"Oi, Pansy," Lia called. "Yes, you. Yes, I'm speaking to you. Look, stop smearing that thing all over your face okay? It's embarrassing for everyone. You do realise that makeup isn't going to fix your stupidity?"

Haginson's face was set in an eternal glower, as she huffed and puffed in anger. She reminded Lia of that time when she'd left a bag of popcorn she'd found in the microwave for far too long, and it had blown up with air and exploded, blackened corn kernels flying everywhere. Vernon had been furious. Lia hoped that when she exploded, and Parkinson undoubtedly would one day, she wouldn't have to clean the pug-faced girl's gloopy brain bits off her robes.

She felt a bit guilty. After all, this time Pansy had done nothing to provoke her. Well, that wasn't exactly true - the simple knowledge that Parkinson was alive and at Hogwarts provoked her. But usually Lia wasn't the one that insulted first. Today? She couldn't help it. She was in an awful mood.

She absentmindedly raised up a shield charm as Pug-face predictably sent a hex flying her way. Realising that her spell hadn't worked, Pansy huffed again in indignation and stomped off. This was normally the part where Lia would have laughed. If only her scar hadn't been bothering her so much.

It was during exam period, and it was her first year at Hogwarts so she was determined to do well. She wasn't going to fail any of her classes like she had one year at her old muggle school. Therefore, lately she'd foregone her pranks.

Although she'd just had to wrap it up for the school year with a rather brilliant one that had left Draco's hair bright pink, and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, swollen like balloons, so that they miraculously became even fatter than they had been. She had heard a rumour that Madam Pomfrey was forced to actually prick the boys with a needle, so that they would finally deflate and stop floating around the hospital wing.

"Owww," Lia hissed. Her hand rubbed the 'S' shaped scar on her right upper arm.

When she'd asked Hagrid how she'd gotten that scar, he had shrugged and said, "You-Know-Who must'a wanted to make a' example out of you. You know? Harry's sister an' all. Probably from one of his curses, that scar is."

Prior to the past few weeks, she had actually been quite proud of that reddish mark. The Slytherins had all looked mighty impressed when they'd seen it. All, except Pansy, but she was always too jealous for her own good. Even Malfoy had looked fleetingly interested, before he caught himself. 'S' was the symbol of her house, and Lia had always adored snakes.

"You must be a true Slytherin," a boy called Theodore Nott had gasped. Lia had been surprised. Nott rarely spoke, and when he did? It was never to her. She had smiled in what she had hoped to be a friendly, welcoming manner to him.

Not surprisingly, however, Malfoy had butted in and snorted, "True Slytherin my ass. Did you all forget that she's a halfblood?"

Then quite a few people had looked uncomfortable, rubbed their necks or scratched at an invisible spot, and the moment of house bonding was over. Ruined by Mopefoy. He was probably jealous he didn't have a cool scar as well.

Although she half-wished she could give the bloody mark to him right now. It had been bothering her all day, and it was stopping her from properly concentrating on her exams. The stupid thing kept sending stabbing pains up her arm. She had been about to use a numbing spell on her arm, until she realised that she was right-handed, and she'd have to handwrite with a quill for her morning exams.

Lia wasn't entirely confident with how she'd gone in her written papers. She'd hopefully be able to scrape at least an 'Acceptable' in History of Magic, thanks to Hermione's help, but she was semi-sure she'd gone completely off topic in her essay about 'Emeric the Evil'. She had written for far too long, and far too much, about his possession of the Elder Wand. The idea of the wand intrigued her.

At least her practicals had gone just fine. She had never been too worried about that. Making a pineapple tap-dance? No problem. And even McGonagall had complimented her on the mouse she transfigured. She'd said that it was one of the prettiest she'd ever seen.

Potions had been alright. She'd been next to Goyle, who kept trying to look over and copy what she was doing, and even though Snape walked around breathing down everyone's necks and making them all uncomfortable and unable to concentrate, he had just ignored Goyle's cheating, which was unfairly unfair.

After everything had been done and dusted, and a Hufflepuff girl had broken down in tears, the exams were thankfully over. Now, Lia was beside Harry, Ron and Hermione, sprawling beneath the shade of a lakeside tree. She had discussed some answers with Hermione, but had found that it just made her even more anxious.

"Harry," Lia said, as she took a good look at her brother. "I don't mean to be rude. But, you look kind of awful."

"Same goes for you," Harry replied.

Lia sighed. "It's just that stupid scar." She pointed at the 'S' accusingly. "It just won't stop hurting."

Harry's jaw opened. "Mine too! It's happened before … but never as often as this."

Upon hearing this, she gulped, "I suspected as such. Listen, Harry. Our scars were given to us by the same wizard. It's quite a coincidence that they're both hurting, right?" She shook her head. "No. Not a coincidence, I'd say. These were remnants of curses … I … I think it might be a warning."

"A warning that danger's coming," Harry finished.

"Exactly."

"Come on, you two. Don't be such worrywarts. The stone will be fine as long as Dumbledore's around. Even Snape can't get past anything on his watch. And he's not going to try again that soon after he got his leg ripped open by Fluffy." Ron looked very lazy lounging on the soft grass.

Lia had opened his mouth to tell them once again tell them that she didn't think that Snape was behind this. But a sudden prickly sensation told her she was missing something, or forgetting something important. An awful thought was blooming in her mind, when right in synch, Harry leapt up.

"I've thought of something," he said. His eyes met Lia's and they both grew pale.

"We have to see Hagrid. Now," she said.

"What?" Hermione panted, struggling to keep up as Lia and Harry had broken off into a sprint, "Why?"

"Don't you think it's a bit odd?" Harry questioned. He was climbing up the slope now. "That what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think?"

Lia shook her head angrily. "Merlin. Why didn't I think of this before?"

Harry and her were right of course. It was as they had feared. In his naivety, Hagrid had gone and told a complete stranger about Fluffy and how to tame the beast. Lia had to admit that it was a brilliant plan on the stranger's behalf. He or she had been able to play on Hagrid's most devastating weakness – his love of magical creatures. But now, it had really left them in a bit of a sticky situation.

Lia's mind whirled as she contemplated their best next course of action. "We have to go to Dumbledore," she said as they entered Hogwarts' halls once more.

Harry nodded. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him."

"Harry," Lia said warily, "I really don't think it could have been Snape."

"We'll see soon, won't we? Does anyone know where Dumbledore's office is?"

They were all stumped.

"We're screwed," Lia said enthusiastically. "Should I prepare my eulogy now? Or wait until Voldemort kills Harry first?"

Her brother glared at her.

"What? Don't give me that look. I know it's upsetting. But everyone knows that you'd be the first to go. You're the only one that's managed to escape his grasp."

It was then that Professor McGonagall walked past. Her gaze skimmed over each of them one by one. Lia broke off her staring competition with Harry, who was looking at her like she'd gone bonkers, to smile innocently at the was a bad call, for McGonagall appeared even more distrustful of them. "What are you four doing inside?"

"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione looked nervous, but her voice was steady and clear when she spoke. Lia thought that the three of them had negatively affected Hermione's rule-abiding nature. Look at her now! Ordering authority around like that.

"Professor Dumbledore?" McGonagall's eyes narrowed. "Why?" Her stare rested on Lia. "Is there a problem?"

"It's kind of a secret," Harry said. Lia wanted to face palm. Why couldn't Harry think before he spoke? Did he actually not realise how fishy he sounded?

Anyway, as McGonagall spoke, she found that she needn't have worried. They wouldn't be able to see the headmaster either way. Dumbledore was gone. Apparently he'd gotten an owl and now he was off, flying to London.

"Ten minutes," Lia said. "Ten freaking minutes earlier and we could have met him." She cursed herself for not running faster. "I bet it wasn't even a real owl. It's probably a decoy. A distraction. So he's out of the way."

"Now what?" Ron said, growing worried. "He won't be back until tomorrow!"

"I think I know what to do. Hermione, you need to tail Snape. Watch where he's going and follow after him," Harry said.

"Why me?"

"Isn't it obvious? Just say that you're waiting for Flitwick. Oh my, Professor. Oh Professor Flitwick," Ron said in a terribly fake imitation of Hermione. "I think I'm going to faint. I just know that I got Question 13 E wrong!"

Hermione punched Ron lightly on the arm. "Shut up … and I'll have you know, there was no 13 e on the exam!"

Lia rolled her eyes. "Get a room you two." She didn't wait to see the mutual disgust on their faces and looked at Harry. "And you. How many times do I need to tell you. This. Is. Not. Snape's. Doing. Are my words finally getting through that thick skull of yours?"

"How can you still say that, Lia? You saw what he was doing at the quidditch match!"

"Yes … but. Well it could have been anyone, you don't know for sure. Look, okay. Yes that was suspicious. But. I can't explain ... it but it's not him! There were so many people on that stand when Hermione knocked Quirrell over and set fire…" she trailed off mid sentence.

Quirrell. It was like alarm bells began resonating in her head. Quirrell had been there at the Quidditch game. Oh, why hadn't she payed attention to what he was doing? She'd been too busy being worried for Harry and scared for Hermione. He'd been the one Snape had been threatening in that corner too. Could it be that …? Did Snape believe that Quirrell was Voldemort? Dumbledore trusted Snape after all, and if Snape was loyal to Dumbledore, he would surely be protecting Harry.

It was a long shot. But to Lia, Quirrell sounded a lot more like the culprit than Snape. But she knew her brother would never believe her. Harry hated Snape too much and she thought that he was almost hoping that Snape was indeed Voldemort. It would give him more reason to despise the professor.

"I have to go," Lia gasped out. "I think … I think I have a lead." She pulled a pin out of her pocket and passed it to Harry. "Look, you won't believe me if I tell you. But if you need me … no before you're going to do something stupid, before you do something stupid, just press it okay? I'll come find you." She paused. "And probably hit you over the head for being an idiot."

For the rest of that afternoon and night, Lia tried desperately to search for Quirrell.

Hagrid had told her that Quirrell was probably teaching a class in room 3C on the third floor. But when she'd gotten there, it had been empty, so she'd gone up to Class 104 in the North Tower, where she typically had her classes with the professor. She'd found a wizard she didn't recognise there. He'd taken five points from Slytherin when she barged in on him, mid-lecture, and multiple pairs of eyes had swerved to gaze curiously at her. She hadn't knocked. After apologising profusely for interrupting his class, the substitute teacher had frostily informed her that Professor Quirrell had been feeling unwell and was in the hospital wing.

When she got there, Madam Pomfrey told her in a regretful tone that no, she hadn't seen the teacher all day. So, Lia had gone back to the North Tower. The substitute teacher was obviously new, so perhaps he had been confused? She met Trelawney on the stairs up, who had told her in a solemn voice, that she was going to die tonight. Lia had smiled and asked if she'd happened to see Quirrell, to which the divination professor had replied in an even graver tone, that her inner eye had 'seen' Quirrell and that he was to die that night too.

After questioning every teacher that she could find, and even trying to slip into the door containing Fluffy (She had stopped after she saw McGonagall, who looked even more furious than usual. For Lia knew that the professor would never in a million years allow her to pass through on her watch and she was not keen to lose points for Slytherin if there was no purpose to it), she had to admit that she had failed.

Quirrell was most likely stealing the Philosopher's Stone now, and she would have to wait until nighttime when she could sneak into Fluffy's room. She thought about Harry's cloak. All four of them would not be able to fit under it. It was too small to cover everyone, and Harry and Ron were growing taller. She could just see Harry telling her that it was too dangerous, that she should go back, that they wouldn't fit, that if she went with them the teachers would find them all.

Lia scowled. What to do? Well, she was going to have to learn an invisibility charm now. She'd used one before. But only once. And it had been on something as small as a pencil. A human being, even a child like her, would be much more difficult. She looked at the clock. She estimated that she had around two hours to learn how to cast it. That, or Harry would probably get himself killed without her. But, perhaps Hermione could stop him from being totally reckless? But Lia didn't feel like being left out this night.

"Let's do this," she whispered to her wand.