"REMUS LUPIN!" I screamed, uncaring I was making the hugest fool of myself. Ever. I'd regret it later. Even if it was, you know, only myself and the Marauders in the Gryffindor Commonroom.

That's ignoring the scores of Gryffindors staring at us from the stairwell.

"Ah – Ivy, please – don't you think you're-,"

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME I'M OVERREACTING!" I bellowed, shucking the Arithmancy textbook sitting on the table at him. He ducked it swiftly, as he had for been dodging things for the last five minutes. Pettigrew, Black and Potter were cowering behind the couch and safe…for the moment.

"Ivy – just let me ex – don't throw that!"

Too late. A particularly sharp-looking quill whizzed past his ear to be lodged in the wall, feather looking rather ruffled. I wish I was a witch and could just hex him into –

Oh. That's right. I am a witch.

Remus' eyes widened when he saw me step towards the couch my wand rested on and quickly jumped in my way. He held me at arm's length by the shoulders when I tried to shove past him.

Why am I intent on murdering Remus Lupin?

I guess I'll begin at the top, not long after the beginning of first term. That's about the time I got involved with these Gryffindors in the first place.

My name's Ivarius. Yes. Ivarius. I still won't let up on my grudge over that name…bloody parents are senile…

Alright, sorry. I'm…ah…Ivarius Black. Call me Ivy. Member of Slytherin, born and bred and all that. Youngest sibling of the House of Black and in fifth year. Professor Slughorn made me move up to higher classes in Charms and Transfiguration this year. I only agreed to it so I could annoy Reggie.

Oh, sorry. Regulus is my brother. Um…Sirius is my brother, too, but…I'm not really supposed to talk to him anymore. He got sorted into Gryffindor, see, and mother and father…didn't take too well to that. Sirius and Mum, especially, had never gotten along. I still remember the fights they used to get in…

You see, the Black family is a strictly pureblood family. The Black family never associates themselves with muggle-borns. The Black family is never, ever sorted into anything other than Slytherin.

And the Black family worships Lord Voldemort.

Unconditionally.

Sirius refused all that. He even moved out. The instant he was out the door, Mum and Dad disowned them. Regulus wants to do anything that will please Mum and Dad. He even got the Dark Mark last year…he became a Death Eater. Reggie told me it was the best moment of his life, coming under the Dark Lord's order.

Me? I'm just…Ivarius. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. I don't involve myself much with the other Slytherins, except maybe Severus and Lucius. But even that is kept to a minimum. Despite the little…ah, tantrum you saw at the beginning, I'm quiet. I don't talk to anyone outside of those two and Regulus. It's not that I'm scared, or shy, or intimidated by others, but I'm more a of people watcher. I'll just sit and watch people go about their business, listen to the gossip I catch. Never socialize, never let any information go other than my name. The less people know about me, the less they can use against me.

Around Severus or Lucius or Reggie, however, it's a completely different story. I pull little harmless pranks on them time to time and chat with them and scribble notes in Severus' Potion's book.

Alright, enough of the summary. I have a tendency to lose sight of my goals…sorry.

It was late September, which was the beginning of my favourite season: autumn. I was hoping every day that I'd walk into the Great Hall to find leaves falling. But as I walked into the huge room softly lit with morning light, I was greeted with nothing but a clear morning.

Ah well. There's always tomorrow.

"Ivy, there you are," I turned slightly from my walk down the Slytherin table, stifling a yawn and blinking sleepily at my brother. He grinned at me and I knew I was in trouble.

Regulus Black has the true 'charming' gene in him, just like Sirius. He's actually got nice, layered black hair, unlike my own rough-cut hair that looks completely stupid down and therefore is always in a messy, low bun. Yes, a messy bun, because my hair doesn't know the meaning of 'neat'. His skin has a better tan than mine, too, since he's always practicing Quidditch. And he's got really nice blue eyes. I just have brown.

"Yes?" I inquired, turning heel from my previous destination and propping my arm on his shoulder. I saw his Transfiguration book open on the table and a parchment waiting readily.

"Darling, darling sister," he began pleadingly with a winning smile. "I'm in just a spot of trouble with this essay that's due, oh, today, and I was thinking-,"

"Uh-uh." I swat him over the head lazily, still trying to wake up. "Write it yourself."

"But I can't, it's so bloody difficult-,"

"Not my fault, is it?"

"Er – no, but-,"

Ugh, annoying prat. Frowning, I pulled my wand out and touched the paper. One single sentence appeared there, the wet ink glistening.

"There. Your first sentence. Read the rest, that's why they give you a book."

Patting his shoulder once, I stuck my wand back in my pocket and continued my stroll to the very end of the Slytherin table, closest to the Teacher's. It was known as The Elite's table – that's me, Lucius and Severus. And true enough, there was Severus, sitting and reading a large old book entitled 100 Greatest Potions of the Century.

Ugh. Potions. I like it, but I'm terrible at it.

I sat down next to Severus and filled my cup with pumpkin juice.

"Severus, could you please pass me the-,"

Wordlessly he set the plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. I had to commend him on his ability to multi-task, as his eyes still hadn't left the book in front of him.

Nibbling on a piece of bacon, I glanced around the rest of the Great Hall. It was about a quarter full. Mostly Ravenclaws were up at the moment, but there were a few Gryffindors and one of two Hufflepuffs. Professor Dumbledore was seated leisurely at the front table. Professor McGonagall and Professor Archwitz, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, were also there.

A sharp bang from the other side of the hall startled me out of my thoughts, almost making me fall off the chair. Severus' head snapped up at the same time. I saw smoke rising from a place at the Gryffindor table and sighed tiredly.

Immature little Marauders.

Severus watched a Gryffindor first-year run out of the Great Hall and sneered, glaring over at were I could see Sirius, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter laughing. Potter…I have my suspicions that Sirius is living at the Potter's nowadays.

Their prank on the first year wouldn't have bothered me if the singing hadn't started. Apparently they'd charmed more of the first years to sing some strange muggle song. I watched McGonagall descend on the Marauders in an instant.

A glance at my pocketwatch told me I should be going down to the Potions dungeon soon. Just as I was about to open my mouth, owls poured into the Hall with the mail. I sat back and watched them circle around, frowning slightly when I noticed Mum's Great Horned Owl, Hades, flying with them. Sparing a glance down the table, I saw Reggie watching it, too. I kept my eyes on him, almost sure that's where Hades was going. Mum always sent letter to him, the favourite child.

It came as a shock when I got pecked rather rudely and found Hades sitting in front of me, impatient for attention.

I frowned slightly, fumbling with the letter as he stuck his leg out for me to remove it. What could Mum want with me…?

As soon as he was free of his burden, Hades flew off. He was a mean owl, that one. Tried to peck my eyes out once. I noticed Severus eyeing the letter in my hands with an almost-frown on his cold face.

Still, I didn't have the time to open it. I shrugged and stuffed it in my bag before standing. He took the hint, as usual, and snapped his book shut the same time he stood, sliding it smoothly into his bag as we walked. Either I was short or he was tall but he towered over me. Severus had that sort of intimidating affect on most people…not including the Marauders.

Sev (he hates it when I call him that) and I parted ways in the entrance hall. He had transfiguration, and I had Potions.

"Hey! Hey, Black!"

…damn.

A girl with curly brown hair bounced up next to me, a big smile on her pretty face. Yes, she was very beautiful. And also very much in love with my player of a brother. Apparently, her strategy of getting to Reggie is by having me recommend her.

I don't know why she thinks I'd recommend her. She's nice, and good-looking, but so is half of the female population. Show me a good, original trait…

"Hm." I replied. She barely noticed.

"How's your brother today?"

I shrugged. It was better if I didn't talk to her at all...she was a Ravenclaw…Lucius'd kill me…

"That's good," she smiled. "Off to double Potions with the Gryffindors, right?"

"And you'd be down here because…?"

"Hm?" I frowned at the hall in front of me. It barely had an affect on her. She just smiled more. "Oh, just wanted to say hi to you, Ive, before class-,"

Ive? Ive? What kind of sick joke was that? My name was not 'Ive'.

"Don't call me that." I told her.

"-and bring Professor Slughorn my homework from yesterday. He gave me an extension, because I was sick."

Bloody excellent. She's ignoring me now.

Her speed quickened so she was now moving past me. She waved to me happily. "See you later!"

Of course you will. I glowered at her rapidly disappearing figure. I entered Professor Slughorn's classroom.

"Ah, Black," a voice beckoned. I glanced towards the front of the class and saw Professor Slughorn waving me over. I wasn't a good potions student, but as my Head of House Slughorn knew all about my marks in Charms and Transfiguration. Therefore I seemed to be on his good side.

When I reached his desk he handed me a scroll of parchment. "Be a dear and bring this up to Professor Flitwick, would you?"

"But, sir, class starts soon-,"

"Ah, don't you worry," Slughorn winked at me. I found it rather unnerving. "Go on, go on. I won't mark you absent and no points lost, all's good, yes?"

Whatever.

Back up the stairs, which was quite the exercise, not to mention picking my way through the moving stairs to the third floor and down two other bloody corridors –

...this school is far too big.

Finally I got to Flitwick's classroom and knocked once before entering. It was a mess inside. People were standing and waving their wands around as other students threw pillows at them. Whatever spell they were trying to perform made the pillow explode when done incorrectly. Must be the Disacceleration Charm.

"Oi, another Slytherin?"

Gryffindors. And Slytherins. Always wonderful.

"Oh, a wittle fifth year! Come up to play, Black?"

I ignored them – seventh years. Bah. They'd be out of here at the end of the year anyways. That was actually a bad thing, though, because both Severus and Lucius would be graduating this year. Still, if I continued on the way I have been, I can have all my courses done next year.

Finally I reached Flitwick's desk, where the poor wizard was practically drowning in feathers.

"Ah, Miss Black!" he squeaked.

"This is from Professor Slughorn, sir." I told him, holding out the scroll. He might not have heard me, but he took the scroll anyways. I waited patiently in case he had any message to send back, all the while watching the people around me from the corner of my eye. They really were bad at this charm.

I hefted my bag on my shoulder, sighing. Flitwick squinted at Slughorn's ridiculously messy writing, probably not even past the first sentence. And my bag was insanely heavy. I glanced across the room and noticed Severus working the Disaccelaration Charm pretty well.

I shifted my shoulder again. Maybe I shouldn't have stuck that book on the history of witchcraft over two thousand pages long –

Several things seemed to happen at once. One, the seam on my bag split, spilling contents everywhere. My ink bottle shattered, sending ink over all my books and papers. At the same instant someone must have been startled by the noise, as bright sparks flew from someone's wand. A moment later Severus was right there and shooting a hex at Peter Pettigrew. I assume he'd been the cause of the sparks. But Sirius stepped in front of the short kid and deflected it before sending a counter-curse to Severus.

A girl standing next to me jumped at the loud snap Severus' hex made as it buzzed past Sirius' ear and hit the wall. I noticed her slip and begin to fall, and also noticed the glass shattered across the floor. I grabbed her arm, but she was too heavy and seemed to be turning in mid-air to catch the fall on her hands and knees, so I was effectively pulled under her.

I didn't mean to make noise. I really didn't.

My yelp made someone drop their wand. There was another series of sparks and a curse in Pettigrew's high-pitched voice so I assumed it had been him again.

Funny thing was, even though I was feeling extreme pain, all I could think about was that damn school bag. It betrayed me, stupid thing. It was supposed to battle evil forces, like gravity. I'll buy a newer, more faithful one. I won't even try to mend a traitor, so there.

It was about then it occurred to me there were a few tears on my face. I frowned and pushed them away, looking around to try and gather my bearings. This girl – Gryffindor, I see now – is still crushing me beneath her. And it really, really hurts.

"-get off her, Gryffindor-,"

I know that voice. Lucius and his better-than-thou attitude. The girl was roughly shoved off me, I realized, but I didn't want to get up. My head hurt. I'd smacked it off the ground – what if a piece of glass hit my skull? Mum'd kill me.

Mum…

Oh hell! Her letter!

I stood bolt upright so quickly my momentum made me fall right back down on my knees. I groaned. She'll kill me…her letter…if I find it I can fix it…

"Ivy, love, lift up your arms." Love. Snooty little Lucius uses it as one of his pompous little sayings for me. Nonetheless I realized he was in front of me, so I sighed and did what he told me to. Lucius picked up my legs for me and carried me with my arms wrapped around his neck and my head resting on his shoulder.

I noticed no one was laughing. Gryffindors usually laughed when embarrassing things happened to Slytherins. Guess it wasn't funny anymore when blood was involved.

"Don't you take advantage of her, Malfoy-," what was Sirius talking about? We hadn't talked in pretty much seven years. However, from his tone, I could bet Lucius had been smirking at him.

"I'd love to see you try to stop me, Black." Now there was that true Malfoy Sneer.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Flitwick's voice is so squeaky…heh heh… "Bring Miss Black down to the Hospital wing immediately – it looks like there may be damage to her skull."

But I need my skull…

"Mr. Snape, Mr. Pettigrew, and Mr. Black! Detentions for all of you, tonight!"

"Ah, but you see, Professor, tonight's not really a good time-,"

"Don't you talk back to me, Mr. Black! It's your fault your younger sibling is suffering from at least blood loss and you tell me tonight isn't a good time?"

"I do agree," another Malfoy Sneer. "How irresponsible, Black. You're suppose to look out for…family."

"Don't talk about what you don't know, Malfoy-,"

"And what wouldn't he know, Black…?" Snape soft voice of ice slid silkily into the conversation. "Ivarius confides in us, most obviously…not you."

"Back off, Snivelly." Potter. I think I'm going to pass out.

"This isn't the time. It definitely isn't the place." Hm…it could be Remus Lupin's voice…I've only heard him speak a few times.

I shivered. It was started to get very cold. I usually hated being assertive, but I didn't want to die, really.

"Excuse me?" I raised my head a little, only seeing the outlines of people. "I apologize if I sound rude but I am bleeding. Profusely. And I would bloody appreciate it if whoever the hell is talking could shut the hell up so I can get some godforsaken help."

Wow. I'm going to feel that one later.

I felt Malfoy snicker and he started walking. I closed my eyes. Where was the Hospital Wing again? Oh yeah…only two floors up…three corridors left and one right…another two left…up that weird staircase that laughs if you stand on it too long…and…