Waking up was a slow process. I first heard strange murmurings, as if I was underwater. Over the next couple of minutes, they became louder, creating odd bits of conversation.
I could tell that I was lying on my back, in some sort of bed. After the last few weeks of sleeping on the floor, it was a welcome change.
The smell of many different potions lingered in the air and light tried to filter through my closed eyelids. Though sleep beckoned, it was obvious that I was going to wake up soon.
"Hey!" A familiar voice exclaimed. "I think she's waking up!"
Squinting my eyes open, I was met with the harsh light of day causing me to quickly reclose my eyes.
"Close the blinds," A slightly harsher voice demanded. "I can't believe that you all insist on being here."
A chorus of "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey" came from all sides. I heard the sound of footsteps walking away and deemed it safe to open my eyes.
"Where am I?" I croaked out as I tried to open my eyes.
Looking around, I saw Romana sitting in the chair nearest to my head on the right while Scorpius was identical to her on my left. Teddy was half-sitting, half-leaning on the end of the bed. Anna was hugging her knees to her chest next to Scorpius.
"The infirmary," Scorpius informed me. "When you got out of the pensieve, it took all of ten seconds for both you and Albus to pass out."
"What about you and Rose?" I implored.
"We were fine, but on the other hand, we didn't see much. In fact, I can't remember much of what I saw at all." Scorpius said sounding just slightly perplexed.
"Yea, that's a side effect of…ugh, something. I know it, it's on the tip of my tongue, but..." I shrugged. "Has Albus woken up yet?"
Scorpius shot a look over about a half a dozen beds. On the other side of the room was a curtain that seemed to go around more than three beds.
"Wow," I smirked. "And I don't even get a curtain around one bed?"
Romana slapped my shoulder lightly, "The entire Potter-Weasley clan came."
I nodded and sighed, propping myself up on my elbows. "How long have I been out?"
"About three days." Teddy said solemnly. "And now that you are awake, I have to go."
"What?" Anna exclaimed.
"Why?" Romana moaned.
"He called my parents on his cellophone." Scorpius said.
"They can't track muggle items," Teddy explained. "But I do need to get back to work and tell them you are OK."
We bid him adieu and as we sat in silence, I remembered something.
"What are we going to do about the people who want Scorpius dead?" I asked.
Scorpius sighed and knotted his fingers in his hair, not saying a word. Anna turned her head down so I looked at Romana for answers.
"Because we were with Albus, James and Rose," Romana stuttered. "Daily Prophet reporters have been all over this. It was revealed that you were the Parseltongue that got us all in."
"Oh god." I groaned, putting my head in my hands. "What are we going to do?"
"That's not the worst part," Romana grumbled. "We're facing expulsion."
The blood drained from my face. Expulsion. The Daily Prophet would have a field day with the report of three Slytherins being expelled.
"Why?!" I exclaimed. "We didn't do anything wrong!"
Romana shrugged. "Their saying that James, Rose and Albus were forced to go with us, putting their lives in great danger and that we're lucky we're all alive."
Anna crawled into the bed next to me, curling into my body. "I don't want you to be expelled, Allie." She sniffed.
"It's OK," I murmured, kissing the top of her head. "It's OK."
I was so busy in trying to comfort Anna that I didn't notice the other two people's shocked looks until a hand was on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw none other than Harry Potter.
Oh my Merlin.
"Nice to see you alive and well, Aladdin." He smiled down at me.
"Thank you." I replied awkwardly.
"Would you mind if I talked to you alone?" Harry Potter asked, looking at my friends and Anna.
"Um-N-no, sir, I wouldn't mind," I stuttered.
Leaning down, I whispered to Anna to go to the Slytherin dorm. The other two got the hint from Mr Potter and soon we were alone.
"You needed to talk to me…sir?" I asked as he sat in the chair closest to my head on the right where Romana had previously been seated.
"I want to ask your side of the story." Mr Potter said causing me to raise my eyebrows.
"You want my side of the story?" I clarified. The look on his face lead me to believe that he knew I mean "You want a Slytherin's side of the story?"
"Yes," He said.
So…in a move completely unlike me, probably induced by wacky potions that I knew Madam Pomfrey had probably given me as I slept and total distress from being told I might be expelled, I told him everything. I told him about the possible rebellion, the weird déjà vu I got around Albus, the Basilisk, everything.
"Do you think I'm completely crazy?" I asked, biting on my bottom lip ever so slightly.
"No, I don't think you're crazy." He sighed. "I'm just angered by the Minister. I tried to tell him what would happen if he continued with all these decrees."
"Hey, Hakuna Matata, am I right?" I joked, rolling my eyes.
"You know that movie?" Mr Potter asked shocked.
"Yeah…I would like to say I'm not a pureblood but…technically, in another life, I was…so…Muggle-raised?" I tried.
The sound of footsteps came near my bed and when I looked up, low and behold the Wicked Witch of Hogwarts herself-Professor McGonagall.
"Bubble, bubble, here comes trouble," I muttered to myself as McGonagall made her way to me.
"Miss Parker," She glowered. "You are in so much trouble. First, this insane rant about two perfectly good students just trying to help your peers and now you've gone and put the lives of even more students in danger! I am disgraced."
"What rant?" Mr Potter asked eyeing the fists that I had made out of my hands.
"She claims that Miss Lily Potter and Mr Hugo Weasley released boggarts on the Dursley triplets and the young Miss Anna Walker." McGonagall explained.
"They were laughing at them," I glowered. "And their wands weren't out."
Mr Potter turned to McGonagall. "Why was I not aware of this?"
"Because it's not true," McGonagall huffed.
"Did you use a pensieve to examine the incident or did you just jump to conclusions like you did for this situation here?" Mr Potter asked. "To tell you the truth, I actually remember my fifth year very well and you know, there was one teacher who was very certain that I only told lies. However, by the end of the year, it was found out that all those 'lies' were true and if she had listened to them, an innocent man could have been saved."
McGonagall opened and closed her mouth for a few moments, trying to find something to say.
"Another thing, Aladdin here told me that all they were trying to do was find answers so that they could help stop a rebellion. A rebellion created by this school and the ministry." Mr Potter seemed very mad, and I think I could see why.
He had fought a war, lost people he loved, because of people judging one another on blood. Now, they were judging on something even more superficial-Houses. It was as if people had learned nothing.
"I didn't know about that last thing, Mr Potter," McGonagall sighed. "What have I done all these years?"
"Been a crazy old cat lady?" I asked causing her to look at me with a single raised eyebrow. "I said nothing!"
McGonagall sighed, and walked over to the left side of my bed. "Miss Parker," She said. "I am terribly sorry. I do promise you that I was not always this judgmental, but I fear no one leaves the war unscathed."
I shrugged, "It's OK. However, if I told you I was muggle-raised…would that give me bonus points?" At her look, I backtracked. "I mean; I believe you. Terrible war, doesn't decide whose right, just decides whose left. Redoing that Boggart thing would be nice though…Anna's still fixated on the fact that they somehow found out she's claustrophobic."
"I will do that," She smiled. "Right now, actually, while I have time. I hope you feel well soon, Aladdin."
With that, McGonagall left and I had an all new sense of respect for the woman. In retrospect it really wasn't her fault about what she thought about Slytherins, but to admit she was wrong takes a strong…and brave…person. And maybe a little push from a fellow Gryffindork.
Maybe Gryffindors aren't so bad after all…
Two hours after Albus and I woke up-for apparently we awoke at the same time-we were allowed to see each other. After McGonagall left, I was maybe just a little pushy on when I got to see Albus-who I seemed to want to call Edbus...oops.
I waited for Albus in the owlery where we said we'd meet after he shook off his family. The Potter-Weasleys were known for all being sort of Mother Hen-ish.
It felt nice to sit on the window ledge and stroke Jo's feathers. I hadn't been able to just chill out with him as much as I wanted to. I am losing my mind.
After about ten minutes, I heard the sound of feet clomping up the Owlery stairs. Turning, I saw Albus standing in the doorway looking slightly winded.
"What, did you run all the way from the lake?" I asked with a smirk. Calling it the Black Lake seemed…weird now, almost foreign.
"If I thought my first family was crazy, lord have mercy, why this family next?" Albus asked the ceiling. "Why?"
I rolled my eyes at his melodramatics. "Oh, you know you love them."
He sat down across from me on the window sill. Whereas both of my knees were tucked into my chest, only one of his knees was up while the other dangled inside. We both watched the horizon.
"Alas, I do." He sighed. "So…should I call you Cory or Allie?"
"Allie," I stated immediately as he laughed. "That's not fair! You know I hated that nickname."
"Still do," Albus reminded.
"Whatever…Eddie," I teased causing him to groan.
"Nooo! Do not do that to me again!" Albus groaned.
We sobered and that was when the sad thoughts came to my mind.
"I died with Helena hating me," I murmured sadly.
"She didn't hate you," Albus assured. "Helena was just jealous of the attention. That's all."
"I will never see my family again, Albus." I said tears pricking my eyes.
"Hey, I know," He said, grabbing my hand. "I'm going through the same thing."
"No you're not!" I exclaimed, ripping my hand away and getting up, starting to pace. "You got another family to love! I lived most of my life being hated! I pushed people away so they wouldn't push away me first! I had nothing!"
Albus got up and grabbed my shoulders making me look into his eyes. "But you have things now, you have the Slytherins, who are basically your family, and you have me."
I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him as he held me to him. Feeling the tears in my hair, I began to cry as well. We were mourning the life and family we had lost, because…what else could you do? No one else in the world knew what we had known. We were the only truly familiar thing to one another. And we also had to stop a rebellion. We reserve the right to be upset.
I HAVE DONE IT! Not only have I updated two days in a row, but I have gotten into double digits! YAAAY!
I really hope you like this chapter everyone and thank you so much to all my faithful readers and double thanks to all the people reviewing. They make my day!