Thrice Defied
Hi all. So this is for the First War Competition by lella7 on HPFC. We have to write a story about the first war, and my character is Alice Longbottom. We all known that Neville could have been the Boy Who Lived because his parents thrice defied him, and this is the story of those times that the Longbottom "thrice defied him". Please keep in mind that the dates are all made up because they all have to be before 1979, when Neville and Harry are born. Enjoy!
First Defiance, June 23, 1973
Frank and I had just graduated from Hogwarts. Finally, I was done with those seven years of torture. I was free.
"Hey, Alice," Frank said.
"Hey Frank," I replied, "Does it feel good to finally be done with Hogwarts?"
"It does, but it feels weird to think that I wouldn't be coming back here. I think I might miss it," I admitted.
"You know what I'm going to miss most?" he asked.
"The essays?" I asked knowingly.
"No, seeing you every day. I'm not going to be able to see you as much because of my Auror training," he said.
"Well, I have a surprise!" I exclaimed.
"Oh, Merlin. Should I be worried?" he asked.
"It's a good surprise, don't worry," I assured him.
"So what is it?" he asked nervously. I rolled my eyes at him.
"I'm going to be an Auror too! I got accepted!" I shriek. Frank's eyes widen.
"Oh, great. Now I'm going to have to worry about you distracting me during my training!" he said it with a smile though, so I knew he wasn't serious. I punched him (lightly).
"Ow! Okay, I love the idea. Do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks to celebrate?" Frank asked, while rubbing his arm.
"Yes, sure!" I said. We stayed there for a few hours, laughing and talking.
"Oh, goodness, look at the time!" I said, "We really should be going. Mum wants me to come home by 6, and it's 5:30,"
"Okay, let's go," Frank agrees. We pay for the drinks and then we step outside. And then I notice a necklace lying on the ground. I pick it up, and hold it to the light. Frank looks at it.
"That's nice…" he said, trying to be polite.
"It's not mine, I found it on the ground! You really think I would wear something like this?" I ask. He looks at the necklace and then puts his hand on it to look closer at one of the gems that adorns it. That's his mistake. The necklace begins to glow.
"It's a portkey!" I yell to Frank and suddenly we are transported to…somewhere I've never seen before. It's a clearing in the middle of a large forest. I looked up. The sky was dark, so wherever we were it was night. There were no stars in the sky. Wait, there was one. I quickly wished we would get out of here. I knew it was a longshot. A wish on a star. But right now it was all I had. I grabbed Frank's hand and pulled out my wand. I could barely make out his features through the darkness.
"Experillarmus!" I heard a pale, cold voice male shout, and my wand flew through the woods, into the darkness. I moved closer to Frank.
"And who do we have here?" The voice asked again, "Lumos," The person was hidden behind the light so I couldn't make out their face, but they could see me.
"Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewett?" Another voice said, this time a women's, "Why, I went to Hogwarts with them!" And suddenly I remembered that voice. It was Bellatrix Black. And that was not good, because she was rumored to be with Lord Voldemort. I froze.
"Oo, I think Prewett remembers me! Don't you, Prewett," she taunted.
"Bellatrix, how…nice to see you," I said sarcastically.
"Oo, little Prewett does remember me," she replied in a babyish voice.
"As I recall, I'm only a year younger than you, therefore I can't be little to you," I replied.
"Enough!" the man snarled. I could see Bellatrix through the light, even if I couldn't see whoever the man was. But he was obviously in charge because at her words she stopped immediately. I felt a sense of dread. This was obviously Lord Voldemort. Chances are I wouldn't make it out of here alive.
"So Bella, you say that these are some of the most magically accomplished in their year?" he asked, and his voice sounded surprised.
"We are, and if you give me your wand, I'll show you," I said. I didn't really have options here. Bellatrix cackled.
"You really think we would give you our wands?" she cackled again. Creepy.
"No," I muttered.
"Bella, answer the question!" the man who I'm assuming is Lord Voldemort ordered.
"Yes, they are some of the most magically accomplished in their year," she replied. I could feel Voldemort's eyes looking me and Frank up and down.
"Fine then. How would you like to become a Death Eater?" he asked.
"A Death Eater?" I asked shocked, "You can't mean…"
"He means everything he says," another man snarled, "Answer the question girl!"
"Enough Rosier!" he ordered, "The answer?"
"When phoenixs aren't reborn again," I said with a tone of disgust. It was something my mom used to say. The part about the phoenix, I mean.
"She said no!" Bellatrix cackled, "What about you Frankie? Want to join?"
"No," he said and it was the first word I heard him say all evening so I was impressed at how determined he sounded.
"Well then," Bellatrix said, "We'll just have to kill them," That's when I grabbed Frank's arm and we ran for dear life. We ran into the forest. I tripped over a stick, and mentally cursed myself. But then I realized it wasn't a stick. It was my wand. I grabbed, and nonverbally accioed Frank's wand and then I Disapparated, taking him along with me. We appeared at his house (first place I thought of) and I vowed never to pick up innocent looking objects on the ground ever again. He agreed.
Second Defiance September 7, 1977
I was so excited. It was finally time. After three years of training, plus an extra year or so of desk work, Frank and I were finally getting our first mission. Don't get me wrong, we had had missions before, but they had been small missions, like capturing a jarvey or something. Nothing big. But now, we were going to go and capture some of Voldemort's followers. There was a rumor that they were hiding in a forest in Albania. I stepped outside, dressed in brown and green to help me blend in with trees. I thought back to the last time I had been in the woods with Voldemort and his followers. But I was seventeen and stupid then. Now, I was twenty and a little more mature, and way more experience. I fidgeted with the engagement ring that was on my left hand, fourth finger. I slipped it off and put it in my pocket. I didn't want the Death Eaters to see it.
"Hey, Al, are you ready?" My fiancé, Frank asked me.
"Yeah, let's go," I said, trying to sound determined. But Frank didn't fall for it. He took my hand and squeezed it.
"It'll be all right, Al," he said, "It's different from last time," I let go of his hand. He looked a little hurt, so I explained.
"I don't want the Death Eaters to known we are engaged. Think of how they would use that against us," I said. He slipped his ring off too.
"Alice, Frank, are you ready?" Another Auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt asked us in his deep voice.
"Yes," I said before I could convince myself otherwise. , "Let's go," We Disapparated to a forest in Albania. It was different from the last time though, I reminded myself. It was early autumn, so the trees were full of red, yellow, orange and so many other leaves. A concoction of colors. I sighed. I loved autumn because of all the leaves. We walked through the forest for hours, searching for anything, even the slightest trace or human life. We found nothing. But once I thought I heard the snap of a twig. It grew dark, and the stars entered the sky.
"Alright, there is nothing here," Kingsley said finally, "Let's leave," I nodded and he Disapparated. I was about to Disapparated with Frank when I heard a scream. A terrified, horror-filled, high pitched scream. It was a women, I knew instantly. I tugged on Frank's sleeve.
"Let's go," I said and we hurried towards the sound.
Finally, we saw a hut in the woods. I pulled Frank behind a tree and looked out. It was dark, I couldn't see anything.
"Are you sure this is the place?" I heard a voice say.
"Yes Travers, I'm sure. Or are you doubting me?" A women's voice sneered. A voice that I would recognize anywhere. Bellatrix.
"No, of course not!" Travers said hastily, "And who lives here?"
"A muggle women," Bellatrix said. She said muggle with distaste, "And there is no one else around for miles," I understood the plan immediately. They would kill this women, and then they would have no around for miles while they worked on plans, for…okay, that part I didn't know.
"Okay, so I stay watch and you make the kill?" Travers asked.
"Aw, Travers, are you scared? But fine, I'll do it," She said in her babyish tone.
"No, no you won't!" I yell. She looks over towards where Frank and I are, but before she can even react I yell, "Experillarmus!" Her wand shot out of her hand. Frank does the same thing with Travers, too.
"Aw, look. If it isn't little baby Alice and little baby Frank," she says in her babyish tone.
"Little babies Alice and Frank just disarmed you," I pointed out. Bellatrix glared at me.
"Stupfey!" I yelled and Travers collapsed. I turned to Bellatrix, but she cackled and lifted up her arm. She showed me a skull with…a snake coming out of it. She pressed it, and suddenly everything became cold.
"I called him," she told me, "He's coming," the ends of her mouth curled up into an evil smile. I was about to yell stupefy, when a high, clear voice yelled.
"Experillarmus!" My wand flew out of my hand.
"So," Voldemort said, "We meet again, Alice and Frank,"
"Well, don't think I'm thrilled about it," I muttered under my breath. He continued.
"I've heard you two have become Aurors," he said, "A, uh, wise, career choice,"
"Thank you," I said, "I'm devoting my life to fighting scum like you," Bellatrix snarled at my comment.
"Who are you calling scum," She snarled.
"Bella, stay back!" he ordered, "Anyone, I originally came here to see what Bella wanted, but now that you're here…"
"What?" I asked, and I think my fear showed.
"I'm here to offer you the same option you were offered three years ago. Join, or die," he said with no expression what-so-ever in his voice.
"Never," Frank said, and I nodded. Then Frank took over. He Disapparated (he still had his wand) with me and we were in the house where the old women who they were going to murder lived. Then he grabbed her and we Disapparated to London. We took her to St. Mungo's.
"Frank, if you still had your wand, why didn't you just Disapparated us out?" I asked, fiddling with my wand, which Frank has successfully summoned back.
"Because I wanted to see if we could learn any new information about Voldemort and the Death Eaters," he responded, "And we did. Did you see that mark that Bellatrix had on her arm?"
"Yes, it was creepy," I responded.
"We learned something new for the Ministry. And do you know what?" he asked.
"What?" I asked back.
"That same mark was seen yesterday, floating above a house with people dead in it. They think it's Voldemort's mark," he told me seriously. I swallowed a lump in my throat, "Alice, dark times are coming. And we have to be ready,"
Third Defiance, October 29, 1979
I was holding Neville, rocking him back and forth, trying to get him to fall asleep when I heard the crack of someone Disapparating. I froze in place.
"Frank," I yelled, "They're here!" We had known this would happen that they would come for us. We had a plan. First, get Neville out of here, then fight and kill Death Eaters. It might not be a good plan, but it was all we had. I had one of those portable cribs enchanted so it was as light as a feather. I put Neville into it, attached our owl, Aimee to it and sent it off to Frank's mother. I breathed out. Neville was safe. We knew the Death Eaters would come eventually. Nothing was permanent. I ran down the stairs and prepared to fight.
I saw Frank waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.
"He's gone," I said, my voice hoarse.
"It's okay Al," he said and he hugged me. The hug turned into a kiss and tears were falling down my face because I had a feeling that this would be the last time we would kiss.
"Aw, well if that isn't the sweetest thing ever!" Bellatrix cackled. She was with an army of Death Eaters, and Voldemort. I didn't look at her. I wasn't going to give her any satisfaction.
"Bella, be quiet," Voldemort ordered, "Frank and Alice, you have one more chance. Join us, or die." I knew what I had to do. I'd known it for years now.
"Never," I said quietly.
"What?" Bellatrix asked.
"Never," I spoke louder.
"And what about you Frankie?" Bellatrix mocked.
"Never," he shook his head and his hand circled around mine.
"Kill them," Voldemort said, "Actually torture them first. See what information you can get out of them, then kill them," he left. Bellatrix turned to me.
"Well, won't this be fun?" she asked, her lip curling up.
Hours later, I had screamed my last scream. I had lost my voice and I couldn't talk. Every part of me was aching. I hope Voldemort gets everything he deserves in life, I thought. And then I never remembered anything again.
A/N-Eh, I don't love the ending, but I can't think of anything better. Wow, this was really long. I hope you like it! This was done for lella7's the First War Contest. Oh two other things. When Alice said when phoenixes aren't reborn that was sort of my wizard termish thing (I couldn't think of a better one) and I don't know what Alice's last name is, but I've heard people use Prewett before, so I just decided to use that. Thanks!