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CHAPTER 9
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ALICE did not know how this situation could possibly get any worse for herself. She cast a pleading glance towards the closed office door of Professor McGonagall's office. "Oh, please, Professor, can't Remus and Frank come in too?" she pleaded as Professor McGonagall waved her wand, causing a clear cookie jar to open and lazily float in midair towards where Alice sat perched in her seat.
She waited, shivering, with gritted teeth, her knuckles practically white as they latched onto the edge of her chair for support, while she waited for Professor McGonagall to lay into her for what had happened, for her utter stupidity in allowing herself to get tricked by Barty, but it didn't come.
Why did she have to talk to their Head of House alone? Remus and Frank were waiting patiently outside the corridor ready to escort Alice back to the Common Room when she had finished, but Professor McGonagall was adamant on speaking to Alice alone.
"I am afraid not, my dear. I'd like to just talk to you for now, Miss Prewitt. There is no need to fret, you're not in trouble, so why don't you calm yourself and take a biscuit, Miss Prewitt. Go on."
Minerva McGonagall forced a smile that did not look at all sincere. In fact, the Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House looked downright furious, though not at her.
Sensing that Alice was not at all convinced, Professor McGonagall heaved a tired sigh and pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. "Mr. Lupin and Mr. Longbottom are right outside. I just need your version of everything to start, dear."
Alice swallowed down hard past the growing lump in her throat as she clutched at the biscuit in her hand and the cup of water that Professor McGonagall had fetched for her upon hearing how hoarse and weak Alice's voice sounded. She was incredibly thirsty, yes, that much was true, but she could not quite shake the feeling as though the beverage were a trap. Perhaps Slughorn had laced the ice-water with Veritaserum that would get her to tell the truth, and McGonagall couldn't know the turmoil of her emotions.
But still, Alice could not quite bring herself to trust the water.
"Can I get you anything else? Is it warm enough for you, Alice? You're shaking, Miss Prewitt," McGonagall noticed, concerned.
Alice felt her face drain of color as she folded her arms across her chest, feeling grateful that whoever had changed her clothes in the middle of the night had dressed in a long sleeved cream shirt.
It hid the worst of Crouch's angry bruises, the only evidence alongside her bruised and bandaged left hand of Barty's attack.
"N—no, thank you, Professor, I'm just nervous," Alice managed to gasp out in a small, meek-sounding voice, fiddling with the fabric between her fingers, grabbing a sleeve in each hand.
"There's no need for that, my dear." Professor McGonagall took a seat in her chair on the other side of her desk and sat rigidly, smiling at her in what Alice was supposed to guess was meant to come across as sympathetic, but instead, it looked rather forced. "I've only called you here this morning to get the truth from you, Miss Prewitt. Just answer my questions and be honest. That's it. You are not in trouble," she said again, but still, Alice worried.
"If Remus and Frank don't say anything, can they come in here?" Alice begged, feeling like she was on the brink of tears as she shrank pitifully back against her chair. "J—Just to sit with me."
Her heart sank to the pit of her churning stomach as Professor McGonagall shook her head no by way of response. "You'll see the pair of them soon enough, my dear. Given the ah, sensitive nature of this conversation, if we are to properly discipline Mr. Crouch for his despicable behavior towards you, I thought this conversation was best suited to be had in private. You've my full confidence, dear, that what you and I discuss does not go beyond these walls."
Alice swallowed and nodded, slumping her shoulders in defeat and dejectedly took a bite of the cookie as a bit of distraction.
Professor McGonagall waited until the young brunette witch had swallowed her bite of cookie and reluctantly reached for the glass of water staring at her from the desk before pressing Alice.
"So, dear, can you tell me what happened to you tonight?"
Alice bit her bottom lip and stared into the cup of water clutched in both her hands, not really sure where to start, but she knew that she had to start talking. She was going to look like she was lying if she didn't start saying something soon. "Crouch, he tricked me into thinking he was Frank, Professor. Polyjuice Potion." She whispered her words as though they were a hushed, dirty secret, and in some small way, she knew that they were.
She did not want word of this getting around the castle to their other friends and classmates, or the rest of the teachers.
"You look like you've been through quite an ordeal, Miss Prewitt. The bruises and the markings all over your poor wrists…" Professor McGonagall leaned over her desk and reached towards Alice's bruised and heavily bandaged left hand. "What this, dear?"
Alice inhaled a sharp breath that was more of a hiss and shrank back as much as she possibly could in her chair. "Don't," she whimpered, slapping the Transfiguration Professor's hand away, and then staring back with wide, fearful, almond-shaped blue eyes at what she had just done. "Oh, n-no, I—I'm so sorry, Professor!"
She let out a gasp as she swore she saw a flash of anger in their Head of House's piercing eyes of green as the Transfiguration Professor fixed her with a hardened stare, glaring at her through the lenses of her simple glasses. "I—I didn't mean to, Professor…."
Alice flinched, watching, biting the wall of her cheek as McGonagall set her mouth into a thin, pursed, rigid line and stared across the way at Alice Prewitt, forcing an obviously faked smile.
"It is quite all right, Miss Prewitt," she breathed. "If I could be quite plain with you, dear, for a moment. Bartemius attacked you. That much was made clear to me earlier this morning when Mr. Black alerted me that Mr. Crouch was attacking you in the third floor corridor, and it's evident by your bandaged hand and the bruise underneath your eye looks painful. He hit you, Alice, attempted to assault you and force himself upon you without your consent. That alone warrants grounds for Mr. Crouch's expulsion."
Swallowing, Alice continued staring at her Head of House, all while biting down on her tongue. What would happen to her if she refused to answer any of Professor McGonagall's questions, then?
"Somebody hurt you," Minerva stated, her tone curt. "A person, and only you can tell us whether or not it was Mr. Crouch."
Alice hesitated, biting down hard on her bottom lip. Surely, Professor Slughorn had already talked to Crouch to get his version of what had happened, which she assumed Barty had somehow managed to paint himself as the victim, and gained Slughorn's sympathy, if Alice had to hazard a guess. Barty could be quite charming and cunning when he wanted to be. He'd proved that.
She continued her numb staring at Professor McGonagall from across the desk, allowing her Head of House to continue on.
Alice could not quite explain it, this sudden change of heart, but she knew that she wanted to talk to Barty Crouch Jr. alone before a verdict could be reached as to what the staff would do to him. She would let Professor McGonagall talk as long as possible.
So long as Alice didn't have to delve into detail of what had happened or confirm that any of her guesses were true. Barty was her problem to deal with. Not McGonagall's, not Slughorn's, not Remus's, and especially not Frank's. Hers and hers alone.
If she had ambitions of becoming an Auror alongside Frank when the pair graduated from Hogwarts, she knew she was going to have to learn to take difficult matters such as what happened to her in stride, and learn how to deal with them on her own terms and hers alone.
Professor McGonagall didn't expect Alice to truly answer, did she? She couldn't get in any trouble for that, right? Alice wasn't the one who had lured a student out of their Common Room and attacked someone. She had been the victim in Crouch's little game.
Victims couldn't get in trouble for being hurt, even if they refused to discuss at length and in detail what had happened, yes?
Professor McGonagall emanated a tense exhale and shook her head slowly. She seemed frustrated with Alice, which the young brunette witch thought unfair and, in her mind, unfounded. None of what had happened was Alice's fault, and Minerva McGonagall was, quite frankly, the last person she would tell any of this to.
"You do realize, Miss Prewitt, that protecting someone who hurt you is just going to make things worse, right?" Professor McGonagall fixed Alice with a piercing, pointed stare that made Alice flinch and squirm in her seat. "Even if it is someone that you love or claim to care for, someone you may or may not be scared of. I know that in your own way, my dear, there is a part of you that does care for Mr. Crouch. Perhaps you even hold out hope that the boy will change, as do all of us here on staff, but I am afraid that he will only do worse towards you as long as you stay silent, my child."
Alice swallowed nervously, feeling a sheen of sweat start to throng on her forehead, and the lump in her throat was only getting worse as she continued to stare at her Head of House, adamantly refusing that, no matter how uncomfortable, she wouldn't look away. "Dear, if Mr. Crouch hurt you, you must tell me. He will not be able to hurt you anymore if you just tell me the truth, Prewitt."
Alice continued her silent staring, not sure what to say. She wondered what Professor McGonagall would do if she did speak up and tell her what Crouch had attempted to do to her in the corridor.
"Those bruises on your wrists and face look harsh, Miss Prewitt," Professor McGonagall continued, sounding impatient. "Painful. Violent. Mr. Crouch was with you alongside Mr. Lupin and Mr. Longbottom when I found you. Now tell me the truth."
"No." Alice interrupted, giving her head a curt shake, a newfound resolve spiraling as warmth throughout her chest, and as she lifted her chin to better meet her Head of House's gaze, she felt her brilliant cobalt pale blue orbs flash and darken slightly.
Barty Crouch Jr. was her problem to resolve. No one else's.
"Barty, he…he didn't do anything to me, Professor," she growled, huffing in frustration, and folding her arms across her chest. "I…I was sleepwalking, injured myself in my sleep. Crouch was…fortunate enough to find me before things got worse," she muttered, well aware she was lying through her teeth, and there was more than a good chance Professor McGonagall saw through her, though whether or not she'd believe Alice remained to be seen.
She was right the moment her Head of House gave Alice a stare that indicated that she thought the young girl was lying to her.
"If someone threatened you, Miss Prewitt, the Hogwarts staff, and your friends here, I'm sure, would be more than up to the task, can keep you safe. It is my job as an instructor to ensure your well-being and safety." Minerva narrowed her piercing eyes of green as she stared at Alice's neck, then down towards her bandaged hand.
Alice furrowed her brows into a frown and pulled the sleeve of her long-sleeve, cream colored shirt down further over her bandaged wrist to better cover up her injuries, her face flushed.
"May I go, Professor? I—I didn't do anything wrong, I—I was just sleepwalking a—and I got lost. But I'm all right now. There's no crime that was committed. Please don't expel Crouch for this."
But before Alice could rise from her chair and hopefully put an end to this painfully awkward interrogation, Professor McGonagall leaned forward across the desk, grabbing Alice's injured hand, and gingerly rolled up the sleeve of her shirt to see it.
Alice let out a pained whimper and reached for her sleeve herself and shrank back against her seat as far as she could go! "S—stop!" she gasped. "This—this isn't necessary, Professor, please!"
"There are several welts and bruises along your arm, Miss Prewitt, not to mention someone," Here, Minerva shot Alice a pointed glower, "bruised your hand hard enough to break it. Something tells me that even you, sleepwalking or otherwise, couldn't manage to do that to yourself in your sleep. Someone did this to you, Miss Prewitt, grabbed your wrist hard enough to break it, and you need to tell me who that person was. Who hurt you?"
"N—no one!" Alice squeaked, standing up so fast that she accidentally overturned the chair she had been sitting in. She mumbled a half-hearted curse under her breath as she shakily moved to right the piece of furniture. Alice was tired of her Head of House interrogating her. She'd already talked about it twice to Remus and then again to Frank and the rest of the Marauders earlier. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than for this to end.
"If Mr. Crouch is hurting you, you cannot keep protecting him, no matter what the status of your relationship with him may be," Professor McGonagall peered at Alice over the rim of her silver spectacles, taking a step towards Alice as the girl backed herself further against the wall of her office, looking for a way out of this.
"Please just let me go," Alice breathed, pressing her back against the wall, turning her head to the left and squeezing her eyes shut. "Barty, he—he didn't do anything wrong, Professor, I swear!"
"I'm not trying to scare you, Miss Prewitt. I am trying to help you," Professor McGonagall sighed, raising her hands in defense.
"Alice?" came a muffled, slightly warbling sounding voice when the young brunette witch heard a sound that was unexpectedly comforting—Frank's mother's voice. Augusta. "Miss Prewitt, are you in here?" Augusta Longbottom knocked against the door, and then without waiting for permission from Professor McGonagall, pulled it open, huffing in frustration as she straightened her vulture hat on her head and her red handbag slung over her arm as she peeled off her gloves, her lips pursed in a line.
"Mrs. Longbottom," Alice whimpered, suddenly feeling hot tears sting and blur at the edges of her vision. She had not realized how grateful she was to see Frank's mother until just now. Truth be told, she had always been rather intimidated of Augusta Longbottom, as the witch could be somewhat overbearing, asking too many questions as to the nature of where her and Frank's relationship was going, if the two intended to marry after graduating Hogwarts, but at this moment, Alice was utterly relieved.
Mrs. Longbottom did not hesitate to swoop her son's girlfriend up in a protective hug, holding Alice close as she choked out breathless sobs, stress and fatigue of her ordeal finally catching up to her that Alice knew no amounts of Sleeping or Calming Draughts could mend. "How dare you?" she spat angrily towards Minerva, whose cheeks were flushed bright pink with pure outrage. "Can't you see, Professor, that you are scaring my son's girlfriend? Hasn't Miss Prewitt already been through enough? How dare you bring her in here all alone without an adult present, Minerva? Questioning the girl like she's nothing more than a petty criminal."
"Oh, Mrs. Longbottom, please don't," Alice spoke up, feeling her own cheeks start to burn in embarrassment, not wanting Frank's mother to make a scene, but nevertheless, allowed Augusta to keep her arms wrapped firmly around her shoulders in a hug.
"My student is covered in bruises and welts, and suffers from a sprained wrist, Mrs. Longbottom. I have to get to the bottom of this. Having other people present in the room during things like this leads to a lot of victims withholding the necessary information. That is why I requested an audience with Miss Prewitt, alone, and now, with all due respect, Augusta, you need to leave my office."
Professor McGonagall's already stern features had hardened considerably as she took a step towards Augusta, wand in her hand.
But Mrs. Longbottom pulled Alice back and took a step towards the door. "No. Just look at her. You're terrifying the poor dear, and she's not in a fit mental state to be answering questions. You cannot talk to her like this. You cannot corner her and threaten her and scare her and then expect Miss Prewitt to tell you what happened. In her current physical state, your questions will only succeed in further exacerbating her injuries and causing her stress. You're going to give her a panic attack. She's going back to the Common Room and staying there for the remainder of the day."
There was a note of finality and a hint of steel in Frank's mother's voice that told Alice she was to listen to her advice now.
Alice couldn't take it anymore! "Stop!" she yelled hoarsely, finally summoning the courage to step in and intervene between the feuding adults, as Professor McGonagall looked as though she would quite like to jinx Augusta Longbottom where she stood, but obviously, as a tenured Hogwarts Professor, she could not do it.
Letting out a shaking breath and squirming underneath Mrs. Longbottom's hold, Alice turned towards Professor McGonagall.
"Barty didn't do this to me," she began hesitantly, struggling to find her words. "I told you already. H—he…saved me. I want to talk to him alone before I go back to the Common Room. Stop accusing him, because he did nothing wrong," she growled, hoping and praying with all her might that once Crouch learned what Alice had done for him just now by hopefully preventing his expulsion, that the man would take the first steps necessary to changing.
Maybe even one day, becoming a friend to her. One day.
Alice continued, her voice sounding a little bit stronger now.
"I told you the truth, Professor, honest. I can't force you to believe it, but I told you everything that happened to me that there is to tell. I didn't do anything wrong. I'd like to talk to Barty now…"
Finally, Professor McGonagall exhaled a tense breath and shook her head, pinching at the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, lifting her glasses upward slightly, as if she couldn't believe the turn of events her questioning had just taken.
"Fine…That is true, my dear. I cannot keep you here, and I cannot force you to talk to me, though I wish you'd tell me the truth, but I cannot force you to. And as for Mr. Crouch…" Her voice trailed off as she paused, but Alice swore she saw the briefest flickers of sympathy and a look akin to astonishment as she met Alice's gaze. "He will not be expelled, and if you should wish to talk to him, he is downstairs in the dungeons with Professor Slughorn in his office. Mrs. Longbottom can escort you there," she answered, disgruntled.
Mrs. Longbottom made an odd little strangled noise at the back of her throat that suggested to Alice that sounded like Frank's mum wished to argue with that statement, but once Alice shot her a pleading look, Mrs. Longbottom's hardened expression softened.
"Of course, dear," she sighed, giving Alice's shoulder a gentle squeeze. Alice nodded as she craned her neck upwards, silently trying to thank the older witch for her eyes as she allowed herself to be led out of Professor McGonagall's office and down the stairs with the intent to head towards the dungeons. As they exited, Alice, out of the corner of her peripherals, caught Frank and Remus, who had been resting against the wall outside their Head of House's office, bolt to their feet and follow Mrs. Longbottom and Alice.
She could tell the boys were utterly confused, though she had no time to launch into an explanation, and considering how protective her friends were being of her following Barty's attack, suddenly, she wasn't sure she wanted them to know of her plans.
Having Mrs. Longbottom's firm grip on her shoulder as the aging, older witch steered her down the Grand Staircase, with Remus and Frank following close at their heels, mumbling to one another under their breaths, confused at where they were going, Alice could not help but feel a surge of affection for Frank's mum.
For all her faults, she really did love Frank, and her, besides. It could be suffocating at times, but her heart was in the right place.
As the group descended the stairs that led down to the dungeons, Alice could not help the stab of fear that pricked at her heartstrings as the group neared Professor Slughorn's office door.
Alice was briefly tempted to forget this, to turn on the heel of her shoe and go back up to the Gryffindor Common Room with Frank and Remus and just stay there, but she knew she couldn't.
She had to try to help Crouch. This was the only way to do it.
It was time to confront Crouch and talk to him alone.
Thoughts on Alice's selfless action of preventing Crouch from getting expelled? Do you think Crouch has it within himself to change, as Alice hopes, or will he be lost to his lustful infatuation and the Dark Side forever? Coming up in Ch. 10, Alice and Crouch have a difficult conversation (again lol) about what he attempted to do to her. Stay tuned for more!