The Gryffindors and Slytherins were the green house for Herbology, waiting on Professor Sprout to arrive.
"Oh this is the best part about being a witch," Squealed Alexis as she bounced excitedly, she was looking forward to the start of Herbology, it was her favorite subject here at Hogwarts, she even thought about starting a garden at the manor for the herbs needed in vanquishing potions, better using fresh then going to Chinatown and buying them or even Diagon Alley.
Professor Spout walked in, "Morning everyone," but the class was still talking to themselves, she tapped her wand on a Terracotta pot "Good Morning, everyone."
"Good Morning, Professor Spout." the class replied.
"Welcome to Greenhouse Three, Second year. Gather around everyone." Professor Sporut explained. "Today we're going to re-pot Mandrakes. Who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?"
Only two hands shot up, Alexis and Hermione.
"Yes, Miss. Granger?" Professor Sprout called on Hermione.
"Mandrake, or Mandragora is used to to returned those who have been petrified to their original state." Hermione answered.
Alexis still held her hand up,
"Yes, Miss. Halliwell," Professor Sprout acknowledged.
"Also Professor, the mandrake root is used the demon Bethlazar vanquishing potion," Alexis explained, "And it's also quite dangerous. The Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it."
Professor Sprout smiled, she and the other Hogwarts staff had been briefed on the demons that might come after Alexis "Excellent. Twenty points to Gryffindor. As our mandrakes are still only seedlings, their cries won't kill you yet. But they could knock you out for several hours, which is why I have given you earmuffs for auditory protection. So could you please put them on, right away? Quickly, Flaps tight down and watch me closely, you grasp your Mandrake firmly. You pull sharply it out of the pot. "
The Mandrake seedling began to wail, and everyone grasped their earmuffs. Alexis watched in fascination, as Professor Sprout re-potted the plant. "Got it? And...now you dunk it down into another pot and pour a little sprinkling of soil to keep him warm."
The gryffindors looked over at Neville as he swayed and fell over.
"Longbottom's been neglecting his earmuffs," Professor Sprout stated.
"No, Ma'am, he's just fainted." Seamus replied.
"Yes, well, just leave him there." Professor Sprout stated. "Right, on we go. Plenty of pots to go around."
the next hour or so the entire class besides Neville who fainted, replanted their mandrakes, Draco got bit by one as he was sticking his finger close to one.
At lunch, Alexis watched as Ron taped his wand back together, she still couldn't believe that the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters closed on them.
"Say it, I'm doomed." Ron sighed.
Harry just looked at him, "You're doomed."
"Hi Harry!" greeted a cheerful first year with a camera "I'm Colin Creevey. I'm in Gryffindor too."
"Hi, Colin. Nice to meet you." Harry replied.
"He took that camera of his out and took one me this morning," Alexis stated while glaring half heartedly at the first year.
"Ron, is that your owl?" asked one of the Gryffindor students.
Errol flew in and landed upside down in a bowl of potato chips.
"Bloody bird's a menace." Ron stated as he reached on to get the envelope in the bird's beak. Errol righted himself after and took off again. Ron paled at the color of the envelope it was red. "Oh no."
"Look, everyone. Weasley's got himself a Howler." Seamus announced.
"Go on, Ron. I ignored one from my gran once. It was horrible." Neville stated.
Ron opened the back flap on the envelope, and it began to shout.
"RONALD WEASLEY! How dare you steal that car! I am absolutely disgusted! Your father's now facing an inquiry at work and it's entirely your fault! If you put another toe out of line, We'll bring you straight home!" the Howler then turned to Ginny and in a more nicer tone, "And Ginny, dear, Congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud." it then raspberried Ron and ripped itself up.
"I'm so glad that it wasn't Prue who sent me one of those, hers might send me crashing into the wall." Alexis shallowed after witnessing that.
After lunch was Defense Against the Dark Arts taught this year by none other other then Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Let me introduced you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Me, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award. But I don't talk about that I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at him." Lockhart greeted.
"and incredibly long-winded," Alexis muttered as she wanted to hurl, she glanced around and saw that all the girls were sighing dreamingly at Lockhart while the boys were disgusted.
"Now, Be warned. It is my job to arm you..against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind. You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room." Lockhart went on explaining, he tapped on a covered cage, it rattled.
Alexis perked up in her seat a little bit in interest.
"Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here." He reached up and to place his hand on the cover, "I must ask you not to scream, it might provoke them." he uncovered the cage.
There were about hundred of these blue creatures in it, Alexis felt her hope that this class would be fun crashing and burning.
"Cornish pixies?" Seamus asked.
Freshly caught Cornish pixies." Lockhart replied, and Seamus began to laugh, "Laugh if you will, Mr. Finnegan but pixies can be devilishly tricky little blighters, Let's see what you make of them." he released them into the classroom.
Alexis stayed seated while the others were running around to try and escape the pixies.
"Come on now, round them up. They're only pixies." Lockhart ordered.
Two of them lifted Neville up and pulled him into the air and hung him on a candelabra.
Three of them tried to annoy Alexis, but the Halliwell witch just grabbed them and threw them and the open cage door and with a flick of her wand the cage door shut. "I'm not annoyed easily,"
Lockhart ran back into his office, after one of them took his wand away. "I'll ask you four to just nip they rest of them back into their cage."
"what do we do now?" Ron asked.
Hermione stood up and got her wand out, "Immoblus!"
Neville looked at everyone who was still on the ground, "Why is it always me?"
Alexis swished and flicked her wand, "WingardiumLeviosa," she lowered Neville to the floor,
"Thanks Lexi," Neville thanked her afterward.
"Your welcome, least I can do. The other was calling for Carmela to get you down," Alexis replied.
Later that day after classes were over for the rest of the evening, Hermione, Ron, and Lexi and Cedric were sitting on a bench when they noticed the Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams were nose to nose.
"I smell trouble." Ron stated.
They stood up and walked over, as Oliver Wood was reading a note.
"I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker," Oliver read out loud he looked up, "You've got a new Seeker. Who?"
Alexis' mouth dropped open as her cousin Draco step out,
"Malfoy?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"That's right. And that's not all that's new this year." Draco replied.
Ron looked down at the brooms the Slytherins were holding, "Those are Nimbus 2001s. How did you get those?"
"A gift from Draco's father." Marcus Flint answered.
"You see, Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best." Draco stated
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in, they got in on pure talent." Hermione retorted.
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood." Draco replied.
Alexis bristled as she saw Hermione's expression, she looked like she wanted to cry.
"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy." Ron stated he took out his broken wand "Eat Slugs!" but the curse backfired and sent him flying backwards
The Gryffindor team, Hermione, Alexis, and Cedric ran over.
"You okay, Ron?" asked Hermione
"Say something." Alexis snapped.
Ron paled them puked up a slug. Colin came up and took a picture.
"Wow! Can you turn him around. Harry?" Colin asked.
"No, Colin, get out of the way." Harry replied. He and Hermione stood up and took Ron's arms. "Let's take him to Hagrid's"
"Go, I'll catch up." Alexis ordered.
She turned to Cedric, "What's a Mudblood?"
"It means 'Dirty blood.' Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who's Muggle born, someone with non-magical parents." Cedric answered. "It's not a term one usually hears in civilized conversation,"
"Someone like Hermione." whispered the now enraged Alexis, who had flames sparks dancing around her. She shoved past the Gryffindors and marched up to Draco.
"Lexi," Draco greeted.
"Don't ever call me Lexi again, I told you last year that is a name only my friends call me, as far as I'm concerned right now, The friendship between us is over." Alexis replied then for good measure she used some of her energy blast power and sent Draco to the ground. "Don't ever come near me and my friends again or I'll vanquish you."
Alexis ran off to Hagrid's hut, she was let in after she knocked.
"Cousin or no cousin, I will vanquish him if I hear that word again." Alexis vowed as she hugged Hermione. "No body insults my friends, why would he say something like that?"
"See the thing is, Lexi, there are some wizards, like the Malfoy who think they're better then everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood," Hagrid explained.
"That's horrible." Harry stated
"It's disgusting." Ron agreed before he puked up another slug.
"And it's codswallop to boot. Dirty blood" Hagrid scoffed. "Why, there isn't a wizard alive today that's not half-blood or less."
"the other Charmed Ones are half bloods, their father is a muggle. But the Elders allow him to know about us." Alexis added. "I'm well I don't know what I am."
"more to the point, they've yet to think of a spell that our Hermione can't do. Come here." Hagrid stated
Hermione walked over and Hagrid took her in his. "Don't you think on it, Hermione. Don't you think on it for one minute."
Carmela orbed in then, "I saw what you did, Lexi."
Alexis looked down then, "You're taking away points aren't you?"
"No, I agree with the reasons you did so, but not the actions. You will have detention with me tonight."
Alexis nodded.
The following night, Alexis was in a empty class room, she was writing lines over and over again, 'I will not use my powers against other students'
"I wonder how Harry's doing in his detention?" wondered Alexis as she was writing.
Carmela closed her eyes and sensed her other charge, "He's with Lockhart."
"Answering Fan mail most likely," Alexis muttered then she heard something that sounded like someone was whispering.
"Come, Come to me."
Carmela looked at Alexis as she stop writing. "What?"
"I just heard a voice." Alexis replied,
"What voice?" Carmela answered.
"You didn't hear it?" Alexis asked.
"No, what are you talking about," Carmela replied. "I think we can call this night's detention over with."
Alexis wrote over two thousand sentences in four hours.
Alexis nearly ran into Harry as she was going to her dormitory.
"Blood I smell blood. Let me rip you, let me kill you."
"I don't think you're hearing voices are you by any chance?" Alexis asked.
Harry went over to the wall and put his ear against it.
"I take that as a yes." Alexis muttered. Then following the voice.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Harry! Lexi!" Hermione exclaimed as she and Ron ran up.
"Did you hear it?" Harry asked.
"Hear what?" asked Ron
"That voice," Lexi answered.
"Voice? What voice?" Hermione asked.
"I heard it first in Lockhart's office," Harry answered
"I heard it with Carmela and then again just." Alexis added.
"It's time"
"It's moving, I think it's going to kill." both Harry and Alexis whispered then they took off running.
"Kill?" Ron repeated.
"Harry, Lexi. Wait not so fast!" Hermione exclaimed.
Harry and Alexis came to a stop in another corridor, they came to stand in a puddle of water. Ron and Hermione finally caught up.
They stopped and saw something really strange, the spiders were leaving.
"Strange." Harry muttered. "I've never seen spiders act like that."
"I don't like spiders." Ron replied, then looked down at the puddle, they saw a reflection of something. "What's that?"
They looked up and saw something written on the wall.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." Hermione read, "its written in blood."
Alexis turned and saw something, "Oh no."
"It's Flich's cat." Harry stated as he and Alexis moved forward
"It's Mrs. Norris." Alexis explained. As she saw the cat hanging by it's tail like it was dead.
They turned when more students began to file in,
"Enemies of the Heir, beware." Draco read "You'll be next Mud..." he trailed off when he saw Alexis standing there with a smirk on her face, her expression was like 'Go on, finish that sentence and see what happens.'
"What's going here? Go on. Make way, make way." Filch's voice sounded
"Potter? Halliwell?" Filch asked. "What are you...?" he looked up to see his cat "Mrs. Norris? You've murdered my cat."
"No, No." replied Harry and Alexis.
"I'll kill you." Filch stated he grabbed both their robes "I'll kill you!"
He pulled his hand away as a shimmering silverish blue shield formed around Alexis and Harry.
"My shield will stay up as long as I need it too," Alexis stated in a calm voice.
"Argus!" exclaimed a voice of the Headmaster coming in between the students with the other teachers "Argus, I..." he trailed off as he saw the writing. "Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately,"
they turned around to go,
"Everyone except.." Dumbledore pointed at Alexis, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "You four."
the Prefects began calling their Houses.
"She's not dead, Argus. She has been Petrified." Dumbledore explained.
"Thought so. So unlucky I wasn't there. I know exactly the countercurse that could've spared her." Lockhart added.
Dumbledore gave him look like he didn't believe a word of it. "But how she has been petrified, I cannot say."
"Ask them. It's them that's done it." Filch stated making nodded with his chin at Alexis and Harry. "You saw what they wrote of the wall."
"It's not true, sir. I swear. I never touched Mrs. Norris." Harry replied.
"I don't know any spells that would petrify anyone." Alexis replied.
"Rubbish." Filch stated.
"If I might, Headmaster. Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place and the wrong time," Snape spoke up for the first time.
The four students glanced at each other like they didn't know what to think.
"However the circumstances are suspicious, I for one, don't recall seeing Potter or Halliwell at dinner." Snape moved forward as he spoke
"I'm afraid that's my doing, Severus." Lockhart replied. "You see, Harry was helping me answer my fan mail."
"Carmela, you can orb anytime. I need some backup!" shouted Alexis.
Carmela orbed down wearing her Elder robe. "What is going on?" she noticed the writing on the wall. "Oh...Alexis was with me tonight,"
"That's why Ron and I went looking for them, Professor. We'd just found them when they said..." Hermione trailed off.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Snape asked.
"When I said I wasn't hungry." Harry finished.
"I said I wasn't feeling good," Alexis added. "We were heading back the common room when we found Mrs. Norris."
Snape turned and looked at Dumbledore
"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus." Dumbledore stated.
"My cat has been Petrified, I want to see some punishment!" Filch exclaimed.
"Punishment when there is no guilty party, is uncalled for." Carmela replied.
"We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madam Sprout has a very healthy growth of mandrake. When matured a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris." Dumbledore explained.
Alexis looked at Carmela, "Is there anything you can do?"
"I can try, but I haven't Healed anything that was petrified before," Carmela answered before going over to the cat. She raised her hands to heal her but nothing happened, she turned back to Filch, "I'm sorry, even I'm bound by the rules,"
"And in the meantime I strongly recommend caution to all." Dumbledore went on after Carmela's failed attempt to Heal Mrs. Norris.
The students and Carmela were walking up the staircase to the dormitories, when Hermione spoke.
"It's a bit strange, isn't it?" Hermione asked.
"Strange?" repeated Harry.
"You both hear this voice, a voice only you can hear...and Mrs. Norris turns up Petrified. Its just strange." Hermione explained.
"Do you think we should have told them? Dumbledore and the others, I mean?" Harry asked.
"Are you mad?" Ron asked.
"No, Harry. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign." Carmela answered, "I'm going to confer with the other Elders maybe they have some insight into this." before orbing off.
"She's right, you know." a portrait stated.
DarkPriestess66: same as before, I used the subtitles.