The Origins of Suzy Prongs

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter One
    James Potter stood outside the muggle monastery and looked up at the foreboding edifice where he would be leaving his first child. He knew why he had to do it, before being engaged to Lily he had had a fling with a beautiful witch named Suzy Radcliff. Unfortunately, when "He-who-must-not-be-named" rose to power, the witch had joined his ranks of Death-Eaters and James had to leave her. It had seemed so long ago, but this morning he had found a note attached to a baby floating in a basket in his well,
    "James,
Heard about your engagement, congratulations. James, this is your child. She was born 12/27. I'm sorry to spring this on you but, I have to be on the move and I can't take her with me. Hope your wife is as understanding as I was, and you never were.
             Love always,
                                Suzy"
    James knew Lily might agree to raise the child, but her parents would take it as a bad omen. Besides, he wanted her to trust him, and he had never told her about Suzy and him.
    He knew the baby's first name had to belong to her mother, but she needed a last name. James couldn’t give her his real name, but he could give her a name that belonged to him many years ago. The old school nickname given to him by his friends. With luck, maybe she'd be recognized by one of them. He placed the baby in the basket on the monastery’s steps along with a note with just two words: Suzy Prongs.

Chapter Two
    Four years after James Potter gave up his daughter, a young muggle couple walked into the monastery and a fire-haired toddler fell into their arms. They took her home and raised her in a manner that was completely opposite of the way her half-brother, Harry, was beginning to be raised at that moment. Her parents could have no children of their own so, she was offered all her parents could afford to give her. Still, she often felt restless and would be mischievous just to see what would happen. Sometimes she found she could be mischievous without trying and could make her parents crazy just by sitting in her room thinking.
***
"Suzy! Come here please!"
Suzy heard Janice calling from down stairs.
"Coming Mom!"
Suzy never called her "Mom" when Suzy was by herself, but Stan, her father, said she should try to use it more often.
Suzy went downstairs to find Janice and Stan sitting at the supper table looking at a letter.
"Suzy," murmured Janice, "This letter just came for you." Suzy took the letter and read the first line, "Congratulations, you have been accepted to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Her mother was crying.

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter Three
    Suddenly, green flames shot out of the family chimney. The face and, with some difficulty, the body of a very fat ruddy faced woman appeared. She herself was not altogether remarkable, but the fact that she wore neon orange robes and carried a very large, very dusty book in her hands made her stand out in Suzy's mind.
"So sorry my dears!" She chortled as she stepped into the front room, "could never figure out how to get here in muggle fashion." She raked her eyes across eleven-year-old Suzy and her family. "Oh, no dear," snapped the fat woman, "not your family, not technically."
Suzy jumped, had the woman read her mind? "Of course dear, don't be silly." Said the woman as she settled her rather dusty self on the couch and preceded to thumb through the huge, leather bound book. Suzy's mother and father, still in shock, huddled against the back wall, but Suzy felt drawn to the fat lady as if she belonged with her. "Not with me dear," retorted the woman, "but, let's see...Prongs, Prongs, not here... let's try nicknames." The woman steadfastly kept leafing through the volume. "Ah, here we are, Prongs belongs to James Potter, so we look up Potter and...Here!" She pointed dramatically to a picture of a large tree on one page. As Suzy and her family leaned in for a closer look they realized that the tree seemed to be growing before their very eyes.
"Suzy Prongs: Daughter of James Potter- wizard and Suzy Radcliff- witch. James was married to Lily Evans- muggle born, with one child... the famous Harry Potter. James and Lily Potter-deceased; Suzy Radcliff-alive, location unknown. Given for adoption by muggles-six weeks old; adopted by muggles-four years and eight months; first display of magic-age eight. It's all here."
"First display of magic?" asked Suzy.
"Well, you are a witch my dear, the Ministry has been keeping track." Replied the woman, "My name is Centuri Goshawk, Chair of the Genealogy Department, Ministry of Magic. No witch or wizard gets born that this book doesn't pick up in its pages, past and future. Though I daresay it's been awhile since we've had to use it, but yours is a special case my dear." She got up and went back toward the fire, "Anyway, you’re found now. Your letter will tell you how to get to Hogwart’s; unfortunately you get transferred after your first year, but can't tell you too much. I must be going." And she disappeared into the fire.

Chapter Four
After Mrs. Goshawk left in a cloud of green smoke Suzy's mother immediately started cleaning the living room. Oh, no, thought Suzy; Janice always cleaned when she was troubled. Her father finally got the family seated around the dinning table and they had another read through of her acceptance letter to Hogwart's and the list of supplies.
"I don't remember a platform nine and three quarters at King's Cross Station." said Stan, "Where's that?"
"Maybe it's a typo." said Janice.
"What's a Sickle?"
"A standard sized cauldron?"
"First years aren't allowed Broomsticks?!"
"What kind of strange rule is that?"
Suzy had stopped listening. Unlike her, supposedly, famous half-brother, Suzy's parents had told her everything they knew about how she ended up at the monastery, which wasn't much. Suzy had thought for some time that there was something special about her so, strange as it was, she didn't feel so surprised about what had just happened.
    "Honey, look at this." Said Janice.
They had come to the end of the letter and there, handwritten in swirly lettering, it said,

    "Provision: Suzy Prongs is accepted on the basis that she refrain from hexes, dark charms, and curses for the rest of the summer and for her years at Hogwart's. Up till now, Miss Prongs has demonstrated ability only in these forms of magic and if she violates the rules while under my care I'm afraid she will have to leave the school.
                                      Sincerely,
                           Albus Dummbledore, Headmaster"
    Huh, thought Suzy. She remembered the fat woman's words, "You get transferred after your first year." Is this what she meant?
"Do I curse someone?" whispered Suzy, "Have I cursed someone before?"

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter Five
           As Suzy and her family had moved to America after she was adopted some sacrifices had to be made to get her to London. The appearance of Mrs. Goshawk had dispelled any idea from her father’s mind that this all might be an elaborate hoax and he wanted his daughter to realize her full potential.
“I guess this means we’ll have to move back to England.” He stated matter-of-factly after the flood of questions had ebbed. Stan’s job as a musician meant that they never had a lot of money, but he could pick up and move without much difficulty.
“Really?” exclaimed Suzy, “we’re going to do it? I’m really going to go?”
“Well, I’ll have to make arrangements and we’ll have to get your things right before you go because I don’t think we’ll be able to get over there any earlier.”
***
           On the day she was supposed to leave for school Suzy was flying over the big pond to England. Now that she knew about wizards and witches she was looking for them all over, in the sky, on the water, at the airport. By the time they arrived she had a sore neck, but hadn’t seen one unusual person.
    They arrived at The Three Broomsticks. Suzy thought it looked very shabby on the inside, but there were people with strange robes on and a very large, gruff looking man with a huge black beard beckoned to them. “Have ya’ come fer ‘ogwart’s then?” he said, testing to see that they weren’t just muggles that had wandered in. “Oh, yes!” Suzy almost shouted she was so excited that someone knew where she was going. Most of the other customers looked over they’re drinks and smiled at her, but some looked annoyed. “Come wif me then.” Said the giant of a man. They followed him into the courtyard, “My names Hagrid. I’m the gamekeeper up at ‘ogwart’s and I make sure the first years finds their way around alright.” Hagrid smiled as he tapped one of the bricks in the wall with his lacy pink umbrella and it opened onto a street lined with every wizarding shop you could imagine. A sign read: Diagon Ally. “Hurry op now.” Urged Hadrig, “you’ve got ter go to Grinngot’s and get yer money exchanged, but the train leaves at 11:00 sharp.”
    And that was it. There they were in a whole new world, and no one wanted to shake her hand and no one was going to show them around. Suzy wasn’t famous but, she didn’t care, she was where she belonged. “Now, where are we again?”  

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter Six
    Suzy, Janice, and Stan followed the street signs until they reached Gringott’s Bank. The walked through the doors and along the snaking row of cheques to a sign that read, “New Accounts.” Suzy couldn’t help staring at the short, even for his species, goblin that received them. None of them had ever seen a goblin before. Janice was trying to figure out if she should shake his hand or curtsy and Stan was beginning to discuss interest rates and free checking when the goblin cut him off.
“Name please.” He growled looking at Suzy.
“Oh, uh…Suzy Prongs.” Stammered Suzy snapping out of her stare.
The goblin flipped through a large ledger book and wrote her name under the “P” section. As soon as her name was on the page the ink turned red. The goblin looked up and growled, “What’s the meaning of this? You already have an account!” He tapped Suzy’s freshly written name, it disappeared, and he slammed the book shut. “Quit wasting my time!” yelled the goblin. “But…But, where should we go?” stuttered Stan. The goblin looked like he was going to punch Suzy’s dad in the nose, “Go…to…Accounts!” The goblin spat out the last word and escorted, rather forcefully, the family from his office.
    Back in the main room they looked around until they found a sign that said “Accounts” at the end of the room. After standing in line for what seemed like hours they walked up to a goblin with a nose the size of a basketball.
“Name?” he sighed.
“Suzy Prongs.” Repeated Suzy. The goblin flipped through the pages of another huge ledger book.
“My dear, for future reference, your account is under Suzy Potter.” The ball nosed goblin said finally.
“It is?!” Suzy had been shocked that she even had an account and now it’s under the name of her supposed father?
“Yes.” Responded the goblin rolling his orb-like eyes, “Binqe will escort you through the tunnels.” The goblin indicated a skinny goblin nearby.
    The family followed Binqe through some doors at the side and into a stone passageway. They loaded themselves into a mine car and… took off! Suzy had never gone so fast in her life, her parents were screaming in the back, faster and faster. Left, right, right, straight, left, middle fork and then, as quick as it had started, it stopped. They were in front of a wooden door, # 715. Binqe got out and touched the door with his finger. The door disappeared instantly and Suzy and her family walked through the opening. Inside was row upon row of cubbyholes. Each cubbyhole held a small sack of money and a note. Suzy scanned the notes, “Deposited: January, Deposited: February, Deposited: March, April, May, June, July…” Binqe handed Suzy an old and worn piece of parchment. She looked at the front that was inscribed, “To my daughter.” Suzy unfolded it with shaking hands and read the note,

  “Dearest Suzy,
    If you are reading this then you have finally found your place in the world. I am so sorry that I felt I had to leave you so long ago. I was young and stupid, by the time I realized my mistake you had been adopted and taken away. I hope you are well. I have been putting five galleons a month into this account since I came back to the monastery where I left you and found you gone. It’s for you and your muggle family to use towards your education. Please don’t try to find your mother. She made her own choices and some things are just too painful for a young girl to deal with. I have always loved you never doubt that.
            Your Father,
                       James Potter"

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter Seven      
    Suzy nearly fell down the Gringott’s stairs as they came back out to Diagon ally. Her mind was reeling from the money that now loaded her pockets and reading her father’s words. Stan caught her and as she looked up she saw…the clock tower, “It’s already 10 o’ clock!” yelled Suzy leaping out of Stan’s arms and sprinting the rest of the way down the stairs. “We still have to get my supplies and books and everything!”  Stan and Janice smiled, “She seems happy Stan.” Said Janice. “Yes.” He sighed, “Looks like our little girl is going away from us.” they hurried down the stairs after their daughter.
    While Janice went to get Suzy’s books and Stan was picking out a cauldron, Suzy went to get fitted for her school robes. She walked into Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, “Hogwart’s dear?” asked the jovial woman Suzy assumed was Madam Malkin. Suzy nodded her head vigorously and was instantly whisked up on to a stool where a tape measure began taking her measurements by itself, “Arms up…Thank you.” It commanded as it worked and whispered numbers to Madam Malkin.  She pulled out a set of robes from a closet, Suzy swore that closet had been empty before, and put them on Suzy. At that moment Janice walked in loaded down with books and Stan lugged in a pewter cauldron, “You’ll never believe the deal I got for this thing. I talked that man down by a whole five sickles.” Stan said proudly referring to the cauldron. Suzy smiled. They’d only known about wizards for a week and they already acted like they had always been here. They stood there looking at Suzy in her new school robes, as proud as they could be.
    After leaving Madam Malkin’s the small band of muggles headed to Ollivander’s Fine Wands. Suzy glanced at the clock tower again as they entered the small dusty shop, 10:30, they had to hurry. The small beetle of a man scurried up to them as they walked in. He snapped his fingers and Suzy was magically measured again. “Ah, yes.” Said Mr. Ollivander. He pulled out wand after wand and gave them to Suzy, and each time she waved it nothing happened. Finally he pulled out, “Unicorn hair, Holly, 13 inches, long and flexible.” Suzy waved it and a green smoke came out the end. She smiled because she knew this must be the one. Her parents smiled proudly and Stan patted her on the back. Everyone watched as the smoke continued to move and slowly formed itself into the shape. It wasn’t clear at first, but then it solidified and they could all make out the shape of a green skull with a snake through its mouth.
“Hey, looked what I did!” said Suzy happily, “Mr. Ollivander, what’s the matter?”
Mr. Ollivander had pressed himself pressed up against the counter with a look of horror on his face. “Get…Get out of my store.” He stammered, “Take the wand. Get out.”
“What is it, Sir?” asked Stan, “We have to pay you for the wand.”
“No, get out.” He said forcing them from the store, “I don’t want the fact that I sold you that wand on my ledger books. I couldn’t avoid it before, but I’m avoiding it now. Just take it, don’t tell anyone where you got it, and get out!” With that he thrust them back outside. After he slammed the door behind them he turned and hastily waved the green skull away, “Can’t believe it.” He mumbled agitatedly, “someone so young and already…” he shuddered and couldn’t finish.
Back outside, the family picked themselves up and Suzy examined her new wand, “Was it something we said?” asked Janice.

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter 8
    Suzy dragged her parents behind her as she ran full tilt through King’s Cross Station. She searched frantically around as she realized that the platforms went from nine to ten. Just when she was thinking she’d been dreaming and she’d never get to go to wizard school she saw the last of a messed up head of orange hair slide through the wall between the platforms. It was 10:59 already! She bolted towards the wall and slipped through just as the clock said 11:00. Janice and Stan were preparing to follow her through. They held hands and ran at the wall after their daughter crashing into the bricks headfirst and falling back down hard onto the floor of King’s Cross. Stan sat up rubbing his head and placed his hand on the now solid stone barrier, “I just don’t get it.” He sighed.
    On the other side of the wall Suzy hardly noticed that her parents weren’t with her. She stared at the huge red train, then at the crowds of robed people surrounding her. She rolled her luggage cart towards the train just as a red robed conductor was shouting, “All aboard for Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!” She ran forward and loaded her trunk into the baggage car. At that moment she swore she saw the orange head of hair she had seen slip between the platforms walking in the opposite direction. Only now there were five! She followed the orange haired family because they were the only things that seemed familiar in the midst of the magical humanity that engulfed her. The three older boys kissed what Suzy assumed was their mother,
“Say goodbye to Ginnie for us Ma.” Said one of the boys getting on the train.
“Ma, why can’t I go?” cried the smallest boy pouting.
“Next year dear.” She replied smiling. She counted off a list of things the three boys were not to do at school.
“Yeah, Ma we know!” laughed two boys in unison and they got on the train.
Suzy boarded the train behind them and looked around. She knew the train was big, but it didn’t look this big on the outside. There was enough room to swing a dead cat in here. She smiled softly at her mother’s old fashioned saying. Just then a long arm shot out of the closest room, grabbed her around the wrist and pulled her in.
“Well, what do ya know, a missing Weasley.” Laughed a voice.
Suzy was pulled down on to the seat and came face to face with the three orange haired boys she’d been trailing a minute before.
“Now George, she can’t be a Weasley. The hair is too dark red.” Said the oldest boy sternly.
“I’m not George, he’s George.” Said George, “Geeze, you call yourself our brother.”
“Are you sure I’m George.” Said Fred seriously, “I could be Percy.”
“Nah, your head would have to be a lot bigger.”
“True, True…”
While this repartee was going on Suzy got a good look at the eldest boy. He was thinner and taller than the other two and he seemed more mild mannered. He felt her looking at him and looked up from his book. Her green eyes behind their horn-rimmed tortishell glasses and his brown eyes behind their wire-rimmed frames meet for a split second before they each blushed and looked away.
“So,” said George, “What’s your name and why are you so interested in following us around a train?”
Suzy blushed crimson, “Oh, I just…”
“Was attracted to our boyish charm?”
“Was stunned by our good looks?”
“Was lost?” sighed Percy
“Uh, yeah… that last one.” mumbled Suzy. The introduced themselves and Suzy told them her name was, “-- Suzy Prongs.”
“Prongs?” the twins gasped.
“Yeah.” Suzy hadn’t gotten used to using her new, and real, name yet. Plus, she didn’t know if she could really claim Potter as her own. It made her uncomfortable. The twins were pulling an old and blank piece of parchment out of their belongings. George pulled out his wand and intoned the words, “I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good.” Black lines spread out from the tip of his wand across the page and formed a picture. It was labeled The Marauder’s Map. Fred stabbed his finger at the page, “Are you related to our Mr. Prongs?” he asked. Suzy looked where he was pointing, Courtesy of Misters Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. She gasped, “I don’t know.” She said shaking her head.
“Hey that’s pretty neat. I wonder how it works?”said Percy leaping up from his seat, “Where did you get it? I’m sure it’s illegal!”
“Sit down Percy.” Said George, “What ya gonna do, tell on us?” He winked at Suzy poking his thumb at Percy, “Mr. Scientist.”
“Yeah, we’ll make sure you don’t tell any teachers.” said Fred balling his fists with a silly grin, “Yer not a Prefect yet.”    

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter 9
    As the train continued through the wilderness Suzy continued to talk to the Weasley boys. What was it about red haired people that made their personalities so similar? More than once someone from the Prefect room would come back and tell them to quite down, but the four students always booed them out of the car. By the time they arrived at Hogwart’s they were fast friends.
    They waved goodbye as the Weasley’s took a coach to the front gates and Suzy and the rest of the first years followed Hagrid to the waiting boats. “Yer sure ta make Gryffindor Suzy!” yelled Fred waving goodbye, “All the good and loud ones do!”
“We’ll see ya at the table!” agreed George.
Suzy’s eyes were glued open as they floated across the pond towards the magnificent castle. When they finally landed a tall witch who introduced herself as, “Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress”, greeted them. They lined up to be sorted and walked through the middle of the tables. Suzy snuck a peek at the Weasleys sitting at the Gryffindor table, they gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up.
    She barely paid attention as a tattered hat began to sing a song. Percy had caught her eye again and for some reason she couldn’t keep her eyes off the bespeckled student, “Your turn dear.” McGonagall snapped at her shoulder. She jumped and walked toward the hat. She sat down and had barely placed the hat on her head when…
“Slytherin!” screamed the hat to the hall.
Amid the shouts and applause from the Slytherin table Suzy made out her Weasleys looking vaguely stunned, but Percy looked down right horrified. She walked to her house table and, upon turning to sit down, found the breaded man in the Headmaster's place at the head table looking grim.

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter 10
    After the inevitable banquet that followed the sorting, Suzy and her fellow house members were lead by the Slytherin Prefect down to a corridor in the dungeon. “Pure as the driven snow.” sneered the rotund, greasy-haired youth when they got to a picture of a dragon. The dragon sneered in a startlingly similar manner and swung open to reveal the Slytherin common room. In the rush to get inside Suzy was pushed to the floor. Obviously all the people who were in Slytherin had wanted to be in Slytherin. She got up and had barely stepped in before the picture closed on her heels with a snap! Why did she feel so trapped?
“Alright first years, line up!” yelled a tall strong looking boy named Marcus Flint. The first years were rounded up from different parts of the room like cattle and forced into a confused looking line in front of the fire. Flint and the pudgy Prefect walked up and down the line smacking the odd first year who had dared slouch or breath as the rest of Slytherin house looked on. The Prefect, who Suzy later found out was named Alec Grimm, eventually took out a old and yellowed piece of parchment, unrolled it, and began to read in an official sounding voice,
“To prove their loyalty to Slytherin house all incoming Hogwart’s students must go through the Initiation on the first day of their first year. Initiation to be overseen by all ranking Slytherin house members in an effort to make sure it is performed properly and no favouritism is shown. The house Prefect shall be the only one to have a copy of the rules of the Initiation” here Grimm pulled out another paper with a green seal on it and waved it around proudly, “which shall be passed down to the next Prefect by him/her in turn.”  With this he rolled up the parchment and tapped the candlestick next to the fireplace with his wand whispering something that Suzy couldn’t make out. The flames turned green and all the first years were unceremoniously shoved towards the fireplace opening. Suzy screamed as the bodies pressed against her pushing her ever closer to the leaping flames. Just as she thought she was going to be burnt to a crisp she fell, flat on her face and choking on ash, into another room.
    Someone dragged her roughly to her feet and she looked around. The gray stone room was small and foul smelling. She got the feeling that no one ever came here except to humiliate first years once a year. Maybe no one else even knew it was here. She certainly didn’t know where she was. In the center of the room was a large and crumbling gravestone. As she was propelled closer by the rest of the house falling through the green flamed fireplace she made out the words Salazar Slytherin carved in ancient letters. “He must be that man the sorting hat was singing about, the founder of this house.” thought Suzy. Flint and Grimm took that moment to stride out of the fireplace without even a cough to mark their entrance. Grimm took out a rather hideous looking dagger decorated by a silver snake with emerald eyes and gave it to Flint. They prodded the newbies into a line again and Grimm read from the parchment with the green seal, “Each first year will swear their life long loyalty to Slytherin house and all that it stands for by making a blood oath with the founder, Salazar Slytherin.” All the Slytherins removed their hats at the mention of the name and Grimm indicated the dagger in Flint’s hand, “Flint here will make the job easier.”
“Put out your hands, palm up!” Flint bellowed at the line. The first years did what they were told and Flint came to the first person in line. A mousy looking little girl who seemed to know what to expect because she steeled herself as Flint smiled and drew the blade across her palm leaving an angry red gash. The girl’s eyes were watering, but she walked firmly forward and pressed the wound to the gravestone of Salazar Slytherin. Suzy gasped, the marks on the stone that she had thought were dirt were really the dried blood from thousands of students who had pledged their loyalty to the dead man. There were so many marks it was as if the blood was physically keeping the ancient stone from crumbling.

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter 10 (cont.)
Flint moved quickly down the line cruelly slashing the palms of those next in line as those already molested added to the score of blood promises on the grave. In her amazement, Suzy had let her hand drop, but Flint grabbed it up brusquely and sliced it with the blade. Suzy stared numbly at the thick blood oozing from her hand and, not knowing what else to do, made her way over to the stone. Her wand was sticking out of her back pocket and as she pressed her hand to a jagged edge she was surprised to feel the blood become extremly hot. Her hand seemed stuck to the stone, she screamed as her own blood made to boil her alive and clouds of that thick green smoke were billowing from the wand she wasn’t even holding. Students had begun to scream and trample each other in a panic. Someone ran over and tried to yank Suzy’s hand away from the stone. The green smoke was forming again, twisting and stretching until it made the terrible skull and snake symbol just as it had at Ollivander’s. As soon as the symbol was made Suzy was thrown back from the stone as if she’d been punched. Several people screamed,
“It’s the Dark Mark, the Dark Mark!”
“She wasn’t even holding the wand!”
“Death-eaters everywhere run!”
“Mommy!”
Suzy had fainted and only barely felt someone gently pick her up and carry her out of the room. When she woke up she was in a bed and sunlight was streaming through the window. She briefly thought it might have all been a horrible dream and Janice was down stairs making pancakes when the face of Marcus Flint loomed into view over her head.
“AAAAAACCK!” she started sitting up sharply then wishing she hadn’t because her head was killing her.
“Calm down.” He said as calmingly as someone like Flint can, “You’re home at the Hogwart’s doctor’s ward. Nothings wrong.”
“Home? Nothings wrong?” Suzy rubbed her head and caught sight of her bandaged hand. She undid the clasp and started to unwind the wrapping despite protests from Flint. She had to survey the damage. As the last wrapping fell away she wished she had left it covered because there, permanently burnt and seered into her palm, was the symbol of the skull and snake. The symbol the other students had called, the Dark Mark.

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter 11-
    The sun came up early the next morning and was almost scared back below the mountains at the sight of the wreck of a Gryffindor common room that greeted it. The welcoming party the night before had been a huge success, decorations hung askew and leftover food was everywhere. Like most of the Gryffindors Percy hadn’t even gone to bed yet and had just choked on a mold flavored Bertie Bott’s Bean when the twins pounded into the common room.
“Percy, we were borrowing toilet seats-” started George breathing heavily and sliding several seats off from around his neck.
“When we heard the news.” continued Fred pulling more seats off his arm.
“Suzy’s in the hospital wing-” George collapsed on the couch.
“And she made the Dark Mark.” Fred whispered the final two words falling next to George.
Percy found himself choking again, “What? We have to go see her!” He started to his feet and immediately tripped over a fallen punchbowl.
“Whoa, Perc.” Said Fred getting to his feet to help Percy up, “They’re not letting anyone in. We’ll have to wait.”
“Well, can we send her something?” Percy strangely felt like he cared what happened to this girl. He desperately wanted to do something.
“Ah, Perc, you know we don’t have any money.” yawned Fred sitting back down.
Percy looked around desperate for anything that would help, “What are you gonna do with those?” asked Percy thumbing at the pile of toilet seats.
“Hey, yeah.” laughed George suddenly galvanized with purpose, “They are piling up in our room.”
Fred laughed and grabbed a horrid pink toilet seat from the stack, “This is the best idea!” he grabbed a quill and wrote on the seat in untidy scrawl, “To: Suzy, From: The Weasleys”
***
Suzy had never seen someone get mad so calmly. She had been sitting up in bed in the hospital wing for hours watching the drama that was the visiting teachers unfold. Dumbledore sat in a large chair eating lemon drops and mumbling, “Never in my school, never at my school, never in my…” and Professor McGonagall paced about and frantically whispered, “I’ve never seen him so terribly angry.” to Suzy every five minutes. Every once in a while one of the other teachers would come in, stare at Suzy, whisper to McGonagall, and then leave in a rush.
Finally, according to McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore regained enough self control to speak, “I need hardly reminded you Miss Prongs of the condition attached to your acceptance.” He cleared his throat and broke into a smile, “However, as you were not holding the wand, one cannot accuse you of wrongdoing. Can one?”
“N-n-no Sir.” stammered Suzy, “I don’t know how it happened.”
“Your wand will be strip checked for jinxes I’m afraid.” Snapped McGonagall taking it off Suzy’s nightstand, “Can’t be too careful about these things.”
“In the meantime my dear, Madame Pomfrey has told me that you might be permitted to leave the hospital ward.” Dumbledore winked at her, “And I’d be quick about it before she changes her mind.”
Suzy swung her all too gangly legs over the side of the bed and landed in a pile of gifts. She could only tell they were gifts because mostly all of them had a card attached, but the gifts were less than flattering. A couple of Gryffindors had gotten together and graciously sent her a brightly wrapped package of undiluted Bubotuber puss, there were about a hundred howlers from parents and students, and each card was threatening. Even her friends the Weasleys had sent her an old toilet seat. The only nice thing seemed to be a get well soon card signed by all of Slytherin house that sang the Slytherin fight song when opened.
    As Suzy looked over her presents Dumbledore walked into the hallway intent on going to his office to think things over. Professor McGonagall had other plans, however, and waylaid him just after the door closed on the hospital ward.
“Do you think it’s wise Albus, being so lenient like that? After all it was the Dark Mark.” She hurriedly whispered.
“Minerva, what can I do? The child was not holding the wand.” He sighed gently shrugging his shoulders, “And she’s just that, a child.”
“But it could have attracted…attention.” Forced McGonagall
“I agree and I have already sent for a heavier guard for awhile, but I don’t think they’ll come. Voldemort hasn’t been seen in a good while, I believe they’re scared and in hiding by now.”
“Still Albus-”
“Yes Minerva?”
“Do you think she should have even been accepted, with what we know?” she gestured frantically,  “And now this?”
“Minerva, I have a reason for accepting all my students.”

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

Chapter Twelve-
    Suzy worked harder over the next few days then she ever had in her life. She had missed the first two full days of classes and rushed about madly trying to catch up. What little she saw of the Weasleys or her housemates was in brief glimpses between hurriedly stuffed bites of lunch and dinner. So determined to prove herself was she that she didn’t even notice as people cleared out of her way as she walked between classes or that she had acquired a small band of Slytherins that followed her around like bodyguards, pushing people away. Not that they needed to be pushed. She now wore a pair of purple gloves all the time to hide her incriminating scar and several of her bodyguards had taken to wearing gloves too as something of a trend. After all, everyone knew what she was hiding.
   
   In classes Suzy was a good student, but she excelled most in transfiguration. She could look at a thing and almost envision it as something else already. Something that Suzy was failing miserably in, however, was defense against the dark arts. As much as she was supposed to be able to do curses and the like, she didn’t seem to be able to reflect a single one of them. It was more than once that she came out of Professor Grasenger’s class with an over large wart or singed hair. Her wand and hand and mind just seemed to refuse to grasp a few simple counteraction spells.
One particular experience took place when Suzy was trying to counteract a Boggart.

“Now, the easiest way to do this.” drawled Professor Grasenger, “Is to look your fear in the eye and think of what would take away its power.” The chubby professor sauntered up to the linen cupboard and opened the door fixing his sweaty combed-over hair absentmindedly. Suzy became mildly interested, Grasenger was one of the most banal men she’d ever meet and she expected a torn sweater or something of equal import to flutter out as his worse fear. What came out instead was a very frumpy and crumpled looking witch with a hard gleam in her eyes. She was wearing some floral print house robes and shrieking something like, “Where were you last night! I work and I slave…”

“Bloody hell!” bellowed Grasenger and, standing with wand poised for all of three seconds, leapt back behind the line of students so the Boggart could focus on someone else.
Rosary Collander, another first year Slytherin, stepped up with a grin and the frumpy woman stared at her before melting into something that looked like a school trunk half transformed into a giant spider. One of the boys snickered and Suzy caught something about, “Practical joke in transfiguration.” Rosary stared hard, yet trembling, at the beast and shouted, “Ridiculus!” The creature immediately also had the head of Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, Rosary and the class burst into laughter and the next student stepped forward with a bit more confidence.
   
   As the twin-tusked wild swine learned to tap dance and the gigantic rattlesnake played the maracas, Suzy wondered what would come out for her. As her turn came around she really noticed for the first time how the students treated her differently. Most backed off and several looked as if they were about to cry. Suzy saw flashes of many colored gloves in the corners of her eyes pushing the stragglers off to give her some more room. She looked down at her own purple covered hands and gulped as she realized the significance of the others.
   
    The Boggart came from the closet in the form of…

[Red <Avantgarden Gnome>]

(chapter 12 cont.)

... a dark steam hissing from around the edges of the closet door. As Grasenger swung the door open fully the steam escaped and formed into a cloud that moved steadily towards Suzy.
She stood there with a puzzled look on her face, she wasn't afraid of clouds that she knew of. What was the deal? The other students backed up until they formed a square with their backs pressed against the stone walls of the room. The cloud moved slowly closer to Suzy. Unable to run she stiffened as it enveloped her and icy tendrils forced their way into her lungs.

"Failure, Failure, Muggle child, Failure, they never wanted you, didn't even look, Failure, you can't do magic, you're evil..."

The icy voice entered her ears with as much force as the chill had entered her lungs. She gasped but, it stuck in her throat. She couldn't seem to breathe.

"Failure, imposter, you should die, failure, your brother lived not you, failure..."

Suzy felt like she was drownding. She could feel herself screaming but it was as if her voice was too far away to hear it properly. The scream sounded faint and pathetic.
All at once she saw something reflected on the smoke. It was like a small moving picture projected right into her mind.

A tall, rather skinny, young man with messy black hair and round glasses was arguing with a fire-haired beauty with flashing gray eyes. They were both in Hogwarts robes, probably seventh year, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. As Suzy watched unable to breathe, the woman pulled up her robe sleeve to show the man an exact replica of the mark Suzy had on her hand on her arm. The young man staggered back as if struck. He begain yelling furiously at her at she yelled right back meeting him tit for tat and gesturing at his arm.
Finally she gave a frustrated sigh and grabbed his arm attempting to lead him somewhere. The young man appeared to panic and smacked her hard across the face freeing himself and spinning to run down the corridor. The young Slytherin stood there with her hand to the rosy red mark on her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Failure"

Suzy didn't know how long she'd been in the cloud but, suddenly Grasenger's fat face broke through and shouted horsely, "Well are you going to even try or are you going to stand there screaming all day?!"
Suzy bit back the further scream she was planning and fumbled for her wand with tingling fingers.
"R-Ridiculous!" She stammered

"Failure." Observed the cloud

Suzy promptly fainted.

[Goth_Punk]

Wow. This is good. More please.

[rubyhair]

Well now. Thats a fair bit too read ;D

[hermione4]

I love this story! Please write more, Suzy.