I recon I've been rather good at updating lately, don't you? And! The chapter are getting longer and longer, have you noticed? Sorry, I'm just giving myself some credits because I feel rather proud of myself for it. I hope you still like reading my story and that you keep up, we have much left to go. Just so you know. Criticism, positive or negative is always welcome, as well as ideas or suggestions of what you would like to see in the story as we go.

And as always, thanks to you who reviewed, you new readers and you that keep reading. Thanks to all, that is! :)

And I think we're making this a bit of a habit, but LuicyJucy921, you made me smile again. Thanks! :D

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Chapter 27

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Alice ran down the corridor, she was in a haste to do something she'd forgotten about. It had all become so blurry. It was way passed bedtime and if Alice were to be caught... No, she wouldn't be and that's why she was running. The bathroom was just like she'd left it. Dark, empty and quiet. Alice walked up to the sink and ordered it to open. It was quiet when she got down to the corridor and the door at the end was still open. Alice's heart started racing, what if she'd died? She had seemed as a fighter, a survivor, that's why Alice had dared to do it. Or what if someone had come down here and she'd told? Alice got in to the chamber and followed the long corridor. She was still there, lying absolutely still on the floor. But her chest rose and sank, she was breathing. Alice kneeled beside her and pulled the hair out of her face, she was still conscious.

"I am really sorry about that", Alice said, her voice echoed through the open space. "Now, this is not going to hurt you, at all. But it's probably going to hurt me and if you want to leave me her it's fine. Just get out of here when I'm done." Alice put one hand above her heart and the other one at her stomach. Then she pulled, she pulled the magic that held Hermione down out of her. Something snapped and pain fled through Alice's body. The bones in the thumb on her left hand had broken. She continued to focus and pulled more of the spell out of Hermione's body. All the bones in both of her legs broke at once. Alice couldn't help but to yell out in pain. Then the ribs, they cracked in order, making it hard for her to hold her body upright. Hermione on the other hand took a full breath. The bones inside Alice continued to break, one after one. The pain was almost too great, but she knew what she'd done and what she needed to do to fix it. And this was it. At last it was only one thing left. Alice's head flipped back in a hasty movement that broke her neck. Tears were silently falling down from her eyes.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked as she could sit up again. Even if Alice had been able to answer she wasn't sure she had. "This is amazing", said Hermione and touched on her mended body, "I'll bring help!" Hermione stood up and ran as if she'd never been hurt in the first place. Alice tried to focus on a rippling sound somewhere to her left. If she was going to die, it would at least sound nice when she did. The sound reminded her of home, her real home. Where the snow never really melted away and in the spring, some of the snow would melt and create small streams of water down the mountains. She remembered the valleys and the mountains where the reindeers ran freely. And of course; her mother, her loving, warm mother. Alice tried to take a deep breath, but one of the ribs was pointing in to her lung, making her feel an intense pain instead. She tried to cough, but instead the pain spread making it harder overall to breath. And just as that, her body started to fade away from her mind. It didn't hurt that much any longer. The warmth that spread in her body actually felt really nice. Alice felt tired, as she'd gone on adrenalin for too long and it finally caught up with her. She was just going to close her eyes for a moment, just to rest some. Every so often a drop fell all the way from the roof down on the floor beside her with a calming sound. Sometimes it splashed and a few small drops landed on her cheek, reminding her that she was still alive. She heard footsteps in the distance. Voiced that grew closer.

"Miss Gaunt?" The voice belonged to professor McGonagall. Alice didn't have the strength to even react. "Miss Granger will you be so kind to fetch professor Snape?" Hermione left the place and headed up again. She'd come back, even though what Alice had done to her, she'd come back.

"Miss Gaunt, give my any sign that you hear me", professor McGonagall said, she was worried. Alice could feel how she tried to cast spells to make the pain less, and if Alice had felt any it would probably have worked. Steps came back towards them, Alice had completely lost track of time.

"Oh, Severus, hurry", professor McGonagall said. "What is it?"

"I've never seen anything like this", professor Snape said. "This is dark magic, indeed. I think you made a wise choice of getting me."

"Who could have done this to her?" Alice wondered for a moment if Hermione was going to tell what had actually happened, or if that was something that would stay between the two of them. Snape started mumbling words Alice didn't quite catch. Her head, which were in the most awkward position suddenly snapped back and mended itself. Bone after bone snapped back in place and she felt her body coming back to the way it should look.

"She is not fully healed, but we will be able to move her now", professor Snape said in his normal, chilling tone. With great care, they placed Alice on a stretcher and carried her away from the dark place.

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Alice sat in the hospital, thoroughly tucked down in one of the beds. She'd felt fine for days but was not permitted to leave. It was about noon and Alice was waiting for lunch, she could almost smell the food from the Great Hall. The worst part was probably the curtains that hung around her bed, she was in no need of privacy.

"Alice?" Hermione Granger stepped in and sat down on the chair standing next to Alice's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thank you", Alice said with a smile.

"I meant to come to you sooner..." Hermione started, she was a bit unsure of what to say really. "What did you do to me? Or what did you do to yourself?" She wasn't completely sure of what had happened really.

"When I cursed you I could decide how much it would hurt you", Alice started. "But when I take spells back, I have no control of it. It blows up in my face, full speed."

"You almost died", Hermione said. "You almost died for me, even though..." Hermione put a hand over her mouth.

"Even though you're muggle-born", Alice filled in. Alice pulled her hair to the side and started braiding it. They sat quiet for a moment, Hermione focused on the floor in front of her and Alice on her hair.

"I'm sorry for what I said", she suddenly said. "I didn't know that it would make you feel like that. But I have to ask; what do you see in him?"

"I might ask you the same", Alice answered. "You should really practise your occlumency, it's important."

"Don't get me wrong, Blaise Zabini I get. But Draco Malfoy? Out of all people that admire you?"

"I could never tell so that you would understand", Alice said, she didn't feel comfortable at all to speak with Hermione Granger of this.

"I have class", Hermione excused herself. "Don't tell anyone of this."

"You know I won't, and if you do, you know I am going to hunt you down and kill you before admitting to anything", Alice said and the two girls gave each other an understanding smile before Hermione left. Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtains aside and practically kicked Alice out of the bed; apparently professor Dumbledore had requested to see Alice in his office and since madam Pomfrey did not think Alice was well enough to leave it had put her in a bit of a bad mood. To Alice's pleasure on the other hand, she couldn't get out of there fast enough and ran almost all the way to the headmasters' office. She knocked at the door and entered.

"Before you say something smart and give my one of those brilliant lesions that makes me think for days I have something I need to ask you", Alice started as soon as she'd entered the room. Dumbledore smiled from behind his desk. "Harry Potter, he has a cloak, right?" Dumbledore nodded. "A cloak of invisibility", Alice continued and professor Dumbledore nodded again. "Like in the tale of the three brothers, the Peverell cloak of invisibility. This got me thinking... The stone", Alice walked up to professor Dumbledore's desk and picked up the ring on which the large, black stone was attached to. "The stone of resurrection, and the elder wand." Dumbledore nodded. "Now why would you want all three of them in the same place, very easily collected, if not to protect someone? Having all three of these would make one master of death, isn't that what the story tell? And if Harry Potter, the one destined to determine my father would have these, he couldn't lose, right?" Dumbledore smiled just as before. "How would you be able to make sure that he was the one in the owning position of all three?"

"I figured that someone as bright as myself would figure it out and make sure that would come to reality after my death", he said and smiled even wider towards Alice.

"You're death?"

"I think we both know what is going to take place here at some point soon", he said, still with the smile on his face. How could he be so calm about this? Alice sat down in her usual chair in front of his desk. A sudden realization came to Alice, an insight of his behaviour.

"I'm scared", she said. The old man looked on her with concern behind his half-moon shaped glasses. "I don't want to stay, but I have nowhere else to go."

"There's always a place for everyone", professor Dumbledore said. Before he got a chance to say anything more, she spoke again.

"I want to be everything he needs me to be. I want to please him, but I do not longer understand." She took a deep breath. "I cannot see the difference between us and them."

"That's because there are no differences", the old man said. He gently rubbed his black, right hand. "Who defines us? Our selves or our forefathers?" She didn't replay, it wasn't necessary.

"He's put a piece of himself in you, hasn't he?" Alice avoided Dumbledore's gaze. "You felt it grow in you inside the Chamber of secrets. That's why you cursed Hermione Granger, because you couldn't control you raging emotions."

"Even if he did, I cannot be a part of this world", Alice said. It wasn't something to argue about. She knew it, Dumbledore knew it. "I'm going to take my life before this is over."

"It's very brave of you to make such a decision", he said, trying not to sound too sad.

"I can take them back, you know", she said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Spells."

"What do you mean?"

"I can take it back. If someone dies, I can make them undead."

"To what price?"

"A part of my life, for theirs." Dumbledore looked at the younger girl in concern. She looked tired, as if something wasn't right.

"You already have", he said, leaning in to her. She nodded.

"No human, other creatures that didn't deserve to die."

"What's the price for taking a human back?"

"Everything", she said, trying to keep the tears away. "How do I decide? How do I know whose worth saving?"

"Someone you love, perhaps", said Dumbledore. He was trying to comfort her in some way.

"Do you mind speaking of something else sir?" Alice said and looked down in the floor. She'd been thinking about it for a while, but to announce it out loud made it so real.

"School, Alice", Dumbledore said. "I know you feel most subjects are worthless and you can read or figure out most yourself. But this is a school and attending to class, in your school uniform, might do you some good." Alice smiled. It might do her some good; take her mind of things for a moment.

"Of course, sir", she said softly and smiled.

"Go eat some lunch", he said and made a small gesture towards the door behind Alice. "And remember, you have herbology at one o' clock." Once again Alice smiled before she got up and made way down to the Great Hall. Not many was still left when she got there, she reckoned most had gone to class or to the common rooms. Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise and Draco sat at the far end of the Slytherin table. She didn't feel like speaking to either of them and sat down by herself instead.

"Hey gorgeous." Alice looked up and met Harpers smiling face. "Why are you sitting here by yourself?" He sat down opposite to Alice and took a clean plate and started loading on food on it.

"Blaise and I..." Alice stared; she wasn't sure what to say really.

"I know", Harper said and put a comforting hand upon Alice's. "Everyone does, Pansy overheard you and spread the word", Harper explained. Alice didn't know if she should be upset or grateful, it saved her from a lot of unpleasant questions but instead rumour spread.

"Oh", she simple said and glazed in Blaise's direction. The boys got up from their seats and headed towards the exit.

"I know this might seem a bit soon, but I really need to say this", said Harper and regained her attention. Alice looked back at the group of boys; Blaise met her gaze but quickly looked away.

"Are you doing anything this Friday?" Harper asked.

"No, not that I can think of", Alice said without removing her gaze from the other boys. Draco strolled after and headed her direction without really looking at her.

"Would you like to meet up and, um, do something?" Alice looked back at Harper, was he asking her out?

"It's a bit soon..." Alice said. But then she changed her mind. "But sure, I'll see you later", she said and smiled. Harper couldn't look more overjoyed.

"Great!" He said, a bit in surprise and gave a warm smile back. Alice got up and started walking away from the table and him.

"Alice", Draco started. Alice looked at him with her big, blue eyes with no particular expression. "Don't walk away", he said and grabbed her arm. Alice did as he asked, and she stood still.

"Whatever you have to say, say it quick. I don't have much time before class", Alice hissed at him. What would he possibly have to say to her? She made him forget, she made him change his mind.

"How are you?" He asked and smiled shyly.

"Fine", she said and started walking. He caught up with her hasty paste and they made their way through the crowd.

"Harper, do you know him?" Draco asked; he wasn't quite sure what he meant with that.

"Well enough to go on a date with him", Alice answered. Draco stopped, Alice didn't. He watched her move away from him, through the crowd, not even noticing his unexpected absence. Date, with him, after just a few days? This couldn't be happening.

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"Alice..?" Daphne asked and looked over her book at Alice in the empty common room.

"Hmm?" Alice asked, without looking up from hers.

"You know when we spoke earlier, like a week ago or something?" Daphne continued. Alice put down her book and watched her friend closely. "And you spoke of cleansing out...?"

"Yeah Daphne, I remember that", Alice said and tilted up her book again.

"Well, I've been thinking... We haven't tossed pie at any mudbloods, we haven't done anything really", Daphne said. She was thinking so fast Alice could have sworn smoke came out Daphne's ears. "Who was it we didn't want in our world?"

"The one who think they're above us, those who are trying to telling us what to do", Alice explained.

"Wouldn't that include all the teachers?" Daphne asked. "And, perhaps, the ministry and..."

"Go on, Daphne", Alice encouraged her.

"Your father?" Daphne was a bit afraid it might upset her, make her mad.

"Yes, it would", Alice said and smiled softly at her. "Well, we don't really have to destroy the teachers, I mean. It's their job to educate us and tell us things. And we're not really bothered by them when we get out of here."

"But what about the mudbloods?"

"Well, I don't really have a problem with them as long as they don't have one with me", Alice said, "don't get me wrong. I wouldn't go marry one and I do not see them as real witches and wizards. But why bother when we already know how much superior we are?" Daphne looked down in her book again, biting on her bottom lip.

"And as for my father. No need really, he is going to be his own destruction." Daphne smiled and they both picked up their books again.

"I don't get it", Blaise said and slammed his book in the table. Both Alice and Daphne tilted their books down as well. "I thought we would be joining your father?"

"Yeah, what about that?" Daphne filled in.

"I have a plan for us, don't worry", Alice said and smiled. They all picked up their books once more.

"Alice?" said Blaise and glanced at her over the edge of his book. Alice looked up and met his eyes. "I'm really glad you're not mad at me."

"I am mad at you", Alice said. "On the inside, my heart is crying and reading sad romance novels." Both Daphne and Blaise started laughing. Alice took her book and threw it at Daphne.

"It's not funny! I swear it's reading The sorrows of Young Werther", Alice yelled with a smile.

"So your heart's going to kill itself?" Blaise teased her.

"Yeah, but I'm a witch so I can mend it before it dies!" Alice pouted with her mouth and picked up yet another book from the table and hid behind it.

"Oh god, I have to pee", Daphne laughed before she disappeared.

"You're one of my best friends Alice, I'd like it to stay that way", Blaise said, completely serious. "You never really loved me that much anyway", he continued and tried to not sound to hurt.

"But you do", Alice said and put her hand on his. "If there's anything I can do..." He smiled and took her hand.

"Be happy, alright?" Alice nodded and they both returned to their books once more.