Chapter 53:
Alicia managed to try and ignore the memory once she'd gotten up the next morning. She sat with Fred and George for breakfast and the two did wonders and helping her cheer up and forget as she'd hoped, comforting her slightly as they noticed the small change in her reluctance to give sarcastic and snide comments to them. She kept her mind on the fact that exams were only six weeks away as she, Harry, Hermione and Ron moved back to the common room, as it was the first day of the Easter holidays.
Hermione instantly sat down to do the four's homework planners. She insisted on doing Alicia's for her, despite her being capable of doing it herself.
Hermione asked how Harry's Occlumency lesson went the night before and Alicia had instantly dreaded that she had. Harry however just told her that Snape thought he was doing really well, as Hermione knew Alicia was doing better, and that the two could do it by themselves, so they weren't having the lessons anymore. Hermione of course pestered.
"But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons anymore?" said Hermione, frowning.
"I've told you," Harry muttered. "Snape reckons Alicia and I can carry on by ourselves now I've got the basics…"
"So you've stopped having funny dreams?" said Hermione skeptically.
"Pretty much," said Harry, not looking at her. Alicia kept her eyes on her homework planner Hermione had made.
"Well, I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them!" said Hermione indignantly. "Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask —"
"No," said Harry forcefully. "Just drop it, Hermione, okay?"
Ron had been startled to discover that there were only six weeks left until their exams.
"How can that come as a shock?" Hermione demanded, as she tapped each little square on Ron's schedule with her wand so that it flashed a different colour according to its subject.
"I dunno…" said Ron, "there's been a lot going on…"
"Well, there you are," she said, handing him his schedule, "if you follow that you should do fine."
Ron looked down it gloomily, but then brightened. "You've given me an evening off every week!"
"That's for Quidditch practice," said Hermione. The smile faded from Ron's face.
"What's the point?" he said. "We've got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of becoming Minister of Magic…"
Alicia said nothing and so did Hermione. She had turned to Harry who was staring at the opposite wall being rather quiet. Crookshanks was pawing at his hand, trying to get him to scratch his ears.
"What's wrong, Harry?"
"What?" he said quickly. "Nothing…"
He seized his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and pretended to be looking something up in the index. Crookshanks gave him up as a bad job and began to slunk away under Hermione's chair before Alicia picked him up.
"I saw Cho earlier," said Hermione tentatively, "and she looked really miserable too… Have you two had a row again?"
"Wha — oh yeah, we have," said Harry, seizing gratefully on the excuse.
"What about?"
"That sneak friend of hers, Marietta," said Harry.
"Yeah, well, I don't blame you!" said Ron angrily, setting down his study schedule. "If it hadn't been for her…"
Ron went into a rant about Marietta Edgecombe. Harry had little to do but agree when Ron drew a breath, while trying to plant an angry expression on his face.
Alicia didn't bother, she'd pulled her Defence Against the Dark Arts homework forwards and dismissed the conversation. She was much less concentrated on the memory from yesterday then Harry was but still it irritated her. And considering Harry was always compared to his father, which was taken with pride, now, after seeing how their father acted… she wouldn't be surprised if it was no longer such a grand compliment.
The two didn't discuss the memory, they'd seemed to reach an unspoken agreement that neither was ever to tell anyone. It wasn't right and they were not their father, who would not only cause such trauma to someone, but probably spread it around as well. They hadn't had the talk to converse with each other over the subject because either Hermione, Ron or the twins were always around.
Sunday evening Alicia had Quidditch practice. She was more than surprised that Umbridge hadn't banned her after she found out about the D.A., but so much had happened she'd wondered maybe it'd slipped the women's mind.
It had once again been a terrible practice, only this time Jack Sloper managed to knock himself out, how, none of them were aware of, but he was taken to the hospital wing all the same.
Alicia and Ginny were making their way to the Tower with Ron. On arrival Fred and George moved towards them with parcels.
"Mum's easter Chocolate!" Fred beamed as he shoved a parcel into Alicia's hand.
"This one's Harry's, where is he?" George asked
"Library I expect." Alicia said when she noticed Hermione, her own parcel beside her as she studied.
"Aww come on Leesh, you've been down all week. It's chocolate." Fred grinned as he picked her up and spun her around. She laughed before nodding, smiling still.
"I know, sorry." She said. She managed to engage with the twins as Ron went upstairs to chance and Ginny went to find Harry and give him his chocolate.
"You know I hope she sent Padfoot some." George said, his voice softer and Alicia looked at him.
"He could probably do with some." Fred nodded
Alicia sighed. She'd have loved to wish Sirius a happy Easter, in fact she'd have loved to just talk to him in general, get some clearance about what she and Harry had seen. Have Sirius explain and reassure her. But with Umbridge watching all the fires and floor network, opening everyone's mail and parcels, there wasn't any other way of communicating.
Alicia stopped and Fred and George looked at her from the sudden hopeful look on her face.
She had those two way mirrors!
The hope was gone as soon as it had come, she'd never even given Sirius one of hers. She felt irritated with herself. How stupid! Why didn't she think to—
Sirius gave Harry one of his! Alicia suddenly gasped and much to the twins shock she turned, spun around and dashed up the the boys dormitory staircase.
"That's the wrong dormitory!" they called.
She didn't listen, she went straight to the fifth years dormitory, only stopping to knock, wait and when no one said anything she rushed in.
It was empty, perfect!
Alicia moved to Harry's bunk and removed his trunk, she rustled through all his things until she found the brown parcel Sirius had given Harry. She opened one of the ends and turned it upside down so that the frame fell into her free palm.
The mirror glinted at her in the fading light from outside. It was rather dirty and Alicia assumed that was from it being stored for twelve years while Sirius was in Azkaban. She stared at her reflection, she didn't know how this worked, did she see his reflection? Did the mirror become like a window? Or was it like Floo powder and his face would jump out? She looked it over and turned it over to find a note scribbled on it.
This is a two-way mirror. I've got the other. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions.
She chuckled and turned it back, looking at her reflection.
"Sirius." she said, not knowing if she had to activate it or if it just worked.
She waited.
"Sirius!" she shook the mirror slightly.
Still nothing happened.
"God you said to call when we needed you! Answer! Sirius!" she demanded. She was glad no one was in the dormitory, she'd probably look silly shouting at a mirror.
"Alicia?" Sirius' reflection suddenly appeared in the mirror as though he was looking at it from Alicia's spot. It was a weird thing to look at but Alicia couldn't help but grin. "I thought I heard you but blew it off." "
Until we heard her shouting." Lupin's voice sounded and the two appeared in the mirror.
"What's wrong? Snape still giving Occlumency lessons? He giving you a hard time?" Sirius asked angrily. Alicia pursed her lips.
"He was giving them. And he was definitely not being gentle about it. I got the hang of it quicker than Harry but I'm still pulled with him into most of his dreams, especially the stronger ones." Alicia admitted. "He can't block me, I can feel his emotions still… sometimes even his thoughts."
"You can get into Harry's head?" Lupin asked surprised
"Well I've always been able to do that." Alicia rolled her eyes. "But, I'd been reading a book on Legilimency for a couple of weeks before Snape was ordered to give us lessons, and Snape was being so forceful and harsh about it that Harry started having more dreams and it was like his mind was more open as he continued them…" Alicia admitted "Anyway, we started to practice without Snape so it wasn't as… emotional."
"What do you mean?" Lupin asked
"I… sort of, learned Legilimency and… used it on Harry so he could get better at Occlumency." Alicia said suddenly feeling that she'd get in trouble for this.
Sirius and Lupin stared at her, or her reflection they saw, surprised.
"You learned Legilimency?" Sirius asked
"Well I'm not a genius at it obviously, I could only go off the book I read and I could only give Harry advice for Occlumency on what I did and on the book I read on Occlumency as well." she said "But sorta yeah… Enough to push my thoughts into his head now anyway."
"You can…" Sirius and Lupin shared a look
"Yeah… guess our connections a little deeper but Harry can't really do it to me…" Alicia said.
"Hang on, you said that Snape had been giving you lessons?" Lupin remembered "What happened?"
Alicia stopped and glanced downwards before taking a breath. Lupin and Snape looked surprised as her eyes pricked slightly with tears.
"Well…" she began "Every lesson Snape would remove some memories from his head and put them in a Pensieve." Alicia began "And when we were done he'd put them back, memories he didn't want us to see as Harry once used the shielding charm and he was thrown into Snape's head to see his memories." Alicia explained.
"In our last lesson he had removed the memories but something had happened and the lesson had to be postponed to the next day. Harry was fuming from his day, it having not been a very good one, and he decided he was going to intrude on and watch the memories Snape hadn't put back." Sirius smirked ever so slightly and Lupin looked serious. "I tried to stop him and had a hand on his arm when he dived into the Pensieve and he pulled me with him."
"What did you see?" Sirius asked eagerly.
Alicia pursed her lips and her expression turned grave.
"You." she replied and Sirius' expression fell "Both of you. Peter… Dad… Mum…" she took a breath "You guys had just finished your Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L Exam." Lupin frowned and Sirius looked like he was thinking over the memory. She knew when he'd hit it because he didn't look happy in the slightest.
"James decided to humiliate Snape who was nearby. No real reason, no prompt or explanation. And I know he was only fifteen and he was probably stupid and clearly he was trying to show off to Mum and he hated Snape," she began "But I just can't believe he went and… that you both just decided it was a good thing to do that. Unprovoked." Sirius actually looked sorry for himself "And Lupin you didn't even do anything to stop them, and you were a Prefect." Lupin sighed himself.
"Harry has been torn up over it for ages." Alicia said in a small voice.
"Wait when did this happen?" Sirius asked
"Just as the Easter Holidays began." Alicia responded.
"Did Snape catch you?" Lupin asked
"Course he did. And I've never ever seen him so angry. It was even scary. He threw Harry from the room and even threw a jar at his head." Sirius looked furious.
"He WHAT?"
"Don't go getting angry!" Alicia snapped and Sirius looked surprised "He had that memory because of you, his more humiliating moment in school of course he didn't want Harry of all people to see it! How could you not be furious that Harry had purposely intruded on Snape's privacy?"
Sirius still looked furious.
"But that's not the point Sirius. Don't you understand how Harry must be feeling?" They both didn't look convinced it'd be good. "Harry's always compared to his father, whether it's by you guys or Dumbledore or even Snape and after seeing that, he doesn't feel at all like that's a good thing. And the fact that you guys joined in or didn't stop it. Like no wonder Peter turned out how he was!" Alicia said, slightly surprised herself that she made that connection. "There's hatred and then there's…" she took a breath "Malfoy and Harry hate each other as well but they'd never go that far and that I could promise. And they're the same age! And if they did there's no way I'd sit there and let it happen!" she scolded slightly.
They still said nothing.
"It sort of makes me, almost ashamed of him." Alicia admitted "Like Mum intervened, she did the right thing, and then of course there was the fact of how disappointed she was with James and it's questionable how they got together but I'd like to hope James matured slightly." Alicia said and she looked at the two.
"He did. His head deflated and he grew up, stopped hexing people for no reason." Sirius assured her
"And you?"
"Well Sirius did the same by that point." Lupin nodded
"Though I doubt Snape counted?" Alicia asked
"Well no but Snape didn't let up, so James wouldn't just take that would he?" Sirius asked and Alicia shook her head. Harry and Malfoy didn't so…
"I just, wanted to make sure it was a stupid phase." Alicia said "Cause it doesn't make me feel great, and Snape demanded we never tell anyone obviously, but even if he hadn't I never would because how could I want people to know that was my dad?" she said and Sirius and Lupin looked guilty. "Like I can tell them he was a genius, and great at school and Quidditch and the type of person everyone wants to be, but to just add he was a stupid idiot of a bully on top of that because he let all that attention go to his head…" Alicia shook her head and a few strands of her black hair pulled from the pony tail she had it tied in.
"Strange, some people might see that and think they're never going to change but Lily decided to give James the chance."
"Lily was an exceptionally kind women. Always saw the best in people even though they maybe couldn't." Lupin nodded
"Well she clearly couldn't in James at that age." Alicia mumbled and the two laughed.
"It was a little different but he was a good person. One of the reasons he hated Snape so much was because Snape had such a deep love for the Dark Arts." Sirius said
"Which lead to the Death Eaters and a want to teach the subject." Alicia nodded understandingly
"Hang on, if Harry's upset, why hasn't he talked to me?" Sirius asked
"To be honest I don't think he even remembers about this mirror." Alicia said "It was still in the packaging. He's off sulking over the memory while trying to do homework."
"He doesn't want to talk to me?" Sirius asked seeming somewhat hurt.
"Actually that's probably all he wants to do right now. But Sirius, if Harry took the mirror to talk to you and told you about how Snape was possibly worsening his Voldemort condition what would you do?" Sirius looked at her and pursed his lips. She could see he knew but didn't want to answer. She did it for him. "You'd march yourself down here and have a go at him. And with Umbridge in the school and having already questioned Harry and I about your whereabouts how on earth do you think that'd end up? With you back in Azkaban or with the kiss or both and then what help are you?"
"Wait…" Lupin said "Umbridge questioned you about Sirius?"
"The toad tried to give us Veritaserum by demanding we have some tea with her. Of course I know about the stuff, so does Harry but he doesn't know what it smells like and Moody would have killed us if we drank the stuff. She asked us where Dumbledore was, as if we'd know, and then asked where you were because she'd almost caught you in the fire." Alicia explained
"She tired to get the truth out of you by…" Sirius asked looking furious.
"That's nothing she's been telling Filch that he can have punishment rights such as whipping us students and of course there's her blood Quills."
"Her what?" Lupin asked.
In response Alicia held up her hand and tensed it so that the words on the back of it stood out white. The two peered closer, having to tilt the mirror before looking shocked.
"She gives you these Quills and you write with them. You don't need ink because the quills use your own blood and the words you write are carved into the back of your hand."
"How long's this been going on?" Sirius asked seething
"Harry and I were the first to use them, in our first week this year." Alicia admitted
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius demanded as Lupin looked calculating
"And what good would that do? Have you march down here? With so many Educational Decrees even the teachers here can't do anything and with Dumbledore gone…"
"Why didn't you tell Dumbledore?" Lupin wondered
"The man as been practically ignoring us all year because he's worried Voldemort will look through Harry's mind to him or something. And every time he touches Harry, Harry gets a searing pain in his scar and the urge to attack the man. Which is coming from Voldemort obviously but…" the two shared another look. "We can't talk to him. That's why I can't question him about the connection between me and Harry and Harry and Voldemort or why Voldemort wants to get into the Department of Mysteries to retrieve a glowing sphere, which I think might have memories in it. And why on earth Voldemort would want a memory I have no idea, what could one single memory give him that he didn't have last time? And how is that a weapon? I mean knowledge is power but still…" Sirius and Lupin looked shocked and stared at her.
"Alicia, how do you… where did you hear that?" Sirius questioned
"First of all I've believed this weapon was in the Ministry since you told us about it in the Summer. Second of all Harry went past the door that leads to the Department of Mysteries to go to his hearing and he's been dreaming about it all year. Third we saw Mr Weasley attacked outside that door. Fourth, Harry's dream escalated and we got through that door, finally, through two more doors and into a room filled with shelves and these glowing orb spheres which give off the same light as the pensive filled with memories." she explained "And there was such a desire that what ever Voldemort wanted was in that room and there was nothing else besides these orbs so." Alicia shrugged.
They were silent, looking between each other. Alicia waited for them to speak and after a lot of silence to reached the simple conclusion of they wouldn't.
"You're not going to even say anything are you? Not going to bother tell me if I'm right?"
"Alicia—"
"I'm too young, I'm not supposed to know." Alicia cut her Godfather off "Well I clearly know for a reason." she said "Or I've got what I know for a reason and if I'm not right then I'm likely to hit the truth if I've gotten this far." they still said nothing. "And every time I have reached the answer it's either gotten me into a heap of trouble, or I've found out while I was in a heap of trouble." Alicia continued "So it'd be a lot easier if you would just tell me now!" she was getting frustrated now. "Save me all the danger and life threatening action…"
"Alicia, Dumbledore has been distant and doesn't want you to know for a reason." Sirius said
"No. He doesn't want Harry to know and I'm suffering that too. What if something happens because of this? We're children and we have weaknesses, if we don't know…" Alicia feared terribly what could happen. "Knowledge it power and we're blind. I mean last time we didn't read the signs and didn't follow our instincts and it got us almost killed, killed Cedric and ended in Voldemort back to his true form again. We can't risk something like that happening again Sirius."
"Exactly Alicia, you're just children…"
"And we're already vulnerable."
"You said Umbridge tried to give you Veritaserum," Lupin said, his eyebrows raised "If she manages to succeed, then telling you would not have been wise." Alicia rolled her eyes.
"The only reason she'd be able to do that to me is if she forces it down my throat. And I'd sooner have both hands scared with blood quills or kicked out of the school then let that happen." Alicia said strongly.
"Alicia, you cannot leave Hogwarts." Lupin said.
"It wont be that big a deal, Dumbledore will be back and that's all that matters."
"Except you'll miss your O.W.L exams." Sirius reminded her
"And I'm sure that'll be made up for, whether I'm given it late or what. I'd pass them all anyway." Alicia shrugged "Some things are more important Sirius and like Fred and George I will not bow down like a lapdog." Sirius gave her a look for the phrase and she rolled her eyes.
"What's Fred and George doing?" Lupin wondered
"Oh god, what aren't they doing!?" Alicia grinned "They set off a whole heap of everlasting fireworks, you vanish them they multiply, you try and destroy them and it's like the get a recharge. Set them off in the corridor and they lasted the entire day and into the night. They've got something else set up next for I think when we go back."
"Molly will kill them if they're expelled." Sirius said but he was grinning.
"They wont be expelled." Alicia shook her head and the two look confused "They'll leave the school before that happens."
"What?"
"Fred and George have decided that they don't care about their N.E. , like they didn't care about their O. . They've been banned from Quidditch after all and they don't see the point in staying. And with the way they're going I don't think they need N.E. . That business of theirs is basically ready to be sold they just need a place to do it from and I wouldn't be surprised if they'd already worked that out. They're probably going to be more successful than Percy, Charlie and Bill put together."
"Really?" Lupin asked
"Yes. And if Mrs Weasley isn't completely proud of them then she's mad. It's amazing what they've created and perfected this year alone." Alicia beamed.
"You seem rather impressed by this?" Sirius said looking suspicious
"Well," Alicia shrugged "It's very impressive magic to be honest and I don't know how they only got three O. because the amount of charms, potions and transfigurations they'd need to create their merchandise must be exquisite."
"Well, I guess let them give Umbridge a run for her money then." Sirius grinned
"My thoughts exactly!" Alicia nodded.
She stopped as she heard voices and footsteps outside. The light had completely faded from outside and darkness had set in.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.
"I'd better go, someone's coming. Probably be awkward if I'm found sitting in the boys dormitories talking to a mirror." she said
"Why are you in the boys dormitories Alicia?" Sirius asked looking slightly amused.
"Well considering this is Harry's mirror and I forgot to give you the other half of mine, where do you think I'd find it? Not in my trunk. And the room was empty so why bother steal it? This way I can put it back." Alicia explained
"Tell Harry to talk to me!" Sirius said quickly.
"I will. I'll remind him. He'll probably want you to reassure him about that day so that being compared to his dad is not shameful."
"It's not!" Sirius said strongly
"He needs to know that. He didn't know his father did he?" the two sighed.
"Well see you later Alicia. Be careful!"
"Yeah right, still clueless remember." Alicia huffed before she grabbed the brown bag and put the mirror back into it, Sirius and Lupin watching her as she did. She put it back in Harry's trunk and quickly moved to the door.
Fred and George were the ones whispering on the other side as she came out and they both looked at her for a second as the dormitory door closed behind her.
"Did you run up the wrong staircase accidentally?" Fred asked
"No." Alicia assured "Why were you worried I had?" she asked smirking.
George was grinning mischievously as Fred rose a questioning eyebrow.
"What were you doing in a boys dormitory?" he wondered
"Looking for something of Harry's." she replied, pointing to the sign that said 'Fifth Years'.
"You couldn't ask him?" Fred wondered
"He's been moping the last few weeks." Alicia shrugged "This was easier. What are you guys doing?" she asked stepping towards them.
"Other than wondering if you'd lost your marbles?" George asked as Alicia noticed that George had a piece of paper in his hand that looked like a letter. She took no notice of his words and tried to peer over the edge, only to have George turn it so she couldn't see. She looked confused, hardly ever did they keep anything from her and she rose an eyebrow.
George looked at Fred and she looked between them both.
"What? Am I not allowed to know?" she asked confused
"Well it was going to be a surprise…" George said
"It still will be, I promise to be surprised when you tell me… is it surprising?" she wondered and Fred chuckled. He took the parchment and handed it to Alicia.
It was a permission for a premises, number nineteen Diagon Alley. Both Fred and George's names were upon the paper, granting them a building. Alicia's eyes widened in surprise as she grinned before turning to the two.
"You got a building!" she said excitedly, managing to keep her voice down. "You got a building?!" she actually asked this time and both nodded. "Oh my god!" she threw her arms around Fred's neck and gave him a hug in her excitement. He and George chuckled. "Congratulations! Does that mean you have a name?" she asked pulling away and high-fifing George.
They shared a look.
"Oh please tell me!" she pleaded. They laughed.
"Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes." they chorused. Alicia looked at them before grinning.
"I like it." she nodded "Oh this is so exciting, you two are going to be so successful!"
"You think?" they asked
"Well you've earned enough to get a building already!" Alicia beamed
"Well, most of that came from you and Harry." Fred reminded her. Alicia waved it away.
"Oh I can't wait to see it!" she then frowned "Damn I wish I could help you decorate it."
"How could you?" Fred wondered
"I'd get on the Knight bus and come visit you during the summer." Alicia said simply "But I wouldn't be able to do magic, and ti'd probably be bit late by then." she sighed and Fred put his arm around her shoulders.
"Well at least you can still come and visit."
"Yes… God wont it be boring next year without you two?" she believed realising and they chuckled.
"You can always help us design it." George told her
"And get you to do all the hard work." Alicia nodded "That sounds right." the three laughed.
"Well if you're ever looking for work." Fred promised, brushing some of her hair. She grinned
"Yes while I'm training to be an Auror which takes three extra years, unless I decide on something else." They looked amused
"An Auror?" they asked
"I think it'd be interesting." Alicia nodded "Might write a book or something too, like a text book, god knows people could use simpler books that are a little less droning and easier or more fun to read. And maybe once I'm done with the danger and adventures, I'll become a teacher." she shrugged
"And you said we've got it all planned out." Fred said looking surprised
"Well I do make an okay teacher don't I?" Alicia wondered
"Oh, god yeah." George nodded and she beamed.
"And it'd be fun I think." Alicia believed "And with my grades it shouldn't be hard enough to get enough O. and N.E. … of course that's if the Ministry would let me but if they're ignoring me like the Prophet has then…" she shrugged "Who knows what'll happen in three more years."
"That's right you've got your careers at some point don't you." George remembered
"It'll be this term as it's the last." Alicia nodded "Something I've been thinking over."
"Well as you say, with your grades you should be able to go anywhere." Fred nodded
"You'd hope."
"And you've done well in remaining calm and keeping on top of everything." George added
"Well I do have a rather rational and level headed space that takes over when there's too much emotion involved." Alicia admitted "Really helped us out in the graveyard."
"You'll be fine then." George assured and Alicia nodded.
"If you two can do it." she grinned and they nodded, expressions of wisdom planted on their face in which the girl laughed.