Chapter Six
All Alone
They got off at a bus stop on a corner that looked very deserted and by this time the neighborhood around them was dark. The neighborhood wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special either. By this time it was dark and it had an eerie tone to the neighborhood. It made Lex's hair stand on the back of her neck and she shivered.
Dumbledore led the way down the street and they came to a very small house with two stories. It was red brick and had no driveway and a small chimney that set on the roof. Lex pulled her bags behind her and Dumbledore pulled a key from his pocket and opened the house.
Inside it was very dingy and old. It smelled like decay and death, and made Lex want to vomit. They entered the living room and found a small beaten up couch and two worn chairs. There was a small fireplace on the furthest wall and a coffee table near the center of the room. Lex cringed and Dumbledore smiled at her.
"It's not much," he said, "But it'll do."
She turned to him and he put his hand on her shoulder.
"I will be by next week to check on you," he said, "I'll send owls at night and I am attempting to get you a job in the ministry. Just keep a low profile right now and try not to use any magic."
Lex nodded and looked around.
"Where's Sky?" she asked, wondering why she had forgotten about her old friend.
"He is sleeping upstairs comfortably," said Dumbledore.
Tears began to form in Lex's eyes and she hugged her old teacher. His feeble hands pressed against her back and he pushed her away a little. A tear ran down his cheek and he smiled.
"You are one of the bravest students I have ever known," he said, "I promise, everything will be back to normal soon."
He turned towards the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of powder from a small pot. He smiled at her and lit a fire with his wand.
"Take care," he said, and then threw the powder into the fire, "The Ministry!"
And in a flash he was gone and the fire went out. Lex stood there, frozen for a moment. The house was so small, big enough for only one person to live in. Who had lived her she didn't know, but she didn't care to know either. She pointed her wand at the fireplace and a fire began to burn in it. She rubbed her hands together and turned on the lights. The house seemed so small and dim.
She climbed the small stairs and walked into the bedroom, which was right at the top. She set her things down on the single size bed and looked at the small mirror on the wall. There was a low chest of drawers and a closet in the room and a small basket in the corner, in which slept a large white creature, Sky. Lex sighed.
"So this is home," she muttered, "It certainly is small."
She sank onto the bed, the emptiness inside her growing little by little. She quickly got up and began to unpack, pulling out several picture frames and placed them beside her bed. She headed down stairs and put a few other pictures on the tables and sighed. She sank down on the couch. She began to cry silently, watching the shadows of the fire dance on the wall. She felt alone, completely alone.
At one point near dawn she dropped off into a restless sleep. She woke to find it was nearly noon, and there were several letters waiting for her on the kitchen table. The small window was open slightly but it didn't bother her. The neighborhood was too peaceful for anyone to try a break in. She picked up the letter, one from Gavin, the other from Dumbledore, and yet another from Breena, who's owl was always good at finding people.
She opened Gavin's letter first.
Dearest Lex,
I do hope this letter finds you well, and settling into your new surroundings. I understand that it may be painful but I promise that I shall try my hardest to get you back here. I'm leaving St. Mungo's sometime next week, than hopefully I'll be able to visit you.
Dumbledore and I are pulling strings to get you that job in the ministry. It shouldn't be too difficult, with a Father like Dad was and his reputation and yours it should be a piece of cake.
I hope to see you soon.
Gavin
Lex threw the letter away. It was a pity letter, and she didn't want that right now. She hated people feelings sorry for her. It made her feel weak. She opened Breena's letter, which was rather short.
Dear Lex,
I am just writing to see how you are doing since school got out. I do deeply regret you getting let go, and if there was something I could do I would. It won't be the same with you around. I'll miss you.
You are more than welcome to come to the manor this summer or anytime, just give us some notice. I hope to see you soon.
Love,
Breena Brightheart
Lex sighed and set the letter on the table. She knew she'd never be able to see Breena or leave the house while her life was in danger. It made her angry, and resentful. She picked up Dumbledore's letter and opened it.
Alexia,
In my quick departure yesterday I forgot to mention one thing to you. There is an Order, a group of people who are joining together to try and fight this evil that is coming after the innocent people of this world. I organize them and they are called the Order of the Phoenix.
Several professors from Hogwarts are already members and I would like to invite you to join as well. Please send me your reply and I hope to stop by again later this week.
Take Care,
Albus Dumbledore
Lex re-read the letter several times. The Order of the Phoenix; she had heard of this before, and knew that her late Father had been a part of it, which was why his job in the ministry was so important. She ripped off the bottom of the parchment and sent it to Dumbledore saying she would indeed be very interested in joining the Order. It would keep her from feeling so useless or helpless.
Lex threw the letters into the fireplace and sighed. It was a late July day and everything felt extremely muggy. The last she wanted was to be stuck in this tiny little house, but she had no choice. She resigned herself to unpacking her clothes up in her room, but it didn't take long.
She laid the clothes and other things out on her bed, and it didn't add up to much. She had four Muggle T-shirts, varying in design and shabbiness and one had "The Weird Sisters" on the front. She had two pairs of pants, both dark and an assortment of unmentionables. She laid them all out on the small bed and sighed. This was all she had, and it was funny to think about how little she had after so long.
She put the clothes away in the small chest of drawers and headed downstairs; Sky shortly at her heals.
"So you're finally up," she snapped coldly at the small creature.
He stopped and looked at her. Lex ran her hands through her hair.
"At least I still have you," she said, picking him up and walking into the living room.
She pulled a book off the shelf and thumbed through the pages, clucking her tongue with boredom. If she had to do this more the rest of her life she was sure that she would die of boredom.
They got off at a bus stop on a corner that looked very deserted and by this time the neighborhood around them was dark. The neighborhood wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special either. By this time it was dark and it had an eerie tone to the neighborhood. It made Lex's hair stand on the back of her neck and she shivered.
Dumbledore led the way down the street and they came to a very small house with two stories. It was red brick and had no driveway and a small chimney that set on the roof. Lex pulled her bags behind her and Dumbledore pulled a key from his pocket and opened the house.
Inside it was very dingy and old. It smelled like decay and death, and made Lex want to vomit. They entered the living room and found a small beaten up couch and two worn chairs. There was a small fireplace on the furthest wall and a coffee table near the center of the room. Lex cringed and Dumbledore smiled at her.
"It's not much," he said, "But it'll do."
She turned to him and he put his hand on her shoulder.
"I will be by next week to check on you," he said, "I'll send owls at night and I am attempting to get you a job in the ministry. Just keep a low profile right now and try not to use any magic."
Lex nodded and looked around.
"Where's Sky?" she asked, wondering why she had forgotten about her old friend.
"He is sleeping upstairs comfortably," said Dumbledore.
Tears began to form in Lex's eyes and she hugged her old teacher. His feeble hands pressed against her back and he pushed her away a little. A tear ran down his cheek and he smiled.
"You are one of the bravest students I have ever known," he said, "I promise, everything will be back to normal soon."
He turned towards the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of powder from a small pot. He smiled at her and lit a fire with his wand.
"Take care," he said, and then threw the powder into the fire, "The Ministry!"
And in a flash he was gone and the fire went out. Lex stood there, frozen for a moment. The house was so small, big enough for only one person to live in. Who had lived her she didn't know, but she didn't care to know either. She pointed her wand at the fireplace and a fire began to burn in it. She rubbed her hands together and turned on the lights. The house seemed so small and dim.
She climbed the small stairs and walked into the bedroom, which was right at the top. She set her things down on the single size bed and looked at the small mirror on the wall. There was a low chest of drawers and a closet in the room and a small basket in the corner, in which slept a large white creature, Sky. Lex sighed.
"So this is home," she muttered, "It certainly is small."
She sank onto the bed, the emptiness inside her growing little by little. She quickly got up and began to unpack, pulling out several picture frames and placed them beside her bed. She headed down stairs and put a few other pictures on the tables and sighed. She sank down on the couch. She began to cry silently, watching the shadows of the fire dance on the wall. She felt alone, completely alone.
At one point near dawn she dropped off into a restless sleep. She woke to find it was nearly noon, and there were several letters waiting for her on the kitchen table. The small window was open slightly but it didn't bother her. The neighborhood was too peaceful for anyone to try a break in. She picked up the letter, one from Gavin, the other from Dumbledore, and yet another from Breena, who's owl was always good at finding people.
She opened Gavin's letter first.
Dearest Lex,
I do hope this letter finds you well, and settling into your new surroundings. I understand that it may be painful but I promise that I shall try my hardest to get you back here. I'm leaving St. Mungo's sometime next week, than hopefully I'll be able to visit you.
Dumbledore and I are pulling strings to get you that job in the ministry. It shouldn't be too difficult, with a Father like Dad was and his reputation and yours it should be a piece of cake.
I hope to see you soon.
Gavin
Lex threw the letter away. It was a pity letter, and she didn't want that right now. She hated people feelings sorry for her. It made her feel weak. She opened Breena's letter, which was rather short.
Dear Lex,
I am just writing to see how you are doing since school got out. I do deeply regret you getting let go, and if there was something I could do I would. It won't be the same with you around. I'll miss you.
You are more than welcome to come to the manor this summer or anytime, just give us some notice. I hope to see you soon.
Love,
Breena Brightheart
Lex sighed and set the letter on the table. She knew she'd never be able to see Breena or leave the house while her life was in danger. It made her angry, and resentful. She picked up Dumbledore's letter and opened it.
Alexia,
In my quick departure yesterday I forgot to mention one thing to you. There is an Order, a group of people who are joining together to try and fight this evil that is coming after the innocent people of this world. I organize them and they are called the Order of the Phoenix.
Several professors from Hogwarts are already members and I would like to invite you to join as well. Please send me your reply and I hope to stop by again later this week.
Take Care,
Albus Dumbledore
Lex re-read the letter several times. The Order of the Phoenix; she had heard of this before, and knew that her late Father had been a part of it, which was why his job in the ministry was so important. She ripped off the bottom of the parchment and sent it to Dumbledore saying she would indeed be very interested in joining the Order. It would keep her from feeling so useless or helpless.
Lex threw the letters into the fireplace and sighed. It was a late July day and everything felt extremely muggy. The last she wanted was to be stuck in this tiny little house, but she had no choice. She resigned herself to unpacking her clothes up in her room, but it didn't take long.
She laid the clothes and other things out on her bed, and it didn't add up to much. She had four Muggle T-shirts, varying in design and shabbiness and one had "The Weird Sisters" on the front. She had two pairs of pants, both dark and an assortment of unmentionables. She laid them all out on the small bed and sighed. This was all she had, and it was funny to think about how little she had after so long.
She put the clothes away in the small chest of drawers and headed downstairs; Sky shortly at her heals.
"So you're finally up," she snapped coldly at the small creature.
He stopped and looked at her. Lex ran her hands through her hair.
"At least I still have you," she said, picking him up and walking into the living room.
She pulled a book off the shelf and thumbed through the pages, clucking her tongue with boredom. If she had to do this more the rest of her life she was sure that she would die of boredom.