Hey, Remus!

Maria blinked, stunned into silence. Then she burst out laughing. A high-pitched, slightly hysterical laugh.
"Me? In a secret magical resistance? There's been a mistake, surely. I can't even handle opening a jar without calling for help!"
Dumbledore smiled kindly.
"The greatest strengths are often found in unexpected places."
Maria shook her head, backing up a step.
"Nope. Sorry. Wrong person. I'm not brave. I panic at loud noises. I cry when I stub my toe. I'm more likely to trip over my own feet than face off against Death Eaters."
Remus, who had been quiet until now, spoke up gently.
"Courage isn't about not being afraid. It's about doing what needs to be done, despite the fear."
Maria shot him a look.
"That's easy for you to say. You're practically a superhero."
Remus chuckled.
"I assure you, I'm not."
Dumbledore stood, his robes billowing slightly as he moved.
"Maria, you have already crossed a bridge between worlds. That alone shows remarkable resilience and determination. You've also shown great insight into the complexities of human nature through your writings. We need people like you in the Order."
Maria bit her lip, glancing at Remus.
"What do you think?"
Remus hesitated.
"I think... you're already here. And the Order could use someone with your perspective."
Maria groaned.
"This is madness."
Dumbledore folded his hands neatly in front of him, his gaze twinkling with quiet amusement.
"If you're to move freely in our world, Maria, you'll need a new name."
Maria blinked.
A new name?"
Remus tilted his head, studying her.
"It would be wise. After all, you wouldn't want to raise any suspicion."
Maria bit her lip, her mind racing. A new name. It made sense, of course, but it felt surreal. As if this whole experience hadn't been bizarre enough, now she was supposed to reinvent herself?
Dumbledore's voice was calm but encouraging.
"Have you given it any thought? What name would you choose?"
A grin tugged at Maria's lips before she could stop it. The answer came to her instantly, like an old friend returning home.
"Mary Scamander."
Remus's eyebrows lifted in surprise.
"Scamander? As in Newt Scamander?"
Maria shrugged, feeling a little bashful under his curious gaze.
"Yeah. I've always liked the name." She glanced at Remus and added, "And it's... well, it's the name of an original character in my fanfiction. She's supposed to be Newt's granddaughter."
Dumbledore nodded, a hint of amusement in his expression.
"A fitting choice."
Remus chuckled, leaning against the table. "And here I thought my life couldn't get any stranger."
Maria glanced at him, her cheeks warming. "Same."
She touched her chest where her heart fluttered nervously. Mary Scamander. It felt strange but right. Her own character brought to life. Her adventures were just beginning.

Maria sat in the corner of the dimly lit room, her hands trembling slightly as she ran her fingers along the fabric of her sleeves. Her gaze was distant, unfocused, locked on the fire crackling in the hearth but seeing something else entirely. A future she wasn't sure she belonged to.
"I don't know what I'm doing here," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling flames.
Dumbledore, seated across from her, regarded her with that familiar air of calm, the kind that made it seem as though he already knew the answers to questions she hadn't yet asked. Beside him, Remus sat quietly, his brow furrowed in concern. He'd seen fear before. On the faces of his friends, his students, and now, on Maria's.
Dumbledore tilted his head slightly, his piercing blue eyes twinkling with curiosity and kindness. "
Tell me, Maria. Mary. What is it you're afraid of?"
She flinched at the question. It wasn't the first time someone had asked her that. The answer always felt too complicated, too raw to put into words. But here, in this strange world of magic and wars, it felt impossible to ignore.
"I'm afraid I'm not... useful," she said finally, her voice trembling. "I'm not brave or clever or strong. I'm not... I'm not one of you." She glanced at Remus. He shifted uncomfortably, wanting to offer some reassurance but unsure of what to say.
Dumbledore, however, remained steady.
"Ah, but you're here, my dear. And that simple fact has changed everything."
Maria's heart sank. She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that.
"What do you mean?" Remus asked, his tone cautious.
Dumbledore folded his hands in front of him.
"The timeline of our world is delicate, like the threads of a tapestry. Mary's presence here is a thread that wasn't part of the original weave. And when you add a new thread, the pattern changes."
Maria's chest tightened with dread.
"Changes? How?"
Dumbledore's expression softened.
"It is difficult to say exactly. But consider this: if you had not come, we might still be following a path where young Harry Potter defeats Voldemort. Now..." He trailed off, letting the weight of his words settle in the room.
Maria's stomach twisted.
"Are you saying I've ruined everything? That because I'm here, Harry won't win?"
"I am saying," Dumbledore said gently, "that nothing is certain. The story has shifted. The future is unwritten."
Remus leaned forward, his voice steady but insistent.
"Then we'll fight to make sure it ends the way it should."
Maria shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "But I'm not a fighter. I don't know how to do this. I'm not like you, Remus, or Harry, or anyone else here. I'm just... me." Her voice cracked with frustration. "I wasn't even that brave in my own world."
For a long moment, no one spoke. The fire popped and hissed, casting shadows across the walls.
Then Maria's gaze sharpened with a sudden memory.
"There was one person, though... Jacob. Jacob Kowalski."
Dumbledore's expression shifted, a flicker of recognition passing through his eyes.
"Jacob?" Remus asked, confused.
"He was a Muggle," Maria explained, her voice steadying as she spoke of him. "A no-maj. He fought alongside Newt Scamander against Grindelwald. He wasn't a wizard. He didn't have powers. But he fought. He stood up to Grindelwald and helped bring Queenie back from his side." Her voice dropped. "But he was a war veteran back home. He knew how to fight. I don't."
Dumbledore's gaze softened, a look of deep understanding crossing his features.
"Ah, yes... Jacob. A remarkable man."
Maria wiped at her eyes, frustrated.
"You asked him for help because you needed him. Because he was brave. But I'm not him. I don't have his strength."
Dumbledore's expression grew more serious.
"You underestimate yourself,."
"I don't," she argued. "I know myself. I'm just Maria."
"No," Dumbledore said, his voice quiet but firm. "You are Mary Scamander now." He leaned forward slightly. "You carry the name of a family that has always stood against darkness. Newt Scamander never sought glory or recognition. He simply did what was right. And Jacob Kowalski, a man with no magic, changed the course of history by doing the same."
Maria swallowed hard.
"Yes, but I..."
"You chose to be here," Dumbledore continued. "And that choice makes you more powerful than you realize. You may not feel brave now. But bravery is not about feeling brave. It's about standing firm in the face of fear."
Remus spoke up, his voice gentle.
"I know it's frightful. But you don't have to be a war hero. You just have to be you."
Maria looked between them, her heart pounding. The weight of Dumbledore's words settled over her, heavy yet comforting.
She wasn't sure she believed it yet. But maybe, just maybe, she could learn to.
For now, it was enough to hear her name spoken with such quiet conviction.
"I'm Mary Scamander," she murmured, testing the words on her lips. It felt so familiar. And it also felt... right.
Dumbledore smiled gently.
"Yes. And names, my dear, carry great power."
The fire crackled softly as the three of them sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts.
For the first time, Maria felt a spark of something unfamiliar stirring within her. It wasn't courage... not yet... but it was something close.
Perhaps she could grow into her new name after all.