Alya awoke many hours later, in a place she couldn't recognise.

When she opened her eyes, the little girl found out she was lying in a bed, in a little, unknown room; she had no idea to whom it belonged. There was an unfamiliar ceiling above her, made of wooden beams. Some cobwebs bivouacked here and there, in the corners.

Alya looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was. The only thing she was sure of was that, at least, she had left the forest.

But how had she got out? Who had rescued her?

A jumble of questions exploded in her head, causing an uncomfortable feeling of dizziness. Alya felt tired and confused, her addled brain couldn't cope with all the doubts which were tormenting her.

Alya's memory was fragmented, disconnected images came and went in her head, like scattered pawns in an incomplete puzzle.

She recalled Koboro, the black cobra wounded by the trap. She remembered Sirius, furious, and his look full of terror and disgust; the backward fall, the stabbing pain in the back of her head. Then it was emptiness, total darkness. Alya had no memory of what had happened after she lost consciousness. Instinctively she touched the spot where she had hit and noticed the bandage wrapped around her head. Someone must have rescued her --but who?

Her head bobbed, throbbing with pain. Alya fixed her vacant gaze on the rivulets of dust swirling lazily in the beam of light streaming through the window.

Where was she?

It was a completely unfamiliar environment, one she had never seen. It was a rather bare room, almost devoid of furniture: except for the bed in which she was lying, there was nothing but an old wooden closet, a bedside table and an unlit chandelier hanging from the sloping ceiling. Several drawings, with awkward and disproportionate features, had been posted on the walls, instead of paintings. All depicted the same subject: pirates and sailing ships. There were also some posters, cut out from some children's magazine: crewmen dressed in rags, bandages on their eyes, hooks and wooden legs instead of limbs, looked at Alya with motionless sneers and fixed gazes. The child sensed the total absence of magic in that unfamiliar room.

Muggles, she thought with dismay.

As if in response to her thoughts, at that moment, the bedroom door opened. Alya looked at it apprehensively, trying to sink as far as she could into the mattress. A young woman appeared on the doorstep, with billowing, light brown hair and a jovial face. Her tall, lanky figure was wrapped in a long, colorful dress with a garish floral pattern.

"Oh, I see you've woken up! Great, that's a good sign!" she exclaimed, looking kindly at Alya.

In her hand, the woman held a tray with a bowl and some white bands on top. The woman closed the door awkwardly, juggling the tray and the handle. She looked very funny. Alya relaxed. That stranger didn't look dangerous after all.

"You've taken a big hit! But the wound is fortunately not serious, just a small cut, not deep at all. You were lucky. Near where you fell, there was a nasty cut, all rusty. If you had bumped into that, it would be a whole different ballgame now." the woman sat next to Alya, speaking in fits and starts.

"All the fault of those stupid Smiths. They live in the village, you know, but they occasionally venture over here. They're obsessed with hunting. They have a bad habit of setting traps around the woods here in the area. They are convinced they will catch who knows what animal. Poor beasts!" she huffed contritely.

Alya had never heard anyone talk so much and so fast. She wondered how she could catch her breath.

"So how are you feeling?" the woman asked point-blank, catching Alya off guard.

"We --well." she stammered shyly.

"Your head? Does it hurt, do you feel dizzy?"

"A little."

"Nausea?" insisted the woman, with an inquiring look.

"No --"

"Just as well. Maybe there will be no need to take you to the hospital. Anyway, it will be better to phone the doctor and ask him to come here to examine you, just to be on the safe side."

Phone? Alya had no idea what that word meant.

"For now, I have medicated you. As I said, the wound is not deep, so it was enough to disinfect it and put a bandage on it. Although now I think it's better to change it," the woman said, letting her gaze wander over Alya's head.

"I also made you breakfast, in case you're hungry."

Indeed, Alya felt a slight sense of appetite. She nodded, confirming the woman's suspicions.

"Great! It's a good sign that you're hungry. Here you go!" she trilled in a cheerful voice, handing her the tray. "I hope you like porridge."

Alya tasted the brownish mush in the bowl. Despite its uninviting appearance, it turned out to be very tasty. The little girl devoured it in no time.

"So it was you who found me in the woods?" asked Alya, after swallowing the last mouthful of porridge.

"Actually, it was my son. He was playing nearby. I always tell him to keep away from the woods, but he never listens to me. Well, it seems this time it was lucky that he didn't listen to me. He heard some noises and came closer to see. He saw you on the ground and immediately ran to get me. Poor boy, he had quite a scare!" the woman explained.

"Well, now I'm going to change your bandage!" the Muggle woman gently trafficked with the bandages for a few minutes, handling the child's head very gently, careful not to hurt her.

"Thank you very much, ma'am," Alya thanked her when she had finished.

The woman looked at her bewildered, pretending to be offended.

"Ma'am? It's not like I'm that old! Call me Evelyn!"

"Oh, sorry ma'a -- Evelyn!" corrected Alya.

"Much better!" nodded Evelyn, satisfied. "Well, I'd better let you rest some more. I'll call you when lunch is ready, all right?" she said, finally.

Thus, Evelyn picked up the old bandages on the tray, along with the empty bowl, and walked out the door.

Alya looked at the spot where she had passed for a long time, even after Evelyn had disappeared.

Now the situation seemed a little clearer to her. It was evident that she had spent the night in that room, and that woman named Evelyn had come to her aid. Besides, Alya had been right about something else as well. That was a Muggle house.

It was probably supposed to be the very house which Sirius often went to spy on in his outside adventures, the one which stood across the grove from Arcturus Black's estate. Alya wondered if Sirius had also had a chance to meet that nice woman. Surely he would have liked her.

The thought of Sirius darkened her and again her head began to throb with pain. Alya felt the weariness return to weigh on her eyelids. She closed her eyes and immediately dozed off.

***

After a little less than an hour, Alya woke up again, suddenly. For a moment she felt dizzy, as if she had overslept. With relief, she noticed that her head ached less.

It was the click of the door that had woken her up. Alya thought she was seeing Evelyn again, but instead there was a child in front of her, with the same jovial face and hair as the woman, watching her in curiosity. He drew back when he realised that Alya was awake and returned his gaze, but he quickly took courage.

"Ah, you're awake! Mummy said you'd felt better!" he commented cheerfully.

Alya pulled herself up to sit down, while the child peered at her from the edge of the bed.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, pointing at her head.

"Just a little bit" replied Alya, shyly. It had never occurred to her to talk to other children who weren't of her family. Least of all to Muggles.

'Your mum is very nice! And kind. She brought me breakfast just now." commented the little girl, looking for a topic of conversation.

"Yeah, she's tough!" the boy agreed proudly.

"She told me it was you who found me in the grove"

"Mmm, yes." murmured the child, who had suddenly taken on an embarrassed expression.

"You saved me. Thank you!" exclaimed Alya, addressing him with a wide smile.

The little boy's cheeks turned red instantly.

"Well, you're welcome" he mumbled, increasingly embarrassed.

"Look, what were you doing in the woods at that hour?" he asked a little brusquely, composing himself from discomfort.

"I was fighting with my brother," replied Alya evasively. Of course, she couldn't tell that Muggle child that she was healing a black cobra with magic.

"Your brother?" the little boy echoed her.

"Yeah, we had a big fight. He pushed me and ran off," she explained hastily.

"That wasn't very nice," he observed, frowning.

"My brother is never nice. Not to me, anyway." confessed Alya, in a sad voice.

"Elder or younger brother?" he asked again, curious.

"We are the same age, actually. We are twins."

"Twins? That's so cool! I've always wondered what it's like to have twins!"

"A big hassle!" said Alya, gloomily. The boy laughed.

"My name is Harry, by the way. Harry Bennet." he suddenly introduced himself, extending his hand towards Alya. "What's your name?"

"Alya. Alya Merope Black." she replied, shaking Harry's hand.

"Alya Me-- what? What a strange name! Does it even exist?" commented Harry, as he tried to stifle a laugh. Alya frowned.

"Of course it exists! It's the name of a star!" she reacted, offended.

"Sorry, sorry! Don't get mad! It's just that I had never heard of it --" the boy tried to apologise, returning to his embarrassment. Now, he was looking at his shoes with extreme interest.

"Well, you may have a strange name, but you're -- pretty,' he added, without taking his eyes off his feet.

Now it was Alya's turn to blush. That point-blank compliment took her by surprise.

There were two long seconds of silence. None of the children knew what to say, until Alya noticed that Harry was holding a small book under his arm.

"What is that?" she asked.

"This? It's my favourite book, Treasure Island!" he replied, with newfound pride. Alya took a closer look at the volume, which bore evidence of being roughly handled. Harry must have thumbed the pages countless times.

"Have you ever read it?" he asked her.

"No, actually, I've never heard of it --"

"What?! But it's so famous! Everyone knows it!" he shouted, scandalised. The fact that Alya had never heard of the title of the book seemed to be an unforgivable failing for Harry, which he had to remedy immediately. The boy violently put the text down in front of Alya, who looked at him in amazement.

"Here! You absolutely must read it!" ordered Harry to her, peremptorily.

"O-ok," Alya stammered, unable to contradict him. He sounded very resolute.

"So, then, you tell me if you liked it. But you'll definitely like it, you'll see. Talk about pirates!" he vouched, as if the presence of pirates in the plot was more than enough reason to adore that book.

"HARRY? Where are you? Come downstairs, I need a hand!"

Suddenly, Evelyn's ringing voice burst into the room. Harry immediately leapt out of bed.

"I have to go now. Mum will kill me if she finds out I've come here to disturb you --"

"But you didn't disturb me!" objected Alya sincerely. Harry blushed a second time.

"I'll come back and call you when lunch is ready. Get some rest in the meantime. And read the book!" the boy pleaded before leaving the room.

Harry grinned at Alya, then he vanished beyond the doorway.

Once left alone, little Black half smiled. In spite of being lost, in an unknown place, Alya had brightened a little, since she'd woken up.
Despite the fact that they were Muggles, Evelyn and Harry seemed like really good people. Their cheerfulness had cheered her up. She no longer even felt the pain in her head.

Alya lowered her gaze and peered curiously at the cover of the book Harry had left her. The image of a big sailing ship stood out under the title Treasure Island. She opened the book and began to read the first page.

Alya was captivated by the reading at once and, if only for a short time, forgot about the world around her.