The Potions Master's Daughter Part 2

CHAPTER 12 The journal holds the key

Alice ran back to the Slytherin dormitory, not turning back.

Who was Lily?

Who was the boy?

What was Dumbledore's plan?

She reached the dormitory, shut the door, and threw herself onto her bed. Her hands were shaking.

She had no idea what she had just witnessed but she knew one thing for sure. She wasn't supposed to hear it.

'Alice could be a danger to our plan. She could make everything we have worked so hard for fall apart. Do you understand this, Severus?'

Suddenly, Alice broke into tears so violently her body was jerked by spasms. She cried until she felt sick and until there were no tears left in her eyes. With a shaking hand, she reached under her pillow and took out her journal. With a quill dipped in ink, she scribbled four words:

Lily. The boy. Dumbledore's plan.

She then slowly sat up straight and wiped the tears off her face. She'd had enough. She'd had enough of being kept in the dark. Frustration finally took hold of her.

Whatever the cost, she was going to get answers.

She got up and started pacing around the dormitory. She was lucky no one was there. Everyone was outside, enjoying their Saturday. Everyone except Alice could spend their days without wondering what their father, the Hogwarts Potions teacher, was plotting in secret with Albus Dumbledore.

She felt a sudden wave of rage. Once again, she found herself part of some inexplicable, dark secret. Every day, everything seemed to be getting more and more twisted, more and more sinister. Everything in her life, from her biological parents to her adopted father was one big mystery. She had no idea who she was. She had no idea who those around her were. She was surrounded by people pretending to be something they were not. Even her best friends were keeping secrets from her. Their parents were all Death Eaters. Her own father was a Death Eater! And if that wasn't enough, her own father had told her that she was soon to be recruited by none other than Lord Voldemort himself!

She kicked the side of the bed and yelled out in pain. She didn't even feel like crying anymore. She felt like screaming. She'd had enough. She had to find out.

And she knew who had all the answers.

She stormed out of the Slytherin common room onto the dungeon corridors. She wasn't going to Snape's office, oh no. He was done trying to pry the secrets out of him. She was going straight to the source. Straight back to Albus Dumbledore.

The overheard conversation made one thing clear: she finally realised why Severus had never told her anything about her past. It was because of Dumbledore. It was all Dumbledore's doing. Alice had never heard such a tone in Snape's voice as the one with which he spoke to Dumbledore. There was fearful respect in his voice. It was as though Dumbledore had some kind of grip on Snape. As though Snape had a duty to the Headmaster that he was obliged to fulfill.

It made Alice furious. She had never heard her father's voice break like that. She had never seen him bow down to anyone. His obedience to Dumbledore was making her lose her mind. She was going to put an end to this. Dumbledore's secrets were about to come out.

Just as she was about to make her way out of the dungeon and onto the Marble Staircase, she bumped into someone.

'Oi, look where you're walking- Oh, Alice!'

She had crossed paths with Draco. 'Hi,' she said hastily and tried to walk past him. She couldn't stop now. She had to reach Dumbledore as soon as possible.