Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}

Chapter 97 - Dumbledore's Curse

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 "Daphne!" Al squealed, drawing the attention of a few people around them. She embraced her friend in a tight hug and turned to Theo, "And Theo!" Al hugged him too, and he patted her on the back awkwardly, never really one for affection. "I've missed you guys so much!" she said, taking a seat opposite them while students filed into the Great Hall.

 "Oh, us too!" Daphne said with her usual charming smile.

 "Did you guys see much of each other over the summer?" Al asked, trying to keep the concerned note out her voice, "Families keeping well?" She, of course, referred to Theo's Pa being a Death Eater, now in Azkaban.

 "Theo came to stay with me and my parents this summer," Daphne said quickly, and Theo looked crestfallen. His Pa had been his last close relative, and Daphne had confided in Al during their letters that Theo had no siblings and his Ma had died when he was little. "But my parents are fine - a little bit concerned about You-Know-Who, but nothing major. And look there's my sister-" Daphne pointed at a group of four Ravenclaw fourth-year girls, with a brown-haired girl in the middle that looked exactly like Daphne, who waved at them shyly.

 "She's not normally shy," Daphne continued, looking quite amused, "It's just because of you." Daphne seemed to drop this casually, looking around for others in their year, but Theo's eyes flicked up to Al.

 "What do you mean?" Al asked furrowing her brow.

 "Oh, you know," Daphne said, "Your Harry Potter's cousin...and they mentioned you once or twice in the Prophet, what with the Ministry thing."

 Al snorted, "You can say that again." She'd been mentioned loads, only coming after Dumbledore and Harry. Nothing front page, thank goodness, but one or two rumours about how she'd fought Malfoy and Avery had been addressed.

 "Well, you hardly stuck to the shadows last year, either," Theo said, "Everyone knew who you were by Christmas - you were the figurehead for anti-Umbridge, and you were her right hand man."

 "I guess," Al said. She looked around at the hall. She'd been one of the first in, so not many people had watched her walk, but now people were peering over and pointing. She waved at one or two of the DA members she could see, who grinned and waved back.

 The stream of students thinned now, and Draco walked in, looking around. Thankfully, there was no room next to Daphne, Theo or Al, where he looked first, so he sat near Parkinson and Zabini instead.

 "Git," Theo said quietly as Dumbledore stood up, and Al and Daphne laughed. They watched as the first-years piled in, looking as small and meek as ever. It was a fairly quick Sorting, aside from the song. It seemed longer than normal, and spoke of uniting the houses, blah, blah, blah. Theo and Daphne looked up at Al when they applauded and she knew what they were thinking. It had been her goal since third year to unite Hogwarts in the face of the upcoming war, and after last year it looked like she was finally getting somewhere.

The food appeared, and they tucked into to a magnificent roast dinner, only just beating Mrs Weasley's cooking. Theo didn't eat much, Al noticed, and when she'd finished she brought him up on it. "Are you sure you're alright Theo?"

 Theo shrugged, "I'll have to be, won't I?" he said with a grimace. Just then, the doors opened, and the three of them looked over. Harry walked in, practically running, and headed to the Gryffindor table. Al gasped - he was in muggle clothes and had blood all over his face. A few of the first-years had stood up on their benches to have a good look at 'the Chosen One'.

 "It's rude to stare," Al pointed out, "And get your feet off the benches - people have to sit there." The three first-years obliged looking very pink in the face and Daphne offered them a friendly smile. Dessert came around, and Al thoroughly enjoyed her usual pudding of cake and cream. She heard a high, shrieking laugh from down the table and saw Parkinson practically wetting herself as Draco pointed to his nose. "So it was him then," Al said, her face growing thunderous. She pulled her wand out of her robes, ready to finally hex the shit out of him without his Pa getting in the way, when the dessert disappeared and Dumbledore stood up to give his speech.

 He waved his hands around, and whispers flew about the hall, until he shrugged his sleeve over the blackened part of his hand. "Definitely cursed then," Al murmured.

 "What?" Daphne asked her.

"It was like that when I saw him over the summer," she explained.

 "Yeah, that's a curse," Theo said, "Really dark one, too."

 "When did you-" Daphne began, but Al dismissed her.

 "I'll tell you later," she said, turning back to Dumbledore. She was interested in what he had to say, for once. He talked about banned items, the forbidden forest, welcomed Slughorn - the students applauded - and then said he'd be teaching Potions. There were many confused whispers from the other side of the hall, where the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs hadn't quite put two and two together.

 "Professor Snape," Dumbledore continued, "Will be taking up the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts."

 "No!" Harry's voice exclaimed from the other side of the hall, and Al rolled her eyes. How - just how - could that possibly come as a shock to anyone with an ounce of brain power?

 The whispering continued until Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Now, as I'm sure you're all aware - Lord Voldemort has returned." There were more whispers and shudders around the room. Al saw Malfoy levitating his fork idly in the air and frowned. With a flick of her wand - that was still in her hand - it flew into his chest, blood spreading all over his robes. He yelped in surprise and Al hastily stuck her wand away while Snape swept down from the staff table and escorted him out the room.

 Al smirked and turned to Daphne and Theo, who both had their eyebrows raised in disapproval. She waved her empty hands, and they turned to frowns, before looking back to Dumbledore. All he really spoke about was the safety restrictions and Al zoned out. She'd thought he'd have some fancy, philosophical speech to make, but no. He just talked about safety and then sent them off to bed.

 Al walked down into the dungeons with Daphne and Theo, casting a heating charm as she did, and putting one on a shivering first-year who had strayed from the group and somehow clung onto them. "Thank you," he squeaked.

 "So you saw Dumbledore?" Daphne asked, "How come?"

 "He wanted me and Harry to help recruit Slughorn," Al said, "Figured I'd wow him with my logic and Harry could do it with his Boy-Who-Lived mumbo jumbo."

 "You know Harry Potter?" the first-year, who'd been listening in, asked eagerly. "What's he like?"

 "He's my cousin," Al explained patiently, "And he's just normal. Bit boring really."

 The first-year grinned, "Coooool." Daphne, Theo and Al just laughed.

 "So, why's his hand cursed then?" Theo asked.

 Al shrugged, "Dunno," she admitted, "But it can't be good." Daphne and Theo exchanged confused glances. "Snape is Dumbledore's best spy, and the Defence job is jinxed. Why would Dumbledore potentially risk his life, unless something was going to go down?" Daphne and Theo remained silent as they reached the entrance, "Finite Incantatum," Al said the password, and the bricks shifted apart, revealing the Slytherin common room.

 One of the fifth-year prefects hurried over to her, "Al, I lost a first-year!" she said, looking terrified, "I don't know where-"

 "Calm down, Millie," Al said with a smile, "He's right here." She indicated the first-year next to her.

 Millie's face relaxed and she sighed in relief, "Oh thank Merlin," she said, before heading off with the eleven-year-old.

 The three of them took their seats on the usual sofas, Draco nowhere insight. "So you think something's going to go down?" Daphne asked, "Like what?"

 Al shrugged, "I don't know," she said, "But if that was a regular curse it would be gone by now."

 "What are you saying?" Daphne asked frowning.

 "You think it might kill him?" Theo asked.

 "If it spreads, then yeah, maybe," Al said, "From what I've read about curse scars dead flesh will look pale, maybe a bit grey or rotted, but not black."

 "So he's still got the curse?" Daphne asked and Al nodded.

 They sat in silence for a bit. "Way to put a damper on our first night back," Theo said grinning, "I've got exploding snap in my trunk - I'll go and get it."