thirty-eight

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A white singing bird lies dead inside the Vanishing Cabinet.

Marina holds Draco as he shakes violently. He rests his head on her shoulder, gasping and choking, shattering in her arms, knowing that afterward, the two must walk to the breakfast table as if nothing is wrong. They have killed a bird, naively thinking that it would have have survived traveling to Borgin and Burkes and back. But now, it lay lifeless.

Marina and Draco had spent the holiday break at Hogwarts. For the first time in their lives, they had chosen to stay in the castle instead of celebrating Christmas with their family. They had woken up at dawn every day and found their way to the Room of Requirement, not going back to their Common Room until dusk. Yet, it seemed like nothing had happened to the Cabinet, and it was driving them insane.

It was now just a short hour left until the first classes of the year begun. Excited students skipped into the Great Hall one by one, ready to tell their friends stories from the break. Draco excused himself, saying he needed to get something from the Common Room, and Marina sat down at the Slytherin table without him.

"Where did you go the night of Slughorn's dinner?" asked Blaise, moving closer to her on the bench. His question echoed in her head as she faked a sweet smile and turned to him.

"Good to see you again, Blaise," she lied. "I think I left early to go to bed. I didn't miss anything important, did I?"

"No, not really," answered Blaise quickly. "I mean, Slughorn introduced us to some of his old students... some famous Quidditch players, but I don't think you would have cared much."

"I'm sorry I left early. I should have said something, but I got a terrible headache," lied Marina again, memories of the night playing in her head.

"Don't worry about it. I understand you've had a lot on your mind..." Blaise lowered his voice and looked around to check that no one was listening to their conversation. "Balancing school and the missions."

"I'm fine, Blaise," snapped Marina in a sudden harsh tone. The mention of the missions had awoken sharp anger in her. "And from what I heard, you were perfectly fine without me at the dinner, anyway, snogging every girl that looked your way."

Blaise's face twisted. He tilted his head to the side for a second, as if he was debating whether or not to open his mouth and answer her. Then, he simply moved away from her. Marina turned to her left, expecting Draco to sit at his usual spot at the table. But he was still gone.

An excited cry made her turn her head. Ten owls flew over the four tables in the Great Hall, which, to her surprise, was a lot for a day like this. They dropped their letters in front of their owners. Marina reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. To Mr. and Mrs. Allen, it read. She had spent no less than three days wondering how to tell them about their son's death. Then, finally, the courage to write the lines she had needed to write had found her. They deserved to know the truth, and she refused to forget Louis' name. She made her way over to the Gryffindor table, looking down at the paper and folding it twice.

"Are you really sure that there was nothing for me?" Ginny asked her brother as Marina approached them.

"No! I already told you. All she sent was that darn sweater-" Ron began, but was cut off by Marina cough. The two siblings snapped their heads her way. Ginny's face lit up; Ron, however, only scratched the back of his head. "Harry's not here," he said. "I think he's-"

"Actually," began Marina and took a deep breath. "I was wondering if I could borrow your owl? I'm just going to send a letter, and I have no one else to ask. It's okay if you don't want to-"

"Pigwidgeon? Yeah, take him," said Ginny quickly.

The owl was small and fluffy and had quite the temper (which explained why it used to be Sirius' owl). Marina didn't really know how to behave around it, but was able to send the owl away with the letter, and thanked the Weasleys immensely.

"Did you take Apparation Lessons before Christmas, 'Rina?" asked Ron once the owl was out of sight. Marina furrowed her brows. "No? Well, I did, with Harry and 'Mione. I didn't pass my test, but they are setting up new ones now. I reckon I should take new classes. Costs about 12 Galleons for a twelve-weeks course."

"In that case, I should probably-"

"Can you please go and act like a bloody idiot somewhere that's far away from me?" cried a light voice. Marina turned quickly. Draco had found his way to the Great Hall.

"I know what you did, Malfoy!" responded Harry, who was right behind him. Both Ron and Ginny shot out of their seats. "You hexed her, didn't you?"

The words echoed through the hall. Harry pointed his finger at Katie Bell, who was standing by the Ravenclaw table, red-faced. Draco's eyes found Marina's. He looked at her unsurely for a second before turning around and sprinting out of the Hall. Harry did not hesitate to follow him. Marina ran to follow them both, and drew her wand, panic filling her body.

"I'm going to tell everyone what you did, Malfoy," continued Harry, his voice louder than ever. "Everyone will know how you hexed Katie! I know what you and Snape have been talking about!"

Draco ran into the Entrance Hall and up a staircase without saying a word. Marina managed to get a glimpse of his face: he was holding back tears. She raised her wand and pointed it at Harry, crying: "Stupefy!" He couldn't even react before he fell sideways, crashed into a wall, and tumbled down the stairs.

"You're mad," said a shocked Draco as Marina approached him.

"What was I supposed to do? Let him curse you out for something you haven't done?" she breathed. "Go back to the Room of Requirement. I'll take care of him."

The blond nodded and sprinted off. Marina ran to the fourth floor and into a corridor. There was not a person in sight. She stopped to tuck away her wand. Not long after, Harry caught her speed, coming stumbling into the corridor, clutching his head with his right hand and his wand in his left. "What the-"

"You're an idiot, Potter. Did you really think you had it all figured out?" Marina spat, pursed her lips, and walked into the nearest bathroom. He followed right after her. "What lead you to think that Draco was the one who cursed that girl?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Me!" Marina said. She turned, and found herself standing inches away from Harry. "I gave Katie that necklace. I figured, she'd give it to Dumbledore, and then he would suffer. But, then, she decided that it was a good idea to play with it!"

"Why did you do it?" asked Harry, much quicker than she had expected him to. He did not seem taken back at all. "Don't say that-"

Harry's hand reached to pull up the sleeve of the uniform which covered her left arm. She gasped, yanking her arm away. But he could still see it: the very thing that she feared the most. The Dark Mark was carved into her arm, black and sharp, forever marked on her.

"You knew very well that this would happen someday!" she screamed. "Ever since I was born with the Black name - ever since I was told I needed to fool you!"

"It's not too late," whispered Harry with a weak voice. "Just because you got that mark, doesn't mean that he has control over you."

"Oh, but the thing is, he has! He has controlled me all my life, Harry. Haven't you noticed how distant I've been these last months? How many times I've passed out? How many classes I've missed? He's got total control of me. He can play with my memory - delete my memories and replace them with new ones - make me hate people I really adore. He can make me do bad things I don't want to do. He can listen to every word I speak and watch every move I make. He's probably listening in right now - or worse, this moment has never really existed, he has just played with my memory again!"

A door to a stall opened. Out came a tall boy with blond hair. Marina and Harry both looked at him in silence for a second before she realized who he was: the one who had been teasing her at Slughorn's dinner. She found her wand again, pointed it at him, and made him shoot upward; he hit the ceiling and then fell to the floor with a thud.

"You need help. We need to get you to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Don't you remember what happened last year? When You-Know-Who played with my mind... It's the reason why Sirius is dead..."

"Don't you think I've tried to get help from him?" Marina answered, a harsh laugh escaping her lips. "Not everyone is as loved as you are, Harry. He won't offer help to a filthy snake. Even if he did, he wouldn't be to any use. Tom has had control of me ever since I was a child, and there must be a reason for that. There must be a reason why he could control your dreams last year, too! Open your eyes, Harry!"

"Tom. You keep calling him Tom. Like he's actually your father."

Marina's heart sunk. She turned and pulled down the sleeve of her uniform. "I'd like you to leave, Potter."

"Have you forgotten who you are? Where is the Marina that fought against Bellatrix last year? The one who had no problem with screaming into the face of Voldemort?"

"A lot has changed, Harry..."

"Decide now, where your loyalty lies. You can go back to Malfoy Manor, with your mark, and live your life in silence like a coward, or you and I can go to Dumbledore's Office right now. He'll teach you how to block Voldemort out, and I'll be there with you, every step of the way. If Tom attacks one of us, he attacks both of us."

Marina turned, and smiled a weak smile. She reached to wrap her arms around him. "Of course, I'll go with you," she whispered. But when their lips connected, she had no problem bringing her hand to pluck out a strand of his hair without him noticing; perhaps the Half-Blood Prince had a page or two about Polyjuice Potion.

When Marina plopped down in her usual chair in Dumbledore's office just ten minutes later, he was looking at her with his arms crossed. "Have you chosen your side?" he asked.

"I mean, you're a bloody idiot if you think that any of us are able to stop what's about to come, but I'd rather go down on my feet than on my knees."

"You may not be interested in the war, Miss Black, but the war is interested in you."

"Why, look at us, Harry," Marina said, and turned to Harry, smiling from ear to ear while Dumbledore closed the door to his office. "We're both so young and willing to get ourselves killed."

"Professor, we need your help," said Harry and stepped inside the room.

"I know why you're here, Harry. But be aware that I won't offer the help Marina needs until she has helped me."

Well, don't rush anything, take your time, thought Marina to herself, but did not speak. A war is coming, and it's only my life that's on the line, but feel free to turn your back on me.

"What do you want us to do?" asked Harry, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"There's no us, Harry. He wants me to persuade Slughorn," she answered casually before Dumbledore could, crossing her legs and throwing her head back.

"Miss Black... Would you mind coming over here for a moment?" asked the Headmaster. While Harry stood completely still, Marina and Dumbledore walked over to the Pensieve. "I want to show you something..."

He pulled out a bottle from one of the pockets on his robe, twisted it open, and let three drops of liquid drip out of it and into the Pensieve. Marina waited until a nod of approval before bowing down, pushing her head into it. And so came the feeling of floating weightlessly.

She landed on the hard ground, grass below her, the sky dark. Beside her stood Dumbledore with his hands folded. Behind him, an exact copy of him. This was his memory, and it was recent, for his hand was black. Marina got to her feet, and looked around. They were standing in a churchyard.

A brown owl came flying down from the sky. It looked familiar... She followed it, past Dumbledore's copy, and behind a tree. There, it found its place on top of a gravestone.

Before she knew it, she was standing in Dumbledore's office again. "You ought to know, Miss Black, that I get the hold of every letter that gets mailed from the school," declared Dumbledore. "If it is your wish to visit the place I just showed you, I will gladly take you there."

"I see. You want me to bring you Slughorn's memory first." Marina grit her teeth together. The man hummed in response. "I'll have it before midnight."

She stormed out of his office, red of anger, and plumped down on a bench in the hallway. Harry followed after her, pale of worry. He sat down beside her, opened his bag quietly, and found the small bottle he had been hiding away for five months.

"I reckon this is twelve hours' worth of luck," he said. "If we split it, we'll have six hours each. Do you think we'll be able to convince Slughorn to give us his memory in that time?"

Marina smiled lightly, feeling better knowing that Harry would support her no matter what. Yet, she felt guilty. "Are you sure?" she asked instead of answering his question. "I thought that maybe you were going to save the bottle until a Quidditch match... or maybe an important test... or a- Harry!"

She lunged forward, but it was too late: he had already taken a sip of the Felix Felicis, and was now drying his lips with the sleeve of his uniform.

"How does it feel?" she asked as he handed her the bottle.

"Excellent. Fantastic. Wonderful."

Marina raised the tiny bottle up to her lips, closed her eyes, and chugged the rest of the liquid luck. An exhilarating sense of infinite opportunity stole through her; she felt as though she could conquer the world... Getting the memory from Slughorn felt rather easy now. Marina and Harry looked at each other for a second, and then, they both burst into laughter.

"We should go," said Harry in-between soft giggles. "We should go to Slughorn's office. I feel like it's the place to be tonight, you know what I mean?"

The pair fell off the bench, skipped out of the hallway hand-in-hand, and found their way to Slughorn's office. Whoever they met on their way, they greeted loudly. Marina felt that she was the luckiest person at Hogwarts.

"You knock."

"No, you."

"I think you should do it."

"But I think-"

The door to Slughorn's office slammed open, nearly hitting Harry's head. Marina smiled widely and waved to Slughorn, who was wearing a green velvet dressing gown.

"Why, I thought I heard you, Miss Black! And Harry, m'boy, what a wonderful surprise!" cried the Professor, and opened his door wider. "Come in, come in..."

His office was overheated and dark; bottles filled with different potions stood on gray shelves; a stack of essays lay on his desk. Marina and Harry found seats in each their old chair, and Slughorn blew his nose on a handkerchief before sitting down on the opposite side of his desk.

"Can I offer you a drink?" the professor asked after a moment of silence. He pulled his drawer open, and found three mugs and a bottle of red wine.

He filled the mugs and passed on one to Marina, and then one to Harry. The pair exchanged glances, for they knew they were not supposed to mix wine and liquid luck. Yet, Harry took his glass, and raised it up into the air. "To you, Professor, the best professor Hogwarts has seen!" he said.

Marina pretended to take a gulp of her drink; so did Harry. Slughorn had no problem chugging down his.

"Thank you, m'boy," he answered, and threw his head backward. Thinking quickly, Marina drew her wand, making sure it stayed hidden under the desk. She drew a circle with it, and only a second later, Slughorn's mug was filled with wine again. "You know, Harry, you remind me of your mother... She loved Potions just as much as you..."

"Horrible," whispered Marina.

"Pardon me?" cried Slughorn and snapped his head her way.

"She wasn't talking about your wine, Professor," said Harry calmly. "She was talking about my mum dying."

"Oh. Oh, dear. Yes, that was horrible indeed," mumbled Slughorn, and reached for his mug once again. When he finished it, Marina drew a new circle with her wand without him noticing.

"I guess the good die young," she put out. "Your parents, Harry... my father..."

"Regulus... Yes, I remember your father. I don't - don't suppose you remember his passing?" muttered Slughorn.

"I was only a few weeks old when it happened, Professor," answered Marina, and looked down at the floor.

"And I was only one when my parents died," added Harry, and looked down at the floor, as well. Slughorn adjusted in his seat. "But I've found out pretty much everything that happened since. My dad died first. Did you know that?"

"I-"

"I haven't been told anything about my father's death," said Marina. "I think Voldemort murdered him."

"Merlin," said Slughorn, and gave a great shudder. He reached for his drink, and Marina looked at him through tears.

"Have you heard that he has been following me my whole life, Professor? Like he followed my father before he brutally murdered him, and my mother before she was forced to run and hide? He has been terrorized me, having no problem torturing me."

"He was the one who murdered my parents, too," sighed Harry, "he stepped over my father's body toward my mum. He told her to get out of the way. He only wanted me. She tried to plead with Voldemort... but he just laughed... And now he's been following me, as well..."

Slughorn downed his drink in a second, and poured himself a new one. Marina was not sure if the time was passing by awfully past, or if it was just the Liquid Luck playing with her.

"Yet," she began, "we know so little about him. We know nothing about the man who murdered our parents, Harry, the one who has been wishing to kill us... If only we had something that could help us understand... If only someone who knew him would step forward and help us..."

Slughorn gulped.

"You're right, Marina," whispered Harry. "If they had any information about him... Or maybe a memory to give us..."

"Hey, Slughorn," burst Marina out, Felix leading her in, "correct me if I am wrong, but were you not Voldemort's teacher? Perhaps you could help us with understanding him. Do you have a memory we could borrow?"

"Oh, Marina, I don't think that's a good idea!" cried the Potions Master.

"Why?" pouted Marina.

"I don't think I should..."

Harry suddenly leaned forward, and looked Slughorn straight in the eye. "Tell me, Professor... Don't you want to get rid of the wizard who killed Lily Evans?"

"The wizard who ended Regulus Black's short life?" added Marina. Felix was telling her that Slughorn would remember nothing of this tomorrow.

"Of course I want to help you, but-"

"I am the Chosen One. I have to kill him. I need that memory," breathed Harry.

"Be brave, like father was," whispered

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