Aline bites her own tongue. She was supposed to keep Ellie safe. Now not only is she gone but so is Gabrielle - another innocent girl. A million ideas race through her head. The worst of them, that Greyback pinning her to the ground was only a distraction to get to what really will make both her and Remus vulnerable...her little sister.

"Where did you last see her?" This is Harry talking to Ron and Hermione. The two of them had been in the bleachers the whole time of the Dragon task.

"They were sitting in the front rows with the siblings and friends of the champions," Hermione remarks. "The professors were there too, they would have seen them."

"Well they didn't, did they?" Aline snaps.

"Were only trying to help," Hermione snaps back.

"Maybe you would have seen them 'Mione if you weren't making eyes at a certain Durmstrang champion," Ron mumbles under his breath.

"ME?!" Hermione screeches "You're the one too busy eating to see anything around you."

"Everyone calm down," Harry says .

"Shut it!" Ron interjects. 'Who made you the boss?"

"It is best if ve split up," Fleur suggests firmly. "I go to ze bleachers."

"I'll come with you," Ron says, looking suddenly more tall and heroic.

"Then I'll go with Viktor to the tent of the champions ," says Hermione. Clearly there is some sort of hidden tension between Ron and Hermione and it's not friendship.

"And I'll go with Aline," Harry says, his voice confident.

"You don't have to," Aline says. "None of you. I'll go alone. Ginny was probably right, it was nothing."

"We want to go," Harry says. "We want to make sure nothing has happened."

The others agree in unison, including Fleur who is now worried about her sister.

And so it is set. The party split up: Ron and Fleur to the bleachers of the Quidditch stadium, Viktor and Fleur to the competitors tent, and Harry and Aline into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

-x-x-x-

As soon as they're away from everyone, Harry looks at Aline. "Listen, we're going to find them. Okay?" Seeing her tense up, places a hand on her shoulder. It's comforting and makes Aline shoulders relax. "Is there anything or anyone at all that you think might be of harm to Ellie or Gabrielle?"

"I don't know," Aline lies. "Maybe someone who is angry their name didn't get picked by the Goblet?"

"Again with the Goblet," Harry grumbles.

"How can you be so sure we'll find them?" Aline asks quietly. "You've never had to save anyone before."

"Actually, I had," Harry says, brows raising.

"Oh yeah?"

"In our second year, Vold- You Know Who...he was in Hogwarts, in the Chamber of Secrets. He'd taken Ginny. if Ron and I hadn't acted quickly enough, and that bugger Lockhart hadn't tried to curse us...we'd have rescued her sooner."

Aline actually reconsiders her words. Had she really known anything about Harry Potter besides his name? Of course, this made her appreciate him as more than just the Chosen One.

"Wow," she said softly. "I...didn't know..."

"What, you thought that just because I was the Chosen One that my life is easy as pudding?"

"Well...yeah..."

"Nah," Harry shrugs his shoulders. "Since I was little, I was raised by my aunt and uncle. Not bad people, but they hated wizards and seemed to have a thing against my dad James. They told me he and my mum died in a car accident."

"Are you serious? That's cruel..."

"Yeah. The only reason I found out the truth was because Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, had come to deliver me my acceptence letter. That's when I found out I was a wizard." He smiles, recollecting. "Uncle Vernon has a fit. Black with rage. He got out his rifle and told Hagrid that he wasn't going to let me learn any magic tricks. That Dumbledore was a clown."

"He didn't."

"He did. But Hagrid got him back. Gave my cousin a pigtail for it."

Aline laughs. "That must have cost him a detention from Dumbledore. Aren't you not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts?"

"I think Dumbledore owes Hagrid a few favors." Harry winks. "He came out clean, alright."

"Lucky him."

"So what about you?" Harry turns to her. His eyes are green and piercing as they look straight into hers. Even in the darkness of the Forest, she still sees their depth and can't get to the bottom. A pit forms in her stomach as he speaks. "What's your story?"

"Er...well Ellie and I were not in the best of situations as kids."

"Right. No family?"

"We were...seperated."

Harry nods his head. "Did you ever look for them?"

"My parents? We couldn't. We were so far away and so young...we didn't know where to start. Besides, we didn't think they would want us."

"What kind of parents wouldn't want their kids back?"

"We," Aline begins. "We changed a lot and we didn't think they would ever recognize us. We didn't bother looking. Then Remus came along and he...adopted us. He took us in knowing what we've been through and he didn't judge."

"Remus is like that."

"He is," Aline says, smiling. "He is the kindest person we've known in a long time. It took us time to trust him, but he was so good to us. He's the one that encouraged us to go to Hogwarts."

"Do you think...the people that put you in that bad situation...are the ones that would want to take Ellie."

Aline pales, clenching her teeth. Harry is so dangerously close to the truth. She bites her tongue to keep from revealing more than she has.

"Aline?"

"Yes?"

"There's...something you're not telling me," Harry's voice drops dangerously low.

"I don't know what else you want to know. I've told you all there is."

"I don't think that's true."

"It is."

"I've been lied to enough to know," Harry says. "When someone isn't being honest. Look, I just want to help. And if you don't tell me, then how am I supposed to help?"

"Harry I don't know where Ellie is or Gabrielle and I have no idea how that is linked to my past. Maybe she just got lost walking back or met some friends-"

"-but you don't believe that. Otherwise, you wouldn't have run around looking for answers. And you wouldn't have asked Viktor or Fleur for help if it wasn't serious."

"Fine," Aline cries. "You're right. I'm worried. Worried about my sister. Because we don't belong here. We don't have magic. Everywhere we turn, people think there's something wrong with us. Like we're freaks. I didn't ask for the Goblet to choose my sister's name. I didn't ask for her to be dragged into this tournament. All I wanted was a normal year at school and to stay away from drama. From questions. From people who think we rigged the Reaping. I just want my life to be normal. But everywhere I go, trouble just comes from around the corner. And I hate it!"

Harry listens. "I get it. I completely understand."

"Do you? Because you're constantly questioning me. I told you, everything is fine and I can figure it out on my own. I appreciate your help but it doesn't give you the right to pry into my PERSONAL LIFE."

Aline doesn't care she's alone in the Forbidden Forest. Holding back the tears and storms ahead, leaving Harry a few steps behind her. How dare he question her and pry into her personal life. She never asked him to be so damn nosy. All she wants is to find Ellie and go to her room and sleep. She's exhausted and it's like life can't give her a break.

But Harry isn't at fault here. He's trying to help. She wipes her angry tears off her face and turns. But Harry isn't there.

She darts her head around.

Oh no.

Then she hears him scream. And the wolves howl.