Taste of Youth

I stayed in the dorm room for the better part of the next day. Lily was with me for most of the time and Alice would have stayed had both of us not waved her away to go spend time with her boyfriend. She left begrudgingly and came back with lunch for us with greetings from Frank and that the boys were downstairs wondering what was going on with us. We told her to tell them we were studying and she skipped out the door. It was a few more minutes into lunch before Lily started with her questions. She’d male a wonderful interrogator.

“Are you planning on talking to your boyfriend today?”

I rolled over on the floor to look at Lily, “Do I have to?”

She laughed and sat down next to me, “Yes you do.”

“I really blew my lid at him didn’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“Did I over react?”

“Maybe but what’s the point of a relationship if there isn’t trust?”

There was loud knocking from the door before I could reply and Lily pushed up from the ground with a groan. I rolled up to my knees and shuffled my way to standing and peered through the door as well. It was a first year girl looking nervous and twitch when she saw the two of us staring at her. The first year was tiny in every aspect except for her wide doe eyes and head of wild corkscrew red curls. She stuttered for a moment before I nudged Lily into inviting her in.

“You can sit anywhere you want.” I offered to her gently and she shook her head quickly, “Is there something you wanted to tell us?”

“I-it’s Mary MacDonald.” She said in a very quiet voice, “Somethings wrong with her. She tried to take me to the Forbidden Forest. Mary would have never done that if she was okay.”

I felt something cold shiver down my spine and gnaw at my gut, “Where is Mary?”

“She-she’s outside the common room. I told her I’d get my first year friends and that got her to come with me. I-I don’t know what to do, she’s acting all twitchy and her eyes are real blank.” The girl was shaking looking like she was on the verge of tears and looked at me desperately, “Mary was really nice to me, saved me from a couple of Slytherin’s earlier. She’d never do anything to hurt anyone. I heard that you were training to be an Auror so I came here.”

“Okay, it’s okay.” I told her and glanced back at Lily who nodded, “We’ll take care of it. Do you know if Mary got into a fight with someone before she started acting weird?”

“Yeah, it was one of the Slytherin boys. Mulciber I think, and another one. Are you going to help Mary?”

“Of course. Lily?” I turned to my friend eyebrows furrowed.

“I’ll get my wand.”

“Okay, we’re going to go get Mary. I want you to go get Professor McGonagall now okay. Hurry and don’t let Mary see you.”

The girl scurried away and Lily came up next to me looking worried.

“What are you thinking, Luce.”

I sighed and picked up my wand and jacked, “I’m thinking that one of the Slytherin boy’s Mary was talking to did something unspeakable. Let’s go and see if she took anyone into that Forest.”

Mary MacDonald was pacing across the font of the Fat Lady when we came down. She was muttering and turned her head toward us when the portrait clicked shut. Her eyes were very blank, her face was very relaxed, she didn’t looked bothered by anything and murmured just under her breath. A cold shiver went down my spine again and the gnawing feeling made me feel sick. Mary turned and stopped her soft green eyes staring straight through me and not moving to push her light brown hair from her face.

“Mary?” I spoke softly tilting my head to try and catch her eye, “Mary, is there something you need to do?”

The pretty girl nodded quickly her hair flying farther into her face and her voice sounded tranquil, “I have to take the first years to the forest and show them the spiders. All the first years, especially the Muggle-born’s.”

Lily’s expression was one of horror as she extended a hand toward the girl, “Mary? What happened, Mary? Who did this?”

“I have to take the first years to the forest and show them the spiders.”

I caught sight of Lily’s hand starting to shake and put a hand on her shoulder speaking gently, “Okay, Mary. We’re going to take you to the first years. Follow us.”

“You’re going to take me to the first years?”

“Yeah we’re going to take you to the first years. Come on.”

Lily looked like she was going to rip whoever did this to shreds. I kept an eye on her worried and lead Mary to the Hospital Wing. Professor McGonagall caught up to us on the second floor, took one look at Mary and went white. At the sight of the Professor, the first sign of actual feeling came across Mary’s face. She made a panicked sound and tried to turn around slamming into me muttering about how she wasn’t supposed to be caught. I held her to the best of my ability and McGonagall put a Full Body Bind on her.

We hurried to the Hospital Wing on McGonagall’s heels Mary floating in front. Poppy jumped when we slammed through the door and at the sight of the floating girl leapt from her chair. I managed to hear one sentence in their hushed conversation that made my blood run cold, She’s been Imperiused. The small amount of lunch I had came up my throat and I turned to the door.

“Ms. Rein, Ms. Evans. Would you like to tell us what happened here?”

“A first year came into our room, Professor. She said Mary was trying to take first years to the forest.” Lily offered.

“I see, that would be the young lady who came into my office correct?”

“I believe so.”

“Is there any particular reason you are the only one answering, Ms. Evans?”

“Sorry, Professor.” I turned slowly around, “The Imperio curse bothers me.”

“You overheard.” McGonagall sighed, “Right, do either of you know if Ms. MacDonald took anyone to the forest?”

We shook our heads and I frowned deeply, “You’d have to ask the first year girl.”

“I will. Now, the two of you go back to your dorm.” After we’d started to leave McGonagall called out again, “Ms. Rein! There is a Hufflepuff boy asking for directions to the Gryffindor tower and you. He is causing a disturbance and I am sure you will do everything you can to make it stop.”