In 1865, a young girl by the name of Alice Liddell went missing from outside of her home in Oxford, England. Left in the care of her older sister, Margaret, no one could understand how the seven-year-old had disappeared so suddenly. Yet, after multi...
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LIKE ALL GOOD THINGS, the summer came to an end and it was time for Alice to once again return to Hogwarts. However, she didn't feel as though she had missed anything while being home, after all, it had been a summer full of all sorts of new experiences. From meeting Luna and Xenophilius to having Luna meet Ginny Weasley officially, Alice felt rather accomplished. Since Luna and Ginny were still too young to attend Hogwarts, it gave them more time to spend with each other, and Alice was betting that a strong friendship would grow between the two girls.
And while Luna was able to spend time with Ginny at the Burrow, Alice had been able to see more of Fred and George than she had originally anticipated. It was really no different than being at the school, without the added worry or stress of classes and homework. The twins enjoyed showing Alice and the Wonderlanders all over the surrounding land.
But there were times where Alice didn't feel like going on an adventure as odd as that sounded. She would simply request to just sit and enjoy the cloud watching in the open fields. Sometimes, the twins would keep her company, but they would grow restless from sitting still too long and offered to show the Wonderlanders, including Hatter, how to play quidditch. Alice would find herself alone most of the time, but then near the end of the summer, she found herself with some company.
On days where Percy decided to sit with her.
Very much like the first time she had introduced Percy to cloud watching, he did not partake in the activity. But rather, he would sit near her, with a book in his lap. Alice didn't say anything, often treating Percy like a timid deer, afraid if she said too much that he would run away. Percy hardly ever spoke, besides a quiet "hello" when he approached, and maybe a "goodbye" when he finished his reading. However, Alice took no offence to it, she actually liked watching him read.
Alice never cared much for reading when she was younger and didn't really partake it as she grew older either. Yet, judging by the expressions that would appear on Percy's face, he absolutely loved it. Sometimes, when he finished a book, he would sit beside her with a distant look. She always wondered what he was thinking in those moments, but didn't bother to ask. And sometimes, when he was reading, he would look confused, angry, happy, fearful, all in the span of minutes.
"I think I finally understand why Percy enjoys the quiet so much," Alice said, one evening before she was due back at Hogwarts.
Hatter glanced over at her with a curious look. "And that would be?"
"When it's quiet, I think Percy is able to travel to his own little world," she told him. "Maybe his own version of Wonderland. He seems happy there. Maybe one day, it can be like what we have here. Where his Wonderland becomes part of the world he's living in. Then maybe he won't seem so grumpy anymore. I'd like to see that for him."
Owls delivered the latest supplies lists for returning students and Mrs Synergy took it upon herself to collect what Alice would need for the upcoming term. And as much as Alice would have enjoyed another week of summer, the time to return was upon her on the first of September.
