ALICE ADAIR RUSHED towards the potions classroom. She didn't stop for a second even though her legs were exhausted.
A lot had a changed in the old school.
Death Eaters teaching.
Another Death Eater as the Headmaster, Severus Snape sitting where the Great Albus Dumbledore once sat.
Some felt betrayed.
As she reached the door she attempted to come to a clean halt, but she misjudged the time and distance on this particular morning and crashed right into it.
All eyes turned to her.
"Sorry professor" she said, hopping up from the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she could spot several people snickering.
"Take a seat Alice" said Slughorn. "And brush off your robes, we don't want you going around dusty"
The young girl looked around the room and saw that the class was packed. Only two spots were left. The first was right up the back next to Eric King who was glaring at her and somehow sulking at the same time. She couldn't really comprehend why.
The second seat was right beside the strange boy from the train, Blake Alexander. A newly recruited Gryffindor, same year as Alice.
The decision was thankfully a no brainer.
"Is your entrance always that smooth Tia?"
"Oh shut it, you couldn't do better if you tried"
The first half of the day went by quickly much to everyone's surprise.
In Transfiguration they could sit wherever they wanted as long as they didn't make a noise of any description. Professor McGonagall was by far Alice's favourite teacher, and she didn't miss a beat to defend her when her fellow classmates called her overly strict, like Blake who received a whack over the back of the head.
"Just a reminder that essay must be on my desk by next Tuesday morning, no excuses" McGonagall yelled over the end of class chatter.
"You say she isn't strict?" chuckled Blake, placing his pile of books in his satchel.
"I will hit you again"
The hallways were dark marble floors and white walls, not a hand print or scuff mark anywhere. The doors were a glossy black, numbered with silver digits that match the globe shaped handles.
It wasn't just the materials though, it was dimensions, the width being at least twice that of any other school of the area.
The halls were crowded with people, and the chaos was so perfect, like a movie. Laughter rang throughout the halls, joined with excited conversations and shouts.
A breath of air brushed Alice's ear; she followed the breeze and saw a clean folded paper plane gracefully gliding through the air before sliding across the tiled hall to stop with its nose against the wall.
She picked it up and unfolded it.
Her heart raced as she looked around cautiously, wondering who on earth would write such an awful note.
"What's that?" Blake teased finally catching up to her. Alice shoved it into her pocket.
"It's nothing, just someone's homework I think"
Blake looked at her, at her hair covering her face. "Let me see, come on Tia"
She uncrumpled the paper and handed to him.
To any new comers
Alice Adair is a liar
Never trust her for shit
"Some homework this is Tia"
"Only the best" she sighed.
"Well, I say we should show them it isn't wise to leave your homework lying about"
Alice smiled. "What do you suggest?"
Blake glanced over, the corners of his lips fighting a smile, his eyebrows slightly raised.
Alice looked away before that mischievous look of his spread. She swore that kid's exuberance for trouble is a contagion.
But before she can strengthen her resolve to be aloof she had already glanced back. In a few seconds that pirate grin of his was on her face too and she knew he means for his revenge plan to go down immediately.
"Well we both know who wrote this, correct?"
"Of course, it's Eric Kings, the way he writes his vowels, it's unmistakable"
"I suggest we tear this piece of parchment to pieces, maybe mess with him a bit? Turn his hair pink?"
"Why that's perfect"
"I am a Gryffindor after all, brave and smart" he yelled, jogging away. "I'll get the dye, you rip that piece of shit"
Alice smiled.
Blake didn't question her, he didn't need an explanation, he simply went with it. And that felt good.
Someone trusted her.
She held the crisp white letter in front of her between both hands, then took some delight in ripping it in two.
Then she turned it ninety degrees and ripped it again. After several more rips the letter more resembled confetti and she threw it into the air, watching it rain down and gather in a small pile on the marble floor.
The girl felt a satisfaction, as if she had just completed a deeply, personally needed action; expressed by the slightest curve at her mouths corner and a youthful confidence worn in a light raise of the eyebrow above a quizzical, joyful eye.
It felt good to finally fight back.
"Hey Tia, you might want to start running, like now"
"It's lunch, I'm not running for shit" Alice took a large bite of her sandwich, brushing crumbs off her robes.
Eating lunch was her moment of the day to take care of herself, to give her body the quality nutrition it needed to function.
No one could understand how this was only registering in her mind now.
Suddenly Eric King burst into the Great Hall.
His holler reverberated in the students ears like a clap of thunder, such was his rage. It was a roar of pure anger.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS ALICE?!"
Blake pushed Alice under the table.
"Let me guess, it's Eric and his hair is pink"
"Yup"
"And you, Blake Alexander, blamed it on me"
"That is correct"
"Thank you"
"You're welcome Tia"
"It's Alice"
"OK...Tia"
Blake shoved her head down as Eric walked past, still shouting, his hair an awful shade of pink.
"Come on" he whispered, now grabbing her wrist and running through the various tables and students as Alice repeatedly whacked his hand.
"I'm not a child, don't hold my hand"
"Oh well I sincerely apologise m'lady"
"Don't be dramatic"
As they reached an old classroom on the third floor, they laughed.
"You should've seen his face!" yelled Blake, imitating the Slytherin. "He kept yelling my hair is pink, hey my hair is PINK"
"We should've taken a photo, handed it out on Christmas cards" added Alice.
They held their stomachs as they found it difficult to breath with the amount of laughter that had burst out between them.
"Right well, I'll see you at dinner" said Blake stepping up from the floor.
"You're just going to leave me?" Alice asked, greatly offended. "You did turn his hair pink"
"According to Eric, you did"
And the door slammed behind him.
Alice let out a laugh. "Well he's great"
Suddenly Eric pounded on the door and demanded to be let in. "Alice I swear to fucking God, do something about my hair"
Alice stood up. "It was only a harmless joke, you're just taking it seriously"
"It's about the note isn't?"
"Well yeah, of course"
"Shit"
The sigh that escaped Eric's dry lips was slow, as if his brain needed that time to process what had happened and he needed to negotiate.
"Let me in asshole"
"Whatever asshole"
Alice opened the door and Eric walked in, his hair bright pink and very unattractive, Alice found it very difficult not to laugh.
"Here's the deal Eric" said Alice confidently. "I have the spell to get rid of that, but I need you to do something for me"
"Which is....?"
"You're a Slytherin, where is Draco Malfoy?"
The boy thought a moment. "He's usually hanging around the fifth floor hallway, why?"
"No reason, now agree to stop the letters and stop anyone else, hear me? I've got plenty more tricks for you Eric, worse ones, this is only the beginning. Whether the spell works or not, You agree to these terms"
"Even if it doesn't work?" Eric hesitated. "Yeah whatever, just do it already, I promise"
"Brilliant" Alice brandished her wand.
Silence filled the room.
Alice hadn't muttered a single word.
"Yeah, I lied" she said. "I have no idea what the spell is, but thanks for the promise. It will wear off in about a week, maybe two"
And on that note, Alice botled down the hallway like an Olympic champion at the start gun, wand clutched tightly in her sweaty hand. She quickened her pace to an all out sprint as the shouts of the pink haired boy grew louder.
"YOU REALLY ARE AWFUL, I CANT BREAK A FUCKING PROMISE, YOU ASSHOLE"
T
he adrenaline made Alice Adair feel free.
Hey Hen, I turned someone's hair pink today
- You can be so idiotic Al, come on. You begged to go to Hogwarts, make the most of it. And go to sleep Alice, this isn't a joke.
Alice sighed deeply as she felt her brothers presence fade, his words echoing in her mind. I guess he still wasn't over the fight.
Stars lit the sky like snow-flakes in the night, yet appeared still, like an old photograph.
Alice smiled, feeling the wind blow her hair into a tousled mane. Were she out there in space, riding the limits of the known universe, they would be a choreographed blizzard.
But in that moment, with her arms wrapped around the trunk of a windswept tree and her head placed gently against the bark, the starlight kept its familiar pattern. The constellations, who'd witnessed centuries and millennia just the same, watched over this tiny moment.
"Thought I might find you here" said Blake, as he placed himself down in the unmowed grass. "So Tia, what did Slughorn say?"
Alice had been called out after Slughorn - head of Slytherin house - had noticed Eric's rather unattractive and undignified look.
She turned towards him. "You've got detention"
"Hold on, I've got detention? But..But how? I convinced Eric you did it!"
"And Slughorn knows I can't make a potion for shit, especially one that complex. So he figured it out himself"
Blake punched Alice lightly. "You awful person!"
"I'm...don't forget you're the one you first blamed me, and then proceeded to leave me in an abandoned classroom"
Blake ran a hand through his hair. "You make a decent case, Tia. I admire that"
"Why thank you Blake" Alice placed a hand over her chest and dramatically flicked her hair. "What can I say I'm a natural"
"Oh shut up"
Alice laid back, her body surrounded by the cool grass as she gazed at the stars hanging above the two friends, as if strung in the air by invisible strings.
She felt Blake do the same.
She looked over at him, a boy she had met but a week ago, a person she had connected with so fast and gave her trust so easily, tentative though it was.
There was something in the way he smiled, a warmth, a genuineness, a softness of spirit she just couldn't pass up.
He listened like he was absorbing her words, not simply getting her "turn" over and done with so he could return to some other topic.
The more time she spent with him the more her spirit lifted, he was the new friend she'd needed for so long.
"Thank you" Alice whispered.
Blake propped himself up on his elbows. "For what? You should be apologising"
Alice chuckled. "Thank you for today, for not making a big deal out of the note. Thank you"
He laid back down. "Well, it was only homework anyway, it didn't involve me, I would assume it doesn't concern me. I know the Tia I hang with, and she's nothing like that"
Alice smiled, a genuine smile.
"Thank you"
"You're welcome Tia"