Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings

Chapter 13 Foundation for a Revolution

As the term started back up again Harry kept a closer eye on Alice. She had always seemed so... happy... but... Harry pondered what she had said to him often in classes. Umbridge seemed to notice especially, and would set him long detentions after class because of it on top of the ones she had given him over the holidays, but Harry didn't care, he was too bussy thinking about what he had heard.

Each lesson seemed to become more and more difficult as the weeks went on. Harry could barely keep up with the amount of homework he had to get done in between DA meetings and Umbridge's detentions. Even Hermione was struggling to keep up, though Harry had the feeling that it was in part because of her pregnancy.

She and Ron were bairly ever seen apart these days. They seemed to be happy, Harry observed on many occasions.

Frodo still seemed to be on edge and as always had a melancholic air to him, even when he was happy. Ginny tended to hang around with him around the castle.

One morning over breakfast, Alice came almost skipping into the Great Hall with a slip of paper in her hand and nearly jumped into her seat.

'You're happy,' said Pippin almost surprised.

'Quidditch tryouts!' She said grinning. 'Are tomorrow!'

'But it's nearly easter,' said Hermione. 'Quidditch tryouts are always before Christmas.'

'Umbridge has had the sport banned till all the other teachers petitioned against it! The season'll be a little cramped but I'm sure we can manage!'

'Finally, something normal!' Said Harry.

'What's the note?' Asked Ron.

'It's a reminder from the ministry that the elections are in a few weeks,' said Alice, Pilling sausages, bacon and eggs onto her plate, as though she didn't want to think about it.

'Looking forward to being elected,' Asked Pippin.

'I won't be,' said Alice.

'If your so sure then why did you try in the first place?' Asked Hermione.

'If thought I would,' she said. 'But now I can't, it was just too late by then to officially back out.'

'So your not going to try?' Asked Frodo. 'You've changed.'

'I don't change. I haven't changed in a very long time, that's the problem,' Alice snapped and left the table.

There was a sort and awkward pause where the others went back to eating their food.

'I'll see if she's alright,' said Harry, also getting up.

Harry found Alice in the Gryffindor common room, reading over and over the words on the slip of paper in her hands. She screwed it up in anger and threw it with all her force into the fire where she lay watching the paper wrinkle and burn in the hot flames.

Harry walked over to her and sat at the end of the sofa near her feet.

'Are you okay?' He asked.

'I shouldn't have yelled,' she said, sitting up. 'I ment what I said, I just didn't mean for it to come out like that.'

'Feel like talking?' He asked.

Alice looked at him with a confused yet melancholic look about her, 'Why are you always so kind?'

'You think I'm kind?'

'Of course you are! You're almost perfect, Potter!' She said.

'Saint-like?' He asked.