Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters, plots, or settings. Have I really been reduced to the point where my disclaimers aren't even funny?

Chapter Ten

They walked briskly down the street. The children felt awkward because the last time they were alone with Dumbledore, Harry had smashed plenty of his possessions and Alaina had shouted a few choice words.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Alaina spoke up to ease the tension, "Where exactly are we going?"

"To see an old colleague of mine," was the reply, "We are one staff member short at Hogwarts and I think you two will help persuade him greatly."

Harry and Alaina exchanged a look of curiosity at Dumbledore's vagueness, but shrugged it off.

"Couldn't we have just apparated into his house?" Alaina blurted before she realized how silly the question was.

"That would be very rude," said the man, "Almost as rude as kicking down the door. Although, it seems someone has beat us to that."

Sure enough, they stood in front of a house that looked like it had been subject to a large pride of lions. They entered cautiously and Alaina had to jump to avoid being dripped on by an unknown substance. Dumbledore wiped some blood off the wall with his finger and smelled it. After licking it, he looked around and his gaze stopped on an overstuffed armchair lying on its side.

Without warning, Dumbledore took his wand and plunged the tip into the seat of the blue chair which proceeded to yell, "Ouch!"

"Good evening, Horace," said Dumbledore as he grinned at the armchair. Alaina knew she should be used to this sort of thing, but still couldn't help but let her jaw drop, as the armchair became a bald, fat man who was massaging his round belly. At first glance, Harry and Alaina agreed he looked somewhat like a walrus.

"What gave me away?" He asked gruffly.

"My dear, Horace," said Dumbledore, looking amused, "If the Death Eaters really had come to call, they would have set the Dark Mark over the house."

"Of course!" Exclaimed the man, Horace, "I knew I had forgotten something!"

"Shall I help you clean up?" Asked Dumbledore as he looked around at the mess.

"Please," was the reply. So they stood back to back and waved their wands in one identical sweeping motion. The furniture righted itself, feathers zoomed into their cushions, and the chandelier pieces mended themselves as they zoomed back to the ceiling to cast a lovely yellow light once more.

"The dragon blood was a nice touch," Dumbledore noted when the red liquid zoomed back into a crystal vial. When everything had been picked up, Horace finally noticed the two teenagers who stood side by side. One rather tall and lanky and the other one petite and short.

"Oho," he said as his eyes flickered between their foreheads and the lightning-shaped scar they bore, "Oho!"

"This is Harry Potter and Alaina Prince," said Dumbledore who moved forward to make introductions, "Harry, Alaina, this is an old friend and colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn."

Slughorn turned to Dumbledore with a shrewd expression and said, "This is how you thought you'd persuade me, is it? Well, the answer is no, Albus."

"I was wondering," said Dumbledore as he sat down uninvited, "If all those precautions were for me or the Death Eaters?"

"What would the Death Eaters want with an old coot like me?" Slughorn sat across from Dumbledore, leaving the teenagers to awkwardly stand to the side.

"You know as much as I do, Horace," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

"Either way, I have been hearing nasty rumors about Hogwarts since Dolores Umbridge left! If that's how you treat your teachers these days-"

"Professor Umbridge ran afoul of our centaur herd. I think you would know better than to stride into the forest and call a horde of angry centaurs 'filthy half-breeds.'"

"That's what she did, then? Idiotic woman. I never liked her."

Harry chuckled and Alaina smiled and nodded her head. Both adults turned to look at them.

"Sorry," said Harry hastily.

"Yeah," Alaina explained further, "It's just – we didn't like her either."

Dumbledore stood up rather suddenly.

"Are you leaving?" Asked Slughorn at once, looking hopeful.

"No, I was just wondering if I could use your bathroom."

"Oh," said Horace, clearly disappointed, "Second on the left down the hall."

Dumbledore strode from the room. Once the door had closed, there were a few moments of silence. Slughorn stood up awkwardly and crossed the room to the fireplace which he turned his back to so as to speak to the teenagers.

"Don't think I don't know why he's brought you," he said abruptly.

They just stared at him and he proceeded to scrutinize them.

"Harry, you look like your father. Except your eyes. You've got –"

"My mother's eyes, yeah. So I've been told." Harry said and Alaina snickered. He had been told that so often. In fact, even she had been often told –

"And Alaina, you look like your father in –"

"Every way," she finished, "I get that a lot."

"Hmph, yes, well, when you're a teacher, you shouldn't play favorites. But they were some of mine. Lily Evans and Philip Prince. Both of them would give back some very cheeky answers! Very charming children. Both of them ought to have been in my House."

"Which was your House?" Alaina asked.

"I was Head of Slytherin," said Slughorn, "Now," he said as he wagged a finger at them given their nasty expressions, "Don't you be holding that against me! You'll be Gryffindor like your parents, I suppose? Yes, it usually goes in families. Not always, though. Have you heard of Sirius Black? Must have – been in the papers for the last couple of years – died a few weeks ago."

It felt as though an invisible hand had twisted Harry's intestines and held them tight. For Alaina it felt as though a large anvil had been dropped on both shoulders and her head. They had not minded his ranting, until he began talking about the only fatherly figure they had had.

"He was a big pal of your father's at school. The whole Black family had been in my House, but not him. Sirius ended up in Gryffindor along your parents. Of course, I did get his brother, Regulus, when he came around. I would've liked the complete set."

He struck them as a collector of antiques who had been outbid at an auction.

"Your mother was a muggle-born, Harry. Couldn't believe when I found out. She was as good as your father, Alaina, pureblood."

"Our best friend is muggle-born and she's top of our class," said Alaina with a hint of bitterness.

"Yes, funny how that happens isn't it?" Slughorn marveled.

"Not really," she replied coldly. Slughorn looked at her in surprise.

"You mustn't think I'm prejudiced!" He said, "No, no, no! Haven't I just said Lily Evans was one of my favorite all-time students? And there was Dirk Cresswell in the year after her too – now Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, of course – another muggle-born, a very gifted student, and still gives me excellent inside information on the goings-on at Gringotts!"

He bounced up and down a little as his excitement grew. He walked over to a shelf with many photographs. As he went on and on about the multiple celebrities he taught and received quidditch tickets or candy from, Alaina tuned him out as she began to realize why Dumbledore had brought them along. Speaking of Dumbledore, what was taking him so long?

"And all these people know how to find you, to send you stuff?" Asked Harry, brought her out of her thoughts. He did make a very good point. If the Death Eaters can't do it, how can they?

The smile slid from Slughorn's face, "Of course not," he said, "I have been out of touch with everybody for at least a year."

"Too bad you can't be our teacher," sighed Alaina who was trying to help out Dumbledore, "You seem like you would be a very good one. One of my favorites, right Harry?"

"Oh yeah!" Said Harry after some hesitation to think about what Alaina was playing at. At that moment, Dumbledore walked in and announced their departure.

"Goodbye, Mr. Slughorn," said Alaina as they stalked out of the house. The door had only been closed for a few seconds before Horace opened it again.

"Alright," shouted Slughorn from the door, "I'll do it!"

When the door was shut again Dumbledore turned to them.

"Excellent job, you two," he smiled at them and Alaina beamed up at him, "You did more than I thought."

"As you can tell," said Dumbledore as they continued to walk out of the yard, "He prides himself on the company of the rich, powerful, and famous. He hand-picked these students out based on their connection and talent. They were called the Slug-Club. I tell you all of this because I expect you to be in this club. I want you to allow him to collect you. The jewel of his gallery: 'The Pair Who Lived' or as they call you now, 'The Chosen Ones.'"

At those three words, a chill ran down Alaina's spine and she was sure Harry had felt it too. The words of the prophecy echoed in their minds.

None can live while two the others survive.

This is chapter four in the sixth book, but since the chapter was really long, I'm going to stop it here and continue this chapter as another chapter. So this is part one of chapter four in the book and chapter ten of the story. Did you get all that? Nevermind, just know this isn't the end and the next one will be short.