It took me a bit, but I am finally satisfied with how Alexis figures out what her parents did. So chapter warning again! Warning: Alexis and Moody in the same room, cursing, Snape being Snape, and sibling love brought to you by big brother Cedric. Oh! And most importantly, Neville crying. He just has a way of making everyone cry with him so be careful.

Enjoy!

4 Chapter 10: The Most Unforgivable

The first week of the term was slowly passing by and dangerously so. In attempt to get revenge for their embarrassing warthog moment, which Alexis and the twins had generously shared with the rest of the school, the Slytherin house had been targeting Gryffindor students and any unprotected lower years for cruel pranks. The pranks had ended almost immediately, however, after Hermione was laid victim by a particularly nasty one by Cassius himself.

Alexis, Harry, and Hermione had been walking down through the Entrance Hall to dinner when Cassius had casted a curse making Hermione's teeth enlarge to a monstrously large size. Unfortunately for Cassius, the twins had caught him before Alexis or Harry could react. Needless to say, Fred and George had earned a week of detention and Hermione had been given a neck less of Slytherin teeth as well as getting her teeth shrunk to a normal size.

"You should have seen it, Peeves," laughed Alexis, retelling the event to her poltergeist friend as the two of them made their way to the Potions classroom. Peeves was floating lazily in the air on his back, watching Alexis with an amused expression.

"Cassius didn't know what to do when Fred punched him- it was like he'd never fought with his fist. And when his front teeth fell out, he looked so surprised! It was like he had just seen Merlin's ghost or something. It was hilarious!"

Peeves crackled, entertained by Alexis's excitement.

"And I suppose that's when Minnie walked in?"

"Actually it was just after Fred handed Hermione Cassius's teeth and right before George threatened his livelihood. I don't think I've seen something that funny since you 'sneezed' Swine into a wall."

"Good," said Peeves, spinning in the air for no particular reason. "Keep that in mind while you have class with Snivellus."

Alexis groaned.

"You just had to remind me, didn't you?"

Peeves crackled before disappearing through the ceiling as Alexis opened the door leading into the Potions classroom. The Potion's Professor, Severus Snape, was Alexis's least favorite teacher save for Lockhart and Quirrell. He seemed to feel the same way about Alexis. In fact the only student Alexis thought Snape hated more than her would be Harry.

Snape was standing at the front of the class in his usual black with a sourer face than usual. His head snapped in Alexis's direction as she opened the door.

"So nice of you to humble us with your presence, Lestrange," he said in his usual insulting tone.

"Didn't you use that line on Harry yesterday?" Alexis snapped back in her usual rude tone saved specifically for Snape.

Cedric quickly pulled Alexis into her seat before she and Snape could start a stare down.

"That will be a point for cheek, Lestrange," sneered Snape, returning to the front of the class. Cedric silenced Alexis before she could mention the lack of a point system this year.

"For once, shut up and don't argue, Hex," teased Cedric with a playful smile. "I'd rather not have to play mediator between the two of you this year."

"Shut up," said Alexis nudging her Hufflepuff friend jokingly.

The next two hours were painfully long as Snape made them each work on their own Amortentia Love Potion. Alexis had been curious for half a second in wanting to know why Snape had wanted them to make this sickening potion until she realized Snape wasn't making them do it under his own free will. She remembered it was on the lost of potions needed to be known before taking the NEWT exams at the end of the year.

"Does this look like a pearl color to you, Mr. Stebbins?" sneered Snape as class reached an end. "Perhaps you'll learn your colors if you clean these cauldrons after dinner today. The cauldrons are the black bowl looking things in case you didn't know that either."

"Someone's grumpy," said Cedric once Alexis and him were clear of the dungeons.

"Blame Moody for that," said Alexis smiling happily at her Hufflepuff friend. "That and the sweet smell of love."

Cedric barked a laugh.

"Merlin, never say that again," he chuckled. "What did your potion smell like anyway, Hex?"

"Pine needles, the lake, and broom polish," said Alexis without any hesitation. Cedric blinked at her. "What did yours smell like?"

"Uh, okay," Cedric said clearing his throat. "Maple, broom polish and Cho."

"Cho has her own sent!?" exclaimed Alexis louder and more exaggerated than necessary.

"Hush you," said Cedric, playfully swatting at Alexis. He missed and Alexis stuck out her tongue.

"You missed Ced- hey!"

In one swift movement, Cedric swept Alexis up and twirled her around, taking the fourth year Gryffindor by surprise. There was a loud snap followed by a flash.

"Can't wait to develop this!" shouted the familiar voice of Colin Cleevey, making Alexis laugh harder than she already was. Cedric lifted an eyebrow.

"That kid takes a lot of photos of you and Harry."

"Well, who else would he take photos of?" Alexis said in good nature. "I'm going to go put my stuff in the Common Room. See you at lunch?"

"Bye, Hex!" called Cedric as his little Gryffindor friend ran off.

Alexis hurried up the stairs. She stumbled into the Common Room minutes later, slightly out of breath but excited. Hurrying up the steps, she threw her bag on her bed, headed back down the stairs, and was almost to the exit when the portrait swung open revealing a very pale and distant looking Neville.

"Hey Neville!" said Alexis. Neville jumped. "Want to go to lunch with me?"

Neville said nothing. He merely tightened his grip on the book in his hand.

"What's wrong, Nev?" said Alexis slightly worried. Neville was looking at her with wide, fear filled eyes. "Neville?"

There was a long pause before Neville opened his mouth. He opened and closed it three times before he actually said anything.

"I... I had Professor Moody's class today," he said finally in a nearly mute whisper.

"Okay?" said Alexis slowly.

"He showed us, uh, he showed us some curses today," said Neville softly. "Bad curses. The Unforgivable Curses, actually."

"Neville..."

"He made a spider dance," said Neville, laughing a hallow laugh. Alexis could see tears forming in his already red eyes. "He also killed a spider."

"Neville, I-"

"Do you know my dad was an Auror under Professor Moody?" said Neville in a false excited voice. "Was being the key word. He and my mum were attacked by some Deatheaters when I was only a baby. That's why I live with my Gran."

Alexis's heart tightened. Neville had never told anyone that his parents were dead let alone how they had died.

"I didn't know your parents were dead, Neville," Alexis said softly. She nearly jumped when Neville gave another hallow laugh.

"No, my parents aren't dead," he said, hot tears freely streaming down his cheeks. "The Deatheaters didn't use the killing curse on them. They used the Cruciatus Curse on them. Drove my mum and dad insane."

"Neville."

Alexis took a step forward to comfort her friend but Neville jerked back violently.

"Don't," said Neville shakily. "Anyone but you, Hex. You're just... I'm sorry."

Her heart hurt as she watched Neville sink to his knees against the wall, still clutching the book in his arms. Alexis had never seen someone look so lost. She wanted to help but didn't want to draw any closer to Neville in case it made things worse.

"Don't be sorry, Neville," said Alexis. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

But either Neville didn't hear her or he didn't have a response for her because he made no recognition of her words.

Slowly, Alexis got to her own feet and left the Common Room. Anger was emanating off of her. She didn't know where she was going until she found herself standing outside Moody's office door. Boldly, Alexis kicked open the paranoid retired Auror's door opened. Later she would look back and realize she was very lucky Moody had been talking to the Charms Professor, Flitwick, or else she would have had to dodge several curses because she kicked his door in but at the current moment she had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Excuse me, professor," Alexis said through gritted teeth to Professor Flitwick. "Are you done with Professor Moody?"

"Uh, yes, I suppose," said Flitwick, looking back and forth between Alexis and Moody. He could see anger coming out of Alexis's pores while Moody look nonchalant. "Good luck- I mean day, Alastor."

"Filius," said Moody with a small head bow, both his eyes never leaving Alexis.

"Alexis," said Flitwick, making a quick exit. He had only been out the door for two full seconds before Alexis went off.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"

"Could you be more specific?" said Moody, sitting down in a chair. He motioned for Alexis to do the same but she didn't.

"You showed the fourth years the Unforgivables!" stated Alexis more than questioned. "Harry, and Hermione, and Neville the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Ah," said Moody calmly. "This is about Longbottom. I already apologized to him."

"Apolo- damn it Moody! You knew that was going to be sensitive to him! His parents were driven insane by that curse!"

Moody lifted an eyebrow at her. A bemused smile played on his scarred lips.

"And when exactly, dearie, did you find that out?"

"About five minutes ago from Neville when he returned to the Common Room in a fit," growled Alexis. "Does it really matter?"

"Considering your parents were the casters of the Cruciatus Curse, I'd assume so," Moody said so bluntly Alexis thought she had miss heard him. When she realized she hadn't, her jaw dropped almost as fast as her stomach.

"They..." Alexis started but no words came to her. Her own parents were the ones that had made Neville parentless. Suddenly Alexis felt sick to her stomach.

"Did you even bother looking up your parents, dearie?" said Moody cruelly. "Weren't you even slightly interested in what crime had landed them in Azkaban?"

Alexis eyes narrowed. The sick feeling in her stomach was replaced with rage.

"In case you've forgotten, I only just found out my heritage, remember? Tom never told me, you never told me, Dumbledore, the Ministry- no one would tell me before Sirius! And even when I found out, I had something a little more important to deal with! Ron's death, remember? I spent my summer mourning not looking up the horrible crimes my parents committed!"

"Constant Vig-"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE START THAT CONSTANT VIGILANCE CRAP WITH ME, YOU POMPOUS ASS!"

Alexis felt as if her eyes were fierce emerald flames glaring daggers at her legal guardian and Defense teacher. She didn't care that she had been screaming nor did she didn't care that she was threatening an ex-Auror that could turn her inside out with one flick of his wand. Alexis Lestrange, previously Alexis McPherson, was furious but, surprisingly, Moody wasn't. In fact, Moody was smiling, a disturbing smile, the only kind he could do with his scarred face, but a smile nonetheless.

"Perhaps you would like to stop throwing everything around in my office, Miss Lestrange," he said calmly.

There was a loud clatter followed by Alexis flopping down on the grey couch across from Moody. All of a sudden she felt very exhausted.

"Much better," said Moody, after waving his wand causing several items to go flying across the room to where Alexis could only assume they were originally. "Now... Tea or hot chocolate?"

But Alexis didn't answer him. She pulled her legs close to her chest, her head finally analyzing all the data she had been given.

Neville had never gotten to know his mum and dad because of her parents. He had to be raise by his grandmother and her high expectations because of her parents. Everything wrong in his life in the end was her fault.

The memory of how Neville reacted to her attempt to comfort him made her feel sick. Of course he didn't want her to comfort him. It was her fault he was parentless, she ruined his life. Everything was finally making sense. Neville avoided her once her name was announced at the end of the school year last year. He was always flinching around her. He was always uncomfortable by her presence. He was utterly terrified of her.

'I made him an orphan,' Alexis thought to herself. 'It's all my fault.'

She ignored every comforting word McPherson and Ron said to her. They were trying to convince her that it wasn't her fault but of course it had been. Her parents had done it. She was just as guilty. She was...

A large hand rested softly on her shoulder, snapping Alexis out of her thoughts. Her emerald eyes met Moody's, for the first time, calm mismatched eyes. The ex-Auror looked down at her firmly.

"Don't be taking credit for someone else's crime, dearie," Moody growled. "Only feel guilt and pride from your own actions."

It wasn't much of a pep talk but it was far more than anyone could ask for from Moody. Which is exactly what led Alexis to do the second foolish thing that day.

She gave the paranoid wizard a hug.

Instantly, Moody tensed up, ready to strike but never did. Gradually, when he realized Alexis wasn't going to be letting go of him any time soon, he returned the hug with a few awkward pats on the back.

Finally Alexis pulled away.

"Thanks, Al," said Alexis quietly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you... even though you deserved it."

Moody snorted.

"I suppose I should accept that apology?" Alexis nodded her head causing Moody's lip to twitch. "Very well. Now get to lunch before you miss it."

"Yes, old man," teased Alexis. She just barely dodged a jelly leg jinx. "Bye, Moody."

Moody merely waved as his niece skipped out of his office. Despite everything, Alexis actually felt that for the first time since McPherson someone had broken through Moody's mean Auror exterior to the mean Alastor Moody interior. She couldn't help but to feel confident knowing that that someone had been her.

Okay so first thing first, Moody seems very OOC in this chapter but there is a reason behind this. After discovering Alexis was Moody's niece, a certain somebody had a whole bunch of new questions for our favorite ex-Auror and now he's using this new information to get closer to Hex. Why? Well that would lead to Spoilers and we can't have any of those, now can we?

Review Responses

mwinter1: here you go!

NeverBeyondRedemption: Here you go too!

OliviaIE: As you insisted, an update. Please fill free to share you father theories in your reviews or vote on my profile

jessica02: *smiles knowingly but says nothing*

Saraya-Jade: lol it's alright, we all do it

Kaylee13133: You make a good minion. I love my house elf H Tiek. He's amazing kinda like you but in house elf form and he enjoys stealing jellybabies from adults. There is no better house elf then H Tiek. Saying there is cost you your Troy info ;) Such is why I am an Evil, Dark, Sometimes Merciful Dark Lord. Randomness, but I bet Voldy would have been good to his house elves because they do exactly what he wanted without doing it for their own gain. Probably should do your homework. My mom is better... False statement. She doesn't even know I earned a full ride to college yet we're that 'close'. My dad makes things blow up(Go Army EOD!) listen to the mission impossible theme song done by the piano men. Your mind will be swept away in a blizzard of pianoie goodness. I luv me too! No knife. I kill it with fire. I love Moody too. Can't tell you what the twins said either. Please review again!

I enjoy the reviews guys so keep them up! Ask all the questions you want!

Review!

DCF