"Tom!" Aly exclaimed happily, as she stepped out of the fireplace. "I've-"
"Hush!" Tom hissed, rushing over to her. "Come, over here!"
Aly looked at Amanda quizzically. They had just used the floo network to come over to the Leaky Cauldron after goodbyes from Mrs. Boyle. Aly and Amanda had each carried their own trunk. Tom grabbed their hands and ushered them out of the fireplace. He shouted for a hand.
"Daniel," Tom hissed urgently. "I want you to get these two girls and their trunks up to their rooms inconspicuously, understand?"
Daniel, a young man, nodded frantically and pulled out his wand. The trunks began to levitate and he started walking and Aly and Amanda followed.
Aly had never been around the back way and looked around as he led them outside and into an alley.
Daniel opened a door and stepped inside carefully so not the bruise the trunks. As they walked down a long hallway and up a set of stairs, Aly began to recognize the hallway as where the rooms were. She vaguely remembered the room that she climbed out of last year to save her life before John could get to her.
They approached room 522 and Daniel opened the door. Aly and Amanda stepped in; Daniel dropped the trunks and took off, slamming the door behind him.
Aly looked at Amanda with surprise. "Well, that was...odd."
"It's you," Amanda said, looking around the room. "They didn't want you to be seen."
"Amanda, it's not like my picture was in the paper. No one has seen me before," Aly protested, sitting down on one of the two beds.
"Good point," agreed Amanda. "I wonder why they had to do it so sneakily."
Aly and Amanda took the time to move their trunks to a more suitable location and changed into some more inconspicuous clothes.
A few minutes later they heard Char, Damien and Hayden's voices. The door opened, and they stumbled in; Daniel once again dropped their trunks and left in a haste.
Char turned to Aly, raising an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"
"Why are you looking at us like that?" Amanda snapped. "I have no idea why they did that. I couldn't have been you, Damien or Aly because no one's ever seen your pictures before."
"That is odd," agreed Hayden. He looked around the room. "So...what time does the train leave?"
"Four o'clock exactly," Char answered.
"What time is it now?"
"Ten o'clock," Damien answered.
"We're meeting Bella at a quarter to twelve," Amanda reminded Aly. "That means we see Adam and go. We can't miss the train."
"Don't worry," Aly said reassuringly. "This won't be a three hour long visit." She smiled.
"Well, we'll just change, then," Damien said absently, reaching down to pull up his shirt.
"Hang on!" Amanda exclaimed. "Let me and Aly go to the bathroom to freshen up first!"
Damien put his shirt down and grinned, nodding. "Too bad you didn't see the rest of me, Mandy. Bet you would've liked to see it, wouldn't you?"
"In your dreams," Amanda grinned, and then grabbed Aly's hand to lead her to the bathroom. Char grinned at Aly as they disappeared into the bathroom.
"So, where exactly are we meeting?" Damien asked, looking left and right.
"She said we're meeting right here," Aly said, firmly, looking around. "She'll be here, you see."
"I don't," Damien muttered under his breath, making Hayden laugh. They were standing in front of a monument that was dedicated to the Muggle's Prime Minister.
"There! See, I told you!" Aly exclaimed a few minutes later.
Char smiled weakly at Bella as she approached them, relief etched on her face.
"Hey, guys," Bella said automatically, smiling at them. "Thanks for coming."
"Anytime," Aly replied.
"Why are they here? I knew Char was coming, but..." she trailed off suspiciously.
"Well, where Aly goes, I go," Amanda piped up.
"And where Amanda goes, I go," Damien added.
"And where everyone else is, I'm there too," Hayden grinned. Bella smiled gently.
"All lovely reasons, but truly, the less people we have the better. It would be better to limit it down to...three people."
Hayden's eyes narrowed. "Listen Bella, we're going out on a limb just by coming here. We're not going anywhere, got that?"
Bella rolled her eyes and started walking and the group made haste to follow her.
"These are the identification cards," Bella said, passing out cards. "When the guard asks for them present these."
"Daniel Jamieson?" Char said, confused.
"Michael Smith," Damien said blandly. "Oh, yes, this is perfect. We'll definitely get through."
"Shut it," Bella snapped as they stood in front of the Juvenile Azkaban Center. "Aly, here's yours."
"Joy Hopkins." Aly looked down at the identification card. "Bella, how'd you get these?"
"Never you mind, let's get inside."
Aly looked around the area as they were led down to the aisle to Adam's cell. The walls were covered in steel, and she gulped as she looked at prisoners in their cells, looking blank and depressed. I hope Adam doesn't look like that...
The guard halted and Aly slammed into his back, smiling sheepishly when he turned around to glare at her. "Sorry."
"Here's the boy. Aldaine, you have visitors!" the guard barked, causing Amanda to jump. He unlocked the cell.
"You have thirty minutes to talk. After that, you're gone," the guard said, jerking his thumb. Then he stomped away, barking at others.
Bella peered into the cell, squinting. "Adam?"
"Bella?"
Aly blinked as Adam's face was lit by sunlight filtering in through the windows. He looked the same as ever, still healthy on the outside. The only thing that had changed was his eyes, which were very sad. He was dressed a matching blue shirt and flannel pants.
"Bella!" he exclaimed, jumping from his cot and running over to her. "You're safe!"
Bella smiled and embraced her brother, happy as ever. "We're all safe, Adam. Don't you worry about us. It's you we're worried about!"
"I'm fine," Adam said seriously, looking at Bella. "They don't treat me that bad. A few barks every now and then, but I'm sure I can survive."
Bella stepped back, revealing the others. "You have visitors."
Adam's eyes looked over the group of teenagers and his eyes rested on Aly.
"Hello, mate," Char said, huskily, reaching over to shake Adam's hand. "Glad you're alright."
"Thanks," Adam said, his eyes never straying away from Aly's. Damien and Hayden did likewise, and Amanda hugged him awkwardly.
It was Aly's turn, and she swallowed to clear her dry throat and approached Adam awkwardly. "Hi, Adam."
Suddenly Adam swept Aly into a hug."Gods, I missed you," Adam muttered into her neck.
Aly was taken by surprise and hugged him back. "Me too."
He pulled her back to study her. "Why did you come back? I thought...well..."
"I've been reading the Daily Prophet," Aly replied, smiling gently. "I can't let you go on like this, Adam. It's killing me." She stepped back.
"It's killing us all," Amanda added. "We came along because we knew she this meant a lot to Bella and Aly."
"Thanks for coming," Adam said gratefully. "You guys have no idea how happy I am to see you."
Bella smiled lovingly at her brother and the group proceeded to walk down the halls.
"So, you're going back, then," stated Adam flatly.
"Yeah," Damien replied quietly. "We don't have much of a choice."
"It's not safe anymore," Adam said, looking over at him. "Hogwarts looks like it's ready to crumble."
"But I can't just not go," Amanda protested.
"So you'd rather sacrifice your life for your education?"
That brought a slight pause, and Aly looked at Adam with worry. Adam looked at her seriously, and then his expression brightened.
"How'd you lot get in here anyway?" he grinned.
"Bella's genius," Aly replied. She looked to Char for support, but he was looking away from her.
Adam sighed. "Listen, I can see that none of you guys are really happy to see me, so you guys can go."
"Thank you, dear God. Let's go, Amanda," Damien said, grabbing her hand and pulling her the other way. Adam frowned. Hayden shrugged and followed Damien and Amanda.
Char looked at Aly sadly. "Aly..."
"It's ok, Char," Aly said reassuringly. "Go with them, I'll be out in a minute."
He nodded and followed the others. Aly looked at Bella. Bella looked between Adam and Aly, and then followed the others as well.
Adam looked up at Aly. He grimaced. "Well, Aly? I told you that you can go."
"I don't want to. Not yet," replied Aly quietly.
"You only have ten minutes. You may as well leave now."
"Adam, I don't want to. I want to stay with you and talk."
"Well, didn't you hear me last time? 'Go away, Aly, I never-"
"Don't finish that sentence," Aly warned. "You said it once and it nearly broke my heart. I won't listen to it again."
"Why'd you come back?"
"I told you," said Aly, "I needed to tell you that we're going to help you somehow."
"Oh, yeah, right. You're going to clear my name?" asked Adam with sarcasm.
"No, but I wish I could," joked Aly. "I've been thinking about you all summer. I didn't know if you were alive and how you were dealing with the fact that you had no idea where your family was, or if they were alive. They're all in hiding because they know that people can kill them for being related to your uncle."
"Oh, I've been reading the Daily Prophet," grimaced Adam. "Really helping our publicity, it is. What're you going to do?"
"Help you. I'll send letters," suggested Aly. "Once You-Know-Who is dead, everyone will be cleared, you'll see."
"Alright! Time's up!" the guard shouted, walking through the doors. "Your little friends are waiting, come on, let's go!"
Aly turned to smile sadly at Adam. "Adam, I miss you. Hold on for me, ok?"
Adam smiled bleakly. "I will, Aly. I promise. Not for Amanda, or Damien, or Char or Hayden. Not for even my family. But for you." His eyes were very intense as he said this.
"Thanks, Adam. That means a lot," Aly said, hugging him. She looked over Adam's shoulder and saw the guard standing impatiently.
"Bye. Keep holding on," Aly whispered, and walked past Adam over to the doors. She smiled one last time as she walked through the doors and Adam didn't smile back.