Author's Note: Nope, not J.K Rowling. If I was, that would be totally awesome. Yes, I made my daily AVPM reference! :)
Chapter 2 An Unexpected Visit
August came and after a week of feeding Orion from a bottle, Alex started him on hard food. She was pleased that he was getting stronger and more energetic. Instead of sleeping upstairs on Alex's bed all day, Orion wanted to go outside and run around.
Alex was making breakfast one day when Uncle Monty came downstairs. He had been at work at the Ministry of Magic all night and was dead tired. Her guardian worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. They were working on something big that Uncle Monty refused to talk about so Alex had stopped asking why her guardian was working so late. Alex finished the eggs and brought them over to him.
"How are you feeling?" Alex asked as she set down his plate in front of him.
"Fine," Uncle Monty said as he stifled a yawn, "I have to go to work again today so I won't be home until late."
"Sure, but try not to be too late tonight," Alex said.
Uncle Monty laughed grimly and started eating his breakfast. Once finished, he put his plate in the sink and went over to the fireplace. He pulled out a drawstring bag from his pocket, took a handful of something, and threw it into the fireplace. The fire began to glow green.
"Floo Powder," Uncle Monty explained, seeing Alex's startled face, "I don't have time to drive all the way to London and I don't want to Apparate, it makes me queasy. I'll see you later tonight!"
Uncle Monty stepped into the fireplace and said loudly, "Ministry of Magic!" Next thing Alex knew, he was gone. Sighing, she finished her breakfast and went upstairs to give Orion his food. After the dog had finished eating, she grabbed a leash and led him out the door.
"You're coming with me today, buddy," she said as they walked to the village, "I don't trust you alone in the house. You might tear the place apart."
Orion stopped and looked at her, an incredulous look on his face. It was as if he was saying, "Who, me? Now why would I do something like that?" Alex laughed and continued on. She stopped in front of a gated wall and looked at the large mansion inside.
"That's where the Malfoy's live," she said in hushed tones to Orion, "Their son, Draco, goes to school with me. Not in my house though," she added quickly, "The whole lot are in Slytherin."
Orion let out a low growl and Alex chuckled. She continued to the dance studio and opened the door. Instantly, a dozen or so girls surrounded Alex and Orion.
"Aw, look at him! He's so sweet!" said a little girl in a tutu.
"What's his name?" asked another.
"Orion," Alex said. She had been worried all this attention would make him nervous, but the dog seemed to enjoy it.
She led him into the room where her class was and snuck in quietly. All the girls were stretching as the music blared. Alex went up to the teacher.
"Sorry I'm late," she yelled over the noise, "Is it okay if I brought my dog along? I can't leave him at home alone and he won't bother us, I promise."
"Well," said Miss Stacy, looking at Alex to the black mutt, "All right, but if he makes a mess on my clean floors, you'll have to clean it up."
Alex smiled and led Orion to the front of the room by a wall of mirrors. She took off his leash and commanded him to stay.
"Alex, nice dog. Is that the one from the park?" asked Erin. She had fully recovered from the flu.
"Yeah, doesn't he look great?" said Alex, smiling proudly at Orion.
"Yes, he does. No one's claimed him yet?"
"No," said Alex happily, "I put posters up everywhere. No one's claimed him."
"Okay everyone!" shouted Miss Stacy, switching the music to their song for their dance, "Let's crash and burn! Five…six…five, six, seven, eight!"
Alex remembered the dance, but stopped to laugh as Orion stood on his hind legs and jumped around, doing his own dance. Soon everyone, including the teacher, was on the ground laughing hysterically. Finally, Alex wiped her eyes and went over to the dog.
"Oh Orion," she said, "You're a hoot, you know that? Hey Miss Stacy! Maybe we should give him a solo!"
"You know…we should! Let's put on a show for the others and let him be the grand finale."
So, after going over the rest of the dance, Alex's class put on a show for anyone who wanted to watch. Once the girls finished their part, they ran off to the sides and Alex led Orion to the center of the room. He stood up on his hind legs and Alex grabbed his front paws. Together, they did a little finale dance and the whole room erupted into applause.
"Nice job fancy feet," whispered Alex, giving Orion a hug.
Class filed out and everyone wanted to say good-bye to the famous dancing hound. As a result, Alex, Erin, and Orion walked back home later than usual. The two girls waved good-bye as they went their separate ways. Alex walked up the driveway and stopped dead in her tracks.
"Oh no, oh no," she whispered, shaking her head.
In the driveway was a large silver minivan. That could mean only one thing: Alex's great-aunts were making a surprise visit. Alex hated her great-aunts and they hated her too. They were her Uncle Monty's aunts and lived in a suburb near London. Every time they visited, they would always find something wrong with the way Uncle Monty raised her. Lately, they had been saying she was too fat. However, anyone who saw Alex would know that she was skinny and definitely not overweight.
"Come on Orion," said Alex as though she was walking to her death.
Alex took out the key and opened the door. The silence of the house was ruined by the television blaring in the living room. She started to sneak up to her bedroom, hoping they wouldn't hear her, when a voice called.
"Elian, is that you? Come in here this instant!"
Alex sighed. That was her Aunt Victoria's cackle, she'd recognize it anywhere. She pushed the dog up the stairs and told it to stay. Alex turned and entered the living room.
"Uncle Monty's not here yet, it's Alex."
"Alex, it's so good-oh my!" said the other old lady, Aunt Katherine, "Look at her, Victoria! She's getting bigger each time we see her!"
You're one to talk, thought Alex angrily. Aunt Katherine was as large as a walrus and even had the whiskers. "It's good to see you too," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
"Don't give me that sass," Aunt Katherine said, "You're going on a diet, nothing but celery for you, young lady."
Alex didn't even try to argue. She had learned at a young age to just do whatever they wanted, even if it was strange and unreasonable.
"Where is Elian?" said Aunt Victoria.
"He's at work. He won't be home until later tonight," Alex said.
"And he was going to leave you here all alone? No babysitter?" she said shocked.
"I'll be thirteen in September!" said Alex, "I don't need a babysitter. I can baby-sit for other families for heaven's sake!"
"Watch you tongue!" Aunt Victoria snapped. "Obviously Elian does not know how to raise a child well, letting a ten-year-old stay alone."
"I'll be thirteen in a month! And Uncle Monty is the best guardian I've ever had." Alex felt hot anger inside her and took a few deep breaths. She had to watch her temper otherwise she might turn her great-aunts into toads.
Although, she thought, That might be an improvement.
"Of course he is," said Aunt Katherine waving a large, chubby hand, "Now, get us something to drink. We're parched."
Alex went into the kitchen, seething with rage. How could they think they could just come into her uncle's house and start giving orders? She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and poured it into two glasses full of ice. Then, she brought them over to the old ladies and set them down on the coasters.
"I'll be upstairs doing my homework," she said and they nodded, not really paying any attention to her. They were looking at a photograph of a man on the television.
"This man, Sirius Black, is a dangerous mass-murderer," the news caster was saying, "He has escaped from an asylum and is armed. Anyone who has information, please call the hotline below. Any piece of information may be vital to the capture of this villain."
"How could they let a man like that escape?" said Aunt Victoria, "He's a mad man!"
"Police today, things just aren't what they used to be," said Aunt Katherine.
Alex shuddered and went upstairs. Now to top it all off, there was a crazy psychopath on the loose!
Maybe, Alex thought grimly, He'll come here and take out my great-aunts.
She knew that was a terrible thing to think, but she felt they deserved it. Every since she had moved in with her uncle, she always remembered their visits. They would pester Uncle Monty about letting them take her to their home, and they were always talking about her weight and appearance. Living with them would be a death sentence, plus they wouldn't let her go to Hogwarts. They were Muggles and didn't know anything about magic.
Alex went into her room and walked straight over to her black owl, Monty. She grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote two quick letters, one to her uncle and the other to Hermione. The one to her uncle explained that Aunts Victoria and Katherine were at the house, just to give him forewarning. The one to Hermione said that Monty would have to stay with her for a while, since her aunts were deathly afraid of birds. She told her friend to give Monty to her on the train or if sooner they saw each other.
"I'm sorry Monty," she whispered to her owl, "My great-aunts would have a fit if they saw you. It'll only be for a little while."
"I'll miss you Alex," said Monty sadly.
Alex watched as her friend took off and flew out of sight. She cursed the two hags downstairs that forced her to send her owl away. Alex sat at her desk and pulled out some parchment. Something heavy landed on her leg and she looked to see Orion laying his head in her lap.
"You're going to have to stay up here for a while, I'm sorry boy," she said, scratching him behind the ears, "My great-aunts are visiting and if they were to see you, they would kick you out before you could bark. They hate animals."
Orion seemed to understand and hopped on the bed. Alex turned to her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay and began writing, trying to get her mind off all that just happened.
…...
Hours later, Alex rolled up her just finished essay and put it away. Rubbing her eyes, she leaned back and looked at the clock. It was four in the afternoon. Alex stood up and began pacing. Finally, she decided to start making dinner for when her uncle came home.
She went down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing chicken strips, parmesan cheese, spaghetti sauce from the freezer, and pasta from the pantry. She had just started boiling the water when Aunt Victoria came in.
"What's for dinner?" she asked.
"Chicken parmesan and spaghetti," Alex said as she put the pasta into the boiling water.
Her great-aunt grumbled, but didn't say anything aloud, much to Alex's pleasure. Usually the two of them would make some comment about how the prepared food could clog arteries or raise blood pressure. As she prepared dinner, she could hear the television from the living room. Once again, a newscaster was telling the general public about that madman, Sirius Black. Suddenly, the phone rang and Alex ran to get it.
"Hello?" Alex said.
"Is this Alex?" said a familiar voice, "It's Hermione."
"You have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice," Alex said with relief, "What's up?"
"I just got Monty, but what's going on? I know you'd never send your owl away unless it was important."
"My great-aunts are here for a…surprise visit," she said coolly, "We, ah, don't see things the same way about what I sent to you."
"Oh, all right. I just wanted to know, I was worried when Monty came. I thought something bad happened. Your letter didn't go into much detail," Hermione said.
"Alexandria! Who are you talking to?" Aunt Katherine shouted from the other room.
"No one!" she yelled back and continued in a whisper, "Listen, I got to go, write to me soon." She hung up and went back to cooking. As she put the finishing touches on the chicken, the front door opened. Alex ran to the door and saw her guardian in a suit and tie.
"Uncle Monty, what's up with the suit?" she whispered.
"Your great-aunts think I'm in the banking business," he replied in low tones.
Alex nodded and led her uncle to the kitchen. He sat down with a sigh as Alex set the table. Once finished, she called her great-aunts into the kitchen. After everyone was seated, Alex refilled her great-aunts drinks. As she sat down, she realized her plate was gone. Alex looked up and saw Aunt Victoria dividing Alex's meal between the three adults.
"What are you doing?" Alexis said angrily, "That's my dinner!"
"Do you know how many carbs are in this?" Aunt Katherine said as she shoved a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth.
"Here, eat this," Aunt Victoria said and handed Alex a small stick of celery.
Alex bit back a rude retort and she took the celery while concentrating on not sending her glass flying across the room. However, she could still hear the snide comments her great-aunts made at her and her uncle.
"So Elian, you must be having trouble at work," Aunt Katherine said as she ate.
"What makes you say that?" Uncle Monty said coolly.
"Well, you must be leaving Alex home alone often. She is able to make dinner by herself," Aunt Katherine said, her eyes shinning with malice.
"You know Elian, I was just reading in the paper yesterday and there was an article about childcare," Aunt Victoria said, "It said that children who are left at home alone are more likely to do worse in school and go to prison."
"Well then," Uncle Monty said calmly, "You obviously did not know that Alex finished her first year second in her class."
"What about her second year?" Aunt Victoria asked icily.
"Exams were cancelled," Alex said, looking up, "It was to celebrate because over vacation, a lot of kids got deathly ill. Miraculously, everyone got better so we didn't have exams."
"What school is this?" Aunt Katherine asked, "Canceling exams just because a few people had a cold? Schools today, I remember the good old days when if you messed up, WHACK!" She smacked the table for emphasis.
"People were dying!" Alex said, outraged even though if that wasn't what really happened. Last year she, along with six others, had been petrified by a basilisk.
The whole table was silent after that. After Alex cleaned up and served coffee and ice cream, Aunt Katherine told Alex to go upstairs and go to bed.
"But it's only seven!" Alex said angrily.
"Go upstairs, now!" Aunt Katherine shouted, "Let the adults talk!"
Alex sighed audibly and turned on her heel. When she got to her room, she lay on her bed and screamed into her pillow, drowning the sound. Once she finished, Alex showered and put on her pajamas. Orion was on her bed, looking at her with worried eyes.
"I'm sorry buddy," Alex said and she went over to pet him, "They're just so annoying. The way they treat Uncle Monty makes me want to cry."
She sighed and opened her window to let the warm summer air in. As she stared out, she could hear voices from below.
"…be reasonable, Elian." came Aunt Katherine's voice. She, Aunt Victoria, and Uncle Monty were sitting on the patio outside, talking.
"No, I won't let you do this," Uncle Monty said angrily. He stood up and began to pace.
"You obviously don't know how to raise a growing girl, and we don't blame you," said Aunt Victoria, "Children today are very confusing, especially for a single man who's raising a girl."
"We just want to help Alex live a normal life. After what happened to her parents, we want her to be happy," said Aunt Katherine as she sipped her tea.
Uncle Monty laughed coldly and said, "No you don't. You don't give a damn what happens to her! All you care about is having someone to show off to when you friends come over. As for a normal life, Alex is very happy here. She has her friends and a good school. Moving her would just make life more complicated and she's moved around enough, from here to America and back again!"
"We're willing to fight you know," Aunt Victoria said so quietly that Alex had to lean closer to hear. Aunt Victoria handed Uncle Monty a piece of paper. "We first wanted to see if we could work things out, negotiate if you will. That paper says that if you willing let us be Alex's legal guardians, there won't be any charges against you."
"However, if you don't," said Aunt Katherine, "We will sue you for child abuse. It will be a long battle Elian, and you can avoid it by just giving us what we want."
"But…I never abused Alex!" Uncle Monty said, his voice wavering.
"Oh, we know that," said Aunt Victoria, smiling her cold smile, "But with the little bit of evidence we have and some bribing, we have a pretty solid case against you. After all, with Alex home all the time cooking and cleaning, most people would consider that abuse."
"You…You wouldn't?" stuttered Uncle Monty, "Can I have some time to think this over, please? It's a very tough decision."
"We leave tomorrow afternoon," said Aunt Katherine, standing up and walking to the driveway, "We are staying at the Lighthouse Inn on the town's main street. If she's not there by two o' clock, we'll file charges. Good night."
Alex silently closed her window and sat on her bed, shocked. Her great-aunts wanted her to live with them, the two people who made the weeks they stayed living hell. And her uncle had to actually consider their offer!
Well, not me, Alex thought angrily as she stood up, I'm not living with those two hags!
Alex went to the end of her bed and opened her school trunk. Then, she went to her closet and started grabbing clothes and put them in. Once finished, Alex went to her bedside table and opened the drawer. Putting her hand at the back, she lifted up a secret compartment and pulled out her wand. She smiled at it; her wand was made of mahogany and was twelve inches long, with a dragon heartstring core. It was also her most prized possession, along with her mother's necklace.
Her smile widened as she pulled a heart-shaped locket from under her shirt. Alex opened it and looked at the two faces smiling at her. One was her mother, a woman with long black hair, tan skin, and dark eyes. The other was her father, a man with blonde hair and blue-grey eyes.
A knock on the door caused Alex to look up and Orion to growl. The door opened and Uncle Monty came into the room. He looked from Alex, to the wand in her hand, to the open and packed trunk and smiled.
"I guess you heard," he said. When Alex nodded, he continued, "Well then, where exactly were you planning on running away to?"
"Um…" It struck Alex that she had no idea. Feeling stupid, she looked down.
"Well, it's a good thing I know then." Alex looked up and he elaborated, "You didn't expect me to let you go, did you? Now come on, finish packing and meet me downstairs in five minutes."
Alex finished packing the rest of her belongings in her trunk and grabbed another bag. In it, she put all her mother's photo albums and some of her own. Finally, she took Monty's cage and went down the stairs. Uncle Monty was waiting at the front door holding something.
"An early birthday present," he said, handing it to her, "Since I may not get the chance to send it to you later."
Alex set down the cage, trunk, and bag so she could open the card. The front had a black dog that looked like Orion. Alex opened it and read aloud, "Wishing you a very happy 13th birthday, your dynamic duo Uncle Monty and Orion."
Alex smiled and opened the gift. It was a sketchbook with a picture of a black dog on the cover. Alex looked at her uncle and Orion, tears in her eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered and hugged them both.
"Your mother drew that picture on the cover," Uncle Monty said, "Now you can draw for us what Hogwarts is like."
Alex thanked her guardian again and put the sketchbook in her bag. Her uncle opened the door and they stepped out into the warm summer night, closely followed by Orion. When they reached the end of the driveway, Uncle Monty stopped and muttered, "Lumos!" Instantly, the tip of his wand lit up and Alex could hear a car coming. A large bus stopped in front of them and Alex saw gold letters that read, "The Knight Bus".
A man came out, not much older than seventeen. He was scrawny and suffered from bad acne. He looked at Uncle Monty's outstretched wand to Alex and smiled. His smile quickly disappeared when he saw a snarling Orion.
"W-Welcome to the Knight Bus," he said, not taking his eyes off Orion, "Emergency transport for any lost witch or wizard. My name's Stan Shunpike and I'll be you conductor for your travels tonight."
"Thank you my good sir, she'll be on in a minute. Now Alex," Uncle Monty said as Stan tried to get the trunk on the bus, "Go to the Leaky Cauldron, I've already sent an owl to Tom, the innkeeper. Stay there and get your school things, but don't go into Muggle London, all right? There's always a chance the police will be looking for you."
"But, what about you? Aren't you coming with me?" Alex asked.
"I'm afraid I can't," Uncle Monty said shaking his head, "I have to stay here and go to court. Listen, don't worry about me. I have a good lawyer and we'll win this case.
"All right," Alex said. She hugged her uncle and bent down to hug Orion.
"Stay here boy," she whispered, "Look after him, all right? I'll see you soon, I promise."
Alex climbed aboard the bus and followed Stan to where she was to sit. However, instead of seats, there were beds. Alex sat on the bed and looked out the window at her uncle and Orion. She waved good-bye as the Knight Bus made a loud CRACK and sped away.
Author's Note: Hello readers! So what did you think of Alex's great-aunts? Not very friendly, huh? I'm thinking about having them make an appearance later in the series, not sure yet though. If you all like them enough, I might bring them back. It's kinda fun to write evil characters. Also, I know a lot of you wanted to know how I would have Orion come to Hogwarts with Alex. I'm sorry but I decided it would be better for him to stay at home. Plus, dogs aren't allowed according to the letter the first years get. Don't worry though, you'll see him again…
Thank you to everyone who reviewed, put this on alert, and put this in their favorites. I hope you all will continue to enjoy this as the series continues. If you have any questions or just want to talk about my work, feel free to review or PM me. I'm usually very good about getting back to you. Please let me know what you thought of this! :D