The Story

“Got your books?”

“Yes Mare, calm down please it’s not that big of a deal,” said the little boy while pushing up his glasses. He smiled up at the woman hovering over him, he could see how nervous she was and just how much she was trying to hide it. Before he could say anything the woman grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

“I'm going to miss you so much, kid” She squeezed him and sniffled. All parents say that time went by fast or that their kid is just a little baby. Mary always thought it was such a cliche, time doesn’t go by that fast and it’s just parents wanting control over their children and just a way to treat their children like babies. She never believed it until today. She looked down at the smartest, kindest and bravest 11-year-old boy she’s ever met and she couldn’t help but think about where he got it from. A better description would be who he got it from.

“You’ll be ok, right? I don’t need to worry about you?” she said as she brushed against his face, she looked at his eyes that were shining under the sun and his scar, the famous scar of the boy who lived.

“I promise I’ll be fine. I just hope I get into Gryffindor,” he replied with great confidence in his voice.

“I wish I could go through the barrier with you but I don’t think I could deal with that right now,” she said while stifling back tears. Mary’s been avoiding the wizarding world ever since the war, she visits of course. They went to Hogsmeade a few days ago and back to Godric’s Hollow every little while but it wasn’t even close to how she would feel if she went onto the Hogwarts Express, that would just bring a whole set of unwanted memories back. They walked up to a woman that was standing with her 3 sons and daughter, the older two sons were twins. The girl looked a little too young to be going to Hogwarts but the other boy seemed around the right ages.

“Excuse me? Would you mind showing my son how to get through?” asked Mary.

“Well of course!” The other woman smiled and introduced the boys, the younger boy’s name was Ron Weasley. Mary knew the Weasleys, mainly through the Prewett twins. Molly Prewett married Arthur Weasley; she was a few years older than Mary so they never crossed paths at Hogwarts but she met her years ago at Gideon and Fabian’s funerals. She was right, if she got in contact with the wizarding world any memories would come rushing back. Especially because Molly’s twins Fred and George looked so much like their uncles that it made Mary want to crawl back into the hole she called home for years after the war. She brushed it off and kissed the kid standing in front of her on the forehead.

“Bye!! I’ll send letters!” the boy yelled as he was watching the others run through the platform.

“Every single day, Harry!!” she waved while watching him leave.

* * *

December 17th, 1983

On a cold and quiet night in 1983 sat a lonely and very obviously intoxicated woman in Godric’s Hollow. She was well known in this area, considering she was here practically every night. And she wasn’t exactly healthy - her hair was messy and very much broken, her eye bags so deep and dark and her clothes full of holes and stains that have probably been there for months.

“I just... I don’t know what to do.” she stuttered while throwing another bottle onto the pile she was creating. The bottles clanked against each other and she saw a black cat appear out of nowhere hissing at them.

“Can’t you see I’m busy here??” screamed Mary followed by a stumble onto the headstone behind her. She hurriedly brushed the headstone with a worried face.

“For fucks sake!! I almost broke it. What do you want-” She cut off when she turned around and a woman lifted her head. It was McGonagall. She was squinting her eyes at her old professor, still unsure if she was hallucinating from being too drunk… again.

“You're not imagining anything dear”

“Why are you here?” said Mary with a very sour look on her face. She could almost see the disappointment in McGonagall’s face but she was probably just imagining that part. If Mary was completely honest she wasn't that close to McGonagall or as the rest of her friends called her “Minnie”. She talked to her and knew her well, of course, she was her professor, the head of her house but not as close as everyone else was. Mary was always closer to Madam Pomfrey, as were Remus and Peter. Just thinking about them hurt her, she saw Remus once since but she couldn't keep contact.

“I always come here, usually in the mornings” replied the professor after what seemed like an eternity. She smiled softly and offered a hand down to Mary to help her up.

“Get up. We have some things to discuss.”

Surprisingly, Mary took her hand and they walked over to a coffee shop. The moment they got in everyone was staring at Mary, and that's when she realised how she must look. Mary sat at a table waiting for McGonagall to order their drinks, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She knew whatever McGonagall wanted had to be important and that she would get it no matter what.

“Here drink this, it'll clear your head,” said McGonagall while setting down a cup at the table.

“What is it?” asked Mary in an angry tone.

“Calm down dear, it's coffee.”

“Look, Mary. I won't stall or waste any of your precious time” said McGonagall while sipping from her tea.

“As you may know, Harry Potter was taken in by his mother’s sister Petunia and her husband Vernon Dudley. I know you were close friends with Mrs Potter-”

“So what?” Mary interrupted. Minerva just sighed and continued.

“So, Lily and her sister Petunia didn't have the best of relationships. I visited a few months ago to check on Harry and he lives in a closet. You have to know that's not safe. He's not exactly happy there. I’ve talked to Dumbledore about this and he said he’ll be able to help if I can get someone else to take him.” Minerva set down her cup waiting for Mary's reply. After a few minutes, she finally spoke.

“Why can't Remus take him?” asked Mary

“I tried to contact Mr Lupin a few days ago. And please note that in no way am I undermining your relationship with the Potters. You may know Mr Lupin was very close with them and with… Mr. Black.”

“Don't you ever mention that name around me again. He ruined my entire life.” yelled Mary, causing everyone to turn their heads.

“Look, Minerva. I'm done with this conversation. I understand Harry needs a safer home but that's not me. Get Remus to take him or you can do it yourself, but me? I couldn't care less.” Mary got up and started to walk away.

“What about Lily?” said Minerva in such a demanding tone that it sent a chill through Mary’s entire body. “How would Lily feel hearing you talk about her son like that?”

Mary walked back and sat down, she could see a proud smile on Minerva’s face that she was trying so hard to hide. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Vernon and Petunia may not want Harry but they're not going to let him go easily. I propose that both of us go to the Dudley's residency and talk to them CALMLY about you taking legal custody of Harry.” said Minerva with a soft smile.

“Wouldn't it just be easier to go and take him?” replied Mary with such an exhausted face. “I'm not exactly excited to go see Petunia.”

“I believe what you're referring to is kidnapping, Ms MacDonald.” Minerva added, “Well you have some time to prepare, we’ll go tomorrow afternoon.”

“Tomorrow.”

December 18th, 1983

They were standing in front of Four, Privet Drive, Mary had cleaned up pretty well, and was standing in place not moving. They decided that they would just come out with the truth since lying wouldn't help at all… that was Minerva’s decision Mary would've decided differently. They walked up and knocked on the door, at that point Mary was drenched in sweat she didn't think she would care that much but here she is. The door opened and Mary was once again face-to-face with Petunia.

“Who are you?”

“My-my name's Mary. Mary Macdonald.” stuttered Mary. “We met a few years back? I was friends with your sister-”

“I remember. What do you want?” asked Petunia, giving Mary the worst look ever. It was obvious that she knew what they were here for she just didn't want them to know she cared. “VERNONNN!!” she yelled looking inside the house. They stood in complete silence waiting for him to come out.

“What do you want?” Vernon came out with a sandwich in his hand. “I was busy”

“We’re here for Harry Potter” said Minerva “We know his parents and we feel he’d feel happier with Mary. I know you're not huge fans of the wizarding world but Harry Potter is a wizard.”

“Amazing you can take him, he's yours” replied Vernon walking back in, for a moment Mary felt weird as if this was way too easy and she was right.

“No way!! I'm not letting Harry go off with you filthy people! He was entrusted to me which means you have no right over him” The argument went on for a few hours until Vernon went and grabbed Harry from his “room” under the staircase.

“HARRY! Would you rather go off with this lady? Because I don’t want you but she sure does.” Petunia was yelling in the background but Vernon was yelling at her to shut up. Didn’t seem like she was very happy but 3-year-old Harry didn’t know what was happening and he was on the verge of tears. Minerva looked at him and smiled then held out a hand, no one knew what it was about Professor McGonagall but everyone just trusted her. Harry ran up to her and Mary introduced herself.

“I’m Mary.”

“Hi!!” Harry smiled such a huge smile and squinted his eyes, the only other person that had a smile that big was none other than James Potter.

* * *

September 1st, 1972

“Oi! Shove off James!”

“What are you guys fighting about this time?” asked Marlene as she opened the marauder’s carriage door. She jumped in sitting next to Peter and talking about their summer. Peter, Marlene and James all grew up together so they were pretty close and that forced the two groups to hang out a lot in first year.

“James keeps being a prick to Sirius and he keeps complaining which is absolutely irritating me” replied Remus while practising a spell with his wand.

“Whatever.” said Sirius with a loud scoff.

“And why are you in a mood?” Lily joined in still standing at the doorway.

“His little brother is old enough to be in Hogwarts now and Sirius isn't exactly too happy about it” said James, smiling at Lily in such a goofy smile that made him look like a 6-year-old on Christmas morning (Christmas morning is how James will continue to describe how it feels to look at Lily Evans to anyone that asks… or doesn't ask). “Care to join us, Evans?”

“Not a chance. Can we go girls?” she didn’t even wait for them to reply and just started walking, Marlene and Mary followed her. They could hear James groaning as they walked away but it didn’t seem like Lily heard.

“Evans!” someone yelled

“What do you want now James??” she turned around and when she saw who it was she really hoped that it was James.

“Aww hoping I was your little boyfriend?” laughed Mulciber.

“James is NOT her boyfriend.” Marlene stood in front of Lily ready to punch and destroy anyone that came near her.

“Why don't you shove off and go hang out with your little Slytherin friends” said Lily while rolling her eyes. She did that a lot.

“Piss off” he scoffed, “Shouldn’t you be crying about your weight somewhere you fat pig?” He followed that up by making pig noises and started to walk away.

“YOU LITTLE-” Marlene was about to run after him when Lily grabbed her.

“It's fine, Marls, he's not worth it.”

“LILY HE IS AN ABSOLUTE ARSE!”

“She's right, Lily, please let us do something.” Mary declared but Lily just walked away. “Can we just go back to our carriage?”

Later that night during dinner Mary was sitting next to Marlene and a girl next to them passed a note. They knew her - she was such a huge gossip, Marlene and Mary loved her. The note read “Did you hear?? James Potter got into a fight with Bruce Mulciber on the train earlier” Mary and Marlene exchanged a look that meant “We can't tell Lily about this until we make sure it was actually about what happened on the train” James and everyone had already gone up to the common room so they left the Great Hall and started walking.

Mary started talking as they were running up “Alright, so we have to make sure James did it to def-”

BAM!

She bumped into someone and everything they were carrying fell “Argh, Merlin! I'm so sorry” she rushed and picked up everything off the ground. It was a bunch of papers and books, Mary was scanning the papers as she picked them up and she didn't recognize anything. It looked more advanced.

“It's alright” the person replied, it was a girl with the sweetest voice Mary’s ever heard in her entire life. They stood in front of each other and Mary passed her all the books and papers she was holding.

“I truly am sorry! I'm Mary. Mary Macdonald, second year Gryffindor”

“Emmeline Vance, third year Hufflepuff” she smiled and they just stood there for a few seconds.

“ahem. We should really get going, Mare” announced Marlene reminding them of the fact that she's still here.

“Oh right! It was nice to meet you, Emmeline”

“Nice to meet you too, Mary”