Chapter 7

Draco

Christmas appeared to pass in the blink of an eye and the only time Harry wasn't with Neville, was when she had taken Neville to visit his parents. Ever since Neville had told Harry the truth of what had happened, he was more curious to know what these visits were like. He wasn't rude enough to ask to accompany Neville nor insensitive enough to want to watch. He was only curious. Neville was never in the mood to chat and often spent time alone in Lily's garden, until he felt better about the visit. So, Harry would spend at least two days by himself, reading his new books, going over theories, constantly watching the marauder's map and practicing moving stealthily beneath his new cloak. This spell of loneliness would only last those two days because it was soon time to return to Hogwarts.

Once they were reunited with Alicia and Hermione, they all traded the information they had gathered, while going over the various Christmas gifts they had been given and how fun it had been to get away from the school. The topic of discussion that was most interesting to Hermione and Alicia had been the Map and the Cloak.

"Is it possible that your friend Peter is responsible for giving you the cloak, Harry?" Hermione had suggested. She was turning it around in her palms, feeling the material pass through her fingers. "I mean, he gave you the map. Perhaps he's been keeping all this stuff for your dad."

"I don't see Pete keeping the cloak hidden from Remus." Said Harry, thinking that was a very good idea. And might explain Peter's lack of effort in gifts this year. "The map, yes. Remus wouldn't approve of the map, even if he were one of the ones who made it. He's too like mum."

"I still say it could be Severus." Neville suggested. "I know what you said about him and your dad but then, it would make total sense."

"Too risky. He doesn't approve of risk. He wouldn't give me that even if mum ordered him."

"I don't think it matters." Alicia finally said. She was more interested in the map than the cloak. Something worried her about it. She felt it was more valuable and had asked Harry if she could be the one to keep it safe for him. To her surprise, he agreed. "The cloak was given back, not as a gift. Whoever had it before felt they should give it to you."

"But why wait until now?" Neville challenged.

"Maybe whoever they were needed to wait until Harry was in school." Alicia said, closing the map and stuffing it in her robe just as the train started to enter Hogsmeade station. "I'll keep it in my trunk and check on it at night. Don't worry. It won't get lost."

"Wait, you haven't told us about your cousin yet!" Neville complained. Alicia had left the compartment in a hurry with Neville chasing after her.

Nymphadora Tonks had been something of a spectacle when she'd brought Alicia to the train. She was young, with bright pink hair and very cool looking robes, and she wore a t-shirt that had a famous rock band on it. She was an Auror and that had instantly made Harry interested. Lily knew Tonks of course, and it annoyed Harry that his mother wasn't mentioning all these Aurors and ex-Aurors she seemed to know. The most interesting thing about Tonks, as she preferred to be known, was her ability to change her hair colour. There wasn't time to get into too many details on the matter since the train had to leave but it left Harry and Neville very curious indeed.

"I'm guessing she is a Metamorphmagus," Harry mused, helping Hermione to carry all the extra books she had brought back with her. "She can change her appearance at will."

Hermione frowned, then glanced up at Harry with interest. "I've not read about those."

Harry gasped, "You haven't?!" He was teasing her and strangely enough, she was happy to accept his mocking of this knew knowledge. "You're not the person I thought you were."

"Oh, behave." She chastised him. "I'm a muggle-born, remember?"

"How could anyone forget?" Harry had missed many things about Hogwarts, but Ron Weasley was not one of them. He came lumbering down the train towards Harry and Hermione with his usual entourage and gave them both a sneer.

"Ron!" Harry said, loud enough for several of the older Gryffindor students to overhear and look in their direction. "How was Christmas? How are Frank and Gerald getting on now that they're no longer in school?"

"Their names are Fred and George!" Ron snapped. "And you'll do well to mind your own business, Potter!"

"That's right, they got expelled for being complete idiots." Harry went on, making Hermione giggle. Ron, cast her a dark look.

"Complete idiots?" Ron repeated back to them, his sneer turning into a proud smile. "At least I know who is lurking in the shadows. Best be careful now, Potter. He's not your biggest fan."

"You good there, Harry?" Oliver Wood had asked, coming over to see what was going on. His presence alone had caused the smiling Weasley to nod his head to his entourage and walk very quickly away from the scene.

"Creepy bunch." Wood commented. "They keep bugging you, let me know, eh Harry?"

"Sure thing." Harry said, though he was watching after Ron with the most curious look on his face. "What did he mean by that?" He wondered.

"Who knows." Hermione said, dismissively. "I doubt he's privy to any kind of important information. His brother's don't even care if he gets attacked."

Harry wanted to shake off the idea that Ron might be more aware of something than Harry was. The idea was laughable and yet, he couldn't get passed this nagging feeling that for once, Ron might have been trying to scare Harry with something that was also very real. Not having much time to dwell on the matter, once the welcome back feast was over, Harry, Hermione, Alicia and Neville had managed to find themselves in the common room alone. A rarity but one that was welcome.

"Did either of you managed to find out anything on Nicholas Flamel?" Neville had asked once they'd all settled around the fire. Alicia and Hermione were sat together on the sofa, Neville had taken one of the armchairs while Harry sat docile on the floor.

"Nope." Alicia said, making her lips pop when she said the P. "I even asked Andromeda."

"And what was her reply?" Harry asked, thinking he could guess the answer. He was only partly right.

"To mind my own business and to stop eating in the bath." Alicia grinned when Harry's face dropped in confusion. "I get peckish." She explained, shrugging her shoulders.

"He's not in any of the history books either. I don't have access to a wizard library at home, so I'll check the school library." She was having a hard time over the fact that the power of books was failing her.

"We could always ask Severus?" Neville suggested, seeming to struggle for ideas.

"Right," Harry chuckled. "And I'll just go and tell Dumbledore I'm taking over the school while I'm at it."

"Head-Master Potter?" Alicia mused, smiling playfully. "Has a ring to it."

Neville huffed. "Come on, why not?!" He demanded to know.

"Because Harry is only a first year. He's very good at spells but I don't think he's ready to run a whole school, Neville." Hermione said, trying her hand at teasing and doing a rather good job of it, Harry felt. "Be serious."

"I meant about, Severus!" Neville fumed.

"Neville." Said Harry, calmly. "He didn't show up for Christmas. He's not done that in forever." Harry sighed. "That means this is serious. He's not going to tell students. Especially me, what is going on."

"If only we could get into the restricted section." Mused Hermione, slumping into the sofa some more and resting her head on Alicia's shoulder. "I bet there would be something in there."

"And why can't we get in there to look?" Asked Neville.

"I think it had something to do with the whole, Restricted Section, thin that she mentioned." Alicia replied, sarcastically. "Besides, it's a maze you'd need a map to get round it and the chances of you being caught, you'd have to be practically invisible."

And so, later that night that the quartet had discussed the exact plan which would guide them to the restricted section of the Hogwarts library. Sadly, classes started up again and the new workload that the teacher's were piling on, felt more like punishment for having had a Christmas holiday. 5th years were in the midst of taking their end of year O.W.L exams, which was the exams you took to decide what you would be studying in your last two years. Hermione had been very curious about this but had found herself on the bad end of the fifth years, who, were getting more stressed by the second. This seemed to mirror the problem that was getting in the way for Harry and his friends.

It wasn't until they were racing towards Spring that Harry was able to put their well-conceived plan into action. It was decided that only two of them would go. It was also to Alicia's great instance that she be the one to go with Harry. There was no argument that Harry was going, however, he and Neville felt it was probably better for Hermione to go. Alas, Alicia made her argument, and it was in the dead of the night that the two of them were making their way through the castle.

"Turn left." Alicia whispered.

"I know how to get to the library." Harry said, feeling only slightly annoyed with Alicia of late. She had refused to give Harry the map and was constantly giving him directions. That wasn't the only thing though. Any time Harry brought up the map, she'd instantly change the subject or refuse to go and get it so he could check it, coming up with some excuse every time not to go and fetch it for him.

"I'm just trying to be helpful." She whispered at him.

Harry felt that she would be more helpful if she would just had him the map instead of making him lead the way through the dark corridors. He knew these ways like the back of his hand now, but he was more concerned with running into the even patrols. He knew that Filch was on the look out tonight, a long with Severus. This meant that the corridors were very dangerous to anyone who might be caught wandering around at night.

The library was not far from the Gryffindor common room and Harry and his friends had spent so much time there that navigating to the Restriction Section without a map was easy. It was when they reached the gate that blocked the way, and Harry used his wand to unlock it that things got more complicated. The Restriction Section was indeed a labyrinth and even the map wasn't of use – something that Alicia found to be a relief – each of the sections had different names that Harry couldn't pronounce. Not to mention the amount of books that they checked, made no mention of Flamel and mostly caused Harry to shiver coldly whenever he read any of them. Time passed slowly and the only interruption was that of footsteps coming from the distance.

"Who's there, it better not be a student!" Filch's gravelly voice could be heard coming from round the corner.

Harry tried to pull Alicia away from the bookshelf she was standing near, but she stopped him. "There is passageway, behind that case, it will get us out of here. Come on!"

Quickly the two of them gripped the invisibility cloak and ran for the passage that Alicia was pointing to. They were forced to push open a part of the wall, which closed behind them as soon as they were through. Inside a long, dark hallway, they advanced, approaching the other side with caution. Harry was so lost in the failure of the mission that when they stepped through to the other side, they hadn't noticed Severus sweeping passed them.

"There you are!" Severus called out, sounding very dark and dangerous indeed. Harry jumped because for one moment he forgot that he was invisible. It was a relief when Severus stormed passed Harry and rushed towards someone entirely different. It was Professor Quirrell.

"S-Severus, bit l-late for a s-stroll, isn't it?" Quirrell didn't do casual very well. Especially now when his stutter was far worse than it normally was. Harry also noticed that the Professor looked exhausted, drained even. He didn't look well at all.

"Don't, think, I don't know what you're up to, Quirrell." Said Severus, his voice colder and more dangerous than Harry had ever heard it before. Up until now, Severus had always seemed dark and mysterious to Harry, now, he could understand why Peter and Remus said that people were afraid of the Potion's Master.

"I-I don't know wh-what you me-mean!" Quirrell stuttered. He looked positively frightened now. And Harry couldn't blame him.

"You don't want me as an enemy Quirrell." Warned Severus. "I will not allow anything to interfere in the balance of power, not here and not now. I've warned you before, you can pretend to Dumbledore all you wish but when it comes to me, you are not going to…"

"Professors!"

Harry and Alicia were forced to jump backwards to avoid being knocked over when Filch came zooming round the corner. He put his arm out and grabbed the first doorhandle he could find, turning it slowly while Filch complained about students having been out of bed. The teacher inside Severus had taken over and he demanded to be shown right away. Quirrell, for a moment, didn't look so afraid when Severus had rushed off. For a single moment, Harry noticed, Quirrell looked like he was a completely different person. A dangerous one. The last thing he saw was Quirrell taking a deep breath, then launching himself down the corridor after Severus and Filch. This was moments before he and Alicia both tripped and fell over, both hitting the ground at the same time.

"Being invisible really does make you blind to all else that moves, doesn't it?" A wise old voice said. It had come from the shadows of the classroom and was followed up by a pleasant chuckle.

Scrambling to their feet, Harry was slower than Alicia and had taken the map which she dropped and looked down at it. "Harry, no!" Alicia almost screamed. It made him jump but not nearly as the idea of who was in the classroom with them. And another strange thing as well. Something he had noticed before that never really made sense. Alicia wasn't in the room with them.

"Professor." Harry said, looking up from the map and strategically tried to fold it up and put it in his back pocket.

"Harry, my dear boy." Said Professor Dumbledore. He was sitting very casually on one of the desks, smiling knowingly and waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "The existence of that map has not escaped me and while I admit it is a rather good piece of magic, I will ask that you only put it to use when it is absolutely necessary."

"Erm, yes Professor, but." Harry frowned and looked directly at Alicia. He couldn't make sense of what he had seen and yet, the way she now stared at him with absolute terror on her face worried him.

"I'm afraid you've caught me at a rather bad time." Said Dumbledore, calmly. "While I would enjoy dreaming up an odious punishment, I've just had a relic removed from this very room and must make sure that it reaches its destination."

"You're letting us off the hook?" Harry asked, surprised enough to ignore the tears forming in Alicia's eyes.

"Not quite." Dumbledore chuckled. He leapt off the table with surprising ease for a man his age and walked slowly towards the pair. "I do believe that Miss Malfoy," Dumbledore cast her a friendly glance and placed his hand on her shoulder, "will be more than enough for you to handle this evening. As I imagine she will become quite emotional once you ask your question."

"Erm, why does…" Harry started to ask but Dumbledore cut him off.

"Harry, this is a matter between friends, and I trust that you will rise to the occasion and show that unwavering kindness your dear mother as bestowed in you." Dumbledore then looked down at Alicia and fixed her with a piercing stare and a warm smile. "Trust him. He will not abandon you."

By now Alicia was shaking from head to toe. Her eyes were red and her cheeks blotchy. She nodded once but her expression was unsure, she was afraid. Harry could do little except stand there, lost in the confusion of the moment. Dumbledore's presence alone was random at best. The fact that they did not appear to be in trouble was very unlikely and yet, he believed Dumbledore.

"Now," Dumbledore said. "I shall excuse myself and I would recommend that once what is said is said, you both return to your dormitories. Understood?"

"Yes Professor." Only Harry replied.

The room was silent while Professor Dumbledore made his way out of the room and closed the door behind him. Harry wasn't sure where to start and Alicia had walked away to go and sit on the same desk that Dumbledore had just been sitting on before now. Harry reached down and gathered up the cloak, placing it neatly on a desk and removed the map from his back pocket. When he unfolded it, he saw something, that in his secrecy before sharing the map with his friends, that he had seen before and could never make sense of. The only reason he had never asked about it was because he would have to explain how he knew about this. For when he looked at the map and saw himself standing in the room they were in, he could also see another name. however, it was not Alicia Malfoy who was sitting just a few feet from the Harry in the map, it was someone else.

"Who." Harry tried to start saying. He shook his head and tried to think of another way to ask. "What." No, that felt rude. "Alicia?"

"What?" She sniffed, wiping her eyes and not looking up from her lap.

"I don't suppose you have a middle name, do you?" This seemed like a long shot, but it had some impact.

Alicia giggled, she then started to cry again and covered her face. Harry wasn't the best at these types of things. He was suddenly wishing that his mother were here, maybe even Hestia. No. No, Harry didn't wish Hestia were here. He thought about running to get Hermione, she would know about girls and crying. She was practically an expert on the matter. No matter what he thought, he knew he shouldn't leave the room, not now. And not without Alicia by his side.

"So, got any big secrets you want to share?"

To his relief, Alicia started laughing again and she wiped her face. "When I was 5, Tonks was going to a party and Andromeda made her put on this lovely blue dress. Tonks hated it but she did as she was told and even made her blonde, long and lovely. She looked so beautiful that I was jealous. It was silly really, I just…I wanted to be her. I wanted to be the girl who everyone looked at and said was beautiful. A few days later, Ted found me trying on some of Tonk's old clothes. Naturally, he freaked out, but Andromeda knew a witch who could explain it to him."

"I mean." Harry couldn't think of much to say right now. He'd always thought that Alicia was pretty. "You are pretty, you've always been pretty and…well…not ugly?"

Alicia rolled her eyes at him. "Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy didn't give birth to a little girl, Harry." She told him. She waited but the blank expression on his face meant that he hadn't clicked on. "Named Draco Malfoy."

"That's the person on the map!" Said Harry, acting proud as if he'd just figured the whole thing out. He pointed to the little label with Draco's name on it, then looked up at Alicia. Realisation dawn all too quickly for him "Oh."

"Draco Malfoy stopped existing when I turned 8." Alicia told him, speaking slowly so as not to scare of confuse Harry. "Ted thought I was too young to make a decision like that, but Andromeda and Tonks were sold on the change."

"Change?" Harry asked, trying his best not to glance in any inappropriate directions.

Alicia rolled her eyes at him. "Not that big of a change." She said, keeping her patience with him. "Alicia was my mother and Andromeda's cousin. She was very pretty, kind and loved the colour blue. I wear the dress sometimes in honour of her memory. She died on Halloween night."

"Make sense." Harry nodded, drawing in a deep breath and walking over to sit next to Alicia on the table.

"Really?" She asked, making sure.

"No." He chuckled.

"Harry, I am a girl. I look like girl. Think like a girl."

"You punch like a…" He stuttered over the word, then corrected himself. "That big Slytherin girl that sits next to Dean in Potions."

"Yes, there are somethings that I can do that other girls can't but there are things you can't do that other boys can." She told him, reaching out to gently take his hand.

He did not deny her this and sat, very happily, holding onto Alicia's hand. "But the map. I mean, I've seen you sleeping in the girl's dormitories. Hasn't anyone asked…"

"The girls all have separate rooms. It's not like the boys and Hermione already knows." Alicia told him, rolling her eyes again. "Dumbledore does as well, I you didn't already notice, and he's gone to great lengths to make sure no one else knows until I am ready to tell everyone."

"Why should you tell anyone?" Harry asked, innocently staring at her.

"Pardon?"

"I mean, you're you, right?" He said, getting a little more passionate than he planned to. "It shouldn't matter what people think. You're Alicia Malfoy and you're my friend and if anyone has anything to say about…about…IT!" He wasn't sure where he was going with this. So, he just got violent instead. "I'll curse them into oblivion!"

To his surprise, this earned him a kiss on the cheek. Something that made his cheeks flare bright red and his brain more confused that it needed to be. His outburst appeared to have let him off the hook of learning any more details than he really wanted. To Harry, Draco Malfoy was just a name on a map. For Harry, he held his friend's hand all the way back to the common room that night, making sure she got their safely beneath the cloak and didn't risk getting her put in detention in the process. It had occurred to Harry that the mission to discover who Nicholas Flamel was had been a total failure. Luckily, Harry had walked away with something far more valuable. His friendship with Alicia was stronger than ever.