Alexandra Weasley: Book 4

45

Harry ambushed her one day. She was making her way back from the forest for dinner when he caught up to her. She frowned at him but continued to walk along.

"Ever since first year, you've always been a step ahead." He finally spoke up. "I'd forgotten in the heat of the moment, but that night Quirrell tried to steal the stone... the way you talked to him and he talked to you- it was weird. You said he promised he wouldn't hurt your friends so he couldn't hurt me and he said he only promised not to hurt Hermione. Why would he promise you anything?"

"You must have misheard."

"I didn't, and you know that. Second year, you knew I wasn't the heir with such certainty. And when 'Mione told you about the diary, you knew something. That was when she figured out it was a basilisk, and how it got through the pipes. You figured it out together as soon as she mentioned the diary and who it belonged to."

"What's your question?"

"And last year, you knew without a doubt that Sirius wasn't on Voldemort's side, just like you knew Pettigrew was. How could you know that when even Remus didn't?"

"I'm observant."

"That's a lot more than observation. What was in the letter Voldemort wrote to you?" Quick as a viper, Alex had her wand at Harry's throat. "So I'm right? He did write to you."

"How do you know that? Hermione wouldn't have told you."

"Hermione knows?"

"She knows everything about me. She keeps my secrets because I ask her to." Alex lowered her wand. "Ron told you I was missing for a year?" Harry nodded. "I found my way to a wizard family's home, I guess. They weren't home, nor did it look like they'd be home for a while. I stayed there for some time and I found a book with the names of all of Voldemort's dark agents. I looked through it. It's how I know who's on the dark side and who isn't. I remember all of the names I saw. I wrote down all the names and I gave them to Dumbledore, before you get all righteous and freak out on me. My parents know, Hermione knows."

"Why hasn't Dumbledore given it in? To the ministry or something? There has to be, like, wizarding police? Like Moody was. Aurors."

"Some of the names are high profile. Even if Dumbledore backed me, who'd take the word of a sixteen year old girl claiming that their friends was a follower of Voldemort? They'd rather laugh it off. So that's why Dumbledore has it. So he can keep a careful eye on the people he knows he can't trust, and when Voldemort does come back, he'll be better placed to know who's on which side."

"You believe he's coming back then."

"Maybe in a few years, maybe a decade, maybe more but yes. We saw him first year. His spirit is still here. I doubt that'll be enough for him." Alex said. "And about the letter? He wants me on his side so I never spill his secrets. I guess he found out what I know somehow. I gave it to Dumbledore." She said. "Is this interrogation done?"

"Yeah, alright." He said.

"Don't blame Hermione. She doesn't tell me your secrets either. She's being a good friend."

"I know."

"Don't tell Ron, either. The less people who know, the better."

"Why'd you tell me?"

"Would you have stopped digging around if I hadn't?"

When they got to the dinner hall, Alex walked over to Hermione at the Gryffindor table and leaned down to whisper in her ear. No one heard, but they did watch as Hermione paled and reply back with a concerned look on her face. After a short exchange, Alex left to go sit at the Hufflepuff table.

Alex hadn't spent much, if any, time alone with her uncle for a while. Maybe she was being unfair, but the letters to Ashburn unsettled her. As did the revelation that he was expected to jump back into the war on Voldemort's side. It wasn't something she wanted think about. After dinner, though, she decided to go visit him. The door to his office was partially open, and she tried to peek around to see if he was there. She didn't want a repeat of what happened the last time she walked in when he wasn't there.
"You're lurking again." He called and she opened the door wider to let herself in.

"I was just checking to see if you were in here." She answered. She took a seat. "Hi."

"Hello." He looked at her. "How are you?"

"Fine, you?"

"I haven't been hexed recently, so I'm okay."

"Dumbledore?" He nodded. "I was responsible about it. Shouldn't that give me points?"

"Why did Miss Chang try to hex you?"

"She wanted to go to the ball with Cedric and thought getting rid of me would be the way." Snape didn't look like he understood much of it and she shrugged. "Karkaroff was team evil, right?"

"Yes."

"And now he's here." Snape nodded. "It's weird. There's you and Karkaroff and Moody. It's like a bad joke. How long can you three survive in the same castle?"

"You're stalling."

"Stalling for what?" He raised a brow and she deflated. "Okay, a little. Harry somehow knew about the letter. From Voldemort, not yours to Ash-" She cut herself off. "And I guess he started remembering things back in the first year when Quildemort tried to steal the stone. He had a lot of questions."

"What did you say?"

"That when I was away, I lived in some wizard family's house because it was empty and I found a book of all the names of Voldemort and his followers. So he wants me on his side so I won't tell anyone what I know, which is a little late because I already told Dumbledore."

"Oh."

"He also wanted to know how I knew Pettigrew was the spy and not Black. It was the only explanation I could think of that was technically the truth and covered his questions."

"I see."

"Mari gave birth."

"Mari is...?"

"One of the other unicorns. A female foal this time. I named her Rani."