Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}

Chapter 70 - Cleared of All Charges

Remus and Sirius in this chapter are life :)

 Al was sat in the kitchen, working on her essay for Transfiguration, with only Mrs Weasley for company. She was trying desperately to block her out and focus, because after the second task last year, Al had found that Transfiguration was actually quite bearable - interesting even. But now she only had a year to get her grade up from an A to an O. And with Mrs Weasley humming and sending pots flying around the room, it seemed like an impossible task.

 The fire flared next to her, and Al jumped peering in, but no news arrived. Today was the day of Harry's hearing. Al had been up early, as usual, but instead of disappearing to Regulus's room she'd gritted her teeth and waited in the kitchen for Harry with the other Order Members. She'd stayed there all morning, and for once Mrs Weasley was laying off her with the household chores, presumably because she was studying.

 "I don't know why you don't do that upstairs, dear," Mrs Weasley sighed as she dusted the top shelf.

 "I'm waiting for Harry," Al said anxiously, peering at chapter thirteen's summary. Vanishing objects...blah blah blah...aha! Cannot permanently vanish food just as you cannot conjure or transfigure it from nothing.

 Mrs Weasley hurried to the bottom of the stairs and bellowed, "Lunch!"

 Fred and George had apparated downstairs before Mrs Weasley had returned to the kitchen, much to her dismay and Al's entertainment. There was a flurry of stomping as the Weasel threw himself down the stairs, and lighter footsteps accompanied by pleasant chatter as Hermione and Ginny made their way downstairs. "Still here are you, Al?" Fred said, helping himself to a ham sandwich.

 "Thought you'd have run off to the Ministry after Harry by now," George teased, and she elbowed him in the ribs, picking at half a cheese sandwich.

 Mrs Weasley looked at her disapprovingly, "I do wish you'd eat more than that, Al," she said, hands on her hips, "You're practically skin and bone."

 "Thank you, Mrs Weasley," Al said, finishing her sandwich, "But I'm not to hungry - I had a big breakfast." It was a lie, of course. All she'd had for breakfast was an apple. But it was true that Al wasn't hungry.

 Hermione eyed the Transfiguration textbook on the table. "How are you find-" she began, trying to make conversation with Al, but she was interrupted when there was a knock at the door. Instantly, everyone sprang to their feet, but Mrs Weasley turned to them all dangerously.

 "You will stay in here until Harry is ready to talk to you," she warned. Everyone nodded and Mrs Weasley left, shutting the door behind her. Al listened intently as George clasped her shoulder. All that could be heard in the kitchen was the shaky breaths of the people around her. She heard Mrs Weasley say something...there was Harry's voice..."That's wonderful, dear!" Mrs Weasley said before the door swung open.

 Harry stood there, looking tired as always, and slightly bewildered, but his face was in a smile. "Cleared of all charges," he announced.

 Ron and Hermione congratulated him while Fred, George and Ginny began dancing with each other and chanting, "He got off...he got off..." Al just grinned watching them and occasionally glancing over at Harry, until George pulled her up, and the three man dance became two. She hopped from foot to foot, cantering around the kitchen with George, and filled with relief. It was going to be okay, for now. Harry was fine.

*****

 "Hogwarts owls!" Al heard Mrs Weasley shout from the bottom of the stairs. She put her duster down and headed down the flight of stairs, alongside the Weasel, who didn't even acknowledge that she was there. Git.

 Ginny was in the kitchen, skim-reading a piece of parchment, Mrs Weasley was fussing over the breakfast pots, and Sirius was sat drinking a cup of tea and talking to Lupin, who also had a cup of tea. In the middle of the table were four envelopes. The Weasel picked up three of them and slumped back out, which left the last one for Al.

 Al tore it open and skim-read it as Ginny had. She needed two new books, and to refill her potions ingredients, and that was pretty much it. Her robes from last year still fit, but she needed more ink and parchment. Oh - and owl treats for Dill.

 She flipped over the parchment and began making a list of all the things she'd be required to collect, when Sirius coughed. Al glanced up to see him smirking, and she looked around, confused. When nothing seemed amiss, she went back to her list, but Sirius coughed again, louder this time.

 "What?" Al and Mrs Weasley said at the same time.

 "I-uh...I think you forgot something, Al," Sirius said, scratching his nose and indicating the letter.

 Lupin thumped him gently on the shoulder. "Don't be a git," he hissed quietly, making Ginny look up and grin.

 Al looked hesitantly into the envelope to see a lump of metal and another note of parchment. She pulled both of them out and inspected them carefully. The metal was actually a gleaming green badge that said, Prefect on it. And the note just explained that she was a prefect and would have prefect duties, and was signed by Snape and Dumbledore.

 "What?" Al said quietly and confused. This was too much for Sirius who burst into laughter and was scuffed around the head by Lupin.

 Sirius hurried from the room, his cackles heard ringing through the halls. "Well done, Al," Lupin said, before following his friend with a grin.

 Al didn't understand. Who in their right mind would make her a prefect? Maybe Snape wasn't in his right mind after she'd bashed his head in. She wondered whether she should turn it down, tell them to give it to someone more deserving, but then Mrs Weasley came up behind her.

 "That's really well done, Al," she said sincerely, "I'm sure you'll do a great job." It was settled then. If it put her in George's Ma's good-books, she was willing to do almost anything. Even be a prefect.

 Al wandered back up to her room when something occurred to her. Who was the other Slytherin prefect? She had just walked out her room and headed to the one she was cleaning, when she heard Fred, George and Sirius's voice ring out, "But only gits make prefect!", which set off the portrait of Sirius's mother. But Al grinned despite that - she might be a git, but she was going to have fun doing it.