Chapter 2

"The Dothraki attacked Saath so my mother and father used the secret passages of the White Castle to reach the harbour, take a ship and escape the town. However, they got separated along the way and my father – with little me and a bag full of gems in tow – found himself in this circle of stones near the marble Quarry and the necklace started to glow and next thing he knew, he was in front of Gringotts. Fortunately, he had heard stories of our world from his grandfather so he figured out what had happened. He asked the goblins for help, the goblins called Lily and James Potter once they established his identity, they blood-adopted me and then Leydon died a few months later in St. Mungos." Aly told Hermione from the armchair she was sitting on, bent legs in front of her chest and elbows on her knees. "And that's everything."

They were inside the Room of Requirement, also called The Come-and-Go-Room, a place Dobby had found for her to get away from everything after her name had been spat out of the Goblet of Fire and the entire school, her best friend Ron included, had turned against her. It was second year all over again. People were so fickle.

Hermione had stayed at her side though, believing her word when she said that she hadn't put her name in the Goblet. That was why she had decided to show her her secret room and told her everything about her birth parents.

"Wow, that's…" It was strange and a little amusing, seeing her best friend speechless.

Aly nodded, understanding perfectly. "I know. Unbelievable, hum? If I hadn't read my father's journal, I don't think I would have believed it. But everything was so detailed, it has to be real."

Hermione nodded. "Absolutely. Though I still can't wrap my head around the fact that there are other worlds beside our own out there and who knows how many."

Aly nodded back and then silence descended, the two of them immersed in their thoughts.

"How did Leydon communicate with the goblins, is their language – the Common Tongue was it – the same as our English?"

Aly turned her head like an owl and frowned in thought. "I think so. Though even if it weren't, it wouldn't make a difference because I think the necklace is spelled so that the wearer learns immediately another language as soon as they heard someone talking in that language. It would explain how I suddenly learnt how to speak French and Bulgarian."

"Wow, that's really useful. I would have to search this spell, maybe find a way to attach him to a necklace like yours. I think I read somewhere that diamonds in particular and some other precious stones like lapis lazuli are suitable to being charmed because they conduct magic like silver and copper conduct electricity."

Aly smiled at her friend's research face, her brilliant mind already busy trying to figure out ways to replicate the spell.

Then a sudden thought entered her mind and she frowned. "Do you think Sirius knew about me not being Lily and James Potter's child? I mean, he must have, right? Why didn't he ever tell me anything?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe he didn't think he was his place to tell you. Or maybe he didn't find the right time. After all the only time you saw him in person was June and with everything that happened I don't think telling you that your parents weren't really your parents would have help things in anyway. And after that you only sent each other letters, right? Have you heard from him since you told him about the Tournament?"

"No, but I'm going to see him this Hogsmeade week end. I wish I knew what the first Task was about so Sirius could give me some tips but for now, I still don't know anything. I know I'm not supposed to receive help but since I didn't ask to be a Champion in the Tournament I don't think it's unfair for me to cheat. My priority is staying alive after all."

"I agree." Hermione said before smiling. "So, your real appearance is a little like Malfoy, isn't it?"

Aly glared playfully at her and grimaced. "Ew, don't remind me. Though I think the Targaryen hair are even whiter than the platinum blonde of Malfoy so that's a relief I suppose. And they have violet eyes instead of grey so unlike Malfoy in that way too, fortunately. I don't want to have anything in common with that ferret."

"You said your father had black hair and dark eyes, right?"

"Yeah, Potter looks through and through."

"So why do you think you look more like your mother? I thought Targaryen genes were recessive, at least that's what it looks like from what you told me about them wanting to keep their bloodline pure. And, sorry to tell you this, but they sound a lot like those Pureblood supremacists when talking about muggles and muggleborns."

"My father's mother was a Velaryon and they too have silver hair and violet eyes, so maybe that's why I was born with the Valyrian looks too. Anyway, the whole pure blood thing has to do with the control of the dragons, I think, and they also have what they call 'dragon dreams' which it looks like they are some kind of prophetic dreams. They have magic in their blood and they need to maintain their magic to be able to control the dragons. Or at least it was like that until there were dragons. That's why they married brother to sister which…yuck!"

"Makes sense I guess." Hermione said, "Though it's still creepy."

"I know." Aly laughed. "Though I'm not sure the genetic problems that come with incest are the same in this other world. I mean, the Targaryens were considered the most beautiful people in the world, their beauty almost otherworldly so no birth defects or deformities. Though there were more cases of people in their family having mental issues than the norm so there's that."

"This is all so fascinating. I wish we could find books about this other world, so that we could really study the customs and history of it. I know your father was thorough but I'm sure there's so much more that we could learn."

Aly laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "I wish so too but I don't think it's possible. Not unless I end up there and read their books, which I don't think it's possible."

"You never know, maybe it will happen to you like it happened to Markos and Darien."

Aly shrugged. "Maybe, but for now I'm going to concentrate on overcoming the three Tasks of the Tournament and stay alive. And maybe picking up archery and fencing in my free time."

"Archery and fencing, why?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Did you know that the pureblood heirs all learn these kinds of things? Boys and girls, it doesn't matter. I always thought they relayed solely on magic to defend themselves but no, they can also fight this way. I think it's a tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages. I think it's kind of cool and smart to learn about it. I mean, think about what would happen if, for one reason or another, I couldn't use magic or I lose my wand. At least this way I would not be completely defenseless."

"You're absolutely right, why didn't I think of this before? But where and from whom would you learn?"

Aly smiled at her and waved at everything around them. "Look around you. This room grants you whatever you need. I bet that if I ask the room for a place to learn archery and fencing, the room will answer and give me everything I need to."

Hermione clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes, count me in then, I want to learn too."

"Good then, two hours before breakfast and two hours after lunch, every day."

"I would have to organize my studying schedule but sure, I'll make it work."

Aly used her invisibility to cloak to reach the cave Sirius was hidden in so that no one would know she had been there. She didn't want to put Sirius in danger, even on accident.

"Hey kiddo!" Sirius greeted her as soon as she had taken off the cloak and stood in front of him inside the cave.

They hugged for long minutes, Aly closing her eyes to savour the moment. Though she had met Sirius only a few months back, she loved him like he had been with her her whole life.

"So, the Fourth Champion, hum? Did you find out yet what the first task is going to be?"

"Not yet. But I will somehow." Aly dismissed the topic quickly. "How are you Sirius? Do you have enough to eat? Do you want me to bring you something from the castle? I'm sure I can sneak out of Hogwarts and bring you something from the kitchen if you don't have enough."

"I'm fine, Aly, really. You don't need to worry about me."

Aly nodded and sat down on the ground. The cave was devoid of anything to sit on but there were blankets on the ground, probably where Sirius slept.

"I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest."

Sirius looked confused but nodded. "Sure. Anything you want."

"Did you know that Lily and James are not my real parents?"

Sirius sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly kiddo, I didn't know how. How did you find out?"

"Gringotts. They summoned me this summer and told me the whole story. They gave me the journal Leydon Potter left for me."

"James and Lily should have been the ones to explain things to you. You know, Lily and James had been trying for a while to have a child but without success so when Leydon arrived with a child in his arms, asking them to take care of her, they were impossibly happy. You were a gift to them and they loved you like their own since the moment they saw you."

Aly felt tears filling her eyes at those words, happy to know that James and Lily had loved her. Of course she knew that already or they wouldn't have sacrificed their life to protect her but it was still good to hear it, especially coming from James' best friend.

"Thank you, Sirius!"

"You don't need to thank me. I only said the truth." Sirius smiled at her gently before asking her, "So, how are you dealing with all of this? The attack this summer from Death Eaters, now you being a Champion in the Tournament. How are you really?"

"If I have to be honest, not well. I mean, Hermione is great but the rest of the school turned against me, even Ron. Sometimes I just wish I could run away."

"Well, why can't you?" Sirius asked like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"What do you mean, I can't just run. I can't leave Hogwarts. How can I learn how to be a witch if I leave Hogwarts?"

"You could go to another school if that's what you want. Hell, we could run away together, change our identities, go to the States maybe. I'm really good at Transfiguration as I'm sure you know, I could change my face and we could change names and live a normal, magical life far away from here, far away from the threat of Voldemort and his followers."

"But…I can't just run, can't I?"

"Why not? You don't own anybody anything. You may be the Girl-Who-Lived because you survived while others didn't and that means that you have a target on your back from both Voldemort and his death eaters but that doesn't mean that you have to stay here and fight against him. You're just a teenager who deserves to live a normal life. Your parents – both set I'm sure – would want you to be happy and safe and if the safest place is away from here, then why not leave. I could be with you this way, be your guardian like I should have been when Lily and James were killed. This could be our chance to start a new life together."

"You thought about this, haven't you? I mean, before today."

"Yes, it's a thought that I've been having all summer."

"You're really serious? Do you think we could just leave?"

"We should take precautions to make sure that not even Dumbledore can find us but yes, we could."

Aly breathed deeply at the idea of just leave. She had never thought about it before but now that the idea was in her head, she couldn't think of one single reason why she shouldn't. Sure, she would miss Hermione but that was all. She had thought when she had started Hogwarts that she had finally found a home, something that the Dursleys had never been and yet, more than once, it had felt like a prison more than a home, a place where everyone hated her and distrusted her, a place she couldn't leave.

Why not leave then? Why not go far away from here, start in another magical school with a new name and especially with Sirius at her side?

"I would have to think about it."

"Of course. But remember, if things go really bad, you just need to tell me and we'll leave without looking back."