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Chapter Twenty Four:
Becoming A Super Hero


Kingsley came over to the Gryffindor table where my group was sitting quietly, reflecting on what we’d done and who we’d lost, and tapped my shoulder lightly.

“There’s a meeting at the top table that you have to attend, Alicia” he sounded apologetic, his eyes lingering on the cuts I had refused to have healed.

“Sure thing,” I said, nodding slowly. Everything was still too bright and loud to me since I’d come round from my little experience, as Jamie and Firenze were calling it, so I was moving slowly. “help me stand?” I added, holding out a hand. Kingsley reached for it, but Firenze beat him to it, dropping to the floor and using my outstretched arm to pull me onto his back.

“I have to attend this meeting too, Young one, so we shall go together,” he explained, noticing my questioning look. I nodded absently and leaned against him, feeling tired.

“Jamie, you too,” I heard Kingsley say as Firenze started to move away.

“What’s going on?” I asked, pushing myself into a sitting position and making Firenze pause. “Why does Jamie have to come? Why do they need me?”

“You are the Seer, Alicia, not me,” was the only reply I got, which caused me to sigh and wince when it hurt.

“You okay?” Jamie said, as he and Kingsley caught up with us, touching my leg briefly.

“Yeah, I forgot about the bruises, that’s all,” I said, giving him a faint smile. “before you say it, I’m still not getting them healed- I want to heal the Muggle way,” I added, seeing his face.

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this, but okay,” he said, shaking his head. I smiled at him again as Firenze started to move again. Eyes followed the four of us as we moved through the groups, half celebrating, half mourning. The adults were watching from the top table, with a backdrop of loss and sadness behind them. My eyes lingered on Fred, Tonks and Remus for a second before I had to look away, which was a mistake, cause I glanced at Jamie, who was staring at his cousin silently.

“What is this about?” Firenze said as we reached the others. I let Kingsley lift me off his back and leaned against Jamie for support.

“There are a few things that need to be sorted out before today is over,” McGonagall said in quiet voice.

“You’re the headmistress, nobody can take that away from you,” I said, drawing all the attention to myself. I saw several people nod in agreement.

“Thank you, Alicia,” the professor said, her voice even more quiet than before. I heard the gratitiude and love in her voice and gave her a smile. “next is who will take over as Minister, considering the last Minister was under the Imperious Curse- ”

“And is now an overgrown sea-urchin, thanks to Percy,” Jamie added, making several people chuckle quickly. “Kingsley should be Minister,”

“I don’t think- ”

“Kingsley, I agree,” I said, cutting off the Auror. Until that precise moment, I didn’t realize just how much people looked to me for guidance. He nodded, placing a hand on Jamie’s shoulder in thanks before standing up straighter.

“Very well,” McGonagall nodded towards Kingsley and then paused for a second, and I realized what the next subject would be.

“The families should be informed, and then they can make the choice of what to do with- the bodies,” I said, my voice quiet.

“We are already informing the families of the students lost, Miss Daniels,” professor Flitwick said softly, his gaze darting behind him quickly. I wondered who he was glancing at, but didn’t say anything.

“I think Alicia have proved herself to be more than just another student, professor,” Kingsley said, looking at Flitwick with an unreadable look, making me glance at Jamie. “and, I think we should be calling her Mrs Starlight if we’re going to be formal about things,”

“Wait, what?” I said, pushing away from Jamie and grabbing his arm, making him look at me.

“You two are engaged, correct?” he said, and we both nodded. “well, considering the circumstances, and your importance to the Wizarding world, I think even a quiet event would be scrutinized, so this is just a better way to do things,”

“I didn’t want the usual big wedding anyway, Kingsley,” I said, feeling the need to defend myself. “who would I invite, the only family I have left is Firenze, and then I have friends I count as family,”

“Ali, baby, he understands, that’s why he’s saying what he’s saying,” Jamie said, touching the small of my back and making me turn into him as I realized the heaviness of my words. I was alone in the Muggle world. “do you want this?”

“Are you retarted? Of course I do!” I said, forgetting my loneliness and frowning at him.

“Well, then, you two are bonded,” Firenze stated, resting a hand on my shoulder.

“There’s something else we want to offer you, Alicia,” Kingsley said, motioning towards himself and the professors around us.

“We wan’ yer to come and live ‘ere at the castle, permanently,” Hagrid said, grinning down at me. I just stared at him, my mouth open slightly.

“Of course, there would be a catch, as you would say,” McGonagall added, sounded more like a professor with every word. “you would be given your own quarters on the ground floor so that it isn’t difficult for Firenze and the other Centaurs to visit, and you would be allowed to do with it as you wish, but only professors are allowed to reside in the castle,”

“Are you trying to say that you want Alicia to teach? Here? At Hogwarts?” Jamie said, sounding as shocked as I felt.

“That is exactly what I’m saying, Mr Starlight,” McGonagall stated calmly, nodding.

“What am I supposed to teach?” I asked, still reeling from this news. Everyone knew my O.W.L’s were perfect in every subject, they had been printed in the Daily Prophet. “I haven’t even done my N.E.W.T’s!”

“We’re starting a new subject next year,” McGonagall said, smiling slightly. “Self-defense and Preservation”

“How to survive?” I said, shocked.

“Well, didn’t you say to your house-members that you had learnt how to survive?” McGonagall looked at me knowingly.

“Sort of, I was threatening to kill them at the time,” I admitted, making everyone stare at me. “what? They were abusing Sirius and I knew they wouldn’t listen to me,”

“So you threatened them?” Kingsley said, sounding surprised.

“We’re not the same people who were at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, Kingsley,” Jamie said casually, a hand on my shoulder. “When you spend ten months living a life which could kill you, you learn a few things,”

“Bu’ yer goin’ ter take the job, righ’?” Hagrid said, completely ignoring Jamie and still grinning at me.

“I need a while to process and think,” I said, stalling. They nodded and moved away, meaning the meeting was over. “Well, that was…” I said, walking towards the exit with Jamie, who took my hand.

“Tell me about it,” was all he said. “we’re going for walk, we’ll be back soon,” he added as he passed his parents, who were watching us carefully. “So, what are you going to do?” he asked as we paused in the destroyed Entrance hall.

“Would you want to live here?” I asked, glancing at him.

“Sure, we have a lot of memories in this place,” he said, pulling me outside. The devastation was even worse out on the grounds. Pieces of the castle were scattered across the grass, which had murderous patterns scorched into it.

“A lot of them horrendous, now,” I sighed, kicking a dismembered wing from one of the flying boar statues.

“But even more of them happy,” he countered, gesturing towards where Hagrid’s cabin once stood, the Forest, the Lake and the Quidditch pitch.

“There are ghosts of lost friends here now,” I argued, gesturing all around us. “I don’t think I could live with the ghosts of friends who died because of me,”

“Baby, don’t think like that,” Jamie said quietly, wrapping an arm around my waist. “none of this is your fault, nor Harry’s,”

“It doesn’t feel like that,” I sighed, resting against him.

“You’d be giving every single person who comes through this castle a chance of surviving if they ever have to go through what we did. Look at it as paying respect to Tonks, and Remus, and Fred,” I watched his face as he looked at me. “You’d be closer to your family, Alicia,” he knew he’d got me with that. Firenze was the most important person to me after him.

“I did consider becoming a professor once, but that feels like a long time ago- and after what we’ve been through, I still think I prefer becoming an Auror,” I said, weighing the differences.

“Who’s to say you can’t do both?” Jamie said, smiling.

“What if teaching and protecting the Wizarding community clash?” I said, grinning at the idea he was laying down in front of me. “I think another talk with Kingsley is in order,”

“So use your super powers and summon him here,” he joked, poking me in the ribs, which made me wince slightly. “okay, so I totally forgot about that!” he apologized, kissing my forehead quickly.

‘Kingsley, are you busy?’ I sent, grinning away his worry.

‘Not really, we’re discussing the clean-up, why?’

‘Can you come outside? I want to discuss something with you’ I turned away from Jamie and stared out across the lawns. “Super powers, huh?” I said casually, and I heard him laugh.

“Every super hero has powers,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “and to a lot of people, you are a super hero because of what’s you’ve done and been through,”

“So, would you be your wife’s side-kick, Mr. Starlight?” Kingsley voice sounded behind us and made me turn round.

“I’m glad that you know Muggle references, Minister, but please do not suggest that I am better than my husband,” I said, smiling. “well, that felt amazing to say,” I added, my hair curling loosely.

“Sounds amazing,” Jamie added, his fingertips sweeping a stray curl from my face, making them turn light pink.

“I assume you didn’t call me outside to talk about Muggle stories?” Kingsley said, smiling at the two of us.

“We were talking about McGonagall’s offer,” I said, gazing at him intently.

“I think it is a very good idea, Alicia. Who better to teach the younger generations than the famous Alicia Daniels,” he said, nodding.

“But what if I wasn’t famous, Kingsley? What if I didn’t have the abilities I have?” I said, and he paused for a minute.

“Ali, for a while, your visions didn’t even make an appearance, and when they did, even you said they weren’t a look of help,” Jamie said, taking a step towards Kingsley.

“Still, would it make a difference?” I pressed, rolling my eyes at Jamie.

“No, it wouldn’t Alicia,” he answered finally, gazing at me.

“Would my unwanted celebrity status compromise any chance of me becoming an Auror?” I questioned, returning the gaze intently.

“Not at all, Alicia. Look at Mad-eye, he wasn’t exactly an unheard of Auror. Then there’s Harry- ”

“Harry?” I said, surprised. “I get offered a teaching role and Harry gets offered job at the Ministry?” Kingsley just nodded. “It feels like you’re trying to use us a little, Kingsley,”

“I can see where you’re coming from, but I can assure you that isn’t the case,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“I know, but letting people know the truth can’t hurt,” I said, shrugging. “What if I could use my abilities to do more than just teach?”

“Are you talking about joining Harry at the Ministry? I know we’ve spoken about you becoming an Auror before,” he said, smoothing the front of his robe.

“Would it be possible for me to do both? Teach and become an Auror?” I asked, cutting straight to the point. “I mean, most of the professors were in the Order, and Alastor was both, so I don’t think it would be a problem for me,”

“I see your point,” Kinglsey said, and I knew he was thinking of the possibilities. “I’m positive it won’t have any effect whatsoever. Welcome to the team, Mrs. Starlight,” he said, smiling at me.

“And that, is how you make me feel like a super hero,” I said, grinning at Jamie.