Alexandra Weasley: Book 6

17

Alex had a free period and took that time to check on her potion. She headed to the lab and saw there was a class in progress. "Sorry, sir. Can I quickly just check on the egg?"

"Sure, come in, come in!" Slughorn said. She looked around at the third years and caught sight of Mafalda. She sent her a quick smile before heading to the cauldron cupboards and opening hers. She carefully carried it over to an empty work table. "Now, see here, Miss Weasley is attempting one of the most volatile and difficult potions known. Of course, the reward is absolutely worth it!" She didn't look up and just pulled on her dragon-hide gloves, before rotating the egg. It was smaller than it had been three months ago, but that just meant it was thawing. She knew in a few weeks it would be totally thawed and the time stasis spell could be reversed and the potion started. Luckily, that seemed to fall right in the holiday period so the castle would be considerably emptier and any damage could be contained easier.

Once she'd finished rotating the egg, she took off her gloves and put her cauldron back in its place and locked it. She muttered a quick thanks and headed out of the lab. She was on her way back to the common rooms when an idea struck her. She walked past the turn to the dorms and headed on straight to the corridor she knew would lead to Helga's hall and Slytherin's chamber. She continued to the chamber, and illuminated the sconces. It didn't really light up the chamber as much as she'd have liked, but it would have to do. She put on the circlet.

"Okay, Doomie. I think this is just as good a place as any for us to train. So, let's see what we can do." Alex pulled out her wand.

"Miss Weasley." Alex froze as she turned to see Dumbledore.

"Professor? I- I'm just- I... you're not going to fall for a lie, are you?"

"Don't worry. There are alerts in the four areas in case students wander in unattended. I see you're better acquainted with the circlet?"

"I promised I'd put it back on and what better reason than to train to defeat Voldemort."

"You're planning to join the order, I take it."

"Is that a good idea? Given who I am?"

"So what is your plan?" He asked, conjuring a couple of chairs and sitting down. She followed his lead.

"I'm not an idiot who's going to try to go this alone. I don't have a plan yet. I'm not going to do anything without a plan, either. For now, I'm just going to train. I'm going to get stronger, and learn how to wield this circlet."

"There's another option."

"I'm not my uncle. I can't pretend to follow Voldemort. I don't even like that he does it."

"Under the right circumstances, you could help end the war much sooner than your uncle."

"I'm not naive enough to believe he cares about me because he's feels oh so grandfatherly."

"Perhaps not. It doesn't change the fact that he wants you. You are his only heir. His only living legacy. If his daughter could drastically change her mind and beliefs, I'm sure he believes you could too."

"The next time I see him, I'll be slicing my katana through him, whether or not he dies." She said. "I can't pretend to follow him. It's physically impossible for me to stand anywhere in his vicinity and not think of what he did to me. He made me a monster once, I'm not giving him a chance to do it again. I was aware of what was going on. It was like a dream- a horrible, terrible, frightening dream, where I knew what was going on and I couldn't stop it. I was twelve when I first took someone's life, Professor. I murdered people before I was even a teenager. And he had Ashburn experiment on me. Hold me down, pin me with spells and change me so I was loyal to him. Bound to him rather than the moon. I was a child. And as soon as I got away from him, and thought I was safe, you hired him as a teacher. And I was still under his control. Maybe not physically, but I was terrified and I let him intimidate me into submission. I thought he'd take me away, or that he would kill Hermione, because somehow I carelessly made a friend. That's two years. And it doesn't end there. He manipulated my sister, and killed the boy I loved and now that Snape's by his side, I might lose him too.

"I will never be able to stand by his side. I'm not a stupid Gryffindor who's willing to sacrifice everything. I'm not like that. Nor am I Snape who has done and will do anything you ask for the sake of atonement for my sins. I don't have a plan yet, but when I figure it out, I'm going to be there and I'm going to help bring him down." She stood up from the chair and stalked off.

"I'll key you into the wards around the areas. You'll be able to get in and out undetected." He called after her.

A/N- Favourite line is "Professor? I- I'm just- I... you're not going to fall for a lie, are you?"