Prologue

May 29th, 1993

The Chamber of Secrets

Mary raised the sword high above her head, holding the hilt with both hands to get the best leverage, as the basilisk once again lunged at where she stood above the bust of Salazar Slytherin's head. She thrust her arm forward and put as much strength into her blow as she physically could, knowing that she didn't have much left in her. The shiny blade cut through the sinew and bone of the roof of the creatures mouth and emerged from the top of it's skull, covered in blood. Mary pulled her arm back in shock as the crook of her elbow burned with a bone aching pain that caused the small girl to stumble and fall to her knees. The giant snake dropped like a rock, it's body writhing frantically, in those fitful moments before death took it.

Blinding pain wracked her body as she climbed down the stone wall, hoping that she had enough time left to save Ginny from Riddle.

"You're running out of time, Potter." The shade of Voldemort smirked in amusement, looking down at his hands and arms that were becoming more corporal by the second. "Nothing can save you now."

"Wake up, Ginny." She weakly shook the younger girl's shoulder. "Please wake up."

Tom Riddle took in a deep breath and closed his eyes in bliss. "So close."

Mary looked down at the diary that was the culprit behind this current predicament and picked it up. The moment her blood and venom coated fingers brushed the cover, Tom Riddle let out an ear piercing shriek that echoed through Mary's very soul. His face was blistering and burning just as Quirrel's had. Shaking her head from the daze, she stared down at the way the supple brown leather seemed to wilt and blacken where the venom had touched it. In a crazy burst of inspiration, Mary yanked the fang from her arm, ignoring the cold sweat that erupted on her face, and slammed the tip of the sharp ivory tooth into the cursed book. Black blood seeped from the seams, pooling on the floor like water. Riddle again screamed out in agony, seeming to crumple inward on himself as golden burning cracks appeared on his person. His glowing red eyes lifted and met hers just as his body exploded into a burst of orange light, knocking Mary back a few feet and into a stone wall, making her vision fade until all that was left was startling darkness.

Mary opened her eyes some time later, feeling oddly weightless and pain free, something that immediately set her on edge. Dark trees covered the path she lay on, not even giving her a view of the stars above. The hair on her arms stood on end as a cold prickly feeling ran up her spine. What worried her even more was the fact that she clearly recognized where she was.

I'm in the Forbidden Forest! She thought in fear. Aragog and his children could be anywhere, waiting to pounce! How on earth had she ended up there of all places?

Standing quickly, she brushed her sticky hands over her filthy bloodstained robes, not taking her eyes off of her surroundings in fear that something would sneak up on her.

Light footsteps echoed in the distance, sending her spinning in place and ducking behind a hedgerow. A young boy - probably a seventh year -, wearing torn Muggle clothing, stepped quietly along the path leading into the deeper more dangerous parts of the forest. He was shrouded by a silvery cloak and grasped a small golden ball in his hand. She watched transfixed while he placed the Snitch next to his lips and whispered softly to it. His words were muffled by the light breeze, and Mary wondered why he was talking to a Snitch while walking through the forest. It didn't make any sense.

In a bold fit of Gryffindor bravery, Mary stepped out from her hiding place and loudly cleared her throat, but the boy gave no sign of having heard her.

"Hey!" Mary called out to him. "Are you okay? You shouldn't be out here! It's dangerous!"

He kept walking as though he hadn't heard her.

She ran in front of him and blocked his path, but he simply walked through her, sending chills running up and down her spine.

"Wait!" She screamed at him desperately. "Help me! Please!"

He stopped and turned around, but he was not looking at her. His wide fearful eyes traveled from left to right as he spoke in hushed tones.

"Who are you talking to?" Mary wondered aloud.

"You'll stay with me?" The bespectacled boy pleaded with the empty air.

Mary searched the area once more and found no other signs of life while the other boy kept talking. For all the crazy ideas her mind had come up with, the only one that made sense was that somehow when she was destroying Riddle's diary she had ended up trapped in the damned thing.

Maybe he's one of Voldemort's victims. Mary wondered critically as she kept pace with the older boy. Maybe we're both trapped here.

They walked further into the dense forest, seeming to follow the path at a snail's pace. Every few minutes the boy would look up to the canopy where dark shadows swam against the sky and Mary wondered what the odd creatures were. She was so focused on them that she had lost sight of the older boy until a familiar voice caught her ear.

"HARRY!" Hagrid boomed. "NO!"

Mary ran forward, searching for her first true friend, as fast as her legs would take her. Who's Harry? She wondered as she dodged limbs and briers, her heart clenching at the sound of Hagrid's heartbroken pleas. Mary stumbled into the clearing, gasping loudly while trying to catch her breath, but the plethora of people surrounding her paid her no mind. They couldn't see her either.

The boy, Harry, stood to one side, back ramrod straight as he faced a tall bald man with glowing red eyes and a slit for a nose. The thing smiled slightly as it raised an odd looking pale wand and pointed it at Harry.

"Harry Potter," It said to the boy.

Mary hissed at the familiarity of the surname and ran toward the boy, stopping beside him to take in his features. Potter? A relative of her father's, maybe?

"Voldemort." Harry responded shortly, showing no weakness or fear.

The red eyed being stared at Harry with a mocking sneer on his lips, but she could see the indecision and wariness in the being's eyes. "The boy who lived."

He used the moniker with disdain heavy in his tone. She was the Girl Who Lived, Voldemort was supposed to be after her, not this innocent boy. Her heart almost stopped as she was forced to watch the way the others in the clearing made no move to help Harry. A dark haired woman with large eyes cackled quietly, rocking back on the heels of her bare feet.

Harry didn't flinch or move, but stood with stoic resignation as the most feared wizard in the world stood before him.

Mary tried to push Harry away, but her hands slid right through him. She screamed loudly in his ears, but he never heard her. Tears ran down her face as she struggled with the reality that there was absolutely nothing she could do. Death was coming closer and there was no escape. There was no hope or time. It was simply the end.

"No." Mary shook her head, her hand passing through Harry's arm once again.

Voldemort moved at the same time Mary did. As he raised his wand, she stepped in front of Harry. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders, but it was the best she could do.

The spell flew forward and Mary closed her eyes as green light engulfed her. The spell lifted her off of her feet and slammed her back onto the cold ground. Her head spun with the impact, but that was the least of her worries.

Memories that were not her own overwhelmed her. Good, bad, mundane, no memory was filtered out as she watched the life of one Harry James Potter flooding through her mind, burning into her subconscious as though they were her own. They clawed into her brain, burrowing in, burying themselves so deep they were blurring her own view of reality.

Hermione's screams echoed off the walls as the dark haired woman held the silver knife over her bleeding arm.

Cedric Diggory's dead eyes stared up at the cloudless sky.

George pleaded with his twin to come back as Fred lay motionless in his arms.

A tall hulking figure hovered over the body of Lavender Brown.

"No." She fought against the unknown, her heart breaking at the onslaught of devastation and pain. "NOOO!"

The green light of the Killing Curse blazed behind her eyelids and Mary sat straight up choking for breath. The air seemed far too thin and spots danced before her eyes as she struggled to make sense of what had happened. She clutched her head in her hands and tried to quell the sensation of hammers accosting her skull from the inside.

Deep breaths. She told herself. And sad as it was, it took her a few moments to be able to calm her breathing enough to draw in a lungful of air. She let out a sigh and leaned back against the fluffy pillows, trying to gather her composure enough to open her eyes.

Last she remembered, she had stabbed Tom Riddle's diary with the basilisk's fang, then overwhelming pain radiated from the place where the fang had been lodged in her arm and she had blacked out. After that, she'd been stuck in some kind of nightmare where she was forced to witness the horror and grief a male version of herself endured. It was so realistic that she had actually felt the pain and sorrow as though it were real.

Mary rubbed her hands vigorously across her eyes and cheeks, trying to break herself from the morose thoughts. With a sigh she opened her eyes and was grateful for the dim lighting, but was completely confused as to her whereabouts. The room she was in was bare other than the bed she laid in, a small bedside table and a comfortable looking armchair. It didn't look like the Infirmary at Hogwarts, or at least not any room she'd ever been in before.

Feeling like a newborn colt, she swung her legs off the side of the bed, and had to lean heavily against it just to take a few shorts steps.

"Where am I?" She whispered in a slight panic, as her legs gave out beneath her.

Mary crumpled to the floor in a heap as the darkness once again dragged her back down.

Mary was back in the bed when she next opened her eyes. A dark haired woman in lime green robes had her back to her and was looking over a stack of parchment that sat on the tiny metal table. She watched while woman tapped the papers with her wand and they rolled up into a scroll and disappeared from sight.

"Hi." Mary whispered weakly, startling the older woman so badly that she knocked the table over.

"Miss Potter!" The woman smiled warmly, waving her wand to right the mess she'd made. "It's good to see you finally awake. I'm Healer Tonks."

"Uh, no offence, but where am I?" Her upper arm itched like mad and she tried to push the feeling back, but with little victory.

"You're in St. Mungo's, Miss Potter." Healer Tonks held up her hand in a gesture meant to reassure, but it only made Mary more anxious.

"What happened?" Mary asked at once, scratching at the band on her arm. "Are Ron and Ginny okay?"

"You were brought here after an incident with a basilisk at Hogwarts." Healer Tonks gently pried her hand away from her arm. "Don't mess with that, Miss Potter."

"Ron and Ginny?" Mary asked again, annoyance creeping into her tone. "Are they okay?"

"The Weasley children are fine, dear." Healer Tonks patted her hand kindly.

"What is this thing?" Mary scratched at the silver cuff on her arm, that wrapped around her bicep just above the crook of her elbow, in an attempt to dig it out with her fingernails. "Why won't it come off?

Healer Tonks grimaced and grabbed Mary's hand once again before she could scratch her arm to the bone. "Professor Dumbledore's Phoenix cried on the wound, likely saving your life, but for some reason it didn't heal completely. You've been in a coma for the last three weeks."

Mary looked at the older witch and furrowed her brow. "Shouldn't Fawkes' tears have counteracted the basilisk venom?"

"Your professors were worried that the mixing of two strong magical substances caused irreparable damage. They brought you here where you could be monitored round the clock." The older witch told her in a sympathetic tone. "That is an invention of Professor Dumbledore's. He placed it there to nullify the basilisk venom and keep it contained."

Mary stared at the silver cuff in disgust. "No, that's not right. Phoenix tears should have just healed it."

Healer Tonks gave her a pitying glance. "Normally, yes, but something happened that altered the way the two volatile magics normally behave. You'll have to ask Professor Dumbledore about any other details as I simply do not know how to explain it. No one has seen a case as unique as yours."

"So how long do I have to keep it on?" Mary questioned with a deep sigh then looked up at the Healer with a confused look. "Wait, if it cuts off my magic, how will I use my wand?"

"We're not certain how long it will take for us to find a better solution, but we are trying." Healer Tonks squeezed her hand in a comforting manner. "And I'm afraid you'll have to learn to use your left hand for magic. It may even be in your best interest to find a wand that suits it better, if your own fails."

Mary scraped her palm over her face and took a deep breath. "My right hand is now a Muggle. Lovely."

Mary thought back to what had happened in the Chamber of Secrets and clearly remembered killing the basilisk, it's fang lodging itself in her arm, and stabbing the diary. She watched Voldemort's shade die and Ginny woke up. Or was that part of the dream she had of being a boy?

Best not tell the healers that. She thought grimly. They'll think I've gone barmy.

Healer Tonks waved her wand over Mary once again, then tapped it on the scroll. "I'll go get you a lunch tray and contact Professor Dumbledore. He might be able to explain what I cannot."

"Thanks." Mary nodded gratefully, still lost in thought.

Thinking back over the dream, even Harry had fought the basilisk, but he had escaped with Fawkes and Ginny in time to free Dobby the house elf. He hadn't been hurt all that bad, and the phoenix tears healed him completely. Harry'd left the Headmaster's office without even so much as a checkup and was in perfect health. I guess that's the perk of being in a dream. Mary thought wryly.

She wondered what happened to Ron and how he and found Ginny. How did they make it out of the tunnel? Where was Lockhart? Did Hermione wake up from her petrification? Other than that and ending up in the hospital, everything she had dreamed about Harry had happened to her right up until stabbing the diary. Is my imagination just running wild?

Looking at the calendar on the wall, Mary realized that she'd been asleep for the better part of the summer. It didn't feel like much of a loss though. It's not like the Dursley's would be torn up over her being absent. They'd probably had a party for every day that she didn't darken their normal old doorstep with her freakish presence.

Healer Tonks walked in a few moments later, holding a cafeteria tray, with Dumbledore following closely behind her. "It's good to see you awake, child."

"Eat as much as you can." The Healer sat a tray holding a bowl of broth and a cupful of juice on Mary's lap. "I'll be back in half an hour to start another round of potions."

"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked kindly as he dig through his pockets and pulled out a small cellophane bag of yellow sweets. "Lemon Drop?"

"Thanks." She grabbed one and placed it on her napkin then sat forward. "I'm okay, sir. Just a little out of sorts."

"I can imagine so." Dumbledore nodded and sat down in the chair beside her bed and steepled his hands together as he peered at her over his half moon shaped glasses. "I too feel disoriented after a long nap."

"Do you know what happened, sir?" Mary asked quietly. "I can't seem to remember getting out of the Chamber."

"After you collapsed, Miss Weasley was distraught, thinking that you were dead. She ran back through the chamber to where her brother Ronald and Professor Lockhart were hauling rocks out of the way and managed to find a place to climb through." Dumbledore shook his head and patted her hand. "The three of them made their way back up the tunnel that led to the girls restroom on the second floor."

"Ginny is okay though, right sir?" Mary begged for more information. "She didn't look very well."

"She is fully recovered." He smiled in assurance, then sighed. "I'm afraid that Professor Lockhart didn't fare as well. His backfired spell has caused permanent damage to his memories."

Mary had no sympathy for the dishonest man, and didn't feel the need to act as though she did. "How did I get out?"

"Your friends were in hysterics when they were found in the corridor by Professor Sprout." Dumbledore continued. "They arrived in my office where their parents were, having already been told of their only daughter's kidnapping. Young Mister Weasley was able to fill in some of the blanks, but the loss of his best friend seemed to be taking it's toll. And then Fawkes appeared with you, the diary, the Sorting Hat and the Sword of Gryffindor. But he would not let anyone near you until he finished crying onto your wound."

"I love that old bird." Mary smiled, then grimaced at the thought of being dumped onto the office floor in front of an audience. "Hermione is right. I do have the tendency to make an entrance."

"That was a particularly frightening one, if I may say." Dumbledore peered at her over the rims of his glasses. "We were all quite worried about you, child."

"I'm okay." She shrugged and played with a loose thread on her blanket. "Did you know that it was Lucius Malfoy who gave Ginny the diary?"

"I suspected it." Dumbledore evaded her line of questioning. "I'm sure that he knows now that such a thing will not be tolerated. Especially after his house elf, Dobby, was quite vehement in defending you. Luckily a misplaced sock spared him the punishment he was sure to receive."

"One of yours?" Mary quirked a brow at him.

"Guilty as charged." The old man's eyes twinkled brightly. "While I offered him employment at the school, he claims to want to spend some time out and about."

"That's great!" Mary was truly happy that the odd little elf had obtained the freedom he desired.

"If I may ask." Dumbledore leaned toward her slightly. "What happened with the diary? Young Ginny could only say that a young boy appeared in it when she would write to him."

Mary stared at her hands to avoid looking into those knowing eyes, while trying to decide just what she should tell him.

"It belonged to Tom Riddle." Mary finally replied. "He was there, not really a ghost, but he claimed that if Ginny died he'd be alive again. He said that he was using the diary to drain her life away. I didn't know what else to do, sir. I'd already been poisoned and was running out of time. So I stabbed it with the fang I pulled out of my arm."

"It was a very brave thing you did, Mary." Dumbledore told her in a soft voice. "Once again you've prevented Lord Voldemort's return to the mortal world."

"I had a lot of help from my friends." Mary shrugged, uncomfortable with the undeserved praise.

Dumbledore sat quietly while she ate, staring down at his hands as though in deep thought. "Do you have questions about the Magical Suppression cuff?"

"Yeah." Mary sighed and scratched at her arm where the cuff sat. "Healer Tonks said I can't take it off right yet."

"I'm sorry, my dear." Dumbledore replied honestly, looking slightly shaken. "Your magic was in an odd state of flux. I don't know if Healer Tonks told you, but Fawkes' tears neutralized the basilisk venom just enough to heal your arm, but the warring magics almost killed you. It wasn't until I found a way to isolate and cut off the magic to your arm that we were able to stabilize you."

Mary rubbed at the cold band of silver. "Thank you, sir. I really do appreciate you inventing this for me."

"If you have no more questions, child, I do believe I will take my leave and let you get some rest." Dumbledore stood and smiled at her. "With any luck, you'll be well on your way home tomorrow."

"The Dursleys will be thrilled." Mary's face fell and she looked back down at her blanket in thought. "I did have one more question, sir. I know you had your reasons not to answer when I asked at the end of first year, but can you tell me now why Voldemort seems so intent on killing me? Even his sixteen year old self was obsessed with it. It can't just be because he failed to kill me as a baby."

Dumbledore seemed to consider her request, then slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid that is not something I can answer today, dear girl."

Mary clenched her fist, burying her fingernails into her palm. "I understand, sir."

"Sleep well, Mary." He nodded and left the room without another word, but the sympathetic look in his eyes suggested that he knew far more than he was willing to tell her.

A large burly nurse with broad shoulders and grey hair walked into the room before the door could even close. The woman said nothing, but stared down at her stonily as she handed Mary foul tasting potions that made her body feel like jello and her eyes grow heavy with drowsiness.

Professor McGonagall showed early up the next morning, not long after Healer Tonks took away her barely touched tray of eggs and toast.

Mary looked up at the Transfiguration professor and tried to smile. "Morning, Professor."

"Morning, Potter." The older witch gave her a small smile in return. "I'm here to escort you home."

Mary's frown turned into a grimace as she got out of the bed, feeling stronger than she had the day before, but still not ready to face the Dursleys. "Thank you, professor."

McGonagall shot her a shrewd and calculating glance. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned that you may be in need of a new wand. I'll take you to Ollivander's and if you can promise to keep this to yourself, I have your supply list for the upcoming year. We can get your needed texts and supplies so that you can be ready for the next term."

Mary took the envelope that was handed to her and opened it carefully. The list was exactly how she remembered from her dream and Mary made a mental note to find out what else was the same.

Mary read over the offered courses for third years. "I know I picked Divination when we talked about electives this spring, but I think I'd have better luck with Ancient Runes. Can I switch?"

"Of course you can." McGonagall replied in a relieved tone. "But know that these courses will determine the kind of career you choose in the future. Ancient Runes will be a very wise choice. Arithmancy would be wonderful too."

"I'll tackle that beast on my own time, ma'am. Knowing my luck, Hermione will take it and I'll end up learning it anyway." Mary folded up the letter and placed it on the bed. "The professors won't mind if I come to them with a question every once in a while though, will they?"

"As long as you do not abuse their time and help, I don't see them minding." Professor McGonagall said primly, staring around the empty room. "Do you have anything here that you wish to take with you?"

Mary looked around the room in question and her face flushed as she looked down at her hospital gown. "I don't even have anything to wear, ma'am."

"Oh," Professor McGonagall let out a quiet laugh and looked at Mary over the rim of her glasses. "I am a Transfiguration professor, Potter."

With a wave of her wand, McGonagall transformed Mary's striped hospital gown into a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a nice warm jumper.

Mary smiled widely as she grabbed her Holly wand from the bedside table and held back a grimace as she felt absolutely nothing when holding her beloved wand in her right hand. In a fit of inspiration, Mary twisted her waist length dark hair into a messy bun, sliding her wand through it to hold it in place.

Professor McGonagall's lips thinned considerably at the sight. "Mister Ollivander will be highly offended at the sight of one of his creations being used as a hair accessory."

Mary shrugged her shoulders and dug her hands into her pockets. "I'll take it out before we get there. Might even get a couple wand holsters."

McGonagall nodded once and breathed deeply. "A very wise choice."

Minerva McGonagall

"Here we are, Potter." The tall woman steadied her student and cleared her throat after the two had Apparated to the edge of Number Four, Privet Drive. "I must say, It's been a long time since I've had such a pleasant day."

Potter smiled brightly up at her with a determined air. "We'll have to go shopping again next summer, Professor."

"I look forward to it." She nodded, a thin hand on the young girl's shoulder, using the other to knock lightly on the door.

Potter stood next to her, straight backed in trepidation as loud footsteps could be heard approaching. It put her on edge to see the young girl, who'd always been brave and courageous, backing away and looking ready to flee.

A very large man pulled the door open and growled when he saw the wary girl standing there. "You! I thought those freaks said you were in the hospital!"

Potter blinked up at him. "I recovered."

"A shame." The man gritted out and turned to see Minerva standing there. "Couldn't your lot just keep her?"

She was immediately incensed at the man's attitude and her temper flared at the way he talked to a girl whom had been through quite a trying ordeal.

"Miss Potter is your niece." Minerva clutched her wand tightly in her hand. "You haven't visited or wrote to her once since she was injured. What is your excuse, Muggle, for such an act?"

A small hand on her arm distracted her from the lengthy tirade she was about to unleash on the fat man. "It's okay, ma'am."

Dursley looked at the young girl in hatred. "Upstairs. Now. Leave your freakish things and that stick in the cupboard. And that owl best not make any noise, girl!"

Potter nodded her head and ran into the house and up the stairs. Minerva pushed passed the lout, ignoring his protests, and followed her student up the steps into a tiny room that looked more like a storage locker than a young girl's bedroom. While Potter was pulling the shrunken parcels from her pockets, Minerva took a glance around the room and grimaced at the state it was in. The mattress was lumpy and looked like it had seen better days. The threadbare blanket and far too flattened pillow were past any kind of repair. Everything was either broken or so worn out that it was almost beyond repair. Minerva had half a mind to burn it all to ashes and start new. Nothing in the room resembled the strong willed girl that had been sorted into Gryffindor almost three years before.

With a wave of her wand, Minerva vanished everything but the furniture and most recent purchases, startling her student. "I'll be sending some new things to you, Potter."

"But." The poor girl looked horrified at the now empty room.

"I'll have it sent within a few hours by Annie, my house elf." Minerva held up a hand to stave off any arguments. "I'll repair what's left before I leave. You are to keep your belongings and your wand in here with you. I don't care what that man says."

Potter looked down and sat on the dilapidated chair with flushed cheeks and Minerva resisted the urge to hug the young girl. She had known that things at the Dursleys had not been great for her student, but to see both the way she was treated alongside the way she was forced to live was unforgivable. Albus had a lot of explaining to do.

With a few strong repairing charms, the furniture was in better condition, and a few more spells had Potter's purchases and the contents of her trunk were all unpacked and ready to be put away.

Minerva looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for dinner. "I best return to the school."

The young girl sent her a resigned smile. "Thank you for everything, Professor."

"It was no problem, Potter." Minerva nodded at her. "Owl me if you need anything at all."

The child looked around the bare room as if in search of something, but jumped when a tapping noise sounded from the window. She moved the shade aside and revealed the white Snowy owl sitting on the other side of the thick metal bars.

Minerva's vision tinged red at the sight of the bars and immediately vanished them, hoping that the damned Muggles ended up in the deepest pit of Hades. No other window on the house had bars across it. That alongside the many locks on the outside of the door told a story all in itself. One that Minerva wasn't sure she wanted to hear.

"Thank you." The girl smiled at her, opening the window to let the bird in. "Have a good night, ma'am."

"You as well." Minerva shut the bedroom door behind herself and looked at the locks in disdain.

So the Dursleys wanted to keep the girl a prisoner in her own room? She realized with a heavy heart. The burden of guilt and betrayal that had festered in her heart for the past twelve years surged forward and she could nary contain it. The child should have never been left, abandoned really, by those of her own kind. Albus be damned, she'd find a way to make it right.

"Repello Muggletum." Minerva cast at the doorway.

With a sly smile, she vanished the series of locks and descended the stairs, leaving the house without anyone noticing. The cat Animagus knew for a fact that if any Muggle tried to find Potter, they'd be automatically diverted, thinking that they had forgotten something important and completely forget who they were really looking for.

"Annie." Minerva whispered quietly from beside a thick hedge.

A small pop sounded and a tiny elf appeared in front of her, wearing a pink paisley dress. "Yous called Annie, Madam?"

"Go to the Gryffindor supply room and bring a full set of bedding including a new mattress. Bring them here to Mary Potter and help her arrange everything." She pointed at the young girl that could be seen sitting at the small desk in front of the window. "Bring her a basket of food also, whatever is being served by the Hogwarts elves should be fine. Find me as soon as it's taken care of."

"Right away, Madam." Annie nodded and disappeared with a soft pop.

Dinner at Hogwarts that night was highly uneventful. Minerva had been both outraged and saddened by the way Dumbledore explained the issue with the Dursleys and just how important the wards were. But the witch was not deterred, she would find a way to make sure the young girl was raised to be both safe and happy, even if Minerva had to do it herself. Towards the end of the meal, where Minerva had to resist choking a certain Divination professor with her bare hands, Annie appeared next to her, wringing her hands and looking quite put upon.

"What happened, Annie?" Minerva asked kindly. "Is something wrong?"

The little elf tugged on her ears. "It is being Miss Potter, Madam. She is not wanting Annie to leave until Annie sits down and eats dinner with her."

Minerva bit her cheek to keep from smiling at the poor elf. Annie must have been both shocked and confused by Potter's offer.

"You are a good elf, Annie." Minerva patted the tiny shoulder. "I'm sure Potter was thrilled to have you as company."

The elf flushed under the praise. "You is being too kind, Madam."

"Nonsense." Minerva replied firmly. "I won't keep you any longer. You may have the rest of the night to do as you wish."

Annie nodded and snapped her fingers, leaving once again with a small pop.

Minerva smiled to herself and shook her head and set into her pudding with a lighter heart. If all went well, Potter wouldn't have to interact with the Muggles very much over the summer, thanks to the ward that she had put over the door that would keep them from finding her even if they knew where she was.

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