If you tell us, we PROMISE we won't make it happen!
Shh... We just won't tell her if it's a really good idea, Ems!

And don't I get a piece of Jasper Hale?


Is you ready!?


Alicia climbed the rickety staircase with her hand in Jamie’s.

“You know, stitches do work- on Muggle wounds, anyway…” She said as they reached the second floor. She laughed as a portrait of a Healer followed Ron up two floors.

“What floor’s this?” He snapped as Harry, Ginny and Hermione tried to keep straight faces. Emily was laughing silently behind him.

“I think it’s the fifth” Hermione said and Harry shook his head.

“Na, it’s the fourth… Come on, one more-” Harry stopped mid sentence, staring at the window that led to a corridor.

“Oh my- Professor Lockhart!” Hermione said breathlessly, her hand covering her mouth. Alicia spun round and gasped. Their ex- Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was staring at them, beaming widely.

“Blimey!” Jamie said quietly as the man shuffled out into the corridor, still beaming at them. Alicia was staring, open mouthed, as she glanced at Emily, who was watching the ex- professor carefully.

“Why, hello there!” He said, sounding exactly the same as he did three years ago. “I expect you’d like my autograph, would you?”

“Hasn’t changed much, has he?” Draco whispered to Alicia as her hair darkened.

“Unfortunately, he’s getting his memory back” She swapped a look with Harry as Ron spoke to him.

“Erm, how- how are you, Professor?” He sounded guilty as he spoke. Emily smiled at Draco’s frown.

“In second year, Ron’s wand backfired, making him loose his memory… I don’t know why Ron and Jamie are feeling guilty- Lockhart was trying to wipe their memories at the time…” She whispered as they watched the man.

“Professor, should you be wandering the corridors? Shouldn’t you be in a ward?” Alicia asked as she stepped forwards. His smile vanished and he stared at her and Harry for a moment.

“Have we met before?” He asked and they all swapped looks.

“Er, yeah we have- you used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?” Harry said as a woman appeared from the down the corridor behind them.

Ten minutes later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Alicia, Jamie, Draco and Emily found themselves standing round Lockhart as he signed photos of himself while sitting in his ward. Alicia was watching the Healer hand out presents while Emily was watching the pictures of Lockhart that hung round his bed. Some of them were pointing at the eight of them and whispering behind their hands.

“Look, Broderick, you’ve been sent a pot plant and a calendar of fancy Hippogriff’s… And- oh, Mrs Longbottom, are you leaving already?” At the Healer’s words, Alicia’s eyes turned yellow and her hair green while the others spun round to watch as Neville and his grandmother appeared from behind the curtains at the end of the ward.

“Neville!” Ron called and Neville jumped. Alicia glared at him but he ignored her. “It’s us, Neville!” He said brightly as Neville tried to hide. “Have you seen- ? Lockhart’s here! Who have you been visiting?”

“Friends of yours, dear?” Neville’s grandmother said, peering down at them. “Ah yes,” She said, laying her eyes on Harry. “Yes, yes, I know who you are- Neville speaks most highly of you” Harry shook her hand, looking totally bemused. “And you two are clearly Weasley’s- yes, I know your parents- not well, of course- but fine people, fine people… And you must be Hermione Granger- Neville’s told me all about you- helped him out of a few sticky spots… You must be Alicia Daniels,” The old woman said, eyeing Alicia’s mint green curls. “Yes, I know all about you… So this must be Jamie Starlight? Yes, I can see your mother in you… And this is Emily Black- yes, Neville has told me about you… And- ?” She held out a hand for Draco, who stared at it.

“This is Draco Malfoy” Emily said, nudging him forwards slightly.

“Hmm… Yes, Neville has told me about you- had a change of attitude since you’ve been dating Miss Black, I believe” The woman nodded to herself before looking down at Neville. “He’s a good boy, but he hasn’t got his father’s talent, I’m afraid to say” And she gestured towards the beds they had just walked away from.

“What?” Jamie said, ignoring the murderous glare Alicia was giving him. “Is that your dad down there, Neville?”

“What’s this? Haven’t you told your friends about your parents, Neville?” The woman said sharply, turning to look at a very red Neville, who shook his head. “Well, there’s nothing to be ashamed of!” She said, suddenly angry. “You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn’t give their health and sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!”

“I’m not ashamed” Neville said faintly, refusing to look at them.

“Well, you’ve got a funny way of showing it!” His grandmother snapped before turning to look at them. Alicia’s hair was slowly turning paler, making her look ill. “My son and his wife were tortured into insanity by You- Know- Who’s followers”

Hermione, Ginny and Emily gasped, covering their mouths. Ron stopped trying to catch a glimpse of them and looked mortified, so did Jamie. Draco was shifting uncomfortably, as did Harry. Alicia stared at Neville, her hair staying a sickly green. They stayed quiet until the Longbottom’s had left and Neville’s mother had shuffled back to her bed.

“I never knew” Hermione said tearfully.

“Nor did I…” Emily and Ginny said together, one of them sounding horror- struck.

“Nor me” Ron and Jamie said hoarsely.

“I did…” Alicia, Draco and Harry said as one before turning to stare at each other.

“Dumbledore told me about it last year but I promised not to tell anyone…” Harry said quietly, turning to look at Alicia.

“Neville was thinking about it when he boarded the train for the first time in first year… I haven’t had the heart to tell him I knew” They all turned to look at Draco.

“That’s why my aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville’s parents until they lost their minds… It was just after You- Know- Who vanished, apparently” He muttered, refusing to look at any of them.

“Well… It’s a good thing that you’ve disowned them, then…” Alicia said quietly as Hermione looked horrified.

“Bellatrix Lestrange? That woman Kreature’s got a picture of in his den?” Hermione whispered and Draco nodded. They fell silent for a while before:

“Look, I didn’t learn joined- up writing for nothing, you know!” Lockhart said angrily.

“Oh, shut up…” Alicia snapped, leading the group out of the ward.


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