Alice, filled with troubles, stood in front of the Potions classroom. She entered the room uninvited, which did not fail to annoy the occupant.
"He hates me, Sev, it's over... It's all over..."
"What a tragedy for Hogwarts today," Severus said sarcastically as he moved toward the door. "I've heard the big news; can you leave now? I have work to do."
"Severus! I'm not joking!"
He closed the door, rolling his eyes.
"I'm listening... Who hates you, then?"
"Hary, Harry Potter hates me; he never wants to see me again. He thinks I'm weird. Am I weird? He thinks I'm a Death Eater. I can't possibly look like a Death Eater, can I?"
"A Death Eater? You?"
"It's unbelievable, isn't it? Yet I don't think I've done anything to make him think that."
"Why don't you just tell him the truth?"
"The truth?"
"That ten years ago, you were changing his diapers? Excuse me, but I still don't understand why you refuse to tell him who you are. You've been awake for several months now, and he still doesn't know he has a godmother. Far be it from me to pity him; that kid has a whole flock of admirers behind him... But his mother chose you to look after him... And you accepted."
"I didn't know you were so attached to the bonds of baptism, Sev..."
"I'm going to return to my work now and leave you to lament alone, Alice."
"I wasn’t making fun of you!"
"I didn’t doubt that. If it had been a joke, I would have thrown you out of my classroom."
"Do you have a godfather? A godmother?"
"My parents weren’t very religious… Yours weren’t either, it seems."
"Indeed..."
"I don't have the experience to judge with certainty, but it seems to me that you've done your job as a godmother well for a few years... It went well, so what are you afraid of?"
"Of the time that has passed... That problem hasn’t changed. Harry is a big boy; I can never make up for lost time... He already hates me even though we don't know each other."
"He doesn't hate you; it's a misunderstanding, Alice... And as for time, that idiot Sirius Black only met his godson a year ago, and yet they seem to get along well."
Alice looked at him in surprise.
"Black?"
"Himself."
Alice fell silent, now lost in intense thought.
"I would appreciate it if you could think outside my classroom, though. I have work to finish."
"I hardly appreciate that you kick me out at every opportunity!"
"And I don’t appreciate you entering my classroom uninvited, but here we are... Have a good day, Alice, outside."
Alice sighed and headed for the exit.
"I know I can be annoying, but to not be able to stand me for more than five minutes..."
She disappeared down the hallway, closing the door behind her. After a long minute, Severus set down his quill and rubbed his temples. Of course she was annoying, but he had never truly held it against her; he just needed to keep her far enough away so she wouldn’t discover things she shouldn’t. But keeping her at a distance wasn’t exactly a pleasure.
Alice now wandered through the corridors. She had gotten into the habit of walking at night, even when she wasn’t on patrol duty. It was her way of getting back into shape and reaccustoming her body to some activity.
The air was rather cool, but not enough to be uncomfortable. She thought for a moment that taking a stroll outside wouldn’t be a bad idea, but changed her mind when she remembered that the vast plains were much colder than the partly enclosed corridors of the school.
---
“Miss McGarden?”
Alice paused for a moment. She recognized that voice well, and she certainly didn’t want to turn around, but unfortunately for her, she was a responsible adult, and one of those responsibilities was to respond politely when a Ministry official questioned her. Even if that official was a horrible little woman painted entirely in pink and steeped in authoritarianism.
“Dolores Umbridge…” she said with false energy. “What a lovely evening, isn’t it?”
“Certainly… To be honest, I hadn’t really noticed; I was looking for you! And here you are at last! I suppose that’s good news; I’ve been informed that your health has deteriorated again.”
“I’m feeling better, actually. You were looking for me?”
“Um hum, yes, I needed to speak with you urgently.”
“I’m listening…”
“Before anything else, I’d like you to know of the great admiration I have for you. Like many, I followed your career closely back in the day—your exploits, your promotions… I realize that all these successes must have forged a somewhat confident and reckless character in you… And therefore you must think that everyone will obey you just because you ask, but I’d like to remind you that you are not above the highest authority here…”
“Pardon?”
“Harry Potter’s detentions, Miss.”
“Detentions?”
“It’s rather audacious of you to remove them and replace them with extra tutoring sessions. I do not appreciate when someone removes punishments I have administered, especially when in the case of young Potter they are more than necessary.”
“Don’t you think those hours you imposed on young Potter would be better spent in a classroom learning, if I may?”
Umbridge scoffed, and Alice put on a thin smile that masked great embarrassment. Had she really been accused of recklessness for defying the Ministry’s authority over a simple matter of detentions? Had the recycled air of the Ministry finally affected its residents? The woman standing in front of her was disturbed.
“You think you’re more qualified than I am to know what’s good or bad for these poor students?”
“Allow me to doubt the judgment of a desk clerk in the Ministry’s Department of Magical Affairs when it comes to educational matters.”
“And allow me to doubt the capabilities of a woman who was defeated in her own home. I think you must be a little… behind… Ten years is a long time, especially when you do nothing.”
Alice was boiling inside; she clenched her fist and gripped her wand tightly in her pocket. No, of course she wasn’t going to attack a Ministry official, but the urge was certainly there. She closed her eyes and forced a smile.
“You’re right; I have fallen behind, and I intend to catch up. However, I have, just like you, the right to request from a head of house to accommodate extra work hours for a student if I feel the need. Please excuse me if you took my approach as an offense; that was not my intention at all.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but these detentions are also important for reminding young people that they are under a certain authority. These punishments—”
“If my actions displease you, please feel free to consult the headmaster; he will listen to you attentively… And don’t worry, I will ensure that they learn authority through… stricter comments?”
“That’s not where I wanted this to go…”
“Mrs. Umbridge!” came the voice of Argus Filch from down the hall.
“I—”
“Mrs. Umbridge, I was looking for you!”
“Oh, it seems I’m not the only person admired in this school! Please… Good evening!”
Umbridge glanced at Alice for a moment, clearly annoyed, but she couldn’t ignore the concierge’s incessant calls and headed toward him. Alice seized the opportunity to slip down another corridor, but in her haste, she didn’t notice young Harry Potter, who had been discreetly listening for quite some time.
“Miss McGarden…”
“Harry Potter!” she whispered, turning around quickly.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about—”
“Harry, by Merlin's beard, no one should see you here at this hour!” She grabbed him by the shoulders and began to push him, more or less, in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.
“I wanted to talk to you about something important…”
“Nothing is really important, young Potter, nothing more than settling down where you should be, not where you should NOT be.” She was still whispering.
“I just came from Dumbledore; he gave me a note in case I get into trouble… Please, give me a few minutes…”
She released his shoulders and stepped back a little.
“First of all, I want to apologize for… my behavior… I don’t really know what’s happening to me right now; I’m… struggling with my emotions…”
“That happens, Potter; young boys have a hard time expressing…”
“No, that’s not what I meant…” He was about to explain this strange feeling he had since the return of You-Know-Who, but he hesitated; it wasn’t the right time. “Well… I’m sorry.”
“I… I forgive you, Potter…”
“And, um… I don’t know how to approach this, so I’m not going to beat around the bush… You’re my godmother?”
Alice grabbed him by the shoulders again and directed him toward a nearby room, closed the door, and leaned somewhat, to say the least, destabilized against a table.
“He told you?”
“Yes…”
“I… Yes.”
Harry nodded, not quite sure what to do now that the subject was on the table. Alice observed him for a few minutes.
“I had a hard time accepting that so much time had passed… and that you’re already a big boy…”
“Is that why you didn’t want me to know?”
“In a way… It’s complicated.”
“I don’t doubt it… My whole life is complicated…”
“I’m sorry, Harry…”
“I think I understand your reasons… I also have a hard time meeting people who are supposed to be part of my life; I only knew my uncle and aunt for 14 years. And all of a sudden, I have a godfather and now a godmother…”
Alice seemed confused.
“14 years with the Dursleys? No, you spent…" She did the math in her head "11 years?”
“How so? I was dropped off at my aunt’s after my parents died, right?”
“You really don’t remember… Well, you were just a baby… Dumbledore must not have told you everything…”
“He didn’t want to tell me everything, and he must have ‘omitted’ some things…” Harry sighed. “What exactly don’t I remember?”
“When your parents… died, they looked for someone to take care of you, and that’s the role typically given to the closest relatives; in this case... Sirius was the prime suspect of a crime, so they turned to me to take care of you… I spent three little years by your side, Harry.”
“How could I have forgotten that?”
“We rarely remember the first years of our lives; it’s not surprising. You were so little; your diapers were so smelly!” Alice began to joke.
Harry sat down in a chair and buried his head in his hands.
“It’s embarrassing…”
“But no, everyone poops, young man…”
“No, I mean this situation…”
“I loved you like my own son, Harry. I would have liked to continue doing so… If there hadn’t been that attack.”
Alice then heard the young boy sobbing. She rushed over to him, lifted his head, and knelt in front of him.
“Harry, please don’t cry; I never stopped loving you. I promise to continue protecting you just as I did before, I'm sorry I didn't had the courage to say all of that to earlier and —”
“I brought misfortune to everyone around me… My parents, Sirius, you…”
“No… No! Harry, I promise you many hated me; your godmother had her own enemies!” She laughed a little, tears also flowing down her cheeks. “Harry, I beg you, don’t cry…It's not you...It's that horrible creatur of a man; Voldemort... It's all HIS fault.”
“It’s stronger than me...”
“Oh, Harry…” She wiped a few tears from Harry’s cheeks. “Lily was a crybaby too…”
“You’re crying as well,” he said, sniffling.
“That’s not true; I’m not even crying,” she replied, making Harry laugh.
She watched him for a moment. He was clearly exhausted; dark circles had settled under his eyes, and his red eyes showed that this emotionally charged discussion had weighed heavily on him. Even though, in a sense, his heart felt lighter.
“Harry, you must be exhausted; please go rest…”
“No… I still have plenty of questions…”
“To which I will answer whenever you wish… But not tonight.”
“But…”
“I’m here now, Harry… I promise.”
With those words, she silently walked him back to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She wished him a good night and returned to her quarters. Harry, for his part, joined his bed. Hermione and Ron weren’t there to welcome him, but given the hour, he understood that his friends must have also fallen into fatigue. In a sense, he was relieved; he preferred to be alone to reflect on this meeting. He was happy that even in these dark times, he had managed to find someone new to help him, even though that person had been there all along.