I know, about bloomin' time! List at the bottom!
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3 Chapter 6: Home Again
"Alexis! Wake up!"
"Hex, come on!"
Two pairs of arms were shaking Alexis.
"This is your fault, Potter!"
"My fault?" shouted Harry. "That doesn't make any sense, Malfoy!"
"Trouble follows you, you just drag her into it!"
"That's-!"
Alexis let out a groan.
"Shut. Up."
"You're okay!"
Alexis opened her eyes. The lanterns were back on and the train was moving once more. Draco and Harry were hovering over her, both with equally relieved looks on their faces. Neville was crying in Hermione's arms, or vice versa, and Ron was pale but smiling weakly. As for Remus-
"Please, all three of you need to lay down," he said calmly.
"What happened?" Alexis asked Harry. He and Draco sat her down on a seat before taking the two next to her.
"I don't know," said Harry. Draco looked just as lost as Harry. "I remember screaming and then I woke up to Malfoy hitting me."
"No one screamed," said Ron.
"But I heard it too," said Alexis. "It was... Draco?"
Draco shook his head slowly, paler then usual.
"I didn't hear screaming. I heard howling though."
The look Draco gave her made Alexis immediately take his hand. Draco Malfoy was truly terrified of only one thing- werewolves, and not without reason either. His eighth birthday had been ruined when a werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback had tried to bite him for reasons still unknown to Draco. He had only just escaped unscathed but it was only from physical scars that he had escaped.
A loud snap made them all jump. Remus was breaking an enormous bar of chocolate into pieces.
"Here, you three especially," he said, handing Alexis, Harry, and Draco the largest of the pieces. "Eat it. It'll help."
Alexis and Draco took a big bite out of their pieces, knowing it would in fact help. Almost instantly they started feeling better. But only Alexis and Draco seemed to eat the chocolate.
"What was that thing?" Harry asked Remus.
"Dementor," said Alexis, Draco, and Remus together.
"One of the Dementors of Azkaban," added Remus, alone. He pointed to the chocolate in Harry's hand. "Eat. It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."
He strolled past the three of them and disappeared into the corridor.
"Are you sure you're all okay?" said Hermione, watching them anxiously.
"I didn't know you cared, Granger," snorted Draco, coldly.
"I wasn't asking you," Hermione snapped back. "I was asking Harry and Hex."
"Please," said Alexis, "for the love of Quidditch, don't argue."
There was a small amount of grumbling before anyone spoke.
"I don't get it ... what happened?" said Harry, wiping sweat off his face.
"Well-that thing-the Dementor-stood there and looked around-I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face-and you two-and Hex-"
"I thought you three were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and your knees buckled and started twitching-"
"And Professor Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at the Dementor, and then it turned around and sort of glided away..."
"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"
"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."
"Real lively bunch, you hang out with, Alexis," muttered Draco.
"It was a Dementor, Draco," Alexis spat. "Crabbe and Goyle are probably still cowering just because the lights went out."
Draco opened his mouth to retaliate but realized he had nothing to argue with. Crabbe and Goyle were giant pansies when it came to the dark.
Remus returned only moments later. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."
Harry took a bite as did the rest besides Alexis and Draco, who had both finished their piece already.
"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Remus. "Are you three all right?"
"Fine," Harry muttered, embarrassed. Draco nodded semi-politely.
"Absolutely peachy, sir," joked Alexis. It surprised her when Remus smirked and rolled his eyes.
"You're Mad-Eye's... niece, Miss Alexis, correct?" he asked, sitting back down.
"Yes, and you're Remus Lupin."
"Professor Lupin," he corrected but continued to smile.
"Right," said Alexis, clicking her tongue. She went around the room introducing people. "This is Harry, this is Draco, that's Ron and over there is Neville and that's Hermione. They're all in your third year class. I'm in your fifth year."
"You don't look like a fifth year," said Remus.
"She's not," said Draco. "She's just far more advance then the rest of us."
Everyone seemed to be at a loss of words. Twice now, Draco had done something very Gryffindor-like.
"What gives, Malfoy?" said Ron. "First you protect Hex now you complement her. What are you playing at?"
Draco jumped to his feet but Hermione beat him to it.
"People can be nice without having a reason behind it, Ronald."
"Yeah, but Slytherins can't!" defended Ron.
For a moment, Draco looked like he was about to do something he would regret (or Ron would, anyway), but instead he turned on his heels and headed out the door without muttering a single word.
"Remus," said Alexis, "I mean, Professor Lupin, sir, could you excuse us?"
She didn't wait for an answer. Instead Alexis grabbed Ron by the scruff of his robes and dragged him out into the corridor and then into the next compartment. Fred, George, and their best friend Lee Jordan were in it.
"Oi! What's up Hex?" said Fred.
"GET OUT!" she barked.
Knowing far better then to question Alexis when she was on the verge of erupting, the three fifth years scrambled out of the compartment as quickly as they could. Ron let out a weak whimper.
"Why do you always do that?" hissed Alexis, letting Ron go.
"Do what?" he whimpered.
"Question Draco whenever he does something nice?"
Ron looked baffled, like the question Alexis was asking him was so simple and he didn't understand why she had to ask it.
"Because he's a SLYTHERIN!"
"By choice!" Alexis snapped. "The hat wasn't going to put him there originally."
Silence filled the compartment. Ron shifted uncomfortably while Alexis crossed her arms. Even though she wasn't really related to Moody, Alexis had adapted his and McPherson's glare and it was NOT a look you wanted to be caught on the relieving end of.
"He- he could have just told you that," whispered Ron, terrified.
"But he didn't."
"And how do you know?"
Alexis took a deep breath.
'Now would be a good time to tell him, Hex,' said McPherson.
"Right," said Alexis. She took another deep breath. "Tails, I can do Legilimency."
Ron's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"You're a... You're a mind reader?"
Alexis nodded her head, smiling softly. The smile, however, was quickly wiped away.
"Do I look stupid to you? You and Malfoy think it would be funny to-"
What Alexis did next was not smart but at the time she thought it was the only way to prove she wasn't lying to him.
'I'm not lying,' she thought.
Ron gawked at her from the compartment door, her words evidently still in his mind, but instead of accepting what he had heard, instead of realizing Alexis was telling him the truth, Ron did exactly what Alexis was afraid he would do. He slid open the door and shouted four words over his shoulder.
"Get away from me."
Alexis watched him go, her mind swirling.
'Hex-'
"You lied to me!" she shouted. "You said he'd understand!"
'You needed to tell him,' stated McPherson. 'He won't tell anyone.'
"But how do you know?" Alexis asked bitterly, sitting down. "His father works for them, Tom! He only has to tell him-"
'But he's your friend, Hex.'
"And he ran away. He didn't accept me."
There was a silence as the train slowed down. Alexis was curled up in a ball staring at the compartment wall, debating on whether or not she should return to Harry, Hermione, and Ron after what had just happened.
'He didn't tell anyone about me, now did he?' whispered McPherson.
"No, but that's different."
'How so?'
Another silence. Alexis climbed to her feet and left the compartment.
'I've never led you astray before, Hex. I'm not going to start.'
"I know," sighed Alexis. She departed the train alone and only halfheartedly acknowledged Hagrid, Hogwarts gamekeeper and Alexis's friend who just so happened to be a half gaunt, when he waved at her. The mass of students dragged her along a muddy path where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited there for them. Standing not far off were Remus, Draco, and Harry. Harry looked like he was waving and when Alexis followed his eyes she caught a glimpse of Hermione and Neville waving back from one of the stagecoaches as it moved on its own towards Hogwarts.
Gradually, Alexis made her way over to her two best friends and new professor.
"Ah, there you are Miss Alexis," said Remus kindly. "We've been waiting for you."
Alexis lifted an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because Professor Lupin has been told to escort us to the school so our Heads of House can check on us," grumbled Draco. Alexis couldn't help to notice the sarcasm in the way he said Professor and the tone he used for escort made it sound more like babysit.
"Just get in the carriage, Malfoy," said Harry. "We're the only ones left."
This was very true. The last of the other students had just climbed into a stagecoach, which immediately began following the path to Hogwarts. The three students and professor climbed in and, much to the dismay of Harry and Draco, Alexis sat beside Remus.
When they arrived at Hogwarts, the last of the students were scurrying inside. Remus, who seemed to be in no hurry at all, led the three through the great doors, across the Entrance Hall, and straight to the infirmary. They were greeted by the scowl of Severus Snape, but much to the amazement of Alexis and Harry, the scowl was not directed towards them.
"Remus," sneered Snape.
"Severus," Remus said calmly. He looked around the room. "I don't see Professor McGonagall or Madam Pomfrey."
"That's because they're not here."
'I have a feeling Snape doesn't like Professor Lupin,' thought Harry.
Unintentionally, Alexis snorted, "You think?"
"Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek, McPherson," hissed Snape.
"You can't do that, school hasn't started yet... Sir."
Harry smirked, Remus's lip twitched, and Draco, who remained completely unemotional on the outside, thought she was a smartalec. To make matters better, before Snape could retaliate, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey entered.
"Apologizes," said McGonagall, "Poppy was waiting on me while I spoke to Miss Granger about her class schedule."
"Quite alright," said Remus. "The three only need a quick checkup, I think. I gave them chocolate on the train."
"Setting Dementors around a school," Pomfrey muttered, checking all three third years temperature. "They won't be the last ones who collapse. Yes, they're all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate-"
"I'm not delicate!" said Alexis, Harry, and Draco crossly.
"Of course you three are not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking each of their pulse.
"What do they need?" said McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest?"
"No, no," said Pomfrey. "The best thing for them would be chocolate and our new professor seems to have already given them some." She flashed Remus a kind smile while Snape scuffed. "All I would suggest is that the three of you eat mainly chocolate desserts tonight."
With that, Alexis found herself walking to the Great Hall with Harry and Draco, the professors having already hurried off to make the sorting.
"Hey, are you okay, Hex?" asked Harry.
"You mean, besides being a victim of a Dementor?" snorted Draco but after closer examination he added, "do we need to take you back? You look dreadful."
"Really supporting, Malfoy," said Harry. He turned back to Alexis. "This doesn't have anything to do with you and Ron's discussion about-"
Harry stopped abruptly, leading to a raised eyebrow from Draco.
"I'll tell you two later when we're alone," replied Alexis, picking up the pace. Both Draco and Harry grabbed one of her arms. "You know, for two people who hate each other you both are awfully in sync."
"I don't hate Malfoy/Potter," said the two boys at the same time. "What?"
"What do you mean you don't hate me, Malfoy?" asked a bewildered Harry.
"I mean, I don't hate you Scarface," sneered Malfoy. "I don't like you either for that matter, but I can tolerate you for Alexis's sake."
Harry just stared blankly at him before turning to Alexis.
"You've created a monster."
"Oi!" snapped Draco, turning red. "Look, you Halfblood-"
"Draco!"
Draco huffed loudly and Harry smirked. Thankfully, the two had forgotten their inquiry with Alexis and continued the rest of the way to the Great Hall in complete silence.
"Aren't you coming in, Malfoy?" asked Harry when Draco stood back.
"Just because I don't hate you Potter doesn't mean I want people seeing us around each other," said Draco. "Last year was bad enough."
Harry nodded in agreement. Last year, thanks to a certain blonde hair git, Alexis, Draco, and Harry had been named the 'Golden Trio' by the Daily Prophet. The paper had made them sound like the best of friends (not to mention huge Lockhart fans), and no matter what Harry or Draco did, though Alexis wasn't much help with her sarcasm, they couldn't convince people otherwise. Draco, however, had suffered the worst from it and had only recently ended the rumors his fellow Slytherins were spreading about him being friends with the Boy Who Lived.
"Looks like we missed the Sorting," whispered Harry.
He and Alexis hurried to the Gryffindor table, doing their best to ignore everyone's eyes that were staring at them. Unlike Harry, however, Alexis was not one to ignore things that bothered her.
"What?" she barked and every eye following them looked away.
Alexis took her seat between Harry and Ron, who stiffened when she sat down but otherwise ignored her presence. Hermione, however, flashed her a charming, bucktooth, smile.
"Where were you two?" Hermione muttered to Alexis and Harry.
Harry was about to start explaining when Alexis hushed him.
"Dumbledore is about to speak."
Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School, was one of the few people Alexis would willingly trust with her life. He was a wise and very old fellow with very long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He also had a great deal more energy then one would would expect from a man who had just celebrated his eleventy-first this summer. Dumbledore was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Alexis trusted him. That was because of her late guardian telling her to and the man refusing to let the Ministry take her away when she first arrived at Hogwarts.
"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."
He paused, and Alexis remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.
"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Alexis and Harry glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them any reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors."
Alexis did her best to ignore Percy Weasley, who had puffed up his chest in pride while showing off his Head Boy badge. Dumbledore continued once more.
"On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.
"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Very few people seemed to clap at this unsurprisingly. The last two Defense teachers had been washouts in everyone's opinion and the chance of Remus being any different didn't look likely to most. In fact, only the people who had been in Alexis's compartment during the Dementor attack- besides Draco -clapped enthusiastically at all.
"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the pitiful applause for Remus Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
"Alright, Hagrid!" shouted Alexis as an enormous amount of cheering filled the room, which seemed to mainly becoming from the Gryffindor table. She couldn't help but notice the ruby red color her half-giant friend had become and the grin hidden behind his bushy beard.
"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"
The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Alexis, not having to be told twice, began eating away with as much gusto as Ron (who hadn't even looked at her since she entered the Great Hall). She was halfway through her third helping of mash potatoes and meatloaf when an ear piercing crackle filled the hall.
Swimming through the air lazily was none other then Peeves himself. A great deal of students acted on instincts to cower when he began singing:
"They'll suck away you're souls, they will
They'll suck away you're souls, I swear!
Dementors never playing nice,
You can't even put up a fight!
They'll suck away you're souls they will,
And leave you here without a care.
As mindless shells you will be
Without a care from them or me!
They'll suck away you're souls, they will-
"Oh, look!" Peeves said, cutting off his song. "Ickle Firsties!"
He dove through the crowded tables, making a righteous mess, before summersaulting in the air, giving Alexis a loopy grin, and diving through the floor crackling along the way. As horrible as the song had been and as inappropriate as it was for her to do such a thing, Alexis let out a laugh of her own.
"Man, I missed Peeves," she said but Harry just gawked at her. Actually, everyone was gawking at her. "What?"
At last, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed. Alexis, Harry, Hermione, and Ron rushed up to the teacher's table to congratulate Hagrid when a strong arm grabbed Alexis and twirled her in the opposite direction.
"Cedric!"
The sixth year Hufflepuff smiled at his Gryffindor friend, his grey eyes filled with warmth. He had grown over the summer, something Alexis hadn't thought was possible, and towered now over almost every student in his year.
"Miss me, Hex?" Cedric teased, giving his unofficial little sister a tight hug.
"That's a trick question, right?"
Cedric laughed before lifting an eyebrow at her.
"You, uh... You grew a lot over the summer," he mumbled.
Alexis couldn't help but to blush at that. She really had grown over the summer but not exactly height wise. It was safe to say, Alastor Moody would forever be grateful for his pupil Nymphadora Tonks for being a girl.
"I'm going to be beating up a lot of boys this year," Cedric added.
Alexis smirked at him, "It's not my fault! It's genetic... I think."
With another quick hug, Alexis caught up with her friends just as Hagrid blew his nose in a tablecloth size napkin.
"...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."
McGonagall shooed them away and Alexis only had a few seconds to give her favorite half-giant a hug before she, Harry, and Hermione, Ron had run off mumbling something about wanting to be alone, joined the rest of the Gryffindors on their way to the Common Room. They stopped twice on the marble stairs, both time to help Neville up when he forgot the steps that weren't actually there, before making it to the seventh floor.
"Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"
"Oh no," said Neville sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.
They filed through the portrait and into the Common Room. Once inside, Alexis could only think one thing:
'Its good to be home.'
One look at Harry and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.
Quick notes: I rewrote this chapter four times, not even joking, before deciding this is as good as I was going to get it. At first Ron was understanding of Alexis's gift but I just felt like it was too OOC so I did it this way and yes Draco is turning OOC but only slightly. He isn't going to become Harry's pal or anything but he does understand Alexis is his friend too. Also, I pulled a little Lord of the Rings into this with the eleventy-first thing. I wasn't going to originally but Dumbledore really was that old that year and I would be a fool not to make the most of it.
NeverBeyondRedemption: very good guess to why the Dementors like (though like might not be the right term) Alexis, though it's a little more detailed then that and when I say that I really mean VERY LITTLE more detailed.
Luna the HP fan: Your wish is my command it's just going to be awhile before you see the prejudiceness and it will be mainly, if not only, from adults because it's not like her classmates know here heritage.
Kuroi-Akuma-Okami: glad you like it, here's the list
Okay quick notes on the list. 1) It would probably be wise of me to say that this list is not in any order. 2) Some of these characters have not appeared yet in the story and therefore do not have nearly as much, shall we say, hints, leading you to believe they could be Alexis father but don't mark them off the list yet 3) It should also be noted that originally I was going to make a list of people who COULD NOT be Alexis father just to mess with you people but I was verbally and physically threatened by my little sister not to so...
The List of Who's Bellatrix's Baby Daddy! AKA Who's Alexis's Old Man!
Tom Marvolo Riddle (Good old Voldie)
Severus Snape (this was not an original choice but my lovely reviewers convinced me otherwise in book one)
Rodolphus Lestrange (wouldn't this be unexpected?)
Rabastan Lestrange (Bros before bro's wife... Or not)
Barty Crouch Jr. (Why else would he torture the Longbottoms in his free time? You think he did it for fun?)
Cornelius Fudge
Lucius Malfoy (Just... Just 'cause)
Amycus Carrow (not sure if everyone knows who he is...damn side characters)
Antonin Dolohov (This is NOT the same Antonin from my Alice Moody story)
Evan Rosier (...hehe... Love you Moody)
Sirius Black (no explanation for this one. I want you to suffer and be scarred)
Remus Lupin (what? It'll make since... Probably...)
Igor Karkaroff
Albus Dumbledore
Arthur Weasley
Okay, Fudge was a complete joke as was Artie Boy and Dumbledore. I just thought the face my sister made when I read off those names was funny so I added them. Three others on that list aren't actual choices but I'm not saying which ones. Why? 'Cause I'm bloody bored and want to make you people suffer... Luuuuvvvvv youuuuuu!
For real though, stupidness aside, who do you think it is or hope it is? Love to know so send a review or vote on my profile poll.
Please Review! Please Vote!
DCF