Chapter 16:
"Did everyone see that Grubbly-Plank woman?" asked Ginny as Harry slammed the carriage door closed and it began to move on. "What's she doing back here? Hagrid can't have left, can he?"
"I'll be quite glad if he has," said Luna. "He isn't a very good teacher, is he?"
"Yes, he is!" said Harry, Ron, and Ginny angrily.
Harry glared at Hermione; she cleared her throat and quickly said, "Erm… yes… he's very good." as Ron nudged Alicia.
"Hagrid's a great person and teaching is a learning curve. He's getting there and I believe he has the potential to be one of the best. He just had a confidence scare and it's taking him a while." she shrugged and everyone looked at her, Harry, Ron and Ginny with shock and annoyance. "What? You know I love Hagrid but his choice in magical creatures is not what everyone expects and you can't deny that." she said and Harry, Ginny and Ron all shared a glance.
"Well, we think he's a bit of a joke in Ravenclaw," said Luna, unfazed.
"You've got a rubbish sense of humour then," Ron snapped, as the wheels below them creaked into motion.
Luna did not seem perturbed by Ron's rudeness; on the contrary, she simply watched him for a while as though he were a mildly interesting television program.
Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in convoy up the road. When they passed between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds, Harry leaned forward to try and see whether there were any lights on in Hagrid's cabin by the Forbidden Forest, but the grounds were in complete darkness. Hogwarts Castle, however, loomed ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet-black against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright above them.
The carriages jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors and Harry got out of the carriage first. Alicia followed and she glanced at the skeleton horses as Harry did. She was surprised by the creatures at first but her love of reading and knowledge meant she'd read about such things. The animals were Thestrals, something she had read about in a magic creatures book shortly after picking to do the subject in her third year, and unfortunately, they were creatures that could only been seen by someone who had watched another die. The girl frowned as she remembered Cedric and then looked at Luna with slight pity also. After all, she must have known someone who died if she could see them too…
Alicia smiled at Ginny who stepped out of the carriage beside her and she moved with her, Hermione, Ron and Luna up the steps, while Harrys stayed staring at the Thestrals.
"Are you coming or what?" said Ron beside him.
"Oh… yeah," said Harry quickly, and they joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.
The entrance hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with foot-steps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.
The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes. Alicia kept her chin high as people stared at her and Harry, pointing, whispering and muttering to their neighbours. Harry grit his teeth from behind her, trying to pretend he too didn't care.
Luna drifted away from them at the Ravenclaw table. The moment they reached Gryffindor's, Ginny was hailed by some fellow fourth years and left to sit with them; Harry, Alicia, Ron, Hermione, and Neville found seats together about halfway down the table between Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, the last two of whom gave Harry airy, overly friendly greetings that made him quite sure they had stopped talking about him a split second before. Alicia turned for the staff table and noticed Hagrid was not sitting up there either and conducted she had been correct in him still being off looking for Giants on Dumbledore's request.
"He's not there." Harry said, having been doing the same as her.
Ron and Hermione scanned the staff table too, though there was no real need; Hagrid's size made him instantly obvious in any lineup.
"He can't have left," said Ron, sounding slightly anxious.
"Of course he hasn't," said Harry firmly.
"You don't think he's… hurt, or anything, do you?" said Hermione uneasily.
"No," said Harry at once.
"But where is he, then?"
There was a pause, then Harry said very quietly, so that Neville, Parvati, and Lavender could not hear, "Maybe he's not back yet. You know — from his mission — the thing he was doing over the summer for Dumbledore."
"That's my thoughts." Alicia nodded
"Yeah… yeah, that'll be it," said Ron, sounding reassured, but Hermione bit her lip, looking up and down the staff table as though hoping for some conclusive explanation of Hagrid's absence.
"Who's that?" she said sharply, pointing toward the middle of the staff table.
Alicia, Ron and Harry's eyes followed her's. They lit first upon Professor Dumbledore, sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the centre of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. Dumbledore's head was inclined toward the woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear. She looked, like somebody's maiden aunt: squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. Then she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet to show a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.
"It's that Umbridge woman!" Harry noticed
"Who?" said Hermione.
"Delores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic." Alicia said remembering and turning to Harry "What the hell's she doing here?" she demanded and Harry shrugged before turning back to Hermione.
"She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge!"
"Nice cardigan," said Ron, smirking.
"She works for Fudge?" Hermione repeated, frowning. "What on earth's she doing here, then?" she mirrored Alicia's question
"Dunno…"
Hermione scanned the staff table, her eyes narrowed.
"No," she muttered, "no, surely not…"
Alicia looked confused before she also turned to the table. Her eyes went over the usual teachers, Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall's empty seat, Snape, Grubbly-Plank's empty seat which was usually Hagrid's, Flitwick, Burbage, Trelawney, Sprout, Pomfrey, Binns, Hooch, Pince, Sinistra and Vector. All the usual teachers were there, plus Umbridge. Alicia's heart sank and she understood what Hermione was muttering about.
"No…" she said to Hermione and the girl shared her look before they turned back to the table.
Professor Grubbly-Plank appeared from behind the staff table and moved along it to take her seat, having crossed the lake and left the first years with Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher and Deputy Headmistress. A second later the entrance doors did in fact open and a long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.
The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.
The first years' faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling.
The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffndor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Huffepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,"
Said Hufflepujf, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepujf she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with duelling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfil my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within.
I have told you, I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin.
The hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in memory, with muttering and whispers. Alicia clapped slowly, surprised slightly as all across the Great Hall students were exchanging remarks with their neighbours and Harry, clapping along with everyone else, knew exactly what they were talking about.
"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.
"Too right it has," said Harry.
The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts Houses and its own role in sorting them; Harry could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.
"I wonder if it's ever given warnings before?" said Hermione, sounding slightly anxious.
"Yes, indeed," said Nearly Headless Nick knowledgeably, leaning across Neville toward her (Neville winced, it was very uncomfortable to have a ghost lean through you). "The hat feels itself honour-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels —"
But Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. Nearly Headless Nick placed a see-through finger to his lips and sat primly upright again as the muttering came to an abrupt end. Alicia and Hermione shared a look before turning to the front again. With a last frowning look that swept the four House tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out,
"Abercrombie, Euan."
The terrified-looking boy stumbled forward and put the hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Alicia and Harry clapped loudly with the rest of Gryffindor House as Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again.
Slowly the long line of first years thinned; in the pauses between the names and the Sorting Hat's decisions, Harry could hear Ron's stomach rumbling loudly. Finally, "Zeller, Rose" was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.
"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands — welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate — for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.
"Excellent," said Ron, with a kind of groan of longing, and he seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them onto his plate, watched wistfully by Nearly Headless Nick.
"And so beings the long year of Ron trying to beat the record of food consumption in one go." Alicia said earning chuckles from around her as Ron looked annoyed. She simply shrugged and began to load up her own plate.
"What were you saying before the Sorting?" Hermione asked the ghost. "About the hat giving warnings?"
"Oh yes," said Nick, who seemed glad of a reason to turn away from Ron, who was now eating roast potatoes with almost indecent enthusiasm. "Yes, I have heard the hat give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: Stand together, be strong from within."
"Ow kunnit nofe skusin danger ifzat?" said Ron.
His mouth was so full Harry thought it was quite an achievement for him to make any noise at all.
"I beg your pardon?" said Nearly Headless Nick politely, while Hermione looked revolted.
"Ron!" Alicia scolded angrily as Ron gave an enormous swallow and said, "How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a hat?"
"I have no idea," said Nearly Headless Nick. "Of course, it lives in Dumbledore's office, so I daresay it picks things up there."
"And it wants all the Houses to be friends?" said Harry, looking over at the Slytherin table, where Draco Malfoy was holding court. "Fat chance."
"Well, now, you shouldn't take that attitude," said Nick reprovingly. "Peaceful cooperation, that's the key. We ghosts, though we belong to separate Houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of the competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron."
"Only because you're terrified of him," said Ron.
Nearly Headless Nick looked highly affronted.
"Terrified? I hope I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowardice in my life! The noble blood that runs in my veins —"
"What blood?" asked Ron. "Surely you haven't still got — ?"
"It's a figure of speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick, now so annoyed his head was trembling ominously on his partially severed neck. "I assume I am still allowed to enjoy the use of whichever words I like, even if the pleasures of eating and drinking are denied me! But I am quite used to students poking fun at my death, I assure you!"
"Nick, he wasn't really laughing at you!" said Hermione, throwing a furious look at Ron.
"No he's just thoughtless and doesn't think before he speaks." Alicia said snapping at Ron. Unfortunately, Ron's mouth was packed to exploding point again and all he could manage was "node iddum eentup sechew," which Nick did not seem to think constituted an adequate apology. Rising into the air, he straightened his feathered hat and swept away from them to the other end of the table, coming to rest between the Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis.
"Well done, Ron," snapped Hermione.
"What?" said Ron indignantly, having managed, finally, to swallow his food. "I'm not allowed to ask a simple question?"
"Oh forget it," said Hermione irritably, and the pair of them spent the rest of the meal in huffy silence.
"You have no sympathy." Alicia said simply with a sigh. Harry and Alicia were used to Ron and Hermione's bickering and didn't bother to reconcile it. Instead both turned to their plates to continue eating before the food all disappeared from the tables as it always did, to be replaced by the desserts of which then did the same.
When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too." (Harry, Alicia, Ron, and Hermione exchanged smirks.)
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door." Alicia scoffed and Harry smirked at her. She was one of the students who would always be using magic in the halls and everyone knew that no one went to Filch's office unless forced.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause during which Harry, Alicia, Ron, and Hermione exchanged slightly panicked looks; Dumbledore had not said for how long Grubbly-Plank would be teaching.
Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"
He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome." Alicia's eyes narrowed as the women spoke and already she did not like her.
Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish and again, she gave another little throat- clearing cough ("Hem, hem") and continued: "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
Both twins glanced around. None of the faces they could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old. The two shared a look before turning back to her both looking annoyed by the sudden speech.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.
"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("Hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and she exchanged a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…" the students began to pay less attention to the women across the hall but Alicia and Hermione both had their eyes on her, Hermione drinking up the speech and Alicia staring her down.
"…because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…"
"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice.
"I cannot believe this." Alicia said shaking her head irritatedly
"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face upon Hermione. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy."
"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Hermione. "It explained a lot."
"Did it?" said Harry in surprise. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me."
"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," said Hermione grimly.
"At least there was if you were listening." Alicia agreed agitatedly.
"Was there?" said Ron blankly.
"How about 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged'? How about 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?"
"Well, what does that mean?" said Ron impatiently.
"I'll tell you what it means," said Hermione ominously. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."
"'Pruning whatever find practices that ought to be prohibited'…" Alicia said "She's not really going to try and get rid of some classes is she?" she asked Hermione and the bushy haired girl shrugged as the boys looked surprised.
There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.
"Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"
"Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey — hey you lot! Midgets!"
"Ron!" Alicia couldn't help but burst out laughing at this as she and Harry got to their feet also.
"Well, they are, they're titchy.…"
"I know, but you can't call them midgets… First years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"
A group of new students walked shyly up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group. They did indeed seem very small and Harry watched them as he and Alicia walked with everyone else.
"Makes you think, how small were we when we arrived?" she grinned
"Not that small." Harry believed
"Wanna bet?" she offered smugly.
A blond boy next to Euan Abercrombie looked petrified, nudged Euan, and whispered something in his ear. Euan Abercrombie looked equally frightened and stole a horrified look at Harry, who felt the grin slide off his face like Stinksap.
Alicia sighed. That didn't last long at all. She and Harry shared a look and silently agreed with one another before they turned to Ron and Hermione.
"See you later," Harry said before they made their way out of the Great Hall. Alicia and Harry both ignored everyone who watched them, whispering and pointing. Harry kept his eyes fixed ahead as they wove their way through the crowd in the entrance hall, then hurried up the marble staircase, took a couple of concealed shortcuts, and had soon left most of the crowds behind.
Alicia ran her hands through her black hair annoyed as Harry looked frustrated with himself. They walked in silence as Alicia remember the last time they'd been here. She and Harry had emerged from the maze, Alicia of which shouldn't of even been there, clutching Cedric Digger's dead body and Alicia sobbing her eyes out as Harry calmed Lord Voldemort's return. Then on top of that Dumbledore announced Alicia's true identity to everyone.
"Harry, we've done this before." Alicia said and Harry turned to her "Our first year was just as bad. And our second everyone blamed us for the petrifies as well." she said
"This time is different." Harry mumbled
"Not if you pretend it's not." Alicia sighed as they reached the end of the corridor to the Gryffindor common room and stopped. Alicia sighed. Hermione and Ron hadn't given them the new password yet.
"Er…" Harry said glumly, staring up at the Fat Lady, who smoothed the folds of her pink satin dress and looked sternly back at him.
"No password, no entrance," she said loftily.
"We forgot to ask about it." Alicia muttered annoyed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Harry, I know it!" someone panted from behind, and the twins turned to see Neville jogging toward them. "Guess what it is? I'm actually going to be able to remember it for once —" He waved the stunted little cactus he had shown them on the train. "Mimbulus mimbletonia!"
"Correct," said the Fat Lady, and her portrait swung open toward them like a door, revealing a circular hole in the wall behind, through which Harry, Alicia and Neville now climbed.
"Thanks Neville." Alicia smiled and he grinned at her in response.
The Gryffindor common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cozy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands before going up to their dormitories; on the other side of the room Fred and George Weasley were pinning something up on the notice board. Alicia assumed it was some sort advertisement for their snack boxes. Harry waved good night to them and headed straight for the door to the boys' dormitories, Alicia could tell he just wanted away from everyone and was not in much of a mood for talking at the moment. Neville followed him.
Alicia glanced around the common room and noticed everyone was staring at her. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and a few turned away before she crossed the room and climbed the stairs two at a time to escape before people approached and questioned her.
The dormitory was empty when she got there, thankfully and Alicia moved to her trunk to start removing a few things and stationing them around her four poster bed. She was puling her pyjamas on when Parvati and Lavender walked in. The two were giggling with one another, a common occurrence before they stopped when they saw her. She didn't pause and continued on with the task and buttoning up her shirt.
They were silent for a bit and Alicia did her best not to meet the two's gaze but she knew they hadn't moved and the slight shuffling and muttering gave her the impression they were trying to figure out what to say.
Alicia went first, tired of their stares.
"Have a good summer?" she asked them and the two paused
"Yeah…" Parvati answered "My sister got her prefect badge."
"I heard." Alicia nodded turning to smile at them. She noticed Lavender staring at her and glance at Parvati. "Lavender?" she wondered
"Wasn't bad." she said. Alicia nodded before turning from them and rolling her eyes when she had her back to them. She climbed into her bed and still both of them hadn't moved. Alicia rose an eyebrow.
"You going to stand there all night?" she said, her pleasant tone gone now. They two shared another glance before they both moved to their beds. Parvati however paused.
"Alicia?" she watched her "Is it true?" the girl rose an eyebrow to indicate for her to be more specific. "About you and Harry I mean?" Lavender had stopped
"Yes." Alicia answered
"But the Prophet—" Lavender began
"You really going to believe what people write in the Daily Prophet? You realise that the best stories are either fake or ruin people's lives right? They sell the best." Alicia cut her off "It's not my problem if you decide not to believe me." she said as the door opened and Hermione walked in.
"Those first years are lively." she decided "Still a little frightened." she added as she moved to her bed "And Fred and George are putting up these." she moved to Alicia and handed her a flyer.
GALLONS OF GALLEONS!
Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? Like to earn a little extra gold?
Contact Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs
(WE REGRET THAT ALL WORK IS UNDERTAKEN AT APPLICANT'S OWN RISK)
Alicia rose an eyebrow as she read it. They were going to get volunteers to help with their snack box testing?
"What do they need volunteers for?" Hermione demanded
"Dunno." Alicia lied, putting the flyer on her bedside table and turned to lie down without an answer. Hermione looked at her a minute longer before she moved to her bed.
"Well I'm not allowing it, after all as a prefect it's our job to keep an eye on them and keep everyone else comfortable." she decided
"Good luck." Alicia said simply before she said nothing more. Hermione decided not to continue as well, probably hearing Alicia's tone and realising she wanted nothing more than to sleep. Especially as she was going to need the energy to keep herself sane and try and withhold her anger, something she'd never been overly good at.
Lavender it seemed didn't hear that.
"Hermione," she began "What's Harry's game?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's he doing trying to cause all that trouble?" Lavender questioned and Alicia turned to her looking angry
"Causing trouble?" Hermione questioned, her voice stern
"And Alicia, being the lost Potter—" she said pointing at her
"What a surprise you think he's lying." Alicia snapped "Why the hell would someone want to lie about such a topic? Voldemort being back is not something we want, you know." and the three flinched at the name.
"Lavender shut your mouth." Hermione decided when the girl opened her mouth to reply and Lavender looked surprised "You have no right to say or doubt Harry. And shut up about Alicia, how do you know if they're not related?" Alicia was just staring at Lavender.
"You think we want this kind of attention? To be pointed at and muttered about everywhere we go? You think we want the person who murdered our parents back? You think we wanted to see something like that? You think we wanted to see Cedric die? Are you mad?" Alicia snapped and Hermione looked at her "For god's sake what is wrong with people? Who would want this kind to shit?"
"Well the Prophet says—"
"Do you not know how to think for yourself?" Alicia cut her off again getting angry "How stupid can you get?" and Lavender looked angry herself while Alicia stared at her, daring her to say more.
The girl decided not to and she turned to her bed and after pulling on her pyjamas, pulled her curtains closed. Alicia glanced at Hermione before she did the same and laid back down again, not wanting to talk about it.
She expected this, after all, this is what Fudge wanted. More importantly it was probably what Voldemort wanted as well. How typical everyone was able to fall in to do his will without even knowing or believing he was back.