CHAPTER 26: ALICE
(Sirius POV)
"Just what in the name of Merlin is going on?" asked James weakly, having just woken up, too tired and confused to do so loudly.
Sirius was now in the compartment which he had saved up for the Marauders (by messily putting all sorts of things, their trunks, books, etc. on all of the seats), along with Prongs, Wormtail, Alice, Lily and ... even Moony, who was alive and conscious, for which Padfoot was thankful for, all of whom were sitting quietly in the room, not even bothering to remove the mess (save for the trunks) from the seats. Still…
Flashback
(Sirius POV)
"Goblin metal?" inquired the white-haired girl, her emerald green eyes slightly glowing with interest.
"Yes," replied Alice, as she pulled out her blades from the wall of the train. "You've been wielding those blades all this time, yet you do not know what they were made of?" the black-haired girl asked a question in return.
"No, I could tell what it was made of," the white-haired replied, frowning slightly, as she made a blade, similar to Alice's, seemingly appear on her hand. "I just didn't know what it was called, nor did I feel the need to…anyway where did you acquire them from?"
"How did you do that?" Sirius heard his black-haired friend ask, curiosity in her voice. "Goblin metal is made to be resistant to many kinds of magic, they cannot be Summoned easily."
"Perhaps mine is just a Conjured copy, then?" the white-haired girl smirked, as she made the blade in her hand vanish.
"Now you're just pulling my leg," Alice replied to the white-haired girl. "Anything made from goblin-made material, especially goblin metal, cannot be copied by magic."
"Really?" the white-haired inquired.
"Really…I've had these with me since I was twelve, so I can tell if an item is made of goblin metal when I see one," the black-haired girl responded, frowning slightly. "The appearance can be copied, but the properties cannot. Goblin-made blades are meant to never break or rust, as well as withstand various spells… if your blades were fake, they should have been destroyed by mine." Alice was now putting her blades inside their sheaths, then back into her blouse, one pair per pocket(which were hardly visible) located below the chest.
"Are you sure?" the white-haired reply, with a rather strange smile on her face…
"Of course I'm sure, what do you take me for?" scoffed Alice… "And besides…"
"WHAT THE HELL, ALICE?" roared Sirius. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING , GETTING ALL FRIENDLY WITH THAT BITCH! MERLIN BE DAMNED, SHE KILLED REMUS, ALICE!"
Padfoot was stunned, shocked, by the many things that happened, but one of the worst things for him was the feeling of betrayal, as from his point of view, what Alice was doing can be considered as such.
Silence reigned for a while, as Sirius tried to catch his breath, panting from his recent outburst of emotion.
"Remus is not dead, Sirius," said Alice in a low voice, but loud enough for everyone to hear clearly.
"NOT DEAD? HOW CAN YOU SAY HE'S NOT…" Sirius began shouting again, but his loud rant was surpassed in volume by another.
"HE…IS…NOT…DEAD!" shrieked the black-haired girl. "REMUS IS NOT DEAD, SIRIUS, HE'S FINE! HOW CAN YOU NOT GET THAT THROUGH THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS!?"
Sirius, while still feeling weak, was ready to take her on in a shouting match, but then…
"Ugh Ugh Ugh" coughed a familiar male voice, as a figure was starting to get up from the floor.
"Moony?" Sirius gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Owww…my head...Sirius?" inquired the werewolf, who was now on his feet, apparently still in a daze. "What happened?"
"MOONY!" the dog animagus cried out, relief flooding through him, everything else forgotten for the moment. "YOU'RE ALRIG…OUCH! HEY SNIVELLUS, TAKE DOWN YOUR DAMN SHIELD! LET ME THROUGH!"
Sirius couldn't have cared less about revenge, payback and anything of the sort in that instant. He was just glad to see that his friend was all right.
From the distance, the sound of banging on the door on both sides could be heard.
Alice sighed.
"He's a loud one, isn't he?" inquired the white-haired girl.
"Obviously," the black-haired girl sighed again. "I guess I better get them out of here before we catch too much attention. Although...locking the doors, however you managed to do that, and not letting anyone through is one way of doing that… I guess I'll see you later then, Ilya," Alice said with a small smile.
"Yeah, see you later, Alice," the white-haired replied, returning the smile with one of her own…
End of Flashback
"I would like to know what is going on as well, Prongs," seconded Sirius in a low voice, who was talking in a non-barking, non-growling voice, which for him is very unusual. "And not that I would like to accuse our friends of hiding things from us, but I can tell that that you and I are the only ones missing something here," the growl was back in his voice when he said this. He then shot a look at the four other occupants, who shifted guiltily in their seats, save for Alice, who remained unmoved.
Sirius shuddered slightly. Ever since their little encounter with Snivellus and his white-haired bi…chick...partner…doesn't matter, the black-haired girl seemed to have taken a completely different persona.
Well, Alice had always been like that, the one who showed the least emotion among his friends (except when she was around Frank, that is), but ever since the events in the train compartment just a short while before, Sirius was now seeing her in a completely different light.
"MOONY!" roared James suddenly, as he launched himself at the werewolf into a brotherly hug, which made all the other people in the compartment (except for Alice, although the slight shrug on her shoulders gave away the fact that she was also surprised) jumped. "YOU'RE ALIVE! THANK MERLIN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE A GONER!"
"What happened?" asked Remus, looking confused. "The last thing I remember…OH, PETER, I'M SO SORRY! I don't know what…the wolf just… and then…" The werewolf looked guilty, as he undoubtedly recalled himself (his werewolf side) about to turn Peter into a snack.
"No-no, it's fine Moony," replied the rat animagus. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"IT WAS ALL SNIVELLUS' AND THAT GIRL'S FAULT!" roared Sirius. There was no doubt about it in his mind.
"I agree with Black," added a female voice.
All eyes in the room turned to the source. It was Lily.
"That girl, Ilya, or whatever her name was," the red-haired girl began. "You all saw it. She was using some kind of spell…you all experienced it...well, Potter didn't… but it was as if something really heavy was bearing down on us. Not only that, she used something else on you Remus. I don't know what spell it was, but I'm sure that she was using Dark Arts. I'm just glad you're okay Remus. You're lucky to be alive." The red-haired girl finished.
Silence reigned in the room for a while, as Peter, James and Sirius nodded in agreement…
Then…
"I can't believe I'm hearing this kind of talk coming from you, Lily," said a cold female voice, sounding disappointed. It was Alice.
"What do you mean by that, Alice?" the red-haired inquired, looking puzzled, as her voice began to rise. "Sev and that girl… didn't you see? For Merlin's sake, they were using DARK MAGIC!"
"Dark Magic which, save for getting a bit of exercise, left us all unharmed?" said the black-haired girl at her friend, her tone mocking.
"You saw it yourselves, there's no way it could've been anything else!" cried the red-haired girl, as she looked around in the room, to which three of the Marauders (except Remus) nodded. "And they were even casting magic without a wand! It was Dark Magic, I know it! You know it!"
The black-haired did not say anything, but was unable to conceal a snort, as if to mean that what the red-haired girl was saying was ridiculous.
"And what about you then, Alice?" Lily Evans continued. "Those sharp knives you carry… that girl also has them…there's a Dark spell cast on them, I'm sure of it…"
Remus and James stared, looking confused.
Sirius' and Peter's eyes, however, who had seen Alice's earlier display, widened with worry and shock, as they agreed with Lily's words.
The black-haired girl's face remained impassive.
"You're being possessed…" said Lily, worry in her voice.
Sirius couldn't agree more.
"L-Lily's right, Alice," squeaked Peter.
"Please, Alice," the red-haired girl said gently and worryingly. "You have to throw them away before anyt…"
But everyone in the room was shocked as the normally calm and collected Alice snapped.
"THESE BLADES ARE THE ONLY MEMORY I HAVE LEFT OF MY MOTHER AND FATHER!" screamed the black-haired girl. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT I'M BEING POSSESSED! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT THEY ARE IMBUED WITH DARK MAGIC! THEY ARE THE ONLY PRECIOUS MEMENTO I HAVE LEFT TO REMEMBER THEM BY!"
A painful moment of silence passed.
"Alice..." Lily began, but the black-haired girl cut her off.
"That's Ms. Chaucer to you, Ms. Evans," snapped Alice.
The room fell silent once again, as they felt a cold chill emanating from the black-haired girl, their friend, Alice, her hostility mostly directed at the red-haired girl.
Sirius could not help but gape and wonder. Lily and Alice had been friends ever since they started schooling at Hogwarts, having shared the same room for five years, and they were on very good terms with each other, and seemed really close, almost like sisters. as far as Padfoot could tell. Yet now…
"I never realized you were this kind of person," said Alice, as she looked Lily straight in the eye. "All of these paranoid theories you have, I've had enough of it. I guess I'll be seeing you, Evans."
All of them could not do anything but watch as the black-haired girl started walking towards the compartment door.
"Oh and Black…Potter," said Alice, not turning around to look at them. "If you really want to know what exactly is going on, I suggest you ask Remus. You might get a twisted version of the truth if you were to listen to Evan's or Pettigrew's version of the story, saturated with their Dark Arts nonsense more likely."
What in the name of Merlin? thought Padfoot.
Sirius could only stare, as the black-haired girl left the room and slammed the door behind her, noting that the other occupants of the room were doing the same thing he was…
-BREAK-
(Alice POV)
"How dare they…how dare she…" said the black-haired girl, not noticing that she was saying her thoughts out loud, ignoring the stares people were giving her, as she walked towards her compartment.
"Hey, Alice, are you okay?" Bridget, one of the black-haired girl's Gryffindor dormates inquired, looking worried, undoubtedly about the unusually serious expression on her friend's face.
"Don't worry I'm fine, really," replied Alice, as she forced a smile on her face. "Really, there's nothing for you to worry about."
"If you say so," said Bridget, although she was still looking worried. "I guess not having Frank around is really bothering you…"
-BREAK-
(Alice, Monologue)
Alice Sera Chaucer, a pureblood, and the last living member of that bloodline.
She had never known her father, except by his name John, who, according to her mother Elise, was an Auror, and he died fighting against Gellert Grindelwald's forces, newly-reformed and under the leadership of his former second in command Vladimir Slopovik, who was as powerful and skilled as their former commander. (They actually wanted Grindelwald himself to lead them again, but the old Dark Lord refused, having lost interest in power and senseless battles ever since he was defeated by Dumbledore eighteen years earlier, and preferred to remain in Nurmengard. Although disappointed, his followers respected his wishes.), when he went abroad to help in the effort of subduing the Dark Wizard. Elise herself was an Auror as well, and she would usually go out on missions assigned by the Ministry of Magic.
Still, Alice was content and happy. Her mother loved and cared for her. She was, in every way, a kind, gentle, and loving person, just as a mother should be. Whenever it was Alice's birthday (or whenever Alice wanted to) Elise would buy her daughter presents, and take her out for some fun. During Alice's seventh birthday, her mother had even taken her to see the Eiffel Tower, which was considered one of the marvels of the Muggle World.
The black-haired girl couldn't help but remember the feeling of being up there with her mother, as if they were on top of the world. Yes, Alice was content and happy with her life…
Then, on Alice's Twelfth birthday, her mother fell ill and died, and the black-haired girl was devastated.
About a month before she breathed her last, Elise confessed to her daughter that she, in fact, had been abroad with her husband John on the mission to help thwart the Dark Wizard group's campaign for power. It was a tragic story. There, Alice's father died at the hands of Slopovik himself, who acknowledged John as a worthy adversary, honoring him with death rather than take him prisoner.
Elise told her daughter how she wished that John had been taken captive instead, for in two week's time, Albus Dumbledore came and defeated Slopovik(Who committed suicide after Dumbledore refused to take his life, preferring to die rather than live in shame.), and all those who were held captive in Nurmengard were saved and were able to return to their families (except Gellert Grindelwald, who preferred to remain, even though Dumbledore offered him the chance to be set free)…
Then, her mother made another confession. In one of the skirmishes that ensued, Elise had been hit by a curse. Sadly, there was no known cure, no countercurse, for it was an unknown and unfamiliar spell. It was slow-acting, and would eventually weaken and then take the life of its victim.
Flashback
It was the second of February, 1972, Alice's birthday. The black-haired girl was at St. Mungos hospital, where her mother was confined, having been allowed to leave school to visit her mother, knowing that she was on her deathbed. One of the Healers personally came to Hogwarts to collect Elise's daughter, as the mother wanted to see her daughter one last time before she passed away.
…
"Alice," said Elise gently, smiling at her daughter. "I'm sorry I could not take you to visit Diagon Alley today… if only I…"
"Mum, please… you need to save your strength," said Alice, tears falling down her eyes.
"Here…take…this," said Elise, as she took a small black box engraved with jewels from her bedside table and handed it to her daughter, her breaths becoming weaker and weaker. "It's…your…present. Happy Birthday, my angel."
"Oh, Mother!" cried Alice. Despite her condition, all her mother could think about was her daughter.
"May you live a long and fulfilling life…I love you, sweetheart," said Elise to her daughter.
"I love you too, Mum…Mum?...Mum?...MUM!? WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP! I HAVEN'T EVEN THANKED YOU FOR MY BIRTHDAY YET. PLEASE MUM, I LOVE YOU! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE MUUUMMMMMM!"
She was gone…
End of Flashback
And from that point on, Alice never enjoyed her birthdays, for it was the same day that her mother, her one and only family, who truly loved and cared for her, died. The black-haired girl actually wanted to kill herself, to follow her mother, but could not bring herself to do so, for her mother wanted her to keep on living. It was her twelfth birthday, the worst birthday of her entire life, the last birthday she will be able to spend with her mother. And the last present she gave her…
When Alice opened the box, the first thing she saw was two pairs of small, thin, blades, or daggers, with a red hilt, goblin-made, the entirety of which, blade, hilt and sheath, were made from goblin metal. Then, she saw something which looked like a small book, with a piece of parchment on top, and on it, were words written in the handwriting of her mother…
These blades once belonged to your father... they are able to resist and block many forms of magic…may they protect you from harm…
I love you, sweetheart…
Mum
The note from her mother made Alice burst into tears, and it took a while for her to calm down. When she finally regained control of herself, she took a look at the book. And when she read the first page, she saw her father's words, which made her burst into tears once again…
May these help keep my beloved wife Elise and my precious daughter Alice safe, even when I'm gone.
John King Chaucer
Even though Alice had never met him, even though she never really knew him, this one statement was enough to show how much her father cared for them…
In the book that her father had written were instructions, not only on how to use the blades, but also gave lessons on melee combat. According to John, many wizards are useless in close-range fights, having been used to fighting by casting spells…
'Mum…Dad...don't worry', thought Alice, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. 'I'll be sure to live a long and happy life. With you watching over me, I have nothing to fear…'
(End of Monologue)
Alice knew now where she had to go…
"Where are you going, Alice?" inquired Bridget, who noticed that the black-haired girl was carrying her trunk. "Do you not want to sit with us anymore?"
"No, it's not like that," replied the black-haired girl. "It's just that I promised to see someone a little later today."
"Oh, are you cheating on Frank already?" mused Rachelle, her eyes lighting up with interest.
"Of course not, it's a girl… and I needed to…um… ask her about something," responded Alice.
"Ah, come now, Alice," said Rachelle. "You can tell us… we won't breathe a word to Frank, we promise…"
Alice sighed.
"Think what you want then," the black-haired girl said, as she left the compartment. Before she closed the door, however, she heard the two girls giggling.
"GOOD LUCK THEN ALICE!" Bridget and Rachelle shouted together.
-BREAK-
The black-haired girl now stood in front of her destination.
Well, here goes nothing, thought Alice, and with the same courtesy she had shown when passing through the other compartments…
Knock. Knock. Knock…
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Well, here's another chapter out. Hope you like it. And please don't forget to review if there's something you'd like to say. Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome...
Oh, by the way, the name John King Chaucer was something I thought up on impulse, but Elise... well, though they are not the same person, I based the name from a certain Executioner in Type-Moon...
Oh, yeah, and thank you very much to the one who pointed out a very critical mistake I made regarding Grindelwald. To me it is rather critical since I intended to follow Harry Potter Canon material in some way before the beginning of my fanfic's plot. I did a bit of an edit for that, and added the character Vladimir Slopovik instead. Sorry, I completely forgot about the Dumbie Choco Frog (which clearly stated that Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945, and John Chaucer was supposed to have died in the 60's).
You see, I could easily use and say the usual "alternate universe" time line excuse, but I won't, since I would really like to at least follow canon material for a bit, at least that of some critical events, like the year Grindelwald was defeated, so instead I added something in between, like Grindelwald's followers reorganizing themselves again.
As to why Slopovik was not well known even during his leadership, well that will be because he was still crediting his efforts to Grindelwald, as well as that the damage they've done after reforming is still too minor compared to what they did the first time under Gellert, and they were stopped before they could do anymore.
Later then, people...
