Alexandra hated this little house. She had no privacy, seeing as her and her father had to share the one tiny bedroom, and she couldn't even leave the house unless escorted by an Auror. And right now, with everything that had happened to her recently, Alexandra really needed a place where she could be by herself and go over her thoughts. The best she could do was lock herself in the bathroom and curl up in the small corner of the bathtub.
Harry knew. She still could hardly accept that fact. Harry knew she was Claridina's daughter. In a way, that was even worse than her father finding out. She knew her father thought that news was just as surprising to her as it was to him. But Harry…she knew Harry would be wiser. If Dudley had told him that she had seen her mother last summer (and she assumed that he would've after Harry had told him about Claridina), then he would know that she knew far before any of this had happened. What would he think of her for keeping such a secret? Would he believe that she was working with Claridina all that time?
And then anytime she thought of Claridina, her mind would always go back to the Vow.
Maybe she was just tricking me with that too, Alexandra thought suddenly. Maybe there really is no such thing as an Unbreakable Vow! Maybe she was just trying to scare me into helping her! If I just don't do anything…maybe nothing will happen!
Yes, she decided firmly. That's just what she was going to do. If she ignored this, maybe it would go away.
"Alexandra?" he father called through the door, knocking. "Are you in there?"
"Yes!" Alexandra called back.
"Hurry up," Dudley told her. "We're going to go out."
Out? They hadn't gone out since they moved into the house.
"Where are we going?" Alexandra asked, opening the door.
"Harry's house," Dudley said. "He wants to talk with you."
…..
"Well, it's not exactly how it was," Ginny said, looking around the house. "But I think we all did a pretty good job."
"What about all of my stuff?" James asked. "Did it all get destroyed too?"
"We put what we could find in your room," Harry said.
"At least we're out of mum and dad's," Ginny said as the kids ran upstairs to see their rooms. "I love them; but I just missed it here."
Harry looked around the newly repaired house. "At least we could use magic to fix this place. They have to call in muggle construction workers to fix Dudley's home."
"Well, he wouldn't have been able to stay there anyway," Ginny pointed out. "He would've been moved to protection with Alexandra even if his house was still in one piece."
Suddenly, the phone rang.
"Hello?" Harry answered.
"Um, hi, Harry. It's Dudley."
"Oh, um, how are you? Is the house holding up?"
"Yeah, it's fine," Dudley replied. "Listen, you-you said to call you when-when you were able to talk to Alexandra. I, er, I think she's ready now."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Dudley sighed. "She's been a bit quiet since I've told her, which I expected, but I think it's sunk in. I-Do you want me to bring her by?"
"Yes," Harry said at once. "I'll have somebody apperate with the two of you."
"Okay. I guess…I guess I'll see you then."
"Who was that?" Ginny asked when Harry hung up the phone.
"Dudley," he answered. "Him and Alexandra are going to come by."
"Are you going to talk to her?" Ginny asked.
Harry nodded.
"Do you know what you're going to say? You have to be gentle, Harry. She's got to be so confused, and she'll have so many questions."
"Believe me," Harry said. "I know the feeling."
…..
"Why'd you want to meet here?" Victoire asked, sitting down on one of the rocks near the ocean.
"I've always liked this spot," Teddy muttered.
The two were sitting on the beach near Victoire's house.
"Why do you want to join the Order?" he blurted out.
"What do you mean?" Victoire frowned. "For the same reason you do. You're the one who told me Uncle Harry and the others were reforming it."
"I didn't think you would go and demand to be a part of it!" Teddy exclaimed. "What were you thinking, Vic?"
"That I could help fight against Claridina and make just as much a difference as you," she snapped. "What's wrong with you? Why are you shouting?"
"Because!" Teddy said loudly. "You've barely just graduated from school! You're only eighteen!"
"I'm barely two years younger than you," Victoire pointed out. "Why is it okay for you to join and not me?"
"I've trained with the Aurors for a year!" Teddy yelled. "I at least stand a chance against Claridina and her followers! You-You're going to get yourself killed, Vic!"
"You don't think I know what could happen?" she yelled back. "I know I can get killed! But so can you!"
"Victoire, you-you can't join," Teddy said firmly.
"And who are you to tell me that?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Vic, you-you know how I feel about you," he said softly. "If anything happened to you…I don't know what I'd do. That's why you can't join."
"You don't get to tell me what I can and cannot do," Victoire said.
"You're-"
"I'm joining," Victoire cut him off. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."
And before Teddy could open his mouth, she apperated from the beach, leaving him alone.