Chapter Text
Marian twisted and turned in front of the mirror, trying to see her back in the reflection. She'd had to have new robes made this year – her trusty robes that had seen her through the past three years no longer fit her across the chest or hips and had become almost indecently short too. The new ones fit her perfectly. She took them off again, lying them on the very top of her packed trunk, ready for her to grab quickly when she was on the train.
"Marian Baker, if you're not down here in the next thirty seconds, I'll leave without you!" The angry voice of Mrs. Baker drifted up the stairs to Marian's room.
"I'm coming!" Marian cried, and gave her room a little wave. "See you at Christmas!" Then she thundered down the stairs, dragging her trunk after her.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" Her mother tutted, and flicked her wand at Marian's trunk, levitating it in front of her and out to the car. "Have you got everything? You're sure?"
"Wait – I've forgotten Biscuit!" Marian shouted, and dived back into the house to rescue her beloved owl, who was squawking angrily at being left behind.
As soon as Marian clambered into the car, Mrs. Baker started the engine. "I'm locking the doors and you're not getting out until we're at King's Cross."
Marian laughed. "You can't wait to get rid of me again! I knew this would happen. You always moan in your letters that I've been away so long and you miss me so much, and then as soon as I'm home, you can't wait for me to leave!"
Her mum smiled at her. "Not true at all, darling. Although it was so lovely and peaceful while you were visiting Rowan."
"Mum!" Marian whined and her mother laughed.
As they arrived at the station, Marian and her mother hurried to Platform 9. "We're so late!" Mrs. Baker fussed. "How does this happen every year?"
"It's fine, Mum. Let me get through the barrier and then I'll race on." Marian replied, trying not to drop Biscuit's cage as they ran through the station.
"Marian! Hi!" Bill and Charlie Weasley materialised suddenly, racing to the barrier beside the Bakers.
"Hi!" she grinned at them. "Glad to see it's not just me that's running late!"
"We always run late!" Bill chuckled. "Blame Ginny – she wouldn't stop crying!"
Marian glanced behind them and saw a whole troop of red-haired children racing behind Bill and Charlie down the platform.
"Here – give me that!" Charlie took the end of Marian's trunk and raced ahead of her through the barrier.
"Bye, Mum!" Marian shouted, waving violently behind her and nearly knocking Bill over. "See you in three and a half months!"
"Bye, darling! Behave yourself!" She barely heard her mother as she appeared on Platform 9 and Three Quarters. The platform was full of thick, grey smoke – the train was about to leave.
"Quick! Get on here!" Bill shouted, shoving Marian ahead of him through the nearest train door. She stumbled up the stairs, Bill behind her, levitating his and Charlie's trunks while Charlie heaved Marian's up behind them. Just as he made it onto the train, it started to move, pulling slowly away from the platform.
"Phew!" Marian sighed. "That was close!" She collapsed against the corridor wall, panting. Bill wiped his brow and Charlie groaned.
"What have you got in here, Marian? It weighs more than mine and Bill's put together!"
Ignoring him, Marian glanced around at the nearest compartments. "I bet everywhere's full now! Come on." She headed up the corridor, peering into compartments as she went, the two Weasleys behind her. It took a while before they reached anyone Marian knew, and then she heard them before she saw them. Or rather, she heard Murphy's voice.
"It was such an amazing match! The Cannons only had a 7.95% chance of even scoring, and their chances of winning were practically non-existent! Less than 0.9%, if my calculations were right, which they were, obviously! Did you see that goal that Marius scored, Skye?"
"Of course I saw it!" Skye's annoyed voice drifted out to Marian. "I was bloody there! I don't know what was wrong with Kingston. He's a rubbish beater. I told dad he should fire him after that… Baker! You're here!" She leapt out of her seat and threw her arms around Marian, nearly knocking her over as she appeared round the door of the compartment.
"Aaah! Skye!" Marian was saved by Bill grabbing her and pushing her back upright.
"Watch it, Parkin! You nearly flattened your team's best hopes for winning the cup this year!" Charlie Weasley grinned, poking his head around Bill to peer into the compartment.
Skye rolled her eyes dramatically. "We won last year, Weasley, and we'll win again this year – just wait and see! Gryffindor's record is looking pretty pathetic now, don't you think?"
Bill groaned from the corridor. "I'm going to find the other prefects. See you later, Marian!"
Marian pushed past Skye and entered the compartment properly. "McNully! How are you? I could hear you from the other end of the carriage!"
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed quidditch commentator was sitting by the window, grinning. "Hey, Cursebreaker! How was your summer?"
She gave him a quick hug and slumped into the seat next to him. "Oh, good thanks. Mum wouldn't let me train in case the muggles saw, but I've been keeping up with Skye's fitness regime. And I've read three of those books you gave me before the holidays. Although I'm not sure about Wiggin's Theory of Formations. What do you…?"
Skye threw a chocolate frog at Marian's head. "Stop it right now, Baker! Don't encourage him! We've got a long train journey ahead of us!"
Charlie pulled a face at Marian. "Have fun! I'm going to find the other Gryffindors. Come and find me when they drive you mad!"
Marian waved at him. "He's filled out this summer, hasn't he? It's so weird, seeing him and Bill next to each other. Bill's not muscly at all."
"I didn't notice," Skye said airily, lying down across the opposite bench and biting the end off a liquorice wand.
Marian snorted. "Where are the others anyway? Have you seen Rowan yet? Or Penny?"
"Or Barnaby Lee?" Skye replied, blinking at Marian through her eyelashes. "He came around looking for you earlier, you know."
"Shut up!" Marian shifted uncomfortably.
"What were you saying before?" Murphy intervened quickly, seeming to sense Marian's discomfort. "Wiggin's Theory of Formations? It's a bit controversial, I know, but I think it might have some merit."
Marian pulled out the books he'd lent her and soon they were engrossed in discussions of quidditch strategy, Skye chipping in occasionally. They'd been on the train for around an hour when the compartment door slid open.
"My team mates! My family! How good it is to see you all again!" Orion Amari stood in the doorway, his arms open wide in greeting.
"Orion!"
"Amari, hi!"
"Hey!" They greeted him warmly. Even though they all found Orion's unusual ideas and mystical language rather annoying more often than not, they were all very fond of their quidditch captain.
Marian stood up and stretched. "I should probably go and find Rowan. We've always travelled together before – she'll wonder if I missed the train!"
"Oh, but we haven't even discussed the likelihood of cobbing yet!" Murphy said, sounding disappointed.
"McNully, why do you think she's leaving?" Skye snorted. "Come back later, though, won't you? It's so boring with just these two losers for company!" She jerked her head towards Murphy and Orion, grinning.
Marian laughed. "I'll be back later, I promise. Look, you can keep my trunk hostage! I'll have to come back to change."
She set off down the train, searching for her other friends. She spotted Tulip and Tonks, heads together in conversation in a compartment, and hurried quickly past – she'd got used to signs of mischief-making and that was definitely one of them. She did not want to smell like a dungbomb before they'd even got off the train. She was almost at the end of the train when she finally found the compartment where Rowan, Ben, Talbott, Andre and Penny were sitting, all squashed on the benches because there really wasn't room in a compartment for more than four people comfortably. They let out cries of greeting as Marian appeared.
"We thought you'd got left behind!" Ben said, looking worried.
"Where on earth have you been?" Rowan frowned at her.
"Sorry! Sorry! I nearly did miss the train – we were so late! Bill and Charlie helped me or I'd have missed it for certain!" Marian replied, squeezing into the compartment and settling herself on top of someone's trunk.
"Bill Weasley – is he still as much of a snack as ever?" Rowan replied, her expression immediately turning dreamy.
Talbott and Andre exchanged confused glances.
"A snack?" Ben asked, his head on one side.
Marian sniggered. "Rowan fancies him."
Penny smiled. "Well, he is very good-looking. I've heard he's going out with that Gryffindor seventh year, though – sorry, Rowan!"
"Ah well," Rowan sighed, not looking embarrassed in the least. "Plenty more nifflers in the gold."
"Marian, you look amazing!" Andre said, pulling her to her feet and turning her around. "What has happened to you?"
"It's called getting taller, Andre," Marian growled, feeling awkward. "It happens to most people."
"Oh yeah!" Ben chipped in. "I'd forgotten how tiny you were last year! It's like you've suddenly got legs!"
Marian could feel herself blushing. "Stop it, guys!" she muttered.
Penny laughed. "You're embarrassing her! Let the poor girl sit down!" She turned to Marian when they'd all settled down again. "You are looking great though. You've grown out your fringe!"
"Yeah, well," Marian shrugged. "I felt like a change."
"Well it suits you. You'll be turning heads this year," Penny grinned at her. "Maybe a certain Slytherin head?"
Marian groaned. "Oh not you as well! Skye's already been on at me about him!"
Rowan interrupted. "Skye Parkin? So that's where you've been? With your 'quidditch friends?'" She was frowning, and her voice reminded Marian of her mother when she'd not tidied her room.
"Yeah, I stopped in to say hi," she replied casually. "Nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"I would've just thought you'd have wanted to… never mind!" Rowan turned away with a flounce and ignored Marian for the next hour.
The sky was getting dark when Marian headed back up to the other end of the train again. Skye was asleep and Orion had disappeared again when she got back. Murphy was sitting hunched over a piece of parchment covered in little squiggling diagrams, prodding it gently with his wand. Marian smiled as she watched him for a moment from the doorway. She'd missed him over the holidays, she realised. He suddenly looked up and jumped as he saw her.
"Merlin! You scared me!" His eyes flickered up and down her quickly and she wasn't sure, but she thought his cheeks seemed slightly more flushed than usual.
"Sorry," she replied, crossing over and sinking down next to him again. "What are you working on?"
He moved the parchment closer so that she could see it. "Some ideas for the team. Not that Orion will listen to anything I have to say, but maybe he'll do the sensible thing and let you decide the strategy again this year!" He smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling.
Marian gave a snort of laughter. "That was definitely the sensible thing to do, wasn't it? Abdicate responsibility to the newest member of the team in her first match!" She shook her head. "Luckily, I had you to help me."
"And so the Thimbelrigg Shuffle became a legend." He laughed. "And the handsome, perfectly-coiffed quidditch commentator who invented it, obviously."
"Obviously," she nudged him playfully. "Go on then. Talk me through it. You know you're dying to."
"Well, since you insist…" he prodded the diagrams again with his wand to make them move.
It didn't feel like very long at all to Marian before the train started to slow down.
"We can't be there yet, surely?" she frowned, leaning over Murphy to peer out of the window. It was too dark to see anything, though.
The compartment door suddenly flew open and Orion reappeared, looking more dishevelled than usual.
"Where've you been?" Murphy asked him. "I thought you were just going to get a chocolate frog!"
Orion shrugged. "You know. Just… greeting friends. But why aren't you changed? We're nearly there!"
"Are we?" Marian stared at him.
"Time flies when you are having fun, my friends," he grinned at them.
Marian leapt to her feet and shook Skye roughly. "Skye! Come on! We're about to arrive and we need to get changed!" She hurried to her trunk and fished out her robes.
"Marian!" Murphy squawked as she started to pull up her top.
"Well, close your eyes or something! I'm wearing a top underneath anyway!" She pulled on her robes quickly before removing her jeans. "Skye, come on!"
Glancing over, she could see Murphy covering his face, which was definitely flushed this time, with his hands. Orion chuckled from the doorway. "McNully, you need to change too!"
"Not with them here!" Murphy muttered, peeking between his fingers to check that Marian was decent.
"You're ridiculous!" Marian replied, grabbing Skye's arm and pulling her upright. "I'm not looking! Go on!"
Five minutes later, they were all changed and ready, just as the train pulled into the little platform.
When they were all seated in the Great Hall, the sorting having just finished, Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet. Marian was sitting squashed between Rowan and Skye.
"Welcome, one and all, to another year at Hogwarts. I don't wish to keep you from your delicious banquet, but a couple of warnings before the year begins in earnest. Firstly, remember to keep away from the Forbidden Forest. It is forbidden for a reason, you know, not merely as a result of an old man's fancy. Secondly, and more importantly, despite my many warnings to you all last year, a handful of students continued to disobey my direct orders and succeeded in entering another of the so-called 'Cursed Vaults'." He peered over his half-moon spectacles and Marian knew he was looking directly at her as he continued, "Do not do so again. I am perfectly serious when I tell you that the next student to try and find or enter a cursed vault will be immediately expelled. Do I make myself clear?" He waited for the murmured response before suddenly smiling again. "Good. And now, let us eat!"
Marian shivered. Dumbledore had warned them all before, and her individually, about the consequences of entering the vaults. She knew that he meant what he said – although nothing that bad had happened yet, had it? Nobody had been injured, really. The boggarts had been unpleasant, but not dangerous. She was still going to keep looking, whatever he said. She had to – she owed it to Jacob.
"Well, how does it feel, Cursebreaker?" Skye grinned at her over the edge of her goblet.
"How does what feel?" Marian asked, confused. She reached for a roast potato, suddenly ravenous.
"Being told off in front of the entire school?" Skye raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, you caught that, did you?" Marian grimaced. "I think I'm getting used to it."
"You're so bad-ass now!" Rowan chuckled. "I wish I was as relaxed about the rules as you, Marian." She seemed to have forgiven Marian for abandoning her on the train, or else she'd just forgotten about it.
"I don't do it on purpose!" Marian protested.
Orion frowned at her from across the table. "Do try and behave, though. We don't want you getting kicked off the team!"
"You sound like my mum, Amari!" Marian replied coolly.
"He has a point actually," Skye said, reaching over Marian to get the jug of pumpkin juice. "Quidditch is the most important thing here."
Marian rolled her eyes. "You don't understand."
Rowan smiled at her sympathetically. "I do. It's your brother! Of course you'll do whatever it takes to find him. I'll help you."
"Thanks, Rowan," Marian gave her a one-armed hug. "You're the best."
Murphy leaned over from opposite Marian. "Who's that then? Beside Professor Snape?"
They all turned round to stare. A red-haired witch sat next to Snape, her eyes narrowed and alert. She wasn't dressed like the other teaches in robes, but was instead wearing some kind of leggings and tunic and had a wand holster strapped to her waist.
"Now, she looks bad ass!" Skye muttered.
"It must be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Rowan said.
"Doesn't look like Snape likes her much," Marian added, laughing.
"Does Snape like anyone?" Murphy replied, grinning.
As if they'd heard them, both Snape and the mysterious witch's eyes suddenly lighted on Marian and her friends, and they quickly turned back to their food.
After the feast had finished, Dumbeldore stood up again. "Some of you have no doubt noticed that we have not one, but two new members of the faculty. Professor Smythe is joining us as our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." There was a polite smattering of applause as the withered old man stood up to take a bow. "And Madame Rakepick, here, has done us the great honour of joining us in an advisory capacity. She is a former student of Hogwarts and is, amongst other things, a renowned curse breaker." Muttering broke out around the hall as he said this. The red-haired witch gave a terse nod of acknowledgment, unsmiling.
"A curse breaker?" Rowan breathed. "Wow!"
Marian could see Bill Weasley staring at Rakepick with open-mouthed admiration from the Gryffindor table. As they made their way upstairs to bed, she found herself next to him.
"I heard she was the head cursebreaker at Gringotts," he told her, sounding impressed. "Isn't that the coolest job you can imagine?"
Marian nodded. "Very cool. All that danger…"
He elbowed her. "Excitement, you mean! And think of the treasure! I bet she's seen some amazing things!"
"Bill, do you have a crush on her?" Marian giggled.
He rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I forget you're a fourth year. Hormones going crazy!" He ruffled her hair affectionately. "Night!"
Marian turned to head off up the spiral staircase towards Ravenclaw Tower, when someone grabbed her arm. Turning in surprise, she saw Ben Copper standing beside her, his face pale.
"Ben – are you OK? What's up?" she asked in concern, pulling him away from the crowd of Ravenclaws streaming upstairs.
He looked terrified, his face clammy with sweat, his eyes huge. "Marian – I…" he trailed off, looking over her shoulder. Looking around, she saw Hagrid ambling along the corridor, frowning. Next to him, tottering slightly under the weight of Hagrid's huge hand on her shoulder, was Tulip.
"Marian?" she groaned, rubbing her head.
"Tulip? What in Merlin's name…?" Marian rushed towards her, forgetting Ben for the moment. Tulip stumbled a little as Marian reached her and she put an arm round her shoulders. "What happened?" she glanced from Tulip to Hagrid. "You weren't at the Welcome Feast!"
"I foun' 'er, I did." Hagrid said, still frowning. "Headin' toward the Fores', she was. Fast asleep."
"What?" Marian looked confused.
"I was sleep-walking," Tulip replied in a shaky voice. "I think so, anyway. All I remember is feeling very sleepy on the train. Next thing I know, Hagrid's giving me a good shake and I'm next to his hut!"
"Galloping gargoyles!" Hagrid shook his head. "Good job I found you when I did. Nasty things in tha' fores', y'know."
"Are you all right now?" Marian eyed her anxiously.
"Got a bit of a headache," Tulip groaned again, rubbing her temple.
"Here, let me try and help. Episkey," Marian waved her wand at Tulip's head. "Any better?"
"Mm. A bit. Thanks, Marian." Tulip tilted her head from side to side experimentally. "I think I'll go to Madame Pomfrey and see if she's got a potion or something for it."
"I'll go with you," Marian offered quickly, but Hagrid shook his head.
"I got 'er. You go to bed now, Marian. An' come by at the weekend for a rock cake!" He waved one of his huge hands at her as he turned, gripping Tulip's shoulder again and she winced.
Marian made her way slowly up the spiral staircase. The common room was quiet, already – most people seemed to have headed straight up to bed. Marian couldn't blame them – she felt exhausted already, but her mind was busy. Spotting a familiar figure sitting by himself over by the window, she headed over and dropped down into a chair opposite him.
Murphy glanced up from his book and smiled at her. "Hello! Where have you been? Found any vaults yet?"
"Ha ha," she replied, but she frowned, thinking about Tulip. She'd shared a room with Tulip for three years and she'd never known Tulip to sleepwalk before.
"What is it? Everything all right?" he asked, closing his book and putting it down on the table.
"I don't know," she answered slowly, and she told him about Tulip.
"Very odd," Murphy said as she finished. "I mean, sleepwalking is actually really unusual. Between 3 and 5% likelihood, I think, depending on age. And walking towards the Forbidden Forest…"
"That's what I was thinking. Pretty unlikely indeed," Marian nodded, pursing her lips in thought.
"Who was she on the train with?" Murphy asked. "Rowan?"
"No, I saw her with Tonks earlier. I doubt she'd have left her on the train though!"
"No, that would be a pretty rotten thing to do." He smiled a little.
Marian yawned. "Merlin, I'm so tired!"
"Go to bed then."
"I can't! My brain's all…" she made a gesture by her head.
He grinned. "I know what will help with that. Always helps me." He bent down and picked up his wizard chess set, placing it on the table between them. "First match of the year. I'm feeling generous - you can be white."
Marian laughed. "I haven't played over the summer. You'll definitely beat me, whether or not I'm white!"
"Defeatist attitude! Although I do have a 100% success rate." He laughed loudly at the expression on her face, and Marian smiled at him despite herself. Murphy always made her feel better.
"Fine. Go on then."
They'd been playing for about half an hour or so when Marian suddenly remembered Ben. She leapt up, nearly knocking over the chess board.
"Marian! What is it?"
"Ben! He wanted to speak to me earlier and I forgot…" She nibbled on her nails, unsure what to do.
Murphy reached out and grabbed her wrist lightly, pulling her back down into her seat.
"Well you can hardly go and find him now – he'll be in bed. I'm sure whatever it is can wait until tomorrow."
"You should've seen him, Murph. He looked terrified!"
Murphy snorted. "Copper always looks terrified of something. I don't know why he's in Gryffindor."
Marian glared at him. "Don't say that! You don't know him!"
Murphy raised his eyebrows. "Sorry! Didn't realise you were so close. But it's true – he can hardly even get himself on to a broom, he's so scared."
"Everyone's scared of something, McNully! Even you, I'm sure."
Murphy shrugged. "Sure. I'm not denying it. But he's scared of everything." He glanced up at Marian. "Look, I'm sorry. You're right – I don't know him well. Maybe I've got him all wrong."
Marian shot him a small smile. "Well, he is scared of quite a lot, it's true. But this was different – he looked frightened half to death!"
"Well, there's nothing you can do about it just now anyway," Murphy replied. "And checkmate."
"What?" she yelped. "How did that happen?"
"The same way it always happens, Marian," he chuckles. "You spend over 82% of your moves on the attack and your defences are woeful."
"You took advantage of me! I was distracted!" she protested feebly.
He raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure it counts as a real win," she said slyly.
"Fine," he put the pieces away carefully and grinned at her. "Rematch. Tomorrow. I'll beat you fair and square, Cursebreaker! No excuses!"
"OK," she jumped up, smiling. "We'll see. Goodnight, Murph!"
He watched her heading up the stairs to her dormitory and smiled. She'd never beaten him at Wizard Chess.