A/N- trigger warning for forced throwing up. It's in the first paragraph so if that is a problem for you to read, just skip until the stars.
Alex rushed up to the seventh floor as soon as dinner was over. She marched up and down the corridor. I need a bathroom. I need a bathroom. I need a bathroom. Finally the door appeared and she walked in and hunched over the toilet bowl. With her index and middle fingers lodged at the back of her mouth, it wasn't long before she was emptying her stomach.
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Alex emerged from the vanishing room, and looked around to make sure there was no one there. She closed the door behind her, before sneaking out of the school. She knew her friends thought she was already in the forest, and she didn't fancy bumping into them and having to explain why she wasn't.
Alex managed to get into a rhythm. The beast inside was weak, but she was still okay. There hadn't been anymore attacks, and Professor Sprout did have some mandrakes so Mrs Norris would be okay. With any luck, the next few months until April would pass by without any more incidents. But, of course, there was never a quiet year at Hogwarts.
"I want to make a polyjuice potion." Hermione said to Alex randomly. The Hufflepuff didn't even blink.
"Sure, when?"
"You're not going to ask me why?"
"I assumed for educational purposes." Hermione shook her head. "Okay, so why?"
"Well, kind of for educational purposes. But mainly to prove it was Malfoy who's the heir of Slytherin." Alex paled.
"It's not him."
"What?"
"Just leave it alone, H." Alex closed her books and left. Frowning, Hermione followed after her.
"Who else hates muggleborns and squibs enough to want to frighten them out of Hogwarts?"
"There aren't any squibs at Hogwarts."
"Filch."
"Filch's a squib? Actually, that makes a lot of sense."
"I thought you might like to help me with the polyjuice. It's your type of project."
"Hermione, no. Please, don't."
"Why not?" Alex sighed and dragged her to the seventh floor.
"Sit." Alex demanded when they finally reached the vanishing room. "Who do you think is an actual heir to Slytherin? Who carries out pureblooded ideals and kills muggleborns and blood traitors?"
"Draco's dad?"
"He's a minion. Think higher on the food chain."
"Voldemort." Hermione breathed. "But you did that spell and Snape's the only blood relative of yours in the school. So Voldemort can't be here."
"No, he's not. Not physically. But if Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin, then who else is rightfully the heir of Slytherin?"
"Technically, you? But you obviously didn't do this." Hermione said.
"I'm not so sure."
"You were asleep."
"Exactly. Hermione, right before Venus knocked me out, I felt this pain. Right here." She grabbed her shoulder. "Where that werewolf got me. And then I couldn't control it, and I was struggling. That's why Venus stopped me. But what if that's not all that happened. I mean, he used to control me. What if he found a way to make use of that old link? What if I just don't remember?"
"What if you woke up, went back to Hogwarts, petrified a cat, and then headed back to the forbidden forest and went to sleep? Is that what you think?" Hermione clearly didn't believe it was likely.
"It makes sense. Not the way you said it. I mean, he'd be angry enough. And there are so many wizards in his service still. He could do it, H. And it barely felt like I had a nap, forget being asleep for twenty hours. So yes, it is what I think."
"Alex, that's stupid."
"I'm the true heir of Slytherin, and I don't remember a single thing that happened on Halloween."
"Because you were asleep."
"The last time I slept and didn't have a nightmare was when I dreamed of Ziegla Hammer last year. I always remember my dreams because they're always the same. So clearly I wasn't truly asleep." Hermione still looked dubious. "You just can't see the facts because you've always seen the best in me. Even when it's not accurate."
"I'm not accurate?" She sounded offended.
"Not when it's me! You have this weird faith like I can do no wrong. And this is off topic. I think I've got a handle on it. So, just don't make the polyjuice. Forget it." Hermione stared at Alex's determined face.
"Oh, all right." She sighed. Relieved, Alex fell into the chair behind her. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"What? That if I don't keep control, I might try to hurt you and other muggleborns?"
"You don't even know for sure it was you."
"You don't know for sure it wasn't."
"I know you."
"Well, I'm not saying I want to be doing this."
"Yeah, mind control."
"It's not exactly mind control, either." She said. "I don't know how to explain it."
"A werewolf is controlled by the moon. You were- the potions and the spells, they changed you. You became beholden to Voldemort, but only for as long as you had a special potion, right?"
"Yeah."
"So you're not exactly a wolf. But, still. You say it's a beast. But what do you mean? Do you change form?"
"No, not completely at least. It's more subtle differences. My eyes turn yellow."
"It's more of a dull gold."
"I haven't studied them that closely. I also get claws. Sharp enough to cut into a person. My teeth turn into a set of fangs. When someone turns into a werewolf, there's a magic that runs through them. Usually to actually change their shape and sprout hair on their body. I don't turn into a wolf, so I'm stuck with ripples of magic under my skin every so often."
"Oh."
"I call it the beast not because of what I look like, but because of its nature. It wants violence."
"Oh." Hermione said, a little shocked. "It's still not who you are. I know you, Alex Weasley. I know you think the worst parts of you are the only parts of you that matter. But that's not true. You taught me that."
"How?"
"I was very much a know it all, when we first started."
"Was?"
"Fine, I am. I used to think I was sorted into Gryffindor by mistake. And I thought it was horrible because I was book smart, not brave. You taught me that being smart and bookish wasn't a bad thing. And that it wasn't the only thing I was. You helped me realise that being book smart is just a part of who I am. That I can be brave too."
"How does that compare to my being partly a murderous animal?"
"I'm just saying everyone struggles with who they are. Granted, your struggles are more extreme than the rest of ours, but it's still something we all go through. And everytime you choose not to give in and to fight for what's right, to fight for your family and your friends? Well, that's you winning."
"Is this what you do for Ron and Harry? Give them rousing pep talks?"
"Actually, I'm usually lecturing them."
