Mary Potter
"Arthur sent a letter this morning," Remus said, passing her the plate of sandwiches. "They've set up camp and want us to join them for dinner before the match."
"Brilliant." Mary smiled brightly. "Can we go now? I haven't seen Ron since he tackled me."
Sirius chuckled. "You're not really going to give him a hard time for that, are you?"
"Damn right, I am," she said seriously. "He shouldn't have done that. I didn't know my arse from my elbow that night and might've hexed the ears off of him. Never approach a crazy person with a wand. It's Survival 101."
"You were hallucinating." Remus sighed. "It wasn't your fault and you're not crazy."
Mary wrapped the remainder of her sandwich in a napkin and stood. "Let's go."
"Hold up," Sirius said, standing up and pulling a bag off the counter and handing it to her. "You're wearing these."
Mary pulled a pair of dark sunglasses and a red bandana with the Bulgarian Team logo embossed on the front. "Are you trying to get me killed? More than half of the fans out there are rooting for Ireland."
Sirius tapped the bandana with his wand and it immediately changed to a bright neon green with a pattern of shamrocks on it. "Quit complaining and put it on."
Mary groused as she tied the swath of fabric around her head, covering her scar. "Do I look like a hippie?"
Remus stared from her to Sirius with wide eyes and Mary could see him biting the inside of his cheek and repeatedly pinching his own leg. "Yes."
"Lovely." She scowled, walking out of the tent with them flanking her sides.
It was complete and utter chaos outside. People talked and laughed loudly from beside their campfires. Children darted to and fro like garden gnomes on a caffeine high. Cart vendors ambled through the main alleys seeking buyers for their souvenirs. There was no order to the direction the crowd walked and she would have been trampled over many times if Sirius and Remus hadn't been there to pull her out of danger.
Ministry wizards would pop in, bellow orders at law breaking fans and disappear at random, leaving the surrounding crowd to go right back to what they were doing, regardless of the consequences. Remus held tightly to her Muggle arm, leaving her left hand free if she needed to get her wand. While there were times when she felt like her godfathers were unbearably overprotective, there amidst the swarming crowd and raucous insanity, she was immensely grateful for their presence.
"Professor Lupin!" A voice shouted, making them all turn.
Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas pushed their way forward, going against the current of the crowd to greet them.
"Mary!" Dean smiled and shook her hand. "Almost didn't recognize you."
"What gave me away?" She laughed, shaking Seamus' hand.
"Being with us," Sirius whispered conspiratorially.
"Yeah!" Seamus laughed. "Me mam recognized Mr. Black from across the field. We almost didn't beat her here."
"Should I run?" Sirius looked back and forth, his eyes scouring the crowd for danger.
"Nah." Seamus shrugged. "We lost her back in Bulgarian territory. She'll be arguing for days at least."
"We're looking for the Weasley's tent," Remus said. "Would you like to join us?"
"Maybe later," Dean replied quickly. "We're in a bit of hot water 'cause Seamus blew up the tent."
Seamus grinned. "Ron's family is on the next lot. You can't miss it. Us redheads are notoriously hard to hide."
"Later then." Mary waved at them as they took off in the opposite direction.
Oliver Wood ran toward them like a rampaging bull, barely stopping before picking Mary up and swinging her around. "You've got to meet my parents, Mary!"
"We'll meet you at the Weasley's tent." Remus let out a groan and grabbed Sirius by the arm, pulling him away.
"Okay." Mary let Oliver drag her through another alley and into a small outcropping where smaller more Muggle looking tents sat.
"Mum! Dad!" Oliver yelled, pulling her into the tent. "Mary's here!"
"Mary!" Katie Bell exited the tent and rushed toward her. "How are ya?"
"Good." Mary smiled brightly. "Having a good summer?"
Katie kissed Oliver on the cheek. "Definitely."
The moment she met them, Mary realised that Oliver and his parents were polar opposites. They were a very quiet and kind older couple that seemed to adore their son. Better yet, they treated Katie like a queen and doted on her. As for Mary, her very presence seemed to set them on edge and make them nervous, which was why she opted to leave at the first opportunity.
A cart vendor stopped her as she made her way back to where she'd left her godfathers. "Omnioculars, dear?"
Mary looked at the older man and smiled. "I'll take eleven."
His eyes widened as she pulled out a stack of galleons, placing them in his palm. "I'll put them in a bag for you, dear girl."
"Thanks." She accepted the small brown pouch with a smile and finished her walk.
Seamus had been right, the Weasleys were very easy to spot. Each one wore tall green and white hats that clashed marvellously with their bright red hair. Sirius and Remus sat next to Arthur and Bill, talking animatedly over some issue. Seeing her chance, Mary crept up to the circle and grabbed her target from behind, pulling him right out of his seat.
"That was for tackling me." Mary brushed her sleeves back down and grinned innocently, while the rest of the large group laughed loudly.
Ron looked over at Sirius in horror. "I thought you weren't going to tell!"
"Pensieve memory." Sirius shrugged. "I didn't have to say anything."
"Here." Mary pulled the bag out of her pocket and grabbed a pair of Omnioculars for herself, then passed the bag to Ron. "Got enough for everyone."
"Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione hugged her quickly and accepted a pair, then stared at them in fascination. "I read about these. They're supposed to be fantastic to view the matches with. The many different features also allow instant playback and slow motion. But they're not confined only to use in Quidditch matches, you can use them in day to day activities as well."
"I'd say all you keep them handy at Hogwarts this year." Bill chuckled lightly, accepting his pair. "There are certain things you might want to watch twice."
"Like what?" Ron demanded.
"Nothing, Ron." Mr. Weasley intervened. "Bill's just having a laugh."
"He's taking the piss, Ron." Fred added.
George piped up. "Jerking your chain, Ron."
"Enough, boys." Mr. Weasley shook his head.
Mary sat back quietly as they all went back to talking, but inwardly, she was mulling over the fact that Fourth Year was just days away. Had she changed enough to avoid the Tournament? She knew full well that Mad Eye was safe, having seen him and Tonks just the day after her latest accident. Still though, there were no guarantees, all she could do was wait and hope for the best.
"Come on, Mary." Bill tugged at her arm. "We've got to go. The match is starting."
The chaos on the trail to the stadium was a fraction of what it was like on the inside. The sounds of thousands upon thousands of people stomping around was enough to have her clutching her ears in pain. The stench of so many bodies in such a confined area nearly overwhelmed her heightened senses and the flashes of cameras had her reaching into her pocket to put her sunglasses back on.
"Here." Remus grasped her arm and placed a pair of earplugs in her hand. "I'm going to cast a sensory spell on you, a delimited one, so that you can see and hear as the rest of them do."
His wand tapped her nose and ears, making her sneeze and her ears ring until she got used to the strange sensation that the spell caused. "Thanks, Moony."
He patted her back, guiding her up the steep steps, but by the firm set of his jaw and tension in his movements, she knew that he was struggling with the situation just as much as she was. Despite the sensory overload, it was still intoxicating and thrilling to be there.
When Bagman announced the Bulgarian Team Mascots, the crowd went berserk. The Veela began to dance and ethereal music filled the stands, making her mind swim before a familiar face appeared on the large viewing screen. It was Olena.
Shaking her head, Mary looked around to see most of the men in the Top Box were in some sort of trance. Mr. Weasley was holding Charlie's arms before his son could tear off the rest of his shirt. Bill sat with his head down and his ears covered, looking around pleadingly.
"Stinging hexes!" Mary yelled at Hermione and Ginny, casting the hex at Sirius over and over, before her godfather could jump over the railing. "Stupefy!"
"Nice work, Mary Jane!" Remus yelled her way.
"Cast one of those delimited things on Bill before he goes barmy!" Mary yelled back, helping Hermione hex Ron and the Twins into submission.
Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she looked up to see both Mr. Malfoy and Draco struggling to get out of their seats while Mrs. Malfoy sat back looking bored and slightly insulted.
Catching her gaze, Mrs. Malfoy smirked. "Sticking charms work the best."
"Manere!" Mary cast at Ron, then the twins and Charlie, just as soon as they had been wrestled back into their seats.
And finally, the song ended, leaving the guys in the Top Box looking around in confusion and disbelief. Mrs. Malfoy cancelled the charm on her son and husband before they even realised what happened.
"What the hell?" Ron groaned, rubbing his backside. "Who slapped me?"
Ginny laughed while Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down, her bushy hair swaying as she shook her head. "I wasn't expecting that."
Hours later Mary, Sirius, Hermione and the Weasleys sat around the campfire until it was late, revelling in the epic game that they had just witnessed. They argued back and forth of the strategies and replayed the match over and over on the Omnioculars as they drank Butterbeer and snacked on leftover sausages.
"Krum surely should have waited until Bulgaria had gained more points!" Sirius exclaimed once again.
"He caught the Snitch just as the Quaffle sank!" Ron retorted defensively. "There was really no way for him to know that he was catching it too soon. It happened at the same time!"
Mary felt a pang of sadness for Viktor. He'd played well and done an admirable job of keeping Lynch distracted throughout the match. It really had come down to those last few seconds. While Moran was pulling her arm back to toss in the Quaffle, Krum was reaching for the Snitch. Just as the ball entered the hoop, Krum's fingers wrapped around the Snitch. Had their timing not been so in sync, it would have ended in a tied game, or the Minister may have extended it for a tie-breaker.
Shouts interrupted the argument and they could hear screams coming from every direction. Flashes of bright orange light illuminated the distant hill while a large fire erupted in the valley. Everyone stood to their feet as the high pitched wails increased in volume and people began running away from their tents when chanting could be heard from across the moors.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Sirius blinked blearily at the crowd, moving to stand.
Remus put a hand on his shoulder. "Sit down, Paddy, you're drunk."
"Am not." Sirius stuck his tongue out.
"Death Eaters!" A tall man bellowed, knocking over a bench and table, hurrying to get away.
"Run!" A woman yelled frantically at her companion, scooping up her child and darting toward the woods.
"Get to the woods!" Mr. Weasley ordered them, grabbing Ginny's hand and dragging her toward Fred and George. "Don't let them out of your sight, Fred. Find cover! Bill, Charlie, I'm going to help."
"Mary." Sirius stopped her, looking suddenly sober. "Stay with them."
Remus shot her a stern look. "Be safe. We'll find you as soon as we can."
"Be careful," she whispered, watching them disappear into the fray.
She followed her friends through the pushing and shoving crowds, trying her best to keep hold of Hermione's hand as they made their way to the tree line. The group of chanting men had split up and were setting fire to everything in their path, getting closer and closer by the moment. Mary knew that she shouldn't have looked back, that she should have kept going and stayed with her friends. But it was like some deeply ingrained part of her subconscious wouldn't let her.
"Crucio!" A burly voice called out.
A woman screamed in agony, falling heavily to the ground. The crowd pushed and shoved at Mary, making her clench her jaw as she tried and failed to move in any direction without being trampled. A firm shove ended the battle for her, sending her sprawling to the ground and diving for cover before any feet could hit her.
"Mary!" Ron screamed, being pulled away by the frantic crowd.
"Go!" Mary yelled back. "I'll catch up!"
Loud laughter hung in the air around her, while the woman sobbed brokenly, body curled inward in search of escape from the spell. The masked wizard stared at her with a feral glint in his eyes, leaning down, wand still pointed at her prone form.
"Expelliarmus!" Mary hissed out, catching him off guard and pulling his attention away from the young woman still whimpering at his feet. "Leave her alone!"
"Potter!" Another man shouted, alerting his associates to their new target.
Mary ducked behind a half burned tent, dodging spells that flew past at an alarming rate. "Protego!"
Her shield caught the worst of the blasting hex, but a sickly yellow spell whipped by her face, so close that she could feel the tendrils of magic floating past her. Mary checked her surroundings and was relieved to see that she was alone other than the masked men. At least now she had no fear of others getting hurt or in the way of the spell-fire.
"Come on out, girly." A deep voice crooned over the sound of distant screams. "There's too many of us. And only one of you."
"Expecto Patronum." She cast quietly, and watched in fascination as Prongs charged down the small group, scaring the lot of them into ducking for cover.
With a burst of speed and energy, she ran, heading in the opposite direction of her friends and the innocent people who would be far easier targets.
"She's close!" A very familiar voice drawled. "Stunners only. I'll be the one to torture her when she's captured."
"There!" Another man yelled and shot a red spell in her direction.
Mary jumped to the right, barely dodging the curse, but tripped over a protruding rock and fell heavily to the side. Her leg was cut, not badly, but enough that it would hinder her from escaping as quickly as she'd like.
Spells flew over her head and she rolled as quickly as she could to avoid them. Getting to her feet once again, she took off as fast as she could, shooting random spells behind her to slow them down. It was inevitable. A light blue curse hit her left hand, causing her to drop her wand and fall to the ground with a dull thud.
"Got the little bitch!" One of them crowed.
Out of breath, she laid on the ground, trying to grasp her wand that was just a few inches away, while the footfalls of her enemies approached closer and closer. Freezing cold enveloped her hand, burning it, making the muscles cramp up and twist in upon themselves. Still, she had to try. With a burst of speed, she rolled to the side, her injured hand barely able to grasp her wand as a hex was hurled her way. Lifting her Muggle arm to shield her face, she cast three quick stunning spells; two of them hitting their targets.
The sky glowed green, washing the world below in the dim light. The large skull appeared overhead, a serpent slithering out of its mouth in a continuously grotesque loop. Loud pops sounded from all around her as she sat up, clutching her aching arm, staring up at the Dark Mark with a heavy heart. The Death Eaters may have fled, which was a relief, but whoever had cast the spell was still out there. And she had a pretty good feeling that it was Barty Crouch, Jr.
Mary flopped back onto the ground and groaned. trying to keep the tears at bay. She occupied her mind with hoping that her friends and family were safe and unharmed, all while wondering where they were. Dawn was in less than four hours. If she had to, she could wait until first light to search for them. Calling Dobby could put him in danger if any Death Eaters were about, and stupidly, she'd left her Portkey on her dresser at home.
"They just left!" A voice interrupted her musings. "Up and disappeared the moment the Mark appeared."
"Good thing." Charlie's voice sounded winded, but like music to her ears. "They gave everyone quite a scare. Bunch of effing cowards, going after people like that."
"Charlie," Mary choked out in a broken whisper, then she cleared her throat and yelled; "Charlie!"
The light of his Lumos blinded her and she shielded her eyes with her injured hand, trying to let her eyes adjust. Charlie moved his wand away from her face and cast a spell on her, one that she knew would reveal who she really was.
"Mary?" He leaned down and pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay? Where are the others? "
"They went with the crowd into the woods," she answered quickly, kicking the downed Death Eater in the side. "I'm fine. I stunned this man. Probably broke a few of his ribs too."
One of the Ministry Aurors pulled back the man's hood, revealing Nott senior. "I'll get him back to the Ministry. You have this handled, Weasley?"
"We'll be fine," Charlie said, nodding his head and pulling Mary closer to his side.
The Auror pulled a pen out of his pocket and let the Portkey take him to some forbidden place within the bowels of the Ministry.
"Are you sure you're okay to walk?" Charlie asked, looking down at her in concern. "I can carry you, if you'd like?"
She let go of his hand and limped beside him. "I'm fine. Just worried about the others."
Where were Sirius, Remus, and her friends? There were so many people at that event. How many had been hurt? Had anyone been killed? Had she somehow changed the happenings of events and caused the death of some poor helpless person? Her mind swam with possibilities and she stumbled more than once over the rubble, finally allowing Charlie to lend a helping hand and let her lean on him as they made their way back to the tent.
Bill Weasley
"In which direction?" Sirius grasped Ron's shoulders. "Where was the last place you saw her?"
"Heading toward the treeline!" Ron yelled back furiously, pulling free. "If you'd bloody well let me go we could find her faster!"
"I swear we were just north of here!" Hermione cried. "It couldn't have been more than ten minutes after you left us. She has to be out there somewhere."
"Not if they've taken her." Sirius growled.
"Tell us again, Ron," George said softly.
Fred patted his brother on the back. "Start at the beginning. It might give us a clue to who she was with."
Hermione spoke up. "We were following the crowd to the woods when they attacked. One of the men cast a curse, 'Crucio', at someone in the crowd. A woman fell over screaming and everyone else panicked. Mary was pulled from my grasp and we were separated."
Ron choked out a sob. "She yelled at us to go and said she'd catch up. Then she started casting spells and I lost sight of her."
"Dad!" Charlie yelled from somewhere in the distance, causing Dad to turn and sprint toward the sound of his voice with Bill right behind him.
"Charlie!" Dad breathed a sigh of relief as he came into view. "Mary!"
Mary stood next to Charlie, looking small and pale. Her jeans were torn and her leg was bleeding profusely. She had one of those sickly sweaty looks that people normally have right before they passed out, and Bill noticed the way his brother seemed to hover at her side like he was ready to catch her before she fell over.
Having heard her name, Sirius brushed past Bill and scooped Mary up into his arms, knocking the wind out of her, before setting her down and grasping her shoulders.
"Why didn't you stay with the other children?!" Sirius screamed at her. "Why did you go out there alone?"
"I was with them." Mary defended herself calmly.
"You should have stayed with them then!" He yelled in dismay.
Mary jutted her chin and pinned her godfather with a stony glare. "I had a better chance of getting away by myself than we did as a large group. Plus, I wanted to draw the attention away from the others so that they could get away safely. They were torturing that poor woman!"
"You shouldn't have put yourself at risk!" He gripped her arms tightly. "It is not your job nor responsibility to protect every living creature! I hope you know that you're going to be grounded for the rest of the holidays!"
"Fine." Mary ground her teeth and closed her eyes.
"No! It is not fine!" Sirius hissed and shook her. "Not until you understand just how reckless you were tonight!"
"Sirius!" Charlie interjected, standing up to put a hand between them, his voice calm but firm. "Her left hand is shattered. You're hurting her."
"Shit!" Sirius let go of Mary as though he had been burned. "I'm sorry, kid. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She scraped her other hand over her face. "It's not that bad."
Remus jogged toward the tent, his face covered in soot. "I've scoured the woods. She's not there."
"She's here, Moony," Sirius said quickly.
Remus didn't bother to ask questions or say anything, just pulled Mary into his arms and hugged her quickly. "Are you okay?"
"She'd be better if you all backed the eff off and let her get treatment!" Charlie ground out. "She's just walked for half an hour after being hit with who knows how many spells."
Bill couldn't have been more proud of his little brother than at that moment, while normally calm and quiet, Charlie wasn't much for drama, and especially hated it when someone was hurt.
"Did you hear what spell was used on you?" Bill asked quickly, helping Mary sit by the fire.
Sirius paced back and forth, looking back at her with both a worried and guilty expression on his face. Bill wanted to say something, anything to calm them both down, but knew it was hopeless. While everyone was worried about Mary, she only worried about helping a complete stranger.
"It was non-verbal." Mary shook her head, sweat beading down her cheek. "The light was a really pale blue though. And that Death Eater looked pretty thrilled to have hit me with it, so I'm guessing it's not a tickling jinx."
"Os Ignis, maybe?" Charlie sat down beside her and gently picked up her mangled, dirty hand that looked like it had caved in on itself.
"Looks like a variation of the Frostfire Curse." Bill looked at Mary and winced in sympathy. "Does it feel cold?"
Mary chuckled darkly. "Nah, it bloody well burns. It feels like my muscles are so cramped up that I can't move it and it's almost travelled up to my shoulder."
"I don't want to risk a counter-curse that might not work." He told Remus, who seemed more stable at the moment. "It'd be better if we take her to St. Mungo's."
"No." Mary pulled her hand free and scooted away. "Aunt Andy will never let me hear the end of it. I'm fine. It'll wear off in a day or two. It's no big deal."
Remus pulled a Muggle notebook out of his pocket. "Arthur, I'd feel better if we all went together. I'll have Dobby and Kreacher return for our things. We can take the Portkey back to Grimmauld Place and you are welcome to wait there or Floo home."
"Thank you, Remus," Dad said, letting out a relieved sigh. "I'd feel better if the children were in a safe place."
Remus held out the notebook and everyone put a finger forth to touch it, letting it carry them back to safety. The second they landed, Ron and Hermione pulled Mary away from Sirius and helped her sit on the couch. Despite their objection, Dad pushed Ginny and the twins toward the Floo to explain the situation to Mum, while Bill would stay back with Charlie and Ron.
"I have to go check in at the Ministry," Dad said quietly, his brows furrowed. "I haven't heard from Percy since the night before last. Will you stay here?"
"Of course." Bill agreed quickly. "Let me know as soon as you have any news."
Dad nodded quickly and left, leaving him to check in with the others.
"Don't ever leave us like that again!" Hermione cried, leaning her head on Mary's shoulder. "We're supposed to work as a team!"
"I'm sorry." Mary put her arm around her, leaning onto Ron's side. "I just couldn't bear the thought of anyone else getting hurt."
"But why does it always have to be you?" Ron whispered brokenly.
"I'm just lucky I guess." Mary elbowed him gently, a small pained smile on her face. "Really though, thanks for trusting me. You don't know how bad I panicked, thinking that at any moment one of you might have charged in."
"We tried," Hermione argued. "But we couldn't find you."
"Good." Mary nodded quickly.
Normally, Bill would have written off this type of behaviour as either insanity or stupidity, but Mary truly seemed to not care about her own well being, even to the point of self-sacrifice. For someone that he considered to be part of his family, it scared him to see that level of devotion. He had half a mind to go the same route as Sirius and Remus and demand she stay at Grimmauld Place for the foreseeable future.
"Your records have their very own drawer, Mary," Healer Tonks said in exasperation, walking into the drawing room and setting her Healer's bag on the table. "They read like a bad torture novel. And to be honest, I'm getting quite tired of having to add a new chapter to it each time I see you."
"Sorry." Mary pouted. "I can always find another Healer if you're not comfortable treating me."
"You'll do no such thing!" Healer Tonks hissed in indignation. "I've been your Healer since the day you were born."
Ron backed away at the woman's tone, while Hermione seemed to hold onto Mary even tighter.
"Should we leave?" Bill asked for them, knowing Mary might not be comfortable being examined with a crowd looking on.
"It's fine." Mary shrugged, holding out her injured arm. "This isn't my first rodeo."
"How you get yourself into these scrapes I'll never understand." Healer Tonks ran her wand over Mary's arm.
"I'm fine, really." Mary sighed.
Healer Tonks let out a humourless chuckle. "And I'm Celestina Warbuck."
"Can I get your autograph?" Mary retorted with a sly look.
"You can sit still while I give you this." The Healer pulled a syringe out of her robe pocket, uncapped it and stuck it in Mary's arm. "Just one more moment and I'll vanish the bones in your other arm."
"Your bedside manner needs work." Mary stuck out her tongue.
"Not as much as your sense of self-preservation." Healer Tonks laughed heartily, waving her wand at Mary's arm.
Mary gasped in relief as her arm flopped boneless onto her lap. "It's like second year all over again."
"Wow, that stuff kicks in fast." Sirius stepped into the room.
Remus sat down in an armchair. "What happened in second year?"
"Lockhart did some wonky spell that made the bones in her arm disappear," Ron answered.
"That man was a fraud!" Hermione said in fury. "He never should have been allowed to teach in the first place."
"What happened to Lockhart?" Sirius stared at Ron in question. "Please tell me Dumbledore fired him."
"His memories disappeared," Mary whispered. "Got hit with his own Obliviate."
"Oh my." Healer Tonks shot Mary a shrewd look, looking down at the notebook that sat on her lap. "The dosage on these Muggle remedies always confuses me."
"Look!" Mary pulled her arm free to flop it in a grotesque wave at the Healer. "It's all better now!"
Sirius cackled at her drunken babbling. "Not yet, kiddo."
Healer Tonks pulled a sling out of her bag. "Let me help you put this on and then I'm going to go."
"Not the sling." Mary whined. "I love you, Aunt Andy. Don't do this to me."
"You're out of luck, child." Healer Tonks chuckled, fastening the strap behind Mary's neck. "I'll check on you in the morning."
"Are you up for a game of chess?" Ron asked Mary.
Mary looked at the sling in distaste. "I'm regrowing bones here. I'll only play if someone helps me."
Accepting a Butterbeer from Remus, Bill sat back and watched as Charlie and Mary played a very odd game of chess with Ron and Hermione, spending most of the game chatting quietly or planning revenge on each other.
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