In the following weeks, the number of duels had increased, but the number of dark wizards in their cells or Azkaban remained short. They always had an ally in high places, leaving the Wizengamot with a ticket instead of a jail sentence. The only good that happened lately was Matteo Romero growing a pair and asking his crush on a date, after much insistence on Alice's part.
She was sitting in Moody's office, after another trial and it had been just another sham, 100 galleons from the Rosier vaults were nothing. Evan probably spent more than that on his visit to the brothel.
"I caught him, Moody! I was the one who stupefied him that night in Birmingham. It was my own wand. And he just walks free!" Alice asked. Her leg was trembling. It couldn't just be like that. It could not. They couldn't just get free to hurt more innocent people because they had money and status.
"Give me your cup, Blishwick," Alastor said as he summoned something from his robes and Alice pushed the empty cup of tea across the desk. He poured something from his flask before handing it back. "Now sip, a deep sip, just feel the burn."
Alice did just that, finishing her cup of tea, now spiked with firewhiskey. It burned, but she needed the feeling on the back of her throat. It centred her back in that office, in how unfair their fair world was. "What can I do, Moody? What can I do that will really make a difference?"
Moody raised his wand at the door, locking it and casting a silencing charm. "Have you heard about the Order of the Phoenix, Alice?"
"It's a secret organisation, to fight You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters," Alice said. She had heard about it before, how they took a more active place in battling the Followers of the Dark Lord. "I didn't know you were part of it."
"That's what makes it a secret organisation... the identity of their members is kept a secret," Moody smirked. "I believe you would be an excellent addition to the Order."
"Oh… I'm honoured, Moody, really. I know I'm my own person, but… I couldn't stand by and watch my husband getting more and more worried. He would stand by my decision, but I couldn't put him through that." She explained, putting her cup down.
"Bring him along. He can be a little too emotional, react a little too fast before thinking, but I was not expecting something different from a Gryffindor like him." Moody said.
"I will talk with him. I don't guess you have a pamphlet, do you?" She teased.
"No, Alice, no pamphlets. Would you like a list of members to be printed in that pamphlet as well? Laminated? With details and dates of meetings?" He asked, rolling his eyes.
Maybe the whiskey was stronger than she had thought because Alice found herself laughing. "Well, that would ruin the secret, wouldn't it? And then who would fight evil?"
"Alice, we're not going to let them win," Moody said, as he lifted the silencing charm around the room.
"Is that a promise?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. Everything was so uncertain, she needed that assurance.
"Of course. We might suffer more losses on the way, but in the end, Light will find a way." Moody said, taking one more sip of his flask and then putting it in his drawer.
"I think I've lost enough for a lifetime." Alice declared as she left the room.
Alice sat at her desk, finishing all the paperwork she had left behind to attend Rosier's trial. She was feeling a little calmer but the Slytherin still couldn't believe it.
The new group of trainees was whispering in the corner, looking at her from time to time. Alice groaned. "Do I have something in my face or is there something I can help you all with?"
"We were supposed to start patrol in Hogsmeade, five minutes ago." Silvia Pence said, pulling her braids away from her face.
"Then what are you waiting for? The floos's are that way!" She said pointing to the fireplaces. When they stayed standing, looking at her, Alice sighed. "I'm supposed to go with you, right? I'll just have one more cup of coffee."
The patrol was easy, and it helped take her mind out of the court procedures that she had witnessed. She was walking to Diagon Alley, hoping to get something sweet or something greasy or Merlin be willing, something that is both sweet and greasy when she stopped by Tangle and Noils window.
"From the fading light, I fly…" Alice murmured, touching her ponytail. And she could hear her husband's voice in her head. 'Rise like a phoenix, my love.'
Madam Walcott almost had a heart attack when Alice told her to just cut it all. But when Alice left the shop, she felt lighter, free, like a phoenix. She had climbed out of the ashes, and she was ready to fight, fight for herself, for her family, for everything that she lost. She would win this war, she would change the world.
There was this flame inside of her, seeking something rather than vengeance, something rather than retribution. She sought fulfilment; she sought peace.
Alice hated weeks like this when her and Frank's schedule were so different. He was doing mostly night shifts, and she left in the mornings. Sometimes the first time they saw each other was in the break room in the office before we went home, and she started her shift.
Alice could not wait to see his reaction. Would he like it? Would he hate it? Not that his opinion would change the way she was enjoying her new hairstyle, if she wasn't 25, she would jump all and down the street, like a child on her way to Honeydukes.
Her mother-in-law was in the living room, going through the prophet, when Alice appeared from the fireplace, a paper bag filled with warm doughnuts in her hands. "Oh, you're finally home! Where have you been? No one at the Ministry knew where you were! We thought something had happened to you!"
Alice sighed, Augusta Longbottom could be so controlling, she could only hope that if one day she had a daughter or a son-in-law of her own, she would be much cooler. "I'm here, I took a detour through Diagon Alley after leaving the office."
"Oh, Rowena, what happened to your hair?" The newspaper was ignored as Gussie got to her feet, touching the now ear-length strands of hair.
"I cut it…" Alice confessed.
"But… why? You had such pretty hair… was it damaged in the attack that happened today?" The older woman asked.
"In the attack? What attack?" Alice asked. "Why are you home, Gussie? Frank? Is Frank alright? Is he in St Mungos? How bad is it?"
"Is not in St Mungos… he's resting upsta-"
Alice was rushing up the stairs faster than her mother-in-law could tell her to wait. She found her husband in bed, head heavily bandaged. His eyes were closed, but the hand sprawled over his chest was moving, fingers rising and lowering at a steady rhythm. "I'm awake, mother. I know I can't fall asleep. Is Lissie home?"
"Yes, Lissie is home… Lissie is also a little annoyed that no one had the smart idea of sending her a Patronus." She explained, discarding her boots, and climbing on the bed beside him.
"Sorry," he kissed her shoulder, and then opened his green eyes "Something is different."
"It was time for a change… the long hair is no more." She explained, kissing his forehead. "What happened? An explosion?"
"No… No, a group of baby death eaters tried to overturn the Ministry, I think. Just as they walked into the atrium, in their silly black robes and some ugly fake masks, wands raised. Demanding to speak with Minister Minchum." He seemed very coherent, but he seemed to be speaking very slowly.
"And how did you get hurt, love?" She asked, stroking his cheek very gently. "Many casualties?"
"None. I think I was the person in the worst state. I was just so shocked." He confessed burying his head on her neck. "Oh, this way it's easier to kiss here," Frank murmured, placing his lips on her pulse point.
"Why were you shocked?" Alice asked, stroking his hair, fingers travelling between the soft curls.
"Barty… I never expected him to fall for the propaganda and become one of You Know Who followers."
"What? That's absurd! Barty would never. He's a sweet boy, he wouldn't. His father…" Alice's mouth was still open, trying to rationalise what she had heard. Barty Crouch Jr was not even of age.
"Probation… 6 underage wizards and witches, they got probation. They can't use their wands until they get back to Hogwarts. Uncle is embarrassed. I thought he was going to faint or hex his son right there in the middle of the atrium." Frank took a deep breath. "I like this perfume of yours."
Alice smiled. "I love it… I know I don't wear it often because Madame Alquimia closed down and I only have half a vial left."
"It was one of the first gifts you bought me."
"It seems a lifetime ago… The war already existed, but it seemed so far away. And now we're part of it. You got hurt, I got all crazy protective, I found out that my baby cousin decided the right path for him was the wrong one… What's wrong with the world, Lissie? Was I a poor cousin?" And he seemed so lost. Her handsome, strong, impulsive husband.
"You were warned, dearest. I don't want to ever hear you say things like that!" Alice said, biting gently on his shoulder. "You are an amazing cousin, son, friend, husband. Do you hear me?"
He nodded. "Tell me something, to keep me awake… Kenna said I couldn't fall asleep, or I needed to go to St Mungo's."
"Evan Rosier trial was a sham, I screamed with the recruits because I forgot I was supposed to supervise their patrol." She said. "And Moody recruited us for the Order of the Phoenix!"
"Oi, what?" Frank asked, sitting up faster than she thought he could. "Moody is part of the Order of the Phoenix?" Alice nodded, sitting up as well. "And… what did you say?"
"That I needed to talk with my husband-"
"Love, Lissie. I'm not your keeper. You can do whatever you want." Frank kissed her forehead, his right hand cradling her cheek. She could feel the slight tremble of his fingertips, but his eyes, his green eyes showed in no uncertain terms that he trusted her.
"I know, I know." Alice leaned into his touch and placed her hand around his wrist. "But I don't want to do it alone. We can't be partners in the Auror Office, but there's not a person in the world that I would trust more to have my back, to fight beside me."
Frank smiled. "Do you really trust me that much?" He asked, his nose rubbing against hers with each word.
"I do. And I can't imagine myself joining something like the Order of the Phoenix without you by my side." Alice whispered, stroking his hair with a smile.
"So we will fight the darkness, we will win this war." He kissed her, pulling her to his lap.
"Careful, careful… I don't want you to get even more hurt." Alice steadied herself on her knees, trying to not put much pressure on his body.
"You could never hurt me." He whispered, raising one hand to play with her short new hair.
"Maybe, but I don't want to explain to Kenna that the reason you need a healer's check-up is because you saw stars while coming." Alice winked, kissing his jaw before pulling away, and sitting on the end of the bed. She raised her wand and filled a glass with water before levitating on his directions. "Bottoms up, hubby."
Frank rolled his eyes but sat more comfortably against the headboard. He drank the glass of water, just to please his wife. "Once the 12 hours are over and I can sleep and do other things with you-" Alice chuckled, but the Gryffindor stayed serious looking at her. "I'm not playing, Lissie."
