The Forgotten Girl

Chapter Eleven: Christmas With the Weasleys

“What kind of people do you take us for?” Fred finished.

“The kind that would make the angel explode.” Ginny muttered under her breath. Alison held in a laugh and they finished hanging the paper chains.

***

Christmas Eve everyone who inhabited the Burrow squeezed into the lavishly decorated living room. Molly had her favorite singer Celestina Warbeck playing out of the large wireless set. According to Ginny this was a tradition that they did nearly every Christmas Eve. Alison didn’t mind.

What did bother Alison was Fleur who was sitting in the corner and continually talking louder to overpower the music. Molly kept turning it up to block out her voice.

“Oh Arthur!” Molly exclaimed happily, “We danced to this when we were eighteen! Do you remember?”

“Oh yes dear.” Mr. Weasley said from his chair across the room. Alison giggled softly and leaned against George’s side, “Are you going to be that absent minded when you get older?” she asked him teasingly.

“I doubt it.” He said with a cocky grin.

“How ‘bout exploding snap?” Fred asked flashing a wicked grin and producing a deck of cards. Alison grinned and nodded her head. They waited until a jazzy number came onto the wireless to begin, not wanting to draw the wrath of Molly.

The four of them played through the remainder of Celestina’s songs. Just as her final note hit Alison let out a scream of surprise as one of her cards exploded in her hand. Molly shot the four of them a deadly look and Fred quickly picked the cards up shoving them into his pocket. Alison looked down at her now blistered hand with a grimace.

“She’s not going to heal it for me now.” Alison said in a low voice. George took her hand and looked at it, “I can fix it.” He whispered to her, “But you’ll have to come to my room when everyone goes to bed, think you can wait?” Alison nodded her head.

“Oh good, eet eez over.” Fleur said in her thick accent, “’Ow ‘orrible—“

“How about we have a nightcap then?” Mr. Weasley asked standing up and rushing to get the eggnog. Alison gave George a soft smile and stood up to sit beside Harry, he was talking to Lupin.

“Who’s Greyback?” Harry asked as Alison sat beside him.

“You haven’t heard of him?” Lupin asked, “Fenrir Greyback is, perhaps the most savage werewolf alive. He’s determined to bite and contaminate as many people as possible. Voldemort has promised him prey for his services. I’m trying to get them on Dumbledore’s side. Though it’s not easy. He specializes in children. Bite them young, raise them away from home. It was Greyback who bit me.”

“What?” Harry said surprised, “You mean, when you were a kid?”

“Yes, my father had offended him.” Lupin gave a soft smile and looked over at Alison, “Did you need something? Or just came to listen?” he asked with a knowing smile. Alison shrugged her shoulders and accepted a glass of eggnog from Mr. Weasley.

“I’m sorry you have to live with the man who you gave you your little problem.” Alison said softly.

Lupin smiled at her, “You learn to live with what live has given you. You’ll soon learn to live with what you’ve been given.” Alison smiled softly, but Lupin’s face became lost in blackness.

The Astronomy tower came into view through the dense clouds they were flying through. High in the sky above it was the sickly green mark that meant someone had died. Dumbledore sped up a little on his broom at the sight of it. When he and Harry reached to top of the tower it was empty, but they weren’t alone for long. Dumbledore flicked his wand once as the door opened and Malfoy stepped onto the tower. Alison knew in the back of her mind what was coming, but she couldn’t stop herself from seeing it. More Deatheaters arrived, and there was talk. Finally Snape stepped into the picture, glanced at Dumbledore and muttered the deadly curse. With a flash of green light Dumbledore flew into the air and over the side of the tower. Alison opened her mouth to scream.