Author's Note: Sad to say, I am not J.K Rowling. If I was, that would be totally awesome.

Chapter 7 Duels and Hair

"Alex, wake up Alex," Hermione said.

Alex woke up bleary eyed. Hermione was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking scared. Parvati was crying and Lavender was trying to comfort her.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking around.

"There was another attack last night," said Hermione, her eyes filling with tears.

"Oh no…who was it?" she asked, thinking of Harry or Ron instantly.

"Collin, Collin Creevey," said Hermione, tears coming down her face, "He tried to go and visit Harry in the Hospital Wing and…" Hermione broke down completely. "Why him, he's only eleven?" she sobbed into her bathrobe.

Alex felt like someone had ripped out her intestines. She had told Collin not to visit Harry last night, to wait until morning. If she hadn't told him to wait, maybe Collin wouldn't have been attacked. She started crying too.

After Alex and Hermione calmed down, they got dressed and went to find Ron. He was sitting in from of the fire, his expression blank.

"We should go and see Harry," said Ron dully.

They went to the Hospital Wing and were let in by a reluctant Madame Pomfrey. "Be quick you three, he's had a rough night and needs rest," she said as she led the three to Harry's bedside.

Alex, Ron, and Hermione went over to Harry's bed and Alex sat down on the edge. Harry opened his eyes and smiled.

"Hello," he said weakly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Hermione.

"Like my arm's on fire," said Harry with a grim smile on his face. "Listen, I have to tell you guys something. Last night, a house elf came in here. His name was Dobby."

"Dobby?" said Alex, her head shot up, but she was shushed by Hermione.

"Yes, Dobby, he was the one who sent the Bludger at me. He wanted me not to come back this year, said something about history repeating itself."

"He sent that Bludger on you?" said Alex in disbelief, "He could have killed you!"

"Yeah, trust me, I know," said Harry, "And that's not the half of it. Last night, Collin was attacked. They brought him in here and I heard Dumbledore talking to McGonagall." He paused and took a deep breath. "He said the Chamber has been opened. If they don't catch the person doing this…Hogwarts will be closed."

There was silence, Alex felt cold inside. If Hogwarts closed, where would she go to school? Just then, Madame Pomfrey came over.

"All right you three, let Potter rest. You can come back later if he's feeling up for it."

They said good-bye to Harry and went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom to work on the Polyjuice Potion. After finding about this new attack, Alex wanted to get this potion done quickly. After hours over a boiling cauldron, the others wanted to try and visit Harry again. Alex poked her head out to see if anyone was there.

"Coast is clear," she whispered.

They had started walking away when a voice called out. "Ron! What are you doing here?" It was Ginny. She walked over to them, her head cocked to the side.

"Nothing Ginny," said Ron anxiously, "Just looking around."

"I thought Percy told you not to come around here," said Ginny, "If Filch catches you here, he'll think you've come back to the scene of the crime. I don't want you to get expelled."

"Ginny, how many times do we have to tell you?" said Alex gently, her head sticking out from the bathroom door, "We're not going to get expelled for just walking around."

Ginny didn't look convinced but nodded and left. Hermione turned to Ron and said, "Come on, let's see if we can visit Harry again."

Alex had just sat down and was working on the Polyjuice Potion when Harry came in. She smiled and gestured for him to come over.

"The others just left to go see you, I wanted to finish up in here first," Alex said as she sprinkled some powdered root over the cauldron. "All we need now is some boomslang skin and a bicon horn. The only problem is Snape's starting to lock the storage room after every lesson. I think he realized someone was stealing his stuff. How's your arm feeling?"

"Perfect, Madame Pomfrey fixed it all up. How are we going to get the stuff then?" Harry asked.

"A little thing I like to call…a diversion," said Alex, a wicked grin across her face.

…...

The Gryffindors and Slytherins were waiting in two separate groups for the Potion's door to open. Alex had explained her plan to the others and only Hermione was nervous.

"What if you get caught? Snape's been looking for a way to get you expelled!" she said in her high-pitched voice.

"I'm not going to get caught, look," she said and held up the Filibuster Firework, "I put a time release charm on it. It won't go off until I tell it to. By then, I'll be in my seat and clearing away my things."

Hermione opened her mouth to retaliate, but the door opened and the students started to file in. During all the commotion, Alex tapped the firework with her wand and it became invisible. She slipped it into the nearest cauldron, which happened to be Goyle's, and sat down in her normal seat. She pulled out her ingredients and started working on her potion. She tried to ignore Snape breathing down her neck as she calmly put her newt eyes into the potion and stirred it counterclockwise.

Finally, she got up and filled her flask with her potion. She put it on the front desk and walked back to her seat. With a look at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Alex pulled out her wand. Using her cauldron to block the view of Snape, she flicked her wand and muttered the spell.

"We have about a minute," whispered Alex to Hermione.

Alex started putting away her ingredients, counting off the seconds in her head. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1… BANG! Goyle's cauldron exploded and the potion went all over the students on the other side of the room, which were all Slytherins. Alex took her chance and ran into the storage room and grabbed fistfuls of boomslang skin and bicon horns. As she snuck out of the storage room, she saw a crowd of students by Snape's desk getting an antidote. Alex sat at her desk and put the stolen items into her bag.

"Settle down, settle down," said Snape coldly.

He walked over to Goyle's cauldron and pulled out a charred firework. Alex cursed at herself silently for not making the invisibility charm permanent.

"Whoever did this," Snape said icily as he looked around the room, "I will make sure they are expelled."

His eyes rested on Harry and then Alex. Alex looked straight back, trying to look innocent. She let out a sigh of relief when class was dismissed and waited outside for the others.

"He suspects us," Harry said as soon as they were out of ear shot of the Potion's master.

"He can't prove it and he knows it, that's why he's so upset," said Alex calmly.

"You got the ingredients?" asked Ron.

"In the bag," she whispered quietly, looking around for teachers. "I need to go and put these in before they dry out."

Alex and Hermione went to the girl's bathroom while the boys went back to the common room.

"We don't want Percy to come around and get angry again," said Hermione.

After two hours working on the potion, Alex and Hermione came back to the common room. There was a large crowd by the bulletin board and Alex tried to read over the heads.

"What's going on here?" she asked an older student.

"Dumbledore's starting a Dueling Club to protect ourselves."

"Awesome!" said Alex, "We're going to learn how to fight!"

"What time?" Hermione asked the older student.

"Tonight and eight, it doesn't say who's teaching us, though."

"I wonder if the boys are doing it," said Alex.

"Of course we are!" cried Harry and Ron as they came through the crowd, huge excited grins on their faces.

So at eight, Alex, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed a crowd of students into the Great Hall. All the house tables had been moved up against the wall, leaving a large open space in the center of the room.

"This is going to be so awesome!" squealed Alex. No one had ever seen her this excited since their first Potion's lesson.

"Wonder who the teacher is," said Ron thoughtfully.

"Maybe it's going to be Dumbledore," said Alex hopefully.

"Probably not, he's too busy," said Hermione.

"As long as it's not…oh no!" groaned Harry looking at the door to the Great Hall.

Alex looked up and groaned too. Professor Lockhart was standing there in midnight blue robes, smiling at everyone.

"Gather round, gather round everyone!" he called as he entered the center of the room, "Can you all se me, can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Um…no it's not," whispered Alex, making Harry and Ron snicker.

"Now, the reason you are all here today is to learn how to defend yourselves, as I have done on countless occasions. For all the details, see my public works."

"The only reason I'll look at those books is to laugh at him," whispered Alex and Hermione gave her a stern look as Lockhart continued.

"I would like to introduce you to my assistant for today, Professor Snape. I don't want you all to worry, you'll still have your Potion's master after I'm finished with him," said Lockhart flashing one of his toothy grins.

Alex looked over at Snape, he looked livid. What Alex wanted to know was why Lockhart was smiling? Snape looked ready to murder him.

"Now, Professor Snape and I are going to do a little demonstration on dueling, nothing serious of course."

Alex wasn't too sure about that, Snape looked like he would love to do put the other professor in the Hospital Wing…or the morgue. She watched as the two men bowed, Snape merely nodded while Lockhart bowed low to the ground. They each turned around and took a few steps. They raised their wands ready to strike.

"See how are wands are in ready position?" said Lockhart, "Now, on the count of three, we will start. One…Two…Three!"

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Snape.

Lockhart was sent backwards into the opposite wall, his hair and robes were disheveled. His wand flew in a high arc and was caught by Snape, who was grinning maliciously. Alex smiled at the sight of Lockhart.

"Do you think he's hurt?" asked Parvati, who was right next to Alex.

"Who cares?" muttered Alex.

"Ah yes, thank you Miss Brown. Very good Professor Snape, showing them how to disarm though I must say, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do," said Lockhart, dusting off his front. He must have noticed Snape's evil smile because he continued, "Let's get into pairs and start practicing!"

Snape and Lockhart began dividing the group of students into pairs. Snape managed to get to the four Gryffindors first.

"Time to break up the fantastic four, isn't it?" sneered Snape as Alex sniggered slightly at Snape's reference to a Muggle cartoon without knowing, "Weasley, go with Finnegan. Potter, go with Malfoy. Granger, you're with Bulstrode, and Ratcliff, you're with Parkinson."

Alex pretended to be upset by this match, but inside she was singing. This would give her the perfect opportunity to get some of Parkinson's hair. She walked over to where Parkinson was standing, drawing her wand as she came.

"Everyone, wands at the ready…and bow," said Lockhart.

Alex and Parkinson raised their wands and barely lowered their heads, eyes locked on the other. They turned and took a few steps and faced each other once again.

"Now on three, you will disarm your opponent, only disarm! We don't want any accidents, do we?" Lockhart said.

Alex wouldn't mind causing an accident to Parkinson's face, but didn't stop to dwell. She waited until two was called and silently cast a shield charm on herself. On three, the room burst into the cries of voices, but Alex wasn't paying them any mind.

"Rictumsempra!" shouted Parkinson.

Alex's shield charm blocked the spell and came back to the other girl with surprising speed. Parkinson was hit in the stomach and doubled over, tears coming down her face. Even though the tickling charm had her on the ground, Parkinson raised her want again.

"Tarantallegra!" she gasped.

Alex dived out of the way of the spell, sending more silent spells toward her opponent. One of the spells looked as though it did nothing, but it snipped off some of Parkinson's hairs and flew back to Alex, who pocketed them with ease. Alex could tell others had stopped fighting, but she wasn't going to be the one to admit defeat. She kept sending spells at Parkinson and dodged the few Parkinson did send with great agility.

BANG! Alex was flown backward into the wall. She shook her head and looked around. Parkinson was on the opposite wall and Snape was between them, holding his wand out. Everyone else had stopped fighting and was staring at them in awe.

"I believe Professor Lockhart made it quite clear you were only to disarm your opponent, not duel to the death," Snape said in his deathly quiet voice.

Alex didn't say anything and stood up, shaking her hair out of her face. She looked over at Harry and Ron, both were looking at her with amazement. She turned to Hermione, whose hair was messy and was smiling at her. She walked back to her friends.

"What?" she whispered as Lockhart began to go one a long-winded explanation of a time where he did, in fact, duel to the death.

"That was amazing!" said a boy near Alex.

"Thanks, but what did I do?"

"You're wand was sending out spells, but your mouth wasn't moving, that's what!" the boy said, "I can't believe this, I'm still trying to get over the fact I'm a wizard and I'm in second year!"

"I think it's easier not to say them, at least, when you've already mastered the spell. Otherwise, it takes too long to go from your head, to your mouth, and to your arm," said Alex, wondering what the big deal was.

"Still, my parents are Muggles. I thought I was one too, until I got my letter. I'm Justin, by the way, Justin Finch-Fletchley. I'm in Hufflepuff."

Alex was about to introduce herself when Snape came over to their little group.

"Potter, you and Malfoy are going to do a little demonstration," he said.

Alex watched as Harry was led to the middle of the room. Harry and Malfoy bowed and raised their wands. On three, Malfoy shouted a spell and a snake appeared from his wand. People screamed and Alex backed away. The snake turned its eyes on the person next to Alex and she looked over. Justin stared back into the snake's eyes, frozen with fear.

"Get away from him!" Harry said. The snake continued to inch towards Justin, not listening to Harry. "I said get away from him!" Harry repeated louder.

The snake looked up and turned to Harry and slithered over to him. It lay at his feet and Alex heard its answer clearly.

"Yesssssss Masssssster," it said.

Harry looked up at Alex. "Get him out of the snake's line of view," Harry said.

Alex nodded and reached out to pull Justin away. He flinched and moved out of her reach. Snape whispered something and the snake disintegrated. Harry looked up at Justin, smiling.

"What's your problem?" Justin shouted and ran off.

Harry looked at Alex and frowned. She was just as confused as he was. Harry called the snake off for Merlin's sake and Justin repaid him by shouting! She looked around and saw everyone looked either frightened or angry. Even Lockhart wasn't smiling. Ron grabbed Harry and Alex and dragged them out of the Great Hall. Hermione opened the door to an empty classroom and they went inside.

Author's Note: Hello all! I managed to find time between getting my hair done and getting ready for the dance so I could post this. I hope you all enjoyed it and please review! They make me so very happy! :D