Believe
Chapter; Thirty Six
Year Five
It took almost the entire length of dinner to explain everything to everyone, and most people were still reeling at the news. Considering that Ron had been wrong and not everyone had known that Black/ Sirius… Yes, Sirius was her father.
It had come as a massive shock to everyone and as Ginny had said they all thought "it was just a scary like-ness".
But soon enough, after dinner was over, everything quieted down and everybody all got down to business. It made Alice somewhat nervous.
"This is very, very peculiar," Mr. Weasley began. "It seems your hearing in the Ministry is to be before the entire Wizengamot."
"I don't understand. What has the Ministry of Magic got against me?" Harry asked, looking around at all of them, but no one said anything. No one had the guts too, not even Alice, as she had been getting the daily profit off Hermione almost daily…
"Show him," Mad-Eye grumbled from where he stood behind Alice. "He'll find out soon enough."
Slowly, a newspaper was passed down the table until it reached Harry. Alice looked over his shoulder to find that it was a little bit older addition that said; 'The Boy Who Lies'.
"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well," Hermione told him sadly.
"Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Daily Prophet to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned," Sirius added.
"Why?" Harry asked angrily.
"The minister thinks Dumbledore's after his job-" Lupin replied after a slight hesitation.
"But that's insane. No one in their right mind could believe that Dumbledore's-"
"That's exactly the point," Lupin interrupted. "Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear. Now, fear makes people do terrible things, Harry. The last time Voldemort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear. Now he's returned and I'm afraid the minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."
"We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again," Sirius continued, looking from Lupin, to Mrs. Weasley at the end of the table, who was watching him angrily, then to Harry and Alice. "Fourteen years ago, he had huge numbers at his command, and not just witches and wizards, but all manners of dark creatures. He's been recruiting heavily, and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in-"
Sirius was warned by Moody, who cleared his throat, but Sirius continued anyway, once he caught Alice looking at him, willing him to continue. Alice almost smiled – she had power.
"We believe Voldemort may be after something-"
"Sirius," Professor Moody warned again. Alice looked up at him, then back to Sirius, eager to hear what he was going to say.
"Something he didn't have last time," he said carefully, shifting his gaze to Harry.
"You mean, like a weapon?" Harry asked.
Sirius was about to say something but Mrs. Weasley quickly ran up and interrupted him. "No. Stop it! He's just a boy. You say much more and you might as well induct him into the Order straight away!"
"Good. I want to join," Harry interrupted, looking to Sirius. "If Voldemort's raising an army, then I want to fight," he insisted, getting a happy look from Sirius.
"That's enough for tonight," Mrs. Weasley quickly said, as she shooed everyone off to bed and made sure that Harry, Sirius and Alice didn't come within ten feet of each other.
"You need to rest up for tomorrow. Off to bed with you!"
"….But I'm not sleepy!" Alice protested childishly.
"Off to be with you!"
Alice pouted.
~36~
The next morning everyone was feeling the dread. Harry had woken very early in the morning to go to his trial, leaving them with nothing to do, but wait.
Or in Alice's case? Get forced into spending time with her… Sirius-Person, yes, that one – person, father thing. She was confused that was for sure, she had openly accepted the fact which was a lot better than last time…
But… Well, it didn't mean she would start to talk to him, that much was obvious to everyone else.
It wasn't like she didn't want to talk to him; it was just that she didn't know what to say. What could she say? Hi, yes I hated you at first but now I know all the facts I don't hate you as much?
Why didn't she have faith in anyone?
But even if Alice didn't talk to her … Sirius-person, it didn't give Fred and/or George, the right to look them in a room together.
Alice banged on the door again, causing Sirius to smirk. He was just sitting on the floor on the other side of the room whilst leaning on the wall.
Alice was trying to get out. "Fred! Fred, I swear to Merlin, if you don't let me out I'll-!"
"Nonsense, Master!"
"You're not coming out-"
"Until you sort thing out-"
"With your father-"
"Got it?" The twins yelled in union from behind the door.
Alice groaned. "This is because of what I did last year, isn't it?"
"That was mean, Master-"
"But not the reason-"
"Were leaving now-"
"But have fun!"
Alice hit her head against the wall, hearing two sets of feet run away. Alice tried to open the door again but it was stuck. They must have used magic to lock the door, Alice huffed in irritation.
Those two had been using magic at every turn just because they could. How troublesome.
"What did you do last year?"
Alice turned around suddenly not expecting the other person in the room to make conversation with her; Alice assessed him with slightly wide-eyes.
"I locked them in their room, after I told them breakfast was ready," Alice replied after a brief moment of hesitation.
Sirius laughed.
It was awkward. The awkwardness was almost suffocating.
Alice licked her lips as she slid down the door landing with a soft thump on the floor, her back leaning against the door, they were going to be here a while, so she may as well sit down…
"But it was their own fault, I mean… If they had just woken up when I told them too…"
Sirius laughed again and smiled. "Mm, Mooney used to do that to me and James all the time."
Alice blinked. "Whose Mooney? Wait, isn't that a name on the Marauders map?"
Sirius grinned. "Remus, you have the map?"
Alice couldn't help but grin in return. "Do I have the map, do I have the map? That's like asking if my names Alice…"
"Is your name Alice?"
Alice gave the older male a dead-pan expression. "Why yes, yes it is."
Sirius grinned at her. "Well, what a surprise!"
"Quite a Sirius surprise if you ask me…"
Sirius snorted. "Already up with the Sirius / serious jokes are we?"
Alice winked at him, it wasn't that hard. Giving Black a chance, a chance to be her father – or at least a friend, that was something she could see.
"So," Alice pouted. "Can you get us out of here?"
Sirius looked at her for a few moments before he shook his head. "…No, I don't have a wand…"
Alice groaned, so she was stuck until Fred and George let them out, huh?
"Then we're stuck until the terror twins let us out?"
"It appears so… Terror twins?"
Alice smiled back at him. "They cause chaos and terror wherever they go… Kind of like me…" Alice added on the end with a thoughtful expression.
"And me," Sirius chimed in.
"I say we give them pay back," Alice said in a serious tone.
"I quite agree."
# $$
"Hermione, get yours and Ginny's arses in here, right now!"
Hermione popped into the small bathroom, with Ginny by her side, both of them looked confused. Alice was just staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was looking at her long, wavy black locks of perfect hair.
She just wanted it gone. Her long hair to her – was a symbol of her parents. It had always been a hobby of her mother's to spend way to long brushing it. It just reminded her of her parents. She wanted it gone.
"Yes Alice?" Hermione asked while Ginny just stood beside her, her eyes bright.
Alice turned around, holding a pair of muggle scissors. The kind that didn't just randomly cut things it wasn't meant to. "Who is better at cutting hair?"
"What!?" Hermione said her eyes wide.
"Why would you cut it Alice? It's so pretty!" Ginny said with genuinely confusion.
Alice brushed the two girls off. "I feel like change! Now,… Who's better?"
"… I've never done it before…" Ginny confessed.
"Same," Hermione agreed.
Alice shrugged. "Well, it's time to learn then!" Alice said as she handed the scissors over to Ginny. "Make it just shorter than my shoulders."
"This isn't a good idea," Hermione muttered, as Ginny started to cut.
Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know; it kind of seems like fun."
Hermione just shook her head in dismay as Ginny proceeded to cut Alice's long black locks off her head.
~! #$%&*(*^
"What did you do?" Harry asked staring at her hair like it was some alien object.
"I cut my hair… Like it Potter?" Alice asked, pretending to be a really girly girl for a minute.
"Er…"
"I don't care if you don't… I do and that's what matters!" Alice said cheerfully as she grabbed Harry's shoulders.
"No, I like it it's just – really different."
Alice winked at Harry. "Now, Mr Potter, now that's all done… I need your help…"
"…With?" Harry asked cautionary.
"Payback!"
Harry just sighed.