Alexandra tossed and turned in her sleep, the bed sheets wrapping around her legs. The nightmare that raged in her head was making her sweat profusely and it made her long, red hair stick to her face. The images she saw were not pleasant... Her mother running into the nursery, carrying her older brother. Fear seemed to engulf her entire body. She tried to protect them all – to baracade the door – but it was pointless. The door burst open and a tall, hooded figure strode into the room. He was the man who had already killed her father. The man who was about to kill her mother, and about to kill her and her brother...

Alexandra awoke with a start. Looking down, she realised her legs were tangled in her bed sheets, and she carefully pushed them down. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she put her face in her hands. She was sure that what she saw was real. There was no way to be sure, of course, but it all fit.

Looking across the room, Alex saw her brother, Harry, still asleep, his glasses lying crookedly on his face. He must have fallen asleep reading the Daily Prophet again, she supposed.

She stood slowly, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness of the pokey room she shared with her older brother. Harry's owl, Hedwig, hooted happily at once. Alex smiled and crossed the room, being careful not to wake Harry.

"Morning, Hedwig," Alex smiled, half whispering. "Are you hungry?"

Hedwig hooted louder this time, her cage rattling slightly at the prospect of being allowed out to hunt. Alex opened the small bedroom window.

"Don't go too far, and come back soon... Harry might need you," She said, opening Hedwig's cage. Hedwig nipped her finger lightly as a thank you, and flew out of the window. Alex watched her fly off, smiling.

Harry's snoring broke her trance after a few seconds. Leaning down, she slowly removed his glasses and put them on the bedside cabinet. Her dark eyes studied her brothers features. Anyone who had ever known James and Lily had always said Harry looked just like James. Apart from his eyes. He had their mothers eyes. Whereas Alex was the polar opposite. She had long, red hair, just like Lily, and dark eyes, like James. She hated how everyone at school treated her as though she was still an infant, when in fact she was only thirteen months younger than Harry.

Scowling at the thought, Alex slowly tip toed across the room. She tried the door, and was surprised to find it open. Uncle Vernon must have unlocked it before she awoke, she mused.

As she walked downstairs, she could hear Uncle Vernon's muted voice coming from the lounge.

"... leaving for that freak school. It's about bloody time."

"I agree, Vernon. We can forget about them until next summer," Aunt Petunia replied, her voice heaving with glee.

"It's a shame that Weasley weirdo isn't taking them early," Uncle Vernon said, hooting with laughter.

Alex frowned as she walked into the kitchen. She hated the Dursleys talking about the Weasleys in that way. They were the nicest people Alex ever had the fortune to know, and Ginny was her best friend. She felt happier, in these surroundings, when she remembered the Weasleys. Alex even smiled as she made herself some toast.

"What are you smiling about?" Aunt Petunia asked, narrowing her eyes.

Alex carried her toast to the table and sat down. "Oh, not much."

"Where's that useless brother of yours?" Vernon said, shovelling his breakfast into his mouth like an uncivilised pig. He looked at Alex, his beady eyes boring into hers.

Alex took a deep breath. She was known for her fiery temper. After all, it was only four days ago she had 'accidentally' punctured the tyres on Dudley's bike after he blamed Harry for the whole 'Dementor' incident. He'd been expelled from Hogwarts. His wand had almost been confiscated, but Dumbledore had stepped in. If only they understood, she thought, that Harry had just witnessed Voldemort's return only last summer. They knew, of course. Harry had made sure of that. Only Aunt Petunia seemed to understand the severity of the situation. If only they knew he had seen Cedric Diggory being killed in front of his very eyes. It wasn't fair.

"He's asleep," Alex replied simply. She'd let him rest for now. It was the least she could do. It was all she could do.

~*~*~

The rest of the week passed without any trouble. Alex was glad about that. The last thing she wanted was a big argument to ruin her day. Everytime she thought about leaving the Dursleys, a huge blanket of relief washed over her. She wouldn't have to put up with seeing Harry suffer for much longer. He would soon be back with his friends. His second family. iTheir/i second family. The ones that loved them dearly.

As the night drew in, Alex knew Harry was getting restless.

"I don't understand why we're still here," He said, looking at Alex as she packed their school trunks. "We should have been out of here last night."

Alex looked at her brother as she carefully folded her school robes. "Harry, you need to calm down. It'll be okay-"

"No, it won't be okay!" Harry fumed, his emerald eyes glinting. "I want answers!"

Her eyes moved to the desk, where Harry had written three letters, all bearing the same message: "I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here." Hedwig had come back from hunting that night, and took the letters to Sirius, Ron and Hermione. She had been gone four days. It worried them both.

Both Harry and Alex jumped as Uncle Vernon strode into the room.

"We're going out," Vernon said, a cruel smile playing on his lips. She noticed he was wearing a suit.

"Sorry?" Harry asked, clearly confused.

"We – that is to say your aunt, Dudley and I – are going out."

Alex sighed and sat on her bed as Uncle Vernon spoke to Harry. Only to Harry. It was the way it had always been.

"I'm going to lock your door," Vernon said snidly, clearly hoping to annoy Harry.

"You do that," Harry replied, non plussed.

Vernon left the room, and faint clicking noises could be heard as the many locks on the outside of the door clicked into place. After a few minutes, Alex could hear the Dursleys car engine roar to life, and fade away. She looked over at Harry.

"Are you okay?" She asked, slightly worried.

"I'm fine," Harry nodded.

A faint crash in the kitchen made them look at each other. Voices could be heard below, harsh and whispering.

"Burglars," Harry whispered, sitting upright and heading towards the door. He inched towards the doorway, his wand held tightly in his hand. Alex fumbled in the dark for her wand, but at that moment, there was a click, and the bedroom door swung open. Harry jumped back, landing on Alex's bed.

They could see nothing. There was no-one standing in the hallway – no explanation as to how the door suddenly burst open. Harry slowly inched forward until he was someway out of the bedroom.

"Professor Moody?" Alex heard him say. Her heart was thumping against her rib cage as she slowly walked out into the hallway to meet Harry. She looked downstairs, and could see the faint silhouette of Professor Moody. Harry stayed rooted to the spot, but Alex took a few steps towards the group of wizards that had congregated around the bottom of the Dursleys staircase.

"Don't worry, we've come to take you away," a familiar voice said, smiling through the darkness.

"Why are we standing in the dark? Lumos!" An unfamiliar voice said. Alex gasped at the sight of this strange woman. Her hair was bubblegum pink, and her eyes were wide with anticipation.

"Are you quite sure it's them, Lupin?"

Alex couldn't help but glare at the elderly woman. All the same, Lupin asked Harry and Alex which form their patronuses took. Alex smiled to herself as she thought about the silver deer that she had managed to conjure during the previous years' D.A meetings.

They all filed into the Dursleys small kitchen, and Alex kept close behind Harry. Lupin introduced all of the strange wizards to them. It seemed many volunteered to spring them from the Dursleys.

Lupin suggested that Harry packed his trunk, and the bubblegum haired woman, named Nymphadora Tonks, followed him. Alex looked around at the group of wizards, feeling very insignificant.

"Isn't it amazing," an elderly witch commented, her eyes fixed on Alex, "how Harry looks so much like James, yet Alexandra looks so much like Lily." Alex shuddered at the use of her full name.

"Yes, rather extraordinary," Lupin smiled.

Alex looked at the ceiling. She could hear Harry's voice faintly in the bedroom they shared. She hoped he wouldn't take too long to pack. She sat down at the kitchen table while the Auror's had a quick nosey around Aunt Petunia's kitchen.

"What does this wonderful looking contraption do?" A witch called Emmeline Vance asked, pressing a button on the microwave. She jumped backwards as the microwave whirred to life, and Alex stiffled a giggle.

"I see, I see... wonderful," Emmeline murmered, looking confused. "And how would I..."

Alex rose from her seat. "You press this," she said, pressing the 'cancel' button. The microwave stopped at once.

She spun round as she heard Harry coming downstairs, their trunks gliding smoothly in front of them.

A disillusionment charm was performed on both of them, and the wizards filed out into the night. Moody looked up at the sky, as if waiting for something. Just then, a shower of green sparks shot up into the sky.

"That's the signal – let's go!" Lupin shouted, and Alex mounted her broom, kicking off hard from the ground. She hadn't anticipated how cold it was that night, but she soon found it hard to hold onto her broom. The wind was making her hair whip around her face, and she was just slightly aware of everyone else.

After what seemed like an hour, her hands were frozen solid.

"It's time to descend!" a voice shouted above the high wind. Alex followed Harry into a dive, the lights on the ground becoming bigger. They all landed on a small patch of square grass, in the middle of a street. No sooner had she wondered where they had landed, a small piece of paper was thrust into Harry's hand.

"Read it and memorise," Moody murmered.

Alex read the piece of parchment over Harry's shoulder: The headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place.