Alexandra Weasley: Book 4

55

"What are you wearing?" Megan asked, taking the seat next to Alex in the great hall.

"A hat." Alex said.

"Why?"

"It's a part of our uniform."

"Oh please, we wore it for the first week of our first year and realised no one else wears it."

"Well, we have guests at the school and they should see the proper Hogwarts uniform." Alex added beans to her toast. Megan looked past her at Cedric.

"Do you have an explanation as to why your girlfriend's so weird?"

"You know, I honestly don't." Alex turned to glare at him. "What? I love you and your quirks. Doesn't mean you don't act strangely sometimes."

"You're going to tell me I'm strange? You do know I could single-handedly destroy your reputation at this school?" He gulped, recalling the fact that she had so much more material to use against him now.

"I should've known you'd turn Nana against me." He muttered and turned back to his plate. Alex looked at Megan.

"Okay, seriously. Please lose the hat. It's embarrassing."

"I rather like it." Megan groaned.

"What's with the hat?" Charlie greeted, sitting opposite them.

"I don't know. She's being weird about it." Megan said.

"Why is it such a big deal if I wear my hat?"

"You're the only student wearing a witch's hat. It's awkward."

"You really want to know why I'm wearing it?"

"Yes." Alex sighed as though readying herself to deliver awful information.

"It was a dare."

"By who?"

"Hermione." Alex said, hoping desperately she could get to her friend before any of the Hufflepuffs.

"Not her style." Megan said. "She wouldn't embarrass you so publicly. She'd do it on a smaller scale. Something in front of us."

"Well, she wasn't expecting me to take her up on it. But the alternative was worse and I never back down from a challenge."

"So how long do you have to keep it on for?"

"All day." Alex said. She hoped she could get the circlet off before the day's end. Surely Dumbledore would be able to do something. She took a final bite and jumped up. "I gotta go see Dumbledore." She said. "See you."

Alex left the hall, bumping into Hermione in the entrance hall. She grinned. "Why?" She asked simply.

"Tell you later. If anyone asks, you dared me to keep it on all day."

"So this is a choice?" Hermione furrowed her brows.

"Not exactly. I'll tell you everything later. Just please, cover for me."

"Alright, sure." Hermione walked into the hall letting Alex walk past.

Alex made her way to Dumbledore's office.
"Cockroach cluster." She said and the gargoyle let her pass. She knocked on the door to his office. Snape opened the door to let her in.

"Good morning." Dumbledore welcomed politely. "How are you?" She took off the hat.

"The hat's hot." She complained. He glanced at the circlet.

"I admit, I don't believe I've seen anything like that before." Alex glanced at Snape.

"Whatever it is- it was left in the forest after Slytherin left Hogwarts."

"Or before the founders ever got there." Alex said and Snape nodded.

"Exactly."

"So we've narrowed it down to anywhere between the dawn of time until now? Minus the years between Sal's arrival and departure at Hogwarts. That's helpful." Snape looked at her beratingly. Dumbledore just chuckled and walked closer to inspect the circlet on her head.

"It's an interesting accessory."

"It's a nuisance." Alex said. "Can I have a note in case a teacher tries to make me take off my hat?"

Alex kept her hat on during all her classes. She hadn't had the chance to tell Cedric or Hermione about what she was covering, so they were just as confused as the rest of her friends.
"So when does this 'dare' of yours end?" Cedric said.

"Tonight, but I quite like the hat so I might keep it on." She smirked. "Why, embarrassed to be seen with me like this?"

"You caught me. The hat's a dealbreaker. I could forgive anything else, but that hat."

"I'll just find someone who appreciates my style." She said. He pouted and she grinned. "Don't look so downcast, I'm kidding."

"Alright, seriously. What's the story behind the hat?" He asked. "Isn't it hot?"

"It is. Almost unbearably so. But I can't take it off. Come." She stood and pulled him along by his hand. She led him up to the vanishing room. Shutting the door, she pulled off the hat.

"Nice headdress."

"Circlet." She corrected. "It won't come off."

"Are those real jewels?" He asked and she nodded.

"Mari took me someplace. There was treasure all over. I put this on and now I can't take it off. I wish I knew how I could, but it won't allow me to." A book appeared in front of Alex and she looked relieved. "Of course, why didn't I think of this. This room would know."

"I guess we'll circle back to the whole 'unicorn led you to a treasure spot' and move on." He said.

"Uh huh." She said absent-mindedly, flicking through the book. "Here!" She said. "The circlet of infinity."

"What's that?" He leaned to look.

"Originally created by Morgan La Fey. It searches for a master to bond with. Hang on, something's blurred out here. I think its abilities?"

"Master. That's you, since you can't take it off." He reminded and she pulled a face.

"Any attempt by an outside influence of removal would result in- oh, I can't say that." She paled. Cedric looked at it and then scooched back on the chair, warily keeping an eye on the circlet.

A/N- favourite line when Hermione asks 'so this is a choice?' 😭 Lmfao, hope you guys enjoyyy. 5 parts till the end of the book oop-