Chapter 15:

Aftermath Final

I woke up feeling better than I had in weeks. My emotions were calm and the exhaustion that had been dragging me down was, if not gone, than at least greatly diminished. In short I was in the best mood possible, so when I noticed that Pansy and Hermione were sleeping on the couch to my left, my only response was to shrug. It probably wasn't as big a deal as I had feared it to be earlier.

I cast the tempus charm, 11:27. Well how about that, I must have slept nearly twelve hours. No wonder I felt so good. I felt my stomach grumble as it announced its hunger. I liked my lips, for some reason I was really craving bacon and eggs. But I didn't want to just leave Hermione and Pansy here. Do house-elves deliver? I mean Professors must get food in their rooms sometimes right?

I didn't think the elves could hear us while we were in the Room, so I left my room, crossed circle room and slowly opened the door. I whispered. "Can I get some sunny side up eggs and bacon? Oh and some sausage for three please?" I felt silly, whispering out a mostly closed door, especially when nothing happened. I closed the door and nearly tripped over a large tray filled with eggs, sausage and bacon. "Thanks!"

I picked it up and made my way back to my room. I set the tray on the desk and grabbed a plate and piled food on it. I was half way through my plate when Pansy and Hermione started stirring.

"There's food on the desk. If you want some." I said, before going back to my food. Mhmm, yoke-y goodness.

They made no move towards the food. "You two not hungry?" They were giving me odd looks. "It's good I promise." They exchanged looks before jumping on me, I barely got my plate to the side table.

"You're ok!" Hermione said. "You had us so worried!" She smacked my shoulder. I smiled, about to reassure her, when she smacked me again. "And then you don't even bother to come out of your room." Hit. "What's wrong with you? Worrying us like that!" Hit, it was really starting to hurt.

"Ow, stop with the hitting." I said. "I'm delicate." Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because she started sobbing. I gave Pansy a helpless look, she just arched her brow and smirked at me. "I'm ok. I promise, I'm ok." I reassured her. After a long while she calmed.

"So you're better now?" Pansy asked, despite her calm tone I could tell she was honestly relieved when I nodded.

"Yeah, I had to show my subconscious whose boss." I said.

"So you did make it to your mindscape as well?" Hermione asked.

I nodded. "So you made it to?" Hermione nodded. I looked at Pansy and she nodded as well. "So what did it look like?"

Hermione blinked. "Like my room, but more books." I was guessing a lot more books.

I laughed. "Sounds about right. What about you, Pansy?"

"Like the Dueling room back home." Pansy said. Just one room? I had at least two full rooms a small backyard and a huge forest. The forest could be put down to my overdeveloped hind-brain, curtsy of the hexan-wolf necklace, and the rest was probably because I had more memories. That wasn't even getting into what ever having a sliver of Voldemort's soul in me had done.

Pansy gave me an expectant look. When I just looked at her blankly she groaned and put her head in her hands.

"I think Pansy wants to know what your mindscape looked like." Hermione said, fighting a smile.

I smirked at her, schooling my expression before Pansy looked up. Judging by glare I didn't fool her. "It, well it looked like my house and a forest that was attacking my house." I gave them an overview of my fight with the wolf. Leaving out the gorier details.

Pansy was frowning. "After all the trouble it caused you didn't kill it?"

"Killing it wouldn't have been right, it was part of me. I mean if it had been a piece of the hexan-wolf I would have killed it but… it wasn't. It was me." I said.

"It was a wolf!" Pansy argued.

"It's looked like a wolf." I said. "It's an important distinction. If it was just a wolf I wouldn't have been able to tame it." Pansy looked unconvinced. I sighed. "Look if I have to I can go in and deal with it, until then I honestly think the wolf's ok."

"Fine." Pansy reluctantly agreed.

I turned to Hermione to see her deep in thought. "You ok Hermione?"

She nodded. "Fine. Just thinking."

"About what?" Pansy asked.

"About the wolf in Alex's head." Hermione got a mad science-y gleam in her eyes. "I don't think I've read about anything like it. Except maybe the Tier- Wechslers, but they all say their one with their wolf. This will require a lot of research!" Oh dear.

"Hermione? Could you maybe try not to look like you want to strap me to a table and cut me open to see how I work?" Her expression was really creepy. Hermione blushed and Pansy started laughing.

888

After that the conversation turned to less emotionally charged subjects. We spent a few hours just talking. It was nice, and more importantly it set my friends at ease. The last few weeks were hard for me but it was just as hard for them. They had to keep me from doing anything…rash and keep up with classes without letting on that something was wrong to the rest of the school.

"Why are you going to see Professor Dumbledore again?" Hermione asked as I got changed. I wanted to look nice, if I had my way I wouldn't just be seeing Dumbledore I'd be seeing my family as well.

"Because he said," well Aunt Petunia said, he said. "That I could go see them after what happened. When they left I was, well you know what I was like." In the mirror I saw Hermione flinch slightly. I knew I was bad, but was I really that bad? "And well, I want to see if they know why we were attacked."

"Why would they know?" Pansy asked, from her place on my bed.

"Well they might not, but I think Professor Dumbledore does, and he might not tell me but he'll have to tell my Aunt and Uncle." Hopefully. "And even if he doesn't know, or won't tell us. I would like to see my family." I had to check on Dudley at least, he seemed fine when I last saw him but I hadn't been in the best headspace to judge. I made some final adjustments to my outfit. "How do I look?"

"Nice." "Well dressed." They responded. I wasn't wearing anything fancy just some normal, muggle, cloths, but I was a little nervous. The last time my family saw me I had just killed two people and I was under the influence of a rage spirit and I was resorting to, according to Pansy, painfully fake smiles to pretend I was fine.

"Thanks." I made my hair a little shorter, so it hung just below my shoulder blades. Hermione gasped, and Pansy looked at me a little wide eyed in the mirror. "What's wrong?"

"Did you just wandlessly shorten your hair?" Hermione asked.

I shook my head. "No, or well, yes but no. I just willed it shorter, I've always been able to do that. Didn't I tell you two about it?" I stopped and thought for a moment. It had to have come up before, but despite how I racked my memory I couldn't find any incident when I brought up my metamorph abilities. I blushed, it's not like I set out to keep it from them. It just never came up. "Huh sorry girls, I guess it never came up."

Pansy's eye twitched. "It never came up?"

"You're a metamorphmagus?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe? I mean from what I've heard metamorphs can change everything. I can only change my hair and my skin color." I said. I made my hair resemble a rainbow and turned my skin pitch black. For added effect I made the rainbow cycle its colors, so it looked like my hair was moving. "Cool huh?" They made no move to respond. "Well I have to get going, any later and I'll have to wait until after dinner." With that I returned to normal and walked out, closing the door behind me. Hopefully they'd have gotten over the shock by the time I got back.

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Hermione

Alex closed the door behind her as she left. I opened my mouth to say something but the only thing that came to mind was 'Rainbow Brite the Dark elf'.

"Well she's feeling much better." Pansy said.

I nodded. "She's making jokes and…

"…not jumping at every sound." Pansy finished. It had gotten pretty bad, Alex had spent more time in the air than on the ground. I was exaggerating, but not as much as I would have liked.

"Did Alex just reveal another shocking thing about herself and run away before we could respond?" I finally asked Pansy.

"Yes, yes she did." She had the weirdest smile on her face.

"Do you get the feeling that she's hiding anything else?" I asked.

Pansy raised her brow. "You mean aside from whatever made her want to go crazy instead of letting someone in her head?"

"What do you think it is?"

Pansy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she just doesn't like people in her head?" She didn't sound like she believed that and was just voicing it as a possibility.

"It couldn't just be that, could it?" If it was I would have to smack her again.

"Probably not, but unless she tells us we're not going to know for sure." Pansy responded. "There's one thing I want to know."

"What?"

"Should I call her Night Light or Shifty?"

I couldn't help I just had to say it. "Rainbow Bright!" I broke down giggling at Pansy's nod of agreement.

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Alex

The walk to Dumbledore's office was short, and apparently just in time. Because I got there just as the Gargoyle, that guarded the entrance to his office, jumped aside and Dumbledore walked out.

"Miss Potter, how are you feeling my dear?" Dumbledore asked.

"Good Professor." I said.

"Was there something I could help you with?"

"Aunt Petunia said that if I wanted to go see them you would help me get there?" I meant it as a statement but it came out like a question.

Dumbledore smiled and motioned to follow him up to his office. As he walked over to Fawkes' perch he started talking. "I had been meaning to visit them sometime soon, but with the sensitivity of the information I need to tell them perhaps its best you came with me."

"Sensitivity?" Just what was he going to tell them?

Fawkes jumped on his shoulder and he held out his elbow like an old fashioned gentlemen. I placed my hand on his arm and we were off. We landed in my back yard.

Even without trying to sense, I smiled as, I felt the wards greet me.

"It is good that you are feeling better Miss Potter. Your teachers were starting to get worried." I gave him a surprised look and he smiled. "Neither I nor the other Professors are unobservant."

"Then why didn't you…"

"Make you see a Mind Healer?" I nodded. "Letting some in your mind has to be your decision and no Mind Healer would force themselves into an unwilling mind." Dumbledore glanced at the house, movement could be heard from inside. "But it seems that you didn't need one in the first place."

"I have good friends." I said. Without them I'd have gone crazy.

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed." As he went to knock on the backdoor it opened to reveal Dudley.

Dudley's face lit up and he threw his arms around me. "Alex!" He spun me around before pulling back. "What are you doing here?"

"We have come to speak to your Parents mister Dursley." Dumbledore said, smiling gently.

Dudley drew himself up, apparently quite proud of being addressed as 'Mister,' and led us inside. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were sitting in the living room, watching a show on the TV. When we came inside I moved over to Aunt Petunia and gave her a hug. Uncle Vernon stood and gave Dumbledore a stiff hand shake, while exchanging greetings.

"Hey Aunt Petunia." She tried her best to crush me before pulling me onto her lap so she could hold me. Uncle Vernon joined us on the couch and Dumbledore sat in one of the armchairs. Dudley decided he was too old to hold so he stood by Uncle Vernon next to the couch.

"So what brings you here Mr. Dumbledore?" Uncle Vernon asked.

"Firstly, your niece wanted to see you," Dumbledore nodded at me. "And I have some information that I believe you need to hear." He stopped and looked at Dudley. "Perhaps it would be best if it were just the four of us?"

"I want to hear what's going on to." Dudley said.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia traded looks before Uncle Vernon stood an ushered a protesting Dudley up stairs. He returned shortly.

"According to what the Jenson's told me it would seem that someone has put a price on Ms. Potter." Dumbledore said solemnly. What?!

Aunt Petunia's arms tightened around me and I was glad of them. I had enough problems with Voldemort and now there's a price on my head? Did Quirrell set it up? Was that the unexpected present he was talking about?

"Who?" Uncle Vernon gruffly asked. "Who put a price on my niece's head?"

"That I do not know." Dumbledore said. "But rest assured that as long as she is at Hogwarts or here she will be safe. The wards will insure that." I wasn't so sure about Hogwarts, there had already been the troll and the killer quidditch balls, but anyone who tried to hurt me here was in for a rude surprise. "I have the Ministry looking into it. When whoever put the bounty on her is found they will face justice." Yeah, and pigs will fly. The chances of the Ministry being competent were, frankly, ridicules.

Dumbledore pulled out four handkerchiefs. "Until such a time as they are dealt with I would recommend that you keep theses with you." He stood and handed them to me. "If you say 'Mints' they will take you to Hogwarts." He looked me straight in the eye. "I promise you that I will find the person behind this." There was an undercurrent of anger in his otherwise calm tone. He wasn't happy about the price on my head, and he was going to do something about it.

I nodded in agreement. I may not trust him but Dumbledore was very good at what he did. "Thank you." And even if I wasn't sure if he was waiting to sacrifice me to kill Voldemort, he needed me alive for that.

He smiled, suddenly the intensity was gone and I was faced with a simple teacher once more. "I'll expect you back by Sunday night, ok?" he looked at Uncle Vernon as he said it. Uncle Vernon must have nodded because Dumbledore bid us a good night and left.

It was quiet for a moment after he left, I was trying to absorb this new information and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were watching me.

"Alex, how are you really?" Aunt Petunia asked, her voice soft.

"Well before I heard that, I was doing much better." I tried to joke, but it fell flat.

"And now?" She asked.

"Scared." I admitted. When I first realized I was somehow this world's version of Harry Potter I was scared out of my mind. But after a while I came to terms with it, I had plans and contingencies. If this was canon I would have dealt with Voldemort by now, but it wasn't. Was it?

No, in this universe I had competent Quirrells and nice Snapes and a Dumbledore I didn't know if I could trust. It was times like this I wished I was a Mary Sue, if I was none of this would faze me. I'd walk through every problem without ever really being touched. I sighed, if only I was that lucky.

"It's ok to be scared, but I promise you that you will be safe." Uncle Vernon said. "Adam and Rachel came by a few days ago and they promised they would look into this. With them and Mr. Dumbledore I'm sure it will be dealt with soon."

I gave him a look, thinking on it their reaction to the news that someone wanted me dead bad enough to put a contract out on me was more subdued than I would have expected. I had thought it was just shook, but knowing in advance made more sense. But wait, how did the Jenson's even know about it in the first place?

"Wait, how did they know anything about this?" I asked bewildered.

"Apparently while we were being attacked the Jensen's were also being attacked by twenty of those things." Aunt Petunia said. Twenty? Maybe I should rethink threatening Joel in the future?

"Why?" I asked.

Aunt Petunia shrugged. "They said the attack was directed at them. Apparently they represent the Marrik…"

"The Marrok." Uncle Vernon corrected. "Apparently he's the leader of the werewolves."

"…and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Aunt Petunia finished. So I was just a target of opportunity? My family almost died because we were in the wrong place at the wrong time? I didn't know whether or not I should cry in relief at being a, a, bonus objective or be pissed.

"…Oh." I finally said after a long moment.

Wait. The Marrok? Now why did that sound familiar? It was on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe I read about him somewhere, boss werewolf sounds like something I'd have read about.

"You're going to be safe, I promise." Aunt Petunia said and hugged me tight. "I promise."

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Things at Privet drive were tense, Aunt Petunia kept giving me surprise hugs and Uncle Vernon would somehow work fighting tips into every conversation. It was all I could do to get some time to play with Dudley, and even he knew something was going on. Is it wrong that I was relieved to get back to Hogwarts?

I took the portkey back to Hogwarts just before dinner. Dumbledore wasn't in his office so I made my way to the Great Hall, thankfully I had remembered to take a spare robe. So even though I wasn't in uniform no one could tell. I nodded to Dumbledore before joining Hermione at the Ravenclaw table.

As soon as I sat down Hermione's brows drew together. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not that obvious, am I?" I asked annoyed.

She ignored my question. "You look worried. Did something happen?"

I sighed and looked around. "Well talk after we eat?" She reluctantly nodded. After a quick dinner she dragged me up to our room, where Pansy had been sleeping.

She woke up as we opened the door. "How did your visit go?" Pansy asked yawning. Before I could respond she saw my face. "What happened?"

"Oh come on." I said exasperated. My poker face was not that bad. Pansy looked at Hermione inquiringly.

"She hasn't told me yet." Hermione shrugged as she joined Pansy on my bed. She looked at me expectantly.

I sighed and joined them after casting a silencing charm. They exchanged uneasy looks as I cast it. "So I found out why I was attacked." I stopped unsure how to continue.

"Well that's good isn't it?" Hermione asked.

This was big, someone was out for my blood and it might not even be Voldemort, but they had more than earned my trust. "Someone put a price on my head." Pansy seemed to understand what I meant right away but Hermione seemed confused.

"A price on your head?" Hermione asked confused. Had she not heard the term before?

"How much?" Pansy asked, voice low.

"Three million euros." I had found that out from Uncle Vernon, who seemed to go back and forth between horrified at it, too proud at how big it was. At five galleons to a euro that was. "Eight hundred thousand galleons."

Judging by her horrified look Hermione finally understood, she threw herself at me. Pansy though, her face was blank and the light caught her eyes making them seem like they were glowing.

"That's a lot of money." Pansy's voice was clam but I couldn't shake the feeling that she was only just keeping herself from breaking something.

"Yep, but Professor Dumbledore and the Jenson's are looking in to it. I'm sure that it will be resolved soon." I hastened to reassure them. "And even if they can't get to the bottom of this I'm safe at Hogwarts and the wards at home are very good. I be fine at least until this is dealt with." I believed that, more or less. I wasn't scared of bounty hunters for my sake. I was worried they would go after my family, but according to Uncle Vernon Mr. Jenson had promised to see that they were taken care of and with their portkeys I had faith that they would be fine. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

"You know with people trying to kill you it might be good to learn to defend ourselves." Hermione said.

I doubted a bounty hunter could just get into Hogwarts but Voldemort was a definite problem. It was better we learn to fight as soon as possible. I was about to agree with Hermione when Pansy spoke up.

"Tomorrow after classes we go to the Room and we will see just how good the two of you are." Pansy had a vaguely disturbing look on her face, one part determination and two parts repressed violence.

"What about Occlumency? We just got to our mindscapes. We can't just give up on it now." I said in an attempt to get rid of that face.

Pansy blinked before nodding. "Fighting and then Occlumency practice. Sounds good."

Oh boy.