The Empty Chamber (Harry Potter Next Generation Fanfiction)

Chapter Twelve: Alice

Alice had expected plenty of strange things from Hogwarts, but not kidnappings. And while she didn't want to be scared, she couldn't really help herself. There was no way to avoid the simple fact that she was quite similar to one of the victims - she was both a muggle-born and a Ravenclaw. Whoever was responsible had been in the Ravenclaw girls' dorms, likely as Alice was sleeping, to carve the note into the headboard. And as a first year, Alice also couldn't deny that she was essentially helpless should the kidnapper strike again. So it was hard not to be on edge.

Though Alice personally thought that she, within her friend group, had the most reason to be nervous (as the Scamander twins were both purebloods and Genevieve was a half-blood), Genevieve seemed particularly disturbed. She didn't ever allow the others to go anywhere on their own, and told them off if they tried to do so, and she never let the quartet of Ravenclaws stand around waiting for assistance when they couldn't solve the Ravenclaw door's riddle. Instead, they left and came back another time, because she didn't want them to become an easy target. It didn't matter that Lysander left his copy of Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) on his bed and Charms was next hour - Genevieve insisted the risk was too high.

Alice thought of the Gryffindors, the other house affected by the disappearances, and how they must be reacting. Probably valiantly. As Gryffindors - the brave house, the Harry Potter house - they were likely already halfway to solving the mystery, and engaging in heroic battles with mysterious forces at this very moment. Alice did feel a bit of jealousy; wouldn't it be amazing to set off on an adventure? To be the one to save the school?

And so when she saw Roxanne Weasley, Gryffindor and friend to Rose Weasley, who Alice befriended during their shared ride on the Hogwarts Express, talking to Al, Scorpius, and Lydia during breakfast Saturday morning, Alice knew she needed to join them.

"Why?" Lysander said lazily, paying attention not to Alice, but to his french toast.

"They're discussing the missing girls. I just know it," Alice stared at the small gathering of students at the Gryffindor table wistfully. "I bet they're trying to find -"

"Shhh!" Genevieve hushed them, her pointer finger over her lips.

"What?" Alice moaned.

"You guys are so loud! Someone's going to hear us!"

"What does it matter?" Lorcan said in his musical voice, never averting his eyes from the constellations he was drawing on the inside of his wrist, using his veins as reference points. "Alice doesn't know what's going on."

"But people will know that we're suspicious, and that we're planning things, and," she didn't finish her sentence, but she was making several extravagant hand gestures, which she assumed they understood. Alice stared blankly at her.

"Well, anyways," Alice started to stand up, "I'm going over there. Are any of you going to join me?"

Lorcan stood up and adjusted his robes. "I'll come with you."

Lysander, who looked as though he didn't trust Lorcan's judgement on his own, stood up a second later. "I guess I will too."

"Guys!" Genevieve whined. "Don't leave me here!" Alice shrugged happily and walked away, which seemed to be enough to make Genevieve reluctantly get up and tag along.

The Gryffindor table sat next to the Ravenclaw one, and so it only took a few steps down the aisle to reach the group of Slytherins hovering above where Roxanne sat. Each of the Ravenclaws looked to Alice, and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll talk." She tapped Lydia's shoulder. "Um... hi, Lydia remember -"

Lydia jumped, "What the - it's just you."

Al turned to face Alice and his eyes, which had been looking rather empty, lit up. "You're a Ravenclaw! You can help us! What do you know about Madison-"