The Alexander Chronicles Year 4: The Rise of Darkness
Chapter 10: Off to Hogwarts Once Again
…
It was as the weather itself knew that the summer holiday were over. Even before Alex opened his eyes, he could hear the rain still was hamming at the window and the storm was shaking the house. Still Alex got up with a big smile on his face, because he was finally going back to Hogwarts. Hopefully this year would be just as exciting as the last one, although less danger would be preferred. He quickly got dressed in his muggle clothes, since every student always changed to their school robes on the train; it could almost be called a tradition.
As he went down the stairs to Mrs. Weasley´s kitchen, he would hear her shout, "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"
Alex flattened himself against the wall as Mr. Weasley came clattering past with his robes on back-to-front and hurtled out of sight. When Alex entered the kitchen, they saw Mrs. Weasley rummaging anxiously in the drawers – "I've got a quill here somewhere!" – she said.
Mr. Weasley was bending over the fire, talking to a familiar face Alex had met at the World Cup. Alex quickly looked at Harry who was standing beside Ron he looked shocked, as if it was the first time he had seen a floo-call.
If Alex had not seen floo-calls before, he supposed he would be shocked. There in middle of the flames in the fireplace was a heard. The heard belonged to Amos Diggory. He was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.
"… Muggle neighbours heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems - please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there —"
"Here!" Mrs. Weasley said breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands.
"- it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," Mr. Diggory said. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off — if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur —"
"What does Mad-Eye say happened?" Mr. Weasley asked while unscrewing the inkbottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes. The word Mad-Eye had Alex pay full attention on the conversation.
Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes. "Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins."
"What did the dustbins do?" asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically.
"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," Mr. Diggory said.. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the policemen turned up -"
Mr. Weasley groaned. "And what about the intruder?"
"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," Mr. Diggory said in a tried tone while rolling his eyes again. "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely, there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it — think of his record — we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department — what are exploding dustbins worth?"
"I might be able to limit to a caution," said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"
"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," Mr. Diggory said, "but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties."
"All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again.
Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley.
"Sorry about this, Molly," he said, more calmly, "bothering you so early and everything… but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night…"
"Never mind, Amos," said Mrs. Weasley. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"
"Oh go on, then," said Mr. Diggory.
Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth. "Fanks," he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small pop, vanished.
Alex could hear Mr. Weasley calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes on the right way now, dragging a comb through his hair.
"I'd better hurry - you have a good term, boys," said Mr. Weasley to Alex. Harry, Ron, Fred, and George, fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate. "Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?"
"Of course I will," she said. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine."
As Mr. Weasley vanished, Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen.
"Did someone say Mad-Eye?" Bill asked. "What's he been up to now?"
"He says someone tried to break into his house last night," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Mad-Eye Moody?" said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. "Isn't he that nutter -"
"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," said Mrs. Weasley sternly, as Alex looked at George.
"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. "Birds of a feather…"
"I wouldn't say that to his face. Mad-Eye Moody was a great wizard in his time," Alex spoke up, "in fact he was one of the best."
"And he is an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?" Charlie asked
"Dumbledore's not what you'd call normal, though, is he?" Fred said. "I mean, I know he's a genius and everything…"
"Who is Mad-Eye?" Harry asked looking at everyone.
"He's retired, used to work at the Ministry," said Charlie. "I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror - one of the best… a Dark wizard catcher," he added, seeing Harry's blank look.
"It is said that half of the inmates in Azkaban are in there because of him." Alex continued, "and that have made him a lot of enemies; like the family members of the ones he put away, but also the once he almost put away."
"But why did he attack the duskpin like that?" Hermione asked.
"From what I heard he has been getting really paranoid in his old age." Bill answered, "He sees dark wizards everywhere, and doesn't really trust anyone."
"Still sounds a bit too paranoid to me." Ron muttered making Alex roll his eyes.
"Paranoia saved many of the aurors back in the days Ron." Bill said, "He was on the front line in the last war with You-Know-Who."
Alex didn´t really speak much to anyone except Ginny during that morning. Then finally it got time to leave for London. Bill and Charlie decided to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologising most profusely, said that he really needed to get to work.
"I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment," he told them, not that that many actually cared. "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me."
Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office to order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take them into London.
Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us," Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry and Alex as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving eight heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. "But there weren't any to spare… Oh dear, they don't look happy, do they?"
From the limited knowledge, Alex had on taxi drivers, and from what Harry and Hermione had told him and by the look on taxi drivers faces, they rarely transported overexcited owls and big trunks, but neither of them liked to tell Mrs. Weasley that.
Especially Pigwidgeon was making an earsplitting racket. Nor did it help that a number of Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk sprang open, causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg.
The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the fact that they were jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. Crookshanks took quite a while to recover from the fireworks, by the time they entered London, Alex, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all severely scratched. They were very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain was coming down harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station.
Getting to platform nine and three-quarters was an easy thing for Alex, since it was a simple matter of walking straight through the apparently solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten.
The only tricky part was doing this in an unobtrusive way, so as to avoid attracting Muggle attention. They did it in groups today; Harry, Ron, and Hermione (the most conspicuous, since they were accompanied by Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks) went first; they leaned casually against the barrier, chatting unconcernedly, and slid sideways through it… and as they did so, platform nine and three-quarters materialised in front of them. Fred, George and Alex followed with Bill, Charlie, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley coming in last.
The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist. Harry, Ron, Alex, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train, except for Alex who threw his stuff in an neighbouring compartment. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.
"Might be seeing you all sooner than you think," said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye.
"Why?" Fred asked keenly.
"You'll see," said Charlie. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it… it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."
"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," Bill said in a hopeful voice, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.
"Why?" George asked impatiently.
"You're going to have an interesting year," Bill said, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it."
"Okay what is happening how big is this thing?" Alex asked eager to get the information. However before anyone could answer the whistle blew and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors.
"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her.
"Thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.
"Yeah thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Alex agreed.
"Oh it was my pleasure, dears," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'd invite you for Christmas, but… well; I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with… one thing and another."
"Mum!" Ron said irritably. "What d'you three know that we don't?"
"You'll find out this evening, I expect," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "It's going to be very exciting - mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"
"What rules?" Alex, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all said together.
"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you… Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George?"
The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.
"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie sped away from them. "What rules are they changing?"
But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved. Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated.
Harry and Ron made their way to their compartment, Hermione was about to join them, but stopped as she saw Alex wasn´t coming.
"You won´t join us will you?"
"No," Alex said quietly, "I promised to hang out with Blaise."
Hermione looked a little sad, but nonetheless smiled before following Harry and Ron. Alex stood still for a few seconds before entering his compartment.
Alex turned to look out the window that the thick rain splattering against them made it very difficult to see out of them. He yawned and looked out of the compartment door, where he spotted Blaise walked around, Alex stood up and waived at him. Blaise smiled as he saw Alex and dragged his trunk in to the compartment. "Hey man, was the world cup nice?" he asked as placed his trunk and owl onto the railings.
"Oh great," Alex said, "got the whole package, an amazing match with an Irish victory, and riots with death eaters attacking and bulling some muggles, all ending with the dark mark in the air." Alex paused and grinned, "You know busy as usual."
Blaise grinned, "Yeah I heard about that! Must have been frightening though. I heard that there was a panic."
"Oh there was a panic, people screaming running away. But yeah it was scary." Alex admitted. "However enough about that how was your summer."
"It was good," Blaise smirked, "I hang around in Diagon Ally, checking out girls, and then spending time with Tracey."
"By the way, speaking of girls. Why did you tell Daphne about the Ministry and about my father?"
Blaise looked a little awkward, "yeah about that"
"Yeah," Alex said crossing his arms.
"Looked you passed out man, no worse in fact you passed out while screaming you lungs out. It was like you had a seizer." Blaise exclaimed, "then you were gone for a whole hour, and I have to tell you the first 10-15 minutes the healers were running pretty fast. So I freaked out, and I needed to talk to someone that knew you, so I called Daphne. Beside I thought that if Daphne knew why you were so weird last term, then she would come around. After all can I have my best mate´s crush staying mad at him."
Alex blushed, "shut up."
"So did it work?" Blaise asked.
"Well oh sort off, actually she yelled at me the first time I saw her, but we talked during the death eater attack. But still I would have wanted her to hear it from me okay."
"Okay I am sorry about that." Blaise said as the compartment door opened up again reveal to beautiful girls, Daphne and Tracey.
"Hello, Blaise," Tracey greeted, sitting next to Blaise and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Alexander Black!" She added with a smirk.
Alex turned and stared at Daphne, knowing that she was the one who told her. "What?" Daphne said, noticing Alex´s stare.
"You told her?"
"I'm sorry, but Tracey is my best friend, and I tell her everything."
"Yup I tell her anything." Tracey smiled.
Alex sighed, "okay but none of you have told anyone else right, because let us keep the magic between us." Alex paused, "wait then how does Malfoy knows?"
Tracey snorted, "Malfoy knows – well good luck keeping that a secret."
"But he properly knows it from his father." Daphne explained. "I mean the way Crouch were looking at you at the world cup; it was as if he knew. And if he known then it stands to reason that other does as well."
Alex sighed, "yeah you are properly right, I just hope he will keep his mouth shut. I don't want everyone glaring at me, knowing that my father is a convicted murderer and thinking I am to follow in his footsteps."
"You can just explain the truth to them." Blaise said, making Alex snort.
"Yeah right, because they will surely believe the Prophet over me, I mean I am just a parselmouth with parents that have criminal recodes."
"Well those who you think you would end up as mass murderer are idiots Alex." Tracey said, "Off course that doesn´t make it easier. However now that we are at the subject what in Merlin´s name happened last year? Daphne didn´t tell me that much."
Alex paused for a few seconds, Tracey should know too since his other two friends knew. Beside there were details that he hadn´t told either Daphne or Blaise. He walked up and closed the compartment door, then began telling his story.
"Are you telling me that you actually produced a fully corporeal Patronus?" Tracey asked in awe, Daphne looked very impressed as well.
Alex nodded, "yeah, Harry did it too"
"Yeah because you taught us." Blaise said.
"I agree what you have done is amazing. You are the first thirteen year old who ever have done that."
Alex blushed a bit, "well I really don´t know what where happing at the time." He replied.
"So tell us," Tracey exclaimed, "what were its form?"
"It is an eagle."
"I am more interested in that you travelled in time. How was it? Did you see yourself?" Blaise asked, as Alex nodded he continued. "Wow I wish I could do that, it would be so cool. I would spend my time leaving messages to myself, so I would know what would happen. Or I could use it to get payback at Malfoy and have the prefect alibi."
Everyone including Blaise laughed, as the laugher died down Alex noticed that Daphne was giving him a worried look. "What is wrong?"
Daphne still looked worried, "I was just thinking," she began slowly. "That you always seems that you are in danger each year. First, it was Philosopher's Stone where Quirrell nearly killed you. In our second year you were nearly was eaten by a Basilisk. And finally last year you almost lost your soul."
"Yeah it been some exiting years." Alex said showing his Gryffindor colours.
"I don´t think you should be so corky Alex, I mean you are talented wizard, but you had to admit some of it have been luck."
"Yeah luck and talent."
"The point is," Daphne said, "what if something happens that you can´t handle."
"Daphne come on, just because something bad has happen the last years, doesn´t mean that it will happen this year."
However Daphne still looked worried, "I don´t know Alex. I mean just look at what happened at the World Cup, with the Dark Mark in the air and everything else that happened. It is all bad signs, and I am worried,"
Alex gave a reassuring smile, "it will be fine Daph, nothing will happen this year, even if it does then it always Harry who is in the centre. So I just keep on the side-lines this year and hanging out with your guys, Harry, Neville and Hermione."
"Ganger?" Daphne said.
"Yeah how many Hermiones do you know?" Alex said looking away therefore not noticing, that Daphne had a sneer on her face.
However, before anyone could say anything else Theodore Nott´s arrogant voice was heard, and every one of them listed very carefully to the conversation.
"I still can´t believe that my mother don´t want me to attend to Durmstrang." Nott was saying to someone.
"Why is Durmstrang so much better then Hogwarts?" asked Pansy Parkinson.
"You are kidding right?" Nott said, "Durmstrang doesn´t have that muggle loving fool as a headmaster. My father actually knows Durmstrang´s headmaster, and apparently besides not letting Mudbloods in, the headmaster also insist that the dark arts are leaned not like that pathetic stuff we had to settle for."
The rest of the conversation couldn't be heard because Nott and Parkinson had gone too far away.
Tracey stood up and discreetly looked out of the window of the compartment door, before sitting down again with an angry look om her face. "I wish that idiot would go to Durmstrang, and then he wouldn't give the Slytherin house a bad name."
"Durmstrang?" Alex repeated, looking puzzled.
"Yeah it is another magic school." Tracey said.
"Yeah I know," Alex, said rolling his eyes, "I am just surprised that I am surprised that Nott wants to go there."
"Yeah," said Daphne, " it's got a horrible reputation. According to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts." Just as Daphne had said that the door opened to reveal Neville Longbottom.
"Hey guys can I join you?"
"Sure," Alex said, making room so that Neville could sit.
"So what is happening?"
"We were just talking about Durmstrang and the fact that Nott wants to go there." Tracey said smiling at Neville.
"Yeah does anyone know where it is? What country?" Blaise asked
"Well, nobody knows, do they?" said Tracey, raising her eyebrows.
"Wait why not?" Neville asked.
"Well there have always been a rivalry between the magical schools over the world, but none is as bad as the rivalry between Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, they are the schools who make most out of concealing their themselves so no one can steal their secrets," Daphne matter-of-factly.
"Come off it," said Blaise, starting to laugh. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts — how are you going to hide a great big castle?"
"Well uh Hogwarts is sort of hidden too, everyone knows that," Alex explained. "Well everyone that have read Hogwarts, A History, anyway." He added a bit lamely.
"Wait how can Hogwarts be hidden, a castle that size would stand out." Neville asked again.
"It's bewitched," said Daphne. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a mouldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE."
"Really that is cool."
"Yeah and that is just one kind of protection," Daphne said, shrugging, " it might have Muggle-repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable. I mean Hogwarts have done that."
"Come again?" Alex spoke up.
Daphne gave him a surprised look, "It means it can´t be mapped, it is simply impossible."
"Well but that kind of protection can´t be a hundred percent," Alex said as he thought of the Marauder's Map that is not only was a map, but also was tracking every resident of the castle.
"Maybe, but as for Durmstrang." Daphne continued, "I believe it is located someplace in the north, since the school uniform consist of fur."
They all were silent for bit then Blaise chuckled.
"What is it?" "Tracey asked.
"oh I was just thinking how easy it would be." Blaise answered, "I mean pushing Nott of a glazier and claim that he fell."
"Blaise you can´t say stuff like that." Tracey exclaimed.
"What don´t tell me that you guys didn´t think it – it not like I would do it, I mean his mother likes him and she hasn´t done anything to me."
"You mean besides forbidding Nott from attending Durmstrang so we have to see his face at Hogwarts." Alex commented with a dry laugh.
As the hours went by the rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Alex bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share. Neville soon excused himself and walked out the compartment, so he could talk with Harry, Hermione and Ron, about stuff. When he had heard Alex if he wanted to join him, he had refused. After Neville had bid them farewell, the four friends began discussing the Qudditch world cup, all Blaise could do was to listen jealously to Alex and the girls´ tale.
"It´s sucks that I couldn´t go." Blaise said, "But my mother hadn´t time however it sounded amazing though."
"It was," Tracey, said, "Krum was brilliant."
Alex nodded, "true, but so was the Irish chasers."
"Well you saw up close didn´t you Alex?" Daphne asked.
Alex smiled, "yeah up in the top box, it was pretty cool."
"Yeah about that," said a cold voice. Everybody turned around and Alex saw that Theodore Nott. He was leaning against the doorframe and had arrogant look on his face. "I mean come on Black, we all know that you don´t deserve being around important people. I mean the son of two no good insane criminals, you should be locked up as well, so that we can be safe. "
Alex growled and was about to jump at Nott, however Daphne laid a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" she said in a hard voice.
"Yeah we didn´t invite you." Tracey said.
"Now I was just passing by and wanted say hey to my housemates."
"Well say hey and walk away." Alex hissed.
"And why would I do that? After all some of my housemates are here." Nott paused and smiled. "I can´t believe that you willingly hang out with that loser."
"Well he is fun." Blaise said, "So leave if you got a problem with that."
"Soon, but there is something else that I am curious about." Nott said looking at Alex, "Will you enter Black, and try getting some honour to you family."
"What in Merlin´s name are you blabbering about?"
Nott smiled, "I asked you if you would try to enter it dumbass. See Malfoy and I have a bet. He says saint Potter is going to try and enter, I says that you will. Off course the one doesn´t really rule out."
"Either explain what it is or stop lowering my IQ by being in my presence." Daphne said giving Nott an icy stare.
Nott got an arrogant look on his face. "Oh this is so good, None of you knows. My father told you ages ago, and so did Draco´s. You parents must be absolute zeros in the Ministers eyes by not sharing the information with them." At those words both Blaise and Alex stated the twitting with anger, however Nott continued. "I mean you Alex have a grandfather that is in the Minister´s circles, yet he still doesn´t get that information."
"It funny that you says that you father told you of that thing that will happen this year. " Daphne said in a cold and superior voice, "because when I tried asking my father about it. He told me that the information is classified and telling a student of Hogwarts would result in firing."
The arrogant smug on Nott´s face despaired. "Whatever just stay out my way Black, after all I don´t want to look at a pathetic insane criminal, with an insane mother." He hissed before leaving.
Alex got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard behind them that the glass shattered.
"Alexander!" Daphne said reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered "Reparo!" and the glass shards flew back into a single pane and back into the door.
"I had it with Nott´s insults of my mother." Alex growled.
"I know, "Daphne said softly, "but you mustn´t let Nott get to you like that."
"Let him get to me as if he could, I would just gladly teach him to be a bit more humble." Alex hissed, making Daphne, Tracey and Blaise all look at each other.
It could some time for the Slytherin trio to get Alex in a talking mood again, however as the trained still was a good distance from Hogwarts the four friends once again where talking about random stuff. The talk lasted until the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station.
As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads. Tracey gave a loud sign as they got outside.
However, Alex was just glad that he wasn´t a first year, that always reached Hogwarts Castle by sailing across the lake with Hagrid. "Well just be happy that we isn´t first year-" he commented.
"Oh poor kids, "Tracey said looking at the first years who were walking with Hagrid, "they will get soaked."
"Yeah, but so will we if we stand here all day Blaise said. The four of them quickly found a carriage where they were joined by Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot. They gave everybody a quick hallo. Alex and his friends naturally returned the greeting, however when Alex nodded and smiled, the two girls started to giggle for some reason. As the carriage, they all started with some small-talk.
…
Chapter end.
So that it for that for this chapter. Alex is back at Hogwarts and he is in for an exiting year. In the next chapter Dumbledore will Triwizard tournament and Alex will see a familiar face during the sorting of the new first years, wonder who that is, well you have to read on to find out. A big thanks to those have reviewed, please continue to do that and add my story to your favourite list.