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Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Mary was standing in the courtyard in front of the main entrance doors of Hogwarts. The sky was clear and the temperature was just right. Mary felt a smile as she looked around her; the courtyard was full of life. Tiny first years ran around playing games and laughing with faces full of innocent happiness. Students of all years were scattered about doing homework or studying. Groups of girls sat basking in the sun and giggling as they spoke about boys. Groups of boys roughhoused and laughed, some even going to the groups of girls and flirting. Mary's smile grew wider as she watched the people around her and as a group of first years ran circles around her feet.

Something flashed.

It was far too fast for Mary to spot but not enough for her not to notice it. It flashed again, slow enough for Mary to feel a pain so crippling it brought her to her knees. Frantic and scared, she tried to look past the skipping first years that now blocked her vision. Their giggles began to echo and fade from Mary's ears, and they soon began to disappear. The pain that had only flashed before was back, sending ripples of pain through her body. A scream burned her throat as she looked around.

It was hell. The sky was black, and the only light was from great, orange fires that burned the castle she called home. The courtyard around her was ruined. Rubble surrounded her, the arched that bordered the courtyard were all but destroyed, and a wall just behind the entrance doors was in shambles. As Mary sat there, doubled over and gasping, she heard her name being called. Only then did she notice that, all around her, wizards of nearly all ages surrounded her. There wasn't a single person that wasn't dueling. She heard her name again just as a body fell dead next to her. Mary turned her head to see who it was when she...

...woke up.

Mary shot up in her bed panting as she pushed a hand through her hair.

"Finally! I was about to give up on you!" Mary looked towards to voice to so Nymphadora standing next to her bed with her hands on her hips.

Taking a glance around the dorm, Mary sighed as she pulled the covers off of her and sat on the edge of her bed.

Everyone arrived at Hogwarts last night and the welcome feast had gone off without a hitch as usual. There were, of course, some new additions to the Hufflepuff house. The only thing out of place was that Bill Weasley, who sat next to his brother at the Gryffindor table, spent nearly the whole feast trying to spot the mystery girl that had congratulated him on the train so he could point her out to Charlie to no avail.

Now, Mary sits in her dorm that she shares with Nymphadora and two other girls with shoulders tense from the rough nightmare.

"Sorry, Dora." Mary sighed, standing and stretching, "What time is it?"

"Nearly six thirty, you got an hour until you see Professor Sprout about your O.W.Ls!" Nymphadora told her.

Mary's tired eyes shot open and she gave a censored curse before rushing to her trunk. Nymphadora, now seated on the panicked girl's bed, watched amusedly as she picked out an outfit and bolted to the bathroom. The petite girl rushed through her morning routine, speeding through brushing her teeth, ripping her brush through her long hair, and applying deodorant while standing on her tip-toes in order to see herself in the mirror. Since it was only Nymphadora in the dorm, she changed out next to her bed.