Chapter 11
Alice returned by Apparating, then had to cross through the school to reach her quarters. It was bitterly cold that night, and in the rush of events, she hadn’t thought to bring anything warm. Once inside the castle, the air was milder, but Alice suspected she’d curse that trek through the chill if she ended up falling ill because of it.
She walked quickly, wishing only for the comfort of her bed. But fate had other plans, and she eventually crossed paths with Dolores Umbridge.
“McGarden… Alice.”
“Umbridge… Dolores.” It seemed the fatigue and adrenaline from the past hours hadn’t yet left Alice’s body; she was determined to rid herself of her colleague by any means possible—and as quickly as possible.
“Strange things seem to be happening tonight, I hear,” Umbridge began with a sly smile.
“I hadn’t heard of new gosts appearing on the school grounds,” Alice replied, her tone sharp.
“That’s not what I meant, Miss, and you know it…” Umbridge paused, her narrow eyes fixed on Alice. “Do you happen to know anything about the disappearance of the Weasley children and Harry Potter?”
“They’ve disappeared?” Alice feigned surprise.
“Yes, Miss. You should really be aware of what’s happening…” replied Umbridge in a syrupy voice. “I’ve recently learned you’re the godmother of young Potter…”
Alice raised an eyebrow. “No, to be honest, I was out visiting my aunt, *Laissemoi Tranquil*. So I really have no idea what might be going on here… Sorry.”
“Oh, that’s quite a shame. I’d hoped you might assist your former Ministry colleagues in solving this mystery…” Umbridge insisted, her smile fading slightly.
Alice sighed with feigned exhaustion, emphasizing her weariness. “Forgive me, but ever since the accident, I’m no longer who I used to be. I’m now so weak and… not very attentive…” She adopted a vulnerable expression, her tone deliberately conveying a wave of fatigue. “I don’t think I’d be much help to you…”
“I still have a few questions for you, Miss…” Umbridge began, but Alice didn’t let her finish. She’d already turned and resumed her path, bidding the woman farewell with a simple wave.
“My frail body needs rest. Good night, Dolores.”
"And you told me you didn’t want any trouble with the Ministry?” Snape remarked, raising an eyebrow.
“I wasn’t about to spin a web of lies,” Alice replied, an ironic smile tugging at her lips. “I’d rather play the fool for Umbridge…”
It was the following afternoon, and Alice had joined Severus in his office to recount what had happened the night before, as well as the news they’d received that morning. Arthur Weasley’s life was no longer in danger, but he would need intensive care and a lengthy recovery. News that the Weasley family had greeted with immense relief.
"And you should have seen Black’s face when I intervened!" Alice exclaimed with a burst of laughter. "He looked like he was about to say, ‘It’s none of your business!’… Honestly, the nerve!”
"I’d rather not imagine his face,” Snape replied, sorting through papers on his desk with a detached expression. “But you should be careful with that woman. The Ministry is more than capable of flipping its stance; if you become suspect, they won’t hesitate to investigate. They’ve already managed to find out you’re connected to Potter.”
“It wasn’t exactly a secret,” Alice shrugged. “I’d mentioned it at work back then. As long as they don’t dig deeper…”
“And what if they do dig deeper?” Snape interrupted, his gaze becoming sharper.
“I’m not worried. Moody and Millicent made sure everything disappeared. Besides, my little spats with Umbridge won’t necessarily taint my image with Cornelius Fudge. He didn’t seem too disdainful at last week’s dinner…”
“If you say so…” Snape frowned. “Speaking of your dinner, your little ploy seems to have worked: the ball will indeed be held, much to the children’s delight.”
Alice jumped down from the table where she’d been sitting, a broad smile lighting up her face.
“What wonderful news!”
Snape shrugged, looking skeptical.
“Dumbledore must have forgotten to inform you with everything going on. The official announcement will be made by tomorrow…” He sighed slightly. “Although I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this. You’ll be able to ask around yourself soon enough.”
“This will be a balm to the students’ spirits,” she said enthusiastically. “Umbridge hasn’t stopped tormenting them, and despite all my attempts to lift their morale, they’re still glum.”
“Your attempts being : free candy in your classroom… A naive and deplorably ineffective initiative, though perfectly in character for you,” Snape concluded.
“Oh! But you’re such a spoilsport!” Alice exclaimed with a teasing smile. “By the way, now that it’s official, are you going to the ball?”
Severus looked up, wearing the irritated expression that Alice knew all too well.
“It’s true that we don’t really have a choice, do we…”
“Chaperoning two years in a row… I’m sure Dumbledore doesn’t understand the torture he’s putting me through,” he replied sharply.
“It’s just one evening a year, Severus. And who knows, it might even be fun.”
“You weren’t there last year,” he sighed. “You have no idea how annoying it is.”
“No, that’s true, I wasn’t…” she replied, and her smile faded slightly.
Silence fell between them. Severus realized the awkwardness of his comment, and although he wasn’t the type to regret his sharp words, this time he felt guilty.
“I’m sorry. That was thoughtless,” he said softly.
“It’s fine,” Alice replied with a forced smile to show him she wasn’t holding it against him.
Severus returned to his papers, but his mind was elsewhere. Trying to regain his composure, he didn’t notice that Alice had quietly moved closer—much closer.
“They’ve really grown out, haven’t they?” she remarked, grabbing one of his black strands of hair. “I know you like to keep it long, but this is really a lot, even for you.”
“I haven’t really had the time to take care of myself these past few months…” Severus admitted, somewhat embarrassed.
“Well, with the ball coming up, you have a good excuse. A quick spell, and it’s all sorted.”
“I don’t like using magic on myself,” he retorted.
“True… We’re quite different in that regard. I rely entirely on my wand for my hair…”
She leaned in closer and took one of her own strands to compare it to Severus's.
“Though you might be right,” she said, examining her hair in the light. “With all the spells I cast to color and curl it… it doesn’t shine as much as yours…”
Severus felt Alice’s breath near his neck, and every word seemed to resonate close to him, triggering a wave of nervousness.
“Do you want me to take care of it the Muggle way? With scissors?” She straightened up, letting her hair fall free, which also allowed Severus to regain his composure.
“I suppose, yes…” he replied, a bit flustered.
“Can I do it?” she suggested, her eyes sparkling.
“You?” he replied, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
“It’s just cutting, right?”
“I’m not foolish enough to let ‘I’ve never touched a pair of scissors in my life’ come near my hair.”
“Oh, come on, Sev!” she protested playfully.
“I may not care much about my appearance, but I’d like to avoid looking like a scarecrow.”
“Come on, think of it as my reward for completing my challenge! I promise I’ll be careful.”
“There was no reward planned for that challenge, Alice, and my hair won’t be your playground,” he replied firmly.
Alice pouted but eventually gave up on the idea. She knew he had every right to refuse.
“Too bad…” she said in a falsely resigned tone.
Severus sighed, partly relieved that he hadn’t had to argue any further.
“I think I’ll go now. I still need to talk to Harry…”
“Well, for once, I won’t have to throw you out,” he replied..
“I’ll see myself out to save you the trouble of wasting your breath. Just watch this:” She walked toward the door in a deep, exaggerated monotone. “Alice, I’m tired of your chirping. Go home.”
She switched back to her normal tone, smiling. “Anyway, have a good day, Sev.”
Then she disappeared, gently closing the door behind her. The Potions Master remained still for a moment before burying his head in his hands, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
It was bad, very bad, he thought. He could no longer maintain the distance he had wished for. Every moment, she seemed to draw closer to him, and he to her, despite all his efforts to keep some separation. The more time passed, the more they rediscovered that bond they had shared before the accident, that natural connection that was rekindling without his ability to truly oppose it.
But beyond the constant struggle between his reason and his feelings, something more troubling was emerging within him. An unexpected and unwelcome feeling. The tension he had felt when Alice approached, playing with his hair… the sudden pounding of his heart, the discomfort… and the disturbance that seeped in, insistently, somewhere much deeper.
On her part, Alice had found Harry and invited him to talk in her classroom. The poor young man still looked exhausted, constantly lost in thought.
“How are you feeling, Harry?” she asked softly.
“Not great, to be honest…” he replied, looking troubled.
“Arthur is out of danger. That’s thanks to you,” she inquired, trying to reassure him.
“Maybe, but… I feel like he’s in my head, Alice…”
Alice tried to find out more about Harry’s visions. They talked about everything he had seen, that feeling of being watched. She promised to discuss it with Dumbledore and find a solution quickly. Legilimency would probably be the best option, she thought, but it would be up to the Headmaster to decide.
Despite their entire discussion, Harry still seemed worried.
“Christmas is coming soon. Is there anything you’d particularly like?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Not really, I haven’t thought about it… Well, I’m not used to being asked what I want…” he replied, a bit hesitantly.
“There’s a first time for everything! Mr. Christmas must bring you something under the oak tree!” she exclaimed, amused.
“It’s Santa Claus, and we put gifts under a Christmas tree, Alice…” Harry smiled as he corrected her. “You’re not very good with Muggle traditions, I’ve noticed.”
“No, not really,” she admitted as she began. “I wasn’t raised with them at all.”
“You didn’t have Christmas when you were a child?” he asked in surprise.
“My family has always been… very conservative. So Muggle holidays… that was heresy…” she explained.
“Really?” he asked, astonished. Alice nodded.
“Your family doesn’t sound very fun… Even the Dursleys celebrated it. Sometimes, I would get a little something: either a trinket they found at the last minute or an old toy that my cousin didn’t want anymore…” Harry looked at Alice, curious. “You’ve never told me about your family, Alice. Do you get along with them?”
“Not really. We haven’t spoken in years; it was already like that before the accident…” she replied in a distant tone.
“They didn’t even try to contact you when you woke up?” Harry asked, surprised.
Alice shrugged, a gesture that clearly meant ‘No’. Harry understood her well.
“Then you can spend Christmas with us…” he suggested, a comforting smile on his lips.
“I would love that, Harry… Oh! Wait a minute!” she exclaimed before slipping away into a small room at the back of the classroom.
She returned a few minutes later, her hands filled with animated photographs.
“Sorry, I never took the time to make an album... Anyway, there probably weren't enough to make one... But it's something!”
She handed a few photos to Harry, who looked at them closely.
“Is that me?” he asked, pointing at a baby in the center of the photo.
“Oh yes, that's definitely you! You were such a big baby!” she exclaimed, a nostalgic smile on her lips.
Harry moved to the next photo.
“I had tried to organize a Christmas one.”
In the photo, several people were seated in a living room, with a decorated tree in the background adorned with garlands, ornaments, and stars.
“I had forgotten that it needed to be a Christmas tree! I thought any tree would do!” she admitted with a laugh.
Sitting in an armchair, Alastor Moody looked like he hadn’t changed much since that time, which amused Harry. Beside him stood a young man, slightly older than Alice: it was Kingsley Shacklebolt. She introduced the other people in the photo, all Aurors, colleagues. Harry didn’t remember their names, but he noted that Alice was the youngest among them and that they all looked happy in the picture.
“That was in 1983... twelve years ago... It feels like it was yesterday... I wanted to do better the next Christmas, to learn more about Muggle customs. Lily wanted you to be educated in both the wizarding and Muggle ways…” she explained, a touch of melancholy in her voice.
“Was the next Christmas better? Did you remember the tree?” Harry asked, curious.
Alice smiled gently at him. “The attack happened the week before Christmas in 1984…”
“Wow… I’m sorry,” he replied, realizing the gravity of the subject.
“We'll do better this year,” she asserted, ruffling his hair.
Harry handed her back the photos. “Do you have any more?”
“I’ll have to search at home; it’s a bit of a mess… But there should be some, yes…” she said with a thoughtful look.
“I can't wait to see them! And for you to tell me about your work as an Auror! I’m really interested!” Harry exclaimed, excitement in his voice.
“Of course, Harry, we can talk about it anytime, but for now, you have a History of Magic class, if I’m not mistaken,” she reminded him with a smile.
“No, unfortunately, you’re right,” Harry sighed loudly.
“History is important! Pay attention!” she encouraged him with a wink.
So Harry headed off to his class. Alice stretched and then got back to work, preoccupied with her godson’s state. She needed to find a way to help him more than just distracting him with anecdotes.