It was ten to eleven, and the train station was abuzz with people.
Alice looked around as she followed the Weasleys, wondering if she could spot Harry Potter.
"Now, what's the platform number?" Molly asked, Alice bumped into Fred as they all suddenly stopped, Fred turning around and ruffling her hair, causing Alice to pout.
"Nine and three-quarters!" Ginny piped, looking up at her mom. "Mom, can't I go…"
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first." Alice watched as Percy ran towards the wall between platforms nine and ten, but just as he reached the dividing barrier, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him.
"Fred, you next." Molly said, Fred winked at Alice and stepped forward, pushing his cart in front of him.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," he said. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself out mother? Can't you tell I'm George? Alice can."
"Sorry, George, dear. Alice, you go after him." Alice tried to hide her smile as she stood next to Fred, looking over his cart to see if her suitcase was still on it. You never knew with the twins.
"Only joking, I am Fred." He said, and off he went, Alice following closely behind him and George calling after him to hurry up, briskly walking towards them.
When Alice reached the other side of the platform, there was a scarlet steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people.
The twins quickly found a compartment, where they were going to sit with their friend Lee Jordan, and then helped Alice find a compartment. They offered to let her sit with them, but she didn't want to, claiming she had to make friends from her year.
Near the end of the train was a compartment where only one person sat. Alice instantly knew that the boy in it was Harry Potter as soon as she saw him struggling with his trunk. She slid open the door.
"Want a hand?" Alice asked, Harry turned around to look at her.
"Yes, please." Harry panted.
"Boys! Help him out." With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was easily tucked away. They also stowed away Alice's.
"Thanks." Harry said, pushing his hair out his eyes, revealing his lightning scar. Alice looked closely, and realised that the scar on his forehead wasn't like the movie of the cover of the book. Instead of a cartoonish looking lightning bolt, it looked like the ones Alice saw every time it was storming, and she decided that it looked much better.
"What's that?" Fred said suddenly, pointing at Harry's scar. Alice rolled her eyes at his rudeness.
"Blimey," Said George. "Are you…"
"He is, aren't you?"
"What?" Harry asked, confused.
"Harry Potter." The twins chorused.
"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes I am." The twins gawked at him, and Alice saw Harry turning red.
"Stop being so rude, you two." Alice cut in, and the boys murmured apologies. Then their mom called them, and they hopped off the train with one last look at Harry.
"Is it alright if I sit here?" Alice asked as Harry sat down next to the window.
Harry looked up at her. "Sure." Alice smiled and sat down across from him.
She then stuck out her hand for him to shake. "Alice Jones."
"Harry Potter." Harry shook her hand, and then looked out the window at the Weasleys.
Alice heard Molly say that Ron's got something on his nose, hear him struggle and then hear the twins make fun of him, then they made fun of Percy, who said something about being a prefect, which he has talked about the entire summer. Alice got a headache just thinking about it.
"Hey, mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" George said. Alice saw Harry lean back in his seat, and when he looked at her she mouthed an apology. Alice reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled out a book on brooms, already thinking about how she could make a better one.
Then the whistle went off and the train started moving. When they rounded the corner Alice felt a wave of excitement.
Then the compartment door slid over and Ron came in.
"Anyone sitting there?" He asked, pointing at the seat next to Alice. "Everywhere else is full."
"Go away." Alice jokingly said to him, he stuck his tongue out at her and looked over at Harry, who shook his head. Ron sat down next to Alice.
"Hey Alice, Ron." The twins stood in the doorway. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train – Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
"Right," mumbled Ron.
"Harry," George said to the other boy. "Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother, and that is Alice."
Fred cut in, faux-whispering. "We like her more." Ron scowled at them. Alice laughed.
"See you later, then." George said.
"Bye." Harry and Ron chorused. Alice, instead, was pulled up by Fred, who pulled her into a hug and dropped a kiss on her forehead, George then did the same.
"See you later guys!" Alice called after them as she pushed them out.
"Get Gryffindor!" They called back before Alice shut the door and sat back down next to Ron, pushing him aside so she could sit by the door.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out. Alice rolled her eyes. Harry nodded.
"Oh – well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's joked," Ron said. "And have you really got – you know…" He pointed at Harry's forehead, who pulled his bangs back to show his scar. Ron stared. Alice had opened her book again, which she had put aside when Ron entered the compartment, and started reading again, making mental notes to look up a book on kinds of wood.
"Alice, are all your family wizards too?" Alice looked up to see Harry looking at her, and she closed her book again, mentally noting the page number.
"Yeah, I come from a long line of magic. I heard you live with Muggles, what are they like?"
"Horrible – well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers." Harry replied.
"Five." Ron said gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left – Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep.
Alice glared at the rat, knowing who it really was.
"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made prefect, but they couldn't aff – I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron's ears went pink, Alice could see that he thought he said too much, because he went back to staring out the window.
Harry then told Alice and Ron about how he'd never had any money until a month ago, and how he had to wear his cousin's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. Alice then vowed herself to give Harry an amazing birthday present every year, if they became friends or not.
Harry then said Voldemort's name, and Ron was shocked.
"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name." Harry tried to explain. "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn… I bet, I bet I'm the worst in class."
"You won't be." Alice spoke up. "There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough." Harry looked somewhat reassured.
Harry leapt to his feet when the lady who sold candy stopped by their compartment. He came back with some of everything.
Alice went after him, and bought some chocolate frogs, she was a sucker for the things.
The three of them ate their candy, Ron and Harry talking about the different kinds, Alice reading some more in her book.
Alice looked up when there was a knock on the door of the compartment. A round-faced boy stood came in, looking tearful.
"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?" The three of them shook their heads. "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"
"He'll turn up," Harry reassured him.
"Yes," the boy looked miserable. "Well, if you see him…" And then he left.
"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap. "He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference. I tried turning him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"
Ron rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in placed and something white was glinting at the end. "Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway…"
He had just raised his want when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth. Hermione Granger. Shot through Alice's head.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it." Alice said, but the girl wasn't listening. She was looking at the wand in Ron's hand.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then." Hermione sat down.
Ron was taken aback. "Er – all right." He cleared his throat. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Alice snorted, she recalled Goerge telling him is was a real spell, and that he should try it on Scabbers. Speaking of the rat, it just stayed grey and fast asleep.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Hermione asked. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me." And the girl ranted on. Alice zoned out just about there, so she almost missed when the girl introduced herself. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way. Who are you?" Alice was amused as she saw Harry and Ron looking stunned.
"Alice Jones." Alice introduced herself with a small nod at the other girl when she looked at Alice.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.
"Harry Potter." Said Harry.
"Are you really?" Hermione inquired. Alice thought that Harry didn't even need to answer, which he didn't, because the girl would just go ranting off again, which she did. "I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century." Alice couldn't even remember the book title just after Hermione said it, though she was impressed that Hermione knew it of the top of her head.
"Am I?" Harry was obviously dazed.
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me." Said Hermione. Well not everyone's like you, smartass. Alice thought. "Do you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon." And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it." Said Ron. Alice, knowing Hermione and Ron would end up in the same house, and she probably with them, secretly hoped the same. She didn't like Hermione all that much. Spoke too much and sounded too stuck up, for her taste. Also knowing that she was a goody two shoes didn't help much. "Stupid spell – George gave it to me." Ron then saw Alice hiding a smile. "You knew it was a dud, didn't you?"
"No idea what you're talking about." Alice grinned at him, while Ron just glared back, rightfully not believing him.
"What house are your brothers in?" Asked Harry.
"Gryffindor." Ron seemed gloomy again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not."
"Your parents would still accept you no matter what, dummy. And I'll bet you a chocolate frog that you'll be in Gryffindor." Alice said. She did that a lot, making bets to calm the Weasley's nerves. When the twins were worried they weren't going to end up in the same house together, she bet them five of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans that they would. The day after they went off to Hogwarts, she received an envelope with five beans in them. She suspected that the twins tried to pick out the most nasty ones, as they were all a weird shade of green. All of them tasted like apples.
"You're on." Ron shook Alice's hand, completing the bet. "But still, Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."
"That's the house Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who was in?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.
"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a little bit lighter." Harry tried to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"
"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons." Alice grinned, still excited about that. She thought the animals were amazing, and was very interested in including something of a dragon into one of her brooms, like a few scales or something. She wanted to see if that would make a broom go faster if combined with the right kind of wood. So she made Charlie promise that if he ever found a few dragon scales that he would send them over to her. She's gotten six scales, four of them a shiny green and two a matte red.
"And Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts." Ron said. He and Harry then talked about how someone had broken into Gringotts, and how they haven't gotten caught.
"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked Harry.
"Er – I don't know any." Harry confessed. Alice thought that was a stupid question of Ron, Harry grew up with muggles and hadn't known long enough about the wizarding world to learn about Quidditch teams.
Ron was shocked, told Harry that it was the best game in the world, and then went off, explaining about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he's been to with his brothers and Alice and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. Alice just thought that Ron could just ask her to make a broom for him, she already had one in mind for him, for the position that he wanted to play – keeper – and it would save him the money. All of the brooms you could buy were way overpriced, paying more for the name of the brand than for the materials, workmanship, and the quality. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slip open yet again, and three boys entered. The middle one, which Alice instantly recognised as Draco Malfoy, looked at Harry with a lot of interest.
"Is it true?" He said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Yes," Harry confirmed.
"Hi, I'm Alice Jones." Alice introduced herself. She didn't care much about the two goons standing behind Draco like two bodyguards, but she secretly promised to herself to try and befriend Draco. Every time she had read the books, she never thought that he was a bad guy, not a good guy either, but somewhere in the middle. He was told his entire childhood that purebloods were the best and halfbloods and muggleborns shouldn't exist. She wanted to see if she could change his views if she only could show him that it wasn't like that, that everyone was equal.
Draco looked at her, at her grey eyes and golden blonde hair, a slightly chubby face due to childhood, but anyone could see that she was going to be beautiful with sharp features, and thought to himself that she looked to be alright. His parents would certainly approve of the way that she held herself, with her back straight and a presence that instantly drew attention to her. He then decided that he was going to try to befriend her, if only because everything about her screamed pureblood.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle," Draco said carelessly, "and my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Alice held out her hand, Draco picking it up to touch his lips to the back of her hand, as was the pureblood way to greet a lady. That confirmed his suspicion that she was, in fact, pureblood.
Ron gave a slight cough, which may have been hiding a snigger. Draco looked over at him. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." Alice hated to agree with him, she knew that the way Draco said it was supposed to be mean and degrading, but his father did have a point. With Arthur's job at the Ministry, and Molly selling knitted scarves, gloves and sweaters on the side (which was going really well, the only downside being that Molly felt bad if she asked too much for them, saying that anyone should be able to buy them), they should have easily been able to afford new clothes, books and wands for their children if they only didn't have so many.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake Harry's, his eyes flicking over to Ron to show that he was talking about the redhead, but Harry didn't take it. Alice could easily hear his pureblood upbringing in Draco's words.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." Harry said coolly. A pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," He said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parent. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you." Both Harry and Ron jumped up. Alice didn't see the point in that, she could admit that Draco crossed a line, but standing up and strongly going against him proved a point that his words got to them, and that was clearly what he wanted.
"Say that again." Ron said, his face as red as his hair.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Draco sneered.
"Unless you get out now," Harry said, clearly a lot more bravely than he felt, Alice saw him glancing at Crabbe and Goyle, who were a lot bigger than him or Ron.
"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."
Goyle reached out toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron – he leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, the beefy boy let out a horrible yell.
Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle – Crabbe and Draco backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when the rat finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once.
Hermione then came in and asked what had been going on, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up his rat by the tail.
"I think he's been knocked out." Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No – I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep." He then asked Harry if he's met Draco before, and Harry told them about their meeting in Diagon Alley. Ron then said that he had heard of his family.
"Can we help you with something?" Alice asked Hermione, who was still standing there.
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there."
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us." Ron scowled at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"
"All right – I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors." Hermione said in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?" Ron glared at her as she left.
Alice left the compartment to change in the bathrooms, seeing the boys hesitate to change in front of her. When she came out of the toilet stall, she saw the twins standing there, and it seemed like they were waiting for her.
"Hey boys, what's up?" Alice asked as she stood in front of them, fixing her tie.
"We just wanted to wish you luck." George said, ruffling her hair. "It's not every day that our favourite non-Weasley gets sorted." Alice pouted up at him.
"She's growing up so fast." Fred wiped away a fake tear, pulling Alice close so that he could press her against his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head. Alice felt like she was being suffocated.
"Damn it, guys! Let a girl breathe over here!" She pushed Fred away, a slight blush on her face. She had always felt just a little differently about Fred than George, a feeling of safety washing over her when he was near, butterflies racing through her stomach when he touched her, the whole lot. She knew that he and Angeline were to have a relationship, though. That, and also the fact that right now they were too young, prevented her from acting upon her feelings. She knew it was a crush, she has felt it many times before.
A voice echoed through the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Alice felt nerves coursing through her body, and she looked worriedly at the twins. "Do you think they will accept me?" She whispered.
"Of course they will." George assured her.
"And if they won't, we'll just hex them to pieces." Fred smiled at her.
Alice pulled the both of them into her arms for a tight hug.
"Thanks guys." She kissed them both on the cheeks. "I'll see you at the feast."
"Good luck!" They both called after her as she walked back towards the compartment she, Ron, and Harry had occupied.
OxO
The Great Hall was huge. Enormous, filled with students, and oh so beautiful. As was the castle itself. She didn't say a word the entire boat ride to the castle, just amazed at everything that was happening.
But as she stepped into the Great Hall, a feeling of excitement engulfed her. The adventure was finally starting.
She faintly heard Hermione whispering something about the ceiling, which was bewitched to look like the night sky, and then she listened to the Sorting Hat sing its song, the whole hall bursting into applause as it finished its song.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," Professor McGonagall announced, holding a long roll of parchment. "Abbot, Hannah!"
And so the sorting began, Alice watching as the people who were called walked up to the stool that stood next to McGonagall, and placed the Sorting Hat on their head. After Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor, Alice's name was called.
"Jones, Alice."
Weirdly enough, when Alice walked up to the stool and locked eyes with Dumbledore, he looked at her with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Who do we have here?" Alice heard in her head as soon as she put the Sorting Hat on. "Alice at the moment, but I see lots of other lives in here."
It's kind of a curse, you know. Alice thought back, feeling the Hat sort through her memories.
"I never thought I would meet someone that would know the future so well."
I am from the future, though. And the past.
"I also see that you have some very interesting blood relatives."
Don't let anyone find out, please. Alice thought, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"I won't. What I will do, however, is place you in the house of which I'm sure you could show your utmost potential. I will sort you into…" Alice felt the Sorting Hat leave her mind. "GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat shouted, and the table on the far left side exploded into cheers, the twins jumping up and hugging her as soon as she reached the table. She fell into their arms and laughed, looking over her shoulder and sending a smirk towards Dumbledore, who still looked at her with the questioning look. As she sat down, Alice thought about what she was planning to do in the time she was here.
As soon as she realised who her neighbours were, and of who she was a blood relative, it dawned on her how lucky she was, and the power and connections she had.
Alice was an heir of two of the founders, Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw, whose grand-grandchildren got married and had a child. The library at home contained some journals, as was tradition in that side of the family, her mother's side, whose last name was Ravenclaw. She married a half blood, though, that's why Alice had a muggle last name. The journals of her ancestors, of which most were heirs of two founders, all said that since Salazar Slytherin left the castle in an argument with the other three founders about blood status, he also gave up any claim he had on the castle, making Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor the only three owners, and it passed on from generation to generation. The Ministry thought that they owned the school, but it has always stayed in the families.
Voldemort killed off any Hufflepuff relatives, in the hope that if he killed all three their heirs the castle would fall back into the Slytherin family, which wouldn't happen as Slytherin gave up any claim he had, and tried to go after Alice's mother and her grandfather. He did manage to kill her grandfather, but wasn't able to go after her mother because Harry defeated him when he was a baby. It also didn't help that her mother went into hiding, and she was also home-schooled out of protection, as anyone who knew her instantly knew who she was because of her last name.
But since Voldemort was defeated, and Alice's last name was Jones thanks to her father, her mother decided she thought it best if Alice went to Hogwarts, deciding that since she wasn't allowed to go, she wouldn't take the experience away from her daughter.
Alice decided years ago that she would try to do something about Dumbledore and his manipulative behaviour. She would also go after the horcruxes to make Harry's journey easier, also try to help him whenever she was able.
Alice was snapped out of her thoughts as food appeared on the table in front of her. She looked around and saw that Harry and Ron were also sorted into Gryffindor, both of them sitting across her.
After enjoying the feast and getting to know her housemates better, Alice walked with the other first years towards the Gryffindor common room, again amazed with the castle as she walked through the halls and on the staircases.
Percy gave the painting that served as the entrance to the common room the password – "Caput Draconis." – and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs and comfortable looking couches.
Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. Alice stayed behind as the first years climbed the staircases and went to bed, yawning and looking tired. Alice, instead, walked over to one of the couches and sat down, staring into the fire.
"We'd like you to meet our friends." Fred said as he sat down on one side of her, George sitting down on the other.
"Yes, we've decided that since you were sorted into Gryffindor, you're worthy." George added.
"Thanks, I think." Alice said dryly, leaning her back against Fred's side and throwing her legs into George's lap.
"This is Lee Jordan," George pointed towards a boy with dreadlocks who waved at her, sitting in an armchair across the couch. "And that's Angelina," A dark-skinned girl smiled at her.
"You're forgetting the best one of them." Another girl with brown hair glared at George, who snorted and stuck his tongue out at her. "Alicia." She introduced herself.
"I'm Alice, it's nice to meet you all." Alice smiled and waved.
"We've heard a lot about you." Lee said, "they won't shut up about you."
"Understandable, I mean, I am the best things that ever crossed their paths." Alice jokingly said, causing the other to laugh.
"You wish." Fred pulled a strand of her hair. "It's the other way around."
"Not possible." Alice shook her head with an easy smile on her face.
"There's one thing that's really important before we could even try to get along, though." Angelina started.
"What's that?" Alice asked, wondering what it could be.
"You into Quidditch?" A grin formed on Alice's face as the twins snorted.
"Best sport ever." She answered, and Alicia, Lee, and Angeline grinned back.
"What's your position?" Lee asked.
"I'm a mean chaser." Alice said. The twins scoffed.
"Mean chaser." Fred mocked. "You liar."
"She can kick our butts any day of the week."
"You're that good?" Alicia asked. Alice rolled her eyes at the twins and nodded. "It's a shame first years aren't allowed to try out for the Quidditch team, you should try out next year, we could use a new player."
"You play too?" Alice asked.
"Yeah, Ange and I are chasers, as you probably already know Fred and George are beaters, and Lee is commentator."
"The one sitting over there is Oliver Wood, he's keeper and captain." Angeline added, pointing to a guy sitting at one of the tables in the corner, writing frantically on a piece of parchment. "He's mental, probably already busy with making a training schedule."
"What kind of broom you've got?" Lee asked. "Cleansweep or Nimbus?"
"Neither, I make my own." Alice answered, and the twins' friends eyes popped open wide.
"Is it any good?"
"At the moment it's not the best, but I asked Charlie Weasley to send me any loose dragon scales he finds so I can try to improve it."
The six of them sat for a few more hours before they all went to bed, Alice was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.