Chapter 7:
"Alicia what are you talking about?"
"The alleyway between Wisteria Walk and Magnolia Crescent, Harry and his cousin Dudley were just attacked by two dementors in Little Whinging. Harry barely escaped, he couldn't think of anything happy and then he produced the patronus and fought the two dementors away, saving Dudley and himself."
"And how can you know that so many miles away from Potter?" Snape asked with a cruel smile.
Alicia however ignored him and walked over to Sirius.
"Sirius I was there!" she looked at her shaking fingers "I can feel the cold in my fingers. They blocked out the stars and the street lamps and…" she worried before her eyes widened "Harry did illegal magic!" she worried
"Hang on, where was Mundungus?" Lupin wondered
"I don't know! He never showed!" Alicia wondered
"Would anyone like the explain what's going on? Alicia how do you know this?" Mrs Weasley demanded
"Harry and I have a connection, it's weird and hard to explain but I'm not making this up!" she said strongly, looking at Sirius and Lupin pleadingly.
"Someone has to tell Dumbledore—" Alicia was cut off by the doorbell and Mrs Blacks screams. Mrs Weasley rushed off, the screams were cut off and voices sounded from the front door before Mrs Weasley exploded.
"YOU DID WHAT!?" She screamed "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HIM! YOU AND YOUR CRACK POT ILLEGAL TRADE! YOU GO AND TELL DUMBLEDORE THIS INSTANT BEFORE I TURN YOU INTO A FRYING DISH!" there was a crack and Mrs Black's screams were trying to be hushed again by Mrs Weasley before she came bustling back to the kitchen.
"Alicia's right. That was Mundungus." she explained, she was white and looked terribly worried.
"Harry was attacked by dementors not minutes ago. Arabella Figg sent Mundungus to tell Dumbledore, seeing as we're having a meeting he came here first."
"Arabella…" Alicia began "You mean Mrs Figg? That cat lady that's been looking after Harry his while life!?" she demanded. How could she have not made the connection earlier?
"She's a squibb Alicia." Sirius said softly.
"Why wasn't Dung watching Harry?"
"He had a so called business deal with some cauldrons and decided it was more important then Harry's life!" Mrs Weasley raged.
Everyone began to talk amongst themselves suddenly. None of them caring Alicia was there, Sirius with his arm around her comfortingly. The warmth was finally coming back to her fingers.
The fireplace suddenly turned emerald green and Mr Weasley walked out.
"Harry used illegal magic." he informed
"Yes we know Arthur." Mrs Weasley had taken to washing already clean dishes in her nerves.
"What's the Ministry doing?"
"They've sent a letter of expulsion to Harry's house." Mr Weasley admitted
"What?!" Alicia shouted "They can't expel him it was self defence!" she raged. Mr Weasley looked at her for a second, noticing she was amongst the meeting members before he continued
"Dumbledore's just arrived he's trying to mellow it over. He's not impressed." he informed "I'll be back with news." and he stepped back into the green flames after throwing in some floo powder before vanishing.
"Someone needs to talk to Harry." Alicia said
"We're under orders…" Tonks began.
"If Harry think's he's been expelled what's to stop him from doing more magic or leaving his aunt and uncle?!" Alicia said above the sudden mutters she'd brought.
Sirius moved from Alicia and grabbed a piece of parchment.
It was another half an hour before anyone heard anything. Alicia hadn't left the kitchen but was pacing at one end. She'd long noticed the extendable ear at the doorway which had eventually been closed. Apparently no one was against Alicia's presence currently as they talked over the current developments. Alicia had stood near the door for a bit after she'd spotted the ear and repeated what had happened so that everyone upstairs would know. It was easier than telling them later on.
Not long after, Mr Weasley reappeared. He sank into a chair and whipped his bald head.
"Arthur what's happening?" Mrs Weasley asked quickly.
"Dumbledore's managed to persuade the Ministry to postpone Harry's expulsion until his hearing on the twelfth of August. He's been suspended until then."
"A hearing!?" Alicia asked.
"They'll decide whether he's going to be expelled and his wand broken then." Mr Weasley explained "I've informed Harry and told him to stay and not do any more magic." Arthur admitted.
"Lucky you were on duty tonight Arthur." Lupin said, giving Alicia a glance. She'd stopped pacing but didn't look any more relaxed.
"How is Harry to get to this hearing?" Tonks wondered.
There was a whoosh of green flames and suddenly Dumbledore was walking into the room. He looked as he had at the end of last year when he'd discovered Mad-Eye Moody was an imposter. His eyes were blazing and his normal smile was currently a living memory.
Despite the look of pure anger on Dumbledore's face, Alicia narrowed her eyes at him. What was he going to do now? Alicia didn't believe he could leave Harry out of it all anymore.
"We need to make arrangements to bring Harry here." he decided, his voice was deadly calm and no one dared to say anything to interrupt him. "I've calmed the ministry to an extent but he's not safe anymore. Besides, Arabella has given her cover away, Harry knows Mundungus has been following him." the way he said Mundungus' name made a shiver go around the room as though Voldemort's name had been said.
Alicia scoffed. Yeah because I told him. she was leaning on the wall listening carefully.
"How are we going to get Harry here safely?" Tonk questioned
"A band of you will need to go. He needs to be transported here through means that cannot be traced." Dumbledore explained
"That excludes flow powder, apparation… the easiest ways." Mrs Weasley sighed.
"What about brooms?" Alicia asked and everyone looked at her "Fast, effective, Harry's a good flier and if enough go you can protect him." she didn't care she'd interrupted, her anger at Dumbledore caused any fear at Dumbledore's expression to be locked away in the corner of her mind.
"Flying might be a smart idea." Tonks thought nodding.
"We'll need Alastor to go, and Kingsley…" Dumbledore muttered
"I'll go too." Tonks offered "Another Auror can't help." she smiled
"Remus, I'd like you to accompany them…" Dumbledore decided and Lupin nodded.
"We'll organise a time and safety measures." Lupin decided.
"It needs to be soon though. So we can prepare for the hearing."
"He'll also need informing of a few things." Sirius warned "Like Alicia he wont sit on the sidelines." Dumbledore nodded, only just glancing at Alicia.
"He's not to know more than he needs to know though." Dumbledore's voice was strong clear and authoritative and Alicia narrowed her eyes annoyed.
"We'll get right on it." Lupin nodded looking at everyone who agreed.
Alicia left it at that. After receiving a look from Mrs Weasley, in which she didn't want to start yet another disagreement, she agreed to leave the busy, crowded kitchen.
As she left the majority of the extendable ears were taken up as well.
"What happened!?" everyone questioned the second she reached the third landing.
"I told you."
"What are they doing?"
"You heard?" Alicia reminded them
"They're really bringing Harry here?" Hermione asked
"Yeah so get ready for a hurricane, he's going to kill us all." Alicia muttered.
"But Alicia…" Hermione began "How did you know?" she asked. Alicia looked around as the five behind her as they walked up the stairs. All of them looked at her expectantly. Alicia pursed her lips and lowered her gaze as she took a breath, taking the last few steps.
"I saw it." she confessed. The five glanced at each other behind her
"Saw what?" Hermione questioned
"Harry get attacked." Alicia said as she moved into her room.
"What?" the twins questioned
"How?" Ginny asked. Alicia sat on her bed and thought.
"Harry and I have this weird connection that's deeper than just twins. It comes from the curse Voldemort cast that day." she said "Last year the connection deepened. When ever Harry's in some sort of trouble, I… sort of materialise beside him." they looked at her weird.
"I have these ghost moments." she said "When Harry was at the bottom of the lake last year, I was conscious and with him. I looked at my own body." she said "When he was in the maze I felt his pain when he got stabbed in the leg. When Mr Crouch was found in the forest, I was there too." she said looking at Hermione and Ron who shared a look, remembering and looking at the girl surprised. "My body's all transparent, I can't touch anything, no one can see me and only Harry can hear me." she said "I'm not sure how exactly it works, I've been trying to tap into it and make it work for the last two and a bit weeks."
"That's weird." the twins chorused.
"I know." Alicia nodded with a sigh.
"That's why you've been so alone." Ginny muttered and Alicia nodded.
"I refuse to leave Harry in the dark."
"So you've told him."
"I told him some things, but not what we've found out. You guys woke me up to listen in on the last meeting." she muttered and they all looked at her. "Yeah I did it then too."
"Does it only work when you're asleep?" Fred asked
"I passed out at one stage because of it, I'm not sure if I was asleep this evening." Alicia said with a sigh.
"So are they bringing Harry here? For real?" Hermione asked again and Alicia gave her an annoyed look.
"That's what they're working on." Alicia said slowly.
"What do we do when he gets here?" Hermione muttered
"Hide?" Alicia shrugged "He's going to be more angry than I've ever seen him." Hermione and Ron shared a worried look.
"How are they getting him here?" Ginny asked
"I suggested by broomstick. They don't want him traced and they need to protect him. Cover of night, several Aurors. Sounds alright that way."
"Isn't that vulnerable?"
"I doubt there are going to be Death Eaters flying over the most protected place for Harry. Besides how will they know he's leaving?" Alicia wondered
"Snape might blab?"
"Under Dumbledore's nose?" Hermione questioned "Unlikely."
"You trust him too much." Ron grumbled
"We don't like him, but clearly he did something for Dumbledore to enlist him into such secrets." Alicia cut the fight before it could begin between the two.
Noises within the hallway sounded and everyone moved from Alicia's room and to the landing, lying on the floor and glancing through the railings down below.
Dumbledore looked like he was on a rampage, a weird sight for someone who was always so calm and collected. He looked furious as he spoke to Sirius and Lupin. Mundungus was standing in a corner fidgeting. His eyes went to Dumbledore and then moved away before glancing at the headmaster again. Dumbledore hardly acknowledged the small crook as he turned to Mr and Mrs Weasley, talking to them swiftly.
"I've never see Dumbledore look so angry." Hermione whispered as Dumbledore took a deep breath and turned to Mundungus, his eyes hard and his mouth tight as he got out the words he needed and then dismissed Mundungus with a careless wave of his hand. The small man ran from the house.
"I have." Alicia muttered "When he found out about Barty Crouch Junior. That was frightening." she confessed "I can't believe it took a dementor attack for him to visit this place though." Alicia grumbled and everyone looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Think about it, if this hadn't happened Harry would probably have been stuck at Privet Drive all bloody summer!" she grumbled
"He's going to be so angry! I'm surprised he didn't do something before now! Run away, send a howler like Alicia…" Hermione worried
"He thought about strapping his trunk to his broom and flying away." Alicia admitted with a shrug "When I told him we weren't at the Burrow though he realised that was useless. He wouldn't be able to find us, what with the Fidelus charm." she sighed.
"And that's exactly what I've been warning everyone about! Locking him up will cause him to do stupid things!" Hermione worried
"Well he'll be here in a few days so we only need to worry about his anger." Alicia breathed.
Those in the hall below them began to lessen and soon Dumbledore was gone and the hall was empty.
The six got up and Alicia moved to sit on her bed. Hermione began to pace her room and Ron leaned on the door frame as Ginny sat beside Alicia.
"Are you alright?" she wondered
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just really hopeless in these… ghost states and it angers me. Bloody frustrating." she grumbled annoyed. Ginny nodded understanding as she looked at the twins who were walking in.
"Sounds like having brothers." Alicia smirked and let out a small chuckle before all of them fell silent to a sudden rapt on the window causing all of them to turn to see the flash of white.
"Hedwig." Alicia muttered and moved to the window. She let the owl in and she stopped between Hermione and Ron. Hedwig stuck out her leg and they all noticed three letters.
"Hermione, Ron and Sirius." Alicia guessed. Ron and Hermione removed their letters and Hedwig then soared off through the open door and down the stairs.
"I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here." Hermione and Ron both read.
"They're the same." Ginny said looking over their shoulders one at a time.
Hedwig suddenly soared up the stairs again and sat beside Ron. Then to everyone's surprised she started pecking his hands.
"Oi! Hey! Hedwig!" he complained. The owl didn't stop though. She moved to Hermione and began to do the same.
"Hedwig! Stop! Ow!" Hedwig bit and scratched the two before blood covered Ron's hand from a nasty cut on his index finger.
"Hey, Hedwig." Alicia got up and caught the bird who settled on her shoulder and hooted angrily at the two.
"What's gotten into her?" Ginny questioned, restraining herself from stroking the owl.
"Ten Galleons Harry told her to bring back proper replies, the biting and scratching are to make you reply properly, not send tantalising hints." Alicia said calming Hedwig who's eyes were set hard on the two. Their hands were badly bitten and scratched.
"It's alright Hedwig, Harry's going to be here soon. You can stay and wait and then he'll have every answer we can give him." Hedwig nibbled Alicia's ear as she stroked her feathers before she soared to the dresser were Noel's cage lay, still empty as the owl hadn't returned with Anthony's reply as of yet. Hedwig helped herself to some of Noel's food and water and didn't move from the dresser.
"He's willing to go to such lengths?" Hermione muttered looking at her hands and wincing.
"Yeah imagine what'll happen when he's here in person." Ginny muttered. The twins naturally shared a grin.
"We just need to find out what day he's getting here now." Ron shrugged, sucking on his bleeding finger.
"And prepare ourselves to the outburst we'll receive." Alicia nodded
"Think mum'll tell us?" Ginny wondered
"It's not secret order business." Fred said
"There isn't a reason to keep this from us." George agreed
"They'll tell me." Alicia said strongly "At least Sirius will. After all, he's my brother."
"You'll tell us?" Hermione wondered
"Of course, what's the point of keeping that a secret?" Alicia wondered.
"Blimey, a lot's happened in the last couple of hours." Ron sighed
"Tell me about it." Alicia muttered crawling to lay down amongst her pillows. "I'm exhausted."
"I guess out of body experiences do that." Ginny chuckled. Alicia raised her leg and kicked the girl off her bed, causing Ginny to groan in protest and everyone else to chuckle.
There was a slight tension at breakfast the next morning. Mrs Weasley continued to look at Alicia as she sat and ate some toast, chewing slowly and staring at the wall ahead of her. She ignored the ginger haired women, knowing she was curious as to how Alicia knew what had happened yesterday but said nothing. She didn't need to explain, Dumbledore knew, Sirius knew, Hermione and Ron knew, and Harry knew. From her perspective that was good enough for now. As an add on, Ginny and the twins knew too.
Alicia wondered if maybe a part of her was keeping it from Mrs Weasley as pay back for Mrs Weasley keeping so many things from her, after all if Mrs Weasley found out she'd probably throw a fit, out of body experiences weren't normal after all. This was for Mrs Weasley's own good, the same thing the women believed about telling Alicia anything about the Order.
Sirius walked into the room with the newspaper within his hand. Mrs Weasley gave hm a cup of coffee and went back to the large pot of scrabbled eggs she was whipping up.
"Sirius," Alicia began not glancing at him. He hummed in response. "When's Harry getting here?" her voice was rather calm and carefree but everyone looked at her. "Dumbledore said he had to come, when's it happening?"
Lupin had entered the room and smiled at Alicia.
"We're making the preparations as we speak. Hopefully we'll have Harry here in no more than three days." Alicia nodded, three or four days she could handle, but could Harry?
"Hope you're all ready to answer some questions then, he's going to be pissed." Alicia admitted, Sirius smirked and Lupin sighed, nudging him.
"I'll need to change the sheets on the bed in Ron's room for Harry." Mrs Weasley said, more to herself then anyone else
"Didn't you clean that room?" Alicia wondered
"Well… just in case dear. Who knows if anything's gotten in here again." she muttered, sounding rather tired and bored of the ever growing mould and creatures they'd exterminated and chased from the house.
Alicia nodded before finishing her breakfast, she glanced at Sirius who winked at her. She knew he was excited to see Harry.
"So… what's happening with the hearing…?" she wondered and everyone paused again. "Like… how will it work?"
"The ministry officials will take a statement from Harry, use the information they have and then make a verdict." Lupin explained
"Is there any kind of evidence in the defendants case?" Alicia wondered "I mean the ministry's completely against Harry we must have something good that'll get him off right? He can't, not go to Hogwarts!"
"Dumbledore will make sure he gets off." Mrs Weasley assured her, though she looked a little worried herself.
"Dumbledore's had Arabella Figg and Mundungus following Harry all summer." Sirius assured
"Mundungus wasn't there." Alicia reminded him
"But Arabella was. She's been watching Harry since he was a child." Sirius reminded her
"And did she see anything?"
"She knows exactly what happened." Lupin smiled
"So as long as she testifies as a witness, Harry's safe?" Alicia asked and everyone nodded
"Besides's Dumbledore will make sure he's alright." Mr Weasley said
Alicia took a deep breath and nodded.
"Don't worry Alicia. You wont be going to Hogwarts without him." Sirius placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort but Alicia saw something else within his expression, almost like disappointment.
"Which is a good thing, for Harry I mean." she said and he smiled, but the somewhat hopeful look that Harry wouldn't get off didn't leave. Alicia gave him a disbelieved expression before Lupin cleared his throat to stop her commenting.
Alicia settled for looking disappointed and decided to wait till later to confront him, hopefully before Harry arrived.
"By the way… I know it probably wont happen." she began again, slowly "But what happens if he does lose…" she muttered.
No one answered.
"Dumbledore wouldn't seriously send him to the Dursley's for the rest of… well forever, would he?" Sirius scowled at the thought.
"Hopefully, we won't have to find out." Mrs Weasley sighed.
Alicia sat in Ginny and Hermione's room reading a book while Hermione paced, worrying about Harry and Ginny did some homework. Hermione's hands were red and raw from Hedwig, the deeper cuts were bandaged and no longer bleeding but they were a while from healing as of yet. Mrs Weasley had suggested she try a healing charm on them but both Hermione and Ron didn't see it necessary. Hedwig meanwhile was in Alicia's room two floors up with Noel. Everyone had agreed that was best for she was less likely to attack Alicia. The owl however was no where near calm, she was frantic. She was cooped up in the house with no way out and therefore unable to complete her task of bringing back worthy letters to Harry. It seemed Alicia's best efforts to tell Hedwig Harry would be here soon were no help, her calmest moment had been when she'd greeted Noel last night.
"Hermione…" Ginny asked the girl for help on her homework. Hermione being the good witch she was never gave the answer but gave hints to try and prompt Ginny to discover it for herself. Occasionally Ginny grumbled at this to which Alicia gave a much easier hint or explanation and the girl got it. She was rather smart for a fourteen year old.
"So were you." Ginny reminded her with a grin when Alicia commented on this.
"Fourteen wasn't really my favourite year though." Alicia remembered and Ginny frowned slightly before she rolled her eyes to brush the topic away.
"So, are you sure about not contacting Harry?" Hermione muttered suddenly she looked at Alicia.
"There's no point. Besides, you can't tell him he's being picked up or they'll be in a hell of a lot of trouble if it's intercepted." Alicia explained "That's what Dumbledore wants."
"And since when are you okay with what he wants?" Ginny asked absentmindedly
"Since Harry's going to be here in three days." Alicia answered
"You could always tell him." Hermione offered "With you're thing,"
"That I don't know how to control." Alicia added on
"Could you please try?" Hermione stopped her pacing to look desperately at Alicia.
She sighed.
"How could I not with that expression?" she muttered and closed her book. Ginny paused and turned to her as well.
Alicia laid on the bed and closed her eyes.
"Just no one make a sound." she muttered as she took a deep breath and tried once again to access her connection to Harry. "And don't be disappointed when this doesn't work." she added.
"Just try." Hermione snapped.
Alicia raised an eyebrow in response but kept her eyes closed. She kept her mind clear and focused on Harry, tried to repeat what had happened the first time. She had thought about his room, about being in it, remembered the nooks and crannies, Hedwig's cage, the desk covered in papers.
Alicia opened an eye but was staring at the celling of the two girls' room at Grimmauld Place.
"Not working." she said. Hermione huffed
"There's got to be something." she muttered. She started to run her fingers through her ever bushy hair and remember a solution she might have read over.
Alicia just closed her eyes again, listening to Hermione's mutters as she relaxed and waited for her to hit a resolution.
And then Hermione's voice faded away into the background. She could still hear her mutters and Ginny adding in comments but it was like there was a window between the two, a glass wall muffling everything. Alicia could feel something, a small opening type feeling on her mind. She reached for it and suddenly Harry popped into her mind.
Before she knew it she was standing in the Dursley's house, within Harry's own room. But it was not as it had been last time, the door was closed, Hedwig's cage was empty, but more importantly, Harry was pacing back and forth. Books lay open on his floor, his trunk was a mess, clothes littered the floor with the books, Hedwig's cage was in need of a cleaning.
"Could you have made any more of a mess?" Alicia questioned and Harry suddenly stumbled to a stop before he turned around to stare at her.
This shocked Alicia more than anything, the fact that he looked straight at her. He'd never been able to see her before.
"Alicia!" He walked towards her and Alicia took a slight step back in surprised
"Hang on, can you see me?" she demanded. Harry nodded.
"Wh— but— I mean…" Alicia couldn't think of what to say.
"Doesn't matter." Harry decided shaking his head "What's going on?!" he demanded "Mr Weasley and Sirius only told me to stay and not to do any more magic!"
"Yeah I know." Alicia sighed "I told Sirius to send you a letter, guessed you'd want to run as soon as you found out you were expelled."
"Uncle Vernon tried to kick me out." Harry admitted and Alicia looked surprised "But Mr Weasley told me to say and so did Sirius so…" he muttered before looking alert again "And Aunt Petunia got a howler!"
"What? From who?" Alicia questioned
"I don't know." Harry shrugged "And she wont answer me when I ask. It said 'Remember my last, Petunia.'"
"Weird…"
"Not as much as seeing you as a ghost…" Harry mumbled leaning forwards and putting his hand through her shoulder. "Sort of." Alicia glared at him and put her hands on her hips.
"Sorry." he muttered with a shy grin. "So what's going on? Hermione, Ron and Sirius aren't answering my letters!"
"I know, Hedwig was frantic, and I'm surprised you didn't send me one too."
"I assumed you'd turn up and tell me,"
"Hermione's anxious and forced me to try. I was actually successful." Alicia said looking down
"Maybe because you forced it on that's why I can see you." Harry pointed out
"Maybe. Anyway that's not important." Alicia agreed, waving it away. "They're coming to get you."
"What?!" Harry demanded
"Lupin, Mad-eye, Tonks, a few others, they're coming and taking you from the Dursleys and to headquarters."
"To where you are?"
"Yes."
"When?" Harry looked like he couldn't believe his ears.
"In a couple of days, they have to arrange the details, like how you're going to travel and who's going and all that." Alicia explained "I suggested you fly but we'll find out."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?!"
"I'm telling you now." Alicia said "Otherwise it's probably for what ever reason Dumbledore kept you in the dark in the first place." Harry pursed his lips.
"So… why's Hermione anxious?"
"Because she thinks you're going to do something stupid, and she's worried about how angry you're going to be when you arrive." Alicia shrugged "Hedwig attacking her and Ron didn't exactly help those thoughts." Alicia rose an eyebrow and Harry merely shrugged, not at all feeling guilty.
"So they still aren't telling you anything?" he wondered
"Not much, Sirius let some slip to me but not enough to make much sense and Mrs Weasley still isn't very happy with me." Alicia sighed "They're now all suspicious because I knew about the dementor attack before anyone."
"What?"
"The reason everyone responded so fast wasn't just because Mundungus was sent to tell everyone, it was because I ran down the stairs the second I got back… to my body I mean, and ran to tell them. I interrupted their important meeting and everything." Alicia explained "Then when some of them, Mrs Weasley mainly, was doubting me, Mundungus turned up and told them what'd happened. Mrs Weasley through a fit and then Mr Weasley turned up to tell us again and then Dumbledore arrived and made the decision to bring you to Headquarters. He was so angry that all of us sort of hid upstairs."
"You didn't talk to him?" Harry questioned
"I've had my chat with him and it made no difference." Alicia said looking annoyed "I don't need to get more angry at him then I already am."
"But…"
"Harry he wouldn't tell me the first time as to why he's suddenly distanced you from everything why would that have changed in a few weeks?"
"Maybe because I fought off a couple of dementors?" Harry demanded
"And you did it valiantly but you also fought off more in our third year." Alicia smirked
"With your help." Alicia only shrugged as Harry sat on his bed "I feel like I'm about to be scolded when I see everyone, no one decided to check I was alright, or tell me anything or even say well done."
"Hey I just did." Alicia said
"Thanks for that, but Hermione and Ron wont even answer me. Sirius hasn't even answered me." Harry complained
"That's because we can't send you a letter telling you what happened incase it gets intercepted. Mrs Weasley is intercepting any letter I send you and confiscating it. No one is exactly going to pick up the phone and tell you and we're not about to try the floo network a second time with the Dursleys. It needs be untraceable, of which I'm sure Dumbledore knows of a few ways but we don't. And if we did they'd probably require magic." Alicia said strongly.
"What are we doing about the hearing?" Harry changed the topic slightly.
"That was Dumbledore's reason for bringing you here. Someone from the ministry needs to escort you. Everyone says you'll get off easy because Dumbledore's on your side and Mrs Figg was a witness but that doesn't stop them from worrying."
"You knew about Mrs Figg?"
"I should have." Alicia said strongly, angry at herself. "Dumbledore said her name last year when he told Sirius to gather all those people. It completely slipped my mind!"
"You didn't know she was a squib then?"
"No. Sirius told me after… everything." she sighed.
"So when is everyone coming?"
"Lupin said three or four days." Alicia nodded "So I'll see you, properly, soon." she smiled "Then you can shout at everyone." Harry didn't answer
"I think it worked…"
"She seems to have fallen asleep…"
"Didn't she say she's usually asleep?"
Alicia recognised the two voices playing somewhere in the back of her mind. They belonged to Ginny and Hermione. Alicia listened as Harry sat and contemplated what she'd said.
"Once she passed out…" Hermione muttered
"Well she looks slightly too peaceful like that." Ginny thought
"But this can't be good, I mean she basically has out of body experiences, wouldn't that put some sort of strain on the body? Or even the soul?" Hermione worried
"Calm down I'm fine." Alicia muttered to herself.
"Alicia!" Ginny responded
"You're awake?" Hermione said and Alicia stood surprised. How could she be in two different places…? She'd never been able to hear or respond while she was with Harry, while she was having one of her ghost moments…
That's because you've always been asleep.
"I didn't fall asleep apparently…" she said slowly
"You've got your eyes closed…" Ginny said
"I was trying to reach Harry."
"Guess it didn't work." Hermione groaned and Alicia could feel as she stood up from the bed and her footsteps sounded as she started to pace again.
Was this like a development of the ghost stage? Harry begins to hear her, then he sees her and then she is somewhat conscious to both what's going on around her and Harry?
"Actually Hermione, it did…" Alicia took a deep breath and she could smell the room of Grimmauld Place, hear the mutters downstairs, Kreacher sounded as though he was out on the landing, his mutters of insults reaching her.
"What you saw him?! Is he furious! Is he wondering why we didn't reply? Did he tell you why he sent Hedwig like that? Did you tell him he's being collected?" Hermione rambled, her voice very close again
"Actually Hermione, I'm still with him."
Silence.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"It's weird, I can hear you, and smell the dusty room, and even feel the bed beneath me, but I'm standing in Harry's bedroom…"
"How is that possible?"
"It's like my eyes are with Harry and the rest of my senses are at Grimmauld Place."
"That can't be good! What if you're splitting your soul! It's bad enough you're straining it!" Hermione sounded both worried and as though she was scolding Alicia.
"It's not like I'm choosing to do this. It's just how it works… I guess." Alicia defended confused.
Ginny started to giggle.
"You even pull faces while you're like this." she commented and Alicia rolled her eyes.
"What?" Harry asked
"Turns out I can hear what's going on around my body."
"What?"
"Yeah Hermione and Ginny are talking in my ear."
"Do they know?"
"Yep, apparently I can talk back as well." Harry stared at her with his mouth opened and then he glared.
"Woah…" Alicia muttered at the look, holding her hands up in surrender. "He's glaring at me…"
"Why?" Ginny questioned
"He knows you're there."
"Oh, tell him how sorry I am! I wish we could tell him." Hermione
"You're not physically incapable of doing so Hermione." Alicia reminded her to which Hermione only muttered under her breath. Alicia rolled her eyes.
"What?"
"Hermione wants to tell you that she's sorry for not telling you anything."
"Why didn't she?"
"Dumbledore." Alicia said simply with a slight scowl.
"Did you tell him people are coming to get him?"
"Of course I did." Alicia answered the red head girl.
"But it's weird, he can see me."
"So?"
"He's never been able to before."
"Just like you haven't been in two places at once?" Hermione asked
"Yeah."
"Hey girls!" the other voice suddenly caused Alicia to jump and she opened her eyes to see Fred and George grinning at them.
"Fred!" Ginny complained
"What?" he questioned confused
"We were talking to Harry!" she admitted
"Well, I was." Alicia corrected as she sat up and unconsciously brushed her fingers over her scar on her neck.
"What?" Ron was with the twins.
"Alicia was talking to Harry again," Ginny explained "Then Fred broke her out of it." she accused. He only held his hands up in surrender.
"She told him he was getting picked up and brought here." Hermione confessed
"Why?" George asked
"Well no one else was." Alicia said annoyed as she stood up "And I refuse to leave him in the dark like everyone else in this god forsaken house." she pushed past the twins and made her way down the stairs towards the kitchen.