Chapter 16

Allegra finally made it back to Hogwarts three days later. Professor McGonagall (or Minerva as Allegra was now allowed to call her) had stayed with her for the majority of her stay. The plus of being in St. Mungo's was that her dad and Cassia had been able to visit, and Allegra also got to spend some time in a bed next to Tonks'. They had spent much of their time arguing over who had come out worse, and then agreed that to be honest they'd rather just get out of hospital and doing things again. She was officially released into the care of Madame Pomfrey, although Minerva had talked it over with her and they had decided it would be in Allegra's best interests if she were to just visit the Hospital Wing, rather than stay there. She was still feeling stiff and the moving around would do her far more good than being bed-bound.

Allegra was looking better as well as feeling better. Her skin had regained a healthy glow, although the bruises had not yet faded and the cuts were healing but still visible. The nurses had told her that the healing potions interfered with her medicines and so she just had to put up with the purple. Minerva told her to milk it.

"Have you seen the newspapers?" Hermione asked her at lunch. She had arrived back, been to her dorm and then eagerly down to the hall. She had been on nutrients and vitamins as well as being able to eat, but they hadn't just let her fill herself up as she wanted. They said it would just make her sick. Allegra was hungry enough to test that theory.

"Yes," Allegra said over a mouthful of bread, "well, Minerva read the best bits to me."

"Is she really going to let you call her that?" Ron asked.

Allegra shrugged, "I wouldn't call her it during class time."

"Still, it's kind of fun, isn't it?" Ron smiled.

"Did she read you your articles?" Harry frowned, "The missing Hogwarts student has returned after escaping Voldemort, not having run away after her Headmaster, it's a bit sick, isn't it?"

Allegra almost choked on her sandwich. "No, she didn't read that part to me."

"I wouldn't worry, we haven't been allowed newspapers and now the students know what happened to you they're not going to make fun of you," Hermione said.

"Just as well," Ron said, "she'd just get angry and throw them into the wall, anyway." He grinned, but Allegra wasn't sure if it was funny.

"So, Fred and George have gone," Hermione said, sensing the uncomfortable pause from Allegra.

"Really?"

"Yeah, they had enough of Umbridge and left," Ron said.

"Allegra," Hermione pointed at the door, Blaise and Draco were on their way in and noticed Allegra back at the table, "they've missed you." Allegra stood and leaned on Ron to help her get her sore legs over the bench and then walked down to the doorway to see them.

"Well, at least you're walking," Blaise said, smiling widely and leading Allegra back out into the entrance hall away from the viewing gallery that was the hall at lunch time.

"Yeah, no broken bones on this trip to hospital, just exhausted, malnourished and dehydrated."

"Just?" Draco repeated. Allegra shrugged.

"You know, relatively."

"Right, it's group hug time," Blaise said.

"Alright just be -" they pulled her in, squeezed her and let her go again. "- gentle."

"We've missed you," Blaise confessed, "we had a little trio going."

"Love triangle?" Allegra smiled, trying to lighten the mood but Draco was frowning at her bruises.

"You look like you've been in a fight," he said eventually.

"I was."

Blaise sat down on a seat in an alcove behind them, and Allegra and Draco followed to join him.

"What happened?" Blaise asked softly.

"Which part?" Allegra asked dryly.

Blaise shrugged, "when you were captured."

"Well, they kept me in a room for a few days. It had a bed, small bathroom and two meals. Then I made a mistake and tried to escape, instead they caught me and Vol- he - put some kind of spell on me. I don't know what it was, and I certainly don't understand it, but it sent me to this strange blue-tinted version of my memories, and I relived certain parts of my life."

"Bad parts?" Draco asked.

"Some," she nodded, "some weren't. But that day I managed to get out, I had managed to break free from the memories and then," she paused as she thought of how best to phrase the next part, "and then the people and certain objects tried to kill me. I don't know, though, I don't understand what happened." Allegra shivered. "I don't want to talk about it."

They sat for a moment and then Draco put his hand on hers, "I'm glad you're back."

"That's an understatement," Blaise snorted, and Allegra felt Draco hit him behind her back. "Hey! Just be human for once; you missed her!"

Allegra turned to Draco and looked at him with an intensity that made him shift uncomfortably, but it was there in his eyes, the pain and relief. He looked down and she looked away. She took their hands and gave them a squeeze.

"I missed you, too." She let go and stood up. "Although I currently miss food more, so if you excuse me I am going to carry on eating." They smiled at her and followed her back into the Hall.

When Allegra sat back down and picked up a bread roll she noticed Hermione was looking worried.

"Hermione, what is it?"

"What about your OWLs?" she blurted out. "You've missed all your exams, what are you going to do?!"

"It's fine," Allegra said dismissively, "Minerva said I have special circumstances and she will meet with my teachers to evaluate my performance and what I could have realistically achieved. They are just going to give me rough results so that I can move on to NEWTs."

"Lucky," Harry and Ron both mumbled under their breath.

The sun broke through the clouds outside and a pool of sunlight highlighted Allegra's plate. She looked up into it and it warmed her face.

"Can we go outside in a little while?"

"Of course," Ron said.

"I've missed the sun."

"Come in." Allegra pushed her way into Dumbledore's office and found him sat behind his desk, one of the two seats in front of it was filled by Professor McGonagall. "Good morning, Allegra."

"Good morning, Professor," Allegra greeted, closing the door behind her.

"Take a seat," Dumbledore motioned towards a small old chair with a worn green cushion on the seat that looked as though it had been taken from the Slytherin common room sixty years ago. "As I explained we are just here to try and get your subjects for next year noted down. Obviously we'll take it with a pinch of salt, and we will do our best to accommodate your choices when you come back after the summer."

Allegra nodded.

"Do you have any idea of what you'd like to do after school?" McGonagall asked, "That's usually a good place to start."

Allegra squirmed, she hated these types of questions. "Well, there's only really two things I've thought about: Professional Quidditch Player or an Auror." McGonagall started writing on a piece of parchment on the desk in front of her.

"Of course," Dumbledore nodded, "and you are a very good quidditch player. But you don't need NEWTs to play quidditch, so do you mind if we look at the second?"

"Becoming an Auror is quite difficult, you know," McGonagall said realistically, "I don't think they've accepted anyone in the last two to three years." Allegra nodded, but she hadn't really thought about anything else.

"Now I think," Dumbledore paused to wink at Allegra, "that Allegra's extra talent, whether known publicly or not, would get her foot in the door."

"Ah, yes, I hadn't thought of that," McGonagall started writing again. "Aurors are at the opposite end of the scale to quidditch players, needing five NEWTs at nothing less than an 'Exceeding Expectations' I believe. Then you undergo a series of tests before being accepted."

"So then, subjects for next year," Dumbledore sat back in his chair and smiled, he seemed to be enjoying this meeting, "Defense Against the Dark Arts, naturally."

"But - my current grade - Umbridge would barely let me in the class!"

"Don't worry about that, dear," McGonagall said quickly, "I'm not sure anyone's grade for that class will count for much this year."

"I would also advise Transfiguration," Dumbledore said. "Aurors frequently need to transfigure or untransfigure in their work."

"You were getting on well before, but you will have to prove to me that I have made the right choice letting you into the class without a solid OWL qualification," McGonagall said.

"Of course."

McGonagall smiled at her. "Charms is always a good idea, very useful in any line of work. How were you doing in that subject?" A lamp on the desk rose up into the air and started flashing all different colours, Dumbledore laughed heartily.

"Wonderful!"

The lamp lowered back to the table and stopped flashing.

"So no problems there," McGonagall wrote something down.

"Allegra has aptitude for just about any spell work," Dumbledore said. Allegra grinned.

"Yes, it's easy to forget." McGonagall looked up. "Potions is always useful, how do you find that?"

"Um, well, I had a big improvement. I'd gone from a P to E before I left."

"Fantastic."

"Yes, but I'm not… do you know if Draco Malfoy is taking it?"

They frowned, but nodded, "I'm sure that would be a natural choice for him."

"Well, it's just, he's been my partner, you see. He's really helped me, I think I owe my grade to him and I don't think I'd be any good on my own."

"What about Hermione Granger, she's also naturally gifted in -"

"Horrible teacher." Allegra said. "She doesn't help, not really. If she's told you she's thinking of being a Professor steer her away."

Dumbledore chuckled and McGonagall gave him a stern look.

"I think we'll write it down and if you change your mind next year we'll make sure to accommodate."

"That leaves one subject block," Dumbledore said, "what subjects are you good at?"

"History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures."

McGonagall nodded, "either could be helpful as an Auror. History of Magic is often full of Ravenclaws, as for Care of Magical Creatures usually struggles to make a NEWT class."

"Care of Magical Creatures it is, then." Allegra smiled.

"Well, then we are done here, unless there is anything else you'd like to discuss?" McGonagall looked between Allegra and Dumbledore.

"Actually, there is just one thing," Dumbledore said, "your father and the Order are currently at you home adding security, so make sure you speak to your dad before inviting friends round."

Allegra frowned but nodded.

"Good, then you are dismissed, Allegra. Lunch will be starting soon, I'm sure."

"Thank you, Professors." Allegra pushed herself up from her chair and suddenly Fawkes squawked, "Bye, Fawkes." The bird squawked again.

The last days of school passed quickly. Everywhere Allegra went students smiled and spoke to her, telling her that they were happy she was back, and asking her questions if they could. Harry avoided the student body and walked around alone. Allegra was the only one who seemed to be able to get close to talk to him, perhaps because she didn't try to talk about why he was upset. She knew why, it was a wound that would have to heal on its own, but if people got him to pick at it it would take a lot longer.

"Harry?"

"Yes," he sighed. Allegra frowned but just walked next to him.

"Dumbledore asked me to ask you something."

"What is it?" he said shortly.

"He wanted me to see if you would tell me what you and him talked about when we got back to the Ministry. Besides Sirius."

Harry looked up at her and narrowed his eyes a little, "did he say why?"

Allegra shrugged, "not really, he just thought it would be important. But he wanted to give you the option of telling me, so you don't have to."

It was quiet for a minute or two, and Allegra settled herself into simply walking with him. It was okay if he didn't want to tell her. He would tell her in his own time if he wanted to, but she thought she'd better ask.

"We're linked."

"Hm?" Allegra said absently.

"Voldemort and I, we're linked."

Harry slowly told her everything Dumbledore had told him about the prophecy and how Harry was 'The Chosen One'. Afterwards Allegra hugged his arm.

"Dumbledore thinks I have a prophecy, too."

"Really?"

Allegra nodded, "he thinks my mum saw it the day she died. It was destroyed in the fighting though."

"So you'll never know what it said?"

Allegra shrugged, "Dumbledore said he might be able to do something, but I would guess not. If people are only allowed to retrieve their own then it won't be written down in records anywhere." Allegra looked up and along the edge of the lake from the courtyard where they walked. On a bench was a blonde boy looking out at the dark water. "Do you mind if I go?" Harry shook his head, deep in his own thoughts.

Allegra walked down to the lake and along the path. Luckily her target didn't get up and walk away while she was finding her way down.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey," Draco tried returning it. She sat herself down next to him and kicked her heels under the seat twice before settling.

"Something got you down?" Draco didn't say anything. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me, I just thought you might like some quiet company." Draco smiled at her and looked out at the lake.

"It's just this stuff with my dad," he swallowed, "going to Azkaban. My mother will be distraught."

"What about you?" Allegra shuffled to the back of the bench and tucked up into a ball. The breeze down here was just a little on the cool side.

"He was there, wasn't he?"

"At the Ministry?"

"No, I mean - I know that. Was he - was he where you were, when they kept you in that room?" Draco looked at her, he wasn't making any effort to hide his emotions.

"I don't know. I didn't see him." Draco nodded and looked at the floor. Allegra picked up his arm and wrapped it around her knees so that she could put her head on the back of his shoulder. "Your aunt was, though."

Draco looked at Allegra, "Bellatrix?"

"Yes."

"She - she didn't - she's not a nice person, Allegra." Allegra laughed softly.

"I think we all know that, Draco."

Draco swallowed and looked back out at the view.

"They don't represent me."

"I know," Allegra said, leaning back to look at him.

"I feel terrible. Guilty." He looked at her, "I don't feel anything about dad being put away. Shouldn't I feel something?"

"I'm not sure you have to feel anything," Allegra said.

"That doesn't sound right."

She shrugged, "why should you? He's part of your biological make-up but that's it. If he's not a friend or a father to you then you don't need to grieve for him. It was his fault, his decisions: if anything feel angry."

"I do." Draco said harshly, "I am fucking livid, I just - I can't -"

"Breathe."

Draco let out a shuddering breath. "I just wonder what it would have taken for him to kill you. What it would have taken for Bella to kill you - because the worst thing is I don't think it would have taken much." Allegra couldn't think of anything to say. She certainly didn't disagree. "I don't think it would have made any difference if they knew you were someone I cared about, either." Allegra sighed and rest her head back on his shoulder.

"All I can say is it doesn't make a difference to me," she said.

"You and Blaise are the only ones."

Allegra smiled, "that's because we're the best."

"Everyone else either avoids me now, or -"

"Those people aren't your friends."

"Really?" Draco laughed sarcastically.

A silence settled over them for a few minutes.

"For the first time ever I don't want to leave Hogwarts," he said finally.

"You can come to mine," she said, mumbling into his shoulder.

"What?"

"You can come to mine, stay as long as you like," she repeated, lifting her head so he could hear her properly. He turned his shoulders to face her and narrowed his eyes.

"And your dad won't mind that?"

Allegra shook her head, "I don't think so. We always have Blaise over in the summer. He leaves me with boys all the time. Actually, I don't think he's realised that I'm a woman of a certain age." Draco chuckled. "You've got to remember how much time I spend alone," she continued, "since dad's abroad so much of the time he likes to make sure I've got company. We've plenty of room, I like to try and have everyone to stay at some point in the summer, so I guess now you can be part of that 'everyone'. Actually, you have to promise me something first?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "what is it?"

"You have to take Potions next year and you also have to sit next to me in it."

"You're taking Potions next year?" He repeated in disbelief. "How did that happen, you didn't even take your OWLs?"

"Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore thought I should take it." She made a face at him. "That's right, I had a careers talk too."

"What are you taking?"

"Um, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, um, oh - Potions, duh and Care of Magical Creatures."

"No History of Magic?" he teased.

"No, I had to choose between CMC and History, and then McGonagall said that History was full of Ravenclaws so I should pick Care of Magical Creatures."

"Did she really?"

"Essentially." Allegra grinned. "What are you taking?"

"Potions, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Astronomy."

"So we'll probably be together a lot." She nodded. "Astronomy?"

"It's my History of Magic. Or Care of Magical Creatures, as it seems to be now."

Ron helped Allegra put her luggage in the overhead racks and then she put Midnight on a hook by the window. Harry, Hermione and Neville joined them. Allegra sat in one of the middle seats and put her bag in her lap so that the others could sit down. Once they were settled the train pulled away from Hogsmeade and started the long journey back to London.

"Well, that was certainly a weird year." Hermione sighed, getting a book out of her handbag and looking out of the window at the passing countryside.

"I wasn't at school for much of it," Allegra said turning in her seat to rest against Ron's arm and put her legs up on Harry's lap, where he began playing with the gems on her shoes.

"Yeah, lucky for you," Ron said opening a packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans. "You didn't have to do your OWLs." Allegra opened her mouth and Ron dropped one in, luckily it turned out to be strawberry.

"I don't really think Allegra would have preferred being abducted, Ron." Hermione said over the top of her book.

"Oh yeah, I need to give all of you one of these." Allegra sat up and rummaged in her bag. "Here," she passed out copies of a map.

"What's this?" Harry asked, receiving his first.

"A map, to my house."

"Allegra, I've been to your house loads of times -"

"I know, Ron, but after what happened to me Dumbledore wanted us to take greater precautions. Apparently now if you use the Floo System without timing it specifically with us you'll end up tied up and in the Auror's office, or something." Ron didn't look keen on that. "So I thought it might be best just to do it the muggle way and come to the front door. Well, gate, actually. We have one of those muggle buzzer-speaker things. I'm not sure how to use it properly but I guess I'll learn."

"'Don't fly over the wall that marks the property boundaries'." Ron read aloud slowly, and then looked up at Allegra with a fearful look on his face. "Why, what happens if you do?"

"I've been told it's like flying into a brick wall."

"Oh good," Hermione said, "It's quite easy to get to when you know where you're going, is it easy to get to in a car? I don't fancy flying." Hermione said making a face and looking up into the sky out of the window.

"I don't know," Allegra shrugged, "but once you're at the gates get your mum and dad to drive you to the house, the drive way is a bit long to walk, unless you want to. I was thinking about having everyone round just after your birthday, Harry?" Harry nodded his head, along with everyone else.

"Who are the other maps for?" Neville asked.

"Oh, Ginny, Pavarti and Lavender. Actually, I think I will go and find them." Allegra got up and put her handbag on her shoulder. Allegra walked down the corridor and past the staring eyes of younger students, looking at the girl who had seen Voldemort. Eventually she heard the shrill laugh of Pansy Parkinson come into range.

"Oh, Drakey, you're so funny!"

"No, I'm serious." Draco said and then Pansy laughed again.

"Can you just fuck off?" Blaise said.

As Allegra came upon the compartment she looked in and saw Crabbe and Goyle talking about something on either side of the window, then on the right there was a gap and Blaise sat next to the door with his head in his hands. On the opposite side that only came into view as Allegra got to the doorway, Draco was fighting off Pansy.

"Excuse me, but could I just borrow Blaise and Draco?" Allegra asked in a fake polite voice. Blaise's head shot up and everyone else turned to look at the door.

"No." Pansy replied as Blaise and Draco both said "Yes." Draco gave Pansy a big push and she fell off the seat and onto the floor, Blaise was out of the door almost before Allegra had a chance to move out of the way.

"Thank you," Blaise breathed, closing the door after Draco escaped.

"That girl, is just - more painful than ... anything." Draco said shaking his head.

"Well this is only going to brief actually, sorry."

"Oh, goodie," Blaise glanced back into the compartment, Pansy was arranging herself on the seats.

"More Pansy time," Draco finished.

"Yeah, well anyway," Allegra began, "I am here to give you these." She handed them each a map.

"What is it?" Blaise asked.

"A map to my house. After what happened to me Dumbledore has had more protection put on my house to keep me safe. So you can't Floo, fly or apparate in."

"So how do we get in?" Blaise asked dumbly.

Allegra narrowed her eyes at him, "the front door."

"Oh, yeah," he nodded.

"Write to me when you feel like coming, I don't suspect I'll be going anywhere. Maybe Ron's. But that's it, I think."

"Cool," Blaise nodded. "See you in a few weeks." He gave her a hug and slipped back into the Compartment of Boredom.

"So, is the open invitation for me, too?"

"Yes," Allegra frowned a little, "I wasn't lying. You can stay the whole summer if you need to. You'll just have to live in a cupboard while Harry and Ron stay."

"So if I just turned up in the middle of the night that would be fine?"

"That depends if you were waking me up with a good reason or not. If it was just to test your theory then I imagine something horrible would happen to you." Draco laughed.

"Okay, I won't do that. But I'll see you soon." They paused for a moment looking at each other and then awkwardly found a way to hug each other goodbye. Allegra walked swiftly down the train to find her dorm mates and Draco shot back inside the compartment.

When she got back to the compartment Ginny had joined them and Allegra could see the food trolley a couple of compartments up.

"Lunch is coming." Allegra announced as she opened the door. She took her seat back between Harry and Ron and opened her bag to find some money.

"Hey Ali, can I have a map too? Ron isn't going to share his." Ginny said as she gave her brother evils.

"Yeah," she handed her one and stood up to meet the lunch trolley. She purchased her lunch and enough sweets to feed the whole carriage. She sat down with her haul and put all the sweets in her bag and put the bag on the floor so that anyone could have some.

After they had eaten their lunch they settled down for the rest of the journey. Neville was tending to his plant that was making weird crowing noises every so often and Hermione had gotten out several copies of The Prophet and was going through them. Allegra had taken a seat on the floor by the sweets so that Ron and Harry could play wizard chess on her seat and Ginny was doing a quiz in The Quibbler. Allegra had been told off for trying to help the boys with their game, verbally abusing Neville's plant and playing a symphony with her tongue and so she had moved on to secretly changing everyone's hair colour. She turned Hermione's silver, Ginny's blue, Neville's green, and she was trying to do Harry and Ron but they were looking up at each other periodically. When they looked down at the game she quickly turned Harry's purple and Ron's pink, and then she sat back to admire her handy work, feigning interest in their game.

She lasted almost half an hour and the start of a new chess match for Ron to finally say, "Harry, has your hair always been that colour?" for anyone to notice. Luckily, they all found it funny and Hermione even decided to keep some of the glittery silver under her fringe. Allegra then remembered a magazine she'd packed and started rummaging around beneath the sweets for it.

"What's - er - going on with you and her, anyway?" Ron whispered. Allegra looked up just in time to see Cho and Marietta disappear from view.

"Nothing." Harry replied strongly.

"I - er - heard she's going out with someone else now," Hermione said, also overhearing but Harry's expression said that it didn't bother him.

"I wouldn't want you to get back with her anyway," Ron said forcefully.

"You wouldn't want him to get back with her?" Allegra exclaimed, "I definitely don't want you to get back with her!"

Ron rolled his eyes and carried on at a normal level, "I mean, she's good looking and all that, but you want someone a bit more cheerful."

"A bit more? A bit more? A lot -"

"She's probably cheerful enough with someone else." Harry said watching one of his pawns take one of Ron's, both the boys ignoring Allegra. Ginny patted Allegra on the head sympathetically.

"Who's she with now, anyway?" Ron asked looking up at Hermione, but Ginny answered for her.

"Michael Corner." Ron nodded and carried on until something in his head clicked and he turned towards Ginny.

"Michael - but - but you were going out with him!"

"Yeah, past tense, I was going out with him, but not anymore." Ginny said plainly, looking back through a magazine Allegra had lent her. "He didn't really like Gryffindor beating Ravenclaw and he got all sulky, so I ditched him and he ran off to comfort Cho instead."

"That's my girl!" Allegra grinned proudly, putting a hand in the air for Ginny to high-five. Ron looked quite happy with himself.

"Well, I always did think he was a bit of an idiot," he said sorting out his chess pieces again, "good for you, just choose someone better next time."

"What about Dean Thomas, would you say that's better?"

"What?!" Ron said, suddenly averting his attention back to her causing Allegra and Hermione to start laughing. "But - but - but ..."

"No butts, Ron," Allegra said, and Hermione burst with laughter.

"But he fancied Allegra!" He said, yet again ignoring her.

"Yeah, five months ago, now he likes me." She said, only briefly taking her eyes off the magazine in front of her. Allegra and Hermione laughed even harder when they saw Ron's expression.

"Well done, Ginny!" Allegra praised, receiving another high-five.

"You!" Ron shouted looking down at Allegra, "you - it's all your fault!"

"How is it?!" Allegra's jaw dropped and Ginny joined in with Hermione.

"You're like a sister to her, you two are the most alike," Ron began, his voice becoming raspy and strained. "What kind of a role model are you?"

"Hey!"

"Always setting a bad example, I can deal with you but don't lead Ginny astray!"

"I haven't been interested in anyone all year!"

"That's because you haven't been here!" Ron shouted, "You haven't been around real people!"

"So? It still counts!" Allegra replied.

"You're a disgrace, honestly, a complete disgrace!"

"Ron," Ginny said through her laughter, "that's a bit harsh -"

"BOTH OF YOU!"

"Ron, shut up!" Hermione said trying to get control of herself.

"Like you're much better," Ron said throwing his hands in the air, "last year - eighteen, I tell you. EIGHTEEN! You're almost as bad as Allegra!"

"Hey!" Hermione and Allegra said in unison.

Eventually the laughter cooled down and the train started to slow. As it rolled into the train station everyone stood up to get their belongings together.

"I'll see you soon, Neville, okay?" Neville nodded and gave her a hug, "write to me when you're ready for us to come and stay." Neville nodded and got off the train. Allegra and the others followed him off.

"See you later," Allegra said giving Hermione a long hug, "write to me soon and have a good holiday, I'll see you when you get back."

"You have to come and see mum," Ginny said. Allegra nodded, said goodbye to Harry and followed her along the platform until Molly and Allegra's father came into view.

"Oh, Allegra, honey," Molly gasped and pulled Allegra into a tight hug. "I was so worried, didn't know what had happened! Oh, and your dear father - distraught - but you're okay now, that's all that matters." Allegra nodded. "Good. I expect you to visit in a week or so, I'll make up a bed in Ginny's room."

Allegra and her father said goodbye to the Weasleys and then walked a little way down the platform to apparate.

"You haven't forgotten about all the new security, have you?" Allegra asked, slightly worried about apparating with all her luggage and Midnight.

"No, no. Don't worry, it doesn't work on us."

"Are you sure?" Allegra said. Michael raised an eyebrow and nodded. Allegra took a deep breath, gathered herself together and grasped his arm. "Alright, I'm ready." With a crack, they apparated home.

A/N: Thanks for reading, the story continues in Parallel Worlds: Summer Nights