Chapter 2
They arranged to meet in Hogsmeade with some students who had expressed an interest in joining their new Defense Club. Harry had been resistant to the idea at first, but soon realised he was the only one who could teach it and so agreed. They had decided to meet in the Hog's Head, a tatty old pub that no student in his right mind ever went to.
"Lovely spot," Ron mumbled as they entered, a look of disgust on his face. The pub was covered in about six inches of dust, chairs were gathered around grimy tables and a chicken and a goat had roam of the main room. Allegra sat down at the table that looked the cleanest and they went over once more what they were going to talk about. Hermione was going to introduce the idea and Harry would tell them about what they could learn, and Ron and Allegra would chip in if and where needed.
Ron and Allegra went to the bar to order something to drink.
"Four butter-beers, please, just leave them in the bottles, that'll be fine, thanks," Allegra asked grimacing at the dirty cloth the old man behind the bar was wiping a glass with. The old man grunted and walked into a back room. "Lots of young'ns in here, aye?" She said to Ron, glancing at the only two other patrons; two old wizards sat in a corner in the dark. Ron smiled.
The old man returned hobbling and put the four bottles on the counter.
"Eight sickles," he mumbled through a dirty grey beard. Allegra paid him and picked up two bottles, Ron took the other two and they joined Hermione and Harry back at the table. Harry looked nervous.
"So who do you think is coming?" Harry asked.
"Just a few people and their friends," Hermione said, trying to see out of the dust-clad window.
"You didn't invite Blaise, did you?" Harry asked Allegra. Harry and Ron rarely spoke of the one Slytherin they knew Allegra spoke to, and it usually surprised Allegra when they did.
"Hadn't even thought of it," she answered honestly.
"Good," Harry nodded.
It wasn't like Allegra had much of a chance to speak to him. She sat next to Blaise in History of Magic and they chatted there, but outside the classroom they were lucky to see each other in the hallway, let alone a chance to talk.
"This might be some of them now," Hermione stated, moving a little to peer out the window. Sure enough, the pub began to fill. Allegra was sure it was probably more people than the pub had held in the last fifty years, and even the old barman's bushy eyebrows raised. The students arranged themselves in chairs to face the four friends.
"Well - er - hi," Hermione started, standing up to gain everyone's attention. "Well, er, we know why we're all here ... Harry had the idea that -" Harry poked her and gave her a very sharp look, "oh, right - Allegra and I had the idea that it might be good if we had a teacher. A proper teacher ... so that we can defend ourselves."
"Why?" shouted a small boy at the back.
"Because You-Know-Who's back, you bloody idiot," Ron snarled.
"Says him," another boy said, pointing at Harry.
"If that's what you think, then why the hell are you here?" Allegra growled. The boy recoiled and looked at his feet. "If you don't think that you need to defend yourself just leave. If you have just come for a nosey, fuc-"
"Allegra!" Hermione shout-whispered.
"If you could just tell us how Cedric Diggory died ..." One Ravenclaw boy started.
"Look, I'm not going to start talking about Cedric so if that's why you're here then you might as well do as Allegra says and go," Harry quivered and turned, "come on Hermione they're all just here because they think I'm a freak -"
"Is it true you can produce the Patronus Charm?" Luna asked airily. Allegra smiled gratefully at her.
"Yes," Hermione answered proudly, "I've seen him do it."
"Blimey Harry, I never knew that," Dean said, looking impressed.
"And he killed a Basilisk, with the sword from Dumbledore's office in second year," Neville added.
"And in third year he fought off about a hundred dementors," Ron smiled.
"Last year he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh," Hermione beamed. People who had come for the sake of coming were starting to take notice.
"Guys," Harry said, looking uncomfortable, "look, it all sounds so amazing when you put it like that. But it's often luck, and I almost always had help, if not from my friends then from somewhere else, it's not all as heroic as it sounds." He looked around the room, "it's not like school. When you're at school if something goes wrong you just say 'oh well' and try again next time, but when you're out there ... fighting for your life or someone else's, or watching someone close to you die right before your eyes," Harry unconsciously glanced at Allegra and a number of people's eyes lingered on her questioningly. "Most of you don't know what that's like."
In the end almost everyone signed up, which in honesty, had surprised all four of them. A number of close friends waited for them afterwards to walk back to school with them and Harry asked everyone to try and find a place where they could hold meetings uninterrupted.
A few days later the group had been unable to find a suitable place to meet. Umbridge had closed the Dueling Club and was getting to work closing other clubs, so they couldn't get an authorised place. They discussed changing the location every time - a different unused classroom. So far it was the best they had.
Allegra decided to take a walk around the castle one rainy afternoon; Hermione and Harry had potions work to do and Ron had settled down to do the History of Magic essay that Allegra had had done in about half an hour. There was little to do. She had found an old tennis ball and was using it to play football through a fourth floor corridor.
"Allegra," Allegra stopped and turned.
"Neville," she smiled, letting him catch up with her, "got nothing to do either?"
He paused for a moment and then nodded. Lost, Allegra thought, smiling to herself.
"Have you found anywhere for -" he looked up and down the corridor, "us to meet yet?"
"No, I've been hoping that I'd just find somewhere while walking around."
"Me too," Neville agreed, although Allegra doubted his ability to remember a room's location even if he did find one. They turned a corner and Allegra walked towards a small spiral staircase leading to the sixth floor. Neville hesitated, trying to get his bearings, and then followed her up the stairs. "Actually, Allegra, I kind of wanted to ask you something."
Allegra glanced at him quickly trying to guess his motive but he was watching his feet, making sure not to trip up the stairs.
"Ask me what, exactly?" she asked cautiously.
"D'you know the thestrals?"
"Thestrals?" Allegra stopped and looked at him as they stepped out into a deserted corridor, "you know what they are?"
"Yes, Harry told me you can see them, too, I hope you don't mind -"
"No, I don't care. But I wish you couldn't," Neville looked confused for a moment, and then understood.
"Oh, thanks, it wasn't traumatic. In fact, I can't really remember it, at all, actually."
"I guess that's something," Allegra smiled sadly, and turned to walk on. "My mum was an auror, so it's not surprising, I guess."
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Allegra hated that phrase, I'm sorry. Sorry for what? Sorry for your loss. She was sure she would have said it in the same situation, though, as hypocritical as that was. There was little else to say. Neville shrunk back and followed at a distance, hoping he hadn't stepped on a nerve. He followed as Allegra made her way up to the seventh floor. They walked along in silence until they could here laughter up ahead.
"Oh no," Neville stopped. "That's Crabbe and Goyle."
"Don't worry, they're just -"
"No. They always do something to me," Neville grabbed Allegra's sleeve and pulled her backwards. As she freed herself from his grasp a door appeared next to them on what had been a blank wall. Ahead, Crabbe and Goyle were close enough for their shadows to be cast on the wall at the end of the corridor. "Quick!" Neville opened the door and pulled Allegra inside, slamming the door shut after them.
"Neville!" Allegra adjusted her jumper with irritation, "we have got to get you some balls."
Allegra looked around the room. It was huge, large enough to hold the whole of Gryffindor. Allegra guessed it must have been an old Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom because it was kitted out with mannequins and targets. "I think we need to tell Harry about this place."
Neville nodded. They went straight to the common room, collected Ron, Harry and Hermione and brought them back up stairs.
"Neville," Hermione breathed, "you found the Room of Requirement."
"Ali," Fred called across the common room. Hermione looked at him and narrowed her eyes. Allegra looked up and waved him over. "Fancy going out?" Allegra just looked at him, "on our brooms, I mean." Allegra looked out the window, it was cold outside, but she'd wear gloves, so nodded.
"Okay, if it makes you happy."
"It does. Besides, you need the extra practice," Fred teased.
"Ooh," Allegra scowled standing up to get her broom from her dorm, "that's rich. Do you know who is the highest scoring chaser this year -"
"Just get your broom, Allegra."
Outside there were a few other students flying around. Some were team members practicing, but the majority were just students flying low to the ground and talking.
"Allegra, Fred!" Angelina called from behind them as they walked onto the pitch. "Good to see you out for extra practice," she said.
"Just wanted to be ready for the match," Fred nodded.
"Wednesday at two-thirty, right?" Allegra added.
"Yes, versus Hufflepuff. Allegra, give Fred a challenge. Hufflepuff have some fast chasers," Angelina grinned and waved her goodbye.
Allegra turned to Fred, "told you I was the best."
"You won't be saying that once I've got a bat and bludger," he grinned.
"Oh yeah? Get me a bat, too."
They played and practiced for an hour, just until their fingers and toes stopped functioning from the cold. Allegra had given Fred the challenge that Angelina had asked for, and only taken a bludger to the shoulder on one occasion.
"I told you I was good," Allegra said.
"I can't remember doubting you," Fred said.
Allegra shrugged, "just in case you ever forget."
"You have such an ego," Fred laughed, "you remind me of Oliver Wood, actually. Did you ever play with him?"
"Yeah, I still play with him." Fred looked confused. "Well he's England Captain, isn't he? He comes to the house to meet with my dad and he gives me lessons, too."
"Oh," Fred frowned as they walked into the Great Hall for dinner, "sit with me?"
Allegra nodded. A while after she had started eating Hermione came running up to her.
"DA meeting tomorrow, 8pm, tell others." She ran off again. The boys around Allegra nodded, and continued eating their dinner.
"The Potions assignment last month was very successful," Professor Snape drawled, "so we are going to repeat the process until the end of the year."
Yay, Allegra thought. But the truth was, she had come to terms with working with Draco Malfoy, mostly because he had brought her grade up to average an E. He had obviously decided to make the best of a horrible situation, and for the most part sat silently next to Allegra, unless she needed some kind of help. He even put out a fire for her when she had leaned over a naked flame and her long dark hair had caught alight. She didn't enjoy his heckling of other students though. The only thing that she had noticed about that is that he insulted non-Slytherins and Slytherins alike. The only difference was a Slytherin took it as sarcasm.
"You're still friends with Blaise, aren't you?" he asked her. Allegra took a moment to react, he hadn't spoken to her at all the past two lessons.
"Yes," Allegra turned to him, waiting for his point. He simply nodded. "We've been friends since we were little, his dad and mine are friends." Draco didn't react, it was like she hadn't spoken. Fine. Allegra wouldn't bother again. She sighed and rolled her head from side to side and then looked down at her workbook.
Snape approached their table and waited for Draco and Allegra to look at him, "Wolfsbane Potion." Allegra wrote it down.
"That's harder than our first one," Draco stated.
"Oh?"
"It's harder to make, you either get it right or wrong, there's no nearly." Draco was looking down at his workbook, making notes. When he noticed that Allegra was still looking at him, he looked up.
"Why?" Allegra's green eyes were genuinely confused.
"Because if you get it wrong," he said plainly, "the werewolf won't stay human."
"Oh. Oh," Allegra nodded. Draco turned his head away and smirked to himself.
"Come on, Fredric!" Allegra shouted into the boys section of the changing rooms.
"Alright, keep your panties on," he said walking up to her, "or not."
Allegra pushed him away smiling, "you're vile."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"What are we doing?"
"I don't know, I hadn't planned that far."
"Not flying again," she said, "we've just done that."
"Let's just go back to the common room and play a game," Fred suggested.
"Wow, don't you know how to show a girl a good time."
Back in the common room Fred entertained her with wizard-chess and other games. Fred watched her closely, trying to make sure she was laughing and having a good time. Allegra was very conscious of his efforts, and found them slightly tiring. She just wanted to relax, but felt the need to keep up a performance for him. She wasn't sure what was different about him, but she had a good idea. Hermione had been across the room watching them. Knowing Allegra so well, Hermione could see the effort it was taking.
"Ali," Hermione said, appearing at Fred's side, "I need to talk to you about something important."
"Now?" Fred looked at her pointedly.
"Yes, now," Hermione pulled Allegra up from her seat and walked her up to their dorm.
"Hermione what's wrong?"
"Hopefully," she said, "I was rescuing you."
Allegra walked to her bed and sat down. "Rescue is a bit strong, but it was tiring." Allegra rubbed her face, "he just wanted me to keep laughing." Hermione snorted.
"I think he likes you," Allegra pursed her lips and sighed. "I mean, it didn't look like it but ... do you have any interest?"
"No," Allegra shook her head, "no, I don't. He's just a brother to me." Hermione nodded, she had thought as much. Allegra scrunched up her face, she really didn't want this to become a problem.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming to the second D.A. meeting. Today we are going to focus on a stunning spell." Harry stood in front of the club members. "Stunning spells are the building blocks of defending yourself. The spell we are going to be practicing today is 'Stupefy'. I realise that some older members will have done this in class, but most of us haven't."
Harry asked the group to practice saying the word to themselves.
"Great, now we can try the spell." All of the D.A. members turned out to be at least adequate, but last of all it was Allegra's turn to practice with Harry. "Think about something meaningful," Harry advised.
My mum.
"Stupefy!" Allegra shouted. Harry flew back and hit the wall with a thud. "Harry!"
The D.A. members rushed to him as he pushed himself up.
"I'm fine," he brushed himself off and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm fine. Well done."
"I'm sorry," Allegra said. Harry shook his head.
"Well done, everyone. Our next meeting in two weeks time will be the week before we leave for Christmas, so I'll see you all then."
Allegra and Draco had arranged to meet and do their Potions work after Gryffindor's match against Hufflepuff. Allegra thought it was going to be an easy game, and she wasn't wrong. Hufflepuff had strong attack but weak defense, and that always let them down against Gryffindor. Allegra, Katie Bell, and Angelina made short work of the Hufflepuff defenses and gave them an early lead. Harry caught sight of the snitch about an hour in and caught it soon after. After a wash and getting her things, she went to meet Draco in the library. Like the first assignment, he was waiting for her outside.
"Hello," he smiled a little.
"Hello," Allegra repeated wearily. Draco normally made a conscious effort not to smile at her, or anywhere in her direction. They went inside to the same table they sat at to do their first assignment and got started. Allegra did the writing and Draco found the information. It took longer than last time. They found a basic recipe but it didn't seem particularly reliable, so Draco decided to scan through some of the more advanced level books to see if he could find something more concrete. Allegra sat quietly for a while, but soon her mind began to wonder and she became bored.
"Can I ask you a question?" Allegra said. Draco froze and then looked up at her through his hair.
"Er - okay?"
"Do you actually like having Pansy shadow you?"
"Shadow me?" He looked up at her properly. Allegra noticed for the first time what unusual coloured eyes he had, such a cold stone grey with a small amount of sky blue weaved through.
"Yeah, she follows you everywhere." Draco looked surprisingly concerned by this information. So concerned that he forgot himself and talked to Allegra like she was someone worth talking to.
"She does?"
"Surely you knew that already?" Allegra smirked, "you're her world."
Draco's expression caused Allegra to start laughing, and a smile even flickered on Draco's lips.
"I hadn't noticed," he looked disturbed. Draco looked back down at the book, but Allegra noticed that it took him an extraordinarily long time to read through the last paragraph.
"You're right, she does," Draco said, taking his seat next to Allegra at their desk.
"Who does what?"
"Pansy, she follows me. Everywhere."
Allegra laughed, "You're the last to know."
"How do I get rid of her?"
Allegra grinned, "How quickly?"
"Yesterday."
"The quickest way would be to poison her food, or push her in the lake with a brick tied to her foot." Draco looked at her for a moment, as though she had been serious, and then he smiled.
"Anyway that leaves her alive?"
"You could run?" Allegra smiled. "It's actually quite effective, people get the idea very quickly when you just run away from them -"
"I'm not going to do that."
"Tell her you're gay?"
"I'm not going to do that."
"Okay ..." Allegra thought for a moment. "If you are reluctant to harm her physically and you want to get rid of her quickly without harming your reputation ... tell her that Blaise fancies her."
Draco thought it over, "that could work."
"Try it, if it doesn't work, you can return the idea and swap it for a new one."
Draco nodded, "your reward is an O for this assignment."
Allegra smiled and reached out for the first ingredient, Draco pushed her hand away.
"Only - if you don't touch anything unless I say."
Allegra laced her fingers together in front of her and nodded. She could do that.
"Allegra!" Blaise marched towards her with a determined expression. Draco sauntered a distance behind him, hands in his pockets and a big smirk on his face. Allegra watched Pansy follow, she ignored Draco completely and followed Blaise. "Pansy!" He turned and put a finger up at her, "wait a minute." She stood about five meters away, watching him closely. "You," he turned and narrowed his eyes at Allegra, "you are in so much trouble."
"Why would that be, darling?" Allegra smiled sweetly.
"You know what you've done."
"Hmm, no, I don't think so."
"You betrayed me, to help him." She hadn't thought of it that way. If the gift of Pansy Parkinson hadn't been so funny, she would have been sorry.
"Just be glad that I'm talking to him in class rather than throwing potions over him." Blaise clenched his jaw. He had told her repeatedly that he found having friends who hated each other a huge burden.
"Okay, but you're at Draco's mercy now. The minute he says that you tried to turn his hair green -"
"And one reliable witness," Allegra added.
"- and one reliable witness that saw you try, you're dead. Metaphorically." Allegra grinned at him. He turned to walk back to Draco and almost jumped out of his skin when Pansy was in front of him and started hanging off his arm. Draco let them pass, the grin on his face told Allegra she'd done her job. Draco winked at her and followed his unfortunate friend.
"This is our last meeting before we break for Christmas. This lesson we will be learning a spell called 'Levicorpus'. Levicorpus is a spell that allows you to levitate yourself or another. It may help you if you trip or fall during a duel or similar. Let me demonstrate," Harry pulled Ginny to the front of the class. He took out his wand and gently levitated her up into the air a few feet and back down. The club members clapped; he then used the spell on himself, which received the same applause.
"Everyone practice the pronunciation," the students did so, "good. The main thing with this spell is to focus."
Harry asked the club members to get into groups of six and practice the spell on the lightest person in the group, and the lightest member to levitate the second lightest, just to make the spell a little easier. Allegra got into a group with Fred and George, Ron and Hermione, and Cho Chang. Cho was not Allegra's favourite person. She wouldn't say she hated her, but she found everything about the girl irritating. Every time Allegra thought she was okay, Cho opened her mouth and her little mousey voice came out, and made Allegra shiver.
"So who's the lightest?" Ron asked. The three girls looked at each other. Cho was by far the tallest, so that ruled her out.
"Allegra," Fred said, pushing her into the middle of the circle.
"Whoa, no, Hermione is!"
"Don't be modest, Ali," Hermione said quickly, "you're the lightest." Allegra glared at her, and Hermione avoided eye contact. They both new full well who was lightest. Fred was ready with his wand to go first.
"You two," Allegra said quickly, turning to face Fred and his twin, "if either of you are silly or dangerous, I'm going to -"
"She used to be more fun," George said to his brother, who nodded and levitated her into the air. George, Ron and Hermione all found the spell relatively easy. Then it was Cho's turn.
"Okay, here it goes," Cho mumbled. Allegra raised juddering off the ground. Harry noticed Cho was struggling and practically ran to help her. Harry helped Cho levitate Allegra higher than the others had. Cho and Harry were having some kind of a moment, leaving Allegra suspended awkwardly in the air.
"I want to get down now," she said. The force keeping her in the air was suddenly sucked out from under her and she landed heavily on the cold stone floor. The other class members gasped and rushed over. Allegra rolled over onto one side holding her hip.
"Fuck!" She shouted. Fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck, this hurts!
"Are you alright, Ali?" Hermione knelt down beside her, trying to look for a sign of damage.
"No," Allegra answered honestly. Her left hip and ankle and exploded with pain and was throbbing beneath her fingers. "It really really hurts!"
"We've got to get her to the hospital wing," Hermione said. Everyone moved forwards to help but Ron and Hermione got there first. Ron put one of Allegra's arms around his shoulders and gently pulled her up. Allegra's eyes watered, it felt like her left leg was hanging from her body, it was all she could do to keep her knee bent and foot off the floor. Hermione supported her on her right sight and they started for the hospital wing.
"What are we going to tell them?" Hermione said, worry etched all over her face.
"I don't know," Ron said, "maybe she fell down the stairs?"
"Cho pushed me," Allegra said through gritted teeth. "We'll tell them she pushed me." Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, but didn't argue the morality of it.
It was further to the hospital wing than Allegra had remembered. It had been placed on the third floor so that it was central to the castle, but struggling down the stairs was taking much too long. She was having to put more and more of her weight onto Ron; Hermione was buckling.
"Ali can you put any of your weight on your right leg?" she groaned.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione, I can't. Ron's practically carrying me." They ground to a halt.
"Sorry, just give me a second." Hermione stretched her arms out. Ron experimented with taking all of Allegra's weight, but couldn't do it without causing Allegra more pain.
"What happened to you?" The voice wasn't concerned, merely interested.
"I don't know," Allegra said irritably, looking at Draco through the hair that had fallen over her face, "I think I've broken some things." A tsunami sized wave of nausea hit her stomach and a loud ringing ran through her head. Allegra started to droop to the side.
"Allegra?" Ron said, trying to stand her straight.
"I feel faint," she mumbled.
"We have to move her, Hermione," Ron said.
"I know," Hermione was starting to panic, "I just don't think I can hold her properly." Hermione tried to take hold Allegra up but she had become a dead weight.
"Let me take her," Draco said.
"What?" Ron growled.
"Do you want to get her to the Hospital Wing quickly, or not? Let me take her." Hermione moved out of the way and Draco easily took up the burden.
"Ali, can you hear me?" Hermione said, walking behind them.
Allegra groaned, "It really really hurts." The floor was spinning underneath her and her ears still buzzing.
"Keep talking," Draco ordered.
"I don't want to," she whined.
"What potion did we make today?" Allegra didn't answer. Draco squeezed her hand hard and she squeaked. "What potion?"
"You made something orange," she mumbled, and the beeping in her ears began to fade off, "for curing poison, I just crushed a vanilla pod." Draco grinned.
Draco, Ron and Hermione kept Allegra talking all the way to the Hospital Wing, where she stopped talking, lay down on a bed and closed her eyes.