Author's Note: This applies for the next chapters in this massive update. I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER!

Chapter 9 The New and Hopefully Improved Quidditch Team

The rest of the week was horrible. Teachers kept lecturing about O.W.L exams and detentions with Umbridge were worse than ever. As Alex wrote, she saw that it took a lot longer for the cuts to heal. This allowed the words to go deeper into her skin. Harry and Alex didn't tell Hermione and Ron about their detentions. It was too twisted to be believable.

On Thursday, Alex was sitting with Harry during lunch cradling her hand. It would occasionally send out shots of extreme pain and it was getting hard to hide the cuts that looked a lot like words. Suddenly, a shadow came over her and Harry and she saw Angelina looking furious.

"Potter!" she said angrily, "Is it true you have detention this Friday evening?"

"Yes," he said, cringing slightly, "I tried to get out of it for tomorrow, but she wouldn't let me."

Alex remembered the look of Umbridge's face when Harry had asked. It was like she was overjoyed to have been the source of sadness for Harry.

"I wanted the whole team there for tryouts!" said Angelina. She had been named captain and Alex was glad for her.

She stormed off and Alex felt even more depressed than she already was. She had wanted to tryout for Keeper but she had detention. And then she had told Snape she couldn't make their evening lessons because of her detention with Umbridge. He was obviously not happy with her missing lessons, but once he heard she had detention his demeanor changed to malicious laughter.

"I believe you beat your father's own record," he said quietly and she left quickly before she had time to retaliate. They had decided to wait on the lessons until the detentions ceased.

At least Alex was able to keep up with the work load. Harry and Ron had to skip meals to do their work. She could understand Harry with his detentions and all, but Ron had the entire evening to work. Alex had asked Hermione what Ron did, but she didn't know herself.

"He goes off somewhere and comes back I guess after I go to bed," said Hermione with a shrug, "But I wish he'd go somewhere where he could work!"

Finally, it was Friday. At breakfast that morning, Monty came down with a package that Alex opened quickly, and smiled with relief.

"What's that, Alex?" Ron asked as Alex pulled on her fingerless gloves.

"Erin had bought these for me a while back," Alex explained, "Their fingerless so you can still write with them on, but if you pull these on," she pulled the fabric over her fingers, "They become mittens."

"But why-?"

"Haven't you guys been freezing around here?" Alex asked, interrupting Hermione's question, "My fingers are becoming icicles!"

Hermione looked at Alex closely while her other friends just shrugged and went to their classes. When Arithmancy ended at the end of the day, Alex held back with Draco while everyone else left.

"What's up?" Draco asked.

"I can't do the lessons tonight," said Alex, not looking at him, "I…I have detention with that Umbridge woman!"

"That's okay," Draco said kindly, "We'll do it Saturday then. What's wrong though? You look like something's bothering you."

"It's…that hag!" said Alex angrily as they walked down empty corridors together, "She's a monster! Fudge sent her here to take over the school and she won't let us use magic at all! How are we going to do our practical exams if we've never had a practical lesson?"

"It is a strange way of teaching," said Draco, his brow furrowed, "And I admit she's no sweet little bunny, but why would Dumbledore let her in?"

"Probably because Fudge made him," said Alex, "I mean, this job's cursed and everyone knows that. Probably no one volunteered except her and he had no choice but to hire her. The best thing we can do is hope she dies like Quirrell by the end of the year."

Draco chuckled and shook his head. Alex saw this and smiled slightly as they reached a fork in the corridor.

"I'll see you later then," said Draco, "And good luck with your detention tonight."

"Thanks," said Alex, unconsciously rubbing the back of her hand where scabs showed the fated words, "I'll need all the help I can get."

"What does she make you do exactly?"

"Lines," said Alex with a shrug, "But it's a twisted sort of way of doing them."

"Still though, it's not terribly bad, right?" Draco asked in the hopes of cheering her up.

"No, I guess not," she said quietly, "I'll see you later, Draco."

…

Later that evening, Alex and Harry were writing their lines. Alex's hand had stopped healing all together and the blood was dripping all over the paper. She knew Harry was probably checking the window every few seconds to see the Keeper tryouts and it was all she could do to not do the same. However, night was falling fast and soon it was too dark to see anything. Finally, with blood all over the paper, Umbridge called for them to stop. Alex pulled out a tissue from her bag and wiped the red, sticky solution off her hand.

"Hands," she said for the last time that week.

Alex and Harry gave her their hands. As she was looking closely, Alex felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, where her scar was. It didn't last long, but it surprised her enough to let out a small gasp of pain. Umbridge looked at her intently, thinking she must have caused the pain.

"There now dear," she said in her phony-sweet voice, "Now you see that nothing good comes from being impertinent. You may go, I see the message has sunk in well enough."

Alex turned and left the room, using her long legs to take longer strides. Once she was out of the room, she waited for Harry.

"What's up, Alex?" Harry asked when he closed the door.

"My scar, it burned when she touched me," said Alex, "The only time I remember it doing that was when Quirrell had touched you and it went through me, or when Voldemort did it to you."

"I felt it too," said Harry, "I don't know what it means. Hey, where are you headed?" Alex had started going down a different corridor.

"I'll meet you back in the common room!" said Alex. She had just remembered something that would help hers and Harry's hands. Turning the knob on her locket to the right, she became invisible to all.

Alex's locket had been her mother's. Not only did it keep the pictures of her parents in it, but it allowed the wearer to become invisible. Only three of them were ever made in the world, the other now belonging to Hermione. The original owner was the twin sister of Alex's mother. The third one had belonged to Alex's great-step-grandmother. She assumed it was buried with the woman since she had never seen it in her family's collection.

As Alex raced into the dungeons, she went into the first classroom and quietly entered, closing the door silently behind her. She crossed the room to the store cupboard. Smiling, she pulled out two hair pins and picked the lock on the door. Like most wizards, Snape had seemed to forget that there was more than one way to unlock a locked door. The lock clicked open and Alex entered. After searching for a matter of seconds, she found what she was looking for: murtlap tentacles. She took down a jar and closed the door behind her. She was about to leave when the door opened and she froze, not daring to move a muscle even though she was invisible.

It was Draco and she relaxed slightly. He looked both ways down the corridor as he closed the door and sat on a desk, running his hands through his hair. Sighing, he pulled out a slip of paper, smiling as he read it. Alex quietly placed the jar behind a desk and walked right in front of Draco.

"Draco!" she whispered and he jumped with fright, quickly putting the paper in his pocket and looking around. Alex was still invisible.

"Who's there?" he asked, looking wildly around, "Come on out and fight like a man!"

"That's not sexist at all," said Alex sarcastically, becoming visible and smiling at him.

"Alex!" he breathed with relief but his face turned a little pink, "What are you doing here? I thought you had detention!"

"I did," said Alex darkly, "I had to get something from the store room. You won't tell Snape, will you?"

"Of course not!" said Draco with a laugh, "But do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I'm guessing after curfew," said Alex with a smile as she looked over Draco's anxious face, "Otherwise you wouldn't be looking at me like that."

"Like what?" he asked quickly.

"Don't worry, Draco!" said Alex, laughing, "I can get back on my own. Now come on and let's get you back to your common room."

Draco smiled gratefully as Alex elongated the chain and put it around his neck. She grabbed the jar from behind the desk and they set off.

"So why do you need murtlap tentacles anyway?" Draco whispered right by her ear.

"They help heal cuts faster," Alex breathed, leaning in closer to his ear, "And Harry keeps coming back with them from Quidditch practice."

He smiled with understanding and Alex got a good look at his eyes. They were grey just like hers and now they were shinning with laughter and excitement. Man, he really did shoot up over the summer because she had to look up a little when she talked to him. Smiling, she returned to the task at hand and soon, they reached the wall where the entrance to the Slytherin common room was hidden. She made herself visible and took the chain off of Draco.

"Thanks for getting me back safe," Draco said quietly, "And you be careful getting back."

"I'll be fine, Draco," said Alex with a laugh, "You worry too much about me!"

"I consider it my job," Draco said, his face turning more serious, "I made a promise not to let anything happen to you, and I intend to keep it."

"Well keep up the good work, big brother," said Alex with a wink and hugged him tightly.

"No problem, Alex," he whispered and Alex turned herself invisible.

She waited for him to go safely through the door and went back to her room. When she arrived, however, the room was full of people laughing and talking. Alex slipped through the crowd and towards Hermione, Harry, and Levina.

"What's going on?" Alex asked Harry, hiding the jar under the table.

"Ron's the new Keeper!" Hermione said happily.

"He is?" said Alex, "That's awesome! Where is he?"

"He went to get fitted for his robes," said Harry, "He'll be back soon."

In just seconds, there were whistles and claps as Ron made his way through the crowd towards them. He turned around in a circle with a grin across his face.

"So…how do I look?" he asked anxiously.

"Awesome!" said Alex.

"They did a good job with it!" said Levina happily, "You were meant to wear those colors."

"Definitely," Harry said, slapping Ron on the shoulder in a many way. Alex looked at Levina and they both shared an eye-roll while giggling.

"You look great, Ron," said Hermione with a smile.

Ron smiled but then Fred and George took their younger brother on their shoulders and began carrying him around.

"So," said Alex to Harry, "Is he any good?"

"Angelina said he was the best there. He only missed one goal out of five!"

Alex grinned and managed to pull Harry aside, showing him the jar of murtlap tentacles.

"This'll make the pain go away," she said, "I have to pickle and strain them but I thought I'd show you them."

"You're a lifesaver, Alex!" Harry said with a happy sigh.

"Yeah I know, I try," she said with a laugh, "Now let's go and get some rest. I want to actually enjoy my weekend back."

That evening, Alex climbed into bed in a very good mood. She felt herself drifting off to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She was walking down corridor after corridor. The door up ahead was ajar and she went in with her wand in hand. Her father was strapped to a chair with at least seven dementors surrounding him. She raised her wand to fight them off, but it was taken from her hands by magic. She looked up to see who had done so and found the Minster of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, grinning wickedly.

"Minister, please!" she begged, her eyes filling with tears, "Don't do this! Stop, please!"

But he just laughed like always and gestured at the dementors to move in closer. Alex tried to lunge at Fudge to get her wand back, but a strong pair of hands held her back. She struggled with all her might, screaming the entire time. Finally, the dementors backed away and Alex let out a cry of horror.

Her father was still in the chair, or was he? It was definitely a man with long black hair, but that was the only resemblance. The person in the chair had deathly pale skin and his eyes were blank as he stared off into space. His soul had been removed, he was one of them now.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed, falling to her knees. She screamed curses at Fudge as he laughed.

"Now it is time for you to join him!" he said and left the room, closing the door with a bang.

Alex looked around wildly as the hooded creatures she hated so much closed around her, whispering her name over and over again.

"Alex…Alex…Alex…Alex!"

"Alex…ALEX!"

She sat up in her bed, gasping for air and shaking like a leaf. Looking around, she saw everyone standing around her bed, looking a little relieved that she was awake but also nervous as to why she was the way she was.

"Merlin Alex," said Parvati, "What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

"Parvati!" snapped Stevie with a glare before turning to Alex with concern.

Alex continued gasping for air as she wiped her forehead, finding it covered with cold sweat. Her eyes were also moist and she wiped those too.

"Nightmare," she managed to get out.

"Nightmare my foot!" said Lavender angrily, "Alex, you wouldn't wake up! We were shaking you for the last ten minutes!"

"And you kept moaning, telling someone to stop doing something," said Parvati, "We thought you were already awake and hallucinating or something!"

Alex looked at Hermione and her friend's eyes widened with realization. Alex nodded and Hermione looked so sad that her friend was having those dreams again. She had finally told Hermione after her friend demanded to know why she looked so tired everyday. Stevie came over with a cup of water and handed it to Alex, who drank it willingly.

"Thanks Stevie," she said weakly, "What time is it?"

"It's three in the morning," said Stevie, looking at her watch, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine, thanks though," said Alex with a small smile.

Her friends went back to their beds and Alex lay back down. So, the dreams had returned with a vengeance. Now what? She couldn't not sleep, she needed her strength for school. And she couldn't handle those dreams every night, nor was it right to let her friends be woken up by it every evening. Finally, Alex decided she would write to her father tomorrow and ask for his advice. She just hoped that he wouldn't try to come to the castle to see if she was all right. That was the last thing she needed to worry about right now.

Author's Note: To make up for my long absence, I'm doing a major updating frenzy. Go to the next chapter and collect 200 Galleons for sticking around this long! Don't forget to review! :)