Chapter 21:

Alicia had several cups of coffee just in the space of breakfast the next morning, feeling drowsy as she sat at the breakfast table with her head on her hands trying to rest her eyes as much as possible before their classes. Thankfully, she'd finished Snape's essay, finished her drawing of the bowtruckle, didn't have a Vanishing Spell to practice and had started her essay for Binns. Harry on the other hand was a different story. He'd ditched breakfast to write down some dreams for the journal Trelawney wanted and Ron accompanied him, having been, according to Hermione, busy the night before.

"Are you alright Alicia?"

"I'm tired." She replied in a mumble "Didn't get back till after midnight. I bet that bat doesn't sleep." Alicia sighed

"You'll know not to shout at her next time wont you." Hermione believed, Alicia scoffed

"With my temper?" she disagreed.

"You alright Alicia?" the girl looked up to see Anthony standing just behind her

"Oh, I'm just tired." she said "I didn't get to bed until late last night. Umbridge's detention."

"I heard," Anthony nodded looking sympathetic

"You and the rest of the school." Alicia murmured "And it'll continue tonight, and tomorrow, and the rest of the week." she grumbled annoyed

"With all the homework we've been given?" Anthony asked surprised as he took a seat beside her

"Mhmm." Alicia hummed in response as she leaned her head back into her hand and closed her eyes.

"Why did she keep you so long? Did it take a while to do the job she assigned?" Anthony asked

"We wrote lines." Alicia answered

"Lines?"

"And we kept writing until she told us to stop." Alicia had her writing hand under the table. The skin was still a little bit red but was otherwise the pain had diminished by the time she'd woken up. If the words continued to be scratched into her hand however she expected it'd be even bleeding by the end of the week.

"Well I guess lines aren't too bad." Anthony thought. Alicia looked at him before she just nodded. What would it accomplish if she said she was actually having the words she wrote, scratched into her skin? Everyone would just learn not to mess around with Umbridge, or perhaps Dumbledore would find out. Could he do anything about it anyway? After all, he probably didn't have much choice in hiring her, does that mean he couldn't fire her either? Alicia pulled a grimace at the idea.

"Come on, we've got to get to Arithmancy." Hermione reminded Alicia and the girl nodded as she sat up straight.

"I'll see you when I've been given the freedom." Alicia said to Anthony who chuckled slightly but nodded. The black haired girl got up and followed Hermione down the length of the table and into the Entrance hall.

"By the way, what did Professor Umbridge say about Friday?" Hermione wondered, though Alicia knew she knew what reply she was expecting

"What do you think?" Alicia asked with a roll of her eyes.

Hermione said nothing.

They got through Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy after Arithmancy but came out with more homework to pile on top of what they already had. Alicia retreated to the library at Lunch with Hermione and finished the transfiguration, Care of Magical Creature and the rest of Binns' essay. She sat at dinner doing the Astronomy homework as Angelina found her and Harry with Ron and Hermione and was still angry at them about not getting Friday off their detention. The girl told them she was not at all impressed by either of their attitudes and that she expected players who wished to remain on the team to put training before their other commitments.

Alicia just hit her forehead to her parchment before her as Harry yelled after the girl.

"I'm in detention!" Harry yelled. "D'you think I'd rather be stuck in a room with that old toad or playing Quidditch?"

"At least it's only lines," said Hermione consolingly, rubbing Alicia's back as Harry sank back onto his bench and looked down at his steak-and-kidney pie "It's not as if it's a dreadful punishment, really…" Alicia looked up as Harry opened his mouth and she kicked him under the table. He looked at her and saw the stern look. Neither had told Ron or Hermione what really happened when they wrote out those lines in Umbridge's office, something Alicia thought Umbridge wanted.

"I can't believe how much homework we've got," said Ron miserably.

"Well, why didn't you do any last night?" Hermione asked him. "Where were you anyway?"

"I was… I fancied a walk," said Ron shiftily.

Alicia rose an eyebrow and glanced at Harry before five clock began to roll around. The two moved off to Umbrage's office and sat through the same ordeal again. The second detention was just as bad as the previous one. The skin on the back of Alicia and Harry's hands became irritated more quickly now, red and inflamed. Alicia expected the point was for the words to be permanently scratched into the back of their hands, and Umbridge would only be satisfied when it was. Neither one said anything to each other or the toad-faced women and neither expressed any pain or discomfort as they sat writing.

Despite being let out after midnight both twins, Harry needed it especially, stayed up in the common room and began to do their overflowing homework. Alicia helped Harry with Snape's Moonstone essay as she finished off her astronomy. Alicia went to bed before Harry did and wished him good luck before she flopped onto her bed and fell asleep.

Alicia's tiredness began to catch up and for once she wished she had her Time Turner from her third year back just so she could catch up on extra sleep. Harry was worse and it seemed even Ron was sleepy, though no one was sure as to why he should be.

By halfway through the third detention the words "I must not tell lies" did not fade from the twins' hands but remained and bled slightly from the scratched words. Alicia had her lip between her teeth as she continued to write while Harry paused. His pause caused Umbridge to look up.

"Ah," she said softly, moving around her desk to examine his hand herself. "Good. That ought to serve as a reminder to you, oughtn't it?" she turned to Alicia and the girl only stopped writing when Umbridge placed her stubby fingers on her wrist to admire the words in her skin. "Yes. You may both leave for tonight."

"Do we still have to come back tomorrow?" said Harry, picking up his schoolbag as Alicia tucked the chair in not saying anything.

"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, smiling widely as before. "Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another evening's work."

They left the room and when they left the corridor which housed Umbrage's office Harry spoke.

"I hate her." he said "I hate her more than Snape." and Alicia looked at him, slightly surprised but at the same time, not at all. "I never thought that would happen."

"Me either." Alicia said as she pulled some tissues from her bag, handing one to Harry and dabbing her bleeding hand. Harry did the same as they climbed the staircase to the seventh floor, the boy muttering under his breath as Alicia just said nothing, but looked up when Harry spoke.

"Ron?"

They had reached the top of the stairs, turned right, and almost walked into Ron, who was lurking behind a statue of Lachlan the Lanky, clutching his broomstick. He gave a great leap of surprise when he saw Harry and Alicia and attempted to hide his new Cleansweep Eleven behind his back.

"What are you doing?"

"Er — nothing. What are you doing?"

Harry frowned at him.

"Come on, you can tell me! What are you hiding here for?"

"I'm — I'm hiding from Fred and George, if you must know," said Ron. "They just went past with a bunch of first years, I bet they're testing stuff on them again, I mean, they can't do it in the common room now, can they, not with Hermione there."

He was talking in a very fast, feverish way.

Alicia looked at the broom in Ron's hand and her curious expression turned into a grin.

"But what have you got your broom for, you haven't been flying, have you?" Harry asked.

"I — well — well, okay, I'll tell you, but don't laugh, all right?" Ron said defensively, turning redder with every second. "I-I thought…"

"You'd try out for Gryffindor keeper!" Alicia grinned and Ron blinked at her before turning red and removing his gaze from them. Harry looked at Alicia and grinned with her as Ron continued to speak.

"Well yeah, now I've got a decent broom. There. Go on. Laugh."

"I'm not laughing," said Harry. Ron blinked. "It's a brilliant idea! It'd be really cool if you got on the team!"

"This is so exciting!" Alicia thought looking at Harry who nodded before turning back to Ron

"I've never seen you play Keeper, are you good?" Harry asked

"I'm not bad," said Ron, who looked immensely relieved at Harry's reaction. "Charlie, Fred, and George always made me Keep for them when they were training during the holidays."

"So you've been practicing tonight?"

"Every evening since Tuesday…"

"That explains why you're tired." Alicia nodded and Ron mimicked her

"Just on my own, though, I've been trying to bewitch Quaffles to fly at me, but it hasn't been easy and I don't know how much use it'll be." Ron looked nervous and anxious. "Fred and George are going to laugh themselves stupid when I turn up for the tryouts. They haven't stopped taking the mickey out of me since I got made a prefect."

"You just need someone to practice with." Alicia smiled before she frowned annoyed "I'd love to help out if not for Umbridge." she snarled

"I wish I was going to be there," said Harry bitterly, as they all set off together toward the common room.

"Yeah, so do — Harry, what's that on the back of your hand?"

Harry, who had just scratched his nose with his free right hand, tried to hide it, but had as much success as Ron with his Cleansweep.

"It's just a cut — it's nothing — it's —"

"Alicia?" Ron said as she had the tissue wrapped around hers. Alicia tucked it underneath her robes as Ron grabbed Harry's forearm and pulled the back of Harry's hand up level with his eyes. There was a pause, during which he stared at the words carved into the skin, then he released Harry, looking sick.

"I thought you said she was giving you lines?"

"She is." Alicia said as she removed the tissue to see if the bleeding had stopped "But we're using these 'special quills' as she calls them." Alicia explained as Harry hesitated

"They use your own blood to write in and scratch the words into the back of your hand. She wants us to keep writing until the message 'sinks in'." Alicia said looking angry "After three nights, the words don't seem to want to disappear." she said looking at her hand.

"The old hag!" Ron said in a revolted whisper as they came to a halt in front of the Fat Lady, who was dozing peacefully with her head against her frame. "She's sick! Go to McGonagall, say something!"

"No," said Harry at once. "I'm not giving her the satisfaction of knowing she's got to me."

"Personally though Harry, I think she's glad we're not telling anyone." Alicia admitted

"Got to you? You can't let her get away with this!"

"I don't know how much power McGonagall's got over her," said Harry.

"Dumbledore, then, tell Dumbledore!"

"No," said Harry flatly.

"Why not?"

"He's got enough on his mind," said Harry. Alicia rolled her eyes at Harry's excuse, he just didn't want to bother the headmaster after he'd ignored him.

"Well, I reckon you should —" Ron began, but he was interrupted by the Fat Lady, who had been watching them sleepily and now burst out, "Are you going to give me the password or will I have to stay awake all night waiting for you to finish your conversation?"

None of the three spoke about Umbridge's torture of the twins and they definitely did not tell Hermione.

When Friday morning dawned Alicia stared out her window and reminded herself that today was the last day. She wouldn't have to knock on that door again after tonight and her hand would heal over in a few short days… maybe more if she decided to go to Madam Pomfrey, if the matron could heal the wound, after all, all the healing spells Alicia knew off were ineffective.

Then again if you healed it, you'd have to do more… she reminded herself.

Alicia got up, got dressed and, glancing at how bad the back of her hand was, moved for the door. She was slightly avoiding Hermione, knowing the girl well enough for her to realise her hand if she saw it. Harry and Ron agreed with her that the girl would freak out, and tell them to dob the toad women in as a result. Alicia didn't believe this would be very effective.

The girl moved down for her breakfast, she had more homework piled upon her but with the weekend she wasn't very much worried and decided she needed to just sit and give herself the day, especially with the pain she knew she'd be too stubborn to show that evening.

"Morning Alicia." Alicia looked up to see Ginny sitting down beside her

"Morning." Alicia replied

"What's wrong?"

"Umbridge's detention. She keeps me till stupid hours in the night." Alicia confessed

"I thought she was just making you do lines?" Ginny said and Alicia unconsciously pulled her sleeve over her hand.

"Yeah but she keeps me writing for hours." Alicia rolled her eyes "I'm not going to have any free time this weekend, I'm going to be too busy catching up on homework." Alicia confessed "Ginny, take the extra time you have and look at extra books, get you ahead and give you less to do next year." Alicia advised, causing the girl to chuckle

"You realise we're only one week in?" she asked. Alicia groaned and put her head to the table

"And I dread to think how much worse it's going to get."

"I thought you liked school?"

"I'm good at school, there's a difference." Alicia sighed "But I don't want to spend every minute of my time on it."

"Well, you write a list of things for me to look up and I'll do so." Ginny agreed. Alicia smirked at her before they were joined by Michael and Terry.

"Morning."

"Morning." Ginny smiled at Michael and the two fell into a conversation as Alicia just went and ate through her breakfast. Michael and Terry got up to join Anthony on the Ravenclaw table of who waved at Alicia. She waved back happily before Ron and Harry sat down with Hermione.

"You're up early?" Harry thought

"Yeah, well the sooner we start the day, the sooner it'll end." Alicia believed and Harry nodded agreeing. Today also seemed as sullen and sodden a day as the rest of the week had been.

"To be honest I'll be glad when this whole week is behind me." Alicia confessed "I don't think I've ever wanted to be back at the orphanage as much before." she grumbled and everyone looked surprised

"Yeah that's how much I hate Umbridge." she nodded.

"It's only one more detention." Hermione said "You're making an awful amount of fuss about this." the boys shared a look, Ron glancing at Harry's hand, which he too hid as Alicia had done.

"Yeah well if you had to spend hours on end in that toad's presence every night you'd feel that way too." Alicia continued before taking a swig of pumpkin juice.

"Come on, let's get these lessons over with." she decided as she got to her feet and the three followed her from the Great Hall.

Alicia spent the day wishing for tomorrow, knowing that Quidditch practice would start afterwards, what with the keeper being picked. It also meant that her year can really start, deciding that this first week did not count.

"Well, we have a view of the Quidditch pitch from Umbridge's office." Harry remembered

"Yeah but…"

"We might be able to even see Ron's tryouts." Harry continued

"Be better if we were there." Alicia sighed "To be honest I'd rather just write the lines till my hand bleeds and hope to get out by the time Ron get's his shot." she said

"Well nothing can brighten your spirits can it?" Harry mumbled. Alicia sighed and nodded.

"We're missing tryouts and all the homework probably going to take up a large amount of my weekend." she said "Sorry." Harry didn't say much more, Alicia assumed it was because he wasn't really feeling much different.

At five o'clock that evening Alicia and Harry knocked on Professor Umbridge's office door and were told to enter and did so. The blank parchment lay ready for the two on the lace-covered tables, the pointed black quills beside them.

Alicia glanced at at the women before she moved to her table.

"You know what to do, Mr. Potter," said Umbridge, smiling sweetly over at Harry as Alicia took her seat. The girl picked up her quill while Harry took his seat and did the same. Alicia looked at Harry as he glanced through the window and she saw him move his seat ever so slightly, to see through the window. She assumed he had a good view of the Quidditch pitch.

Alicia left the boy to his dreaming and looked at her piece of parchment. She took a breath and wrote the first line.

I must not tell lies. The cut on the back of Alicia's hand opened up. Alicia glanced at it as a beed of fresh blood oozed out. Alicia grabbed a tissue from her pocket and she wrapped it around her hand before she continued to write. Ignoring as her tissue turned red and writing the line again and again.

Easily the girl could see Harry's hand bleeding as well from the corner of her eye, his blood dripping all over the parchment with his lines. The piece of tissue got so red and damp that Alicia discarded it, the thing doing nothing after long.

Alicia wrote, ignoring the searing pain in the back of her hand and the blood now covering it, hiding the words that were carved into it.

They wrote until it became dark outside and Harry's glances at the Quidditch Pitch became scarce as the darkness made it unable to see past the glass. Alicia gave him a glance and he subtly shook his head before they continue to write.

Finally, Umbridge spoke up.

"Let's see if you've gotten the message yet, shall we?" said Umbridge's soft voice half an hour later.

The two looked up as she moved toward Harry, stretching out her short be-ringed fingers for his arm. Alicia watched as suddenly, a pain worse than that in her hand went through her neck, causing her to reach for it and she ground her teeth to repress the pain filled hiss that threatened to break through her teeth. At the same time, Harry suddenly wrenched his arm out of Umbridge's grip, leaping to his feet and staring at the women.

Alicia looked at Harry surprised as his eyes had winced suddenly. The pain in her neck vanished and only her hand was throbbing afterwards.

Umbridge looked at Harry with a smile stretching over her wide, slack mouth. She looked at Alicia who had her sore hand in her other, rubbing her thumb over the skin below the words, not wanting to touch the wound.

"Yes, it hurts, doesn't it?" she said softly.

Neither one answered but Alicia released her hand.

"Well, I think I've made my point, Miss. Evans, Mr. Potter. You may go."

Alicia grabbed her school bag and Harry's good hand as he caught his own schoolbag and the two left the room as quickly as possible.

"Alicia, my scar." Harry said as he touched it on his forehead.

"Yeah." Alicia mumbled as she looked at her hand "Yeah I felt it too." she mumbled

"But… Umbridge isn't possessed be Voldemort? After all the last time it was that bad was with…"

"Quirrell." Alicia remembered "Well, I don't know if Umbridge is possessed by Voldemort, it's very unlikely seeing as he's now got a body of his own. He possessed Quirrell before because he was less than human, less than spirit." Alicia remembered "Besides I'm pretty sure Umbridge is like this as a person. With a crap personality."

"She's evil." Harry believed

"Yeah, and that's without the need of influence from Voldemort." Alicia said as they paused in the corridor. Alicia pulled her wand out and with a wince she waved it over her hand and water poured out over her skin. The girl hissed and winced as the blood was washed from her wrist and hand and the words were shining red and flaming on her skin. Harry watched as she grabbed some bandages from her bag and began to bandage her hand.

Her frustration began to build as she had trouble wrapping the bandage with only one hand. Harry stopped her as she muttered under her breath angrily and took her hand to do the bandage around it to cover the words.

"Thanks." Alicia mumbled as he pulled the wrapping tight on her hand. "Here, let me get yours."

"It's fine." Harry muttered and began to walk. Alicia scowled and, raising her wand, she caught his wrist and Harry gasped as she sprayed water over his hand as well, washing all the blood off of it and his wrist. Harry stood still when Alicia hit his arm to stop him from moving away as she bandaged his hand.

"We don't need people seeing the words and we don't need it getting infected." Alicia grumbled to the boy.

"You don't think people will notice the bandages?"

"We get into so much trouble I'm sure we can think of a story." Alicia shrugged as she tied the bandage and released him.

"So, shall we have gotten bitten by something? Or simply received a cut?" she wondered

"We can't have the same thing." Harry believed

"We can because we're always together and in the same amounts of trouble. Another reason we're not prefects remember." she smiled as they continued to walk down the corridor as the Fat Lady's Portrait came into view.

"Mimbulus mimbletonia!" she said at the Fat Lady, who swung forward once more.

A roar of sound greeted the twins and they looked surprised as Ron came running toward them, beaming all over his face and slopping butterbeer down his front from the goblet he was clutching.

"Harry, I did it, I'm in, I'm Keeper!"

"You what!?" Alicia beamed excitedly, and Harry looked at her, surprised she could just push all her pain and worries down. Did their scars hurting not worry her at all? And ignoring the pain in her hand as Harry knew it would be throbbing as his was, perhaps even stinging still from the clean she gave them.

"What? Oh — brilliant!" said Harry managed to say as he tried to smile naturally, while his heart continued to race and his hand throbbed and bled under the bandage.

"Little Ronnie, keeper!" Fred grinned as he appeared and shoved a butterbeer into Alicia's hands.

"Aren't you so proud of your little brother!" she smirked at the twins.

"Have a butterbeer." Ron pressed a bottle onto Harry. "I can't believe it — where's Hermione gone?"

"She's there," said Fred, who was also swigging butterbeer, and pointed to an armchair by the fire. Hermione was dozing in it, her drink tipping precariously in her hand.

"Well, she said she was pleased when I told her," said Ron, looking slightly put out.

"She'll be very proud of you Ron, just watch." Alicia assured

"Let her sleep," said George hastily.

"Wow, aren't you compassionate…" Alicia said with a raised eyebrow as she looked around and noticed that several of the first years gathered around them bore unmistakable signs of recent nosebleeds. "Or are you just trying to save your own hides?" the twins grinned but said nothing. "Come here, Ron, and see if Oliver's old robes fit you," called Katie Bell. "We can take off his name and put yours on instead…"

As Ron moved away, Angelina came striding up to Harry and Alicia.

"It went well then." Alicia smiled

"Well, as it could do." Angelina smiled before she cleared her throat "Look, sorry I was a bit short with you earlier, Potter," she said abruptly. "It's stressful, this managing lark, you know, I'm starting to think I was a bit hard on Wood sometimes." She was watching Ron over the rim of her goblet with a slight frown on her face.

"I'm sure he'd understand." Alicia said to the girl and Angelina nodded.

"Look, I know he's your best mate, but he's not fabulous," she said bluntly to Harry. "I think with a bit of training he'll be all right, though. He comes from a family of good Quidditch players. I'm banking on him turning out to have a bit more talent than he showed today, to be honest. Vicky Frobisher and Geoffrey Hooper both flew better this evening, but Hooper's a real whiner, he's always moaning about something or other, and Vicky's involved in all sorts of societies, she admitted herself that if training clashed with her Charm Club she'd put Charms first. Anyway, we're having a practice session at two o'clock tomorrow, so just make sure you're there this time. And do me a favour and help Ron as much as you can, okay?"

"Hey if he can stop one of my goals he'll be alright." Alicia said looking at Harry who nodded "I'll help him." she assured and Angelina smiled at her before strolling away from them.

Harry moved over to Hermione as Alicia joined the twins to ask them about the tryouts, getting details as to how everyone went. She couldn't help but both chuckle and scold the two as they insulted their brother.

"And guys, I know you need to get your Snack boxes' done and all but can we downplay the amount of times you test them on the first years." Alicia said "At least do it less often. I mean we're one week in and you've done it how many times?" she asked earning a grin from the twins. "You've got a year remember. Plus it'd be a lot more fun if you slipped them off to the Slytherins."

"Hey not a bad idea Potter." Fred grinned

"Well no one but the Slytherins will complain to that and if you do it right, they can't pin it on anyone." Alicia smirked. The girl turned and moved over to Hermione and Harry, the girl of which had woken up from her doze.

"…I want to make some more hats tomorrow. Listen, you can help me if you like, it's quite fun, I'm getting better, I can do patterns and bobbles and all sorts of things now." Hermione said as Alicia approached. Hermione's face was shining with glee at the idea of knitting with Harry and as Alicia looked around the common room she began to notice all the hats stuffed into corners and devices for the house elves to find.

"Er… no, I don't think I will, thanks," Harry said, trying and failing to sound disappointed at his words. "Er — not tomorrow. I've got loads of homework to do…" And he traipsed off to the boys' stairs, leaving Hermione to look slightly disappointed behind him.

"Well, at least someone's got their heads on straight." Alicia said looking at Hermione who scowled

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hermione I can understand that some house elves are mistreated and need to be freed for their own wellbeing like Dobby was, but what on earth could the house elves hate about living here at Hogwarts? Dumbledore's fair and willing to give them what ever they want, even wages like Dobby. So why would they want to leave? You're forcing them into accepting something that leaves them homeless and unhappy." Alicia said

"They're unhappy now!" Hermione snapped

"Not from where I sit." Alicia disagreed as she sighed and turned for the staircase.

"It's for their own good." Hermione said as she followed Alicia

"No, it's not." Alicia disagreed

"Well they seem to disagree or they wouldn't be taking the hats."

"Considering you're hiding them they don't get that choice now do they?" Alicia said. "At least put them out in the open for them to make the choice themselves instead of forcing it upon them."

Alicia opened the door to the dormitory and walked in with Hermione scowling behind her. Alicia moved over to her bed and turned to see Hermione draw her curtains closed. Alicia simply rolled her eyes as she changed her robes for her pyjama's and climbed into bed herself. She glanced at her bandaged hand and a slight red tinge was beginning to bleed through from underneath.

I suppose I'll have to change them tomorrow. she thought to herself as she lied down.