Chapter 17:

Alicia and Hermione left the dormitory together the next morning and met Harry and Ron in the common room. Alicia had completely ignored Lavender who'd scowled at the girl as she passed her bed and left the dormitory, Hermione following.

It wasn't hard to tell something had happened since the girls had last seen the two boys for Harry was looking rather grim and as angry as Alicia felt.

"What's the matter?" asked Hermione the two "You look absolutely — oh for heaven's sake." She was staring at the common room notice board, where a large new sign had been put up. It was another of Fred and George's notices and Hermione walked over to it.

"They are the limit," said Hermione grimly after having read the poster again, taking down the sign, which Fred and George had pinned up over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend in October. "We'll have to talk to them, Ron."

Ron looked positively alarmed.
"Why?"

"Because we're prefects!" said Hermione, as they climbed out through the portrait hole. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing!" Ron said nothing but was looking rather glum at the prospect of stopping Fred and George doing exactly what they liked, which wasn't something that he found inviting.

"Why don't you just tell the Head Boy and Girl. After all the twins might actually listen to them." Alicia offered and Ron began to nod

"Yeah they won't listen to me anyway."

"They have to." Hermione believed

"Hermione they've had more points docked and been given more detention than anyone other than Sirius and our dad." Alicia disagreed "Your little threats wont do anything."

"We'll see." Hermione decided strongly. "Anyway, what's up, Harry?" Hermione continued, as they walked down a flight of stairs lined with portraits of old witches and wizards, all of whom ignored them, being engrossed in their own conversation. "You look really angry about something."

"Seamus reckons Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," said Ron succinctly, when Harry did not respond. Alicia was slightly surprised by this, Seamus and Harry had always been good friends, it didn't seem like Seamus would be the kind to doubt Harry. Then again, this was this kind of thing that brought out people's true feelings.

Hermione, whom Harry had expected to react angrily on his behalf, sighed.

"Yes, Lavender thinks so too," she said gloomily glancing at Alicia, Harry did the same but the girl ignored both their glances.

"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry said loudly.

"Oh really?" Alicia snapped at him and Hermione placed a hand on her arm.

"No," said Hermione calmly, "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down Ron's and my throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we're on your side."

"Sorry," said Harry in a low voice.
"That's quite all right," said Hermione with dignity. "After all Alicia had quite a go at her herself." she admitted and the girl huffed. Hermione shook her head. "Don't you remember what Dumbledore said at the end-of-term feast last year?"

Harry and Ron both looked at her blankly, and Hermione sighed again.

"About You-Know-Who. He said, 'His gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust —' "

"How do you remember stuff like that?" asked Ron, looking at her in admiration.

"I listen, Ron," said Hermione with a touch of asperity.

"So do I, but I still couldn't tell you exactly what —"

"Hermione and I clearly have better memories than you two." Alicia sighed with a slight smirk. It didn't last.

"The point," Hermione pressed on loudly, "is that this sort of thing is exactly what Dumbledore was talking about. You-Know-Who's only been back two months, and we've started fighting among ourselves. And the Sorting Hat's warning was the same — stand together, be united —"

"And Harry said it last night," retorted Ron, "if that means we're supposed to get matey with the Slytherins, fat chance."

"Yeah well they're probably on his side anyway." Alicia scowled

"Well, I think it's a pity we're not trying for a bit of inter-House unity," said Hermione crossly.

"Really? You wanna go and be nice to Malfoy and Parkinson?" Alicia asked and Hermione pursed her lips.

They had reached the foot of the marble staircase. A line of fourth year Ravenclaws was crossing the entrance hall; they caught sight of Harry and hurried to form a tighter group, as though frightened he might attack stragglers.

"Yeah, we really ought to be trying to make friends with people like that," said Harry sarcastically.

"Seriously? People are so stupid!" Alicia said loudly and the Ravenclaws scuttled off quickly at her words.

They followed the Ravenclaws into the Great Hall, looking instinctively at the staff table as they entered. Professor Grubbly-Plank was chatting to Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, and Hagrid was once again conspicuous only by his absence. The enchanted ceiling above them echoed both twins' mood; it was a miserable rain-cloud grey.

"Dumbledore didn't even mention how long that Grubbly-Plank woman's staying," Harry said, as they made their way across to the Gryffindor table.

"Maybe…" said Hermione thoughtfully.

"What?" said both Harry and Ron together.

"Well… maybe he didn't want to draw attention to Hagrid not being here."

"Not that very many would notice regardless." Alicia grumbled looking at the Slytherin table

"What d'you mean, draw attention to it?" said Ron, half laughing. "How could we not notice?"

Before Hermione could answer, a tall black girl with long, braided hair had marched up to Alicia and Harry.

"Hi, Angelina." they chorused

"Hi," she said briskly, "good summer?" And without waiting for an answer, "Listen, I've been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."

"Nice one," said Harry, grinning at her; he suspected Angelina's pep talks might not be as long-winded as Oliver Wood's had been, which could only be an improvement.

"Congrats Angelina." Alicia smiled at her "When we starting then? Getting in early?" she wondered. She felt with everything that was happening Quidditch was exactly what she needed to remove and clear her thoughts for a bit.

"Yeah, well, we need a new Keeper now Oliver's left. Tryouts are on Friday at five o'clock and I want the whole team there, all right? Then we can see how the new person'll fit in."

"Okay," said Alicia and Harry, and she smiled at them and departed.

"I seriously need quidditch, a way of being allowed to remove my anger constructively." Alicia said

"I'd forgotten Wood had left," said Hermione vaguely, sitting down beside Ron and pulling a plate of toast toward her. "I suppose that will make quite a difference to the team?"

"I s'pose," said Harry, taking the bench opposite with Alicia "He was a good Keeper…"

"When he wasn't being knocked unconscious." Alicia grinned.

"Still, it won't hurt to have some new blood, will it?" said Ron.

With a whoosh and a clatter, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard outside. Neither Hedwig and Noel were seen but Alicia didn't bother to look for long. Only Sirius would send her an owl and it had only been twenty-four hours since she'd seem him. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all beside her and didn't need to send letters. Hermione, however, had to move her orange juice aside quickly to make way for a large damp barn owl bearing a sodden Daily Prophet in its beak.

"What are you still getting that for?" said Harry irritably, probably thinking of Seamus, as Hermione placed a Knut in the leather pouch on the owl's leg and it took off again. "I'm not bothering… load of rubbish."

"That's where you're wrong." Alicia said "I mean it's not right crap." she said when Harry looked at her shocked "But it's crap we should probably be aware of after all. Unless you want to Slytherins laughing and snapping at us like last year." she grumbled turning to Hermione.

"It's best to know what the enemy are saying," said Hermione darkly, and she unfurled the newspaper and disappeared behind it, not emerging until Harry and Ron had finished eating.

"Nothing," she said simply, rolling up the newspaper and laying it down by her plate. "Nothing about you or Dumbledore or anything." Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table handing out schedules.

"Think they're gonna give it a break now that school's begun?" Alicia offered as Professor McGonagall handed her, Ron, Harry and Hermione their schedules, distracting the three from answering her.
"Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defence Against the Dark Arts… Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…"

"Do mine ears deceive me?" said Fred, arriving with George and squeezing onto the bench beside Harry. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

"He's still Ron regardless." Alicia grinned before she turned to Ron "And those snack boxes are not all that fun you know."

"Still gets you out of class." Ron shrugged before turning to his brothers. "Look what we've got today," said Ron grumpily, shoving his schedule under Fred's nose. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."

"Fair point, little bro," said Fred, scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," said George, helping himself to a kipper.

"Cheers," said Ron moodily, pocketing his schedule, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," said Hermione, eyeing Fred and George beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board."

"Says who?" said George, looking astonished.

"Says me," said Hermione. "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it," said Ron hastily.

Hermione glared at him. Fred and George sniggered.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," said Fred, thickly buttering a crumpet. "You're starting your fifth year, you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."

"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" asked Hermione.

"Fifth year's O.W.L. year," said George.

"So?"

"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," said Fred with satisfaction.

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to O.W.L.s," said George happily. "Tears and tantrums… Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint…"

"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, d'you remember?" said Fred reminiscently.

"That's 'cause you put Bulbadox Powder in his pyjamas," said George.

"Oh yeah," said Fred, grinning. "I'd forgotten… Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"

"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," said George. "If you care about exam results anyway. Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow."

"Yeah… you got, what was it, three O.W.L.s each?" said Ron.

"Yep," said Fred unconcernedly. "But we feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement."

"We seriously debated whether we were going to bother coming back for our seventh year," said George brightly, "now that we've got —" Alicia interrupted as Harry gave them a warning look

"You're talking to Hermione." she reminded them "She will not be ditching any classes and her nose will be in every book she can get."

"What about you?" George asked

"I'll be be fine." she said turning away. She believed she'd be retreating to the library just to avoid everyone.

"— well now that we've got our O.W.L.s," George said hastily. "I mean, do we really need N.E.W.T.s? But we didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early, not on top of Percy turning out to be the world's biggest prat."

"We're not going to waste our last year here, though," said Fred, looking affectionately around at the Great Hall. "We're going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from his joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, and then produce the products to fit the demand."

"But where are you going to get the gold to start a joke shop?" asked Hermione skeptically. "You're going to need all the ingredients and materials — and premises too, I suppose…" Alicia continued eating as Harry dropped his fork and dived to retrieve it.

"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Hermione. C'mon, George, if we get there early we might be able to sell a few Extendable Ears before Herbology."

Harry emerged from under the table to see Fred and George walking away, each carrying a stack of toast.

"What did that mean?" said Hermione, looking from Harry to Ron. " 'Ask us no questions…' Does that mean they've already got some gold to start a joke shop?"

"You know, I've been wondering about that," said Ron, his brow furrowed. "They bought me a new set of dress robes this summer, and I couldn't understand where they got the Galleons…"

"Alicia, they talk to you, do you know?" Hermione asked her

"Nope." Alicia said as Harry looked at her and she smiled at him and winked before putting some porridge in her mouth. The boy decided it was time to steer the conversation out of the dangerous waters.

"D'you reckon it's true this year's going to be really tough? Because of the exams?"

"Oh yeah," said Ron. "Bound to be, isn't it? O.W.L.s are really important, affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice too, later this year, Bill told me. So you can choose what N.E.W.T.s you want to do next year."

"Basically it's a life changing year." Alicia sighed

"D'you know what you want to do after Hogwarts?" Harry asked the other three, as they left the Great Hall shortly afterward and set off toward their History of Magic classroom.

"Not really," said Ron slowly. "Except… well…"

He looked slightly sheepish.

"What?" Harry urged him.

"Don't hold out on us." Alicia grinned

"Well, it'd be cool to be an Auror," said Ron in an offhand voice.

"Yeah, it would," said Harry fervently.

"But they're, like, the elite," said Ron. "You've got to be really good. What about you, Hermione?"

"I don't know," said Hermione. "I think I'd really like to do something worthwhile."

"An Auror's worthwhile!" said Harry.

"Yes, it is, but it's not the only worthwhile thing," said Hermione thoughtfully. "I mean, if I could take S.P.E.W. further…"

"That's not a career Hermione, you'd need to go into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And for that you'd need to get enough O. to get into the ministry." Alicia warned her as Harry and Ron carefully avoided looking at each other.

"I guess…" Hermione said worrying about it a little.

"Personally I like the idea of an Auror." Alicia nodded "And then maybe later on, a teacher here."

"A teacher?" Ron asked

"Well, I'm good at spells and I've taught you guys a few things right? Plus it could actually be fun. Like Lupin." she smiled "But maybe as something later on after I've had my adventures and what not."

The boys shared a look as Alicia looked thoughtful.

"To be honest, it's a rather deep question…" Alicia mumbled more to herself.

History of Magic was by common consent the most boring subject ever devised by Wizard-kind. Professor Binns, their ghost teacher, had a wheezy, droning voice that was almost guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness within ten minutes, five in warm weather. He never varied the form of their lessons, but lectured them without pausing while they took notes, or rather, gazed sleepily into space. Harry and Ron had so far managed to scrape passes in this subject only by copying Hermione's notes before exams; she alone seemed able to resist the soporific power of Binns's voice. Even Alicia fell asleep within the class, using her books and her study time with Hermione to get the information later on.

Today they suffered through three quarters of an hour's droning on the subject of giant wars. Harry and Ron ended up spending thirty-five minutes playing hangman on a corner of Harry's parchment, while Hermione shot them filthy looks out of the corner of her eye. Alicia had her head on the table and was staring rather lazily towards the front.

"How would it be," she asked them coldly as they left the classroom for break (Binns drifting away through the blackboard), "if I refused to lend you my notes this year?"

"We'd fail our O.W.L.s," said Ron. "If you want that on your conscience, Hermione…"

"Well, you'd deserve it," she snapped. "You don't even try to listen to him, do you?"

"We do try," said Ron. "It's just hard."

"Alicia does."

"And even she's not listening." Ron pointed

"Don't bring me into it, I at least make the effort to make up for it."

"How?"

"I figure out what the topic is and then just do the research myself. It's a lot more interesting that way." she confessed

"Hermione, we just haven't got your brains or your memory or your concentration — you're just cleverer than we are — is it nice to rub it in?" Ron said

"Oh, don't give me that rubbish," said Hermione, but she looked slightly mollified as she led the way out into the damp courtyard.

A fine misty drizzle was falling, so that the people standing in huddles around the yard looked blurred at the edges. Harry, Ron, Alicia and Hermione chose a secluded corner under a heavily dripping balcony, turning up the collars of their robes against the chilly September air and talking about what Snape was likely to set them in the first lesson of the year. They had got as far as agreeing that it was likely to be something extremely difficult, just to catch them off guard after a two-month holiday, when someone walked around the corner toward them.

"Hello, Harry!"

It was Cho Chang and what was more, she was on her own again. This was most unusual: Cho was almost always surrounded by a gang of giggling girls.

"Hi," said Harry, feeling his face grow hot. Alicia grinned before trying to cover it.

"Morning Cho," she said

"Hey Alicia." the girl grinned brightly at her and Alicia felt like she had warmed up to her more than last year. Alicia had spent a bit of time with Cho before the Yule ball during last December, mostly to give Harry a chance to talk to her and invite her to the ball. Back then though, no one knew the two were siblings. It was through Cho that Alicia met Anthony and got closer with him, Michael and Terry.

"You got that stuff off, then?" Cho said, talking about the Stinksap

"Yeah," said Harry, trying to grin as though the memory of their last meeting was funny as opposed to mortifying. Hermione and Ron looked at Alicia who shook her head indicting she'd tell them later. "So did you… er… have a good summer?" Harry wondered.

Alicia glanced at the boy, that was probably a bad question to ask, and by the look on Harry's face, he realised it also. Cedric had been Cho's boyfriend and the memory of his death must have affected her holiday almost as badly as it had affected Alicia and Harry's…

Something seemed to tauten in her face, but she said, "Oh, it was all right, you know…" Alicia nodded in understanding.

"Is that a Tornados badge?" Ron demanded suddenly, pointing at the front of Cho's robes, to which a sky-blue badge emblazoned with a double gold T was pinned. Alicia head dropped and she sighed. Typical Ron. "You don't support them, do you?"

"Yeah, I do," said Cho.

"Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league?" said Ron in an unnecessarily accusatory tone of voice.

"I've supported them since I was six," said Cho coolly. "Anyway… see you, Harry." She walked away. Hermione waited until Cho was halfway across the courtyard before rounding on Ron, Alicia did the same and hit him.

"You are so tactless!"

"What? I only asked her if —"

"Couldn't you tell she wanted to talk to Harry on her own?"

"What did you have to butt in for?" Alicia accused

"So? She could've done, I wasn't stopping —"

"What on earth were you attacking her about her Quidditch team for?"

"Attacking? I wasn't attacking her, I was only —"

"Accusing her of her team." Alicia decided

"Who cares if she supports the Tornados?"

"Oh, come on, half the people you see wearing those badges only bought them last season —"

"But what does it matter?"

"It means they're not real fans, they're just jumping on the bandwagon —" Alicia threw her hands in the air in frustration and simply got to her feet as the bell rang. Hermione and Ron didn't move, clearly have not heard it over their bickers.

"That's the bell," said Harry listlessly, joining Alicia and the two leading the way towards the dungeons.

Hermione and Ron did not stop arguing all the way down to Snape's dungeon. Alicia said nothing, it was obviously useless trying to explain to Ron his mistake, but Hermione didn't seem to catch this, continuing to argue.

The ominous sound of Snape's dungeon door rang through the damp hall as it creaked open and everyone filed into the room, the four moving off to their usual table at the back, ignoring the huffy irritable noises now issuing from both Hermione and Ron.

"Settle down," said Snape coldly, shutting the door behind him. There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the class had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure a class's silence.

"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my… displeasure."

"We suffer that anyway." Alicia mumbled and Ron and Harry chuckled beside her.

Snape's gaze lingered this time upon Neville, who gulped.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye." His eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled and Harry glared back. "But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students." Alicia took a deep breath. She knew she'd be doing potions next year, it was probably required for a lot of professions. At least she'd have Hermione with her.

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing." On Harry's left, Hermione sat up a little straighter, her expression one of the utmost attentiveness. Alicia lifted her head off of her hand and turned to Snape, just the fact that he'd mentioned the exams caused her to want to listen to him more attentively. "The ingredients and method" — Snape flicked his wand — "are on the blackboard" — (they appeared there) — "you will find everything you need" — he flicked his wand again — "in the store cupboard" — (the door of the said cupboard sprang open) — "you have an hour and a half… Start."

Just as Harry, Alicia, Ron, and Hermione had predicted, Snape could hardly have set them a more difficult, fiddly potion. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counterclockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.

Alicia took most tentative care with the potion, constantly rereading the instructions on the blackboard. All of her concentration was put towards it, taking her mind off of a lot of other things as she went and glanced back at the board more times than she ever had before.

"A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion," called Snape, with ten minutes left to go.

Harry, who was sweating profusely, looked desperately around the dungeon. His own cauldron was issuing copious amounts of dark grey steam; Ron's was spitting green sparks. Seamus was feverishly prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, as they had gone out. The surface of Hermione's potion, however, was a shimmering mist of silver vapour, and as Snape swept by he looked down his hooked nose at it without comment, which meant that he could find nothing to criticise. Alicia released a breath as her potion looked misty silver as well and didn't even turn to Snape as he ignored her like usual, however he did glance at the potion none the less. Alicia and Hermione shared a grin and a high five at their success, to which Snape also ignored. At Harry's cauldron, however, Snape stopped, looking down at Harry with a horrible smirk on his face.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"

The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry.

"The Draught of Peace," said Harry tensely.

"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?"

Draco Malfoy laughed.

"Yes, I can," said Harry, his fingers clenched tightly around his wand.

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."

Harry squinted at the blackboard; it was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multicoloured steam now filling the dungeon.

" 'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.' "

Alicia turned from the board and then to Harry who frowned ever so slightly. Apparently he'd missed something.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"

"No," said Harry very quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," said Harry, more loudly. "I forgot the hellebore…"

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco."

The contents of Harry's potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.
"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

Alicia glanced at Harry with a frown as she filled a flagon and labeled it. She moved to the front desk as she glanced at a few other potions.

Ron's was now giving off a foul odour of bad eggs and Neville's had achieved the consistency of just-mixed cement and which Neville was now having to gouge out of his cauldron.

Alicia retuned as Harry stuffed his wand back into his bag and slumped down onto his seat. Alicia cleaned up her desk, cauldron and ingredients as they waited for the last few minutes to tick past.

When at long last the bell rang, Harry almost ran from the room, being the first out of the dungeon.

Hermione, Ron and Alicia all shared a glance as they finished cleaning up their stations and followed the boy along with the rest of the class.