I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THAT SERIES BECAUSE THEY ALL BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING!

-Chapter Four-

Albus saw Mr. Malfoy burst through the hospital wing doors. He and Alice looked up. The nurse yelled at him, but Mr. Malfoy ignored her as he ran towards his son. Alice got up so that Mr. Malfoy could stand beside his son.

When the doors opened once more, they saw Professor Longbottom.

“Neville! My patient needs rest!” the nurse said.

“Easy Poppy. This is his father.” the professor said.

Professor Longbottom then grabbed his wand and lifted a couple of chairs and brought them with him as he walked over to Scorpius’s bed as well.

Mr. Malfoy seemed to be checking his son by moving around the skin on his face and the hair on his head.

“He’ll be alright Draco.” Professor Longbottom promised.

Albus looked down at Scorpius to see him smiling at his father. Scorpius came close to death. He was more grateful than annoyed. Albus gave him a weak smile back. His friend’s entire neck was a dark purple color from the solid pressure that was put on it. The nurse told him not to talk as it would only hurt more. Either than that, Scorpius seemed to be fine.

“He’ll only have the bruising for tonight Mr. Malfoy. I wouldn’t suggest him to talk too much for a week, but that seems to be all that has happened.” the nurse told Mr. Malfoy as she walked over and had some kind of tonic in her hand, “I do think that he should go to bed very soon though. He needs his rest.”

“Thank you for helping him.” Mr. Malfoy told Albus.

“Don’t thank me. Thank Alice. She’s the one who yelled for entire England to hear.” Albus said and Alice gave him a small smile.

Mr. Malfoy looked at her and said, “thank you Alice.”

“Where?” Scorpius said, but he stopped with a wince.

“Don’t talk.” Albus told his friend.

“Mom?” Scorpius winced once more.

After a couple of seconds, Mr. Malfoy looked pale as he told his son, “she’s at home, sick.”

Scorpius widened his eyes as Alice got up from her chair.

“No it’s not bad. She’s just been getting fevers and vomiting. Nothing too bad.” Mr. Malfoy answered, “She really wanted to come Scorpius, but she was too sick.”

Scorpius nodded and winced again. He looked straight at Alice and when Albus followed his eyes, he saw his other friend staring at the ground, close to tears.

“I better go. I’m waking up early tomorrow to ask Hagrid something.” Alice told everyone before she started to walk away.

“Alice?” Albus said.

“I’ll be okay.”Alice told him.

Walking out, Albus sighed.

“Because of this we are canceling all students from going into Hogsmeade.” Professor Longbottom told Mr. Malfoy.

“Thank you Neville.” Mr. Malfoy said.

“Albus, Rose, and Alice explained everything to me. We’ve also told local authorities to be on alert. A person taking children or at least teens in public isn’t good.” the professor said.

Mr. Malfoy nodded and the professor looked at his students and said, “it’s extremely late. I suggest that both of you go off to bed. You can see Scorpius tomorrow Albus .”

Albus nodded and said to his friend, “see you tomorrow then mate.”

Scorpius gave a small nod and Albus patted his shoulder once before walking out of the room. After, he looked back at Mr. Malfoy and said, “If I don’t see you tomorrow Mr. Malfoy, I hope that your wife gets better.”

“Thank you.” Mr. Malfoy said.

“By the way Albus, I’ve told all of the staff about the incident. You might want to let Alice know as well.” Professor Longbottom said.

“Thanks professor.” Albus said before he left the room.

As he walked down the halls back to his room, he noticed that the caretaker only looked at him not yell for the entire school to hear that he was out of bed. When he was going up the steps he could hear a soft sobbing. As he got closer to the door Albus saw Alice on the floor beside the door, her arms wrapped around her legs that were up to her chest. Her face was hidden in her knees. Running to her Albus then knelt down beside her.

“Alice?” he asked.

She looked up at him.

“I forgot the password.” she whispered.

Albus sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. He couldn’t calm her down alone. Though Albus was still a little freaked out about what happened he wasn’t the one that was threatened or close to death like her.

“Let’s see Hagrid.” Albus told her.

“Albus it’s almost eleven at night. He’ll probably be asleep.” Alice said.

“He won’t mind. Professor Longbottom told me that he told the entire staff about what happened. I walked by Mr. Filch and he didn’t do anything. I’m sure Hagrid is up with worry.” Albus told her.

She looked at him for a long time before she finally nodded. Albus got up first and held his hand for Alice. She gratefully took it and he helped her up. He noticed that most of the pictures were staring at them, but they didn’t say anything. As they went through the castle, nothing bothered them. The entire castle was silent.

In the darkness together they somehow made it down to Hagrid’s hut to see that all of the lights were on. Of course Hagrid wouldn’t be able to get any sleep. Though Hagrid and the Malfoy never got along before Scorpius came to Hogwarts, he took a liking to Scorpius like how he had with Albus and his family and Alice, though it took him longer to like Scorpius. Now Scorpius, Albus, Alice, and Rose were like his best friends along with Albus’s father, Aunt Hermione, and Uncle Ron.

Seeing Alice’s white face in the light from the hut Albus then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She smiled him a thank you as they walked up to the door. After a knock there was a bit of scrambling before the door opened.

The giant had a worried expression on his face as he opened the door, but he smiled with relief when he saw Alice and Albus. The wrinkles on his face were getting thicker and his beard was getting strands of gray in it.

“Hank goodness yer two are alright!” Hargid said and before Albus knew it, his arm around Alice slipped and they were in the tight hold of Hagrid’s arms.

“Hagrid...can’t...breathe.” Alice told him and the arms were dropped.

After being put down, Alice fixed her hair and gave Hagrid a small smile.

“After I eard what happened, I wanted ter see you, but Neville told me hat it was better I idn’t since yer all would be in shock.” Hagrid explained.

“We’ll see you now Hagrid.” Albus told him.

“Yeah. Scorpius is fine. He won’t be able to talk for a while, but the bruises on his throat will be gone tomorrow.” Alice explained after she wiped a tear from her cheek.

Hagrid noticed it and he said, “come in.”

Albus looked at Alice as she went in first after Hagrid moved from the doorway. Albus came in a little bit later. Alice immediately went to Hagrid’s old couch. Albus followed her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Alice, you just said that he was okay.” Albus told her.

She stared at him.

“There’s something that I didn’t tell Professor Longbottom.” she whispered.

Hagrid even came over to hear her.

“The man, right before he tried to leave with Scorpius...he....” Alice closed her eyes, but tears still poured out.

“Alice, you can tell us.” Albus told her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“The man said that I was almost as good as my parents.” Alice whispered.

Hagrid started to rub her back.

“I’m sure it doesn’t mean anyting.” he told her.

She shook her head.

“The way he said it...” she whispered, “he knew something.”

“We’ll tell Professor Longbottom tomorrow.” Albus told her.

She looked up at him and nodded.

“Thanks.” she said as she leaned more into her friend, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

“Do yer want something ter eat or drink?” Hagrid asked.

“Please.” Albus and Alice answered.

*

Albus didn’t know when he fell asleep.

Albus also didn’t know how Alice was sleeping on him.

He woke up to Hagrid out of the room and him lying down on the couch. Alice was on top of him. She had her head comfortably on his chest and was curled into a happy ball. Sighing, he looked at Hagrid’s clock to see that it was almost time for breakfast.

Though Albus couldn’t believe that this was happening and he wanted it to last forever he had to get up with her.

“Alice?” Albus asked gently.

She groaned and moved a little, but her eyes were still closed.

“Alice, I think that we better get up or else we won’t be eating until lunch.” Albus told her.

She fluttered her eyes open and looked around. After a bit of hesitation, she looked up at him and asked, “how in the world did we get into this position?”

“I don’t know. I just woke up too.” Albus said.

She giggled and got up.

“Sorry.” Alice said as Albus followed her.

“No problem.” Albus told her.

Walking to the door, they looked outside to see Hagrid in the garden.

“Morning Hagrid. Sorry that we took your couch.” Alice said.

Hagrid looked up and smiled.

“No problem.” he said.

Albus nodded and shut the door behind him as he followed Alice up the pathway. Once they were up at the castle, both of them saw Calvin waiting for them at the Great Hall. When he saw Alice, he smiled and ran to her. Surprised as Alice was she went into his hug.

“I was so worried.” Calvin said.

“I’m fine Cal. Really. Nothing bad happened to me.” Alice told him as she got out of his arms.

“Where we you? The Gryffindors said that you weren’t in the rooms.” Calvin asked as he gave a small glare to Albus.

“Al and I stayed at Hagrid’s for the night.” Alice answered.

“Together?” Calvin asked as his face grew with anger.

“Calvin, nothing happened. Really. I don’t get why you don’t trust me.” Alice said.

“I trust you, it’s him that I don’t trust.” Calvin spat glaring at Albus.

“So what do you think he did? Hold me down?” Alice asked outraged.

Albus looked to see people staring at the three of them. Alice needed to get out of here. She didn’t deserve to be angry and bombarded with things that were ridiculous. She already had enough to deal with this weekend. Even in her life. She lost her parents and older sister and somehow found the strength to plan their funeral and go through their things (Scorpius and Albus had to help her with that one though).

A lot of her cousins and aunts and uncles didn’t like her from the start because of what she was so she didn’t get taken in to a point where for a night she was on the street until she finally found enough muggle money on the ground to call Albus and ask if she could stay with him and his family. It was a hard adjustment for her and at first, she was content with not stealing Lily’s room, but after the first summer had gone by Alice took the room. Now, she saw her friend almost get kidnaped and this man knew something about her parents.

Albus put a hand on Alice’s shoulder. She looked up at him as he told her, “Alice lets go tell Professor Longbottom what you said to Hagrid and I last night.”

Nodding Alice took a deep breath to calm down. After that she told Calvin, “I have to go. I’ll see you later today okay. Nothing happened. I think that we need to talk about this.”

“If you go with him right now Alice then we are through.” Calvin said.

Alice stared at him.

“Calvin that’s not fair.” Alice said.

“Yes it is.” Calvin said, “What ever you are going to tell Professor Longbottom you can do it with me too.”

Alice stared at Albus.

“Stop telling her what to do.” Albus told Calvin.

“Albus please.” Alice said as she turned herself to be right in front of him.

He looked into her eyes before walking away.

“Al!” Alice said, “please don’t make me choose.”

“You just did.” Albus called back to her without turning around.