News had quickly spread about the first year Gryffindor who'd been petrified during the night. Hermione sought Alex out during breakfast, and the two girls went to the vanishing room for a chat.
"See, it wasn't you. Last night you were in your common room, with witnesses." Hermione sounded triumphant.
"Cedric caught me sleepwalking." Her expression deflated.
"Caught you sleepwalking into the common room or out of it?"
"Coming back into the common room. I've never sleptwalked before, Hermione."
"Yeah, but it might not have anything to do with the chamber of secrets."
"You know it was me, H. It had to have been me."
"I don't believe it."
"Believe it or not, it has to stop. I thought I could control myself, but clearly I can't." She sighed. "I have to tell Dumbledore."
"Or maybe Snape?"
"No. I don't want Snape to know. The only way Dumbledore will let me leave is if I tell him absolutely everything that happened when I was with Voldemort."
"Well that's not too bad an idea, is it? I mean, if he really is back, we'd better be prepared, right?" Alex threw herself at Hermione, giving her a hug.
"I'm going to go now." She said.
"I'll come with you."
"No!" Alex shook her head. "Just, no. I don't want you to know everything either." Alex opened her book to the back and ripped out several pages. "Would you look after those for me? They're some of Ziegla's unicorn facts. You're the only one I trust with them."
"I'll keep them safe." Alex smiled sadly one last time before leaving the room.
She rushed all the way to Dumbledore's office.
"Sherbet lemon." She tried and the gargoyle stepped aside to let her pass. She stood on the steps and waited for them to lift her up to the headmaster's office.
"Miss Weasley, this is a surprise." He said.
"Yeah, I know." She suddenly felt very small and nervous, her courage ebbing away with every passing moment. She looked around the room and saw Fawkes at his stand. "He's dying." She remarked.
"Yes. Fawkes is coming to the end of his life."
"But he'll come back anew."
"Yes." She moved past Fawkes looking around the office. It was spacious and large. "Would you like to take a seat?"
"Okay." She said and sat.
"What can I do for you?"
"I think I'm the heir."
"You think?" Alex sighed and held out her notebook. Dumbledore took it.
"I know I'm Slytherin's heir, and I don't remember but I think I'm the one who petrified Mrs Norris and Colin Creevey."
"Why do you think that?"
"I was sleepwalking last night, and I don't remember. And on Halloween, I, uh, fell asleep quite early in the day and didn't wake up until the next morning for herbology but I didn't feel like I actually slept at all and also, I've got a history of being controlled by Voldemort." The headmaster watched her carefully before opening the book. "That's just some of the things that happened when I was... away. I usually dream of what it was like with him and I wrote them down."
"And you wouldn't mind speaking more of this in detail?"
"I'll tell you anything you want to know, but I don't want to be here at Hogwarts anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone. I'd like to go to Mahoutokoro earlier than we'd agreed. Well, if I'm allowed to. If I don't have to go to Azkaban." She muttered the last sentence quietly, but Dumbledore still heard it. He ignored it.
"It might not be you."
"It most likely is. He's controlled me before and I don't remember where I was when Colin and Mrs Norris were petrified and I've been sleepwalking."
"I could arrange for you to leave for Christmas break. You could spend the holiday with the family you'll be living with, and then you can start your tuition at Mahoutokoro in January."
"Can I leave any earlier?"
"We can have madam Pomfrey watch over you during the nights and you can have a buddy wherever you go." Dumbledore said. "It's only for a few more weeks."
"Okay." She nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"Perhaps you'd feel comfortable with Professor Snape here?"
"No." She refused. "Just you. Please?"
"Very well. Start from the beginning. Your brother was adamant that you didn't run away, and that there was someone else there that day?"
"Mr Griffiths."
"Thorgil Griffiths?"
"Yes. He was following us. Dad went to go look at brooms with Charlie for his last year. He worked at the apothecary all summer to save up for it. And Ginny was feeling a little ill, so she and mum waited for us outside the tea shop. I begged her to let Ron and I go to the sweet shop. It wasn't far. But then I saw the man following us so I told Ron I'd meet him inside."
"And you?"
"I asked him what he wanted. He said if I didn't go with him, he'd hurt Ron. I didn't believe him until his friend almost went after Ron."
"And you went with him?"
"Yes."
"Where did he take you?"
"This big house, kind of like a manor. I wasn't allowed to leave my room, though. I was in there for two months. A house elf would come and bring me food during the day, and there was a loo attached to the room. I tried to get out of there."
"But you didn't?" Alex sighed.
"It's difficult to explain."
"Perhaps you'd like to show me, instead?" Dumbledore asked. He gestured to the pensieve at the edge of the room. She looked panicked but nodded.
"Okay."
A/N- so, more of Alex's past coming up. The next couple chapters are gonna be flashbacks to her time away. I hope you guys enjoy, xx
