With Ron's help, Harry managed to slip away from the crowd swarming him, only to get whisked off by Professor McGonagall.
Alice stared down the kids still circling her until, one by one, they drifted off. In the end, only Ron and Hermione were left standing beside her.
As for Draco Malfoy?
He stood there, awkward but secretly loving every second of the little wizards fawning over him.
Alice and Hermione were chatting casually when Alice suddenly asked, "Hermione, do you think there's anything besides a broomstick that could carry us through the air?"
"???"
"What do you mean?"
Hermione blinked, confused. Ron looked just as lost.
"I was wondering," Alice went on, "what if we stood on a sword and flew—like, sword-surfing through the sky?"
Hermione's eyes lit up. She remembered now—Alice had told her that her grandfather taught her swordsmanship.
"That's… probably not possible," Hermione said slowly. "How would a sword even fly?"
Ron jumped in immediately. "Yeah, no way."
Alice shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but when I was little, my grandpa used to tell me stories about sword immortals. In those tales, they could ride their swords through the clouds."
"Immortals?" Ron scrunched his nose. "What's that?"
"Uh…" Alice paused, then smiled. "Think of them as, like, super powerful wizards."
Hermione knew how close Alice was with her grandfather. After a beat, she said, "We could always try, right?"
Ron gave them a weird look. "You two are nuts. Even the strongest wizards can barely fly!"
Alice tilted her head. "How do the Weasley twins have such a boring little brother?"
She hadn't been at Hogwarts long, but she'd already heard all about Fred and George's legendary antics.
Ron's face turned beet red. "Try it?! Fine! I'll try it with you!" he shouted.
Hermione had never seen Ron like this. She glanced at Alice, who leaned in and whispered, "Guys can't stand being told they can't do something—even if they're still just little boys."
Ron didn't catch what she said, but he did notice Hermione cracking up way too loud.
As the three of them laughed, Alice spotted Millicent Bulstrode dragging Pansy Parkinson over.
Alice's smile vanished. Hermione and Ron picked up on the shift and went quiet too.
"What's up, you two?" Alice asked coolly.
"Alice," Millicent said, "Pansy wants to apologize. There's a reason for what happened."
Pansy nodded. "Alice, I—"
Alice held up a hand, cutting her off. "Whatever it is, we'll talk tonight in the dorms."
Until Theodore Nott gave her the full report on his investigation, she wasn't accepting anyone's apology or olive branch.
Her family's butler, Taylor, had drilled it into her: When you don't know the truth behind someone's actions, never accept kindness from an enemy.
You never know if the honey's hiding poison… or if the poison's wrapped in honey.
Pansy nodded, looking a little deflated as Millicent pulled her away.
Hermione winked at Alice. Alice grinned. "Some secrets you gotta figure out on your own."
Hermione and Ron looked like they were about to explode with curiosity. Alice had to admit—these two were way too nosy for their own good.
Flying lessons dragged on until the bell, but Madam Hooch never came back. Hermione and Ron started worrying that Neville might have some hidden injury.
The second class ended, they bolted straight to the hospital wing.
Meanwhile, Alice and Malfoy got summoned to Snape's office.
Snape's office matched him and Slytherin house perfectly—dark, creepy, and full of secrets.
He tapped the desk, signaling Alice to stop snooping around and pay attention.
She looked up as Snape turned to Malfoy. "Draco, what did you think of Harry Potter's flying?"
Malfoy froze. He'd assumed the head of house called them in to praise their behavior in class—not to ask about Potter's flying skills.
He didn't want to admit it, especially with Alice right there, but he couldn't lie either. "Uh… yeah, for a first-timer? It was… decent. Just decent."
"Just decent, Draco?" Snape pressed, eyes narrowed.
Malfoy squirmed. "…Fine. If I have to say it—it was pretty impressive, sir."
Snape actually smiled. "I'm glad jealousy hasn't completely clouded your judgment, Draco Malfoy."
Then he dropped the bomb: "Here's some news. Professor McGonagall has asked Headmaster Dumbledore to bend the rules."
"She wants to let Potter join Gryffindor's Quidditch team early. So—do you two want in on that action?"
Draco couldn't hide his excitement. He got it—Snape was offering them the same deal.
"Sir, you're putting us both on the Quidditch team?" he asked, barely containing a grin.
Snape nodded. "Yes. If Gryffindor can break the rules, so can Slytherin."
"But you should know—our Seeker is Terence Higgs. You'd join the team and train, but your positions will depend on how you perform."
"Are you in?"
Draco wanted to be Seeker like Harry, but he knew Slytherin had its own politics. Better to get on the team than risk nothing at all.
"I'm in," he said.
Snape was already turning to dismiss them—then Alice spoke up.
"I'm out."
Snape blinked. "No witch refuses Quidditch, Alice."
"You're right, Professor. But I'm still saying no."
Malfoy and Snape stared at her. Snape set down his quill. "Why?"
"First, sir—I'm not that into Quidditch. There's a ton of cool stuff in the wizarding world, but Quidditch isn't one of them for me."
"Second…" She leaned forward slightly. "You don't want to end up in Azkaban with me, do you?"
Snape froze. "…What?"
Alice kept going, calm as ever. "I have every reason to suspect you want me on the team because you're sick of Marcus Flint running his mouth about 'Mudbloods' and 'half-bloods.' You want me in there to mess with him."
"So if I join, I'd follow your orders—target Flint, take him down, maybe even cripple or kill him if I got the chance."
"Don't doubt I could do it. I would. And after I did? The Ministry would arrest me. And when they asked why? Everything would point back to your instructions."
Snape's jaw dropped. "I just wanted you on the team! I didn't tell you to go after Marcus!"
"Can't help it, Professor. The whole house knows Flint and I have beef. You do this, and I have to question your motives."
"OUT!" Snape barked. "OUT!"
"You're off the hook, Alice. Draco, you're going alone."
"All glory to your wisdom, sir," Alice said with a mock bow.
She and Draco saluted and left the office.
The second the door clicked shut, Draco whipped around, staring at her like she'd grown a second head. "If you had joined the team… would you really have killed Marcus?"
"Who knows, Draco Malfoy?" Alice said with a shrug.
Draco pulled a small red ball from his pocket. "This is that klutz Longbottom's Remembrall. He dropped it in class. Give it to the Gryffindors."
Alice took it, raising an eyebrow. "And what were you planning to do with it?"
"Who knows, Miss Norton?" he shot back, echoing her exact words.
Alice smirked. "Cute. Real funny, Malfoy."