In all honesty, Alex really did forget she was supposed to go to Madam Pomfrey. Well, at least, until Susan started getting ready for bed. Then she remembered the glamour spells that she wanted to research to hide her less than stellar health from Madam Pomfrey. It was a good thing, because she wouldn't be lying if she got caught out. Grabbing the charms book on glamours, she headed to the common room and took her place on the couch.
At nine am, Alex moved to the library where she was set to meet with Draco and Blaise to discuss their charms.
"I still don't like having to do this early." Blaise grumbled. "It's been only one term."
"On the plus side, you won't have to do it at the end of the year. And you'll have a lot less homework considering everyone else will have to do some more work on concealment charms." Alex said.
"Oh yeah, I suppose that's true."
"And besides, you can think of it as a chance to show off and do spells that the rest of our year can't yet do." Blaise perked up. "You guys are so easy to manipulate." Draco looked affronted.
"At least we're not freaks." He said and she grinned.
"At least I'm not a bully."
"Me?" He sneered.
"Don't act all innocent. You pulled off a fourth year transfiguration spell against a second year in a friendly duelling match where you were supposed to be using protection spells and light hexes." Draco looked proud that she'd acknowledged it was a fourth year spell.
"Impressed?" She just scoffed in reply.
"Oh, please."
"Like you could have done any better."
"Of course I could have. I just wouldn't have gone for a snake."
"Snakes are brilliant." Blaise cut in. She pulled a face.
"Snakes are disgusting."
"No, badgers are disgusting. Snakes are cool."
"I've never seen a badger before." She shrugged, not offended. "Anyways, back to our tasks. Blaise, remember you're identifying previous concealments. Draco, you're going to undo them. I'm going to put on a layer of our own charms."
"There's about an hour till lunch. At this point, we should either know our tasks, or be prepared to fail." Blaise said.
"That's terrible logic." Alex and Draco said simultaneously. Alex blanched and Blaise looked amused.
"It's worked for me thus far." He said. "I'm going to go finish my astrology essay."
"I'll come with you." Draco said and the boys started to leave.
"Don't forget!" Alex hissed at them before they were out of earshot. Once she was alone, she took out a parchment and started practicing duplication spells.
It wasn't very long before Hannah and Ernie came into the library. Alex hid her work as her housemates began browsing books nearby. She took out her Japanese defense book. She did almost nod off a couple times, but her bracelet managed to give her a shock every time.
"So anyway," Ernie said as he walked into the library, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born. Justin actually told him he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"
"You definitely think it is Potter, then, Ernie?" Hannah asked. Alex honestly wanted to throttle Ernie in that moment. He was much like Ron, sometimes, and Hannah already had enough problems without listening to Ernie's gossip.
"Hannah," Ernie said matter-of-factly, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." Alex noticed Harry looking around in the library. He stopped, close enough to overhear the Hufflepuff pair. "Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir, Beware. Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch." Alex took out her wand.
"Silencio." She cast, and Ernie quietened. He looked panicked for a moment, and then seemed to notice Harry. He stepped back, startled. "Really Ernie? You can see me sitting here with my wand out, and you think Harry's hexed you?" He didn't reply. "Laxo." She cast.
"What did you do to me?" Ernie asked, rubbing his throat.
"I think you're being a little unfair to Harry, don't you?"
"But he's obviously-"
"A half blood?" She cut him off. "Hermione's friend? Seems to me you're doubting Hermione's judgement if you think she's close friends with someone who's harming the kids at the school." Ernie looked sheepish. "And if you don't trust Hermione, then you've a lot to reevaluate."
"You think it's a coincidence?"
"I think he risked his life to protect the school last year. I think to hail him a hero one year and a villain the next is two faced and not what being a Hufflepuff is about."
"Sorry, Harry." Hannah squeaked. Ernie didn't apologise but he did nod at Harry.
"Hannah, I think you should go talk to Megan. She can help you." Hannah was looking rather peaky and red faced, as though she was having difficulty catching her breath. Megan could probably talk her down or if all failed, had access to Alex's draughts of peace stash. Hannah nodded and Ernie led her away.
"Er, thanks." Harry said, walking overs
"Don't thank me."
"Seems to me you're one of the few people who don't believe in the heir of Slytherin." He said, stepping closer to her table. She shrugged. "And I don't really know everything that happened down the trapdoor, but Dumbledore said you worked really hard and even flew me out to safety. So, thanks."
"Really, Harry. Don't thank me. Ever." She said. He nodded.
"Yeah, I suppose you wouldn't want anyone to hear. People think I'm the plague now."
"I see why the hat didn't put you in Ravenclaw." She looked unimpressed. "You just saw me berate my fellow housemates for making assumptions about you. And besides, my reputation hardly matters since I'm not coming back to Hogwarts after the Christmas break."
"You're not?"
"There you are!" Hermione interrupted, dropping onto the seat besides Alex. "Oh, hello Harry. Find Justin?"
"No."
"He's in the dorms. Bunch of Hufflepuffs being pansies." Alex explained.
"You're a Hufflepuff."
"I said a bunch of Hufflepuffs were being pansies, not that all Hufflepuffs are pansies."
"Those are your housemates!"
"So?" Hermione's eyes fell of Alex's wrist.
"What happened?" She grabbed Alex's hand, inspecting the red line where her bracelet had been shocking her. "Oh, Alex! I don't think this bracelet's good for you. You might be allergic. Here, let me get it off."
"No! It's fine. It's just a bracelet."
"Take it off or I tell your uncle." Hermione said in Japanese.
"You can't keep using that line!"
"Alex!" Hermione proceeded to unclasp it. She put it in her own pocket. "Why are you so attached?"
"It's nothing. Ginny gave it to me." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"No she didn't. I know that, because you wouldn't have worn it if she had."
"It was supposed to be hidden under my robes. I forgot about it."
"Liar!"
"You accuse a Hufflepuff of lying?"
"When it's you? Always." Harry felt like he was intruding on something.
"I should go. Charms exam and all. See you later." Alex pat Hermione's shoulder as she left. Hermione turned to him.
"Are you okay?" She asked, and he nodded slowly.
