1 Harry Potter and the Crystal Ball
By Hannah
2 Chapter Four ~ History Mystery Solved
Hogwarts was an old castle built many centuries ago. It was made of large stones, and was a twisting maze of corridors, rooms, and staircases. It seemed that the very architecture was magical: often times one would awaken and the armor down the hall would suddenly be a floor down by the staircase. The many towers and balconies made it very easy to get lost. A few lights glimmered from windows far above.
Harry grabbed the luggage once more and placed it in a small rowboat on the shore of a very large lake. He helped Alice settle in (she was half- asleep) and sat down himself. Two more people sat down with them and the small boat took off at a breakneck speed.
Harry introduced himself to the two passengers ("Harry Potter? Really? I heard you were going to be here . . . oh! I can't believe I'm actually talking to you . . ."), and also introduced Alice, who had fallen asleep again ("Alice Oak? Oh, I've heard so much about her . . . Of course, she doesn't get the recognition she deserves over here! What a pleasure: the two of you! At one time!").
Harry learned that the woman was Patsy Pilner, and the man Frank Reede. Patsy was a rather plump, stout young witch with blonde hair coiled in two tight buns on each side of her head. She was dimpled and smiled a lot. Her robes were dark burgundy cotton, and she smelled like stewed herbs.
Frank was a likable character; Harry took to him immediately. He was tall and gaunt, somewhat pale, and had thick black hair slicked back with gel. His eyes were a bright green with traces of brown, and his smile was rare but wonderful. He had a rather deep voice that seemed to resonate within Harry's chest.
"So, what job are you hoping for?" Harry asked the two.
"Oh, I want the new job called 'Safety in Magic,'" Patsy piped up. "It sounds like such a neat job, helping all those first years to always be safe."
Frank smiled wryly. "I was hoping for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I've heard that Miss Oak is applying for that job, and I don't think I'd stand much of a chance. Snape still covers potions, I believe, so that leaves me with relatively little choice. Maybe I'll try for Arithmancy. It all depends on what they ask. You don't really choose, you just give your suggestion as to which job you ought to hold." Frank said this all in a rather bored voice.
"Now what new courses are they adding?" Harry asked.
The little witch piped up, "There's Safety in Magic, History of Spells and Potions, Magic in Medicine, and the vacancy in Dark Arts. Really, I don't believe they've added courses in a century or two. But three new ones! I wonder what is going on . . ."
Harry was thinking. What job should he try for? Only four vacancies and twelve applicants. Eight would be turned down. He knew he wouldn't be one of them; Alice had told him that much and he trusted her. Would she get a job? Would Frank? Would Patsy?
"Harry?"
"Oh, sorry," Harry said, realizing that Frank was addressing him. "Sorry."
"That's quite all right," he responded crisply. "Which job do you want?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the History one," he replied dreamily.
Alice stirred beside him. They were almost at the dock as it was. She took a deep breath and stretched. Her purple eyes snapped open, the golden flecks within them reflecting the moonlight. "Hello everyone," she said through a yawn.
Harry was pleased to see that she looked somewhat refreshed. "Good nap?"
"Oh, I feel much better," she replied. "Hi," she said to Frank and Patsy.
"Hello," Frank said, offering his hand. She took it in hers. "My, your hand is almost as cold as mine," she remarked. Patsy also offered her hand; Alice pumped it warmly.
"Well, I must say that I am feeling much more perky. I wonder, are we having our interviews tonight or tomorrow?"
"I hope tomorrow," Patsy said nervously. "I would feel much better after a good night's sleep."
"Wouldn't we all?" Frank said matter-of-factly.
Harry looked at her. "I would rather have them tonight. Then we could leave tomorrow if we don't get the positions."
"Yes, I'm certain they'll be tonight," Alice said, smiling at them all.
Patsy looked at her quizzically. "How do you know?"
"She's a Seer," Harry said quickly.
Frank looked amused. "Really? I've never met a Seer before."
Alice smiled, but not pleasantly. "Yes, well, now you have."
She turned to Harry. "Looks like we're docking."
Sure enough, Harry looked over his shoulder and saw the dock a few feet away. He picked up the two trunks and threw them onto it, and then gently plucked up Hedwig. The bird seemed slightly ruffled by the long journey.
"It's only seven," Harry said, yawning. "I'm already completely exhausted. And now the interviews?"
Patsy managed to struggle out of the boat. "Yes, I know how you feel."
Alice stole lithely from the boat. She stood on shore, her head held high as she looked about her. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw opened slightly, her hands beginning to shake. Harry was worried that she was going into one of her attacks, but then she muttered, "Jumping dragons, if it isn't—"
Strolling away from Harry, she grinned and opened her arms. "Why, it's been so long—"
"I know," a familiar voice replied. Harry turned to see who it was. Harry smiled as well. It was Professor Lupin. He used to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, during Harry's third year, but was thrown out for being a werewolf.
Alice embraced the man. His cloak was tattered, his robes patched and faded. His brown hair was graying due to the stress of being a werewolf. His thin face was pale and his eyes laughed as he said, "I'm so glad to see you, Alice. How have you been? I've been seeing an awful lot of you in the newspapers."
She smiled, drawing away. "Oh, you monster. Stop talking about it. You haven't been sending owls lately . . ."
"I know, I know," Lupin stated. "I've been doing a lot of research."
"Of how to stop your werewolf transformations?"
Lupin nodded grimly.
"Why won't you listen to me? I keep telling you that I know how to cure you. Stop stressing over it. Tomorrow, okay? I'll work the spell tomorrow."
Lupin's eyes filled with tears. "Really? Can you really stop it?"
"Of course, silly. Have I ever lied to you?"
"No," he said. He then smiled at her. "I was going to try for the Dark Arts job, but I hear that you are trying for it. What job do you think I should take?"
She poised thoughtfully for a moment, and then said, "You know what? I dunno." She laughed lightly.
"Oh well. Who did you hang out with on your way over here?"
"You'll never guess."
"You would know," he said jokingly. "Come on, who?"
"Harry Potter. Why don't you say hello?"
"Harry?" Lupin's eyes grew wide. He turned around in excitement, scanning the small group of people waiting for someone to come from the castle to greet them. His eyes landed on Harry, smiling at him a few feet away.
"Harry!" he shouted, running toward him. Harry grinned and hugged the man.
"Professor Lupin," he exclaimed, "how nice to see you. How have you been?"
"Quite well, thank you. Yourself?"
"Not bad, Professor."
"Come now, Remus, lad. Call me Remus."
"All right—Remus."
"There you go." Lupin pulled away from Harry. "So, I suppose Snape is still here."
"Of course," Harry said wryly. Professor Snape was a long-time rival of Harry's father, James, and his friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. A long time ago, Sirius had pulled a prank on Severus Snape that could have killed him. Fortunately, James Potter had pulled him out of the mess. Even so, Snape had been resentful ever since.
"Speak of the devil," Lupin muttered as he watched a few approaching figures.
Harry recognized Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, right away. His long silver beard and half-moon spectacles made him hard to miss. He also saw Professors McGonagall and Snape headed toward them. Snape was smiling foul- temperedly. No doubt he was jealous of whoever would get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job this year.
Alice smiled as the trio approached. "Hello," she shouted, running over to them. "How have you been?"
Much to Harry's surprise, McGonagall threw her arms around her as though a daughter. "Wonderful. And you?"
"Just fine." She turned to Dumbledore and said, "And how are you, my bumblebee?"
"I'm quite well. I see you've met Harry?"
She laughed. "Yes, he's been keeping his eye on me. He's worried."
Dumbledore looked somber. "Why is that?"
Alice bit her lip. "My fits are getting worse."
Dumbledore sighed. "I thought they were getting better, and that you were recovering."
"So did I." She said this softly, a touch of sorrow in her voice.
Snape smirked. "So, the girl still has nightmares in her sleep?"
Alice smiled falsely. "And how are you, dear Professor? Wait a moment—why am I calling you 'professor?' If I get this job, it will be Severus, won't it?"
Snape's cold smile turned to a frown quickly. "Watch your tongue, girl."
"Girl, girl," Alice mimicked, rolling her eyes. Harry tried to suppress a laugh. He didn't manage it.
Snape turned on his heel and confronted Harry, standing close to him. "So, Potter, I see you are still learning the lesson of holding one's tongue?"
"So much to say about tongues, eh . . . Severus? You really ought to learn to hold yours. If you want the Dark Arts job so badly, why don't you apply? Do you just love to woo over the job all year long?" Alice looked at him, all laughter gone from her eyes, her right brow raised. It seemed that she was fine with Snape bothering her, but once it extended to others . . . he'd better beware.
Snape seemed slightly taken aback by this. "I would apply, it's just . . . well . . ."
McGonagall glanced quickly around, looking for some way to change the conversation. "Okay," she declared in a loud voice, "I would like to welcome each and every one of you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you would follow Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and myself, I would be much obliged. We will interview all of you tonight, and those of you who do not make it may leave on the train tomorrow."
There were several groans. Most people were aware of the fact that Harry and Alice were there, and that they were some of the most renowned magicians of the century.
The professors took off, and the small crowd of people followed them through the mist to the heavy wooden doors of Hogwarts. They seemed to swing open of their own accord, and Harry, Alice, Frank, Lupin, Patsy, and the others were led down numerous hallways and staircases until they were in a large conference room that Harry had never before seen.
They seated themselves in the red satin-upholstered chairs positioned around a large, rectangular, cherry wood table and waited for Dumbledore to speak. He strode up to a podium at the front of the room and said, "I would like to open by thanking you all for coming. We will now begin the interviews. I would like you to all hear the credentials of every man and woman present, so as to understand whom you are up against. Now, who would like to go first?"
Dumbledore smiled as no one in the room moved. "Oh, certainly someone wants to get it over with . . . no? All right, then I will just have to choose a victim. How about . . . Alice."
Alice flinched. "If I didn't happen to know that arguing would do no good . . ." Alice stood and walked to the podium. Dead silence.
She swallowed and flicked her wrist. A pitcher, ebony and gold, appeared on the table beside her. Another flick and a crystal glass accompanied it. One more and the pitcher began pouring water into the glass, stopping when it was full. Alice reached over and took a sip. She set the glass back down quietly.
"Where shall I begin?" she asked Dumbledore.
"I suppose the beginning is the best," he replied.
"Okay . . . the beginning. That's a hard one. I was born a pureblood in America, the South. My parents, Englanders, died when I was just a babe, and a family in the local area took me in. From there, I moved to many different places: New York, California, Texas, Illinois, England, Scotland . . . so many that I have lost track. See, nobody wanted me. I was . . . different. As you know, many purebloods look rather different compared to Muggles. My white skin and odd eyes were a dead give- away that I wasn't the same as the other kids. But then . . . well, when I was in the first grade, I began acting oddly, too. I started having odd moments a few times a day where a could read a person's thoughts, just for a moment, as they passed me, or I could see things in the future or past in my head. I was terrified. I had no idea as to what was going on. And neither did any of the Muggle parents. As I grew older, they realized I had no need for school, for I could see the answers clearly shaped in my head. My gift became more refined as I grew older, and I could rack the large stores of knowledge within me for specific events. I could focus my attention on one thing. I learned, to some extent, to control it, and to only see what I wanted to see. But still, in my dreams, I have not control . . ."
Alice was running out of breath. She swallowed again and took another sip of water. "Anyhow, I was in New York for the second time when a letter arrived. It was from Hogwarts; I had been invited there. Even though my Muggle foster parents had no idea that a wizarding world even existed, I don't think they were too surprised. I mean, I was so different . . . Anyhow, I went off to Hogwarts promptly.
"I suppose that that would all seem fairly normal and well, but it wasn't the end of my oddities. I arrived there, and the sorting ceremony took place. Yet for some reason, Dumbledore didn't want me to partake in the ceremony with the rest. He wanted me to wait. I suppose he thought that I belonged in Gryffindor, for that is the house my mother was in, but it ended up working out differently. After the evening's festivities, I put on the hat, and . . . nothing. Nothing happened. I sat there for a half an hour, but the hat didn't whisper anything in my ear, or shout out any house . . . it just sat there."
Harry was staring at her, unable to remove his eyes from her. She looked slightly flustered. Many of the people sitting out there had been Hogwarts students, and never had they heard of this happening.
"Well, Dumbledore kept me here, and I learned lessons throughout the day, privately. Yet Hogwarts was like my Muggle classes: I knew everything already. I spent a few years here, helping some of the teachers grade papers (I could tell them who had gotten what on whichever assignment without glancing at it). Anyhow, I left after my fourth year, and at fifteen, set off into the world.
Now, knowing all that I did, I had an incredible knack for spells long forgotten by the rest of the population. Therefore, I thought I would put them to good use. For the past three years, I've been travelling throughout the world fighting the Dark Arts. That is the job I feel I am most suited for.
"Anyhow, I figure that it is time that I teach others what I know. And that is what I am here for."
Alice reached for the water again, and a long silence prevailed. Suddenly, Frank asked, "Why don't you teach Divination?"
Alice smiled. "Good question. Quite truthfully, I never was any good at seeing anything in crystal balls. I had no need for it. Tea leaves, tarot cards . . . all rubbish." Alice was examining Harry's face intently as she said all this.
Harry felt a slight wave of awe. So all that in the train compartment . . .she just knew that? How? His thoughts were whirling about him in circles. He wasn't really getting anywhere.
"Why not History of Spells and Potions?" Snape interjected.
"Because then I wouldn't be allowed to teach the spells, only their histories." Alice smiled. "I see the outcome already . . . if you don't mind me announcing all the results to save time, I will . . ."
Dumbledore stood. "Precisely as I was hoping you would do, my dear. Save us all a bit of time. I know you will tell us wisely. We already had an idea of what jobs we wanted filled by each person . . ."
"Yes," she said dreamily.
"Well, I don't think it will surprise you to learn that Remus Lupin receives the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Everyone stared at her. "What about you?" Harry finally managed to gasp.
She smiled. "I was coming to that . . . I am pleased to announce that for the first time in the history of this school, a teaching team will exist. I will be Lupin's partner, and we will split classes evenly. The reason the school is expanding at all is the sudden increase in the wizarding populace. We need to split classes. I will take the first, second, third, and fourth years, while he will take the fifth, sixth, and seventh years. Now, to continue . . . I'm sure that none of you will be surprised to also learn that Harry Potter is to be teacher of History of Spells and Potions. This is a way to relieve the tension on the teacher of History of Magic; it is believed that that topic is too broad. History of Magic will now cover the people and events that occur. Magic in Medicine will go to Frank Reede. Lastly, Safety in Magic goes to Emily Rightsee. We'd like to thank all of you for coming. Goodnight; your rooms are located in the room next, and the train leaves tomorrow at the same time as yesterday's. Those who have been selected ought to stay until term begins."
Everyone was staring at her. Frank was smiling a tight-lipped smile in the very back of the room, and Harry and Lupin were grinning. The people began to file from the room.
"Let's stay up a while, Harry, and catch up on things. How've you been?" Lupin said.
"Quite well, thanks," Harry replied. "Things have been crazy. I wasn't sure I could find a job . . ."
Alice sat down as well. "I believe I have some catching up to do as well," she said, leaning across the table. "Ready to pull an all-nighter?"
"No wonder you always look so tired," Harry teased as they settled in for a long chat.
The torches that lit the room were burning slightly lower now that they had previously. Lupin and Harry were laughing rather drunkenly; Alice had conjured up some wine for the two of them. "Don't you want a drink?" Harry had asked her after his second glass (the bottle kept refilling itself).
"I don't drink," came Alice's reply. She had some water instead.
"So, anyway, I ate a bit more of the chocolate and I said," Lupin laughed, "I said, 'I'm not scared of the two of you! Never!'"
Harry was also laughing wildly. Alice sighed. She made two cups of an odd, purple, smoking potion appear from the air. She handed one to each. "Drink this, it will help you to regain what little composure you had."
Harry and Lupin took the cups and drank the contents. They slowly stopped laughing. "What was that?" Lupin asked, wrinkling his nose. "It tasted absolutely vile."
"But it worked, didn't it?" Alice replied, raising her brow. "Besides, the potion I'm giving you tomorrow will taste much worse."
"Oh well. As long as I don't have to go through any transformations anymore! How can I ever thank you?"
"Don't be ridiculous: what are friends for?" Alice responded absent- mindedly. She seemed to brighten a bit. "My birthday is coming up," she announced.
"What day?" Harry asked.
"Tomorrow," she said, smiling.
"Well, I wish you had told me sooner," Harry replied. "Now I'm going to have to go to Hogsmeade and find you something."
"Don't bother," she replied. "I hate birthdays. But I love going for walks. Especially by rivers, or in woods."
"Too bad there aren't any here," Harry said.
"Aren't any? What about the Forbidden Forest?"
Harry looked at her as though she were crazy. "The Forbidden Forest? Why the hell would you go on a pleasure walk there?"
"It's lovely," Alice replied dreamily, her chin resting in her hands.
Lupin and Harry exchanged glances. "Yeah, right, well . . . we'll see you tomorrow, we'd better go. See you around!"
"Yes, tomorrow," Alice said. She stood and stretched, covering her mouth as she yawned.
"Goodnight," Lupin said as he filed out of the door.
"Goodnight," she said softly as she closed the door behind her. She headed off to the female dorm, weary and quite contented.
"So," Harry said, his mouth full of fried egg, "You've been fighting evil? Where? I know I've heard your name all over, but still, I don't recall exactly where or how."
Alice sighed. She was picking at the small platter of berries in front of her. She hardly ate. "I don't know, I've been practically everywhere. The worst, I think, was the wizard genocide in Canada. Somehow the Muggles became aware of their existence, and teamed up with the Dark Side. Some sort of compromise: 'We'll help you exterminate good wizards if you don't kill us.' I was placed in a concentration camp for a while, but they were so stupid. They thought they could lock wizards up for good. They almost succeeded, but I didn't need my wand to make food appear. They couldn't starve us, as they had hoped." Alice's face grew somber. "Other camps, however, were not so lucky."
"What do you mean?" Lupin asked.
"Well, I mean, there aren't many witches and wizards who can perform a variety of spells without their wands. The wands were all snapped before entering any of the camps. A lot of them starved. They couldn't produce food, pop locks, or tie up the guards."
"So your camp escaped?"
"Yeah, and the Muggles were rather—sorry they had ever attempted the whole thing. After our camp escaped, we helped others. And then, the Dark Side got angry. A whole bunch of Muggles began dying unexpectedly, and the cause of death was unknown."
"The Dark wizards?" Lupin asked.
"Yes." Alice smiled in an odd way. "I haven't really recovered yet. The Dark wizards managed to restrict some of my abilities. They must have set enchantments to stop the few wizards like myself from creating too much comfort. For a few months, about all I could produce was water. We all got a bit wasted looking."
Harry was examining her. "So, all those awful dreams—are those from the genocide?"
"In part," Alice replied. "Were you not listening last night?"
"I was, but it was all somewhat beyond me," Harry admitted. "I mean, your life sounds so very bizarre . . ."
"And that's not the whole of it," Alice responded, popping a bright red strawberry into her mouth.
Lupin looked at his watch. "So, when will you perform the spell?"
"In an hour or so," Alice answered truthfully. "We can't wait too long; the full moon is coming, and that would be a bad thing, if you turned into a werewolf before the spell was performed . . . let me get a my wand and bag, and then I'll be right back to perform it."
Alice stood and walked resolutely out of the large dining hall. Harry looked at Lupin. "So, is this one of the things that she knows that everyone else has forgotten?"
"Yeah, I suppose it is," Lupin replied. "She's spent years mulling it over. I guess she finally decided that it was all right to perform the spell, that it wouldn't change the future for the worst and so forth. She told me when she left Hogwarts that she would have a decision by the time that she saw me next. Well, she held true to her word, didn't she?"
Harry was quiet until Alice returned, her beautiful wand in her right hand, her dirty sack in the left. "Ready?" she asked.
"Never more so," Lupin replied. "What do I do?"
"Remain quiet and clear your mind. Leave the rest up to me."
Alice began pulling odd things out of her bag: some bright blue dried leaves, a small vial of pinkish water, a funny looking charm that she placed around Lupin's neck. She picked up the leaves and began chanting inaudibly, crushing them in her hand and dropping them on Lupin's head, then in a circle around him. She took the pinkish water and blew into it, turning it into a fluorescent yellow powder. This she blew all over Lupin. He looked like he was covered in pollen. She continued to chant as she picked up her wand. She pointed it straight at him and suddenly shouted, "Legrunde finilis chomrus hadin preferus! Finilis hissa chomrus! Mokenis homber e homber nont e worolv!"
Harry realized that Alice was speaking the ancient wizarding tongue, which was only found in very old textbooks in the restricted section of the library. It was often dangerous to know the language, because many dark spells were written in it. But obviously, good spells were also written in the language, because Alice was using this spell to cure an evil.
Suddenly, a large flash of brilliant orange light exploded from the wand. It hit Lupin full force, knocking him to his feet. A large cloud of yellow dust rose into the air, and the leaves flew about the room.
Alice leaned against the table, suddenly exhausted. Seeing that others were already attending to Lupin, Harry rushed to Alice. "Are you all right?" he asked her.
"Fine, fine," she replied. "It is a very taxing spell, but I'll be fine. Just a moment . . ."
Harry looked at Lupin. A crowd of people who had been watching Alice and Lupin the whole time had rushed over and were now helping him to his feet. "I'm fine," Lupin kept saying. "Fine—yes, I'm sure. I'm all right. Please, leave me alone!"
The people went back to their tables. Snape remained where he was. "Took a spill, Remus? That's too bad."
Alice was sitting, her eyes closed and her head in her hands. She took a deep breath and stood. "You know, that spell can work two ways, Severus. I'd be careful."
Snape smiled in an oily fashion. "Is that a threat, Miss Oak?"
"Only if you took it that way, Severus." Alice was smiling sweetly, although her eyes showed exasperation and anger. "Now if you don't mind, I believe that the three of us would like some time alone together."
"That's quite all right," Snape replied. "Just be careful. Remember that Miss Granger spent a lot of time alone with boys. I don't believe she's made it very far."
"And I hear that you spent very little time with anyone. Look how far it's gotten you," she replied icily. "Good day, Severus."
"You too, Miss Oak." Snape turned, a wicked smile on his lips. He left the room.
Alice sank back into a chair. "I'm utterly exhausted," she exclaimed.
"It looked complicated," Harry confided. "Where did the spell originate?"
"Well, I believe it was Dutch, originally. A man named Ioma Bidmin Peroipritandtabaygode." She spat the name out quickly, and Harry looked at her funny.
"Quite a mouthful."
"Quite. Anyhow, he created many spells, which he worked throughout his short lifetime. Unfortunately, he died at a very young age in an inexplicable fire. All of his accounts were destroyed."
"That's too bad," Lupin replied sympathetically.
"Very," Alice said shortly. "Anyhow, I know them all, and not all work, but most are quite successful. That is one of them, Lupin."
"Yes, well, I am forever in the debt of Ioma—and you."
Alice smiled. "What are friends for, Remus?" She stood. "Well, I think that you and I ought to begin planning lessons. I would recommend that you do the same, Harry. It's not that long, you know, before the students arrive. Best to be prepared."
Harry, too, stood. "Yes, I suppose you are right. I should begin to prepare things. Dear me, where to start?"
"You know, deep down," Alice replied with a smile. She turned to Lupin. "Ready?"
"Yes," he said, and they walked toward the door together.
"Wait!" Harry cried. Alice turned around and waited for Harry to scramble over to join them. "Lupin, can you go ahead? I want to ask Alice one little thing."
Lupin hesitated. "All right," he said after a moment. "I'll see you in my office," he directed towards Alice.
"Yes," she agreed. She walked down the hall with Harry in a different direction. "My room," she said quietly. "It's the best place to talk."
"Okay," Harry said uncertainly.
She led him to a large portrait of a woman in Victorian-era attire, and said quite simply, "Operanda." The portrait melted away into the walls around her and a small gap appeared in the wall.
At first, Harry thought that the room was pitch black, without windows. But then he saw that the walls were black. The large four-poster on the side wall was made of ebony and gold, with silk draping embroidered in gold threads. The curtains were of similar pattern. The floor was also made of ebony, with black rugs accented with gold designs and fringe. The set of drawers, mirror, desk, and nightstand were of the same design.
"Sit," she said, indicating a black armchair in the corner. He sat in it, and she sat on the end of her bed. "So, you want to know why I lied about the crystal ball?"
Harry nodded. "And why you wear one around your neck."
"The necklace is no crystal ball," she said shortly. Her voice was crisp but not unkind. "As for the crystal ball—I was merely protecting myself."
"All right."
"That was all?"
"No." Harry stood. He noticed that the nightstand had a vase full of beautiful flowers: tulips, chrysanthemums, roses, and Queen Anne's Lace.
"You were hidden at Hogwarts. You also lied about that."
He also noticed a little note. He walked over without thinking and read the note.
Happy Birthday Alice! I hope it's great. X
"Not really. I'm not the same person I was those many years ago. So in a way, it was not me hidden in the school."
Harry changed the subject. "'X?'" he asked. "Who's that?"
Alice had turned a brilliant shade of red. "Someone I knew a long time ago," she said softly.
Harry grinned. "A . . . secret admirer?"
She also smiled. "Yes. To some extent."
"And who, may I ask, is this secret person?"
"I don't want to say."
"And why not?"
"You know him." She looked away, and noticed that a picture of a young man and her had gone crooked. She turned to straighten it.
"Who?" Harry asked gently.
She sighed. "I didn't really want to tell you . . ."
"Come on," Harry said soothingly. "You can tell me."
"I know I can tell you, I'm just not sure I want to. There's a difference."
"Oh, come on," Harry insisted. "I won't tell anyone."
Alice couldn't help it. She broke into a grin. "Okay, you're going to think it's silly . . ."
"I won't," Harry assured her. Who the hell is it? Harry thought to himself.
Alice sighed and absently picked up one of the roses, holding it close to her nose. She carefully placed it back into the vase.
"Seamus Finnigan," she practically whispered.
Harry was quiet a moment, and then said, rather skeptically, "Seamus? As in, the same year that I was in?"
"Well, do you know any other Seamus Finnigan?" she asked rather sharply.
Harry looked rather shocked and hurt. What had gotten into her?
Alice's expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings . . . but, I don't know, it's just so hard . . . you see, we didn't want to stop seeing each other, but the teachers . . ."
Confused, Harry just continued to stare rather rudely at her.
She sighed again. "Let me start from the beginning. As you know, I was in the same year as yourself. But, I was kept a secret from all of you. But one day, I was walking down the hall during the middle of the night, and Seamus . . . well, he wasn't supposed to be out, but I don't know . . . he just was. So, he ran into me, knocking me clear off my feet, and he helped me back up. For him, it was love at first sight . . ."
Harry's eyes were still transfixed upon her.
"It was during the third year," she explained. "Anyhow, we saw each other for a while, and then, well . . . the staff decided it wasn't a good idea. My dreams began getting worse. So they called the relationship off. I was forbidden to see him again. Apparently, he learned that I was here . . ."
Harry finally diverted his gaze. "So he still loves you."
"I suppose so. I'm not sure if it was ever what you could call love . . . more like lust. But yes, he still wants me."
It was Harry's turn to pluck one of the flowers from the vase. He examined the yellow tulip with scrutinizing eyes. "And you still love him, I suppose?"
Harry didn't see it, but Alice smiled slightly. She said, very gently, "No, Harry. I do not. It ended many years ago. I think that through my travels, I have learned that it is best that I not attach myself to anyone for any period of time. It will just cause pain."
"Pain?" Harry asked. He lifted his eyes from the flower.
"Yes, pain, Harry. I know pain even more than you do. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Because what I did to Seamus . . . it was just cruel."
"What did you do?"
Alice swallowed and closed her eyes. She spoke again; her voice seemed to come from deep within her. "I don't wish to speak anymore at this moment. Good day, Harry."
Harry was still confused. He had come here for clarification, for comfort: he left in a state far worse than that in which he had come.
"See you later," he said quietly. He stood, walked slowly over to the door, and hesitated in its frame for a moment. He saw a single tear roll softly down her cheek. He turned and walked from her room.
He found himself in the deserted hallway and sighed. "So much work to do," he complained, "but I must start sometime." With that, he walked down the hallway and headed toward his office. He couldn't have known that someone else had already been there.
By Hannah
2 Chapter Four ~ History Mystery Solved
Hogwarts was an old castle built many centuries ago. It was made of large stones, and was a twisting maze of corridors, rooms, and staircases. It seemed that the very architecture was magical: often times one would awaken and the armor down the hall would suddenly be a floor down by the staircase. The many towers and balconies made it very easy to get lost. A few lights glimmered from windows far above.
Harry grabbed the luggage once more and placed it in a small rowboat on the shore of a very large lake. He helped Alice settle in (she was half- asleep) and sat down himself. Two more people sat down with them and the small boat took off at a breakneck speed.
Harry introduced himself to the two passengers ("Harry Potter? Really? I heard you were going to be here . . . oh! I can't believe I'm actually talking to you . . ."), and also introduced Alice, who had fallen asleep again ("Alice Oak? Oh, I've heard so much about her . . . Of course, she doesn't get the recognition she deserves over here! What a pleasure: the two of you! At one time!").
Harry learned that the woman was Patsy Pilner, and the man Frank Reede. Patsy was a rather plump, stout young witch with blonde hair coiled in two tight buns on each side of her head. She was dimpled and smiled a lot. Her robes were dark burgundy cotton, and she smelled like stewed herbs.
Frank was a likable character; Harry took to him immediately. He was tall and gaunt, somewhat pale, and had thick black hair slicked back with gel. His eyes were a bright green with traces of brown, and his smile was rare but wonderful. He had a rather deep voice that seemed to resonate within Harry's chest.
"So, what job are you hoping for?" Harry asked the two.
"Oh, I want the new job called 'Safety in Magic,'" Patsy piped up. "It sounds like such a neat job, helping all those first years to always be safe."
Frank smiled wryly. "I was hoping for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I've heard that Miss Oak is applying for that job, and I don't think I'd stand much of a chance. Snape still covers potions, I believe, so that leaves me with relatively little choice. Maybe I'll try for Arithmancy. It all depends on what they ask. You don't really choose, you just give your suggestion as to which job you ought to hold." Frank said this all in a rather bored voice.
"Now what new courses are they adding?" Harry asked.
The little witch piped up, "There's Safety in Magic, History of Spells and Potions, Magic in Medicine, and the vacancy in Dark Arts. Really, I don't believe they've added courses in a century or two. But three new ones! I wonder what is going on . . ."
Harry was thinking. What job should he try for? Only four vacancies and twelve applicants. Eight would be turned down. He knew he wouldn't be one of them; Alice had told him that much and he trusted her. Would she get a job? Would Frank? Would Patsy?
"Harry?"
"Oh, sorry," Harry said, realizing that Frank was addressing him. "Sorry."
"That's quite all right," he responded crisply. "Which job do you want?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the History one," he replied dreamily.
Alice stirred beside him. They were almost at the dock as it was. She took a deep breath and stretched. Her purple eyes snapped open, the golden flecks within them reflecting the moonlight. "Hello everyone," she said through a yawn.
Harry was pleased to see that she looked somewhat refreshed. "Good nap?"
"Oh, I feel much better," she replied. "Hi," she said to Frank and Patsy.
"Hello," Frank said, offering his hand. She took it in hers. "My, your hand is almost as cold as mine," she remarked. Patsy also offered her hand; Alice pumped it warmly.
"Well, I must say that I am feeling much more perky. I wonder, are we having our interviews tonight or tomorrow?"
"I hope tomorrow," Patsy said nervously. "I would feel much better after a good night's sleep."
"Wouldn't we all?" Frank said matter-of-factly.
Harry looked at her. "I would rather have them tonight. Then we could leave tomorrow if we don't get the positions."
"Yes, I'm certain they'll be tonight," Alice said, smiling at them all.
Patsy looked at her quizzically. "How do you know?"
"She's a Seer," Harry said quickly.
Frank looked amused. "Really? I've never met a Seer before."
Alice smiled, but not pleasantly. "Yes, well, now you have."
She turned to Harry. "Looks like we're docking."
Sure enough, Harry looked over his shoulder and saw the dock a few feet away. He picked up the two trunks and threw them onto it, and then gently plucked up Hedwig. The bird seemed slightly ruffled by the long journey.
"It's only seven," Harry said, yawning. "I'm already completely exhausted. And now the interviews?"
Patsy managed to struggle out of the boat. "Yes, I know how you feel."
Alice stole lithely from the boat. She stood on shore, her head held high as she looked about her. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw opened slightly, her hands beginning to shake. Harry was worried that she was going into one of her attacks, but then she muttered, "Jumping dragons, if it isn't—"
Strolling away from Harry, she grinned and opened her arms. "Why, it's been so long—"
"I know," a familiar voice replied. Harry turned to see who it was. Harry smiled as well. It was Professor Lupin. He used to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, during Harry's third year, but was thrown out for being a werewolf.
Alice embraced the man. His cloak was tattered, his robes patched and faded. His brown hair was graying due to the stress of being a werewolf. His thin face was pale and his eyes laughed as he said, "I'm so glad to see you, Alice. How have you been? I've been seeing an awful lot of you in the newspapers."
She smiled, drawing away. "Oh, you monster. Stop talking about it. You haven't been sending owls lately . . ."
"I know, I know," Lupin stated. "I've been doing a lot of research."
"Of how to stop your werewolf transformations?"
Lupin nodded grimly.
"Why won't you listen to me? I keep telling you that I know how to cure you. Stop stressing over it. Tomorrow, okay? I'll work the spell tomorrow."
Lupin's eyes filled with tears. "Really? Can you really stop it?"
"Of course, silly. Have I ever lied to you?"
"No," he said. He then smiled at her. "I was going to try for the Dark Arts job, but I hear that you are trying for it. What job do you think I should take?"
She poised thoughtfully for a moment, and then said, "You know what? I dunno." She laughed lightly.
"Oh well. Who did you hang out with on your way over here?"
"You'll never guess."
"You would know," he said jokingly. "Come on, who?"
"Harry Potter. Why don't you say hello?"
"Harry?" Lupin's eyes grew wide. He turned around in excitement, scanning the small group of people waiting for someone to come from the castle to greet them. His eyes landed on Harry, smiling at him a few feet away.
"Harry!" he shouted, running toward him. Harry grinned and hugged the man.
"Professor Lupin," he exclaimed, "how nice to see you. How have you been?"
"Quite well, thank you. Yourself?"
"Not bad, Professor."
"Come now, Remus, lad. Call me Remus."
"All right—Remus."
"There you go." Lupin pulled away from Harry. "So, I suppose Snape is still here."
"Of course," Harry said wryly. Professor Snape was a long-time rival of Harry's father, James, and his friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. A long time ago, Sirius had pulled a prank on Severus Snape that could have killed him. Fortunately, James Potter had pulled him out of the mess. Even so, Snape had been resentful ever since.
"Speak of the devil," Lupin muttered as he watched a few approaching figures.
Harry recognized Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, right away. His long silver beard and half-moon spectacles made him hard to miss. He also saw Professors McGonagall and Snape headed toward them. Snape was smiling foul- temperedly. No doubt he was jealous of whoever would get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job this year.
Alice smiled as the trio approached. "Hello," she shouted, running over to them. "How have you been?"
Much to Harry's surprise, McGonagall threw her arms around her as though a daughter. "Wonderful. And you?"
"Just fine." She turned to Dumbledore and said, "And how are you, my bumblebee?"
"I'm quite well. I see you've met Harry?"
She laughed. "Yes, he's been keeping his eye on me. He's worried."
Dumbledore looked somber. "Why is that?"
Alice bit her lip. "My fits are getting worse."
Dumbledore sighed. "I thought they were getting better, and that you were recovering."
"So did I." She said this softly, a touch of sorrow in her voice.
Snape smirked. "So, the girl still has nightmares in her sleep?"
Alice smiled falsely. "And how are you, dear Professor? Wait a moment—why am I calling you 'professor?' If I get this job, it will be Severus, won't it?"
Snape's cold smile turned to a frown quickly. "Watch your tongue, girl."
"Girl, girl," Alice mimicked, rolling her eyes. Harry tried to suppress a laugh. He didn't manage it.
Snape turned on his heel and confronted Harry, standing close to him. "So, Potter, I see you are still learning the lesson of holding one's tongue?"
"So much to say about tongues, eh . . . Severus? You really ought to learn to hold yours. If you want the Dark Arts job so badly, why don't you apply? Do you just love to woo over the job all year long?" Alice looked at him, all laughter gone from her eyes, her right brow raised. It seemed that she was fine with Snape bothering her, but once it extended to others . . . he'd better beware.
Snape seemed slightly taken aback by this. "I would apply, it's just . . . well . . ."
McGonagall glanced quickly around, looking for some way to change the conversation. "Okay," she declared in a loud voice, "I would like to welcome each and every one of you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you would follow Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and myself, I would be much obliged. We will interview all of you tonight, and those of you who do not make it may leave on the train tomorrow."
There were several groans. Most people were aware of the fact that Harry and Alice were there, and that they were some of the most renowned magicians of the century.
The professors took off, and the small crowd of people followed them through the mist to the heavy wooden doors of Hogwarts. They seemed to swing open of their own accord, and Harry, Alice, Frank, Lupin, Patsy, and the others were led down numerous hallways and staircases until they were in a large conference room that Harry had never before seen.
They seated themselves in the red satin-upholstered chairs positioned around a large, rectangular, cherry wood table and waited for Dumbledore to speak. He strode up to a podium at the front of the room and said, "I would like to open by thanking you all for coming. We will now begin the interviews. I would like you to all hear the credentials of every man and woman present, so as to understand whom you are up against. Now, who would like to go first?"
Dumbledore smiled as no one in the room moved. "Oh, certainly someone wants to get it over with . . . no? All right, then I will just have to choose a victim. How about . . . Alice."
Alice flinched. "If I didn't happen to know that arguing would do no good . . ." Alice stood and walked to the podium. Dead silence.
She swallowed and flicked her wrist. A pitcher, ebony and gold, appeared on the table beside her. Another flick and a crystal glass accompanied it. One more and the pitcher began pouring water into the glass, stopping when it was full. Alice reached over and took a sip. She set the glass back down quietly.
"Where shall I begin?" she asked Dumbledore.
"I suppose the beginning is the best," he replied.
"Okay . . . the beginning. That's a hard one. I was born a pureblood in America, the South. My parents, Englanders, died when I was just a babe, and a family in the local area took me in. From there, I moved to many different places: New York, California, Texas, Illinois, England, Scotland . . . so many that I have lost track. See, nobody wanted me. I was . . . different. As you know, many purebloods look rather different compared to Muggles. My white skin and odd eyes were a dead give- away that I wasn't the same as the other kids. But then . . . well, when I was in the first grade, I began acting oddly, too. I started having odd moments a few times a day where a could read a person's thoughts, just for a moment, as they passed me, or I could see things in the future or past in my head. I was terrified. I had no idea as to what was going on. And neither did any of the Muggle parents. As I grew older, they realized I had no need for school, for I could see the answers clearly shaped in my head. My gift became more refined as I grew older, and I could rack the large stores of knowledge within me for specific events. I could focus my attention on one thing. I learned, to some extent, to control it, and to only see what I wanted to see. But still, in my dreams, I have not control . . ."
Alice was running out of breath. She swallowed again and took another sip of water. "Anyhow, I was in New York for the second time when a letter arrived. It was from Hogwarts; I had been invited there. Even though my Muggle foster parents had no idea that a wizarding world even existed, I don't think they were too surprised. I mean, I was so different . . . Anyhow, I went off to Hogwarts promptly.
"I suppose that that would all seem fairly normal and well, but it wasn't the end of my oddities. I arrived there, and the sorting ceremony took place. Yet for some reason, Dumbledore didn't want me to partake in the ceremony with the rest. He wanted me to wait. I suppose he thought that I belonged in Gryffindor, for that is the house my mother was in, but it ended up working out differently. After the evening's festivities, I put on the hat, and . . . nothing. Nothing happened. I sat there for a half an hour, but the hat didn't whisper anything in my ear, or shout out any house . . . it just sat there."
Harry was staring at her, unable to remove his eyes from her. She looked slightly flustered. Many of the people sitting out there had been Hogwarts students, and never had they heard of this happening.
"Well, Dumbledore kept me here, and I learned lessons throughout the day, privately. Yet Hogwarts was like my Muggle classes: I knew everything already. I spent a few years here, helping some of the teachers grade papers (I could tell them who had gotten what on whichever assignment without glancing at it). Anyhow, I left after my fourth year, and at fifteen, set off into the world.
Now, knowing all that I did, I had an incredible knack for spells long forgotten by the rest of the population. Therefore, I thought I would put them to good use. For the past three years, I've been travelling throughout the world fighting the Dark Arts. That is the job I feel I am most suited for.
"Anyhow, I figure that it is time that I teach others what I know. And that is what I am here for."
Alice reached for the water again, and a long silence prevailed. Suddenly, Frank asked, "Why don't you teach Divination?"
Alice smiled. "Good question. Quite truthfully, I never was any good at seeing anything in crystal balls. I had no need for it. Tea leaves, tarot cards . . . all rubbish." Alice was examining Harry's face intently as she said all this.
Harry felt a slight wave of awe. So all that in the train compartment . . .she just knew that? How? His thoughts were whirling about him in circles. He wasn't really getting anywhere.
"Why not History of Spells and Potions?" Snape interjected.
"Because then I wouldn't be allowed to teach the spells, only their histories." Alice smiled. "I see the outcome already . . . if you don't mind me announcing all the results to save time, I will . . ."
Dumbledore stood. "Precisely as I was hoping you would do, my dear. Save us all a bit of time. I know you will tell us wisely. We already had an idea of what jobs we wanted filled by each person . . ."
"Yes," she said dreamily.
"Well, I don't think it will surprise you to learn that Remus Lupin receives the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Everyone stared at her. "What about you?" Harry finally managed to gasp.
She smiled. "I was coming to that . . . I am pleased to announce that for the first time in the history of this school, a teaching team will exist. I will be Lupin's partner, and we will split classes evenly. The reason the school is expanding at all is the sudden increase in the wizarding populace. We need to split classes. I will take the first, second, third, and fourth years, while he will take the fifth, sixth, and seventh years. Now, to continue . . . I'm sure that none of you will be surprised to also learn that Harry Potter is to be teacher of History of Spells and Potions. This is a way to relieve the tension on the teacher of History of Magic; it is believed that that topic is too broad. History of Magic will now cover the people and events that occur. Magic in Medicine will go to Frank Reede. Lastly, Safety in Magic goes to Emily Rightsee. We'd like to thank all of you for coming. Goodnight; your rooms are located in the room next, and the train leaves tomorrow at the same time as yesterday's. Those who have been selected ought to stay until term begins."
Everyone was staring at her. Frank was smiling a tight-lipped smile in the very back of the room, and Harry and Lupin were grinning. The people began to file from the room.
"Let's stay up a while, Harry, and catch up on things. How've you been?" Lupin said.
"Quite well, thanks," Harry replied. "Things have been crazy. I wasn't sure I could find a job . . ."
Alice sat down as well. "I believe I have some catching up to do as well," she said, leaning across the table. "Ready to pull an all-nighter?"
"No wonder you always look so tired," Harry teased as they settled in for a long chat.
The torches that lit the room were burning slightly lower now that they had previously. Lupin and Harry were laughing rather drunkenly; Alice had conjured up some wine for the two of them. "Don't you want a drink?" Harry had asked her after his second glass (the bottle kept refilling itself).
"I don't drink," came Alice's reply. She had some water instead.
"So, anyway, I ate a bit more of the chocolate and I said," Lupin laughed, "I said, 'I'm not scared of the two of you! Never!'"
Harry was also laughing wildly. Alice sighed. She made two cups of an odd, purple, smoking potion appear from the air. She handed one to each. "Drink this, it will help you to regain what little composure you had."
Harry and Lupin took the cups and drank the contents. They slowly stopped laughing. "What was that?" Lupin asked, wrinkling his nose. "It tasted absolutely vile."
"But it worked, didn't it?" Alice replied, raising her brow. "Besides, the potion I'm giving you tomorrow will taste much worse."
"Oh well. As long as I don't have to go through any transformations anymore! How can I ever thank you?"
"Don't be ridiculous: what are friends for?" Alice responded absent- mindedly. She seemed to brighten a bit. "My birthday is coming up," she announced.
"What day?" Harry asked.
"Tomorrow," she said, smiling.
"Well, I wish you had told me sooner," Harry replied. "Now I'm going to have to go to Hogsmeade and find you something."
"Don't bother," she replied. "I hate birthdays. But I love going for walks. Especially by rivers, or in woods."
"Too bad there aren't any here," Harry said.
"Aren't any? What about the Forbidden Forest?"
Harry looked at her as though she were crazy. "The Forbidden Forest? Why the hell would you go on a pleasure walk there?"
"It's lovely," Alice replied dreamily, her chin resting in her hands.
Lupin and Harry exchanged glances. "Yeah, right, well . . . we'll see you tomorrow, we'd better go. See you around!"
"Yes, tomorrow," Alice said. She stood and stretched, covering her mouth as she yawned.
"Goodnight," Lupin said as he filed out of the door.
"Goodnight," she said softly as she closed the door behind her. She headed off to the female dorm, weary and quite contented.
"So," Harry said, his mouth full of fried egg, "You've been fighting evil? Where? I know I've heard your name all over, but still, I don't recall exactly where or how."
Alice sighed. She was picking at the small platter of berries in front of her. She hardly ate. "I don't know, I've been practically everywhere. The worst, I think, was the wizard genocide in Canada. Somehow the Muggles became aware of their existence, and teamed up with the Dark Side. Some sort of compromise: 'We'll help you exterminate good wizards if you don't kill us.' I was placed in a concentration camp for a while, but they were so stupid. They thought they could lock wizards up for good. They almost succeeded, but I didn't need my wand to make food appear. They couldn't starve us, as they had hoped." Alice's face grew somber. "Other camps, however, were not so lucky."
"What do you mean?" Lupin asked.
"Well, I mean, there aren't many witches and wizards who can perform a variety of spells without their wands. The wands were all snapped before entering any of the camps. A lot of them starved. They couldn't produce food, pop locks, or tie up the guards."
"So your camp escaped?"
"Yeah, and the Muggles were rather—sorry they had ever attempted the whole thing. After our camp escaped, we helped others. And then, the Dark Side got angry. A whole bunch of Muggles began dying unexpectedly, and the cause of death was unknown."
"The Dark wizards?" Lupin asked.
"Yes." Alice smiled in an odd way. "I haven't really recovered yet. The Dark wizards managed to restrict some of my abilities. They must have set enchantments to stop the few wizards like myself from creating too much comfort. For a few months, about all I could produce was water. We all got a bit wasted looking."
Harry was examining her. "So, all those awful dreams—are those from the genocide?"
"In part," Alice replied. "Were you not listening last night?"
"I was, but it was all somewhat beyond me," Harry admitted. "I mean, your life sounds so very bizarre . . ."
"And that's not the whole of it," Alice responded, popping a bright red strawberry into her mouth.
Lupin looked at his watch. "So, when will you perform the spell?"
"In an hour or so," Alice answered truthfully. "We can't wait too long; the full moon is coming, and that would be a bad thing, if you turned into a werewolf before the spell was performed . . . let me get a my wand and bag, and then I'll be right back to perform it."
Alice stood and walked resolutely out of the large dining hall. Harry looked at Lupin. "So, is this one of the things that she knows that everyone else has forgotten?"
"Yeah, I suppose it is," Lupin replied. "She's spent years mulling it over. I guess she finally decided that it was all right to perform the spell, that it wouldn't change the future for the worst and so forth. She told me when she left Hogwarts that she would have a decision by the time that she saw me next. Well, she held true to her word, didn't she?"
Harry was quiet until Alice returned, her beautiful wand in her right hand, her dirty sack in the left. "Ready?" she asked.
"Never more so," Lupin replied. "What do I do?"
"Remain quiet and clear your mind. Leave the rest up to me."
Alice began pulling odd things out of her bag: some bright blue dried leaves, a small vial of pinkish water, a funny looking charm that she placed around Lupin's neck. She picked up the leaves and began chanting inaudibly, crushing them in her hand and dropping them on Lupin's head, then in a circle around him. She took the pinkish water and blew into it, turning it into a fluorescent yellow powder. This she blew all over Lupin. He looked like he was covered in pollen. She continued to chant as she picked up her wand. She pointed it straight at him and suddenly shouted, "Legrunde finilis chomrus hadin preferus! Finilis hissa chomrus! Mokenis homber e homber nont e worolv!"
Harry realized that Alice was speaking the ancient wizarding tongue, which was only found in very old textbooks in the restricted section of the library. It was often dangerous to know the language, because many dark spells were written in it. But obviously, good spells were also written in the language, because Alice was using this spell to cure an evil.
Suddenly, a large flash of brilliant orange light exploded from the wand. It hit Lupin full force, knocking him to his feet. A large cloud of yellow dust rose into the air, and the leaves flew about the room.
Alice leaned against the table, suddenly exhausted. Seeing that others were already attending to Lupin, Harry rushed to Alice. "Are you all right?" he asked her.
"Fine, fine," she replied. "It is a very taxing spell, but I'll be fine. Just a moment . . ."
Harry looked at Lupin. A crowd of people who had been watching Alice and Lupin the whole time had rushed over and were now helping him to his feet. "I'm fine," Lupin kept saying. "Fine—yes, I'm sure. I'm all right. Please, leave me alone!"
The people went back to their tables. Snape remained where he was. "Took a spill, Remus? That's too bad."
Alice was sitting, her eyes closed and her head in her hands. She took a deep breath and stood. "You know, that spell can work two ways, Severus. I'd be careful."
Snape smiled in an oily fashion. "Is that a threat, Miss Oak?"
"Only if you took it that way, Severus." Alice was smiling sweetly, although her eyes showed exasperation and anger. "Now if you don't mind, I believe that the three of us would like some time alone together."
"That's quite all right," Snape replied. "Just be careful. Remember that Miss Granger spent a lot of time alone with boys. I don't believe she's made it very far."
"And I hear that you spent very little time with anyone. Look how far it's gotten you," she replied icily. "Good day, Severus."
"You too, Miss Oak." Snape turned, a wicked smile on his lips. He left the room.
Alice sank back into a chair. "I'm utterly exhausted," she exclaimed.
"It looked complicated," Harry confided. "Where did the spell originate?"
"Well, I believe it was Dutch, originally. A man named Ioma Bidmin Peroipritandtabaygode." She spat the name out quickly, and Harry looked at her funny.
"Quite a mouthful."
"Quite. Anyhow, he created many spells, which he worked throughout his short lifetime. Unfortunately, he died at a very young age in an inexplicable fire. All of his accounts were destroyed."
"That's too bad," Lupin replied sympathetically.
"Very," Alice said shortly. "Anyhow, I know them all, and not all work, but most are quite successful. That is one of them, Lupin."
"Yes, well, I am forever in the debt of Ioma—and you."
Alice smiled. "What are friends for, Remus?" She stood. "Well, I think that you and I ought to begin planning lessons. I would recommend that you do the same, Harry. It's not that long, you know, before the students arrive. Best to be prepared."
Harry, too, stood. "Yes, I suppose you are right. I should begin to prepare things. Dear me, where to start?"
"You know, deep down," Alice replied with a smile. She turned to Lupin. "Ready?"
"Yes," he said, and they walked toward the door together.
"Wait!" Harry cried. Alice turned around and waited for Harry to scramble over to join them. "Lupin, can you go ahead? I want to ask Alice one little thing."
Lupin hesitated. "All right," he said after a moment. "I'll see you in my office," he directed towards Alice.
"Yes," she agreed. She walked down the hall with Harry in a different direction. "My room," she said quietly. "It's the best place to talk."
"Okay," Harry said uncertainly.
She led him to a large portrait of a woman in Victorian-era attire, and said quite simply, "Operanda." The portrait melted away into the walls around her and a small gap appeared in the wall.
At first, Harry thought that the room was pitch black, without windows. But then he saw that the walls were black. The large four-poster on the side wall was made of ebony and gold, with silk draping embroidered in gold threads. The curtains were of similar pattern. The floor was also made of ebony, with black rugs accented with gold designs and fringe. The set of drawers, mirror, desk, and nightstand were of the same design.
"Sit," she said, indicating a black armchair in the corner. He sat in it, and she sat on the end of her bed. "So, you want to know why I lied about the crystal ball?"
Harry nodded. "And why you wear one around your neck."
"The necklace is no crystal ball," she said shortly. Her voice was crisp but not unkind. "As for the crystal ball—I was merely protecting myself."
"All right."
"That was all?"
"No." Harry stood. He noticed that the nightstand had a vase full of beautiful flowers: tulips, chrysanthemums, roses, and Queen Anne's Lace.
"You were hidden at Hogwarts. You also lied about that."
He also noticed a little note. He walked over without thinking and read the note.
Happy Birthday Alice! I hope it's great. X
"Not really. I'm not the same person I was those many years ago. So in a way, it was not me hidden in the school."
Harry changed the subject. "'X?'" he asked. "Who's that?"
Alice had turned a brilliant shade of red. "Someone I knew a long time ago," she said softly.
Harry grinned. "A . . . secret admirer?"
She also smiled. "Yes. To some extent."
"And who, may I ask, is this secret person?"
"I don't want to say."
"And why not?"
"You know him." She looked away, and noticed that a picture of a young man and her had gone crooked. She turned to straighten it.
"Who?" Harry asked gently.
She sighed. "I didn't really want to tell you . . ."
"Come on," Harry said soothingly. "You can tell me."
"I know I can tell you, I'm just not sure I want to. There's a difference."
"Oh, come on," Harry insisted. "I won't tell anyone."
Alice couldn't help it. She broke into a grin. "Okay, you're going to think it's silly . . ."
"I won't," Harry assured her. Who the hell is it? Harry thought to himself.
Alice sighed and absently picked up one of the roses, holding it close to her nose. She carefully placed it back into the vase.
"Seamus Finnigan," she practically whispered.
Harry was quiet a moment, and then said, rather skeptically, "Seamus? As in, the same year that I was in?"
"Well, do you know any other Seamus Finnigan?" she asked rather sharply.
Harry looked rather shocked and hurt. What had gotten into her?
Alice's expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings . . . but, I don't know, it's just so hard . . . you see, we didn't want to stop seeing each other, but the teachers . . ."
Confused, Harry just continued to stare rather rudely at her.
She sighed again. "Let me start from the beginning. As you know, I was in the same year as yourself. But, I was kept a secret from all of you. But one day, I was walking down the hall during the middle of the night, and Seamus . . . well, he wasn't supposed to be out, but I don't know . . . he just was. So, he ran into me, knocking me clear off my feet, and he helped me back up. For him, it was love at first sight . . ."
Harry's eyes were still transfixed upon her.
"It was during the third year," she explained. "Anyhow, we saw each other for a while, and then, well . . . the staff decided it wasn't a good idea. My dreams began getting worse. So they called the relationship off. I was forbidden to see him again. Apparently, he learned that I was here . . ."
Harry finally diverted his gaze. "So he still loves you."
"I suppose so. I'm not sure if it was ever what you could call love . . . more like lust. But yes, he still wants me."
It was Harry's turn to pluck one of the flowers from the vase. He examined the yellow tulip with scrutinizing eyes. "And you still love him, I suppose?"
Harry didn't see it, but Alice smiled slightly. She said, very gently, "No, Harry. I do not. It ended many years ago. I think that through my travels, I have learned that it is best that I not attach myself to anyone for any period of time. It will just cause pain."
"Pain?" Harry asked. He lifted his eyes from the flower.
"Yes, pain, Harry. I know pain even more than you do. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Because what I did to Seamus . . . it was just cruel."
"What did you do?"
Alice swallowed and closed her eyes. She spoke again; her voice seemed to come from deep within her. "I don't wish to speak anymore at this moment. Good day, Harry."
Harry was still confused. He had come here for clarification, for comfort: he left in a state far worse than that in which he had come.
"See you later," he said quietly. He stood, walked slowly over to the door, and hesitated in its frame for a moment. He saw a single tear roll softly down her cheek. He turned and walked from her room.
He found himself in the deserted hallway and sighed. "So much work to do," he complained, "but I must start sometime." With that, he walked down the hallway and headed toward his office. He couldn't have known that someone else had already been there.