I know, I'm awful. Just forgive my horrible humor and witty jokes (or obvious ones as my lovely sister called them) and read on... Or don't. I'm not your mother, I'm Mami... Okay no more jokes, just please read

Enjoy!

3 Chapter 5: Hogwarts Express

The next morning, when Alexis woke up several hours earlier then she was supposed to, Alexis did what every good best friend did. She let Harry sleep in- for ten minutes at least. That gave herself plenty of time to change, shower, and finish packing before waking Harry the proper way someone wakes their best friend.

'Three... Two... One...'

With far more power then she meant, Alexis plopped on Harry's bed, began tickling him, and in a slightly quieter voice then normal, they did have neighbors after all, she shouted, "Good morning sleeping beauty!"

"Hey- OUCH! Damn, Hex, get off."

"Language, Harry," teased Alexis.

"You live with Alexis McPherson half the summer and not pick up some on some bad habits," he grumbled before grinning.

Alexis rolled her eyes, knowing full well he had just stolen her excuse for swearing.

"Why'd you wake me up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep, you know. Too much to think about."

"Like what?" said Harry.

For a long while Alexis was silent. She really wanted to talk to Harry about what was going through her head but for some reason she was hesitant. Alexis was never hesitant about telling Harry anything. He quite literally knew everything about her, from McPherson raising her to her new ability to talk to snakes. This, however, was on a totally knew scale.

"Black," Alexis whispered. "I think maybe, he might be... Or at least know..."

Harry's eyes widened.

"You think Black might be your-"

"It's just a stupid theory," rambled Alexis. "Forget it..."

There was an agonizing long pause between the two friends. Harry's mind was racing through the new theory Alexis had mentioned.

"It makes since," said Harry, finally. "You're parents were Voldemort supporters, Black was one. The Ministry doesn't want you near me 'cause they think you'll help him."

There was another long pause only this time Harry threw his arm around Alexis's shoulder.

"Not that it matters, though. You're still one of my best friends."

The grin that formed on Alexis's face looked almost unnatural. She squeezed Harry in the tightest hug possible. Harry returned it with the same amount of mirth.

This, of course, is exactly how Fred and George found them when they barged into Alexis and Harry's room only seconds later.

"Well lookie here, Georgie," sang Fred.

"Mother would be so disappointed," said George.

"After all-"

"You two did say-"

"You weren't sleeping together."

Harry turned a beet red. Alexis glared. Both twins took the opportunity to enter the room and sit on Alexis's bed.

"You could have knocked," growled Alexis.

"And miss a quality blackmailing opportunity?" said Fred, grinning ear to ear.

"Do we look dense to you?" said George, an equally annoying grin on his face.

"Yes," replied Alexis.

The twins lifted identical eyebrows.

"How so?"

With a quick jump, Alexis landed on her bed in between the twins.

"Because if you tell Mrs. Weasley that Prongs and I were on the same bed together, Harry will tell your mother you two were on my bed with me uninvited."

There was a long pause as Fred and George slowly realized what Alexis had said. When they finally did, their mouths formed giant O's, they quickly got to their feet, and they bowed at Alexis.

"Well played, my dear," said Fred.

"Excellent show, milady," said George.

They both made a rather hasty escape for the door. Once gone, however, the silenced remained. Harry was a deep red still but this time it was from the lack of air he was getting because he was laughing so hard without making a sound. Alexis was just sitting there, proud she had just bested the Weasley twins in their own game, and grinning like a hyena. All thoughts of their previous conversation were gone.

After Fred and George left and their laughter had subsided, Alexis and Harry decided to try and get a few extra hours of sleep. This was easier said then done. Only Harry had been able to fall back asleep and when he did he was plagued by nightmares of the creature he and Alexis had seen right before the Knight Bus had picked them up.

Alexis tried her best to advance her Legilimency and alter his dream to something more pleasant but her skills were not nearly developed enough for that. So instead she would just enter the dream with him and do her best to comfort him. The dream was ended, however, by Tom the innkeeper shaking the two of them awake.

Immediately afterwards, Ron came running into their room looking fowl.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

"We've got something to tell you," Harry began, but was interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron for annoying Percy again.

The five of them made it downstairs together for breakfast where Mr. Weasley was reading the Prophet and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione about her Hogwarts years. The two of them were giggling madly.

"What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down.

"Later," Alexis muttered as Percy stormed in.

Alexis notice right away that the Weasleys truly were the opposite of the Malfoys, who she had spent the last summer with. While the Malfoys were never in a hurry and always prepared the Weasleys seemed to be always in a rush and forgetting things. Not that Alexis minded, in fact, she thought it made a great deal of sense to why the families hated each other.

Neither Alexis nor Harry had a chance to speak to Hermione or Ron during the mayhem that was leaving. They were close to telling them when the all piled in the same Ministry car to get to King's Cross but then Mr. Weasley got in the passenger seat so they decided to wait.

The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared withAlexis and Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary, though Alexis noticed that they could slide through gaps that a normal car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

Alexis stayed close to Harry and Ron as the made their way to Platform Nine and Three Quarters only to realized Mr. Weasley was right on Harry's heels like a body guard. It took her a second to realize he probably was.

'The Ministry thinks Black is going to attack you here,' thought Alexis.

Harry acknowledged her with the smallest of head nods.

"This Black guy must really have been mental," said Alexis.

Mr. Weasley looked at her in surprise.

"What makes you say-"

"We may be young Mr. Weasley but we're not stupid," said Alexis bluntly. She said nothing more on the subject but she knew Mr. Weasley was watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

But Alexis wouldn't have it.

"If it's all the same to you, Mr. Weasley, last year both Harry and I missed the train because we went last," she said pulling Harry with her towards the platform entrance. "I'm going to go with him."

Before anyone could protest, Alexis and Harry walked quickly through the barrier.

"You know, you're just making it harder for them to trust you, Padfoot," said Harry as they waited for the others.

It took a total of two seconds before Mr. Weasley and a discombobulated Ron to pace through the barrier.

"Well it's annoying!" she hissed. "The Weasleys are cool but Fudge has them in such a panic, it's just so- gah!"

Percy and Hermione suddenly appeared behind Mr. Weasley and Ron. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Hermione caught Alexis's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

'Poor girl,' said Tom McPherson.

"Where have you been?" Alexis accidentally said aloud.

Ron gave her a questionable look but then nodded his head, remembering what he and Harry had learned last year about her late guardian. Alexis knew he thought it strange, the ability to talk to a dead man, but like Harry, he had never questioned it or let it hinder their friendship.

'Watching,' replied McPherson. 'Thinking that if you really want to improve your friendship with the ginger you should tell him about your gift like you did Harry.'

The Weasley parents started saying their goodbyes to their children.

'But what if-'

'Don't tell me you're afraid, Hex.'

Alexis held back her snort. A good thing too because just then Mrs. Weasley decided to give her an unexpected hug.

'I'm not allowed to be afraid, Tom.'

There was laughter in her head as Mr. Weasley led Harry away.

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."

He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley. Alexis wasn't going to follow but she wasn't going to miss what ever secret thing Mr. Weasley told Harry when it would undoubtedly have something to do with her. She pushed into Harry's mind.

'I figured as much, Padfoot,' thought Harry. After having Alexis practice he Legilimency skills on him all summer, he could easily tell when she was in his head.

'Shut up, Prongs,' sent Alexis. They both fell silent as Mr. Weasley spoke.

"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave-" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I-er- Alexis and I heard you and Mrs. Wesley talking last night. We didn't mean too," Harry added quickly. "Sorry-"

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for either of you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious..

"No - honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."

"Harry, you must be scared-"

"I'm not," said Harry sincerely. "Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"

Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.

"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but-"

"Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

"He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word-"

"-that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.

"Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. "Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black."

Harry stared, "What!"

'He's joking right?' said Alexis.

"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens-"

"Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Harry blankly.

"Swear to me that whatever you might hear-"

"Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.

"Go, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "And tell Alexis that I'm sorry. I don't want her to think that I agree with-"

"She knows, Mr. Weasley," called Harry, running to the train. "She actually said you were cool."

Harry must have thought the grin on Mr. Weasley's face was worth the hit he received from Alexis when he got on the train.

"You weren't supposed to tell him that, jerk," said Alexis.

"Well, you didn't tell me not to," said Harry.

They started a playful push war while Hermione and Ron looked at the two of them in amusement.

"Come on, let's get a compartment," said Alexis. "There's got to be one empty one on this train."

As fate would have it, there wasn't a single empty compartment left. In the end, Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron settled with the one at the very end of the train. This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window.

"Well this is different," whispered Alexis. Her friends agreed. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Remus Lupin," whispered Alexis at once.

Three set of curious eyes fell on Alexis who just shrugged.

"He met with Moody at the beginning of the summer. Something about a letter from Dumbledore but that's all I heard before Al caught me spying. He was rather impressed when I dodged all nine cutting curses thrown at me."

Harry grinned while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Anyway..." Ron said, turning to Alexis and Harry, "what were you two going to tell us?"

Alexis and Harry explained everything they had heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing about and Harry explained the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When they were finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? But what does that have to do with you, Alexis? Oh, you two...you two will have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble..."

"Hermione," laughed Alexis, "name one time we've ever actually gone looking for trouble."

She opened her mouth- no doubt she was going to mention their last two school years -but Harry cut her off.

"Those don't count," he said. "We weren't looking for trouble, it was looking for us."

"And I suppose trouble pushed you two into the trapdoor after the Sorcerer Stone?" huffed Hermione.

"I don't know," said Harry, "you were there two."

"And your excuse for last year and the basilisk?"

"I was possessed by Tom Riddle!" snapped Alexis, defensively.

"I wasn't going to let her die!" barked Harry just as defensively. "Besides, Tails was with me."

"Don't drag me into this," grumbled Ron.

Alexis snapped her fingers.

"That reminds me, Ron hold still."

Before the ginger could say anything, Alexis had wrapped him in a hug.

"Thank you for helping Scarface save me and for causing permanent brain damage to Lockhart."

"Yeah, well- Hermione helped," said Ron, blushing perfusily.

"She already thanked me," giggled Hermione.

Harry just sat there grumbling about being called Scarface. When Alexis heard him, she grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Harry," she apologized, "I think I might have heard Draco's... words."

By words, Harry knew Alexis meant thoughts. Sure enough, only moments later Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, was standing outside their compartment door. His silvery eyes went soft when they caught sight of Alexis.

"Glad to see you made the train this year, Gryffindor," he teased, a smirk falling on his pale face.

"An 'I missed you this summer, Alexis' would have worked, Draco," said Alexis. She gave her Slytherin friend a hug before nodding at his minions. "Crabbe, Goyle."

The two boys blushed. They were both wide and muscly; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla arms. Only last year Alexis had discovered they both had a crush on her and she had just gotten over the need to constantly avoid them like the plague.

"Pherson," the two grumbled in voices far to deep to fit them.

"Can't say the same for you, Potter," hissed Draco, his eyes hardening at the sight of Alexis's friends. "Or you Weasel."

Ron jumped to his feet but Alexis stood between him and Draco. She shot Draco a look that told him what she was thinking before he even heard it.

'No instigating.'

'Force of habit, sorry,' he thought and Alexis wasn't expecting him to say it allowed. Malfoys never apologize, though, last year Lucius Malfoy had been very close to apologizing when he discovered the journal he had given Alexis had nearly killed her. He looked absolutely relieved when he discovered she was still alive.

Crabbe took a step towards Ron but Draco stopped him.

"Who's that?" he said, spotting Remus asleep in the corner.

"New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

"Really, you two," groaned Alexis.

"What?" Harry and Draco said together. They glared at each other.

"Come on," muttered Draco. "See you later, Alexis."

Alexis waved as he disappeared down the corridor. She turned towards Harry but Ron beat her to it.

"How'd you know he was a professor?"

"Why else would he be on the train?" Hermione answered for him.

Ron squinted at Remus.

"You don't think he'll be teaching Defense, do you? He looks... fragile."

The four third years remembered their last two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. Neither of them had been very good and they both didn't even finished out the school year. People were starting to think the job was jinxed.

Alexis shrugged saying, "He didn't look like that when I first saw him but that was awhile ago. He probably got sick or something."

A giggle left both girls as Harry and Ron scooted away from the sleeping man.

"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.

"Good, I'm not the only one that hears it," said Alexis. "I've been hearing it ever since we got in the compartment."

Ron smirked, "Bet you thought you were going mental."

Alexis smirked back, "Going? My dear Tails, I've already gone. Look who I'm friends with."

"Malfoy," said three unified voices. Alexis rolled her eyes.

"I was going to say you three," she mumbled. "Now let's find out where that fu-"

"Language."

"-fun noise is coming from. Sorry, Harry."

The four of them looked all around the compartment until Ron found that it was coming from Harry's trunk. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.

"No! Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."

As Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, Alexis gave Harry a queer look. Or at least, it was queer to Hermione and Ron who had no idea Alexis was talking to him without words.

'I think Remus has been awake this whole time.'

Harry gave Alexis a surprised look, confusing Hermione and Ron further.

'You sure, Padfoot?"

'No, but I have a feeling.'

"What's wrong with you two?" asked Ron.

"Nothing," said Alexis. "Just making faces, that's all."

Hermione huffed, "I'll say. Harry looked bewildered and you looked very serious."

"Moony, how many times do I have to say it," laughed Alexis, "I'm always serious."

At that moment Remus gave a horrible choking-cough noise. The compartment fell silent, waiting to see if they had waken their new professor but instead of waking up Remus turned his head over and stayed fast asleep.

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain-"

"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" said Hermione.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything...Pepper Imps- they make you smoke at the mouth- and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next."

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain-"

"-and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

Alexis looked at Harry. She knew he couldn't go because his form had never been signed. Hermione, however, did not.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"What d'you mean?" said Ron.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

Ron looked horrified.

"You're not allowed to come? But-no way- McGonagall or someone will give you permission-"

Harry gave a hollow laugh and Alexis didn't blame him. The likelihood of McGonagall letting him go without his guardian's permission were slimmer then her chances of getting a Firebolt for Christmas.

"We can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle-"

"Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose-"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.

"But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare-"

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

Harry laughed bitterly once more.

"He waited until Hex and I were in an alley-"

Alexis promptly covered Harry's mouth but the damage was done.

"HE ATTACKED YOU?" cried Hermione and Ron.

"Now you've done it," grumbled Alexis.

"Sorry," whispered Harry.

"Explain yourselves," ordered Hermione. She crossed her arms making her have a very mother aura to her. Unfortunately for Hermione, Alexis had never had a mother so she had no idea that was something to be afraid of.

"Quiet down, you'll wake Remus," she whispered.

"You can't call a professor by their first name!" Hermione hissed, mortified at the very idea.

"What? Sorry. Just don't freak out when we tell you okay?" Ron and Hermione nodded there heads. "And remember, it was Harry's idea."

"Hey!" said Harry. Alexis shushed him.

"Quiet," she whispered. She turned back to Hermione and a Ron. "After we arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Fudge, the prat, told us we had to stay away from Muggle London but Harry, you know, after blowing up his aunt-"

"I'm still not sorry about it," grumbled Harry.

"-He didn't want to deal with the Wizard World yet. So we snuck out. I had Muggle money thanks to Al and I still had to get Harry his gift because the original plan was to go to the Zoo in Surrey. Instead we went to go sightseeing..."

Alexis explained all the fun she and Harry had had, making Hermione and Ron almost completely forget about Alexis and Harry's run in with Black. But, of course, almost isn't the same as completely. They had just bought their snacks off the trolley when Hermione remembered.

"And when does Black come into this?"

Alexis looked at Harry who shrugged. He handed Alexis a Chocolate Frog.

"You might as well tell them what happened at the coffee shop too."

"Right..." Alexis shook her head. "While we were at the shop, three guys came up to us and asked if they could sit with us. Something about them wasn't right so we left. Then we realized two of them were following us so we decided to hurry back to the Leaky Cauldron. We were almost there when the third guy knocked Harry and me into an alley. They knew who Harry was and drew their wands on us but then one of them realized he didn't have his wand anymore."

"That's when Black comes in," said Harry. "He stole one of their wands and knocked all three of them unconscious before they even had a chance to realize he was there."

"Not that I'm complaining," added Alexis. "About him knocking them out, I mean. They didn't look too friendly either."

"But how'd you get away?" said Ron after a particularly nasty Every Flavor Bean.

"Let's just say Alexis caught him off guard," whispered Harry. Hermione's mouth made an O shape and Ron nodded his head understandingly.

There was a small pause in the compartment where no one knew what to say. Then Hermione started fumbling with Crookshanks's basket.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get off!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

Ron was about to answer back when Remus stirred a second time, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat between Hermione and Ron, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.

Alexis was dozing off on Harry's shoulder when Ron spoke.

"You do think he's sleeping, right? I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

The look he was giving Remus's body was one of genuine worry. Harry nudged his shoulder, waking Alexis up fully.

"You check, Hex."

Rolling her eyes, Alexis stretched before turning to her right facing Remus. She bent over to look at him but instead of checking his pulse she read his mind.

A tall, black hair boy only a few years older then Alexis was sitting by three other boys. One was even taller then the first, with light brown hair; the second was short, slightly round, with mousy brown hair; the last with longer, wavier raven black hair. They were all laughing and Alexis looked closer at the first boy...

"Harry?"

"What?"

Alexis sat up straight and cleared her throat. Surely the tall, black hair boy wasn't Harry- his eyes had been hazel not green... but they looked so much alike and the last boy, the one with the wavy hair, he looked just like...

"He's alive," Alexis said. "Just dreaming."

Harry lifted an eyebrow but Alexis gave him a look that told him 'I'll tell you later.'

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Remus Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Hermione at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Remus to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"So why're we stopping?"

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

"Something's not right," whispered Alexis. The other three Gryffindors nodded in agreement.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

"Shit!" hissed Alexis. "You're sitting on me."

"Sorry, Hex. Language-"

"Not now."

There was a squeaking sound, and Alexis saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell over their own feet inside.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry-"

"Hey, Neville."

"Oh, Harry, Hex, Hermione, and Ron. Is that you guys? Do you know what's happening?"

"No idea," said Harry as he helped Neville up.

"But I doubt we're going to like it," mumbled Alexis.

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," said Hermione in the shadows. Alexis heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Malfoy?"

"Granger?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Alexis-"

"I'm fine-"

"Get lost, Malfoy-"

"Look Weasel-"

"Just sit down, Draco-"

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Son of a-"

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Remus Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Alexis could feel him brush past her as he rose to his feet.

"Now he wakes up," mumbled Alexis but Harry or Draco, she couldn't tell in the dark, elbowed her.

"Lumos."

The tip of Remus's wand lit up with a bright hew of warm light.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he made his way to the compartment door.

But the door slid slowly open before Remus could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering light on Remus's wand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Alexis caught sight of its hand on the door and her eyes widened in surprise. It was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Alexis's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

Remus stepped in front of all of them. "None of us are hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go."

But the creature ignored him, in fact, it made no recognition of Remus even being present. It's eyes (if it had eyes under that hood that shadowed its face) were boring into Alexis.

"Get back," snapped Draco, much to the surprise of all the Gryffindors. He, along with Harry, had taken a defensive step in front of Alexis.

This, however, did not waver the creature. It moved forward and drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

"Harry! Draco!" screamed Alexis as her two friends' knees buckled and the both fell over.

Alexis rushed towards them. An intense cold swept over her but the cold went deeper then her skin. She felt it in her blood. It was inside her very heart...

All feelings left Alexis. All she felt was cold. She couldn't see. She couldn't breath. There was a strangled cry and she felt herself fall...

And then she heard him. McPherson's scream, his only cry, filled her ears. She wanted to make it stop, she had to save him, but she couldn't... she was still under the paralyzing spell, still helpless, still...

I've been working on this chapter forever but it was way too long so I had to break it apart. I really didn't want to so that's why it took me so long to post this chapter. I'd like to say chapter six will be done by Tuesday but no promises.

Luna the HP fan: thanks for your always pleasant and beneficial reviews! My sister is very glad she wasn't the only one laughing at the dinner scene and I hope you had a few laughs this chapter too! Oh, and you have my permission!

NeverBeyondRedemption: thanks for the review but I'm sorry to say I shall not give away the name of Alexis's father. I will, however, depending on how many reviews I get next chapter, post a list of possible candidates. I mean, we already know who mama is, the real fun is figuring out who blessed our world with our Hex... Oh, and no it's not James Potter (I will attempt you are the first to suggest that though)

PLEASE REVIEW!

DCF