A/N: Thanks you so much for your reviews! They're much appreciated! As usual, please Read and Review please!!

Disclaimers: see chapter two.


Chapter three: Lessons

Alex barely had several hours of sleep last night. She was too busy worrying about her classes, even though she was so tired and wanted nothing but sleep.

Alex was not a morning person and being deprived of sleep made her grumpier than ever.

Belinda helped Alex into another pair of school robes, "you'll get there one day," she said encouragingly as Alex fumbled with the clothing.

"If I can't even wear robes properly," she grumbled, "How am I supposed to get used to a magic school?"

Belinda wisely chose not to reply.

Alex and Belinda headed into the Great Hall and they sat down together at the Slytherin table. Scorpius and Crabbe were already there finishing the last of their breakfast.

"Give me a look at your timetable Crabbe. Please," Scorpius added as Alex shot him a look.

Crabbe stifled a snigger and passed his timetable over to Scorpius. "Isn't it the same?" he asked.

Scorpius gave him a glare, "just checking." He said hastily, withering under Alex's cold eyes.

Alex looked at her own timetable, it seemed she was to attend classes with the first years for three weeks, and if her grades were good enough, she could take classes with the third years.

Owls swooped overhead, and one of them dropped a letter right into Alex's empty bowl.

To Alexis Keithstone,

During classes, you are to listen to all teachers. In practical parts of the lesson, you are to look closely at fellow students and see how they manage to perform the spell or potion. You are also required to study the book enclosed. You are to complete all assignments your teachers set your class, but if it regards any practical spells, you are excused. I expect that you will score as high as possible on your theory part of your exams when you sit them. The only practical part of any class that you are to participate in is Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Sighed,

Professor McGonagall

P.S: good luck

"Trust her to say 'good luck' in a foot note, eh?" Belinda asked, reading the letter over Alex's shoulder.

Alex grimaced, "Oh, this is so going to fun," she said sarcastically, "All paperwork and nothing practical."

"Oh cheer up, at least you get to participate in the best class, DADA!" Belinda said. "But where is the book she-oh!"

A large parcel dropped onto Alex's head, causing her curse out loud.

Scorpius and Crabbe snorted as Alex's fuming face came into view while the book slid off her face.

"If you laugh or- or do anything, so help me, I'll dead-point all your magic," she threatened. Scorpius and Crabbe glanced at each other and hurriedly got up.

"Er-see you in Charms," Crabbe said cheerfully, still trying not to laugh out loud.

Alex piled some pancakes onto her plate and started eating, ripping the parcel paper open. The covers fell away and revealed the book mentioned in her letter.

"A guide for magic dead-points, written by Gobliyt 'dead-point' Hobble," She read out loud, snickering at the author's weird name. The book was extremely old. The parchment was frayed and it cackled as she flipped the book open.

"Written in-wow!-year 230!" She gasped as she read the writing on the cover page.

"Blimey, that is one ancient book!" Someone said from behind.

Startled, Alex nearly dropped the book onto her plate. She wheeled around.

"Fred! James! Albus!" She managed to say.

"Glad to know you still know our names," James grinned. "You better pack that book safely away; Al might spill milk all over it like he did to his timetable, eh?"

Al, blushing furiously, muttered something about 'an accident'. Alex grinned.

"Have you met Belinda? She's my friend." Belinda turned around too and smiled at the three Gryffindors.

Fred and James both nodded, "She was my potions partner last year," James said.

Belinda looked confused, "No I wasn't. I was partnered up with Kate from Ravenclaw. I didn't have potions with Gryffindors last year."

Fred punched James playfully on the arm. "Stop hitting on her," he smirked.

Belinda flushed, though James just gave a wide smile. "Okay, fine, it's the first time I've talked to her." James admitted at last.

"So who was your partner last year?" Alex asked.

James looked at Fred, who looked back at him.

"Oh...I dunno, someone with red hair-" James started.

"Nice, shiny red hair, I might add-" Fred cut in.

"-tall and skinny-"

"-But handsome nonetheless,"

"And too many freckles for my liking-"

"Freckles that suited his lovely die-for face-"

"Okay! Stop! I get who your partner was!" Alex laughed.

The bell tolled overhead, and the three boys scooted off. "Got Astronomy first, don't want to infuriate Harland," Fred said hastily.

"And I've got potions," Al gulped.

Alex glanced at her timetable, "I've got Charms with Scorpius and-oh! Rose's in Ravenclaw! Excellent!" She exclaimed.

Belinda looked at her own timetable gloomily, "I've got Astronomy first too, I better go."

She left the table, her blush still rather prominent on her face.


Alex ignored the whispers that followed her as she made her way to the Charms classroom. She was getting better at ignoring them, having gotten used to it.

Outside, leaning causally on the wall beside the door, was Rose with a small group of Ravenclaw first years.

"Rose!" Alex waved. Rose looked up and beamed. Alex took it as a good sign and started towards her.

Someone suddenly blocked her path. Looking up, Alex realised it was that fifth year boy from last night.

"What do you want?" Alex asked irritably. "Get out of my way." She tried to brush past him, but one of his friends stood beside him. Both of them were huge, and there was little corridor space left for her to push by.

"Think you're so smart eh? Well if spells don't work, punches surely would!" The first blow went to her stomach.

"Little weakling aren't you?" The boy continued to taunt, from the corner of her eye, she saw that everyone nearby had gone silent and was watching them. All except for Rose, she was screaming.

"Well it's better being a coward like you!" Alex shot back, "Didn't have the decency to settle the matter yourself, did you? Couldn't leave your poor friends alone I bet! But then again, your face says it all: I'm no smarter than a baboon's backside!"

The boy's face hardened and Alex braced herself for another punch.

To her surprise, the boy lowered his fist, his face pale.

"I thought I told you, quite clearly, to not get in my way?" Someone said angrily from behind her. Alex smiled, it was Scorpius.

"Alex, you owe me two essays now." Scorpius stood between them and glared up into the boy's eyes.

"I don't owe you anything," Alex said, "I'm a black-belt in martial arts, that punch was feather-light compared to other punches I've received." She wasn't lying. The punch had no effect on her whatsoever.

"Quit playing the hero, little Scorp, let us have some fun, eh?" A person drawled from behind them.

Rose's eyes widened. "Fred! James! Alex was-she got-that fifth year-"

Fred just nodded at her, his eyes cold as he looked at the boy. "I know who you are, you're Henry Vern, failing in every subject and never earned anything past a T."

Vern cracked his knuckles, "You don't scare me, Weasley," he said.

"Well, you should be scared of me then!" Alex gave him a second for the message to go through that thick brain of his before round-house kicking him in his...parts.

"That was for yesterday," she spat, "and this is for today!" She punched him squarely on the nose. When she removed her hand, it was stained red from his blood.

"Better go to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey that you lost to a girl, eh?" She smirked, wiping her hand on his robes.

Whimpering and crying, Vern rushed down the corridor, his friends following him, shooting Alex uncertain looks.

James whistled, "Now I know who not to pull pranks on!" he breathed. "That, was bloody awesome Alex!"

Alex grinned, "It was, wasn't it? Lucky my dad forced me to learn martial arts since I turned five, else I'd been nothing but pulp by now."

"No you wouldn't. If you hadn't hit him, I would've beaten him up so bad, even his mother wouldn't recognise the meaty mash that was her son after I've been through with him," Fred said with an ugly look on his face.

"But, though, who knew a Malfoy out of all people would stick up for you?" Fred said, brightening. He ruffled Scorpius's hair, messing it up.

Scorpius scowled, "Don't do that. I hate it." Alex saw him sneak a look at Rose.

The door leading to the Charms classroom burst open. "Come in, come in!" Professor Flitwick beamed, completely unaware of what happened outside his classroom.

He caught sight of Fred and James and frowned. "I thought you were rushing to Astronomy?" he asked.

Fred and James looked at each other.

"Oh, yes we were professor, but we thought that you might be interested in this." Fred dug into his pocket and got out an ordinary looking badge.

"Me and James developed this. It glows and turns hot when someone in a two metre radius is lying." Fred said innocently.

"The closer you get to the person lying, the hotter and redder it gets! Originally designed for jealous girlfriends unsure of where their boyfriend's loyalties lie, but we thought that teachers needed it too." James added.

Alex felt her jaw drop. What were these two playing at?

"Oh, come on professor, we'd even get you a discount. Normally seven sickles, now only five sickles and two knuts! What a bargain, right?" Fred carried on, waving the badge around.

"Er...sorry boys, I'm not that interested." The short professor looked around, pleading the students to get in quickly so he could get rid of these two annoying boys.

Alex shuffled in with her class, glancing backwards at Fred and James, who were grinning.

"It's a bargain, professor! Are you sure?...Oh alright, we'll give up. Listen professor, we'll leave you alone if you could write us a note for Professor Harland? Thanks!" Fred and James each bore identical triumph grins as the Charms professor scribbled a note.

The two third year boys left at once, with professor Flitwick wiping his sleeve against a sweaty forehead.

"Er-right, so first years, today we are going to practise wand movement. Swish and flick..."


Alex spent some of the time looking at Rose, Crabbe and Scorpius practicing wand movements. Alex had to sit away from all the other classmates, as her presence, at least, until she learned to control her power, would affect their casting charms.

She buried herself into the book she'd received from Professor McGonagall. It turned out to be an interesting read. The writing was old-fashioned and at times hard to decipher, but it still proved to be a valuable source of information to her.

Chapter three of the book was the best chapter. It described how to control her power so others can still perform normal magic around them. Reading through the theory behind it, and visualising the practical part in her head, Alex grabbed her wand and muttered the spell the book told her to use.

"Constricto!" She whispered. Nothing happened. The book said that she should have felt a pressing feeling against her sides. Alex felt nothing.

Disappointed, she flipped back to chapter one.

To control your power, you must be able to feel it. Normal magic is different to dead-point magic, so naturally both feel different. Close your eyes and 'see' around you. With enough practice, you should start to 'see' your power. When you start 'seeing' your power, that is when you can feel it, and then you can control it.

Alex closed her eyes and saw only darkness. She gritted her teeth and started to concentrate around her.

After half an hour, she still saw nothing.

"I'm hopeless," she muttered angrily, shoving the book and wand into her bag. Her timetable showed her that she had potions next.

Alex spent the next week closing her eyes and concentrating, trying to 'see' her magic. But all she could see was black.

"I don't get it!" she moaned to Belinda over dinner on Saturday night. "I can't see anything!"

"What are you supposed to see?" A Slytherin fourth year was listening in, "I'm Thynia," she said, shuddering, "but call me Thy, please."

Alex and Belinda smiled at her. "Dunno what I'm supposed to see," Alex grumbled, "All I can see is darkness."

Thy chewed her lip thoughtfully. "You know, I'm a muggleborn, and my mother likes to meditate. She claims that it calms her mind and she is able to sense things that normally can't with her eyes open. Maybe 'seeing' your magic by closing your eyes is the same thing as meditation?" Thy suggested.

Alex stared at her, "I think..." she said slowly, a smile forming, "that you have the right idea! Do you have any tips on how to meditate?" She asked eagerly.

Thy nodded, "My mum gave me a book all about these things. I'll give it to you after dinner."

Alex felt her mood lighten and spent the rest of dinner talking and laughing with Belinda and Thy.


"Stop making it so obvious, it's embarrassing!" Alex heard Crabbe hiss as she was about to leave the table.

She turned around. "Stop making what so obvious?" she asked curiously. Scorpius blushed. "Nothing," he muttered.

Crabbe nudged him with his elbow. "Just say it, she knows her anyway," he said, smirking.

"Oh, do you like someone, Scorpius?" Alex said, a bit too loud for his liking.

"Shut up!" he glared, and looked away as Alex gave him a stern stare, "I mean, it's nothing, really, she doesn't know I exist anyway."

"Who, Rose Weasley?" Alex said, her voice lowering. Scorpius gave her an astonished look.

"How'd you-are you a mind reader or something?" He spluttered.

"No," Alex replied truthfully,"Crabbe's right, you're too obvious. And Rose knows that you exist, her father pointed you out on the platform."

"I know, I saw him...but, she doesn't even talk to me!"

Alex looked at him weirdly. "Have you talked to her?" She asked. From his silence, she understood.

"I would help you, but you are only eleven. Tell me, is this just a crush or do you really, really like her?" Alex pushed the two boys into a deserted corridor so that they wouldn't be overhead.

Scorpius stared up at her, "I don't-is there are difference?" he asked finally.

Alex stood up. "Until you know the difference, Malfoy, I'll help you. Meanwhile why don't you talk to Rose and get to know her better? You can't say you like her until you really know her."

Alex left them both in the corridor and headed back to the dormitories.

Life at Hogwarts certainly is eventful, Alex mused, eleven year olds falling in love! Honestly!

But the small voice called out to her again, and who're you to give advice on relationships? You haven't even liked someone before, and you're thirteen!

"Oh, shut up," Alex snapped, causing some of the portraits to look at her in alarm.

"Sorry," she said weakly.


So, Scorpius realises he likes Rose! Wish that Alex isn't so dense...