Alexandra Weasley: Book 4

52

"Are the dragons still here?" Amélie asked, walking the grounds with Alex.

"Not all of them. It's dangerous to transport all of them at once. I think they've managed to move five back to Romania." Alex said.

"And your brother Charlie's here still?"

"Yeah. I think the last two are going to be moved together tomorrow." Alex said. "Charlie'll be leaving then."

"Oh. Have you seen them?"

"Occasionally, when I see Charlie." Alex said. "By the way, your cousin Gabrielle is adorable."

"You met her?"

"When they put us in the lake. They explained everything to us together and drugged us together."

"Well, Gabrielle is my favourite cousin." Amélie said.

"How many do you have?"

"Just Fleur and Gabrielle." Alex laughed. "What is it like having so many siblings?"

"There's never a moment's peace." She huffed. "They're all so nosy, so privacy goes out the window most of the time."

"It must be nice, though. To never be lonely?"

"You can take my place anytime." Alex invited. Amélie breathed out a laugh.

"So Marcel and Charlie. I did not see that coming when I arrived."

"Neither did I. Marcel's sort of quiet, isn't he?"

"It doesn't make him harmless."

"Yeah, I know. He can handle himself."

"How's the preparation for the third task going?" Amélie asked.

"Cedric's about ready to rip his hair out. Or mine. I'm a little neurotic when it comes to studies." She said. Amélie cracked a grin. "We're studying all of the creatures that could possibly exist in the forest. Hagrid's choosing them and he's probably the only person who knows more about the creatures in there than me."

"How well do you know the forest?"

"Pretty well." Alex admitted. "There are safe paths throughout the forest, though I'll admit there were some close calls exploring."

"Really?"

"Trust me, there's a reason the forest's technically forbidden." Alex said.

"So why do you go there?"

"The first time I went in there was sort of an accident. Then it was a nice place for peace and quiet. No sane student would go in. And now it's become a sort of haven for me. I know where to avoid, and I know where I can sit and relax."

"You like Herbology, don't you?" Amélie asked, her tone sort of accusing. Alex shrugged.

"It goes hand in hand with potions." She said. "And I don't think there's a subject I don't like."

"There has to be something."

"I like all of my classes."

"Even runes?"

"Of course. I'm working on a protection charm in class."

"Arithmancy."

"One of my favourites, actually."

"Charms."

"So many fond memories."

"Defense against the dark arts?"

"Easy, but Snape gives me books sometimes in Japanese. He got them from the headmistress of Mahoutokoro. That's fun." Amélie rolled her eyes.

The day of the final task drew near. Alex had Cedric practicing all the spells he knew, teaching him some of her Japanese ones too. She would have offered to teach him some hand to hand combat if she didn't know it'd wound his pride immensely. Besides, it was just a maze, there wouldn't be much opportunity to use his fists when he had his wand. She did make him at least practice his spells on her. Even those that were technically cast at her surroundings and would affect her. Better that he was ready and able than woefully unprepared. They'd had to do it in the forest though, and far from Kichiro and Venus so as not to freak them out.
"You want me to cast bombarda on you?" He asked, dubiously.

"Well it's not going to work."

"What if it does and suddenly all your insides become outsides?" Alex rolled her eyes.

"Cedric, it's not going to work. Just make sure to aim at me and not a tree behind. That can and will crush me and kill me." Cedric did not look amused. "You need to know how to."

"Yes but my girlfriend shouldn't be target practice."

"Don't be boring." She pouted. "Honestly, if you can't hex your girlfriend, then who can you hex?"

"You know it doesn't work like that."

"Okay, if you can't hex your indestructible girlfriend, then who can you hex?"

"You're not indestructible."

"Maybe, but I'm immune to spells so for all intents and purposes I am. So unless you would like me to transfigure myself into something small you can carry with you and risk disqualification, try casting bombarda at me. I'd like to know if your wand movements are right."

"I can do the explosion charm. I'm a sixth year, remember? I learnt it years ago."

"Humour me?" She asked. "I'd feel better seeing it for myself."

"I could go into the maze now and have the others follow in a month and still be the most well prepared." He said. She looked pleadingly at him and he gave in. "Fine. But can't I do it on a rock?"

"Do you know the differences between the rocks and the gremlins?" He looked at the small boulders around.

"Point taken." He sighed. She stood in front of him and he raised his wand.

"I can pretend to attack you if it would make you feel better."

"Nothing would make me feel better about exploding you."

"How about you do this, and we end for today? Maybe go for a swim, we could even try to go up the waterfall." She enticed and he grinned.

"Alright, fine."