Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}

Chapter 108 - Slughorn's Christmas Party

Happy reading :)

 Al had finally finished her detentions and it was the day of the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match, one Al would normally go to and cheer Draco on with the rest of her house, but today Draco wasn't playing, and she was determined to find him. It was on the abandoned seventh floor corridor that she saw him, a blond head amongst a sea of stone. "Draco!" she called out, smiling as she jogged up to him. He didn't look as pleased to see her.

 "Will you keep your voice down?" he hissed, not bothering to return the smile.

 "What are you doing?" Al asked, frowning, "Why aren't you playing?"

 "That's none of your business," Draco said sharply.

 "You're not...you're not actually going to...kill Dumbledore?" she whispered.

 "So what if I am?" Draco said angrily.

 "You don't have to!" Al said, "There are other ways."

 "Like what?" Draco asked, although he didn't seem like he would actually listen.

 Al took a deep breath; it was now or never. "Like the Order. They can help you Draco. They can offer you and your parents the best protection there is."

 "And what if I don't want it?" Draco shouted, raising his voice, "What if I want to do this?"

 "But you don't, Draco," Al pointed out, a sharp feeling of dread shooting across her abdomen.

 "Yeah, I do," he said definitively, "Are you going to try and stop me?"

 Al swallowed, forcing the tears that stung her eyes back and away, willing them not to fall. "I won't help you," she said, her voice a mere croak, "But I won't stop you. You deserve a chance to better yourself." And with that she turned and stalked off down the corridor, trying to figure out what she was going to tell Dumbledore tomorrow.

*****

 Al knocked on the door of Slughorn's office on the last night of term and it swung open to reveal a very merry Slughorn with violins playing in the background. "Here she is!" he said, his cheeks pink like he'd had too much mead, "Come in, come in," he said ushering her in, "That's a lovely dress you've got on, my dear. Here take this," he thrust a glass of mead into her hand. "Now I've got some marvellous people for you to speak to, truly marvellous."

 He gripped her arm very tightly and directed her through the crowd of people to a group of three very stern looking individuals who were talking quietly among themselves. Slughorn's room was unrecognisable from the drapes and streamers that decorated the place, and the extended size to fit so many people in. "This is Amanda Starkfeather, director for the Auror Training Committee, and Barnabus Cuff, editor of the Daily Prophet, and of course, you know Rufus Scrimgeour. And this is my star pupil, Al Dursley."

 "Oh, well I wouldn't say that..." Al said sheepishly, suddenly becoming very hot from the three important people in front of her.

 "Nonsense!" Slughorn boomed, "She'd a dab hand at Potions, and all your other teachers have nothing but nice things to say. Al studies alchemy under Professor Dumbledore, you know, and she's our Duelling Captain. I've seen her duel myself and let me tell you - I would not want to be on the receiving end of that wand! Matched Bellatrix Lestrange last summer!"

 Al rather wished he hadn't said that last part, because it immediately piqued the interest of the group of three. "Did you really?" said Cuff, "I wonder if we could arrange an interview?"

 "Now, now Barnabus, don't go hassling my students," Slughorn scolded playfully. "Here, let's get a photograph." Before Al could do anything more than be pushed between Slughorn and Scrimgeour and smile, there was a blinding flash, and then Slughorn was off, saying he'd just seen Hermione arrive.