Chapter 14:
Alicia sprang up and opened her eyes to look at the five.
"Cleared of all charges!" she squealed and Hermione and Ginny did the same before the girl's flung themselves at Alicia. Ron released a breath and the twins grinned, chiming "Excellent."
Alicia released the girls and looked at them surprised.
"He's going to Hogwarts still!" she beamed as she got to her feet. She stopped again in realisation before surprising the five around her when she shouted.
"Sirius!" and she ran from the room and down the stairs shouting for Sirius. Mrs Weasley appeared also as the other five cluttered down the stairs behind her.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Mrs Weasley asked as Sirius appeared behind the women
"Did you see Harry? The time and place of the hearing changed, we got an owl…!" Sirius wondered
"The hearing just ended." Alicia cut them both off and Mrs Weasley looked at the girl confused as Sirius was expectant "Cleared of all charges!" Alicia said again before jumping up and down and dancing. Ginny happily joined in with her and the two laughed as they danced around the landing, only to have Sirius' mother's curtains burst open and the women to start screaming to drown them out. Alicia was so happy she just started laughing with her hands over her ears and turned to run down to the kitchen. Ginny followed her and the twins just apparated. Sirius and Mrs Weasley pulled the curtains closed before joining them just after Hermione and Ron.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please, Whether we be old and bald Or young with scabby knees," Alicia sang before she started laughing again and twirling around the kitchen. "Harry's going to Hogwarts with me! Harry's going to Hogwarts with us!" she cheered.
The twins started dancing around the kitchen with Alicia and began to chant three words: He got off over and over again.
They danced around the kitchen chanting as Sirius chuckled at them and Mrs Weasley began to cook lunch. Alicia stopped suddenly and ran for the stairs, earning a confused look from Hermione. The girl ran up the stairs and into the entrance hall to find Harry and Mr Weasley there. Alicia flung herself into Harry's arms and he grinned as he twirled her.
"We're going to Hogwarts!"
"You always were?" Harry reminded her remembering to keep his voice low, glancing at the closed curtains.
"Not without you I wasn't." Alicia snapped "And it doesn't matter now anyway!" she grinned hugging him again. "I knew Mrs Figg's case would help!"
"Alicia how did you know the outcome?" Mr Weasley asked whispering
"Doesn't matter." Alicia said before grabbing Harry's hand. "Come on!" and she pulled him down to the hall and then down the stairs into the kitchen. Ginny had joined Fred and George chanting as Ron got up grinning. Mr Weasley looked at his children as Harry looked at them all nodding.
"Cleared." he said to them all grinning. "Of all charges." he said and Sirius nodded grinning as the three continued to chant in a war dance like way.
"I knew it!" yelled Ron, punching the air as Harry, Mr Weasley and Alicia took a seat. "You always get away with stuff!"
"You do remember they're all… crap things to get in trouble for?" Alicia reminded him
"They were bound to clear you," said Hermione "There was no case against you, none at all…"
"Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering they all knew I'd get off," said Harry, smiling.
Mrs. Weasley was wiping her face on her apron as the three Weasley's continued to dance and cheer.
"He got off, he got off, he got off —"
"That's enough, settle down!" shouted Mr. Weasley, though he too was smiling. "Listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry —"
"What?" said Sirius sharply.
"He works there?" Alicia said at Sirius' question.
"He's a Death Eater." Harry reminded her
"Yeah and Fudge doesn't believe that so no surprise he's still there." Alicia scowled
"He got off, he got off, he got off —"
"Be quiet, you three! Yes, we saw him talking to Fudge on level nine, then they went up to Fudge's office together. Dumbledore ought to know."
"Absolutely," said Sirius. "We'll tell him, don't worry."
"Well, I'd better get going, there's a vomiting toilet in Bethnal Green waiting for me. Molly, I'll be late, I'm covering for Tonks, but Kingsley might be dropping in for dinner —"
"He got off, he got off, he got off —"
"That's enough — Fred — George — Ginny!" said Mrs. Weasley, as Mr. Weasley left the kitchen. "Harry dear, have some lunch, you hardly ate breakfast…"
Ron and Hermione sat themselves down opposite the twins looking happier than they had done since he had first arrived at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, and it instantly seemed to make the gloomy house seemed warmer and more welcoming all of a sudden; even Kreacher looked less ugly as he poked his snoutlike nose into the kitchen to investigate the source of all the noise.
" 'Course, once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you," said Ron happily, now dishing great mounds of mashed potatoes onto everyone's plates.
"Yeah, he swung it for me," said Harry. Harry looked at Alicia who frowned slightly and turned away without answering his thoughts. She knew he was upset the man had basically ignored him.
Alicia felt a prick in her neck and turned as Harry clapped his hand to his scar on his forehead.
"What's up?" said Hermione, looking alarmed.
"Scar," Harry mumbled. "But it's nothing… It happens all the time now…"
None of the others had noticed a thing; all of them were now helping themselves to food while gloating over Harry's narrow escape; Fred, George, and Ginny were still singing. Hermione looked rather anxious, but before she could say anything, Ron said happily, "I bet Dumbledore turns up this evening to celebrate with us, you know."
"I don't think he'll be able to, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley, setting a huge plate of roast chicken down in front of Harry. "He's really very busy at the moment."
"I don't think he'd come anyway." Alicia said and Harry looked at her confused along with Ron and Hermione of which the two had heard her.
"HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF —"
"SHUT UP!" roared Mrs. Weasley.
"Yeah come eat some food before Ron eats it all." Alicia said earning a scowl from the boy and a laugh from his siblings.
Despite the much happier atmosphere since Harry's hearing, one person was not feeling the celebrations. Granted he'd been overjoyed when the news had first come back and was beaming and wringing Harry's hand with everyone else, Sirius' mood had quickly dampened and become sullied. He spoke less to everyone, the black haired twins included, and was shutting himself up in his Mother's room with Buckbeak.
Harry had noticed this just as much as Alicia, but he was feeling guilty about it where as Alicia was disappointed in the man, despite understanding why he was feeling how he was.
"Don't you go feeling guilty!" said Hermione sternly, after Harry had confided some of his feelings to her, Alicia and Ron while they scrubbed out a mouldy cupboard on the third floor a few days later. "You belong at Hogwarts and Sirius knows it. Personally, I think he's being selfish."
"That's a bit harsh, Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he attempted to prize off a bit of mould that had attached itself firmly to his finger, "you wouldn't want to be stuck inside this house without company."
"He'll have company!" said Hermione. "It's headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix, isn't it? He just got his hopes up that Harry would be coming to live here with him."
"I don't think that's true," said Harry, wringing out his cloth. "He wouldn't give me a straight answer when I asked him if I could."
"He just didn't want to get his own hopes up even more," said Hermione wisely. "And he probably felt a bit guilty himself, because I think a part of him was really hoping you'd be expelled. Then you'd both be outcasts together."
"Come off it!" said Harry and Ron together, but Hermione merely shrugged.
"No she's right." Alicia sighed "It's something he and I have mentioned a few times before Harry even arrived." she confessed
"Don't be silly." Ron believed
"Suit yourselves. But I sometimes think Ron's mum's right, and Sirius gets confused about whether you're you or your father, Harry."
"So you think he's touched in the head?" said Harry heatedly.
"No, I just think he's been very lonely for a long time," said Hermione simply.
At this point Mrs. Weasley entered the bedroom behind them.
"Still not finished?" she said, poking her head into the cupboard.
"I thought you might be here to tell us to have a break!" said Ron bitterly. "D'you know how much mould we've got rid of since we arrived here?"
"You were so keen to help the Order," said Mrs. Weasley, "you can do your bit by making headquarters fit to live in."
"It's not like there's a time limit to do so in." Alicia replied annoyed, earning nothing but a disappointed look from the plump women.
"Alicia," Hermione scolded but the girl just shrugged
"I feel like a house-elf," grumbled Ron.
"Well, now that you understand what dreadful lives they lead, perhaps you'll be a bit more active in S.P.E.W.!" said Hermione hopefully, as Mrs. Weasley left them to it again. "You know, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to show people exactly how horrible it is to clean all the time — we could do a sponsored scrub of Gryffindor common room, all proceeds to S.P.E.W., it would raise awareness as well as funds —"
"I'll sponsor you to shut up about spew," Ron muttered irritably, but only so Harry could hear him.
"Hermione you remember those house elves last year, the effort is pointless. You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped." Alicia said to the girl.
"They just don't know they want the help."
"No, they're happy with how they are, there's a complete difference and you're being silly." Alicia corrected.
Hermione had not answered or replied to the girl but pursed her lips closed and returned to her cleaning.
The days flew by and the beginning of September grew closer and closer. Alicia excitement of going to Hogwarts began to increase as she imagined her classes, the spells she'd learn, the books she needed, Hagrid and more importantly than anything, Quidditch, which she'd been deprived of the year before having had the Trwizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts instead.
Her excitement helped her to ignore Harry's complaints about not being included in any of the Order's business. The boy had seemed to think it was luxurious and that they'd be getting information every hour, but Mrs Weasley had made sure that everyone, Harry included, were kept well out of earshot (whether Extendable or normal) and nobody, not even Sirius, seemed to feel that either twin needed to know anything more than they had heard on the night of Harry's arrival. Of which Alicia still believed to be nothing.
The last day of the holidays approached quicker than Alicia expected and she had her trunk packed and ready for departure other than the few essentials she'd need for next morning. She moved towards the stairs and down them to the second landing when Ron walked up and caught her attention by waving some letters he had in his hands.
"Booklists." he said
"Finally." Alicia said as she took hers and then moved off with Ron into his and Harry's room where Harry was sweeping Hedwig's owl droppings up from on top of the wardrobe.
"Booklists have arrived," he said, throwing one of the envelopes up to Harry, who was standing on a chair. "About time, I thought they'd forgotten, they usually come much earlier than this…"
"There must've been a problem to cause the delay." Alicia said as she opened her letter.
Harry swept the last of the droppings into a rubbish bag and threw the bag over Ron's head into the wastepaper basket in the corner, which swallowed it and belched loudly. He then opened his letter. Alicia pulled the two usual two pieces of parchment from the envelope, one the usual reminder that term started on the first of September, the other listing which books were needed for the coming year.
"Only two new ones," Harry said, reading the list. "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Miranda Goshawk and Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard."
"Theory?" Alicia asked reading her own.
Crack.
Fred and George Apparated right beside Harry. He was so used to them doing this by now that he didn't even fall off his chair.
"We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book," said Fred conversationally.
"Because it means Dumbledore's found a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," said George.
"And about time too," said Fred.
"That might explain why the booklists are so late." Alicia said to them as George nodded to her.
"What d'you mean?" Harry asked, jumping down beside them.
"Well, we overheard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable Ears a few weeks back," Fred told Harry, "and from what they were saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year."
"Not surprising, is it, when you look at what's happened to the last four?" said George.
"One sacked, one dead, one's memory removed, and one locked in a trunk for nine months," said Harry, counting them off on his fingers. "Yeah, I see what you mean."
"People thought it was jinxed remember?" Alicia said
"What's up with you, Ron?" asked Fred.
Ron did not answer and Alicia turned to him before raising an eyebrow. Ron was standing very still with his mouth slightly open, gaping at his letter from Hogwarts.
"What's the matter?" said Fred impatiently, moving around Ron to look over his shoulder at the parchment.
Fred's mouth fell open too.
"Prefect?" he said, staring incredulously at the letter.
"Prefect?" George leapt forward, seized the envelope in Ron's other hand, and turned it upside down. Harry saw something scarlet and gold fall into George's palm. "No way," said George in a hushed voice.
"There's been a mistake," said Fred, snatching the letter out of Ron's grasp and holding it up to the light as though checking for a watermark. "No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect…"
The twins' heads turned in unison and both of them stared at Harry.
"We thought you were a cert!" said Fred in a tone that suggested Harry had tricked them in some way.
"We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!" said George indignantly.
"Winning the Triwizard and everything!" said Fred. "Alicia do you have one?" Fred asked her and the girl rose an eyebrow
"Me?" she asked confused
"Yeah you and Harry were shoe-ins for it!" Fred believed and he took Alicia's letter, but the word 'prefect' was not written anywhere on the parchment.
"I suppose all the mad stuff must've counted against them," said George to Fred.
"Yeah," said Fred slowly. "Yeah, you've caused too much trouble, mate. Well, at least one of you's got their priorities right."
"Who else would get Alicia's though?" George wondered
"Hermione." Alicia nodded "And it's not mine." she said as Fred strode over to Harry and clapped him on the back while giving Ron a scathing look.
"Prefect… ickle Ronnie the prefect…"
"Oh, Mum's going to be revolting," groaned George, thrusting the prefect badge back at Ron as though it might contaminate him.
Ron, who still had not said a word, took the badge, stared at it for a moment, and then held it out to Harry as though asking mutely for confirmation that it was genuine. Harry took it. A large P was superimposed on the Gryffindor lion. He had seen a badge just like this on Percy's chest on his very first day at Hogwarts.
The door banged open. Hermione came tearing into the room, her cheeks flushed and her hair flying. There was an envelope in her hand.
"Alicia!" Hermione said running to her "I can't believe… I thought you'd be… but I mean…" Alicia rolled her eyes and the girl's expression changed as she turned to Harry
"Did you — did you get — ?"
She spotted the badge in Harry's hand and let out a shriek.
"I knew it!" she said excitedly, brandishing her letter. "Me too, Harry, me too!"
"No," said Harry quickly, pushing the badge back into Ron's hand. "It's Ron, not me."
"It — what?"
"Ron's prefect, not me," Harry said.
"Ron?" said Hermione, her jaw dropping. "But… are you sure? I mean —"
She turned red as Ron looked around at her with a defiant expression on his face.
"It's my name on the letter," he said.
"I…" said Hermione, looking thoroughly bewildered. "I… well… wow! Well done, Ron! That's really —"
"Unexpected," said George, nodding.
"No," said Hermione, blushing harder than ever, "no, it's not… Ron's done loads of… he's really… to be honest I expected Alicia and Harry too instead off me…" she said
"So did we." the twins agreed as the ones in question shared a look.
The door behind Hermione opened a little wider and Mrs. Weasley backed into the room carrying a pile of freshly laundered robes.
"Ginny said the booklists had come at last," she said, glancing around at all the envelopes as she made her way over to the bed and started sorting the robes into two piles. "If you give them to me I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pyjamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing… what colour would you like?"
"Get him red and gold to match his badge," said George, smirking.
"Match his what?" said Mrs. Weasley absently, rolling up a pair of maroon socks and placing them on Ron's pile.
"His badge," said Fred, with the air of getting the worst over quickly. "His lovely shiny new prefect's badge."
Fred's words took a moment to penetrate Mrs. Weasley's preoccupation about pyjamas.
"His… but… Ron, you're not…?"
Ron held up his badge.
Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek just like Hermione's.
"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"
"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbours?" said George indignantly, as his mother pushed him aside and flung her arms around her youngest son.
"Apparently." Alicia mumbled to them "It's okay, you can be part of my family instead." She grinned, nudging them and both boys slung their arms around her, nodding.
"Wait until your father hears! Ron, I'm so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could end up Head Boy just like Bill and Percy, it's the first step! Oh, what a thing to happen in the middle of all this worry, I'm just thrilled, oh Ronnie —"
Fred and George were both making loud retching noises behind her back but Mrs. Weasley did not notice; arms tight around Ron's neck, she was kissing him all over his face, which had turned a brighter scarlet than his badge.
Alicia had unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest at the exchange and glanced at Hermione still beside her as Ron complained at Mrs Weasley's actions.
"Mum… don't… Mum, get a grip…" he muttered, trying to push her away.
She let go of him and said breathlessly, "Well, what will it be? We gave Percy an owl, but you've already got one, of course."
"W-what do you mean?" said Ron, looking as though he did not dare believe his ears.
"You've got to have a reward for this!" said Mrs. Weasley fondly. "How about a nice new set of dress robes?"
"We've already bought him some," said Fred sourly, who looked as though he sincerely regretted this generosity.
"Or a new cauldron, Charlie's old one's rusting through, or a new rat, you always liked Scabbers —"
"Mum," said Ron hopefully, "can I have a new broom?"
Mrs. Weasley's face fell slightly; broomsticks were expensive.
"Not a really good one!" Ron hastened to add. "Just — just a new one for a change…"
Mrs. Weasley hesitated, then smiled.
"Of course you can… Well, I'd better get going if I've got a broom to buy too. I'll see you all later… Little Ronnie, a prefect! And don't forget to pack your trunks… A prefect… Oh, I'm all of a dither!" She gave Ron yet another kiss on the cheek, sniffed loudly, and bustled from the room.
Fred and George exchanged looks.
"You don't mind if we don't kiss you, do you, Ron?" said Fred in a falsely anxious voice.
"We could curtsy, if you like," said George.
"Oh, shut up," said Ron, scowling at them.
"Or what?" said Fred, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Going to put us in detention?"
"I'd love to see him try," sniggered George.
"He could if you don't watch out!" said Hermione angrily, at which Fred and George burst out laughing and Ron muttered, "Drop it, Hermione."
"We're going to have to watch our step, George," said Fred, pretending to tremble, "with these two on our case…"
"Yeah, it looks like our law-breaking days are finally over," said George, shaking his head.
And with another loud crack, the twins Disapparated.
"Those two!" said Hermione furiously, staring up at the ceiling, through which they could now hear Fred and George roaring with laughter in the room upstairs. "Don't pay any attention to them, Ron, they're only jealous!"
"I don't think they are," said Ron doubtfully, also looking up at the ceiling. "They've always said only prats become prefects… Still," he added on a happier note, "they've never had new brooms! I wish I could go with Mum and choose… She'll never be able to afford a Nimbus, but there's the new Cleansweep out, that'd be great… Yeah, I think I'll go and tell her I like the Cleansweep, just so she knows…"
He dashed from the room, leaving Harry, Alicia and Hermione alone.
Harry turned to his bed, turning his back to Hermione as Alicia was staring at the door Ron had disappeared through. Harry picked up the pile of clean robes Mrs. Weasley had laid upon it, and crossed the room to his trunk.
"Harry?" said Hermione tentatively.
"Well done," said Harry, so heartily it did not sound like his voice at all, and he still was not looking at her. "Brilliant. Prefect. Great."
"Thanks," said Hermione. "Erm — Harry — could I borrow Hedwig so I can tell Mum and Dad? They'll be really pleased — I mean, prefect is something they can understand —"
"Yeah, no problem," said Harry, still in the horrible hearty voice that did not belong to him. "Take her!"
Hermione crossed the room to the wardrobe and called Hedwig down before she moved from the room with the owl.
Alicia sat on one of the beds and stared at the floor as Harry continued bent over at his trunk before he finally looked up to see his sister. If Alicia was honest, prefects wasn't something she'd remembered about amongst all her anger and annoyance at everyone in this house and trying to work her connection with Harry in her favour. Of course Hermione was definitely a good choice as she was smart and a good role model, not breaking the rules like Alicia had often done with Harry. But then there was the fact that Harry and her had stopped Voldemort from getting the philosopher's stone and then saved Ginny from the basilisk and Tom Riddle, not to mention saving Sirius and defeating all those dementors, and then there was the Triwizard Tournament and escaping Voldemort in the graveyard… did all that really count for nothing?
Alicia was too busy trying to understand what had just transpired to see Harry screw up his face and bury it in his hands. The girl did look up though when he gave a small snort of laughter, only to see his expression turn disgusted afterwards.
"Tell me you feel sort of disappointed about this as well?" Alicia muttered and Harry turned to her. "I mean, I'm not smarter or braver or better than Hermione but… I kind of thought… even if it is a crap thing to be thinking about…" she mumbled turning her gaze away. "When you think about it… logically I guess, doesn't it seem more likely that we…" she broke off again.
"Yeah," Harry replied "I guess Ron's just got something I don't…" he mumbled
"Come off it." Alicia said "Not that Ron's not great but…" she said before frowning and shaking her head. "Why can't we just feel proud of our friends?" she sighed annoyed as she covered her face in her hands. "I mean, Hermione and Ron… Ron especially, are always second, well to you, you being the famous one but…" she said "They deserve this… right?" she asked and Harry turned his expression down.
"Yeah… I mean, can I, Ron's best friend in the world, sulk because I don't have a badge? Laugh with the twins behind Ron's back, ruin this for Ron when, for the first time, he's actually beaten me at something?" Harry asked as he moved to sit opposite Alicia "Especially after last year?" he added.
Ron had, with practically everyone else in the school, accused Harry of putting his own name in the Goblet of Fire the year before and resulted in the two boys separating for several months. Hermione believed this was because Ron was living in the shadows of all his brothers and then, on top of that, Harry as well.
"You might have more to feel frustrated in, I mean Hermione's—"
"You'll feel crap if you say actual competition or anything along those lines." Alicia said "But I know what you're getting at. At first we were just having a friendly competition as to who get the better grades, but, in the long run that was leading up to this…" Alicia mumbled looking down again.
"You're right, we should be feeling happy for them…" Harry said
"If you think about it, we're both feeling as crap as one another so… at least it wasn't just one of us feeling the disappointment." she said and Harry nodded.
Both of them turned to the door as Ron's footsteps on the stairs began. Harry stood and straightened his glasses before he hitched a grin onto his face just before Ron bounded back through the door.
"Just caught her!" he said happily. "She says she'll get the Cleansweep if she can."
"Cool," Harry said, and he was relieved to hear that his voice had stopped sounding hearty. "Listen — Ron — well done, mate."
The smile faded off Ron's face.
"I never thought it would be me!" he said, shaking his head, "I thought it would be you!" he glanced at Alicia who watched them both.
"Nah, I've caused too much trouble," Harry said, echoing Fred.
"Yeah," said Ron, "yeah, I suppose… Well, we'd better get our trunks packed, hadn't we?" Alicia looked at them both and her gaze settled on Harry. She sighed, if he could do it so could she and so she got up and moved off down the stairs to Hermione and Ginny's room, the girls of which were packing their trunks. Alicia knocked on the door.
"Hey," Ginny grinned "You hear?" she asked
"Course, and Hermione congratulations, you seriously deserve it." Alicia nodded and Hermione smiled but looked slightly uncertain.
"I wont deny that I thought you'd get it…" Hermione admitted
"And I wont deny to say I thought the same." Alicia nodded
"So you're… okay?" Hermione asked
"Hermione, you deserve just as much as I might have." Alicia said "I can't say I'm not disappointed because to be honest it would've been nice but in the long run, you are a better roll model." Alicia said as she sat on one of the beds "After all you follow the rules a lot better than I do." she smiled an Hermione chuckled
"I guess that's true." she nodded
"Understatement." Ginny believed and Alicia threw a pillow at her.
Mrs. Weasley returned from Diagon Alley around six o'clock, laden with books and carrying a long package wrapped in thick brown paper that Ron took from her with a moan of longing.
"Never mind unwrapping it now, people are arriving for dinner, I want you all downstairs," she said, but the moment she was out of sight Ron ripped off the paper in a frenzy and examined every inch of his new broom, an ecstatic expression on his face.
Alicia had quickly returned to her room to pack the books Mrs Weasley had bought for her and then descended to the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley had hung a scarlet banner over the heavily laden dinner table, which read Congratulations Ron and Hermione — New Prefects. No one could deny that Mrs Weasley seemed to be in a better mood than she had been all holiday. She was even pleasant to Alicia, greeting her happily which was a rarity these days.
"I thought we'd have a little party, not a sit-down dinner," she told Harry, Alicia, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny as they entered the room. "Your father and Bill are on their way, Ron, I've sent them both owls and they're thrilled," she added, beaming.
Fred rolled his eyes.
Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were already there and Mad-Eye Moody stumped in shortly after Harry had got himself a butterbeer.
"Oh, Alastor, I am glad you're here," said Mrs. Weasley brightly, as Mad-Eye shrugged off his traveling cloak. "We've been wanting to ask you for ages — could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what's inside it? We haven't wanted to open it just in case it's something really nasty."
"No problem, Molly…"
Moody's electric-blue eye swivelled upward and stared fixedly through the ceiling of the kitchen.
"Drawing room…" he growled, as the pupil contracted. "Desk in the corner? Yeah, I see it… Yeah, it's a boggart… Want me to go up and get rid of it, Molly?"
"No, no, I'll do it myself later," beamed Mrs. Weasley. "You have your drink. We're having a little bit of a celebration, actually…" She gestured at the scarlet banner. "Fourth prefect in the family!" she said fondly, ruffling Ron's hair.
"Prefect, eh?" growled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and his magical eye swivelling around to gaze into the side of his head. Alicia glanced at Harry beside her who looked slightly uncomfortable. If the girl had to guess, it looked as though the eye was looking at him.
"Well, congratulations," said Moody, still glaring at Ron with his normal eye, "authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you…"
Ron looked rather startled at this view of the matter but was saved the trouble of responding by the arrival of his father and eldest brother. Mrs. Weasley was in such a good mood she did not even complain that they had brought Mundungus with them too; he was wearing a long overcoat that seemed oddly lumpy in unlikely places and declined the offer to remove it and put it with Moody's traveling cloak.
"Well, I think a toast is in order," said Mr. Weasley, when everyone had a drink. He raised his goblet. "To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!"
Ron and Hermione beamed as everyone drank to them and then applauded.
"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks brightly from behind Harry and Alicia as everybody moved toward the table to help themselves to food. Her hair was tomato-red and waist length today; she looked like Ginny's older sister. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."
"Like what?" said Ginny, who was choosing a baked potato.
"Like the ability to behave myself," said Tonks.
Ginny laughed; Hermione looked as though she did not know whether to smile or not and compromised by taking an extra large gulp of butterbeer and choking on it.
"Sounds like Alicia." Ginny decided, only to receive a nudge.
"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked, thumping Hermione on the back.
Sirius, who was right beside Harry, let out his usual barklike laugh.
"No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."
"I think Dumbledore might have hoped that I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends," said Lupin. "I need scarcely say that I failed dismally."
Alicia couldn't help but laugh and she saw Harry brighten up considerably at the idea that their father wasn't a prefect. She did feel slightly better herself by the idea.
"Your mother of course was a different case, became Head Girl and all." Lupin added and Harry looked at Alicia who sighed. She hadn't expected anything less if she was honest.
Ron was rhapsodising about his new broom to anybody who would listen.
"… naught to seventy in ten seconds, not bad, is it? When you think the Comet Two Ninety's only naught to sixty and that's with a decent tailwind according to Which Broomstick?"
Hermione was talking very earnestly to Lupin about her view of elf rights.
"I mean, it's the same kind of nonsense as werewolf segregation, isn't it? It all stems from this horrible thing wizards have of thinking they're superior to other creatures…"
Mrs. Weasley and Bill were having their usual argument about Bill's hair which Alicia slid past as she noticed Fred and George talking to Mundungus in the corner and moved suspiciously.
"So," she said and they three turned as she crouched with them "Joke shop talk?" she wondered as Harry spied them also. Mundungus looked from Alicia to Harry who was spying them over liicia's head. Fred however winked and beckoned Harry closer.
"It's okay," he told Mundungus, "we can trust Harry, he's our financial backer." Mundungus looked at Alicia who gave him a look that dared him to question her as George continued
"Look what Dung's gotten us," said George, holding out his hand to Harry. It was full of what looked like shrivelled black pods. A faint rattling noise was coming from them, even though they were completely stationary.
"Venomous Tentacula seeds," said George. "We need them for the Skiving Snackboxes but they're a Class C Non-Tradeable Substance so we've been having a bit of trouble getting hold of them."
"They're also very valuable so." Alicia added
"Ten Galleons the lot, then, Dung?" said Fred.
"Wiv all the trouble I went to to get 'em?" said Mundungus, his saggy, bloodshot eyes stretching even wider. "I'm sorry, lads, but I'm not taking a Knut under twenty."
"Dung likes his little joke," Fred said to Harry.
"Yeah, his best one so far has been six Sickles for a bag of knarl quills," said George.
"As long as you guys are on top of how much things are worth then what he charges can be changed if unreasonable." Alicia said to them
"Be careful," Harry warned them quietly.
"What?" said Fred. "Mum's busy cooing over Prefect Ron, we're okay."
"But Moody could have his eye on you," Harry pointed out. Mundungus looked nervously over his shoulder.
"Good point, that," he grunted. "All right, lads, ten it is, if you'll take 'em quick."
"Cheers, Harry!" said Fred delightedly, when Mundungus had emptied his pockets into the twins' outstretched hands and scuttled off toward the food. "We'd better get these upstairs…"
"Before your mother finds out." Alicia nodded and the two watched them go. Alicia turned to Harry as she felt his uneasiness and rose an eyebrow at him. The boy sighed.
"What if Mrs Weasley finds out where they got the money from and it leads to another family row and a Percy-like estrangement?" he asked her quietly "Would Mrs. Weasley still feel that I was as good as her son if she found out I had made it possible for Fred and George to start a career she thinks is unsuitable?" Alicia rolled her eyes
"Harry, Percy is gone because he accused his parents of following their dreams and basically blamed them for something that is not their fault. He disowned them by deciding to call them liars. If you ask me, as long as the twins are happy, so will Mr and Mrs Weasley be." Alicia believed "And who knows, if the boys are really successful then their parents might even thank you." she shrugged
Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep voice was audible even over the surrounding chatter and the twins stopped as they heard the topic of his conversation with Lupin.
"… why Dumbledore didn't make the Potters prefects?" said Kingsley.
"He'll have had his reasons," replied Lupin.
"But it would've shown confidence in them. It's what I'd've done," persisted Kingsley, "'specially with the Daily Prophet having a go at Harry every few days…" Alicia and Harry shared a look and the girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Personally I think Dumbledore's having a bit of a laps at the moment." she mumbled
"Why?" Harry asked
"He thought leaving you at the Dursley's for so long was the right thing and now, he hasn't spoken a word to you since we were in the Hospital Wing last term." Alicia reminded him "Obviously the man is following some theory and it doesn't seem to be working well." she said as she moved to the table to grab some food, Harry following her. "Of course he's not talking to you to tell you why…" she mumbled dropping her gaze.
Alicia sighed. The prefects had reminded her of how everyone now knew her true identity. Here in Grimmauld Place there was not much difference to before, after all, the news had had time to sink in. Of course the Order members they did not see as often had taken to staring at Alicia but it hadn't lasted long.
Now however she'd be going to Hogwarts and she expected everyone to be watching her every move. People might even question her and as people don't believe Dumbledore about Voldemort they might call her an attention seeker and a liar.
The ideas for once didn't make her want to roll her eyes and snap at everyone or ignore it like usual, for some reason, she'd rather not have to deal with it all.
Mad-Eye Moody was sniffing at a chicken leg with what remained of his nose; evidently he could not detect any trace of poison, because he then tore a strip off it with his teeth.
"… the handle's made of Spanish oak with anti-jinx varnish and in-built vibration control —" Ron was saying to Tonks.
Mrs. Weasley yawned widely.
"Well, I think I'll sort out that boggart before I turn in… Arthur, I don't want this lot up too late, all right? 'Night, Harry, dear, Alicia." Alicia simply watched her go as Harry set his plate down.
"You all right, Potter?" grunted Moody.
"Yeah, fine," lied Harry.
Moody took a swig from his hip flask, his electric blue eye staring sideways at Harry. Alicia glanced at the Ex-Auror with a small inkling he knew Harry felt otherwise.
"Come here, I've got something that might interest you," he said. From an inner pocket of his robes Moody pulled a very tattered old Wizarding photograph.
"Original Order of the Phoenix," growled Moody. "Found it last night when I was looking for my spare Invisibility Cloak, seeing as Podmore hasn't had the manners to return my best one… Thought people might like to see it." the photo caught Alicia's attention and she looked over Harry's shoulder as he took the photograph. A small crowd of people, some waving at him, others lifting their glasses.
"There's me," said Moody unnecessarily, pointing at himself. The Moody in the picture was unmistakable, though his hair was slightly less grey and his nose was intact. "And there's Dumbledore beside me, Dedalus Diggle on the other side… That's Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken, they got her whole family. That's Frank and Alice Longbottom —"
Alicia frowned as Harry's stomach, already uncomfortable, clenched as they looked at Alice Longbottom; her round, friendly face was one both were very familiar with, even though they had never met her, because she was the image of her son, Neville.
"Poor devils," growled Moody. "Better dead than what happened to them… and that's Emmeline Vance, you've met her, and that there's Lupin, obviously… Benjy Fenwick, he copped it too, we only ever found bits of him… shift aside there," he added, poking the picture, and the little photographic people edged sideways, so that those who were partially obscured could move to the front.
"That's Edgar Bones… brother of Amelia Bones, they got him and his family too, he was a great wizard… Sturgis Podmore, blimey, he looks young… Caradoc Dearborn, vanished six months after this, we never found his body… Hagrid, of course, looks exactly the same as ever… Elphias Doge, you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat… Gideon Prewett, it took five Death Eaters to kill him and his brother Fabian, they fought like heroes… budge along, budge along…"
The little people in the photograph jostled among themselves, and those hidden right at the back appeared at the forefront of the picture.
"That's Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke… That's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally… Sirius, when he still had short hair… and… there you go, thought that would interest you!"
Alicia couldn't help but reach for the photo and Harry allowed her to hold it as his heart turned over. Their mother and father were beaming up at them, sitting on either side of a small, watery-eyed man the twins recognised at once as Wormtail: He was the one who had betrayed their whereabouts to Voldemort and so helped bring about their deaths.
"Eh?" said Moody.
Harry looked up into Moody's heavily scarred and pitted face. Evidently Moody was under the impression he had just given Harry a bit of a treat.
"Yeah," said Harry, attempting to grin again as Alicia looked at the picture more closely. "Er… listen, I've just remembered, I haven't packed my…"
He was spared the trouble of inventing an object he had not packed; Sirius had just said, "What's that you've got there, Mad-Eye?" and Moody had turned toward him. Harry crossed the kitchen, slipped through the door and up the stairs before anyone could call him back.
Alicia didn't glance after the boy as she looked at the photo. Sirius came to look over her shoulder and he chuckled before sending a laugh Lupin's way who joined Sirius behind her. Soon everyone was reminiscing over the photo and explaining to those who didn't know about the members who weren't here today. Alicia simply stared down at the picture in her hands and at her parents happy faces, waving and smiling.
Alicia wasn't sure how she felt. She loved seeing photos of her parents, but seeing them next to Wormtail angered her. And then seeing all the happy occupants of the photo who didn't know what was going to happen to them, some in the not so distant future, that saddened her.
The girl suddenly stopped however as she heard a crack and then sobbing, Harry's voice joining them. Alicia looked up from the photo and with it still in her hands she turned for the door, jogging out. Sirius and Lupin who she'd pushed past shared a look before they followed, Moody doing the same. They climbed to the second landing to find Harry in the doorway of the drawing room.
Three cracks sounded as Alicia joined Harry in time to see him dead on the floor and then for it to turn into her self with another crack. Her eyes widened surprised as Harry suddenly shouted
"Mrs. Weasley, just get out of here!" he was staring down at Alicia's own dead body on the floor to which she was surprised by. "Let someone else —"
"What's going on?"
Lupin had come running into the room, closely followed by Sirius, with Moody stumping along behind them. Lupin looked from Mrs. Weasley to the dead Alicia on the floor and seemed to understand in an instant. Pulling out his own wand he said, very firmly and clearly, "Riddikulus!"
Alicia's body vanished. A silvery orb hung in the air over the spot where it had lain. Lupin waved his wand once more and the orb vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Oh — oh — oh!" gulped Mrs. Weasley, and she broke into a storm of crying, her face in her hands.
"Molly," said Lupin bleakly, walking over to her, "Molly, don't…" Next second she was sobbing her heart out on Lupin's shoulder. "Molly, it was just a boggart," he said soothingly, patting her on the head. "Just a stupid boggart…" despite knowing it was just a boggart Harry had taken his sister's hand in his as though needing the reassurance that she was fine and standing beside him.
"I see them d-d-dead all the time!" Mrs. Weasley moaned into his shoulder. "All the t-t-time! I d-d-dream about it…"
Sirius was staring at the patch of carpet where the boggart, pretending to be Alicia's body, had lain. Moody was looking at Harry, who avoided his gaze.
"D-d-don't tell Arthur," Mrs. Weasley was gulping now, mopping her eyes frantically with her cuffs. "I d-d-don't want him to know… Being silly…"
Lupin handed her a handkerchief and she blew her nose.
"Harry, I'm so sorry, what must you think of me?" she said shakily. "Not even able to get rid of a boggart…"
"Don't be stupid," said Harry, trying to smile.
"I'm just s-s-so worried," she said, tears spilling out of her eyes again. "Half the f-f-family's in the Order, it'll b-b-be a miracle if we all come through this… and P-P-Percy's not talking to us… What if something d-d-dreadful happens and we had never m-m-made up? And what's going to happen if Arthur and I get killed, who's g-g-going to look after Ron and Ginny?"
"Molly, that's enough," said Lupin firmly. "This isn't like last time. The Order is better prepared, we've got a head start, we know what Voldemort's up to —"
Mrs. Weasley gave a little squeak of fright at the sound of the name.
"Oh, Molly, come on, it's about time you got used to hearing it — look, I can't promise no one's going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we're much better off than we were last time, you weren't in the Order then, you don't understand, last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one…"
Alicia felt somewhat heart broken for Mrs Weasley and she couldn't help but release Harry and move over to the women. Mrs Weasley glanced at her as Alicia kneeled before her and pulled her into a hug. Of course she knew Mrs Weasley always had her best interests at heart and yet Alicia hadn't made it easy for the women by arguing and being so rude lately. But the fact that Mrs Weasley worried so much about her and Harry made her heart swell, and for her to have so much worry pent up inside while she cleaned and dealt with the Order and looked after everyone within the house…
Mrs Weasley was surprised by Alicia's sudden gesture and the girl rubbed the women's back but didn't say anything for a bit as Mrs Weasley hiccuped and sobbed a little in her arms.
"I'm sorry Mrs Weasley." Alicia said as she sat back "For being such a pain." she admitted "I guess I hadn't really thought about how you would be feeling amongst all this." she mumbled dropping her gaze slightly "Or anyone for that matter." she looked at Lupin. Mrs Weasley looked at her surprised, in fact Sirius was staring at her surprised also from behind her.
There was silence for a second as Lupin nodded to Alicia.
"I mean, we've all got people we care about, this isn't an easy thing for anyone really, when you think about it harder." she turned to Harry behind her and he dropped his gaze.
"Don't worry about Percy," said Sirius abruptly, catching Alicia's gaze. "He'll come round. It's a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; once he does, the whole Ministry's going to be begging us to forgive them. And I'm not sure I'll be accepting their apology," he added bitterly.
"And as for who's going to look after Ron and Ginny if you and Arthur died," said Lupin, smiling slightly, "what do you think we'd do, let them starve?"
Mrs. Weasley smiled tremulously.
"Being silly," she muttered again, mopping her eyes.
Alicia frowned.
"It's not silliness." she whispered "Its called family." she believed "And even if you do think it's silly after what happened before, it's no surprise that even unconsciously everyone's worried." she placed a comforting hand on Mrs Weasley's shoulder "But it's also a reminder that we're not alone."
Alicia didn't know how she consoled Mrs Weasley, seeing the women's fears had only made her begin to think about everything herself. She and Harry had been jealous of a silly badge not an hour ago, yet it was such a trivial thing over what could really happen in the future.
Alicia sat on her bed within her room, pulling her knees up to her chest and looking at Moody's photo which she still had. Her parents waved up at her. None of the photo's occupants knew what was going to happen, who would leave them. And yet, they still were all celebrating and smiling happily, just like everyone in the Order now had just been doing. Alicia couldn't even comprehend if some of those faces left her, even in a years time.
The girl hugged her knees and tried to banish the horrid thoughts that now plagued her mind, biting her lip as her eyes pricked at the idea.
She knew she wasn't going to sleep well that night.