Alice turned left but she hit a dead-end. When she turned around, she was
standing face-to-face with the man on the train. She froze, too afraid to
move.
"What - - what do you want from me?" Alice asked.
"Don't be afraid Miss Alice. I won't harm you," the man replied.
"How do you know my name?" she asked.
"I know a lot about you. I know you were attacked by Lucius Malfoy and that you ran away from the hospital," he replied.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Remus Lupin and I'm a wizard," he said.
Alice gasped at the word wizard and took a few steps back.
"Like I've said Alice, don't be afraid. Not all witches and wizards are bad. But we can't stay here and chat all night," he replied. "I can't allow you to go back to your own world Alice," Lupin explained.
"But, why not? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" she asked confused. All she wanted was to forget as much as possible and move on with her normal life.
"You've got to understand Alice. If you returned to your own life, Lucius will probably try to find you and kill you. He might destroy a lot of innocent lives in his attempt. Lucius Malfoy knows no mercy," Lupin said.
"I've noticed that," Alice said sarcastically. "If I can't go back, where do I have to go then?" she asked after a few moments of silence.
"Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. The headmaster there will hide you in one of the many towers," Lupin said.
Alice felt tears well up in her eyes but didn't want to fight them. This was all too much for her. She was too tired to care. So this was what she got for being helpful. Now she had to spend the rest of her life in some sort of school filled with witches and wizards.
"I know this must be really hard for you but I insist that we leave now," Lupin said.
She took a few deep breaths and tried to steady herself.
"How are we going to get there?" she asked.
Lupin walked past Alice and looked for something on the ground. A smile spread across his face and he seemed to found what he was looking for and beckoned Alice.
"Now, take my hand and hold on," he said. She carefully grabbed his hand and held it tightly. He took her other and touched a dirty, empty can on the ground.
She closed her eyes and it felt as if someone pulled her hard back around the waist. A few moments later, she felt her feet hit solid ground again. She tried to keep her balance but fell over. Lupin took her hand and helped her up.
"I'll take you to Professor Dumbledore now. He's the headmaster here and will help you if you need anything," he said.
She just nodded in silence as they started to walk towards the immense castle. Just a few of the many windows were lit as it was already late. She stared at the imposing building and was so impressed that she almost forgot why she was there; to spend the rest of her life hidden from Lucius Malfoy and far away from friends and family.
Lupin led her through numerous passages and staircases such as she had never seen before in her life. She thought she had seen one of the paintings move but paid no further attention to it. They came to a stop in front of a gigantic statue. They stepped onto the moving staircase and arrived at a big oak door.
"I'm afraid I'll have to leave you now Alice," Lupin said. "I've got some urgent business to do but you're in good hands here."
"Thank you Lupin," she said. He smiled at her before he turned around and went back down the stairs.
She inhaled deeply and knocked on the door. She heard a voice calling her in. With a trembling hand, she opened the door and entered the room. She saw an old man sitting behind a desk. Behind the man sat a magnificent red- golden bird.
Alice and Dumbledore talked for several hours. He explained her that they arranged a room in one of the towers for her where the students weren't allowed to come. She was allowed to walk around in some parts of the castle and one of the teachers would check on her from time to time. Food would be brought up by one of the house-elves. If she wanted to leave the castle, she would be escorted.
Dumbledore personally guided her to her room. She felt great respect for the man. He seemed really old but he had a youthful sparkle in his eyes. Something that managed to calm her down and she was thankful for that.
She entered her new accommodation and was impressed by what she saw. She had never seen such an imposing room in her life. In the middle of it was a large bed with beautiful crimson sheets. She had feared that she would feel like a bird in a cage but the room didn't give her the feeling of being a prisoner.
Dumbledore bid her goodnight and closed the door behind him. She took her time to explore her new chamber. She saw that someone had put a beautiful nightgown on her bed. Alice quickly changed clothes. She blew out the candles on her bedside table and dropped onto the bed. It had been a very long night and a disturbing week. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"What - - what do you want from me?" Alice asked.
"Don't be afraid Miss Alice. I won't harm you," the man replied.
"How do you know my name?" she asked.
"I know a lot about you. I know you were attacked by Lucius Malfoy and that you ran away from the hospital," he replied.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Remus Lupin and I'm a wizard," he said.
Alice gasped at the word wizard and took a few steps back.
"Like I've said Alice, don't be afraid. Not all witches and wizards are bad. But we can't stay here and chat all night," he replied. "I can't allow you to go back to your own world Alice," Lupin explained.
"But, why not? I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" she asked confused. All she wanted was to forget as much as possible and move on with her normal life.
"You've got to understand Alice. If you returned to your own life, Lucius will probably try to find you and kill you. He might destroy a lot of innocent lives in his attempt. Lucius Malfoy knows no mercy," Lupin said.
"I've noticed that," Alice said sarcastically. "If I can't go back, where do I have to go then?" she asked after a few moments of silence.
"Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. The headmaster there will hide you in one of the many towers," Lupin said.
Alice felt tears well up in her eyes but didn't want to fight them. This was all too much for her. She was too tired to care. So this was what she got for being helpful. Now she had to spend the rest of her life in some sort of school filled with witches and wizards.
"I know this must be really hard for you but I insist that we leave now," Lupin said.
She took a few deep breaths and tried to steady herself.
"How are we going to get there?" she asked.
Lupin walked past Alice and looked for something on the ground. A smile spread across his face and he seemed to found what he was looking for and beckoned Alice.
"Now, take my hand and hold on," he said. She carefully grabbed his hand and held it tightly. He took her other and touched a dirty, empty can on the ground.
She closed her eyes and it felt as if someone pulled her hard back around the waist. A few moments later, she felt her feet hit solid ground again. She tried to keep her balance but fell over. Lupin took her hand and helped her up.
"I'll take you to Professor Dumbledore now. He's the headmaster here and will help you if you need anything," he said.
She just nodded in silence as they started to walk towards the immense castle. Just a few of the many windows were lit as it was already late. She stared at the imposing building and was so impressed that she almost forgot why she was there; to spend the rest of her life hidden from Lucius Malfoy and far away from friends and family.
Lupin led her through numerous passages and staircases such as she had never seen before in her life. She thought she had seen one of the paintings move but paid no further attention to it. They came to a stop in front of a gigantic statue. They stepped onto the moving staircase and arrived at a big oak door.
"I'm afraid I'll have to leave you now Alice," Lupin said. "I've got some urgent business to do but you're in good hands here."
"Thank you Lupin," she said. He smiled at her before he turned around and went back down the stairs.
She inhaled deeply and knocked on the door. She heard a voice calling her in. With a trembling hand, she opened the door and entered the room. She saw an old man sitting behind a desk. Behind the man sat a magnificent red- golden bird.
Alice and Dumbledore talked for several hours. He explained her that they arranged a room in one of the towers for her where the students weren't allowed to come. She was allowed to walk around in some parts of the castle and one of the teachers would check on her from time to time. Food would be brought up by one of the house-elves. If she wanted to leave the castle, she would be escorted.
Dumbledore personally guided her to her room. She felt great respect for the man. He seemed really old but he had a youthful sparkle in his eyes. Something that managed to calm her down and she was thankful for that.
She entered her new accommodation and was impressed by what she saw. She had never seen such an imposing room in her life. In the middle of it was a large bed with beautiful crimson sheets. She had feared that she would feel like a bird in a cage but the room didn't give her the feeling of being a prisoner.
Dumbledore bid her goodnight and closed the door behind him. She took her time to explore her new chamber. She saw that someone had put a beautiful nightgown on her bed. Alice quickly changed clothes. She blew out the candles on her bedside table and dropped onto the bed. It had been a very long night and a disturbing week. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.