Chapter 12

"Um, what's going on?" Alli asked as she made her way to the center of the room. Diane and her aunt were seated before the headmaster's desk, Allan stood at Diane's elbow while her malicious uncle leaned against a pillar off to the side. Prof. Dumbledore was next to his pet phoenix's perch, stroking the animals scarlet feathers.

"An issue has been brought to my attention by the Malfoys and I felt it best to call in your parents to settle the matter." Dumbledore moved into his throne and eyed Alli over his half-moon spectacles. Alli rested on the open arm of Diane's chair, Diane took her daughter's hand. Alli made eye contact with her aunt who looked pleased to see her, while her uncle greeted her with a glare of hatred which she graciously returned.

"What was the issue?" Alli huphed, she hadn't caused any major disasters since that first night, and didn't have a clue what the Malfoys could have to say against her.

"It seems that young Mister Malfoy wrote to his parents about an attack on his life initiated by you."

The only incident Alli could think of was from the class when she sent the Patronus snake after him, and the idea that this could be the attack on his life made Alli want to burst into uncontrollable laughter but she managed to maintain her composure.

"I don't know what you are talking about, I never tried to harm my dear cousin." Alli smirked at her sarcasm but could feel Diane grasp on her hand tighten, warning her to watch how she spoke.

"Don't pretend to be so innocent, you conjured a snake and sent it after our boy." Lucius stomped towards her but stopped next to his wife. Alli stood tall to show her uncle that he could not intimidate her.

"What I conjured was my Patronus charm which takes the form of a snake. It is meant to protect, not harm and I merely lost control of where I was sending it in my zeal. It was an accident and your son was never in any danger. The little cry baby had no reason to alert you of the incident except to make my life miserable."

"How dare you talk about my son in that manner." Now he looming over his niece trying to assert his dominance but Alli was not going to recoil back to Diane, he couldn't scare her like he did when she was a child.

"I'll talk about him in whatever manner I please, especially since he seems determined to cause trouble for me. You should tell your son to be careful about how he treats me and my friends." Alli flashed her snake-slit eyes at her uncle, a trick she had learn to control over the recent years. Diane told her they turned that way when she got angry and now she used it to her advantage because people usually stepped back; though it had lost its affect on Diane since Alli did it to her far too many times.

It worked on dear old uncle Lucius though, he didn't show it in stance but his face drained of all color. "Don't threaten my family" he forced through his teeth.

Diane must have sensed what was about to happen as did Dumbledore because in a moment they were standing between the duelers. Both Alli and her uncle had unconsciously drawn their wands but Alli gripped hers a bit too tight; she could feel a slight splinter in the wood on the handle. Diane pushed Alli into the chair she had previously occupied while Lucius returned to his corner. Alli took a few deep breathes and regained her composure enough to agree to talk to her aunt. Even though she and the Malfoys never were a tender loving family, Alli was able to treat her aunt Cissy with the respect an aunt deserved; it was her husband and son that boiled Alli's blood.

"Aunt Cissy, I will admit to conjuring the charm. I may not have thought it through completely when I chose to demonstrate it because the students were only first years and probably unaware that Patronus charms took the shapes of animals. I should have warned them or not done it at all." Alli stood but remained with Diane's hands on her shoulder; she bowed her head to her aunt out of respect and etiquette.

"Thank you Allestra, we understand now that it was a simple misunderstanding." Narcissa's voice had a hint of fear behind it but she took Alli's hand in hers and stood, "And I'm sure you are planning to apologize to Draco."

"Of course" Alli said through clenched teeth. She kissed her aunt on the cheek and gave her uncle a final noncompliant glare before Professor Dumbledore declared his pleasure over the issue being resolved and ushering the Malfoys to the exist. Once they were gone, Allen and Diane rested in the chair; Diane seemed a bit frazzled as if she expected worse and Allen twiddled his thumbs as if he felt out of place. Alli was still slightly angered, so to completely relax she went over to Fawkes the phoenix and ran her fingers gently over his soft, silky feathers; while she did so the mystical bird nudged it beak against her cheek and gave a quiet squawk, forcing Alli to smile and giggle.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and when Alli turned she found him standing between her mother and Allen's chair; they were going to gang up on her now she suspected.

"I have called for Professor Snape to join us for this session." Dumbledore said as he passed Alli and took his seat behind the desk.

"Wow I must really be in trouble" she said in a joking manner, but one glance into Diane disapproving told her that there was going to be a punishment involved.

"It is not that you are in trouble Alli. Professor Snape has simply informed me that you took it upon yourself to reveal your true identity to several of your friends." Dumbledore watched her over the rim of his half-moon glasses. Alli opened her mouth to explain but Diane didn't give her a chance to.

"You did what!" She stood and marched over to Alli in a furious state that her daughter had never invoked before.

"Mum, calmed down it's not what you think. I didn't exactly tell them who I was, just a few random facts." This was the first time Alli was actually scare of what Diane might do to punish her. Even when Alli did something outrageous like shatter every window in the house or run away from home, Diane's biggest punishment had been not letting her go outside for the day or not allowing her to watch television for a week ; never once did Alli feel like Diane would hit her, until now. Dumbledore must have anticipated this sort of reaction from Diane because he whispered something to Allen who seemed to take that a his cue to act. However, he didn't go to Diane, instead he reached around her and took Alli hand and pulled her to the chairs. Once Alli was seated he turned and motioned for Diane to take the other seat. Alli had never felt guilt from any of her actions but the realization that telling her friends that she was adopted and who her real mother is was a betrayal to Diane, that made her regret everything. Diane had been so loving and understanding, any other woman probably would have listened to Allen nine years ago when he wanted to give her up; but Diane gave up her marriage for Alli and, even though Alli didn't always have control of what happened, she did not make life easy for her mother. And now she had told all her closest friends that Diane wasn't her mother, Alli folded and rested her head on her lap and began to cry. She didn't cry to try and gain sympathy so when she felt arms on her back trying to comfort her, she shrugged them away; until she felt firm fingers clasp themselves on her shoulder. She only lifted her head enough to see a glass hovering in front of her. After she gulped down the sweet cider, Alli's eyes dried and she was handed her inhaler so her breathing could steady. Allen was on her left and her uncle was on her right, Diane was still in her seat and Dumbledore sat behind his desk looking over some papers. When she felt calm, Alli left her seat and sat at her mother's feet.

"Mum, I'm sorry I wasn't trying to denounce you as my mother. I just couldn't live a lie anymore. I told my friends that my full name is a Allestra and that my birth mother is Bellatrix Lestrange. But you are more of my mother than she ever will be. Yes she gave me life but you took care of me, raised me, and well, put up with all the challenges that follow me. Since I was two years old I have been Alli Jerrings and that is the name I write on all my tests, it's just a matter of whether I put Alli or Allestra but my last name is Jerrings. I love you mum please don't be mad at me." Alli felt like a child again and Diane must have felt the same because pulled her daughter onto her lap. Diane rocked back and forth, cooing in her daughter's ear like she did when Alli was three and had woken up screaming from a bad dream. Allen crouched next to the chair and Snape hovered in the corner awkwardly; Dumbledore continued to sift through papers as if he was the only one in his office. Alli dozed off there in her mother's arms content with leaving any questions she had for the headmaster until their next meeting the following week. Because really, she thought, what difference can a week make.