The Alexander Chronicles Year 4: The Return of Darkness.
Chapter 13: Leaning about the Unforgivable
…
The next two days passed without great incident, Alex didn´t really saw much to Chris, which suited him fine. He did however ran into Erik a few times but didn´t really had much time to talk. Alex leaned that shared the same Rune class, but so far they hadn´t work together. Still everything were nice and peaceful at Hogwarts unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions. Professor Snape, who seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer, gave Neville detention, and Neville returned from it in a state of nervous collapse, having been made to disembowel a barrel full of horned toads.
"You know why Snape's in such a foul mood, don't you?" Alex head Ron say to Harry and Hermione, as he was helping Neville cleaning the frog guts he had under is fingernails, by teaching him the Scouring Charm.
"Yeah," Harry answered. "Moody."
It was common knowledge that Snape really wanted the Dark Arts job, and he had now failed to get it for the fourth year running. Snape had disliked all of their previous Dark Arts teachers, and shown it - but he seemed strangely wary of displaying overt animosity to Mad-Eye Moody. Indeed, whenever Alex saw the two of them together - at mealtimes, or when they passed in the corridors - he had the distinct impression that Snape was avoiding Moody's eye, whether magical or normal.
"I think that Snape actually is bit scarred of Professor Moody." Neville said thoughtfully. "That is why he didn´t say anything about what happened to Malfoy."
"Yeah Malfoy the amazing bouncing ferret. Hey what if Moody transfigured Snape into a frog." Ron said in an exited voice. "And bounced him all around his dungeon." Everybody including Alex began to laugh.
The Gryffindor fourth years were looking forward to Moody's first lesson so much that they arrived early on Thursday lunchtime and queued up outside his classroom before the bell had even rung. The only person missing was Hermione, who turned up just in time for the lesson.
"Been in the -"
"Library." Alex finished her sentence for her.
"C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats," Harry added.
They hurried into some chairs right in front of the teacher's desk, Alex sat next to Neville, Harry next to Ron, and Hermione sat at an empty desk between the two.
They took out their copies of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, and waited, unusually quiet. Soon they heard Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.
They returned the books to their bags. Alex could feel that his heart was beating a bit faster due to the excitement.
Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled grey hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swivelled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.
"Right then," he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered boggarts, red caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"
There was a general murmur of assent.
"Good that is good. HOWEVER you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," Moody said. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark -"
"What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.
Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron. Alex looked from Moody to Ron. Ron looked extremely apprehensive, but after a moment, Moody smiled - the first time Alex really had seemed him do that. The effect was to make his heavily scarred face look more twisted and contorted than ever, but it was nevertheless good to know that he ever did anything as friendly as smile.
Ron looked deeply relieved.
"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh." Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago… Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favour to Dumbledore… One year, and then back to my quiet retirement."
He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped his gnarled hands together.
"So - straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then." Moody said as he was mocking the Ministry. "But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."
Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been showing Parvati her completed horoscope under the desk. Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head.
"So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"
Many hands was raised, as always Alex and Hermione´s was up but this time so was Ron´s.
Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.
"My dad told me about one…is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?" Ron said.
"Ah, yes," Moody said. "Your father definitely would know that one. Gave the Ministry a bit of trouble, the last time around."
Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it.
Alex saw Ron recoil slightly in front of him – Alex knew that the reason was that Ron hated spiders. Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"
The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, and then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.
Everyone was laughing - everyone except Moody and Alex. Alex didn´t think it was remotely funny. He just thought about the advantages but also dangers about that curse, after all it was total control of another human being. Naturally, it could be used to prevent someone from killing themselves or others, but risk of misuse was far greater, like force someone to kill another. Still there was also a hint of fascination.
"Think it's funny, do you?" Moody growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"
The laughter died away almost instantly.
"Total control," Moody said quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, or throw itself down one of your throats…"
Ron gave an involuntary shudder.
"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse," Moody said, and Alex knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful, and had had a working body. "The Ministry had a hard time, trying to sort who had been cursed or who was lying."
Moody paused for a dramatic effect.
"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better, avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped.
Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.
"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?"
Hermione's hand flew into the air again, and so, to Alex´s slight surprise, did Neville's. The only class in which Neville usually volunteered information was Herbology, which was easily his best subject. Neville looked surprised at his own daring.
"Yes?"-said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville.
"There's one - the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small but distinct voice. Alex´s eyes grew dark. He knew that curse, Neville´s parents had been tortured by it. Alex himself had put under it during the incident with the chamber, he had he had almost used it himself two times, and sometimes he still had urge.
Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes.
"Your name's Longbottom?" he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again.
Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.
"The Cruciatus Curse," Moody said. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "Engorgio!"
The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretence, Ron pushed his chair backward, as far away from Moody's desk as possible. Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "Crucio!"
At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Alex was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming. After all, he had screamed his lungs out when he had been tortured by the curse.
Under his desk, Alex began clenching his hands into fists as he remembered what it was like to be under the curse. Pain he had never felt before, the worst pain one could only imagine. However again, Alex watched with some fascination as he watched how much power Moody had over the spider. The same power he had with Imperius Curse. He could only imagine what it would be like to had that power.
Moody still did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently - "Stop it!" said a voice shrilly.
Alex blinked, knowing he heard Hermione's voice. He looked at her. She was looking, not at the spider, but at Neville. Alex, following her gaze, and saw that Neville's hands were clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white, his eyes wide and horrified. Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.
"Reducio," Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.
"Pain," Moody said softly, after a short pause. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. It cause pain you can´t imagine. It one was very popular once too - Right… anyone know any others?"
Alex looked around. From the looks on everyone's faces, he guessed they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. Alex turned to look at Moody and raised his hand, since the last curse was one he wanted to see.
"Yes?" Moody said, looking at him.
"Yes Sir. The killing curse - The Avada Kedavra," Alex said in a loud and clear voice.
Several people looked uneasily around at him, especially Ron, and a lot of them backed away from Alex.
Moody also looked at Alex, it was hard to tell whatever it the looked was impressed, questionably or something third. "Ah," he finally said, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra… the Killing Curse."
He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moody's fingers, but he trapped it, and placed it upon the desktop. It started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface.
Moody raised his wand, and Alex felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.
"Avada Kedavra!" Moody roared.
There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air - instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifled cries; Ron had thrown himself backward and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded toward him. Alex stared with slight fascination, so that how that spell looked. Alex wasn´t the only one that was starring. Harry was staring as well.
"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a bit a magic behind it," Moody began speaking. "You could all get your wands out and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt i'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it.
"Now, if there's no counter curse, why am I showing you? Because you've to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared, and the whole class jumped again.
"Now...those three curses - Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and the Cruciatus - are all known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being in enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get our your quills...copy this down..."
They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang - but when Moody had dismissed them and they had left the classroom, a torrent of talk burst forth. Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices - "Did you see it twitch?" "- and when he killed it - just like that?"
Alex left the class with a quiet Neville by his side. "Are you all right Nev?"
Neville looked at Alex, he was silent for a few seconds. "It was just seeing that curse; it was just when I looked at the spider all I saw-"
"Neville?" Hermione said, making him stop talking both he and Alex turned to the Hermione, Ron, and Harry.
"Oh hello," Neville said, his voice much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm - I'm starving, aren't you?"
"Neville, are you all right?" said Hermione.
"Oh yes, I'm fine," Neville gabbled in the same unnaturally high voice. "Very interesting dinner - I mean lesson - what's for eating?"
Alex and Hermione shared worried glances.
"Neville, what -?" Harry began but an odd clunking noise sounded behind them cut him off. They turned to see Professor Moody limping toward them. All five of them fell silent, watching him apprehensively, but when he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard.
"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on… we can have a cup of tea..."
Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody.
Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry.
"You all right, are you, Potter?"
"Yes," said Harry, almost defiantly.
Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry. Then he said, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, but you've got to know. No point pretending… well… come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."
Neville looked pleadingly at Harry, Ron, Alex, and Hermione, but they didn't say anything. Alex however gave him a reassuring smile, and Neville allowed himself to be steered away, Moody's gnarled hands on his shoulder.
"What was that about?" said Ron, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.
"I don't know," said Hermione, looking pensive, Alex didn´t answer not wanting to tell of Neville´s private life.
"Some lesson, though, eh?" said Ron to Harry as they set off for the Great Hall. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right -"
But Ron fell suddenly silent at the look on Harry's face and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall, when he said he supposed they had better make a start on Professor Trelawney's predictions tonight, since they would take hours.
Alex slowly ate his dinner and did not join in with Harry and Ron's conversation during dinner, nor did Hermione who ate furiously fast and then left for the library again. Alex had begun thinking about something Blaise had told him when they had been in the Ministry. What other secretes was there in the chamber of secrets? It was Moody´s lesson that had reminded him of it after all it was in the chamber he had been tortured. So since he had some free time to the next lesson, he decided to check it out.
So once Alex was finished, he left the Great Hall and slowly climbed the stairs, feeling excited about what he might find down there. He walked up to the second floor and then stopped at Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He turned his head to see the door and listened it seemed like it was still abandoned. Alex walked to the door and opened it.
"Um what do you want in there?" asked a voice.
Alex sprung around and saw that the owner of the voice was Erik Jensen, the new transfer Ravenclaw student. He was standing some meters away from Alex looking at him curiously. "Oh hallo Erik." Alex greeted.
"Hey Alexander," Erik greeted back, adjusting the strap on his bag. "What are you doing?"
"Uh I needed the restroom." Alex replied lamely.
"So you wanted to use the girl´s restroom?" Erik said looking at the door behind Alex.
Alex looked back at the bathroom door then back at Erik. "Uh that is the girls´ restroom –my mistake. I am such an idiot sometimes."
"If you say so?" Erik said clearly not believing Alex´s story, not that he blamed him. After all, it was a pitiful lie. "The prefects told me that there wasn´t a boy restroom it this area."
"Okay you got me," Alex said. "Look I was just-."
Erik looked embarrassed, "oh sorry I didn´t know you should meet a girl." He said quickly before beginning to walk away while muttering something in a language that Alex didn´t recognized. However it sounded like "Jeg er sådan en idiot, hvordan kunne jeg ikke se det."(I am such an idiot, how couldn't I see that.)
"Wait I am not meting a girl, first off don´t have girlfriend. Second if I did this wouldn't be the place I wound take her. It just a good place to be alone and maybe try some spells."
"Uh," Erik said still looking a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that. Sometimes I misinterpreting things,"
"It is okay." Alex said with a small smile. "By the way, what do you think of Hogwarts? I knew you haven´t been here that long but still."
"It fine I guess I mean my housemates in Ravenclaw is great especially Terry Boot, Mellissa Robinson and Luna Lovegood." Alex nodded knowing them all. "The teachers seems fine as well. Still I it is a bit weird that everybody have known each other for three years."
"I can imagine." Alex said. "I started at Hogwarts in my second year."
"Why?"
"I got sick." Alex explained. "It was Advance Srinx flu. I was sick for a half year, and then I was home schooled. You are right though. It was weird coming to a school where everyone already knew each other."
Erik smiled, "yeah and it doesn´t really help that I miss my old school."
"Yeah where is that located I mean where you from?" Alex asked as he and Erik began walking.
"I am from–Denmark, and I went to Sagnwood. It was nice there, a good school, a lot smaller then Hogwarts."
"You didn´t went to Durmstrang?" Alex asked. He knew that Durmstrang served wizard and witches from northern Europe.
"No, my father didn´t like the headmaster. And since there was a lot other from Scandinavia that felt the same then Denmark, Norway and Sweden decided to start a new school. We are not that many; There was only five in my year."
"So why did you decided to come here?"
Erik looked away. "It wasn´t my choice. I came home during the summer and dad told me that he had gotten a job here, and my mum had gotten one here too. So I had to move, I wasn´t happy about that at first. I mean I had gotten friends at Sagnwood. But Hogwarts is great."
"Well I get that it must be hard to change school, but I am sure you get friends here. We could study together if you want."
Erik smiled, "Yeah, I like that."
"So what electives do you have? I seen you at Runes and Healing but what else"
"Well there are Arithmancy."
"Oh okay well we can work together in Healing, and you can join my group in Runes."
"Thanks, but I won´t cause trouble for you."
"Don´t worry, you won´t - So I know that your father is the new Danish ambassador. But, what about you mother?"
"She works as a Physicist." Erik said, but continued as he saw Alex´s puzzled expression. "My mother is a muggle. A physicist is a person that works with science. She also works with genetics as a minor degree."
"Cool."
"Yeah she actually got a job a company that try combining magic and muggle technology."
"Really she works at Mage-tech? My grandfather owns that company."
"Wow your grandfather is Fredric Ambrosius?"
Alex nodded "yup, but how did you get in at Hogwarts I mean I don´t recall that there have been that many exchange students being accepted."
Erik shrugged, "It is because my dad is an ambassador. He had a meeting with headmaster Dumbledore."
"Uh we just call him professor Dumbledore or sir – we only call him headmaster if it gets really formal."
"Uh okay thanks I remember that. He seems nice though, actually he is how I always pictured Gandalf."
"Wait who?"
"Gandalf – Lord of the Rings a muggle fantasy book."
"Hmm don´t really knew it." Alex said slowly.
"Well there isn´t that many wizards that read muggle fiction, but should try it, they are really good. We did a lot at Sagnwood."
Alex smiled, "sure."
"You know Hogwarts is actually really different from my old school." Erik said, as he and Alex two boys hit the fourth floor, and began walking up the next staircase.
"Really how so?"
"Well for one thing we didn´t have outdated uniforms." Erik said lifting his tie.
"You luckily ducks." Alex said, "However you will get used to wearing it."
"True, however also you classes is different."
"You mean the subjects?"
"Well no not really – well yes in some ways." Erik said thoughtfully, "of course I had different subjects like we had Element Magic and magical cultures, and also some muggle subjects like math."
"Well we don´t have math, but some of the things you mentioned is in the other classes." Alex said, "but that wasn´t what you meant."
"No, the most different thing it how the classes are taught. Just take the potions lessons. In my school, we learnt more about potion theory like how the ingredients reacts together besides the actual potion making. We still made them of course, but not as much as you guys do."
"Interesting, but I am curious what do you think of professor Snape?"
"Well I have no doubt that he is a potion genius." Erik started, looking indifferent. "But as a teacher he isn´t that good. I mean I have never heard him give any help, he just orders a potion and goes around looking at people. And he insults almost everyone's potions. He sneers when he does compliment, but I don't even know if it really is a compliment, like half insult, half compliment." Alex nodded and laughed, knowing exactly what Erik meant.
"Yeah tell me about that, I get that sneer a lot."
"Plus he is kind of scary." Erik said.
"Scary?" spoke a voice and two boys appeared next to Alex and Erik, which happened to be Harry and Ron. "Talking about Professor Moody?" Ron asked.
"No," Alex answered coldly. "Snape."
"Oh," Ron said. "Yeah, Snape, really scary. Who are you, again?" he said, pointing at Erik. Alex frowned a bit not having missed the mocking tone in Ron´s voice when he asked about Erik.
"Erik Jensen," Erik said in polite voice, "and you are?"
"Oh I am Harry Potter," Harry answered shacking Erik´s hand.
"Uh a pleasure." Erik said, there was a small sincere smile. Both Harry and Ron was looking at Erik waiting for him to realize that it was the Harry Potter he was talking with.
"You are kidding about not knowing him right?" Ron said after when Erik hadn´t shown a reaction.
"Huh?" Erik asked and looked at Harry then the realisation showed on his face. "You are the famous guy right? The one that defeated uh Voldemort.
"Yes I am."
Erik nodded "Oh okay – sorry about asking but your story isn´t that detailed in Denmark." He said before turning at Ron, "and you are?"
"Ron Weasley." Ron said shortly.
"Harry´s little sidekick."
"His friend yeah." Ron said glaring at Alex, while shacking Erik´s hand.
"It was nice to meet you," Erik said, nearing a corridor. "But this is my stop."
"Nice to meet you too," Harry said sincerely, Ron just nodded a little bit.
"See you in class Erik." Alex spoke up; Erik smiled before leaving towards the Ravenclaw Tower.
"What is up with that guy?" Ron said as he, Harry and Alex were waking to the Gryffindor tower. "I mean he didn´t even knew who Harry was."
"It was nice, "Harry said, "he seemed like a nice person."
"And he knew who Harry was Weasley." Alex said not looking at Ron, "he just didn´t act like a crazy fan boy. It only in those countries that Voldemort was a big deal in that goes that much up in Harry."
Ron huffed "Whatever Bonteri or was it Black."
Alex looked around to see if the cost was clear, "it is Black, so what about it guess I am not the only Gryffindor who have been friends with Slytherins."
At this Ron didn´t reply, and since Alex didn´t want to start a fight, he was happy to go back to not talking with Ron. "Don´t you think Moody will get in trouble with the ministry for showing us those curses." Harry asked as the boys neared The Fat Lady.
"Properly." Ron said. "But Dumbledore's always done things his way, hasn't he, and Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later - look at his dustbins. "Balderdash."
The Fat Lady swung forward to reveal the entrance hole, and they climbed into the Gryffindor common room, which was crowded and noisy.
"Shall we get our Divination stuff, then?" Harry said.
"I s'pose," Ron groaned.
"What about you Alex?" Harry asked.
"Nah no thanks. I have already done mine along with Blaise and Neville. "Alex said.
"Great, don´t suppose you let us borrow your work?" Harry asked in a hopeful voice.
"That would be creating and it would be discovered." Alex said, but then whispered something to Harry. "However just make some stuff up that is what I did."
Harry thanked Alex and went up followed to the dormitory with Ron so they could fetch their books and charts. Alex decided to follow them and it as was a good thing he did that because there on his bed was Neville, he still looked a bit shaken up and was staring at a book that he was holding.
"Hey Nev how are you holding up?" Alex said, making Neville look up rather startled.
"Oh yes," Neville said, "I'm fine, thanks. I'm just reading this book Professor Moody lent me."
Neville held up the book: Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean.
"Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology," Neville said. There was a faint note of pride in his voice that Alex had rarely heard there before. "He thought I'd like this."
It was then Alex decided that he liked Moody; Telling Neville what Professor Sprout had said, had been a very tactful way of cheering Neville up, for Neville very rarely heard that he was good at anything. Once Harry and Ron had gotten their Divination stuff, Alex sat beside Neville. "It must have been hard for you."
"When I saw the spider I saw them." Neville spoke up. "I can´t imagine how painful it must had been for them."
"Yeah but they were heroes Nev, You have to remember that they never gave in."
"Yeah that is what Moody said too. And I will be fine, I just need some time." Neville said, "but what about you? I mean you told me once what happened in the chamber."
Alex looked away, "well I- it reminded me of that day, and of the pain."
"And what is it like?"
Alex looked at Neville; he could see that he really wanted to know how his parents felt. "I am not sure you should know."
"I think I should." Neville said hardly. "I am not weak as you think, and deserve to know. Heck I need to know, rather now than when the curse is casted."
Alex sighed, "Right first of; I don´t think you as weak. Seconded it can´t be described. It is pain like you never have felt it, and it never stops as long as you is under the curse. I don´t know how I got through it."
Neville nodded but looked a bit pale, "thanks for being honest with me"
"Nev I am truly sorry for what happened to your parents."
"Thanks Alex, I am just glad that the ones responsible are rotting in Azkaban."
Alex continued to talk with Neville, when they more people came in to the dormitory to sleep they walked to the common room where Harry and Ron were finishing their predations. Neville laughed when he heard one of them, and whispered to Alex. "Ours were better, don´t you think?"
Alex and Neville watched Harry and Ron doing their homework and compared their predictions with their own, as more and more went to bed, after a while even Neville bid Alex goodnight. Fred and George had just left the common room, bed when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked in and towards the boys. Crookshanks arched its back, purring.
"Hello," she said, "I've just finished!"
"So have I!" Ron said, triumphantly, throwing down his quill.
Hermione sat down; laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair and pulled Ron's predictions toward her. "Not going to have a good month, are you?" she said sardonically as Crookshanks curled up in her lap.
"Ah well, at least I'm forewarned," Ron yawned.
"You seem to be drowning twice," said Hermione.
"Oh am I?" Ron said, peering down at his predictions. "I'd have to change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging Hippogriff."
"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?" said Hermione.
"How dare you!" Ron said, in mock outrage. "We've been working like house-elves here!"
Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"It's just an expression, Hermione," Alex said in a lazy voice, staring at out the window, not even looking at her. He then looked up to see Hermione looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation. "What's in the box?" he asked, pointing at it.
"Funny you should ask," Hermione said, with a nasty look at Ron. She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colours, but all bearing the same letters: S.P.E.W.
"Spew?" said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. "What's this about?"
"Not spew," said Hermione impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
"Never heard of it," said Ron as Alex grabbed a badge and examined it, while frowning.
"Well, of course you haven't," said Hermione briskly, "I've only just started it."
"Yeah?" Ron said in mild surprise. "How many members have you got?"
"Well - if you guys join - four," said Hermione.
"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew,' do you?" said Ron.
"S-P-E-W!" Hermione said hotly. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status - but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto."
Hermione brandished a sheaf of parchment at them.
"I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."
"Hermione - open your ears," Ron said loudly. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"
"Our short-term aims," said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about nonwand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."
"And how do we do all this?" Harry asked, while Alex´s frown deepened.
"We start by recruiting members," Hermione said happily. "I thought two Sickles to join - that buys a badge - and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron - I've got you a collecting tin upstairs - and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting."
"Hermione which books did you read?" Alex asked carefully.
"Huh?"
"You said you researched the house elf history. Which books did you read?"
"Almost them all. Why did you ask?"
"And you still want to free them?"
"Of course I do – won´t you or are you to interested in keeping your slaves?" Hermione snapped.
"I hardly would call them slaves. I assume you don´t know why house elves severs wizards?"
"Oh please they only do this because they had been brainwashed."
"Hermione I keep telling you they like it." Ron said, but Alex shocked his heard.
"No, there is more. House elves depends on human magic in order to survive."
"Propaganda." Hermione countered.
"No it isn´t – things works different here than in the muggle world." Alex said, "Look the relationship between a master and a house elf is a symbiosis. When a house elf bonds with its master to attaches to a faction of the master´s magic, granted it so little and regenerates so fast that you wouldn't notice it even if you had a hundred house elves. In return a house elf takes care of its master´s home." Alex noticed that both Harry and Ron had listen closely, but Hermione still seemed sceptical.
"So are you saying that humans have a right to treat house elves like Crouch treated Winky?"
"No, and I do agree on that house elves should have rights. My family takes an honour in most of the things you want, as does Daphne´s family, pretty much everything expect the use of wands and pay, since it can negate the symbioses. Why do you think Winky was so devastated when she got clothes? She was sentenced to death."
"Then what about Dobby." Hermione said. "He wanted to be free, are you saying that he wanted to die?"
Alex shrugged. "Dobby is a special case, but honestly I think that the Malfoy family treated him so badly that he didn´t care, and now he just want to spend the remainder of his life happy. Without magic a house elf can only hope to live up to five years max."
Hermione opened and closed her mouth, her brain seamed like to work in overtime to counter Alex´s augments. "Please don´t take my word for it Mione. I can get you some books so you can cheek for yourselves, and you can ask the house elves."
Hermione nodded, but before she could say anything, there was a tapping on the window.
Alex looked across the now empty common room and saw, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.
"Hedwig!" Harry shouted, and he launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window.
Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on the table on top of Harry's predictions.
"About time!" Harry said, hurrying after her.
"She's got an answer!" Ron said excitedly, pointing at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg.
Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly.
"What does the letter say?" Hermione asked breathlessly.
The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud:
Harry -
I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumours that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore - they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron, Hermione and Alex. Keep your eyes open, Harry.
Sirius.
Harry looked up at the others, who stared back at him.
"He's flying north?" Hermione whispered. "He's coming back?"
"Dumbledore's reading what signs?" said Ron, looking perplexed. "Harry - what's up?"
For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap.
"I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said furiously.
"Harry just stop." Alex said in an irritated voice. It annoyed him that when he was talking with Sirius there was question about Harry – here in a letter to Harry, there was just an hallo that he had to share with Hermione and Weasley.
"It's made him think he's got to come back!" said Harry, now slamming his fist on the table so that Hedwig landed on Alex´s shoulder, hooting indignantly. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you," Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her beak expectantly, "you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food."
Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.
"Harry," Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice.
"I'm going to bed," said Harry shortly. "See you in the morning." And then he left.
"I don't understand," Ron said after Harry was gone. He then turned to Hermione. "What did he mean?"
"He is mad at himself." Alex explained in a still irritated voice. "He is afraid that Sirius, will be caught because of him."
"How do you know?" Ron asked, "are you suddenly a mind reader?"
"No;" Alex said mockingly. "I am Sirius´s son and if he was captured because he was coming to me I would blame myself."
Ron didn´t say anything except a goodnight to Hermione before he followed Harry.
"You know you father loves you right?" Hermione said after Ron had left.
"What does this have to do with anything?"
"Well Sirius is coming for Harry, and hardly mentions you. Doesn´t that make you jealous?"
"Tsk as if." To be true didn't really knew what he was feeling at the moment. His feelings towards his father were still jumbled and mixed. He wasn't sure if he would care if Sirius was caught. After all Alex had been perfectly fine without him before and he would be fine without him. Heck, it wouldn't be that much of a difference after all Sirius hadn´t really ever truly been there. He would be fine on his own, with his grandfather; when he was around, at least he cared about him. And that was the thing, Alex doubted that Sirius cared about him, or that he just spent time with Alex because he felt obligated to.
….
Chapter end
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