1The door to her bed chambers closed gently behind the two woman and Alley didn't even raise her head. She was now leaning against Dumbledore's chest, listening to his heart beat. It was a comfortable position and she felt some of the terror start to drain off of her. Exhaustion was playing around the edges of it.

"Alley." Dumbledore's voice sounded especially deep with her ear pressed against his chest. She knew he wanted her to look at him so reluctantly she drew away. The right side of her face felt surprisingly cold once it was lifted. "The dream Alley."

She looked down again. "I've really never had one like it before." She whispered, he nodded. She knew that no one believed that she didn't really remember her nightmares so she wasn't worried about giving that away. "I... I am not really sure where we were but it was dark and cold though I felt like it should be warm... the trees were odd and she was practically dragging me..."

"Who was dragging you Alley?"

"Bellatrix. She was taking me somewhere, she never said where. We didn't talk the whole way there. It was so dark but she didn't light the path at all. We got to a clearing in these dense trees... maybe they were willow, they seemed to make a curtain all the way around the clearing so it had no real entrance... I think Bellatrix moved some of the branches aside for us to step through... there were things hanging.. People I think, but they didn't move or say anything. They were just suspended and then..." Alley had started crying again but not too hard.

"He was there. He told Bellatrix that she had done a good job and he was coved in blood. I think that the people hanging were dead but I couldn't really see proper it was just too dark... he took his cowl off and came up to me..." Albus could feel her trembling against him. She was only a child, just barely twelve and yet it was easy to forget her age. For a moment he felt as if he was pushing her too hard and perhaps he should just let it go but Alley continued without a prompt.

"He said that I would do well and he touched my face. He said that I was his and he would have me raised as such. I... I tried to pull away. He grabbed me for doing so and said that manners were in order. I tried to cry out to get away... I really did... honest... I couldn't..." She was sobbing hard again and in between she was gasping out the words.

"I know." He said, his heart sinking. "I know. I believe you. He can't hurt you here." As he spoke this mantra over and over he kept thinking what a fool he had been. Why else would Voldemort kept a child around. 'A child was all that she is too' he thought, anger burning through him.

For a little bit he tried to extricate himself from Alley to fetch Poppy but found that no more did he want to leave Alley alone than she want him to leave her. Finally he scooped the girl up in his arms and walked through the warm corridors with her to the hospital wing. Once there he found the door open and both women sitting around a tea tray talking quietly. Both stood when he entered with the pale girl. Pomfrey didn't waste any time and had him lay her on the bed closest to her office and quickly came with potion for a dreamless sleep. The girl took the potion and managed a weak 'thanks' before she was asleep. Poppy took the blankets and pulled them up and tucked them in around her gently. Then she turned to Albus who was watching the sleeping figure a look of great sadness around him.

Finally he looked up at the two women and then addressed Poppy. "I am going to need you to do a physical on her Poppy." His voice was grave and sad. He knew that none had ever been done on Alley and after this information he knew that one must. He saw the confusion in their faces and went on to explain what the girl had told him. Both women were completely speechless for long moments and Albus sat down in one of the chairs near Alley's bed.

"Albus... if this gets out..." Minerva began weakly.

"We'll deal with it. However, I think that more for Alley's sake than anything we should let her decide who she wants to tell. I only mentioned it to you both because I knew that she needed the exam and you know about the dreams." He looked down at the pale face that seemed so small. Voldemort had really surprised him this time, he had to admit that. He could easily remember when Tom Riddle had been that young and when he had gone to fetch him from the orphanage. How he wished he never had.

"Albus, I think that it may be best for me to do the exam while she is asleep. She's been through enough." Albus nodded his agreement to Madame Pomfrey and rose, Minerva followed him out.