Disclaimer: don't own anything you recognize from the BOOKS…
A/N: hey…sorry it's been a while since my last up date but I've been really busy with school and stuff then we had this year 12 graduation thing that everyone else had to go to and then we had my year level's semi formal which was brilliant…. But anyway I finally managed to get this chapter out. Thanks to all my great reviewers again…and I hope you all like it
Alex was finally allowed to leave the hospital wing, but only after a very tired looking Professor Dokoft visited her, and only after the school building had been thoroughly searched, although Alex tried to maintain the fact that she as probably just hallucinating from her head ache.
She had refused to think about Riley, pushing any thoughts of him that her mind from the previous night out, instead trying to replace them with words or sentences, which she could transform into a song. Ignoring the purple notebook and shiny silver pen, Alex grabbed her old blue book and pink pen, before heading toward the courtyard on the roof of the building.
It was still up there, with no breeze or harsh sunlight beating down on her, Alex sat on a long stone bench in the corner of courtyard, balancing her notebook on her knee, she waited for words, anything really to come to her.
Twisting the pen around in her hand, Alex was slightly shocked as the door to the courtyard open, to reveal a disshelved looking Professor Dokoft, who didn't notice Alex in the corner.
Alex watched as she moved across the balcony and rested her hands on the ledge, staring out across the city. Even from where Alex was, the headmistress looked even more tired than she had that morning, he blonde hair was slightly frizzy and she was slumped, putting all her against the railing.
"Professor Dokoft?" Alex finally asked, standing up and joining the headmistress at the balcony.
"Oh…Alex…sorry, I didn't see you up here…. How are you feeling dear?" she said.
"I'm fine…really…" Alex told her, "um…are you okay?" suddenly she felt funny about asking her teacher something that could be personal.
The blonde teacher tried to smile, but it ended up strained and Alex could easily tell that it didn't reach her blue eyes.
"I'm fine, what are you doing up here by yourself?" she tried to change the topic.
"Oh…I…was just writing some stuff... for when Georgie and Logan get back...for the band…" Alex mumbled, trying to fit it all together.
Professor Dokoft didn't say anything, finally reaching a decision, she would know soon anyway, her parents had already been sent the letter.
"Alex, dear, their not coming back..not permantely anyway…the school's closing," She paused, waiting for Alex's outburst, but their came none, "professor Dumbledore and I have discussed it already, and we've decided to move the final trip forward to next week, and will stay at Hogwarts until the end of the year. The students who wish to return to Hogwarts will do so next year, but those who wish to attend a school here will also be able to…."
"Why?" Alex finally asked.
"Not enough students want to come here," Professor Dokoft replied simply, "an announcement will be made tonight at dinner,"
"Where have you been?" Charlie demanded as soon as Alex walked through the door of the practice room.
"What?" Alex asked.
"You said you were going to the toilet, half an hour ago…" Charlie replied, "you could have passed out again and no one would have known…."
"Well I didn't so you don't have to worry," Alex replied, knowing that she had lied to them when she went to the courtyard.
"Charlie, leave her alone," Kimmie looked up from her music book.
"No, I want to know where she went," Charlie demanded.
"God, you sound like you're her dad or something," Brian joked.
"Do you know what Georgie will do to me if something happens to her?" Charlie replied, "Well…" he turned back to Alex, who had managed to get past him and join Brian on the couch.
"I was talking to Professor Dokoft," Alex shrugged, "no big deal."
"It is a big deal," Charlie exclaimed, "next time tell me where you're going to be,"
"Yeah... okay DAD," Alex replied sarcastically.
Albus Dumbledore entered his staffroom. Every single professor, apart from Ben Walker who was still unconscious in the hospital wing, was they're waiting for the announcement. Silence filled the room, as Dumbledore stood at the end of the large table in the middle of the room.
"As you are all aware of," He began, "we have been running a successful program this year with Fascino Quas, school of magic arts, in a week and a half, Professor's Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini were to make the final trip to New York with Hufflepuff, this however will not be taking place."
A few teachers looked at each other, but neither Hermione nor Blaise moved, already knowing what was coming.
"The final trip, where the two remaining houses at Fascino Quas will be joining us at the end of the week, and the students will attend Hogwarts until the end of the year, where they will then have the choice of returning next year or attending a school in America," Dumbledore told them.
"So the school in New York…it's closed?" a teacher at the back of the room asked.
"The American Ministry of Magic have been observing the school's intake for a few years, one of the reasons why I began this program with Professor Dokoft, they have finally decided that there is no reason of the school to continue to run with the small numbers of students enrolling each year, choosing to close the school at the beginning of next year. We, however thought it would be best if the students began here almost immediately," Dumbledore finished, dismissing any further questions.
"Hermione, Blaise, may I please see you both in my office," He motioned for them and they followed.
Hermione, Blaise, Harry and Ron followed Dumbledore down the corridors and up the flight of stairs behind the gargoyle statue. Finally they came to his office, with Harry and Ron sitting in the waiting room, Hermione and Blaise sat infront of the desk, while Dumbledore moved to the opposite side.
"Now that the two of you have been put under more pressure, with organizing where these students will be placed until the end of the year, I understand if you wish to pass the job on to some of the other teachers," Dumbledore paused, "Professor Dokoft and I have agreed that at the moment, Alex looks ready to return, but as we gave her a choice about coming back or staying at the school for the last trip, we are unsure as to how she may react coming back without a choice, especially when we are no closer to finding the attack, which is why I think it would be best if we let the rest of the staff organize everything, but it is up to you,"
He looked at Hermione and Blaise who still had no reaction.
"I think we can handle it all right, Professor," Hermione replied confidently, Blaise looked at her, a look of uncertainty across his face.
"Are you sure, I don't want any extra placed on top of you, especially with the baby," Dumbledore answered.
Both looked at him slightly shocked, "How…Harry and Ron said they wouldn't tell anyone…" Hermione spluttered.
"Ah, but Professor Brown thought it was best that I knew, besides with your radiating glow, permanent smile and slightly odd appetite it would not have been long before I realised," Dumbledore answered, "but if you feel you can still organize everything in time then I will not pass the job on to the other staff…"
"What if Harry and Ron helped us?" Blaise interrupted, "I'm sure they would love to do something other than sit and do nothing during our classes,"
"Ah, yes that would be an excellent solution for their boredom, perhaps Jessica and Ginny may volunteer their time also," Dumbledore smiled at them.
"Professor, when will the students be informed about this?" Hermione asked.
"I have organized a meeting with the Fascino Quas teachers just before lunch, then when Professor Dokoft arrives their students will be informed and they will return to America to collect an belongings of theirs that are still at their school, our students will be informed tonight at dinner," Dumbledore told them, "which means I must now leave as the teachers are waiting for me in the great hall,"
Hermione and Blaise stood and followed him out of their office and into the waiting room.
"What's going on?" Harry asked as Dumbledore disappeared down the spiral staircase.
"Nothing…" Hermione told him, "Are you ready?"
"For what?" Ron asked slowly, "your next class isn't until this afternoon,"
"I know, but Blaise has just volunteered the two of you to help us readjust the castle and plan the feast for when the new students arrive," Hermione smiled sweetly at them before disappearing down the staircase.
Harry and Ron glared at Blaise slightly; who hastily followed his fiancée down the stairs.
LATER THAT DAY
Alex followed Brian to the Croceus table. She looked up to find that professor Dokoft was not sitting at the staff table and the teachers were watching the students nervously. She glanced across the room, to find that the empty table from the Niveus house had been placed back between the other two houses, and Charlie winked at her cheekily from his position across the other side of the room, although also looked surprised to see the empty table in the middle of the room.
"Gee, Georgie ate more than that when she went on that health kick," Brian joked to her, ten minutes after the meal started.
Alex stared t him and blinked a few time, "Um…what?"
"Nothing," He replied, frowning slightly, "Your food's getting cold,"
"Oh, right," Alex looked down at her plate, suddenly the mashed potato didn't look at that appealing, "um, I'm not really hungry," she pushed the plate toward the middle of the table and the boy Alex had watched while he was asleep the pervious day, immediately asked if he could have it, Alex nodded at him.
"You alright?" Brian asked quietly as Alex sat their, watching the other students eat.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Alex lied, thinking about the earlier conversation with Professor Dokoft, "I wonder where Dokoft is,"
Brian looked up toward the staff table, as if only noticing their headmaster wasn't there for the first time, "yeah," he replied, before turning back to his own food.
Five minutes later, Alex was still watching the other students eat, dreading the moment their Headmaster would arrive and seeing the shocked faces on the other students, until finally she decided she didn't want to be there.
"Hey, Brian, I think I'm gonna go back to the common room, I'll see you later," Alex told him standing up.
Just as she was halfway across the room, a clear voice that she recognized as one of the drama teachers spoke over the noise the students were making.
"All students are to remain in the dining hall until Professor Dokoft has dismissed you, she will be here shortly,"
And with that Alex was forced to return to her seat next to Brian.
"I wonder what that's about," Brian said as she sat.
Alex in turn just shrugged and picked up a glass of water. With in fifteen minutes, the doors to the dining room opened, revealing their blonde headmaster. Behind her were the staff and students who were supposed to be at Hogwarts.
All the students who were sitting, stopped eating and stared at the Niveus students as they filed into the room and sat at the empty table, nobody spoke as their headmaster made her way to the front of the room. As she turned to face the students, the remaining food on the tables disappeared, although hardly anyone noticed.
"The aim of our school, was to bring the arts together with our magic," Professor Dokoft spoke clearly and looked at the students, "we have never restricted our students of much, believing that your freedom brings out the best of you, however one thing you may have noticed is that today we closed your owl services, this is because I wanted you to hear the following together, so you know the truth."
The students remained silent, waiting for what was going to be said Alex felt a slight lump forming in her throat.
"Fascino Quas has been closed by the Ministry, due to the lack of incoming enrolments." At this statement an eruption of noise filled the room.
Alex looked at Brian who was still and looked numb.
"Your parents have been informed," Professor Dokoft continued and the student fell silent again, "and although the ministry agreed to keep the school open until the end of this year, I have made the decision to close the school at the end of this week. The letter rot your parents requested that you will be moved to Hogwarts until the end of the school year, with the move being made Friday night and Saturday morning."
"Tomorrow, when your owl services begin again, you should receive a slip form your parents, indicating whether or not you shall be finishing your year off at Hogwarts or not, please return this slip to your house head, classes over the next two days will be dismissed and all students will need to use this time to pack their belongings, regardless of whether or not they will be moving to Hogwarts,"
"Any questions should be directed to your house heads," Professor Dokoft finished, "you are dismissed"
None of the students moved, instead watching as the small blonde teacher made her way down the middle of the hall and through the large doors, and although she was unsure, Alex swear she had tears in her eyes.
THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON
"I can't believe it's closing," Kimmie said for about the seventh time that day. The six of them, Alex, Kimmie, Brian, Logan, Charlie and Georgie, were in the practice room, with the instructions from their music teacher to pack their instruments away so they cold be moved to Hogwarts, since all of them had received permission slips from their parents to attend for the rest of the year.
Alex sat on the couch between Brian and Logan and just stared at the empty box on the table infront on the table infront of them; so far none of them had been able to pack anything up yet.
"Do you think they'll still teach us music and stuff there?" Charlie wondered aloud.
Nobody replied, and Alex began to watch Georgie from the corner of her eye. She began to pack her guitar into it's case, roughly doing up the clasps, she turned toward the amp and ripped the cords out of the sockets.
"So, did you guys see my mum and dad while you were there?" Alex asked, trying to change the topic.
Georgie ignored her and began to roll the cords up.
"We saw your mum, but we didn't get to talk to her," Logan replied as he got up off the couch, he picked up dome of their old music notebooks they had accumulated over the last four years.
"Oh," Alex replied, she got up as well and looked at her mike stand.
"Which house did you guys get put in?" Charlie asked cheerfully, "when me and Kimmie went we stayed with the Ravenclaws, weird bunch, the poor first years were in that green house though, had to be the worst,"
"The Slytherins?" Alex suggested.
"Yeah that's it," Charlie replied, "Wish we could have stayed in your house though, would have partied every night,"
"I could just imagine Professor Potter allowing that," Alex answered and Charlie laughed.
"We were in the Hufflepuff house," Georgie said flatly and he stopped laughing.
Silence filled the room and finally, Brian asked the question the other four were anxious to find out from Logan.
"So…how was Nicole?" he aimed the question toward Logan and not Georgie.
"I guess she was okay," Logan replied, not looking up from the books he was stacking into the box.
"And when you say okay…you mean?" Kimmie continued, as she zipped up the cover around her keyboard.
"I mean she looked like she was doing okay, I didn't really get the chance to talk to her," Logan replied and Georgie snorted.
"What do you mean you didn't get the chance to talk to her?" Alex demanded, finally forgetting about her microphone and stand and turned toward the boy.
"Yeah, Logan, tell them all how you didn't get the chance to talk to her," Georgie said sarcastically.
"Shut up," Logan glared at his sister.
"What happened?" Alex demanded, "if you made her cry Logan, I swear I will hurt you more than you hurt Charlie,"
Everyone in the room was still, watching the conversation between the two.
"I didn't make her cry…God I barely even spoke to her," Logan replied and turned back to his books.
"Well what happened in the library then?" Georgie asked and everyone looked at him expectantly.
"nothing happened in the library," Logan replied annoyed, "I just asked her how to get back to the Hufflepuff common room and she said she didn't know,"
this time Alex snorted.
"What?" Logan looked at her.
"Nicole not knowing where the other houses are, gee you're obviously dumber than you look Logan," Alex replied, "She knows most of the secret passages in and out of the castle, thanks to all her Uncles,"
"Well how was I supposed to know she was lying?" Logan replied angrily.
"Well you could have tried to talk to her properly," Georgie replied.
"What's the point in talking to some one who doesn't want to talk back?" Logan answered, his voice rising, indicating to the others that Georgie had already said something about it to him.
"If you don't try to talk to her, then of course she's not going to talk back," Georgie replied, finally stopping what she was doing, she stared straight at her brother.
Brian, Kimmie, and Charlie all took a step back, knowing too well what it was like to be caught in the middle of a fight between the two, Alex, however, stepped between the two.
"I don't really know why your getting so worked up Georgie, but I think you need to give Logan a little slack," She told the blonde girl, who began to talk, but Alex cut her off, "and as for you, Saturday afternoon I expect to see you in a normal conversation with Nicole,"
Logan began to say something.
"No buts," Alex said, "and that's final, because all my friends are going to get along, no matter how they may feel about each other,"
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
He watched as they lay sleeping each other's arms. They looked peaceful together, but he knew he was about to change that, for the right reasons as well.
With a flick of his wand a silencing spell was placed over Blaise's sleeping form, before he was grabbed and pulled out of the bed by his hair, all the while Hermione stayed sleeping.
Blaise tried to pull away, but it was no use, as with another flick of his wand his body became motionless. Soon he had the terrified form of Blaise down in the old bathroom.
The hooded figure then pulled out a single hair from Blaise's head, before chaining him to a pipe against the wall.
"Thank you for bringing her back to me Blaise," a voice came from within the cloak as the hair was pushed into a small flask.
Then as he moved the flask to his lips, his hood dropped and Blaise watched as the twisted, scarred face of Neville Longbottom was transformed into his own.
A/N: I know that's not very long but at the moment it's all I have because I've got way too much school work…hopefully I'll be able to update soon though… oh and i have to say congratualtions to Doodleflip who guessed right (i wanted to tell you but i couldn't...lol)...anyway please REVIEW!
Love Emgurl