Author's Notes: Here's an extra long chapter to make up for the extra long wait. I want to try to begin to wrap up some loose ends and then move on to Part II, though there will be, at the very least, a few more chapters and probably more in Part I (but that's alright).

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter characters still don't belong to me.

Part I: Chapter Nine

1965

It was a morning in early July, and Alice had been up with the sun. Today was the day the OWL results were expected to be sent out. She was determined to be right where the owl would come when they arrived. She twisted her hands nervously, dying to know how she had done.

She heard someone else enter the dining room and turned around to see Jacob.

"You do realize that it's seven-thirty on a Saturday morning?" he asked with a yawn as he sat down next to her.

"Today's the day that OWLs are supposed to come," she explained.

"I don't understand why you're in such a tizzy over OWL results," Jacob wondered, "You've never worried so much about tests before in the past."

"These are more some tests, though Jacob; they really determine our futures."

"I guess. It just seems out of character for you to be so worried. But I bet you did stupendously."

Alice smiled, "We'll find out today."

"You really couldn't get a word out of Mum and Dad about how you did?"

"Nope, nothing. They said that would be giving me an unfair advantage, since I'm the only fifth year with parents teaching at the school, which I suppose is true."

Jacob nodded and glanced at the clock, "You know, the results won't come for at least another hour. You could always go read or something."

"I guess you're right," Alice replied, "Maybe I'll go owl Duke, because we both know he's up waiting, too."

Jacob smiled.

Around nine o'clock, both Minerva and Alice were in the kitchen. Things had been thus far uneventful, but at that moment, the mail arrived.

Alice stood frozen, staring at the owl and the letter that it held.

Minerva smiled and handed the letter to her daughter, "I believe you've been waiting for this."

Her words were met with nervous silence.

"Alice!" Minerva instructed, "Breathe."

"Right," she said and then began to open it.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Ordinary Wizarding Level Exams

Alice Dumbledore has achieved:

Arithmancy - O

Charms - O

Defense Against the Dark Arts - O

Herbology - O

History of Magic - O

Muggle Studies - O

Transfiguration - O

Potions - O

When she finished reading the letter, Alice was grinning.

"Your father and I were so proud of you," Minerva said.

"Indeed, we were," Albus agreed, entering the room, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Alice said happily.

"I was right!" Jacob exclaimed as he entered the room, "You did do stupendously!"

Alice giggled, "You're a true seer, Jacob."

"Oh, in the name of Merlin," Minerva commented, her disdain for divination showing.

Alice opened the front door and greeted Duke.

"Hi," she said as she invited him in.

"Hi."

They climbed the stairs to Alice's room and sat next to one another on her bed.

"So?" Alice asked.

Duke smiled, "All O's!"

She mirrored his smile "Same."

"Excellent! All of our studying paid off," Duke said cheerfully.

"Yeah, although we have a bit of a problem now."

Duke looked surprised, "How so?"

Alice laughed, "Don't you remember the deal we made? The one who scored lower on the potions owl had to get the other some sort of prize, but we both got O's."

"You had me worried for a second," he relied, referring to her comment about having a problem, "It's a pleasant issue to have, though."

She nodded.

"Alice?" Duke asked tentatively.

"Hmm?"

"Are you free for dinner on Tuesday?"

"Of course," she said with a smile, "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade, like last time?"

"Actually, this would be at my house."

"Really?"

Alice had yet to visit Duke's house. She liked the idea of seeing where he lived, but she knew that he and his family had a somewhat strained relationship. That in mind, she hadn't pressed the issue much.

"Yes. You could, ah, meet my parents. And Benny is home from boarding school in Germany."

"Germany?" Alice asked.

"They're trying to hide him and the fact that he's a squib, I suppose," Duke said of his parent's choice to send his brother to school in another country.

"Oh," Alice relied, "Well, Duke, I'd love to have dinner with your family."

"Are you sure?" Duke asked, sounding a bit nervous, "I mean, I wouldn't be offended if you said no. I've told you about my parents, and…well, you really don't mind eating with two people who are so ashamed of their squib son that they ship him off to Germany every autumn?"

"I don't agree with it, but I'd like to meet your brother. And I'm dying to see where you live. Besides, your parents can't be all bad."

"I'm unsure if you know this, but not all parents are as absolutely amazing as yours are," Duke said, a hint of bitterness seeping into his voice.

Alice looked annoyed, "We were talking about your family, not mine. And Merlin, you make me sound incredibly naïve.

Duke sighed, "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

"It's alright. I know you don't really like to talk about this topic."

"You are right, you know. They're my parents, and they aren't truly all bad. I just get entirely fed up with their judgments and preconceived notions and inflated standards for absolutely everything. I know I'm like that, to a certain extent, but I've realized that they take it much too far."

Alice nodded. "Would you be okay with me going to dinner on Tuesday?" she asked.

Duke smiled, "Just promise me you won't go running away after you meet them."

"Of course I won't," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

The next day, Alice visited the Prewetts' house. She and Molly sat in the backyard under the summer sunshine, talking.

"I'm having supper with Duke and his family later this week," Alice told Molly.

Molly perked up from her spot on the grass with interest. "When?" she asked.

"On Tuesday," Alice replied, idly twisting a strand of grass in her hand as she spoke.

"Oh, you were going to tell me more about the dinner with Bartholomew," Molly said, as Alice had thus far only briefly mentioned the other night with the Bagshots to her.

"Well, it was much calmer than I had thought it would turn out," Alice replied, "Although I'm not quite sure what I'd expected beforehand. You don't really imagine that an evening with the man who cursed your sister to go so smoothly, but it did. Anyway, Bartholomew apologized, we all ate, and Bathilda couldn't remember Katherine's name. Though not necessarily in that particular order."

"Do you think you'll see them again?" Molly asked.

"It's a possibility. Bartholomew seemed so nervous when they first arrived, but later he seemed more comfortable. And it's obvious that he really feels bad about the curse, and I think we're all okay with him, so maybe we will have him over again."

"Sometimes that's what I really like about life," Molly said "It's so unpredictable, which makes it interesting. I mean, two months ago did you ever imagine that you would be sitting across from Bartholomew at the dinner table?"

"Never," Alice replied, "I am glad it turned out this way, though, with everyone happy."

On Tuesday evening, Alice stood in front of the Biopelos' house. She tentatively rang the bell.

Duke opened the door and smiled slightly, "You're here."

"In the flesh," she replied as she stepped inside.

It was a very grandiose room. There was dark redwood floor underneath their feet and a glass chandelier above them.

"Right," Duke said, "Let me -"

A woman with somewhat icy blue eyes entered the room. She was of average height, and Alice assumed that she was Duke's mother.

She smiled charmingly, "Hello, dear. You must be Alice Dumbledore. I'm Vanessa Boipelo."

"Hello, Mrs. Boipelo" Alice responded politely, "It's very nice to meet you."

Vanessa turned to Duke, "Aemilius, tell Emma that we will be ready to dine shortly."

"Alright, Mother," Duke muttered as he left the room to go find his family's house-elf.

"Come into the sitting room, Alice," Vanessa said and led Alice into the room in question. They sat on a burgundy sofa.

"Were you relieved to finally receive your OWL results?" she asked, with a hint of a smile.

Alice nodded, "Very much so."

"Aemilius says that the two of you both received all O's, which is absolutely splendid. Both of you seem to complement one another quite well. We can't have either of you hanging around with just anyone, that is."

The speech made Alice uncomfortable, and so she didn't reply.

"You'll have to give your parents my regards," she continued, "I don't see them nearly often as I would like to, what with their being at Hogwarts and my being at the ministry."

"Well, it would seem as if we've all gathered in here," a man said as he entered the sitting room, "Good evening, Alice."

"Hello," Alice replied with a smile.

"This is Aemilius' father," Vanessa said.

"Where is Duke?" he asked.

"Here I am," Duke said as he entered the room.

"Why don't you show Alice around?" Vanessa suggested, although it sounded more like a command.

Alice grinned, "I'd like that."

Duke and Alice left the sitting room.

"So," Duke said, "Shall I show you the second floor?"

"Sure."

They walked up the staircase. Alice noticed what she assumed was a family portrait: it featured Duke and his parents. Benny, however, seemed to be missing from it.

"My room is here," Duke motioned to a door once they had reach the second floor, "And Benny's is up on the third floor."

As they stood in the hallway, a third person joined them, walking down the stairs from the floor above them.

"Duke?"

"Hello Benny," Duke greeted his younger brother, "This is Alice. Alice, this is Benny."

"Hi," Alice said.

"Hi Alice," Benny replied with a shy smile.

"Have you been back home for long?" she asked as they stepped into Duke's bedroom.

"I got back from school in Germany about three weeks ago."

"You know, I think The Animals were just in Germany," Alice commented.

"The Animals?" Duke looked perplexed.

"They're a rock band," Benny told Duke. He turned to Alice, "They were. I wish I'd been at the show."

Alice grinned, "Yeah. You should meet our friend Arthur Weasley; they're practically his favorite band."

Just then, there was a knock at Duke's door.

"Hi Emma," Benny greeted the house-elf with a big smile.

"Hello Mr. Benny," Emma replied cheerfully, "Mr. and Mrs. Boipelo instructed Emma to tell you three that supper is ready."

They walked down the stairs and into the Boipelos' dining room. They sat around the table, along with Duke and Benny's father. Their mother was in the kitchen, and they could hear her somewhat angry sounding voice from where they sat.

Alice reflected on what she had seen of the Boipelos' house thus far. Undoubtedly, it was very nice. However, there was something a bit too formal about it. It was almost as if was too fancy to feel comfortable in. Alice had never felt one hundred per cent at ease in such places; she worried that she would dirty or break something.

Vanessa entered the dining room, her eyes darkened with anger.

"For Merlin's sake, " Duke and Benny's father asked her, "What happened in the kitchen now?"

She smiled quickly, masking her annoyance, "Nothing, Ambrose. I've straightened it out."

Emma and another house elf brought out plates of food. The four Boipelos and Alice began to eat.

"Alice," Ambrose Boipelo spoke, "How are your parents?"

"They're fine," Alice replied, "And off for the summer since the school term is over."

"Are you all going somewhere for the summer?" Duke asked her.

"I don't know that we've thought much about that. We were in Ireland earlier this year, though."

"We've been considering spending some in Sweden before the Hogwarts term begins," said Ambrose, "Just the three of us."

Benny stared down at his food.

"It would be lovely," Vanessa added, "Perhaps your family would like to come with us, Alice. Oh, how lovely indeed. Two of the wizarding world's greatest families exploring Sweden together."

"Powerful who are capable of such great magical things," Ambrose agreed, emphasizing the word magical.

Benny now looked uncomfortable.

"I do wonder how muggles can get along without it and be so cheerful all the time. What is life without magic? Magic is power, is everything. Though I don't suppose they know what they're missing, the poor people," Ambrose said with a somewhat condescending chuckle.

"I think they get along okay," Alice spoke up, "It's simply a different way of living, that's all."

"She's right, Father," Duke joined in, "It's unfair to imply that muggles are inferior. They have much knowledge in fields other than magic."

Ambrose laughed somewhat dangerously, and it seemed as if they had crossed a line that shouldn't have been, "Duke, what's this you're spouting off about? I never implied anything of the sort."

Something inside of Alice snapped. She thought of all the pressure that Ambrose and Vanessa put on Duke and how terribly they treated Benny. And those things in mind, she couldn't sit there anymore and calmly listen to what they were saying.

"Yes," Alice said sharply, "You did."

The table fell silent.

"I should go," she spoke again, "I'm sorry, Duke. It was nice meeting you, Benny."

She swiftly left the Boipelos' house and returned to her own. She avoided the front door, making her way into the backyard through the side gate. She made her way to the swing set that sat in the backyard; taking a swing, she sat down.

Merlin. She didn't regret saying what she had said, but she disliked the consequences that they would likely have. Plus, she had done the one thing that she had assured Duke that she wouldn't do: she had ran away.

She looked up at the stars that were beginning to shine in the evening sky and reflected on that.

"Alice?" her father asked as he joined her outside.

She sighed, "Why does standing up for the right thing have to be so difficult? And why does it need to be stood up for in the first place? Why can't people just act in a way that respects the right thing?"

"Those are good questions, particularly the last two. If we knew the answers, it would likely solve a lot of the world's problems," Albus replied.

"Duke has a brother named Benny," Alice said after a few moments.

"Does he?"

"Yeah. He's a squib," Alice elaborated, "Their parents treat him awfully."

"That's a sad thing. Children should be treasured."

"Both of their parents were talking about a trip that the family's going to take without Benny right in front of him. Then their father started going on about how muggles are inferior and was so condescending about the whole thing," Alice said, "So I told Ambrose Boipelo that he was wrong and left. It was probably a rude thing to do, but I just couldn't listen to them go on anymore. Besides, I feel like standing up for what I feel is right trumps etiquette and formalities and such."

"I think you've said it quite well, Alice," Albus told her.

She sighed again, "I hope that Duke isn't angry or hurt."

"Talk to him," suggested Albus.

"I will," Alice agreed.

They both stayed outside for awhile.

Later that night, when Alice was sitting on her bed contemplating what book to read, Duke flooed her. She got up and sat near the fireplace.

"Duke, I'm sorry I ran out like that."

"It's okay," he reassured her.

"How are you? How's Benny?"

"We're about the same," Duke told her, and then he changed the subject a bit, "Don't worry too much about what happened at dinner. I had already gotten my mother a bit upset before you'd arrived."

"What happened?"

"I insisted that Benny be able to eat with us," Duke explained, "Because really, he deserves to be included in these kinds of things, but they always ignore him. So I told mother that if Benny didn't get to be there, too, I'd tell you that the entire thing was canceled."

"You really stood up to her."

"It's taken me long enough. You, on the other hand, managed to do it on the very night that you met them."

Alice blushed.

"Can I ask you something?" she inquired a few moments later.

"Certainly."

"Your mum…she was really caught up with my parents, wasn't she?"

Duke nodded, "She's quite infatuated with people in powerful positions, which I suppose is part of the reason she was so ecstatic about you and I."

"She probably isn't so much now, though."

Duke shrugged, "I wouldn't worry about it. I'm not going to. I'm not going to let what they say and think control my life anymore, Alice."

She nodded.

"I'm going to try to be a better brother to Benny and not completely ignore him anymore like Mother and Father do," Duke continued, "He's my brother, but I feel as though I hardly know him. We've been talking more than we usually do since he got back from school."

"It's a start," Alice agreed.

Duke nodded, "And I wanted to thank you."

She smiled mischievously, "For completely ruining dinner?"

"No, although standing up to my father like you did was somewhat admirable. What I wanted to thank you for was making me see all of this. The need to form more of a relationship with Benny, that is, and getting rid of things that prevent me from doing so. Of course, I can't ostracize my parents, but I haven't quite figured out a possible course of action in regards to that at the moment. I do want to get to know Benny better, though."

"But that's your doing, not mine."

"It is your influence. Do you remember when we broke up and why we did so?"

Alice nodded, "Of course I remember. I was worried that I was loosing my relationship with my family."

"Taking that into consideration, that's why I'm doing what I'm doing. You made me see how important family is, and that's why I'm going to try to gain a greater friendship with Benny. So, thank you," Duke concluded as he took Alice's hand and kissed it.

Hope you liked this one.

Sometime in the near future, I'll be exchanging college scholarship applications and crazy amounts of homework (although I can only hope on that one, but I am an optimist) for AP exams and prom and general graduation business. That in mind, I'm unsure if I will be able to update on a regular basis, but I'll do my best. Just know that I haven't abandoned this =).