The Tree of Blacks (English version)

Alya's Dreams

After dinner, Sirius, Alya, and Regulus were sent to sleep, accompanied by old Kreacher, on Walburga's orders.

The bedrooms of the two brothers were located in the highest area of ​​the house, on the fourth floor. Alya's room, on the other hand, was on the first floor.

When she came to her door, which had a plaque that read 'Alya Merope', the little girl took leave of her brothers and said them good night.

"Good night, Sirius! Good night, Reg!" chirped Alya, emulating an aristocratic demeanor.

"Sweet dreams, Alya!" trilled Regulus smiling.

" 'Night..." replied the twin, in a drawling voice, in full yawn.

Regulus and Sirius continued up the stairs to the fourth floor with Kreacher, as Alya pushed the door to enter.
Her room was elegant and spacious, permeated with an intense atmosphere of grandeur, as befits a little witch of her rank. Inside, there was a large bed with a carved wooden headboard, an imposing old wardrobe, and a tall window obscured by long dark velvet curtains. From the center of the ceiling hung a beautiful chandelier made of glittering faceted drops of crystal. The walls were, however, bleak, without any painting or poster, giving the room a sterile and gloomy atmosphere.

Nevertheless, there was something else that made the room even more dismal than it appeared. A detail capable of making Alya shiver as soon as she crossed the doorstep of the room.

A precious porcelain doll bivouacked placidly on the bedspread. Alya had received it as a present from her uncle Alphard (the Walburga's brother) a few days earlier, for her birthday.

The doll had all the characteristics of the beautiful young lady: a face of white ceramic, framed by soft blond curls, two large blue eyes, frighteningly grainy, which overlooked a delicate French nose and a strawberry-red mouth which opened in a half smile. The whole body was dressed in a graceful blue velvet dress, adorned with numerous lace; the expression of the face must have been of royal elegance, but it gave Alya a sense of disquiet.

Alya didn't like that doll, she hated it. She didn't understand why her uncle had bought her such a terrifying toy when, instead, he had given Sirius a far more interesting collection of adventure books.
But their stern and inflexible mother, Walburga, had expressed all her appreciation for that superfine doll when she had seen it, so Alya felt compelled to pretend to be equally enthusiastic, so as not to upset her mother's mood.

Since that day, Walburga had ordered Kreacher to place the doll on Alya's bed, so that the child could find the toy waiting for her every night before going to bed. And, inevitably, Alya couldn't help but gasp in horror every time she crossed the doorstep of her room.

That night was no different. Alya pounced on the porcelain doll, blissfully sitting on its starched blankets, grabbed it and, with a disgusted expression, threw it brusquely under the bed, in order to keep it out of her sight.

After that, Alya quickly put her pajamas on and slipped under the covers of her bed. For a moment her thoughts focused on Sirius and on his stubborn interest in Muggles; the little girl heaved a long sigh of relief, glad that her brother had not been seen greeting those curious Muggle children, who persisted in throwing stones at their home. He would be in trouble if their mother found it out.

Alya turned to the bedside table to put the candle light out. However, the little girl seemed to falter. She took a deep breath and extinguished the small golden flame, with a whiff.
Instantly, darkness enveloped the entire room with its nocturnal cloak. The little girl got stiff under the sheets and felt very nervous.

The fact was that there was something which Alya feared far more than her strict mother and that troubled her more than Uncle Alphard's porcelain doll.
What terrified her was the night and, more precisely, the time when she should have fallen asleep.