Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}

Chapter 127 - A New Dawn

Love this chapter :)

 McGonagall came into the hospital wing moments later and Harry explained what had happened. She sat down in a chair that Madame Pomfrey had conjured, looking pale and ill with shock. "I always assumed Dumbledore had an iron-clad reason for trusting Snape," Tonks said bitterly.

 "He did," Harry said, and everyone looked at him, interested. "Snape told Voldemort the information that made him hunt down my Mum and Dad. He said to Dumbledore he didn't know what he was doing, that he regretted it."

 "And Dumbledore believed that?" Remus asked, outraged, "Snape hated James!"

 "Didn't give a damn about my Mum either-" Harry said.

 "That's not true," Al interrupted quietly, and everyone looked at Al, challenging her to defend the murderer. She only spoke to Harry. "Snape knew our Mums when they were little - before they came to Hogwarts."

 "You're right," Remus said, "But he changed...he called Lily a mudblood. He was horrid to her. They hated each other too." Al didn't say anything, only nodding and swallowing the lump that seemed to permanantly reside in her throat.

  They began talking about what had happened, explaining how this tragedy had come to be, but Al didn't want to listen. She wanted to be distracted from it all, but instead she was forced inside her own head. Dumbledore would've died anyway, and she'd never liked him...but it still felt heavy on her, and she couldn't figure out why.

 "Dursley?" McGonagall was saying, "You tried to break down the wall with something, didn't you?"

 "Oh," Al said, not sure she wanted to share it with the world. But she didn't have much of a choice now. "It's to do with my soul...it's a bit weird...Dumbledore's been training me. I'll show you-" she flicked her wand and out came a familiar trail of white fire. "It's explosive when uncontrolled," she explained.

 Mr and Mrs Weasley and Fleur burst in and the flames disappeared as they rushed over to Bill's bedside. "He was going to be married!" Mrs Weasley cried.

 "What do you mean, 'e was going to be married?" Fleur demanded, "You theenk 'e will not want to marry me? Eet would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"

 "No-" Mrs Weasley protested, "No, that's not what I-"

 "Zen you thought I would not want to marry 'im?" Fleur continued, "Or you 'oped?" Mrs Weasley, stood back, speechless, and then the two of them were hugging and crying and making up for everything.

 "You see!" Tonks said, turning to Remus, "She doesn't care - she still wants to be with him!"

 "Bill will not be a full werewolf," Remus said, looking tired, "The cases-"

 "I've told you a million times," Tonks said, grabbing the front of his bloody robes, "I don't care either!"

 "And I've told you a million time," Remus said, looking at the floor, "that I am too old, too dangerous, and too poor..."

 Ron cleared his throat as Mrs Weasley opened her mouth to speak, and everyone looked at him in surprise. "I think that now might be a good time to tell everyone..." he began, looking apprehensive, "what's going on between you two." He looked between Al and Remus, nervously.

 In synchronisation, Al and Remus looked at each other, confused, and then realised what Ron was saying. Al shrivelled her nose up, a bit disgusted, and Remus furrowed his brow distastefully, before they both looked back to Ron and said, "What?"

 "Your...your affair," Ron said, going pale and his ears going read at the same time, "Is that not what you...?"

 "No!" Remus said.

 At the same time Al, said, "Ew!" They looked at each other again, aghast. "I've never thought of you like that," Al said for clarity.

 "No," Remus said quickly, "No, me neither." Everyone turned back to Ron, who was very pink now.

 "What in Merlin's name gave you that idea?" Mr Weasley asked Ron, also frowning.

 "Well, when you both went up to Percy's room together on Harry's birthday..." Ron said.

 "Remus was helping me take the things that Sirius left to me up there," Al explained, surprisingly not mad at Ron at all.

 "And then at Christmas when you were downstairs together," Ron continued.

 "Coincidence, I suppose," said Remus with a shrug.

 "But you got each other presents and stuff..." Ron continued, knowing he was wrong but still curious.

 "We're just friends, Ron," Al said with a kind smile.

 Ron chuckled, apparently satisfied. "Merlin, I was so mad at you," he said, "You know...cos George's my brother..."

 "Is that why you've been glaring at me all year?" Al asked, amused, and Ron nodded. The two of them laughed despite everything around them, and the others joined in too, glad of something funny to help them through.

 Just then Hagrid burst into the hospital wing, his face and beard damp with tears. "I've done it Professor," he said to McGonagall, "I've moved 'im. Professor Sprout's gettin' the kids back in bed, Professor Flitwick's jus' 'avin a quick lie down, and Professor Slughorn said the Ministry's been informed."

 "Thank you, Hagrid," McGonagall said, "I'll meet the heads of houses before the Ministry - Horace for Slytherin. Harry, I'd like a word with you." Harry followed McGonagall out and Al stood up.

 "Ginny and Luna, I need a word too." The girls looked nervous, but nodded and followed her behind a curtain. "I need you to pass on a message to your common rooms - it doesn't have to be right now, it can be in the morning."

 "OK," Ginny said seriously, "What is it?"

 "Tell the muggle-borns to get out," Al said, "As soon as they get home they need to run for it. Dumbledore was the reason they were safe from the Death Eaters and now..." Ginny nodded in understanding.

 "What are you going to do?" Luna asked her, taking Al by surprise.

 "As much as I can," Al admitted, "I may not be able to come back, but I'm sure as hell going to try."

 "I'll go now," Luna said, "I'm tired anyway." She left the hospital wing as Ginny and Al headed back to the group.

 "Tonks?" Al asked, "You were a Hufflepuff, right?"

 "Yeah," Tonks said.

 "Can you tell me where the common room is?" Al asked, "Roughly, I mean - I need to talk to my friends in there."

 "There's a load of barrels by the kitchens," Tonks said, quietly enough so that only she could hear, "But don't bother trying to get in- just wait for someone else."

 "Thanks," Al said with a smile, before bidding goodnight to everyone (or really good day now) and heading down to the Slytherin common room, where her bed awaited her.

 She hadn't been expecting it - she didn't think the commotion would be heard all the way down here - but the common room was packed with students, some of them crying, some of them talking, some of them silent. But all of them looked up when Al entered. Their eyes widened at the state of her, and it occurred to her that she should probably shower before sleeping.

 "Professor Snape killed Professor Dumbledore," she announced. There were gasps flying around the room, but Al didn't care. They deserved the untainted truth. "Draco Malfoy allowed six Death Eaters into the castle and a fight broke out, and then Snape killed Dumbledore."

 She swallowed, and continued. "If you are a muggle-born, I suggest you leave. Go into hiding. Professor Dumbledore was the only one that stopped you from being persecuted since Voldemort's return. That's all I'm going to say."

 "We're behind you, Al!" someone shouted from the fireplace.

 "Yeah, if you leave we will too!" someone else shouted.

 "Thank you," Al said calmly, loud enough for everyone to hear, "I won't forget it."