith.

I now understood why she had been able to defect from the Death Eaters and live to tell the tale.

A powerful aura like heat thrown from a furnace emanated from the woman, whose scar was more pronounced than ever as her gaze scanned the room, coming to rest on her daughter. Mara rose slowly from her chair, face unreadable.

"Daughter," Willow said at last, in a cold voice trembling with fury, "what have you done?"

"I am acting on orders, Mother," Mara said evenly, though I could feel the tension in the air like an impending thunderstorm, "stay out of this."

"Clearly, your orders are not the same as mine!" Willow thundered, and the entire office shook and trembled. "Do you have any idea what trouble you have caused? What kind of damage you may have inflicted upon her?"

"She had the right to know!" Mara shouted, her dark green eyes blazing with black fire. "Unlike you, I believe that people have the right to know their identity! They have the right to know who they are!"

"You are angry with me because I withhold the identity of your father from you." Willow said in a tone of steel. "Do you have any idea how much havoc your actions have just wreaked upon us?"

"You exaggerate." Mara said coolly. "Amber has the right to know why."

"Yes, she does!" Willow flashed back, and one of the windows blew out. I flinched, but Mara didn't back down. "Amber has the right to know at the right time!"

"Know what?" I asked, surprising everyone, including myself, with my question. Numb, I looked between mother and daughter, between the ghosts. "What am I not supposed to know?"

Mara and Willow glared at each other. "She has the right to know, Mother." Mara gritted.

"She is too young!" Willow snarled. "That is my final word! Not as your mother, but as your superior in the Order!"

Mara's black eyes flashed. She hissed something in a strange way, like she was having a fit or some sort of seizure. But her expression was clear, sane. Willow made the same guttural, hissing noises, as if they were having an intense, private debate. Finally, Mara's eyes narrowed, and she was silent.

Without understanding what they had just said, I could sense the balance tipping back in favor of Willow. She had regained control of the situation. The energy in the room abated, leaving me feeling cold and weak. Julian fixed me with a somber stare, before disappearing entirely. Helena Ravenclaw remained.

"I dreamt about you," I said quietly. "Last summer. I dreamt about your death."

Helena watched me, her expression enigmatic. "I know."

"Thank you for your honesty." I said at last, even though I wished I had never seen any of it.

Helena drifted towards me, her eyes shadowed. "The one who stole your book is a friend who is not a friend." She hesitated, then added, "I am sorry that I disrupted your life with this tale. You remind me very much of Sapphira, and perhaps I forgot my place."

"Perhaps you did." Willow said in a frosty tone that held no forgiveness.

Helena bowed her head. "I only wish to see this old evil vanquished, once and for all." She clasped her hands together once more. "Forgive me."

I held her gaze as she slipped through the stone wall. Mara and Willow were hissing at each other again, in that weird language.

"May I go?" I asked haltingly.

"Not yet." Willow said sharply. "I will not remove your memory, nor will I modify it, as much as I'd like to as to spare you the lingering emotions from what you've just seen. However, I would like to talk to you, allow you to vent what you are feeling and possibly allow questions. I believe that will help speed along your recovery."

I looked at the both of them, at a loss. Where did I even begin?

"Amber?" Willow prompted.

"I'm afraid to say anything." I admitted. "I mean, what's the point of even asking a question if you aren't even going to answer it?"

"Well, the cat's among the pixies now, unfortunately." said Willow darkly, looking at her daughter. "I can't take back what you already know without risking permanent injury to your memory."

I bit my lip, conflicting thoughts and emotions warring with each other. Did I want to know more? Or was I sated with the heavy knowledge that I now carried?

"I guess… I do have one question." I said uneasily. "How come all of this is happening to me? Why can't I just live a normal life like Lily? Like my friends?"

Willow and Mara exchanged a long look. "Because you're-" Mara began, but Willow held up a hand.

"No." said Willow firmly. "That question falls under the category of 'Need-to-Know'".

"Fine, then." I snapped. "What language were you two speaking?"

"Parseltongue." Mara said quickly, before Willow could stop her. "Some people are born with it, others learn."

"I want to learn." I said, unsure of where the words came from. "I want to learn how to speak it."

"Why?" Willow asked, raising a scarred brow.

"Because I'd like to be able to learn a second language." I said flatly. "Because it's something constructive. Is that enough reason?"

Mara and Willow gave me measured looks. They spoke again in that odd language. Then Willow sighed in resignation.

"Alright. I suppose after what you've just been through, especially this year, it wouldn't hurt for you to learn the language of snakes. Mara will teach you. You are not to talk about what you have just seen, is that quite understood?"

"Not even to Remus and Lily?"

Willow sighed again, rubbing her temples wearily. "I don't like it."

"Dumbledore allows her to share things with them." Mara tossed in.

"And their support means everything to me." I said honestly, swallowing against my dry throat. "Please. I need to be able to confide in them."

Willow's leaf-green eyes opened. "Very well. They appear to be outstanding young adults, as it is. I feel that they are indeed trustworthy. However, I will remind both of you to refrain any more from asking questions. You may not understand or appreciate it now, but timing is crucial. Especially when it concerns such a treacherous prophecy."

"Prophecy?" I said immediately. "What prophecy?"

Willow's face bloomed with red. "Nothing. When you are older, you will know. Now, off to the hospital wing. I'll escort you myself. You need a good dose of mandragora." She glared at her daughter, who lifted her chin defiantly. "I'll deal with you later."

"I look forward to it." Mara said coldly.

Willow gave her daughter a final look of warning, then swept out of the office with me. "I don't want mandragora." I told her, the shaking starting again. "I just want to talk to Remus and Lily."

"You can, after." Willow said firmly. "I can't believe this. I knew she would try for a slice of revenge eventually. Oh, if only she understood I keep her father's identity from her for a reason…"

"You won't tell me either, will you?" I asked nonchalantly.

Willow pretended not to hear me. We made it down two flights of stairs when Remus and Lily intercepted us. A look of powerful relief flooded their pale faces.

"Oh, Amber!" Lily exclaimed. "We were just coming to look for you! Hello, Professor Smith."

"Hello, Lily. Remus." Willow said graciously. "I can entrust you two to deliver this one to the hospital wing?"

Remus and Lily frowned. "Is everything alright?" Lily asked.

"Never you mind for now." Willow said shortly. "I must be getting along. Amber, remember what I said." She swept back up the stairs, leaving us behind.

Lily and Remus rounded on me. "Well?" Lily asked. "Is that your necklace?"

I looked down at my hand, which was clenched around the fake, the copy. "Yeah, it is. Mara gave it back to me. Listen, can we talk?"

"Of course." Remus said, his brows lifting. "Come on. I know a classroom that's been vacant the whole year. Let's talk there."

"Good." I said grimly. "Because I don't want us overheard."

In the empty classroom, I recounted what I had just seen to Remus and Lily. Remus turned varying shades of white, green, and pink, while Lily gasped and kept putting her hands over her mouth. Each time they tried to interrupt, I raised my voice and kept going, until the whole grim tale.

"...and then I found you two." I finished lamely. I felt like I had just drained a festering boil, as if something infected and vicious had been removed from my body. The looks of stunned disbelief on Remus and Lily's faces echoed my own heavy, tumultuous feelings.

"I knew there was something bizarre about that necklace." Lily said at last, her green eyes blazing. "Didn't I say that?"

"What are 'Horcruxes'?" Remus wondered aloud. "Surely the necklace and these 'horcruxes' must be a way to achieve immortality."

"Like vampirism." I added, the puzzle pieces trying over and over to fit inside of my mind. "I don't understand. I've never even heard of horcruxes before."

"Professor Smith said you shouldn't worry about this just now?" Lily said in disbelief. "How can you not? I feel like my brain's going to boil itself! We have to find out why and what-"

"Lily, no." Remus said sharply. "Didn't you hear what Amber said? Professor Smith and Professor Dumbledore said this must not be pursued right now."

"But that's so ridiculous!" Lily exclaimed. "Curiosity is one thing, but this whole thing sounds like something far bigger than anything we could have ever imagined!"

"Exactly." Remus said seriously. "Do you honestly three teenagers are equipped to deal with this sort of thing?"

"We're exceptional." Lily shot back fiercely. "We're all top students. We can all perform N.E.W.T. level magic, including corporeal Patronuses. Amber has some kind of Seer ability, you're a werewolf, and I'm the smartest out of the whole lot of us."

"Modest, Lily." I said dryly.

"We can't, Lily, not yet." Remus insisted. "I'm sure that Dumbledore and Smith have their reasons. If we can't trust them, then we can't trust anyone."

Lily tossed her long hair back angrily. "What do you think, Amber? You're the one who has visions and has to deal with this. What do you think?"

Remus shot her an irritated look. "Trying to force her to choose a side?"

"She's got to make the call." Lily said, fixing both of us in turn with her winsome smile. "It would be such an adventure. Think of what we might find, what we might uncover and learn! We should find out what this all means. Why you're always the one bad stuff happens to."

"Lily." Remus chided.

I looked between the both of them. Remus' expression was imploring; Lily's expectant. Both of them expected me to choose their respective side.

I closed my eyes, seeing Mara and Willow fighting over this very same thing just an hour ago. Mara and Lily wanted me to know the truth now. Remus, Willow, and Dumbledore all insisted that I wait.

Horcruxes. The necklaces. My dead sister. The visions. Mara's father. Folsom's bloody past. Willow's. Voldemort's. The Master's.

And most puzzling of all: why did Mara call me the key? And what prophecy were they talking about?

The mysteries I so desperately wanted solved taunted me from their cloaks of smoke and mist. So tempting, so alluring… as a Ravenclaw, I knew it was my nature to want to seek answers and find them. But I knew the truth of Helena Ravenclaw's warning given to me just a few months ago at the beginning of term: go looking for trouble, and you'll find it.

Just seeing what had happened to Folsom and the consequences of his vampirism haunted me. I would never be able to shake the sight of his dead family from my mind, nor would the ghost of his son fade from this castle. Then there was the unsavory idea that maybe my own parents knew more than I did about my life. That there was a reason why my father worked in the Department of Mysteries. That maybe he knew exactly what had made my sister so sick. That my own heritage foretold a tale too big for me to even comprehend, let alone question.

I let out a long breath, decision made. Lily sat up straighter. Remus clenched his fists in his lap.

"As much as I want to know why," I began slowly, not looking at either of them, "I agree with Dumbledore. It's not the right time."

Lily looked crestfallen. "Amber, you might not-"

"That's my last word." I told her in a tone full of finality. "I'm sorry, Lily, but I think you're wrong on this one. Maybe it's because you've never actually been through something terrifying and life-changing, like being attacked by a werewolf or having your sister die. But I'm not ready to open this Pandora's box." I hesitated, then added, "not yet."

Lily crossed her arms, offended. "Are you saying I'm spoiled and don't know anything about life?"

"I think she's saying that it's not the right time." Remus told her soothingly. "I agree, too. We've got enough to deal with right now."

"I still don't like it." Lily said mutinously.

"I don't either." I told her bluntly. "But to be honest, I've got bigger fish to fry."

"What could possibly be bigger than this?" Lily objected.

"How about our History of Magic exam tomorrow morning?"

Lily yelped, jumping to her feet. "Merlin's beard! I completely forgot about that one! Come on, if we hurry to the kitchens we can still get some coffee for an all-nighter of studying. And if we really need it, I think I've got some firewhiskey left over from when I was with Harry."

"Lily!" I exclaimed, stunned at this new, daring side of her.

"Oh, honestly, Amber," Lily said as she dragged Remus and I out of the room, "don't act like you're so innocent. You're a Marauder, aren't you?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling at Remus over Lily, who returned the expression, "I guess I am."

The next two days were filled with exams and endless studying between tests. To my relief, everything seemed quite easy. All of the test material was based off of what we had learned cumulatively over the year, and I found myself finishing first or second in most classes (depending on how quickly Remus or Lily completed theirs). Remus looked increasingly ill and woe-begone, since the full moon was just hours away on the last day of exams.

The only exam I found challenging was Mara's. Instead of a written exam, she had us pair up and duel one another. The pairs were judged on spellwork, endurance, reflexes, and the duration of the fight. For an hour, I watched as my classmates fought each other, duelling for the victory. Most were quite boring and easy, since we weren't allowed to choose our partners and it was based on random selection. Remus looked sicker as class progressed, until just before the end he hunched over, gripping his stomach and groaning softly.

"Remus?" I whispered, afraid for him.

Remus was panting quietly, his eyes temporarily yellow. "I'm fine," he assured me in a strained voice. "Just cramps."

"I know what that feels like." I said sarcastically as Lily defeated her opponent Zoey MacDonald with an extraordinary "Expelliarmus!" that not only disarmed her, but sent her flying back into the wall.

"Excellent, excellent!" Mara said happily. "Alright, last pair! Remus and Amber, please step forward."

"Can you make it?" I asked him nervously.

Remus sucked in a deep breath. He made it three steps into the middle of the room and promptly vomited all over the floor.

Several students screamed and leapt back. I held my breath as I pointed my wand at the pool of sick and said, "Scourgify!". The vomit vanished, but Remus remained pale and shaking worse than ever.

"He's not well, Professor," I implored, feeling Zoey's hostile stare on me. I took out a handkerchief and dabbed at Remus' sweating brow. "He needs the hospital wing."

"I need to pass my exam." Remus rasped, his lips gray.

"Not like this." Mara said swiftly. "Zoey, please take your boyfriend to the hospital wing. We'll postpone the final pair for tomorrow. Remus, Amber, you'll meet me back here in twenty-four hours."

"But the train leaves tomorrow!" I exclaimed.

"If you miss it, I'll provide alternate transportation. You need to pass this exam in order to qualify for your fifth year." Her dark green eyes flickered to Zoey. "Get going, both of you."

Zoey supported Remus as they left the room. I watched, filled with a strange mixture of emotions. There was the familiar twinge of jealousy, but what was even stronger was the odd sense of foreboding. I shivered, gooseflesh rising on my skin, even though it was very warm in the classroom.

"Come on!" Lily said, tugging at my arm. "That's it for exams! Oh, I feel so hungry now. Like I can finally eat without wanting to be sick. Let's go!"

I let Lily pull me down to the Great Hall, which was filled with excited chatter and babble of students who had finished their exams. I sat at the Gryffindor table with Lily and the other Marauders, but I couldn't shake the increasing sense that something was wrong. I kept looking over my shoulder, but nothing was watching me.

But I could feel a dark presence surrounding me, closing in. Trembling slightly, I reached for a goblet full of grape juice and promptly knocked it over. The crimson liquid spilled like blood over the white tablecloth, and I stared at it, my heart thumping painfully in my ribs.

"Amber! Butter fingers, I tell you… tergeo! There, no harm done… what's wrong?" Lily asked, her face changing at my expression.

"Nothing." I lied, my hands cold. "Where's Remus and Zoey?"

"They went to the hospital wing, remember? He looked really sick. She's probably going to stay with him until later." She gave me a meaningful look.

"That's it." James said, slamming down his pumpkin juice. "Enough of this moping. We're going to celebrate. Even you can't stay somber at the Three Broomsticks, Lionheart. Come on, butterbeers on me. Let's go."

"James!" Lily said, shocked. "We can't just waltz out of the castle and go into Hogsmeade!"

"Oh, yes, we can." said James indifferently. "Come on. Let's go before it gets dark out."

Sirius leapt to his feet. I followed them, the dread growing. Something was definitely wrong. I wanted to check on Remus, but Lily wouldn't allow it. We disappeared underneath the Cloak near the statue of the one-eyed witch and all of us walked down the earthen tunnel to the Honeydukes cellar. We left the silent shop for the cobblestoned streets of Hogsmeade. The sun hung low in the sky, but it wasn't quite evening yet. Another hour of sunlight, maybe two. I followed my friends into the Three Broomsticks, chilled to the bone, even though it was a very warm summer's night. James stayed true to his word and ordered butterbeers for all, but I couldn't assimilate to their joyous mood.

"Lionheart!" James shouted, startling me. "Come on, drink some butterbeer! Have a pasty. Eat, drink, smile, laugh!"

"I still have one exam left." I reminded him. "I can't celebrate yet."

"Oh, come off it." Sirius said, slurping his drink noisily. "You always pass your exams. You'll be just fine."

"Is everything alright?" Lily asked again, brows furrowing. "You do look kind of peaky."

"I'm fine." I lied again, hitching a smile onto my face. I drank my butterbeer, but it tasted like liquid sugar in my mouth. I made a face as I swallowed it.

But no one else seemed to be bothered by what I felt. Lily was laughing, enjoying herself and the company that Sirius, James, and Peter provided. I stared at my golden mug of butterbeer, watching the bubbles fizzing to the creamy surface.

My vision hazed black at the edges. I gripped the table for support just as the blackness overtook the scene of the Three Broomsticks. Not again… I thought, as the dull pounding began in my ears. Not right now…

I was running through the black trees of the Forbidden Forest. My robes ripped on briars and I sprinted over fallen logs and holes. I wasn't pursuing, but pursuing. My lungs screamed for air as I crashed into a familiar ravine, the same hollow where Angelina had died.

Except it wasn't Angelina here now. It was Zoey. She was hiding in the same void underneath the tree, sobbing in terror. She was hiding.

From me?

A low, guttural growl came from behind me. I slowly turned on the spot.

Creeping through the darkness, its eyes reflectively bright, was a werewolf. The same werewolf who had tried to kill me in the Shrieking Shack.

It was Remus, and he was prowling straight for Zoey. A piercing scream rent the night air, and a blinding white light flashed before my eyes.

The entire pub had gone silent. I was back in the Three Broomsticks, and I realized that the terrible sound had come from me. James had dropped his mug on the floor, which was shattered. Sirius had jumped. Peter had the mortified look of someone who had just wet themselves. Lily looked most scared of all.

"Amber?" She asked urgently. "What was it?"

I looked outside the window. The sun was alarmingly low, brushing the tops of the black trees of the forest beyond the safe limits of the village. I hadn't seen them since the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, but it didn't matter. I had seen them. I knew, right now, that Zoey was in terrible danger. That she and Remus, for whatever reason, were in the Forest. And if I didn't act now, Zoey would die. At the hands of Remus.

I jumped up from the table. Lily caught my arm, holding me fast. "What's going on?" She demanded. "Amber!"

I tried to jerk my arm free. "I think Zoey's in danger. I think Remus might be loose in the forest."

"What?!" The table exclaimed at large.

"We've got to do something!" Lily said hotly. "We'll all go!"

James threw down a handful of coins as we all rushed out of the pub. Long shadows reached across the ground as we pelted towards the Forest, which was foreboding and evil-looking in the gathering darkness. Peter let out a whimper of terror.

"Sirius, Peter, you come with me." James instructed. "Amber, Lily, you two go together. No one splits up. We'll be able to find him."

"How?" Sirius demanded.

"You're a dog, aren't you?" James spat.

"But what about them?" Sirius asked, pointing to me and Lily.

A faint silver hue glowed from the darkness of the trees. At first I thought it was mist, but then I realized that it was the half-dog, half-gytrash pet of Professor Kettleburn's. Loki bared his horrendous fangs at us, his blood-red eyes glowing like a vampire's in the dark.

"Loki will scent him for us." I told James. "We've got to hurry. The moon rises in less than an hour."

None of them questioned my vision. We had learned to accept the accuracy of my visions. Now, the five of us exchanged a final look of grim determination.

"If anything happens, get yourselves out." James said firmly. "We can all send Patronuses with messages, right?"

"Except for Peter, he's still in training." Sirius said. Peter hunched over, resigned.

"We can." Lily said fiercely. "Do you think Kettleburn's out there?"

"I wouldn't be surprised, since his dog is here." I told her. "Now come on! We don't have any more time to waste!" I presented the handkerchief to Loki, the same one I'd used to wipe at Remus' face earlier. Loki sniffed at it once and then gave a low growl. Sirius sniffed it too, shifting into a great black dog before our eyes.

"Come on!" I shouted, charging after Loki, who was already gliding through the black trees. "We've got to hurry!"