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Prologue

Prologue

Mary Ramstein was plain. Her blonde hair was like anyone else's. Her brown eyes were dull as dull could be. The only thing that could be unique about her was her short, short height, but, then again, even children were her height at some point. Whenever she spoke to someone-as rare as that might be- the moment the conversation was over and she was away from their sight, she was forgotten. The only exception to this rule was her closest and most trusted friend, Nymphadora Tonks.

Mary and Nymphadora (Mary preferred to call her Dora much to Tonks's relief) were polar opposites. Nymphadora was loud, outgoing, and hotheaded. Mary was quiet, painfully shy, and nervous. They did have one thing in common; they were both loyal and dependable. They were both Hufflepuffs. If Nymphadora managed to get herself in trouble, Mary was there to get her out of it. If Mary was having a nervous breakdown, Nymphadora was there to calm her down.

Mary was so painfully shy that when she spoke it came out in shaky stutters. Additionally, when Mary worked up the courage to say "Hi" to her two-year-long crush, even if she didn't get a response, Nymphadora celebrated for nearly a week.

She can easily remember when she started to like the boy. She can remember how she saw him one day in her third year and just realized how beautiful he was. Following this realization, she'd daydream about him during every History of Magic class while the professor droned on. She would think about his hair, flaming red with a slight curl and long enough for her to assume he was growing it out. She would think about his face, fair-skinned swarmed with freckles from being out in the sun so much. She would think about his eyes, her favorite feature, blue as the sky on a clear day and how they would light up whenever he learned about his favorite creature...dragons.

Until Mary was eleven, she knew almost nothing about magic despite being a pureblood witch. Her parents insisted she be raised without magic. However, her parents still made she knew about the wizarding world while she was raised in the muggle one.

Mary's father was a nice man, and she would always sit in his lap while he read the Daily Prophet or his quidditch magazines. She actually learned to read that way; she would fall asleep most nights in her father's lap while she listened to him read.

Mary's mother was the most beautiful person you've ever seen, inside and out. She'd always let Mary help out when she was cooking or baking. By the time Mary was ten, her mother had taught her nearly every family recipe they had.

Sadly, as much as her parents wanted her to know about the wizarding world, neither of Mary's parents could tell her about one of the best wizarding schools in Europe, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, because Mary's father had attended Dumstrang Institute in Norway and her mother Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France. So, neither parent knew enough about Hogwarts to tell their daughter, and, honestly, they were expecting for her to attend Beauxbatons like her mother. Imagine how surprised they were when an owl came tapping on their window bearing an acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

Mary's time at Hogwarts was easily the best time of her life. Her parents saw her off each year, she made fast friends with a girl named Nymphadora Tonks her first year, she spent the next five years glued to her side, and her last two years fantasizing about Charles Weasley.

She was unaware, however, how many things would change this year.