Chapter 5

"So what's your story?" Alice asked.

"It's way simpler than their stories," Charlie said.

"Please do tell," Alice said.

"Okay," Charlie started. "I don't know if you know this, but my name is originally Charlie Weasley, second eldest brother to Bill, Ron, Fred and George."

"Oh my!" Alice exclaimed. Then, she looked from Charlie to Billy. "Now I see the resemblance."

"I was probably to insignificant for Fred and George to mention to his Quidditch mates that's why you haven't heard of me," Charlie explained.

"Oh wait, aren't you the brother who studied dragons in Romania and delivered some for the Triwizard task?" Alice asked.

"Yup, that's I," Charlie said.

Just when Alice was about to say something, the door behind them creaked open. Everyone turned around to face it. A woman very familiar to Alice smiled at her.

Alice's jaw dropped and was rooted to the spot.

It was Bella Swan.

"Alice!" Bella ran to hug Alice's stony figure. Alice was still perplexed to see Bella there.

Then, finally, she responded.

"Bella!" Alice replied. "You're here too!"

"Yeah, I was just walking around outside. I knew you were coming but I didn't notice that the night broke into dawn already. What have you guys been doing?" Bella asked with raised eyebrows. "Watching REAS when they are supposed to be sleeping?"

"Excuse me, she's your daughter," James said. "Aren't you supposed to be watching them?"

"She is old enough already to take care of herself while sleeping alone. I don't need to hover," Bella said. Then, she walked to Edward's side and kissed him on the lips.

Alice had a pang of jealousy. Edward shot a furious look at her. James was about to say something in retort to Bella's statement when Charlie stopped him.

"Actually, Bella," Charlie said, cringing as Edward held Bella closer. "I was just telling Alice my story."

"Oh, you mean our story. Alright then, go on," Bella gestured to Charlie. "I'll just bring in some food for all of us. I'll be back," Bella said as she swiftly skipped out of the room.

Alice didn't notice Edward behind her. "Keep your thoughts to yourself," he whispered as he referred to his and Bella's physical display of affection.

Alice stepped slightly forward and changed the subject. "What did Bella mean when she said 'our' story?"

"Okay, Bella's story and my story are related. It started like this," Charlie started. "The Bella Swan you know now was actually named Bellatrix Lestrange during your Hogwarts years."

"WHAT? The death eater? Bella? Are you serious?" Alice asked wildly.

Charlie merely nodded.

Alice couldn't believe it. How can the ever-so compassionate and motherly Bella Swan be the ruthless, sadistic Bellatrix Lestrange? It's just so impossible.

"You know about the war in Hogwarts right when Voldemort died?" Charlie asked.

"Yes. That was the year after I graduated from Hogwarts," Alice said.

"Yeah, my seventh year," Harry said, talking suddenly. "The year I boycotted school and taunted Voldemort until he died by his own backfired curse," he added proudly.

Charlie nodded. "During that war, everyone knew that my mother, Molly Weasley, killed Bellatrix when she was fighting alongside Voldemort."

"I think I heard about that," Alice said.

"But the truth is," Charlie replied. "my mum never meant it. She never meant the Avada Kedavra to kill her."

"She is so compassionate," Billy recalled. "Not to mention skilled in non-verbal spells."

"And a good actress too!" Harry said. "Not my daughter, you bitch!" he mimicked.

"What my mum did was to knock Bellatrix down and just make her unconscious. Then, when the fight was over and when everyone was leaving the castle, she permanently erased Bellatrix's memory," Charlie explained.

He continued, "Then, my mum made over her appearance to make her look slightly younger, but as you may now notice, she kept many of her original features intact like her pale skin color and her height."

Bella walked in carrying a tray of cups of coffee and distributed it to the five people in the room.

"I see!" Alice said.

"Which is why I kept joking that I was part albino," Bella commented.

"Anyway, that night, I proposed to my long time muggle girlfriend, Renee," Charlie said.

Alice's expression turned into shock.

"I met her when I was researching for dragons in Phoenix a year before. I told her all about the wizarding world," Charlie replied as if Alice asked an unspoken question.

"Oh, so when did you get married?" Alice asked.

"A year after," Charlie replied.

"That's why I kept telling myself when I was in Forks that Renee's and Charlie's relationship was puppy love," Bella commented.

"So where does Bellatrix come in?"

"Bellatrix was hit really badly by my mum's spell so she was unconscious for a year. Mum anticipated this which is why she planned our wedding quickly," Charlie said.

He continued, "Mum told Renee and I to adopt Bellatrix, live a different life, and make her believe that she has been our biological child for seventeen years and that there is only a muggle world that exists. When the year passed, we apparated to Forks to achieve that purpose."

"And also because mum knew that I was in La Push already that time. She wanted to keep us close," Billy said.

"And I believed them right when I regained consciousness. And of course, I was known as Bella or Isabella Swan," Bella said, giving them a sly look. "I still cannot believe you guys fooled me."

Charlie mouthed guiltily, "I'm sorry."

"About three things I was absolutely positive: First, I was a normal person. Second, Charlie and Renee were my biological parents. Third, I was irrevocably and undeniably an albino," Bella said.

"You see, Alice, no one's slate is completely clean when they come here to Deathly Hallows," James said. "It's filled with lies, deceit, and—"

"Lust," Edward said, looking at Alice.

"So when it came to who was first in Forks or La Push," Alice said, ignoring Edward and also Harry who was reminiscing about La Push again. "It was Billy first, then Charlie?"

"No, it was Billy first, then me, then Charlie," Harry said. "Note the age differences between our children."

"When Billy gave birth to Jacob, Penelope was pregnant with Leah," James said. "My granddaughter."

Billy commented,"I only found out that Harry was living here when we bumped into each other in the Penelope was around seven months pregnant with Leah, Harry and Penelope used to go to our place to hang out and secretly do magic since we all knew each other."

"The first few days were really awkward though," Harry said.

"Why?"

"How would you feel if your sister's ex-husband, who used to be a family friend and was now married to your brother's ex-girlfriend, bumped into you?"

"Oh, right," Alice said. "How did you cope?"

"I shouted at him," Billy said. "And hexed him a million times,"

"I did that too," Charlie added. "When I arrived a year later,"

Harry turned red.

We still wish we could curse him now," Charlie said.

"We still could actually," Billy said. "Scared, Potter?"

"You wish," Harry said, finally standing up for himself.

"But soon, we forgave him for it. We weren't going to the past anytime soon anyway even if we did kill him," Billy taunted.

Charlie narrated, "So when Renee, Bella and I arrived, I started visiting my brother as well. That's when I knew that Harry was here. Then, three of us frequently hung out and secretly did magic together, while explaining to our children that we were just three close friends who love fishing watching baseball in front of Harry's television."

"That was a big lie," Bella said.

"It was necessary," Charlie, Harry and Bill said.

"Just when I was ready to believe that all things were normal, here came Edward and the Cullens," Bella said.

"Sounds like a band," Edward commented suddenly. He had been very quiet throughout the whole conversation.

"Which is why I kept telling Jacob to keep you away from them," Billy said to Bella. "They might remind you of your magical past."

"But of course, Jacob blew it off by reminding me he was a werewolf himself," Bella said.

"But thank God, mum was a powerful witch," Billy said.

Edward cleared his throat. "I'm sure, Alice, you know the rest," he said.

"Woot! La Push days…" Harry said suddenly, reminiscing again.

"I know, right?" Billy asked, joining in.

"So why was La Push so popular to you, guys?" Alice wondered.

"Because it's La Push," Harry said. "You know…La Push," he added, emphasizing the last two words.

"Bella, still got that pepper spray with you?" Charlie asked.

Bella gave her father a lovey-dovey smile and then faced Harry.

"Harry?" Bella asked.

"Yes?"

"Shut up," Bella snapped.

"Anyway," Alice said, trying to steer away the fight, "everyone's story has been told, right? Would you mind telling me what the hell REAS is?"

James lightened up.

Harry's face glowed.

Bella moved away from Harry and wrapped her arms around Edward.

Charlie frowned.

"I'm down with the kids!" Billy said.