(DISCLAIMER: All characters and the whole Harry Potter franchise - except for Jeremiah Hallysworn, Mallory Evans, Alice Urie [plus a few other more characters I haven't decided to get into the story yet] - belong to none other than J. K. Rowling)

"Brendon! Get back here and fight like a man, you ding dong!" Alice teased at her brother as she chased him around the house.

Alice and Brendon were having a boring session of Wizard's Chess and it wasn't until Brendon tried tipping off one of her sister's knights that it truly became a thrill.

"Okay, okay, please, I'm sorry!" He hollered although he was still running up the stairs and away from the fuming Alice. He went into the room and locked it just before his sister spoke.

"I deserve justice!" She yelled and casted a wandless 'Alohamora' on the door.

When she entered the room, the teenage boy was holding a pillow as how a knight would hold a shield with his wand at the ready.

Alice only smirked, "We both know that I'm the one better at dueling, B."

Brendon shouted in reply, "At least if I die, I'd die fighting for a cause!"

Alice wasn't able to hold on much longer and cracked up, dropping beside her brother on the bed. She had tears in her eyes and her stomach hurt so bad as Brendon joined her in a laughing fit.

But the moment only lasted so long; a noise came from downstairs, disrupting the playful mood of the siblings.

A large explosion could be heard from outside the window and Brendon quickly looked outside as Alice went to check on what was happening downstairs. As she opened the door, a green spark merely missed her face by an inch and hit the door behind her.

Alice, being gifted with a quick mind and particularly quick reflexes, took out her wand and blasted the person who sent the curse towards her.

"Brendon!" Alice called out behind her. She went back inside the room and saw her brother stuck to the wall next to their window.

"Grindelwald's forces!" He whisper yelled as he went towards her and took her arm.

They ran down the stairs and found themselves dueling men of much older age. Once they got themselves out with Alice tugging at the arm of her brother, they were greeted by their father who commanded them to apparate to a cottage Brendon was well familiar with.

But before they could even get to somewhere where they would prepare to apparate, Alice felt her brother's form slump against her shoulder after hearing a spell cast in Italian.

"BRENDON!"

"Alice!"

Alice was shaken and silent tears flowed down her cheeks as her friend, Mallory, tended to her. She gave the young Ravenclaw a glass of water and sat beside her friend while she rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"I'm sorry I woke you," were the first words to leave Alice's mouth.

Mallory smiled in sympathy at her friend, "I don't mind. I was actually half asleep when I heard you moaning in pain and sniffing."

Mallory was definitely comfortable with having a conversation like this whereas to Alice, it was a bit foreign.

"Would you like to talk about it?" She asked as she tied Alice's hair into a ponytail.

Alice was not in the mood to contemplate whether or not she would so she settled with just telling.

It took a good five minutes for Alice to finish her storytelling. Although her throat hurt halfway through, which resulted in Mallory giving her a pill from her own stash of pain killers to soothe Alice and be able to continue.

"I feel as if a heavy weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and my heart, Mallory." Alice said as she lay on her back while looking up at the ceiling.

"That is what happens when you have someone to talk to. And it was my pleasure to be the one who received your words." Mallory replied as she sat with her legs crossed next to Alice's bedside.

"Thank you, Mal." Alice said quietly, but loud enough so her friend could hear.

"I know this is all foreign to you, having a friend. One that you actually need. But I promise you, it comes and you'll get used to having me around." Alice chuckled at that remark and felt herself getting lulled back into the world of oh wondrous sleep.

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Alice was in Potions. It was time for a partner work and it was to happen with Slughorn's assignments of partners.

And much to Alice's dismay, she was paired with a Slytherin. Well, correction: the Slytherin. Basically Slytherin himself if she hadn't known better. Maybe a reincarnation or somewhat, Alice couldn't care less about the boy who was smirking at her as she walked towards him.

"Ah, Miss Urie, it's been a while since we talked, hmm?" Tom Riddle decided on playing the charming and perfect student façade.

Alice simply nodded and began to flip through her book.

Tom Riddle's smirk quickly fell as he saw the girl's reaction. She doesn't react at all.

"Alright, let's settle some things here, Urie." Tom had dropped the act, and Alice was relieved for some reason. The charming endeavor seemed to make her cringe at least fifty percent of the time and judge him for it.

Alice looked up from her book to have her eyes meet with the Slytherin boy's eyes.

"I'll be in charge for now. Go do whatever it is you do as long as Professor Slughorn doesn't suspect you aren't helping. Am I making myself clear?" He snapped at her with his eyes narrowed. He was seemingly frustrated with how this girl was reacting. She wasn't like how most would act; the whole time they would either falter under his stare and authoritarian demeanor or succumb to his subtly pretentious, lavish charms.

"Crystal," Alice replied before returning her attention to her book as Tom scampered around with what seemed like little effort.

Occasionally, Professor would pass by them and Alice would act like she was instructing him on some hacks and bits on how to do the procedures. All in good time, the potion was done before the time ended and Alice didn't say a word as Slughorn assessed 'their' work.

"Perfect! As expected from you Tom, and remarkable coordination with Miss Alice here," The jolly teacher said as Alice nodded with a smile in acknowledgement that her 'skills' were taken for notice.

"I think I might just have you partnered up for the rest of the year, eh?" The teacher said and both remained silent.

Alice was shut off when Slughorn had said that. The rest of the school year partnered up with a Slytherin who's a prideful and smirking to no end bloke. What an honour.

Tom did not say a word either as he intensely gazed at Alice's form. He had clenched his jaw moments before Alice had sucked in a breath and was in another planet.

"Well then, I suppose both of you have no problem with it, seeing as you two stayed silent; that's settled then!" The cheery disposition when unnoticed to both of them and the two students just stayed silent. Both were irritated and infuriated.

"What an honour, Urie." Tom spat through gritted teeth.

Alice looked up to have her eyes meet his in an icy staring contest. "Indeed, Mr. Tom Riddle." Alice took in a shaky breath, not able to hold herself in irritation any longer.

"What an honor indeed," Alice said with just as much as emotion the boy standing next to her said.

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"So the lad's your partner for the whole year, then?" Jem asked from the couch beside Alice while having a whole bunch of books stacked in front of him for reference on their essay which he was currently working on.

Mallory was behind Alice, fixing her hair in a braid Alice didn't dare look at. She was envious of people who posses the ability to manage their crowns of hair, not having it for herself.

They seemed to be the only people in the Common Room at the moment. It was highly unusual, it was Wednesday night. Alice nodded with a sigh.

"That is," Jem looked from his homework to Alice then back to his homework, and coughed before continuing, "unfortunate."

"Very," Mallory agreed from behind Alice.

"My thoughts exactly." Alice replied with a slight smile on her face despite the fact she was irritated to no end right at the moment. She spared a chuckle before picking up the rather large and heavy potion book she borrowed about a month ago from her side and opening it to the page the Eye-Opening potion was listed on.

As she read, it turned out that the ingredients she had needed was not available in her own stash and irritated Alice further as she huffed.

"Something got to you again, Alice?" Mallory said when she noticed her friend breathe out in frustration.

"The potion I'd like to brew requires some ingredients I have rarely heard of. I haven't the slightest idea where to get them, either." She said with a forlorn look.

Alice noticed herself to be able to noticeably contort her features in the most common emotions these recent days. She hadn't been able to do that for quite a long time.

"What's the potion you're tryna do, love?" Jeremiah asked with his obvious roots of being from Doncaster showing.

"Eye-Opening potion." Alice simply replied, still frustrated over the fact that the ingredients she needed weren't of her certain knowledge.

"You're trying to do what!?" The boy yelled in surprise.

"Isn't that one of the advanced potions?" Mallory asked.

Alice only nodded, "Mmhmm, but it'll be a potion I'll be needing badly. I've been having some rough nights recently."

Jeremiah had been told indirectly the story and all about Alice by the cut down version of what Mallory said. She was thankful for having such friends who don't wallow in such and skip right away when they know a touchy subject has been tackled.

"Oh," Jem said in realization, "Yeah, alright."

That response made Alice perk up. He was trailing off. "There's something else you wanted say, Jem?"

Jem looked to the side before admitting, "I may or may not have a relative who supplies Slughorn's ingredients."

This sparked up Alice's interest. "And you're saying...?"

"Yes, I may or may not be able to ask some of the ingredients you need," he said affirming of her requests.

"Merlin, thank you, Jem!" Alice said giving him a little and quick side hug.

"I'm not saying I will be able to, though, Alice. You know that." The boy patted her head.

"You will try, won't you?"

"Of course."

"Jeremiah, Alice, Mallory!" All the three of them turned to the female prefect yelling at them, she was out of breath to.

"Yes, Zeina?" Mallory asked the female prefect who was currently hunched down, trying to catch her breath.

"Professor Flitwick was asking for us. Charms classroom." She said in between short breaths.

"Alright, thank you lots, Zeina," Mallory said as the trio stood up to trail a bit slower than the prefect who started to walk at a surprisingly fast pace for someone who just looked like she ran the whole way coming to the Common Room.

"What d'you suppose the reason is for Flitwick calling us?" Mallory started as they were just a few more corridors away from the classroom.

"Probably about the Halloween Ball. The teachers seemed to be talking all about it every time I hear them conversing when I pass by. Seriously though, you'd think it was the most important event of the year or somewhat," Jeremiah replied as he munched on a cookie he took out from his bag a few moments ago.

"Halloween Ball?" Alice questioned, half as interested as she actually sounded.

"It's an annual thing here. Haven't your parents told you about it?" Jem was finished with his cookie now and was getting another one as Alice shook her head in disagreement.

"Well, it usually comes with a theme. The ball last year was in the theme of the Renaissance period. The attendance is optional, though most students choose to attend anyway," Mallory remarked just as they walked in the corridor leading to Flitwick's office and present Charms classroom.

"Why is it entitled a Halloween Ball if it is just simply a costume party with a theme?" Alice concluded their conversation with a question. The three entered the room to find the fifth year Ravenclaws chatting amongst each other.

Alice passed and she simply overheard stressed and emphasized words in their heated discussions. She smiled in amusement. The little talks of what to wear to the ball and what it'd be sparks a small fire in Alice that had been out cold for two years.

"Alright, settle down, settle down," Professor Flitwick addressed as he made his way up on the stool he's always been using for his convenience for easier teaching.

"I summoned you tonight for a talk about the Halloween Ball," At the mere mention of that, the room's atmosphere seemed to increase in terms of the exciting buzz all the students were giving off.

"You see, the Headmaster Dippet had decided for us to have our fifth, sixth, and seventh years to help out in the preparations. Of course, for our school prefects, the duty comes naturally, but seeing as this year that the Headmaster would like us all to mingle with the castle's walls, a responsibility has been added upon your shoulders. All heads are giving the same instruction session right about this moment to their respective houses of the same year level range: fifth to seventh years. We have divided the tasks amongst the year levels; that is the event planning itself for the seventh years, the sixth years handling the decor, and the fifth years would take the role of being in charge of the cuisine. The theme surrounds the Medieval times, so I suggest you are hurry and work on it. You are dismissed of this meeting, go on."

Alice was reading a book given to her by her Muggle cousin which just so happens to be set in the Medieval period as Flitwick had said the theme to be.

"Pride and Prejudice? Awfully queer title for a book, don't you think?" The Slytherin boy was sat across her usual seat.

"It actually depends on what you think is queer," Alice shot back, not looking from her book.

She felt the boy's stare linger on her for a moment before deciding to look up.

"What is it about?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Nothing you'd be interested in. Plus the author, Jane Austen, is of the people who represent the Muggle pride in literature. I'm not too sure you'd be keen with that," Alice answered as she saw Tom Riddle's face contort into an expression of disgust.

"You're reading a book written by a Muggle?" Tom spat the word as if it was poison in his mouth that Alice swore if he was really a serpent, he would have an extremely lethal poison stored, ready to be spit out when needed.

'Obviously,' Alice wanted to say. She had been giving some of the most sassy and burning remarks the past few days, as far as Mallory and Jeremiah have seen. Her attitude absolutely skyrocketed from quiet to someone who actually speaks when spoken to. Although from time to time, Alice goes back to the cold stare and silent option, she mostly uses her newfound confidence as her current lifestyle at present.

And she took her first option for this situation.

Alice's stare made itself look disinterested and nodded as if she did not have a care at all in the world (it was ironic for her that it just made her want to role her eyes out). But then something just wanted to get out of her mouth right that instant that she did not have any time to stop it.

"Yes, it is. Very good, Mr. Tom Riddle. You know how to understand things I say. I didn't know that."

That was what made Tom leave her alone. And she was smiling to herself like an idiot, finding the situation she just made amusing as it is.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

Updaaaate.

So, I'm sorry I don't update as recent as before, I hope you do understand, there's like a lot of schoolwork at the top of my list rn so please bear with me.

But oMG, 1000 READS ALREADY!? IT'S INCREDIBLE!

Thank you sooooo much for reading this book and taking time to vote, and comment, and maybe even share it among your friends.

This is just amazing ❤❤

Alright, 'nuff said.

See you in the next chapter!

All the love as always, tuffhufflepuff xx

P.S. chappie unedited