Albus Potter and the Curse of the Deceiver

Alanna Carter

—CHAPTER 6—

Alanna Carton

Albus was about to read further down the page when a clatter echoed through the hallways and into the office. Albus’s head snapped up in alarm and he glanced over at James. The elder Potter slipped out of the office to survey the area. Albus and the others, frozen, anxiously awaited his return and when it didn’t come, Albus felt a tight knot twist in his stomach. Ripping the page about the Curse of the Deceiver out of the journal and shoving it in his pocket, Albus scrambled to his feet, pushing past Rose to cast a hopefully unseen glance around the Potions room. As soon as he sidled up to the door, peering through the crack, an arm shot out from the other side of the door, yanking Albus out of the office. Albus yelped and fell onto the floor, flinging his arm out to prevent his head from smashing onto the cold stone. He rolled onto his back, gazing fearfully at his attacker who was now rounding up the others in the office. It was a girl, looking about James’s age (14). She had brownish black hair that was tied into a straggly bun on the top of her head. Albus noted that she was self conscious: she wore a pretty white shirt with a lacy collar and silver earrings dangled down to her chin. Albus’s observations scanned down to the girl’s wrist where she wore a charm bracelet, the Hogwarts crest as one of the charms. He plucked up enough courage and asked ‘Who are you?’

The girl looked over her shoulder to Albus who was still on the floor. ‘You’re bleeding, Potter,’ she said softly. Albus lifted his hand that was scraped, blood smudged on his palm. He frowned, looking back up at the girl. ‘You still haven’t answered my question. Who are you?’

‘A female witch,’ the girl said, grabbing Scorpius by his collar and dragging him out of Lockwood’s office. ‘But I think I’ll be the ones asking the questions around here. What were you doing in Timothy Lockwood’s office? It’s off limits to students.’

‘We’ve got permission,’ Rose spoke up bravely. ‘From their dad.’ She nodded to Albus and James as she spoke. The girl narrowed her eyes. ‘What were you doing in there?’

‘Answer my question and I’ll answer yours,’ Albus said, feeling a bit more confident. It’s not like the girl could do anything to them. She smiled. ‘My name is Alanna Carter. Happy?’

 ‘We were trying to help a friend,’ Albus supplied. Avery stood up straight. ‘Al, don’t!’ he said in a panicked voice. Albus shrugged. ‘I wasn’t going to tell her anything else.’ He turned back to Alanna. ‘What were you doing here? After all, this place is off limits to students.’

Alanna smiled again. ‘Who said I was a student?’

There was a shocked silence after this. Alanna looked triumphant, to Albus’s annoyance. He’d been hoping to trick her into letting them ago but it seemed to have backfired. She’d outsmarted them. Albus however, decided not to give up and got over his surprise. ‘If you’re not a student, why are you here?’

Alanna chuckled. ‘That’s for me to know and you not to find out.’

Albus’s hopeful smirk dropped to an angry scowl. ‘Why are you doing this? Why won’t you just let us go?’

Alanna stepped over to Albus in such a graceful way, he couldn’t believe such an irritating person could be so pretty. She leaned over and ruffled his hair. ‘Tut, tut, Albus Potter,’ she said. ‘You ask way too many questions.’

As she turned on her heels, Albus felt humiliation boil inside of him. ‘I’ll complain!’ he shouted. ‘You can’t do this!’

Alanna rounded on him and Albus was startled to see determination sparkling in her blue eyes. ‘You’ll find, Potter, that I can. Who will you complain to? What will you say? That you were sneaking into a forbidden office?’