Author's Note: If you honestly think I'm J.K Rowling, you haven't been paying attention to the last how-ever-many disclaimers I've written. And that's just sad. Warning: Alex does curse a little bit in this chapter. I told you that I would warn you ahead of time so here I am!
Chapter 9 Apologizes and Attitudes
It was Alex's first time in the Forbidden Forest and she wasn't enjoying it much. Even with Hagrid and Fang by her side, she felt like she had no right there, that she was trespassing on private property. Hagrid had assured her that he still felt like that to this day, but this didn't help her much.
She and Hagrid were looking for new plants for his Blast-Ended Skrewts to eat in the Forest. As she was looking at a white leafed plant, thundering hoof beats came over and Alex backed away, looking into the wise, distant eyes of a centaur.
"Evening Firenze!" called Hagrid jovially as he came running over to Alex, putting a heavy hand on her shoulder and her knees wobbled, "I see yeh've met me new helper. Alex, this is Firenze, one o' the centaurs in the forest."
"Are they're a lot of centaurs here, sir?" Alex asked Firenze.
"There are, my child," he said in a calm, dreamy sort of voice that made Alex feel like she was on a beach, listening to the waves crash on the shore, "Many of us have been born and raised among these trees. The others will not like this, Hagrid."
Alex realized he had switched not only to Hagrid, but his tone was sharper in warning and slight fear.
"What do yeh mean?" Hagrid asked, his tone changing as well and becoming more ferocious.
"My herd has seen the girl, they know who she is, it is not safe for her here," Firenze said earnestly, "It is written in the stars that she is destined for greatness and must be protected."
Alex opened her mouth to ask what was going on when more hoof beats pounded into the area and she saw the rest of Firenze's "herd". There must have been fifty of them, all with the body of a man and the legs and back of a horse. One of them, who looked wilder, like a Mustang that resisted all means of domestication, trotted forward and reared up right near Hagrid and Alex. Hagrid pulled her back and stared angrily at the centaur.
"Bane," he growled, "Aren't I allowed to walk through the forest with company? Must yeh scare them half outta their minds 'cause yeh feel like it?"
"She is unwelcome here," the centaur named Bane said, "We only let you pass because you have been kind to us."
"An' how do yeh know she'll be kind too?" Hagrid roared angrily, "Yeh don't rule the entire forest Bane, others live here too!"
"Hagrid," Alex whispered, "I wouldn't mess with them if I were you."
"The child is right Hagrid," Bane said and Alex heard the stretching of bows and saw arrows pointed at them.
"Before we leave," Alex said, "Can I ask why you all seem to hate me? I've never met you in my life, yet you think me a threat."
"We do not fear you," Bane said with an evil laugh, "We just do not wish to have to deal with another Black in our forest. You look surprised, do not fear, we read it in the stars long before you were born."
"Child, the stars never lie," an old centaur said, coming out from the group. He reminded Alex of the centaur version of Dumbledore with his white beard and blue eyes, "If you can read the stars, all of earth's wisdom is yours. In the stars, you and your friends will overcome many battles, and lose many of those you love. But never give up, for you are destined for great things."
"Now be gone, before we make you leave," Bane said.
Hagrid grabbed Alex's shoulders and steered her away from the herd. Once they were out of the forest, he took her into his hut and began muttering angrily as he made some tea.
"Hagrid," said Alex, nervous because she had never seen him so angry, "What did they mean when they said they didn't want another Black running around? Did my father do something to them?"
"Ask him, not me," said Hagrid grumpily as he set down a plate of rock cakes and two mugs of tea the size of tankards, "I don't understand 'em at all, why punish the daughter for what the father did? He may 'ave done nuthin', those centaurs spend too much time stargazin' instead o' looking around them. All yer father did probably was get too close to their territory boundaries."
Nonetheless, Alex wrote to her father that night asking about it. Whenever she and Hagrid worked together, they never did it in the forest.
…...
The weeks came and went until it was the day before Halloween. Alex was working on her essay for Binns when a little first year tapped her shoulder.
"Professor Moody wants to talk to you," the boy said nervously. Alex recognized him as Colin Creevey's brother, Dennis.
Alex cocked her head to one side and said good-bye to her friends. She left the portrait hole and was walking when a voice made her stop.
"There you are!" Mad-Eye Moody was limping toward her, both his eyes staring right at her.
He gestured her to follow him into an empty classroom and to sit on a desk. She did so, eyeing Moody warily. What was this all about?
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you," he said, "I didn't realize that it was a big secret."
"Oh, it's fine sir," said Alex, taken aback, "It wouldn't have been long before someone found out and told."
"I know, I just feel bad about ruining your peace. It must get frustrating having everyone looking for your scar, when Harry's is so visible. Do you mind if I see it?" he asked.
Alex rolled up her sleeve and showed him her upper arm. He hobbled over and got his blue eye really close to it.
"Yes," he said quietly, almost to himself, "Just like Potter's." He looked up at her and Alex got a close look at the scars on his face that deformed him. "You excited for the tournament?"
"Yes sir," replied Alex, trying her best to smile, "There are so many great people who could be the champion. How do they decide?"
"I can't tell you," Moody said, moving towards the door and holding it for her, "But I will say that it'll be quite a show."
When Alex returned to her common room, Monty was sitting on a table with a letter in his beak.
"Your father sends his love with the letter," Monty said as he dropped the letter and flew through the open window to the Owlry. Alex ripped the envelope opened and read the letter to herself.
Dear Alex,
I received your letter and you have no idea how infuriated I was. Those centaurs can hold a grudge all right, but their qualms are with me and not you. During my seventh year, I received my flying motorcycle for Christmas. One of the first times I rode it, I accidentally crashed into their land during some special festival. Since then, they could never forgive me. All the same, it probably is best you stay out of the forest. That dream you had at the beginning of the summer is a warning that Voldemort is up to no good. Hogwarts will keep you safe but still be careful. I know that is hard for you, it always was for your mother and I. Say hello to everyone for me!
Loving and miss you a lot,
Orion
Alex smiled and folded the letter up. She knew it would have been a dumb reason for the centaurs kicking her out of the forest. And it was for the best that she didn't go in, that place gave her the creeps.
…...
The next day, Alex only had to go to Care of Magical Creatures and Charms. Once they were finished, the four Gryffindors put their bags in their dormitory, grabbed their cloaks to keep them warm in the cool October air, and went out onto the grounds. There they lined up in their houses and by went back by year. The noon bell sounded and they waited…and waited…and waited. Alex looked at her watch and saw it was twelve thirty, her stomach telling her it was time to eat.
"Look!" a small Ravenclaw boy shouted, pointing at the sky.
Alex didn't see anything at first, but then saw a small dot in the sky getting larger and larger. It was a carriage being pulled by flying horses. She watched in awe as it landed with surprising grace and came to a halt by the oak doors. Students in shimmering light blue robes came out of the carriage and lined up by the doors, turning back to the carriage. Alex looked back and saw a very large woman emerge. She was almost as tall as Hagrid, maybe even taller, with dark hair and eyes. Dumbledore approached her and kissed her big, outstretched hand.
"Madame Maxime," he said happily, "I hope your trip was enjoyable?"
"Ah Dumbledore," said Madame Maxime in a heavy French accent, "Zit is 'ard to enjoy oneself on ze jurney to such a onderful place as Ogwarts! Where zis ze other school?"
"On their way I assume," Dumbledore said, leading the woman up the stairs by the oak doors, "You may wait inside if you wish."
"We will wait here for zem to come," Madame Maxime said, "But where shall I keep ze horses?"
"Our gamekeeper Hagrid will care for them," said the Headmaster and Hagrid stepped forward and gave a little bow.
"You know 'Agrid," Madame Maxime said, staring down at Hagrid in his heavy fur coat, "Zey only drink ze finest French wine."
"I'll make sure they get it, don' yeh worry madam," he said with a smile and led the horses off.
Alex turned her eyes to the sky, hoping to catch another sign of the Durmstrang students. A voice drifted into her ears, but not a human voice.
"Hey, watch where you steer that thing!" the giant squid said and Alex stood on her tiptoes to see the lake. Others who saw her did the same.
Bubbles rose on the smooth surface of the lake and suddenly, the bow of a ship jutted out of the water. Several people gasped in alarm as the ship surfaced and docked along the shore. A ramp was sent out and the Durmstrang students came ashore.
They were all in heavy furs and dark, woolen robes. In the front was a man with a small beard and goatee, all jet black. Next to him was a boy older than Alex with a crooked nose, as though it had been broken a lot. Alex stared at this boy for awhile until she realized who it was.
"Krum," she whispered, "Viktor Krum is here! I had no idea he went to Durmstrang!"
"Hey, do you think he'll give out autographs?" Ron asked excitedly, using his height to his advantage as he strained his neck to get a better look.
"Oh honestly," said Hermione, shaking her head annoyed, "He's just a Quidditch player."
"Just a Quidditch player?" said Ron and Harry together.
"Hermione," said Alex calmly as the boys stuttered to find words, "He's the best Seeker in the world. All the teams want him and he's not even out of school yet."
"Igor Karkarof," Dumbledore said warmly and shook hands with the black bearded man, "Glad to see you again."
"It is a pleasure," Karkarof said in a throaty accent, "This is my star pupil, Viktor Krum."
"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Krum," Dumbledore said as he shook hands with the Bulgarian Seeker, "I heard your performance at the World Cup was quite outstanding. Well, now that we're all gathered out in the cold, let us enter the warmth of the castle and enjoy a delicious feast!"
Alex followed the crowd into the Great Hall and took her usual place at the Gryffindor table. Much to Ron's disappointment, the Durmstrang students sat with the Slytherins while the Beauxbaton's sat with the Ravenclaws. When the food came up, Alex noticed that there were several new dishes she had never seen before. One was a plum pudding with strange, long things mixed in. Alex dared Fred to try it and he spat it back out at once.
"It's a mixture of squid tentacles and pudding," Fred shuddered, "Who eats that stuff?"
"Apparently they do," Harry said, nodding at the Ravenclaw table where the Beauxbaton students couldn't get enough of the squid pudding. Just as they were looking, one of them stood up and came over. All the guys were practically drooling as she walked by. Her hair was pure blonde and came down to her hips. She had bright blue eyes and very pale skin. She reminded Alex of the vela from the World Cup, but there was something more human about here.
"Are you going to eat zat?" she asked.
Seeing as none of the guys, minus Harry but he was gazing off somewhere else, were staring at the girl with no intention of talking, both Alex and Hermione lifted the bowl and handed it to her.
"Here you go," Alex said in a friendly tone, "We're not much of a squid crowd."
The girl looked down at her haughtily and walked off with her nose in the air. Alex rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest.
"What a stuck-up bitch! Who does she think she is: the Queen of Sheba? What?" said Alex angrily as the boys looked over at her mutinously, "Did you see that look when I said we didn't like squid? I thought she was trying to melt the skin off my face! Just because she's got a foreign accent and has good looks, doesn't mean she has to be such a snob."
The Weasleys were still staring at the vela girl while Harry seemed very much distracted by something, or someone, at the Ravenclaw table. Once the plates were cleared, Professor Dumbledore stood up and Filch, the caretaker, came in carrying a large wooden box. The students all stared eagerly and curiously as it was set at the front of the hall for all to see.
"This is our unbiased judge of the champions!" said Dumbledore proudly. Alex didn't think a person could fit in there until Dumbledore raised his wand and the box vanished, revealing a worn goblet. Suddenly, the goblet began to glow a light blue and fire rose from within.
"I give you…The Goblet of Fire!"
Everyone applauded and Dumbledore raised his hands for silence.
"Those of you who are the age of seventeen or over may enter your name into the Goblet of Fire. All you have to do is write your name and your school, and place it into the flames. Tomorrow evening, we will meet in this hall again and see who the goblet has chosen. I must warn you now, those who are too young to enter I beseech you not to try and do so. There are these rules for a reason, I promise you that. So good-night and good luck to all!"
Alex and Hermione returned to their dormitory and set up a homework study session on the floor. As Alex came out of the bathroom, Hermione was waiting on Alex's bed.
"Wouldn't it be awesome to be in the tournament?" Alex asked, flopping herself on her bed and smiling, "Glory for Hogwarts and my name on that cup."
"It'll be dangerous though," Hermione said, "Remember what Crouch said? They will not only test the champions' magical skills, but their physical and mental ones too."
"I wish the four of us could compete together as a team," said Alex, sitting up and leaning against a post, "We've taken on a lot worse than a few challenges you know."
"We definitely have," said Hermione, looking at the window, but not really seeing it.
"What was up with Harry at the lunch feast?" Alex asked, causing Hermione to jump.
"Didn't you see?" Hermione asked with a mischievous smile that Alex usually wore, "He was staring at Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker he played last year."
"No way!" said Alex with a laugh, "She's a year older than him! Our little Harry's gotta crush!"
"Don't say a word!" said Hermione sternly, but she was giggling too, "He doesn't realize how noticeable he's being. He'd kill us if we told anyone."
"Your secret's safe with me, Black's honor," Alex said and put a hand over her heart.
They spent the rest of the day working on the pile of homework they had gotten for the weekend. They were working on Arithmancy when the clock on Hermione's bedside table struck eight thirty.
"And then you take the three and…what are you doing?" Hermione asked as Alex stood up like she had sat on a needle and started putting her shoes on without tying them.
"I was supposed to meet Draco in the dungeons half an hour ago!" said Alex, grabbing her cloak and bag, and running down the stairs two at a time, Hermione following her.
Over the last few weeks, the two of them had gotten to know each other more. Alex was surprised to find that when not surrounded by his dim-witted cronies, Draco was actually able to hold an intelligent and interesting conversation. They were able to chat freely with each other as they spent hours down in the dark dungeons. Although their friendship was still in its early stages, Alex found herself actually looking forward to their lessons. Draco turned out to be a great Potions brewer and excellent company.
"Draco? Since when have you called him Draco?" said Hermione as they left the common room and headed to the dungeons.
"I don't know," said Alex impatiently, waving her hand as she walked quickly, "Does it really matter what I call him?"
"Yes, it does!" said Hermione, running in front of Alex and cutting her off from the door to the dungeons, "Allowing someone to use your first name means they're trusting you with their name! How can you trust him after all he's done to get us in trouble?"
"I…I don't know all right?" said Alex, faltering a little. She didn't know herself, but it seemed harmless. It wasn't like she trusted him with one of her darkest secrets, like who her father really was or about her Invisibility Necklace.
"Just be careful Alex," said Hermione, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Malfoy's manipulative and cunning, he's probably just using your talents to boost his grades."
"People can change you know," snapped Alex, "My dad was a total jerk until his seventh year. Maybe Malfoy's changed too. He seems different than last year, and the years before."
"Maybe," said Hermione, but Alex knew she didn't believe her, "But you should still be on your guard. Maybe these lessons aren't such a good idea."
"Look Hermione," said Alex, finally snapping completely, "I understand you're looking out for me, but I don't need you to. I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I am perfectly capable of handling whatever Dra-I mean Malfoy can do to me. I'll see you later!"
She spun on her heel and headed down, Hermione watching her with a mix of hurt and sadness.
Author's Note: Hello all! I know, not the most exciting chapter but the next few are pretty interesting. This book is a lot of fun and hopefully you all are enjoying it so far. I promise there are many surprises in store. Now, since I still can't reply to reviews via PMs, here are my replies to my lovely reviewers.
Natsuki-chan2912: Haha, you're very welcome! Keep the plot bunnies coming! I love writing this series so much. Thanks for your review!
x Jen bbe x: Ah, I can't answer that question right now. You'll just have to wait and see. However, if you read my A/N, I do talk about it in one of my answers in a hypothetical situation. Check it out again and maybe that'll help answer your question…nudge nudge, wink wink. Haha! :P Thanks for your review!
ZebraPotter18: Thank you! We have, like, two weeks left and I don't feel like doing any work, even though I still have to take finals. I have a bad case of senior-itus. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Aileen Autarkeia: Hooray, I'm glad you're almost done with school! If you don't mind me asking, are you in college? Because someone told me that the whole "You can only have two" thing applied to college life. Just curious. Yeah, Draco was rather pissed. Poor Draco, although I think he's extra cute when he's angry…*sigh* Thank you so much for your review and Little Button greatly appreciated the biscuits. ;)
Lone Fairytale: Haha, it's no big deal! :P And I def agree, he is a sexy beast that never fails to make me swoon. Did you enjoy my A/N? I don't want to give away too much information so that was the result. I reread it actually and I started cracking up. Ah well. If you're enjoying their time together in the dungeons, you will def enjoy the next few chapters. Thanks for your reviews; they never fail to brighten my day!
If you would like to be recognized for your review in my A/Ns, just click that little review button at the bottom of the page. It is well trained, thanks to hours of work and many boxes of treats, and will only attack you without mercy if you attempt to write a flame. Thanks again and please review! :D