Part Six:
The Trip To Hogsmeade


Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alex were waiting nervously in front of Dumbledores office. Brendon had refused to tell them what was going on. To be honest, he didn't want to. Why would anyone want to tell someone that they had been sent there to kill them? A few moments later, Brendon came out of his office, his head down. Dumbledore stepped outside behind him.

" Mr. Boydston, I don't want you to worry about anything. I am glad you told me about this, and you know that when Harry finds this out that he will want proof that you had no intention of doing what your father wanted." the Professor said.

" When I find out about what?" Harry asked.

Brendon looked nervously at Dumbledore.

"What?!"Harry said, getting annoyed.

Dumbledore motioned for Brendon to sit in a chair that happened to be sitting against the wall. He then pointed his wand at Brendon, said a few words, and Brendon looked straight ahead, his face expressionless.

" Now, why did your father send you here?" Dumbledore asked Brendon.

" To get rid of Harry." said Brendon. Harry's eyes got very large.

" Did you want to?"

" No, and I hated my father for making me."

" Did you want to train all these years for this?"

" No. When I protested against it, my father would punish me."said Brendon.

" How would he punish you?"

" Most of the time with the Cruciatus Curse." said Brendon. Hermione let out a small shreek.

" How were you injured when you you were going to the owlery?"

" My dad had come to talk to me about what I was supposed to do, and I told him I wouldn't do it. Then he slammed me into the wall with his wand, and told me that if I didn't kill Harry he would make me wish I was dead."

" You never intended to hurt Harry at all did you?"

" No. The only reason I came here was bacause I was a coward. I consider Harry to be a friend, and I don't hurt my friends. I just want to be free of my father."

" Thank you, Brendon." said Dumbledore. He flicked his wand, and Brendon came back to reality. He shook his head, and glanced around at everyone.

" I'm sorry Harry. I'm sorry I lied to all of you. I had no choice." said Brendon, looking down.

Harry had to think for a moment. He had hoped for one year without having to fight. Now there had already been someone sent here because of him. And it was Brendon. Someone he had least expected to do something like that. Then again, he had said that he wasn't going to do anything, and that he had been forced. Harry looked at the bandage wrapped around Brendons head that was covering up the gash in the back. Was this what he had went through for the last few years? He couldn't imagine Brendon doing anything to him. He felt sorry for him actually.

" Again, I'm sorry." said Brendon.

" I guess it's okay. I mean, I really don't know what to say." said Harry.

" If you don't ever trust me again I'll understand. If I found out that someone had been sent to kill me I probably wouldn't trust them either." said Brendon.

" It's not that I don't trust you. I do, it's just that it came as a shock to me." said Harry.

" Well, I'm sure it did. I think that all of you need to go to your common rooms now. It's getting late." said Dumbledore. Brendon got up to leave. Ron, Hermione, and Alex all looked at him uneasily as he walked past them. He took one last look at them and then walked quickly to the common room. Hermione and Ron left after that.

" You okay?" Alex asked Harry.

" Yeah." he said. She gave him a reasuring smile, nodded at the professor, and left. Harry then turned to Dumbledore.

" Did he tell the truth?"

" Yes he did. Brendon is a smart boy. He isn't anything like his father, who was in Slytherin." said the old professor.

" What about his father? He's going to find out that Brendon told. Is he safe?" asked Harry.

" I will make sure he is safe. When we are able to capture his father, we-or you- will use the Torch on him. For now, we need to make sure that Brendon and you are protected."

" Can I trust him?" Harry asked.

" Yes, Harry. You can." and so Harry went up to the common room.

(-;****:-)

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alex were sitting by the fireplace in the common room the next day, waiting for McGonagall to announce it was time to leave for Hogsmeade. Brendon was sitting by himself in a corner, looking very bored.

" Why dosen't he come over here?" asked Ron.

" Maybe he thinks we don't want to be around him anymore after what happened." said Hermione.

" Do you care if he comes over here?" Alex asked Harry.

" No! Go ask him if he wants to ride with us to Hogsmeade." Harry said. Alex got up and went up to Brendon.

" Hey! What do you think you're a doin' over here by yourself?" she asked.

" I didn't want to bother you guys." he said.

" Well, get your ass over here!" she said, pulling him up off the chair. After he got there they began to talk like nothing ever happened. Soon they were at Hogsmeade, going as fast as they could to get to the Three Broomsticks to see Sirius. They bolted into the place, knocking people over. Alex suddenly stopped.

" What are you doing?" Harry asked.

" Sssshhh. Be vewy twiet." she said. She pulled her cloak over her head to where you couldn't see her face, and sat at the bar. Harry and the rest sat at a table behind her. Alex put her head down as Sirius walked over to her.

" Hello, can I get you anything?" he asked, while fixing one of his sleeves which had come unrolled.

" Lizards tail please." she said in a high pitched voice. He looked at her funny.

" What?"

" I said, LIZARDS TAIL!" Alex said as she pulled off her cloak. She had transformed her face to look like muggles usually make witches look like in movies. Long, green nose and face with lots of hairy warts. Sirius jumped back in surprise, then smiled when he saw Harry and the rest laughing in the background.

" Hi Alex." he said.

" HEY!" she said, changing back to her normal self and laughing. Sirius chuckled too.

" You scared me there for a minute." he said.

" Aw, come on, you know you love me." she said teasingly.

" You guys here for a school trip?" he asked.

" Yep! Happy to see us?" Alex asked while the rest of them came to stand beside her.

" Yeah, I am." he said.

" How's buisiness?" Harry asked.

" Same as usual." he replied." Who's this?" he asked, refering to Brendon.

" I'm the newest addition to the group. Brendon Boydston." Brendon said, shaking Sirius's hand.

" Nice to meet you." Sirius said. They spent the majority of the time at the bar with Sirius. When it was time to leave they told Sirius they would write him as soon as possible. They were on their way to the carriages that would take them back to the castle when Harry felt like he was being watched. He stopped and everyone looked at him.

" What's wrong?" Alex asked.

" I-I don't know." he said. The images around him were begining to spin.

" Harry!" Alex said as he began to fall backwards. She stood behind him, caught him, and lowered him to the ground. He looked up at her.

" Alex, whats happening?"

" I don't know. Just hang on." she said, worry in her voice.

" Alex, somethings taking me away." he said, as he got the sensation that he was falling away from her.

" Harry, hang on. Please hang on. HARRY!" she said. But it was too late. As he saw people running all over the place around him trying to find a professor, and looked at Alex one last time, he fell into a blinding white light.