It had been a week since Alexandra's birthday, and a week since she had had any contact with Wretermoust, besides in Herbology. Alexandra was still bothered, however, by the fact that Wretermoust knew when her birthday was, when she was positive she hadn't mentioned the date anywhere near him, or to anyone who talked to him.

"Don't worry about it," Alanna said when Alexandra voiced this concern to her. "He must have just heard someone wish you happy birthday. Remember Professor Longbotom said it to you on our way to Charms? Wretermoust could've been right behind us in the corridor!"

"I suppose," Alexandra said, still contemplating this in her head. "I guess I have been taking this whole thing a little over board. And I mean whom even cares if he knows my birthday? What's he going to do? Send me a prank present or something? I got tons of those back in my muggle school!"

"Exactly, don't let him get into your head."

With the Easter break drawing nearer, the Professors began filling Alexandra's head with a brand new worry: the end-of-term exams.

"I hope each of you will utilize the Easter holiday as a time to look over your notes and books," Professor Turnwise told his students at the end of a particularly taxing lesson. "Exams will be held no less than eight weeks after your return."

"Eight weeks? That's two months!" Fred exclaimed. "Why do we have to start studying now?"

"These exams are very important, Mr. Weasley," Turnwise explained calmly. "They determine whether you can move onto your second year. Furthermore, the study skills you build now will go onto help you in your fifth year when you take your O.W.L. exam, which will probably be one of the most important tests you take in your entire life."

"These exams seem like a really big deal," Alanna said as they three exited the Transfiguration classroom. "Maybe we should start studying soon."

"Relax," Fred said. "Teddy told me that he always studies the night before for his exams and he usually gets one of the highest grades of his class!"

"Yes, but Teddy is smart," Alanna pointed out. "I can barely do a simple spell without messing up!"

"That's not true," Alexandra pointed out. "You're really good at getting things to fly."

Alanna shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm still nowhere near ready for exams. I'll have to do a ton of studying. I guess I can make use of the library here over break."

"What? You're not going home again?" Fred asked. "Why not?"

"I just don't feel like it," Alanna said quietly.

Fred shrugged. "Whatever. All I know is I can hardly wait; my dad said he's going to teach me how to make some of the products from his joke shop!"

"You're dad has a joke shop?" Alanna questioned, changing the subject.

"Yah, the biggest one in England! It's over in Diagon Alley, he opened it when he was only seventeen."

When the three reached the common room, Alanna and Fred were still discussing the joke shop. Alexandra managed to slip into her dormitory unnoticed by the two of them. She felt just awful for Alanna, not being welcome at her home for the holidays. She couldn't imagine what that would be like. She thought she would write home to her father and ask if Alanna could spend the holiday with them, instead of all by herself at school. She grabbed a piece of parchment from her bedside table, and began to write.

Dear Dad,

I can't wait to see you again for the Easter holiday coming up in a few weeks. That's actually the reason I'm writing for you. My friend, Alanna Broklyn, isn't going home for the break, and has to stay at school all by herself. I feel really awful for her; I can't imagine what it would be like to not even come home from school for a holiday like Christmas or Easter. So I was wondering if she could please come stay with us for the break? She's really nice, and I know you would like her. She could sleep in my room on the old camping bed.

Love,

Alexandra

Alexandra folded the letter up and placed it in her pocket. She was placing her quill back in her bag when the door opened, and Grace Macmillan stepped in. Grace and Tiffany had become a bit less frightened of Alexandra by now, or they had at least stopped fleeing from the dormitory every time she entered, but the girls still haven't talked since Halloween night.

Grace looked at Alexandra. "I saw you with him at the train station," she muttered.

"What?" Alexandra asked, confused.

"Harry Potter," Grace said. "During the winter holiday. And I saw your dad with him as well…talking and all, and well, I guess if they really were enemies still, they wouldn't be doing that, would they now?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Anyway," Grace said, staring at the carpet. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry about the way I treated you."

Alexandra blinked; she was caught completely off guard. "Oh, well, thanks."

"I was going to tell you sooner," Grace continued. "But I guess I was just sort of nervous."

"It's okay," Alexandra said, smiling.

"And I told Tiffany what I saw as well," Grace said. "But, well, she's really stubborn… said that I must've been mistaken."

"Oh," Alexandra said in a quiet tone. "Well, nothing you can do about that, I guess."

"No," Grace agreed. "Well, I just wanted to tell you that."

She walked past Alexandra towards her trunk.

"Wait, Grace," Alexandra said. "What I did, on Halloween, you know, shooting flames at you two… I have no clue how I did it, it was a total accident."

Grace nodded. "Thanks."

Alexandra started back downstairs, still shocked at Grace's apology.

"Hey," she greeted Fred and Alanna, who were now playing a game of chess.

"Where'd you go?" Alanna asked, as she sent her pawn to take Fred's knight.
"Upstairs to write a letter to my dad," Alexandra explained, as Fred sent his rook to attack Alanna's queen. "I was just going to send it now."

"Teddy and Victoire just went up there to send something too," Fred said. "Too bad you weren't down here when they left, they could've sent it for you."

"I guess I'll see them up there then," she replied.

She exited the common room through the portrait door, and headed up the familiar path to the Owlery.

As she climbed the steps up the tower, she heard a girly giggle coming from the room. She entered, and much to her surprise, found Victoire and Teddy's lips pressed against each other's, both smiling.

Alexandra was about to turn around and head back to the common room, but Victoire caught sight of her before she could move.

Teddy and her broke away right away, both blushing.

"I-I'm sorry," Alexandra stammered, feeling rather embarrassed. "I'll just go,"

"No, we were just leaving," Teddy said, staring at his shoes.

"Yes," Victoire nodded. "Just came up here to send a birthday card to my mum, and well…Alexandra, you won't mention this to anyone, will you?"

"Please don't," Teddy said. "It will just be a little secret between the three of us. What do you say?"

"Um, okay," Alexandra nodded, still a bit dazed by the whole ordeal.

"Thank you so much," said Victoire, sounding relieved.

"We owe you big time," said Teddy.

And with that, the two awkwardly headed back down the steps.

Alexandra quickly found one of the school's owls and sent it off with her letter, and hurried back down to the common room.

…..

Dudley sighed as he reviewed his presentation for an upcoming meeting at his firm. He had been working on it for days, and was still unsure whether it was good or not. He had to be successful in this meeting; the firm was going through a rough financial period, and rumor was that many workers would be let go over the next few months. He was just about to review his line graph again, when he heard a peck at the kitchen window. Getting up to investigate, he was thrilled to see it was an owl with a letter tied to its ankle.

Letters from Alexandra were one of the few things Dudley really looked forward to these days. He read it anxiously. After he finished, he didn't feel the usual warm feeling inside him that he usually got after hearing from his daughter. In her letter, Alexandra had expressed such concern over her friend having to stay at school for the holiday, and not with her family, and what it must be like to have to spend it all alone…

He remembered back when Harry was at school…how his cousin spent every single holiday at the school. His family didn't even offer to have him come home for Christmas or Easter. Come to think of it, though, Harry probably would've opted to stay at Hogwarts even if his parents had invited him back.

"We really were awful to him," Dudley muttered aloud.

"Come on Diddy Dunkies, come open your presents!" A beaming Petunia cooed to her six-year old son. "Come see what Santa brought for you!"

"I don't see my scooter," Dudley said angrily, scanning the living room. "I said I wanted a scooter!"

"Why don't you finish up your stocking, Duddy," Petunia said soothingly. "And then have a look outside…"

Dudley's beefy face broke into a grin, as he dove for his stocking, which was nearly as tall as he was.

Another boy, the same age, sat on the steps, watching his massive cousin toss aside action figures and sweets, eagerly looking through his pile of gifts. He held his small stocking in his hand; it could've easily fit onto a doll. He had gotten a pack of gum and a set of new shoelaces from Santa. He was used to this, for last year he had gone through the same thing, and the year before that as well, but he still felt sad when he saw Dudley unwrap a brand new mini-trampoline.

"I guess you were a bad boy, Harry!" Dudley shot at his cousin, seeing his said face. "That's why Santa didn't bring you anything!"

His father laughed heartily, drinking his coffee. "That's right, Dudders," he said, sneering at Harry. "Santa doesn't bring presents to miscreants!"

"Come on, now," Dudley said, bouncing up. "Let's go see my scooter!" He grabbed his mother's wrist and dragged her impatiently to the front door, still laughing at his cousin's misfortune.

Dudley shook his head at the memory. He was more than glad that his daughter apparently hadn't turned out like that. Looking back, he didn't understand why Harry never threw a fit on Christmas morning when they were younger, seeing Dudley get all sorts of gifts and him basically nothing. He was even more shocked that Harry still gave him Christmas presents now as adults after all that, good ones, too. He tried to shake off the guilty feeling, and grabbed a piece of paper from the kitchen drawer.

Dear Alexandra,

I can't wait to see you again either! You're friend is more than welcome to stay here for the break if she isn't going to her house. I'm very proud of you for being so kind. I'll set up the camping bed for her before I pick the two of you up from the platform. Keep working hard at school!

Love,

Dad

He tied the letter to the owl, and watched as it soared off into the sky. Then, with much reluctance, he got back to his presentation.