Alexandra Weasley

23

Snape had stayed with her while she wrote half her assignment.
"Question." Alexandra said, a few minutes later. "Why does Hogwarts have unicorns in its back yard?"

"The forbidden forest is not Hogwarts's back yard." He said looking amused.

"It basically is."

"Dumbledore migrated a few unicorns here when he took up the post as headmaster. He wanted them someplace safe seeing as they were an endangered species."

"Did he get extra powers then?" She asked.

"No, not that I know of."

"I'm going to interview him. That should take up at least a half foot."

"How much have you got so far?"

"Two feet eight inches."

"Very accurate."

"I spelled my parchment so it tells me how much I'm writing." She rolled up her parchment and put it away. "Dinner's almost over. I have to go."

"Have fun. And remember the homework's not due for three more days."

"I was busy being tested!" She defended, putting away her books about the unicorns.

"Alexandra, you got the homework two days ago. I'm saying pace yourself. Don't rush."

"Oh." She shrugged. "Don't worry, I'll wait till tomorrow to interview Dumbledore."

"Were you going to go today?"

"No. I'm meeting Hermione."

"Well then, you should go." He encouraged.

"Thanks for letting me stay in here." She smiled, before heading out. She quickly went to her dorm room and got the box she assumed was from Quildemort out. She cast a shrinking charm on it and hid it in her pocket, before making her way to the third floor corridor. She sat in front of Snuffles and sighed, petting one of his heads. "I know it's been a while. I've been a little busy." Snuffles rubbed one of his other heads on her head and she giggled. The door behind her opened and she turned to see Hermione. "Hey, Hermione." She greeted.

"Alex. Good to see you."

"Come in. Lock the door behind you."

"Why do we have to lock ourselves in the room with the three headed dog?" She whined, but did as Alexandra said. She still sat beside the door, far from Snuffles. "So, what's going on?"

"Well, the twins got Dumbledore to excuse us from classes for a day. I went to Dumbledore and asked him to ignore that request. He did, but apparently professor Snape told him he'd like to have me tested in all my classes to see where exactly my mind's at. Dumbledore decided yesterday would be the perfect time to start seeing as my teachers weren't expecting me in class. And that's what I've been doing yesterday and today."

"That's so cool. I'm proud of you, Alex!" Hermione grinned. "Definitely jealous, but proud."

"Oh, please. Everything I know are things I've been studying for years. You're smarter than everyone else I know, and you didn't even know you were a witch until a few months ago." Alexandra said sincerely. "You've got talent."

"Thank you, but this isn't about me. It's about you." She said. "How did it go?"

"I don't know. The teachers didn't say anything."

"Well you definitely dominated flying. Apparently you were awesome."

"How do you think Snuffles would like a third year Hufflepuff quidditch captain as a meal?"

"What?" Hermione asked. "I heard from the twins."

"Cedric Diggory. He must've told the twins. He can't keep anything to himself."

"What else does he know?" Hermione asked.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" Hermione said, trying to neutralise her expression.

"Smug."

"Well, you're friends with the Hufflepuff quidditch captain."

"He's not my friend."

"He's kinda cute, don't you think?"

"No."

"Oh, come on. I mean loads of girls think he's fit."

"Not me, if that's what you're implying."

"Okay." Hermione shrugged.

"Stop it!" Alexandra glared as Hermione grinned at her.

"Fine. So what else can't he keep to himself?"

"Snape gave me fifty points in one of our DADA lessons." She started.

"Wait, that was from Snape? As in evil potions teacher?"

"Not evil, but yeah."

"Has he ever even awarded that much to Slytherin?"

"I don't know. Anyways, so I don't know how but somehow Cedric figured out it was me who won the points."

"You didn't tell anyone?"

"Why would I?"

"Snape- the teacher everyone hates gave you fifty house points. No teacher would award that much unless it's truly deserved, much less the potions master."

"Well, I don't care. So anyways at breakfast the next day, he asked me in front of everyone how I'd managed to win our house those points after classes, even after I told him it wasn't me."

"So he wants everyone to know you're brilliant."

"Hermione!"

"What? He's just trying to get you to open up to the rest of your house. In case you hadn't noticed, you're kind of a recluse."

"I hang out with you."

"I'm not in your house." She gave Alexandra a pointed look. "So why did Snape give you fifty points."

"Promise not to get mad?"

"Sure."

"I was out in the forbidden forest."

"You were what?!"

"Don't be mad. I just wanted to go for a walk, somewhere quiet. Anyways I saved a unicorn with one of the spells Snape taught me."

"Oh my god! That's so cool! And dangerous! Alexandra."

"Yeah."

"How did Snape know?"

"Well he asked if I'd been practicing spells since I didn't have a lesson with him for, like, two weeks. And I kinda let slip that I used the healing spell. He was wondering why and I gave him a hypothetical situation which wasn't really hypothetical and he saw through that."

"What did the unicorn look like?"

"Beautiful." Alexandra smiled as she remembered the pure animal. "It was really injured though, and he had this silvery blood that coated his fur."

"How was it injured?" Hermione asked and Alexandra shook her head. "Okay, you don't want to say."

"Yeah. Snape tasked me with a four feet essay about unicorns, though."

"Oh, lucky. Can I help?" Hermione's eyes lit up.

"I've got it mostly done. I just need to interview Dumbledore and do a little more research. I'd love for you to help out."

"Interview Dumbledore?"

"Professor Snape said sometimes when people save unicorns out of the kindness of their hearts, with no ulterior motives, the unicorns give them extra powers. I don't think I'm getting any, but I want to know if Dumbledore got any. I mean, he was the one who brought the unicorns here, so he did kind of save them... to an extent."