Heavy doors of the owlery creaked open, Amber entered the dark and musty interior of the owlery. She brushed the snow that lay on her shoulders off her school robes. Ever since Hufflepuff played Slytherin in Quidditch the snow had continued to fall. Unfortunately it wasn't thick enough yet to stop the ground from turning to cold slush. The owls hooted quietly to each other and an occasional rustle of feathers echoed in the tower. Amber cast a small heating charm over herself, her magic's strength was still weak since her cast had not be removed from her wand arm yet. A wooden creak sounded above her and Amber glanced up to see Pansy siting on one of the beams watching her intently.

They looked at each other for a moment longer waiting to see who will break the silence first.

"I don't know what you did to make Umbridge go more mental than she was already… and I'm not sure I want to know." Pansy whispered nervously, occasionally looking around at the sleeping owls on the beams above.

Amber shifted slightly on her feet before moving to lean against a beam and Pansy's eyes followed her every move.

"I've come to warn you and since you have Slytherin blood, well all of the houses blood, but Slytherin none the less."

"Is this really because I recused you from undressing me in Umbridge's office?" Amber asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes that too." Pansy began to climb down off the beam she was sitting on. She flipped on her stomach and dropped down landing on her feet easily.

"I'm afraid of what Umbridge has ordered me to do." Pansy said as she shook off the fallen feathers from the owls above. She turned around to face Amber, her complexion was still as pale as it was at breakfast time.

"Pansy could you write to your parents, they – "

"NO!" Pansy shrieked cutting her off and some of the owls hooted angrily above about being rudely woken from their slumber.

"No I can't! My father works at the Ministry I can't risk Umbridge going to the Minster of Magic and what if… what if…" Pansy spoke fast and her voice started to break, she began nervously biting on her thumb nail staring into space with a tormented look on her face.

"What if what? Pansy?" Amber asked gently.

"Umbridge ordered me to follow and keep tabs on you." Pansy said ignoring Amber's question. She continued to stare into nothing.

"I refused." She whispered hoarsely. "I'm afraid she will put me under the Imperius Curse… I needed to warn you." Pansy turned to face Amber as her eyes began to well up.

Before Amber could speak Pansy ran past her pushing the owlery doors open. She hesitated at the door and turned her head towards glanced at her again before exiting the tower. Amber could of sworn Pansy whispered "I'm sorry." But she couldn't be sure.

The open owlery door let the cold breeze in and the owls started hooting angrily again as Amber closed it behind her making her way back to the castle.

I really should to speak to Dumbledore… but I don't want to worry him or have him be the cause of Umbridge's wrath. Already the daily profit had been slandering Dumbledore about being a daft old fool and Harry being a liar stating the Dark Lords return. As if Dumbledore needs more on his plate without my issues weighing him down too. Now Umbridge wants to keep tabs on me? But why! And why did my tattoo make her -

"Hi yer Amber, Ts a bit cold and miserably to be out on a stroll isn't it?" Hagrid chuckled as he walked towards her, effectively breaking her thought process.

"Hello Hagrid, I hope Gruffy is being good?" Amber asked as a small smile tugged at her lips.

"Ah yer, he's a energetic type that's fo' sure, he's fittin in well with Fang like two pea's in a pod they are. Come an' see him at my hut on the weekend, I know he's been missin' you." Hagrid said beaming at her.

"Thank you Hagrid, I would love too! I better get back to class before I'm late." Amber said hearing the lunch bell ring and feeling the dread of being late to Professor Snape's class as she was already on skating thin ice with him.

Amber entered the potions class a couple of minutes late, having run all the way back from the castle grounds and being intercepted by Peeves throwing a water balloon which hit her squarely in the back of the head. A number of obscene words fell from her mouth as the portraits around her gave her a look of disapproval. Amber sat quickly at the back of the classroom next to Harry who gave her a warm smile. Amber expected another detention or points off a house but Professor Snape simply ignored her late appearance and continued to write on the blackboard.

"Bloody hell, you gotta tell me your secret, Snape would have had my balls for potions ingredients for coming in late." Ron whispered in her ear leaning over his desk behind her and Harry chuckled softly.

Professor Snapes smooth voice flowed over the classroom "In pairs today we will be brewing Potion of WideEye. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of this potion is and it's benefits?"

Hermione shot her hand up instantly while the rest of the class looked confused.

Professor Snape ignored her hand and looked around the room. "Anyone? How disappointing. What about you Longbottom?"

Neville looked like he was about to projectile vomit being put on the spot. "I errr… I… It's… Ahhh… to err...stay awake."

"Yes, as the title was quite self-explanatory." Professor Snape drawled.

"Granger."

Hermione dropped her hand as she had been holding it up the entire time, she sat forward on her chair eagerly "It helps wake up drugged or unconscious people." She said proudly.

"And what are the side effects." he said looking around the room again.

Hermione's hand shot up again and she was almost standing in excitement.

"Miss Parkinson?" Professor Snape said ignoring Hermione again.

Pansy looked up nervously from her desk and went to speak and nothing came out. Professor Snape arched an eyebrow. "I feel sick sir." Pansy answered finally.

"Malfoy take Miss Parkinson to the infirmary."

Hermione started speaking "The side effects are if you take too much you become addicted to it as it keeps you awake to get more work done the more you have the less capable you are of sleep. Which in turn can eventually kill you due from lack of sleep."

As Pansy got up from her desk she walked out of the classroom keeping her eyes firming locked with Amber's, her eyes were laced with fear. Harry was the only one who noticed the exchange and tapped her hand with the feather part of his quill.

Professor Snape spoke loudly making Neville jump "Miss Granger I don't remember asking for you to answer, ten points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn."

Hermione looked shocked but soon returned to reading her potions book. "Greasy git." Said Ron under his breath behind her.

Potions moved along with no further points deducted in the class. Ron partnered with Hermione, which Amber was secretly happy about, as she didn't need Hermione asking her about how her lunch break was. Harry teamed up with Amber and they were the first to make the potion before the end of the lesson much to Hermione's disappointment as Ron kept slowing her down. The last lesson of the day was Herbology and the students made their way down through the slushy snow to the Greenhouses on the castle grounds.

Professor Sprout gave them all a task of planting the offspring of the Mandrakes that were recently harvested. Harry partnered with Amber again and it was rather mundane work but there were so many plants to do so it kept everyone busy. Amber held the pot steady as filing the pot with soil and planting was a hard task to complete in a elbow cast. Harry kept having to clean his glasses off the soil that the baby offspring kept spraying around while putting up a fight as they were being planted. The baby Mandrakes didn't screech as loudly as their adult counterparts but they still produced an ear splitting whine, which thankfully was muffled out by the ear muffs everyone wore.

Onto their eight baby Mandrake plant, Harry was starting to look quite fatigued and he had to remove his gloves as the previous Mandrake was quite aggressive and tried to eat this way to freedom through Harry's gloves. It amused Professor Sprout greatly as she watched Harry struggle and eventually give up his already half chewed glove to the Mandrake who gladly accepted as if it was a peace offering. Harry gently panted the soil around the eighth Mandrake when Amber noticed a strange wound on the back of Harry's hand, it was not completely healed and still looked red and angry like it was reopened several times before it could have a chance to heal.

"Harry?" Harry looked up from the Mandrake. "What's that scar on the back of your hand?"

Harry instantly hid his hand behind his back as if he was in serious trouble. "It's nothing." Harry replied looking sheepish.

"It doesn't look like nothing, its looks really painful." Amber whispered as she didn't want to draw attention from the rest of the class.

"It's not too bad." Harry said and he brought his hand back around to look at it himself. Amber lent in closer to inspect the wound which she could now see was it words writing in crude handwriting. Amber gasped. "I must not tell lies." She stared at Harry's hand in shock. "Umbridge!" Amber hissed in a low whisper as she closed her fists tightly feeling pain erupt through her elbow. Suddenly the Mandrakes simultaneously started crying in a high pitched scream. Everyone in the room clapped their hands on the ear muffs in attempt to block out the horrific noise.

"OUT! EVERYONE OUT!" Professor Sprout shouted over the screeching and the students quickly ran out the door. The students once out of the greenhouse tore off their ear muffs, everyone was breathing heavily then began whispering to their friends.

Professor Sprout was the last to come out after trying to settle the Mandrakes down with calming charms. She was looking slightly winded as she exited the greenhouse.

"Class dismissed, it will take all night for the baby Mandrakes to calm down completely. Amazing, I have never seen them to do that before." She puffed removing her ear muffs and whipping her sweaty face with a small towel.

The class excitedly made their way back to the castle, Amber walked with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Sweet, finished early! You guys want to go play some wizard chess." Ron said cheerfully.

"Sounds good, would you guys like to come to my room instead it will be quieter there?" Amber said and Ron stumbled on his feet in excitement.

After a few games of wizarding chess and Ron successfully beating everyone and then boasting about it which resulted in his nose growing ten centimeters from Hermione's spell. They all laughed at Ron's shocked expression when he ran to the mirror to view his own reflection. Hermione let him suffer for several minutes more before reversing the spell. Ron, Harry and herself sat around the Ravenclaw decorated fireplace in Amber's room enjoying the warmth. They all enjoyed her room immensely and especially Hermione as Amber had begun to fill the Hufflepuff wall with books she had been collecting. Hermione was standing near the bookshelf occasionally pulling a book down to view it. Ron had brought along a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans to share and was happily munching away at them.

"How can you eat so many in a row without getting a disgusting one Ron?" Amber asked. Ron smiled at her with two cheeks full of beans and swallowed them in one gulp.

"Oh it's easy, just eat the brightly colored ones and you'll be fine." He said picking up a fluro blue bean and popping it into his mouth. "Blue berry ice." He said grinning.

"I remember when your strategy fell through after you ate a brightly colored green one which turned out to be vomit." Hermione said laughing from her seat where she had settled down to read a book.

"Ugh don't remind me." Said Ron "Try one Amber, see what you get." He said passing her the box.

Amber took the box apprehensively and reached in picking out a dark brown co loured bean. "Any idea what flavor this could be?" Amber asked.

"Hopefully it's not shit… you have a small chance of getting it and I have heard it's defiantly a flavor." Said Harry looking disgusted and Ron started laughing.

"Fantastic." Amber said sarcastically and Harry grinned. Amber inspected the bean more closely and took a little sniff of it. "Taste only, nice try." Ron said still laughing. Amber gave him an annoyed look and popped the bean in her mouth and started chewing.

Ron sat up instantly and watched to see what her reaction would be. "Baked beans." Amber said feeling relieved and Ron gave her a high five.

"Hermione it's you turn." Amber said after standing up and walking towards Hermione on the arm chair. Hermione looked up from her book and pouted at her "Fine." She said as she dipped her hand into the box. After a couple of minutes of choosing a bean then throwing it back for another, Hermione settled on a bright yellow one. "Ron this is your theory put to the test again." She said giving Ron a serious look before she popped the bean in her mouth and Ron gave her a big grin.

Instantly Hermione's face screwed up and she spat the half chewed bean into her hands "UGH, YUCK! Rotten Egg!"

Ron, Amber and Harry howled in laughter as the clutched their stomachs in pain and Hermione gave them all a filthy look before whipping her hands and going back to her book.

"Ahh Sorry Hermione, but that was just priceless." Amber said and Hermione ignored her.

After the laughter died down and Ron went back to eating his own way through the box, occasionally spitting a few beans out of his mouth before continuing. Harry was subconsciously rubbing the back of his scarred hand. He looked up to see Amber watching him curiously.

"Umbridge made me write I must not tell lies with a cursed quill after I told her Lord Voldemort had returned on the first day of school. Then again I lost my cool with her the day that you skipped class, she said some nasty things about how she thinks you're a half breed." Harry said quietly and Ron and Hermione looked up at her.

"She thinks I'm a half breed?" Amber said feeling confused. "A half-breed of what?"

Hermione closed her book loudly making Ron spill the rest of the beans down his front. "Sorry Ron." She said looking apologetically towards him before turning to Amber "She said you were a blood traitor and a half breed when she realized you were not coming to class."

"Yer' she's seriously lost the plot Amber and when Harry stood up for you she went ballistic and gave him another month's detention." Ron said looking upset.

"You guys don't think I'm those things do you?" Amber asked them feeling nervous.

"No, of course not and even if you were half magical creature we wouldn't care." Hermione said with a warm smile.

Amber returned her smile "Thank guys, I'm not a half magical creature though."

At least I think I'm not? Amber thought to herself feeling slightly queasy.

"Creature or not, you are still our friend." Said Harry and Amber felt that hole in her chest fill up slightly for the first time since losing her father.

Night began to fall around the castle and Harry and Amber said goodnight to Ron and Hermione who were heading to a DA Practice and made their way to their detentions. Amber thanked Harry for standing up for her and gave him a hug before he walked away to Umbridge's classroom and Amber took the stairs to Professor Snape's private potions room. Upon entering the room, the sweet aroma of citrus assaulted her senses and Professor Snape was stirring the cauldron in the middle of the room.

"Potion of sleepless draught." Amber said as she walked towards the ingredients station next to Professor Snape.

"Correct." Snape stated as he handed her the chopping knife. After an hour of intense brewing they completed four trays containing twenty vials each for the infirmary. No more words were exchanged over the brewing period, which gave some comfort to Amber. Potions had always been a therapeutic outlet for her and she was quite happy her detention was potions. After they bottled the spare ingredients and Professor Snape brought a box down from the shelf.

"As requested, your elixirs." Professor Snape said smoothly, he looked at her with his dark orbs. "I hope they will be satisfying. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Professor Snape." Amber said giving him a warm smile as she collected the box and Professor Snape waved his wand charming the box to be as light as a feather. "Thank you again." Amber said before leaving the room.

Making it back to her room finally, Amber felt exhausted it had been a long day. She placed the box carefully on her bed and unhooked the lever of the box opening the lid. Inside were the elixirs looking exactly as she remembered them bright orange. Amber reached in a grabbed a vial, examining it in her hands before laying it on the bed next to the box. She began removing her school robes and wearing only her underwear she walked over to face the mirror. Upon seeing her refection she gasped loudly. Not only was every vein in her body red and standing out but her skin color around her tattoo was looked almost like a black liquid. It seemed to be spreading across her chest and down her stomach. As if the tattoo in her chest was poisoning her from the inside.

Amber leaped to the vial resting on the bed uncorking it and swallowing the contents in one gulp.

I feel I feel… NOTHING! I need more! MORE! She frantically thought to herself while reaching in the box and ripping another cork off a vial and drinking the liquid.

NOTHING.

This time she grabbed five and one after the other quickly uncorking and drinking without spilling a drop. She ran up to the mirror closely inspecting her tattoo which was still glowing eerily in the reflection. There was no change to her bodies coloring other than the dark liquid appeared to be moving very slowly outwards to the rest of her body.

What do I do, the potion always has worked! Amber could feel the tears build up behind her eyes as she shut them tightly.

Determinedly Amber turned to walk towards her bedside draw. Ripping it open to dress in black jeans and a hoodie. She grabbed her wand from her robes on the floor and placed it in the back of her jeans pocket, then shoved on her winter boots from the wardrobe. Amber quietly excited her room and made her way down to the one place where she could finally get some answers. The Forbidden Forest.