2Hi everyone! Here's my new story. I'd meant to get it up yesterday for Halloween, but I finished it late. Happy late Halloween everyone! I hope you enjoy Alice's adventures in OtherLand! (and no, this isn't an Alice in Wonderland crossover at all but the allusions were too much fun to pass up.)
The younger Alice Longbottom was known for her blinding smile and sweet temperament. However, as she slammed her father's office door and stalked down the seventh floor corridor toward the Gryffindor dormitories, eyes bright and mouth set into a frown, she looked murderous.
How dare they not let me go? It's the first Quidditch Cup in Europe since I can remember and it's in France! Besides that, Jordan's dad is playing for Scotland in the final! Everyone is going to be there. Alice stopped, her eyes flashing. I'll go back there and make dad let me go.
She spun around and took a few steps back down the hall. But he said not to ask again. Said if I mentioned the Cup at all he'd put me in detention. She sagged. I hate my parents. Why can't I have nice parents? Like Lily's or Diana's? Their parents are taking their whole families to France.
She turned slowly, dejected, and dragged her feet back towards her dormitory. There's no point. I won't get to go. I'll be the only one of all my friends not there. The Potters, the Calders, the Kings, the Weasleys, the MacMillans, they're all going without me.
She felt eyes on her as she neared the end of the hall and turned to glare at the ugly painted trolls she'd passed. "What? Are you going to make fun of me now too? Agree that I have the worst parents in the world?" She stalked toward them. "I want better parents too you know!"
When she spun away from them she faltered. The wall opposite the painting had definitely been a plain, empty wall when she passed the first time, but now, clear as day, was a door.
Alice frowned and tried the handle. The door opened. She entered to find a small bare room with ugly yellow wallpaper, an old sooty fireplace, and a dirty mirror hanging over the mantle. On one side of the room was a very small door, plastered over with wallpaper.
Alice looked around the room again but nothing else of interest was there. She tried to open the little door.
It didn't budge. A small keyhole convinced Alice the door was locked. She frowned and turned away. Just as she was about to leave the room, she noticed something she hadn't seen before. A doll was sitting on the mantle. It had dirty blonde yarn hair done up in pigtails, black button eyes, and red trimmed Hogwarts robes.
Alice fingered her own pigtails. It looks just like me, she thought as she picked it up. She turned it over in her hands a few times. "Where did you come from, little Alice?" The doll didn't answer. Alice sighed and left the room.
When she arrived at the tower, her best friend, Lily Potter immediately beckoned her to a table away from the fire where she was working with her brother Albus and their cousin, Rose. "Alice, where were you? What did your dad say? Can you come with us?"
Alice slumped into the empty chair. "No. Dad says we're not able to go this year. We can't afford it and Mum can't spare the time away from the Leaky Cauldron."
Albus clapped her on the shoulder. "That's too bad, Alice. . . And, little Alice?" He stared at the doll.
"Where did you find that?" Lily gasped, reaching out her hand for the doll.
Alice sighed and handed over little Alice. "It was in this weird room on the seventh floor. Just sitting there. But it's funny because I don't think I've ever seen that room before. It had yellow wallpaper."
Lily turned the doll over a few times in her hands, examining it. "It looks just like you! But, I've never heard of a room like that. Mum and Dad might know though."
Albus and Rose nodded as they took their turns to examine the doll. The four spent several more minutes discussing the doll and the room before returning their conversation to the Cup. Alice listened in ever growing despondency. I'm going to be the only one not there.
When it was time for dinner, Alice followed her friends lethargically. She didn't want to hear anything more about Quidditch or summer plans. She sat slouched in her seat and glared at her mostly empty plate. As always, the house tables were covered in roast beef, sausages, chicken wings—all sorts of things a vegetarian couldn't eat. The dry potatoes and raw greens almost made her hungrier than she had been before.
Finally she made a half-hearted excuse and left for bed. Lily tried to ask her if she was alright, but Alice brushed her off and hurried out of the Great Hall. As she began to climb the stairs to the tower, the sound of breaking glass caused her to jump.
"Old Peevsie missed, yes I did. The brat won't escape again." The poltergeist circled his arm in a dramatic pitching motion. Alice yelped and covered her face, inadvertently bringing the doll into sight.
Peeves lowered his arm and blew a raspberry. Alice looked up as Peeves began to bounce away.
"Wee Alice has found a fancy new toy,
But dolly's found children for Her to enjoy"
Alice stared after the poltergeist. That was about the most pleasant she'd ever seen Peeves behave, and there wasn't a single swear in his song. She put it out of her head and continued to her room. She wasn't really tired yet, but she couldn't bear the thought of listening to any more talk of summer. As she pulled the covers up to her chin, she pulled her doll close to her. "Little Alice, at least you'll be here with me for the summer. We'll be good company."
She yawned. Maybe going to bed early is a good idea. I can always work on homework tomorrow. Soon she was asleep, dreaming of Quidditch players circling the Eiffel Tower.
Alice wasn't sure at first what had woken her. She stared around the dim dormitory before noticing something strange. Her doll wasn't in the bed. She sat up and checked the floor around the bed. Finally she caught sight of yellow yarn by the door and walked over to it. The doll was just outside the cracked open door.
How did this door get open? And how did little Alice get over here? As she bent to pick up the doll, a flash of movement made her jump back. She cast a quiet Lumos. Four little black and pink frogs were hopping down the stairs. Alice stared at them in shock as they slowly descended the stairs out of her view. What the heck was that? She looked back at her bed once before hurrying down the stairs after the frogs.
She followed them down the stairs, out the portrait hole, and into the castle. She'd completely lost track of where she was when suddenly the little frogs slipped under an old door in front of her. Alice opened the door and cautiously peered inside. The old fireplace and faded yellow wallpaper told her immediately where she was. And there, the last frog was hopping through the now open little door in the wallpaper.
Alice flung herself to the floor by the door and pushed it open. A bright tube unfolded in front of her, leading down through the wall. She crawled down it until she found another little door. She pushed it open.
"Huh?" Alice looked around in confusion. She was in the same room. Except, she thought as she looked more closely, it wasn't exactly the same. The mirror was brightly polished, a fire burned in the hearth, and the wallpaper, though still yellow, was clean and patterned with golden leaves.
She walked around the room and finally reached the door, hesitating before pushing it open. She was back in the halls at Hogwarts, except the building was bright and cheerful with vines and flowers covering the walls. Tending to a vine covered in white flowers the size of dinner plates was a petite, plump woman with long blonde hair.
"Mum?" Alice asked slowly. The woman straightened and turned around. She was the spitting image of Hannah but where Alice expected to see blue eyes, were instead black buttons. She gasped. "You're not my mother."
"Of course not, dear; I'm your Other Mother." The Other Mother smiled at Alice. "Are you hungry? There's food in the Great Hall."
Alice frowned. "It's always all meat."
The Other Mother laughed. "There's no meat here silly. I think the house elves made pasta primavera and bruschetta." Alice grinned, her stomach rumbling loudly. "It sounds like you're hungry. Come on, your Other Father is waiting for you."
Alice followed the Other Mother down a flight of stairs and into the Great Hall. "How did we get here so fast? I thought we were on the seventh floor?"
"I always thought the castle was hard to get around. Here, everything is just one flight of stairs away."
Alice smiled as she took her seat at the mostly empty table with the Other Mother. Her father came down from the staff table to sit with them, his button eyes disconcerting above his smile.
"There's my princess. How are you?"
Alice paused serving her food and looked up at him. "I'm still mad at you for not letting me go to the World Cup."
Her father looked surprised, and the Other Mother spoke up. "Dear, of course we're going to see the Cup. It's coming here to Hogwarts. We'll be able to sit comfortably and watch the match from our own box."
Alice let out a whoop. "You guys are the best!"
The Other Mother smiled down at Alice, and the blonde girl happily ate her vegetarian dinner. After the plates were cleared, the small family walked back up to Gryffindor tower where Alice's warm bed was waiting for her. Her Other Father and Other Mother tucked her and the doll in, put a vase of flowers by the bedside, and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, dear. We'll see you tomorrow."
Alice smiled and snuggled deeper under the covers. It felt like only a minute later that she was awoken by a rough shaking.
"Get up, Alice! You'll be late for Transfiguration!"
Alice blinked her eyes open to see Lily, fully dressed and carrying her bookbag. "What time is it?" She asked yawning.
"Past time to go. Class starts in ten minutes and it's on the other side of the castle!"
"Bloody hell!" Alice jumped up and started throwing on her robes. Lily tapped her foot impatiently as Alice grabbed her books and the doll from beside the vase on her bedside table. "I'm ready; let's go."
The two girls hurled themselves through the portrait hole and to class. They only just skidded into the room before McGonagall shut the door. She raised an eyebrow pointedly and closed the door behind them.
"Did you stay up too late last night or what? I've never seen you oversleep like that." Lily asked her after class.
Alice shrugged. "I was having a cool dream where the Cup was going to be here at Hogwarts, and I was going to get to go."
Lily laughed, then turned solemn. "I wish you could go. It'll be weird being the youngest. Everyone else is older than us."
Alice tried to feel sorry for her best friend, but couldn't quite summon the emotion. I'd be fine going alone if it meant I could go…
This thought was at the forefront of her mind as the two walked into Greenhouse 3 where they had the day's Herbology class. Alice saw her father standing at the front of the long table and ignored him as she made her way to the far end of the table.
"Hey kiddo," he greeted, walking over to where she and Lily had sat down.
Alice ignored him.
"Allie, you shouldn't sulk. You'll be ok, and maybe we can go to the next Cup."
Alice scowled. "I bet we won't. If you don't love me enough to let me go now, you won't then either. And don't call me Allie."
Her father frowned. "Don't you take that tone with me, young lady. You're looking to get yourself grounded for the whole summer. I know you're upset but you still have to respect your elders." He turned on his heel and returned to the front of the class.
"Alice, there's no reason to take it out on Professor Longbottom. I'm sure he'd let you go if he could."
Alice glared at the redhead. "Some friend you are. Of course you'd take his side. I hate both of you."
Lily refused to talk to her for the rest of the day. At first Alice thought it was a silly tantrum her friend was throwing. Then she got lonely and almost apologized before a group of passing students who were discussing their summer adventures in France reminded her why she was upset. I won't apologize to her. She should apologize to me! I can't believe she sided with him!
After her last class ended, Alice went back up to the seventh floor corridor with the trolls. There was no door. The room was completely gone. All evening, she thought about the room and the little door and the better Hogwarts with food she could eat, flowers everywhere, and the Other Parents who actually loved her. When she finally went to bed, holding tightly to Little Alice, she was torn between hope that she'd get to go back, and dread that it had all been a dream.
She opened her eyes when she heard a small "plip plop" sound. She looked around and saw movement by the door. In an instant she was up, heading out the door and down the stairs, following the familiar movement of the little frogs. They led her back to the seventh floor where the door was waiting for her. She eagerly threw open the large door, then the small one behind the wallpaper before crawling through the tunnel beyond.
"Welcome back, Alice dear," the Other Mother said soothingly from where she stood, gardening.
"Hi, Other Mum," Alice smiled. "Can we go eat? Hogwarts had shepherd's pie tonight."
The Other Mother smiled and put away her tools. "Of course dear. Your father's waiting there. Oh, and your friend, Lily, is joining us for dinner."
Alice frowned at the button-eyed woman as they walked down the flight of stairs. "I don't want to see Lily. She was mean to me all day."
Her mother tapped her nose. "I think you'll like your friend better here. I made a few…alterations."
What the heck does that mean? Alice wondered. Before she could ask, they entered the Great Hall and a bolt of red hair shot towards them.
"Alice! You're back! I'm so happy!" Alice scowled at Lily, her red hair framing her pale face and black button eyes.
"I'm still mad at you, Lils. I can't believe you sided with my dad."
Lily backed up, hands to her mouth. "Alice, what are you talking about? I'd never do that! You're my best friend! I'm always on your side."
Alice felt herself smile. Yes, that's exactly how it should be. She sat down and began to pile her plate with Brussel sprouts and a baked potato. Across from her, Lily did the same. Alice blinked. "I thought you didn't like Brussel sprouts."
Lily laughed. "Of course I like them. You like them."
Alice frowned. "What about eggplant?" She knew eggplant was Lily's least favorite food, even though she herself loved it.
"Oooh, yummy! I wonder if the house elves can make eggplant parmesan tomorrow. It's my favorite."
Alice felt her stomach rumble as she thought of eggplant parmesan. It was her favorite dish. But this is Lily talking. She wouldn't eat eggplant is I offered her ten galleons.
Alice frowned at her food. This world was getting weirder and weirder.
"Oh dear, when you're done eating, why don't you and your friend go outside and practice Quidditch for a bit, ok?"
Alice looked up at the Other Mother. "I thought you didn't want me flying? You've always said it was dangerous."
She laughed. "Of course you can fly sweetie. Why would we have given you the best broom in the world if not to fly it?"
Alice almost choked on her sip of pumpkin juice. When she stopped coughing she looked between her Other Parents, eyes wide. "I have an Arc Lightning 4?"
Her Other Father chuckled. "Of course not silly. You have an Arc Lightning 6. It isn't being released to the public for another two years."
Alice couldn't speak for a moment. Finally, she felt her eyes well with tears and she threw her arms around her Other Parents. "You guys are the best parents ever!"
She scarfed down the rest of her food before tearing out of the hall, Lily right behind her. Outside they found Alice's broom waiting. She swung herself onto it and took off, feeling the wind whip her pigtails. She screamed and hollered as she flew, having never been on a broom half this good before. The best she'd gotten to use before was Lily's beat up old Cleansweep her Mum had given her.
Alice flew for hours. Every time she landed, Lily would praise her flying and say she'd be a professional Quidditch player one day. When they finally went inside, Alice couldn't stop yawning. The Other Mother met them and walked them up to Gryffindor tower.
"Sleep well, sweetie," the Other Mother said, tucking Alice into her bed. "We love you." Alice smiled and closed her eyes.
Eventually, Alice woke, blinking her eyes at the bright sun hitting her bed. Why's it so bright? The sun doesn't usually hit my bed in the morning… Oh bloody hell!
Alice leapt out of bed and looked around at the empty dormitory. Lily didn't wake me. Why didn't she wake me? She scowled as she hurriedly tucked in her shirt. She really is the worst friend ever if she's going to hold her grudge this long. I wish she was more like Other Lily.
Alice grabbed her bag and began running down flight after flight of stairs. Potions was in the dungeons, about as far from Gryffindor tower as possible in the castle. She absently wished for the Other Hogwarts where there'd only be a single flight of stairs to descend.
When she hurled herself into the classroom, she was frozen by Professor Malfoy's silky voice from behind her. "Ah, Miss Longbottom. Generous of you to join us for the last twenty minutes of class. But I'm sure that with your exceptional inherited talent as a potioneer, you'll have no trouble crafting a simple Sleeping Draught in that time. If it's not on my desk and complete at the end of class, you'll earn a detention."
Alice felt her eyes prickle as she took her seat, face flaming. This is all Lily's fault. I can't believe she'd do this. And why couldn't I be good at Potions? Mum and Dad are both awful at it and so am I. I hate all of them.
She worked as quickly as she could, but when class ended her potion was a pale green instead of the white prescribed in the textbook. Professor Malfoy looked at it once before smirking. "That'll be a detention, Miss Longbottom. Be here Friday night at seven."
Alice glared at Lily as she stormed past her and up the stairs to Charms. "Alice, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to get detention—"
Alice turned toward her. "You're the worst friend in history, Lily. I'm the most unlucky girl alive. My parents are horrible and I have you for a best friend." She turned again and ran, not towards Charms, but towards the seventh floor corridor. I'll bang on that wall until the door appears.
Like the day before, the wall was bare. No door to a perfect other world. Alice clenched her fist and started pacing. There's got to be a way in! I've gotten in there three times now. There's got to be a trick or something. She reached the end of the corridor and turned back. Maybe it's a spell? Or maybe it only appears at certain times of day? She turned again. I have to believe it was real, not a dream. I have to! I have to escape this awful life! I need to find my Other Parents!
She turned a third time and stopped in shock as a heavy wooden door materialized in the wall in front of her. After a moment's pause, she leapt forward and threw open the door to reveal the ugly yellow room behind it. She ran through the room to the little wallpaper-covered door and tugged on it, willing it to open. "I need the key," she groaned, sitting back and looking around the room. There behind her on the couch was Little Alice holding a large black key.
Alice didn't stop to wonder how the doll had gotten there or how it had gotten the key—she scooped up both and turned back to the door. A quick cutting spell allowed her to access the keyhole and unlock the door. She hurried forward through the brightly lit tunnel and into the Other Room.
She rose, stretching, and ran out of the little room into the castle halls. "I'm back! Mum!"
"Oh Alice dear, how good to see you!" The Other Mother exclaimed, standing from a rose bush further down the hall. "You're here earlier than usual. Did something happen at school?"
Alice felt her eyes prickle. "Lily was mad at me for some reason and didn't wake me up for class. I was late to class and got detention because my real parents made me bad at potions. Rose could have finished in time but my parents are stupid at potions. I don't want to go back there. I don't want to go to detention with Professor Malfoy. He's always mean to me."
The Other Mother knelt down next to her and gave her a hug. "Oh dear, it's alright. Of course you don't have to go back there. You can stay here in the Other Hogwarts. We'll make lots of good food for you, watch the World Cup, and you'll never have to take Potions again. How's that?"
Alice was crying in earnest now but a watery smile fought through the tears. "That sounds good Mum. Can we go get food first? I wasn't able to eat breakfast this morning."
The Other Mother stretched out her hand for Alice and then led the small girl down to the Great Hall. In front of them the table was laden with American breakfast food: eggs, pancakes, muffins, and cinnamon rolls.
Alice leapt forward happily and began to devour a plateful of cinnamon rolls. Halfway through her plate she looked up sheepishly, "Don't worry Mum, I won't forget to eat some eggs and veggies."
The Other Mother laughed. "Sweetie you can eat whatever you want. You've had a hard day after all. You can eat veggies later."
Alice felt herself grin and happily returned to her cinnamon rolls. After a bit, Other Father and Other Lily came to sit with them. After Alice finished her first plate, Lily handed her a glass of milk.
"Thanks, Lils," Alice said automatically, taking the glass from her button-eyed best friend.
Lily smiled widely. "Of course, Alice! Other Mother says you're thinking of staying with us. Is that true?"
Alice nodded happily. "I don't want to go back. That Lily is awful and my real parents don't love me. This is better."
Lily smiled. "Please do stay, Alice. It's lonely here when you're gone."
Her Other Parents smiled too. "Alice, we have a gift for you. It's a little earlier than we planned to give it to you, but I think you're ready."
Alice watched them curiously as her Other Father pulled out a small wrapped box and handed it to her. She opened it and froze. Inside were a pair of black buttons.
"Black is traditional, but we can make them blue to match your eyes or any other color you want." Her Other Mother tapped her own eyes to demonstrate different colors.
Alice felt her mouth go dry. "You want to sew buttons into my eyes?"
"That's how you can stay with us, love. As long as you have human eyes, they have to see the real world each day. But with these you'll never have to go back." The Other Mother's voice was sweet, but Alice was still nervous looking around at each of their expressions of expectation.
"Um, Mum, can't I stay without them? I like my eyes and I really don't like needles, so…" she trailed off hopefully, but her Other Mother frowned.
"Alice, you'll need to accept your buttons before you can stay. You can wait a bit longer, but you'll have to go home soon if you don't take them."
Alice frowned. "I'll have to think about it. I don't want buttons."
"It's a coming of age experience, Allie. We all got our buttons when we came here." Her Other Father added. "They don't hurt and you can stay with her forever!"
The Other Mother glanced at Father and he recoiled. 'Stay with her'? Why not 'stay here'?
"Er, thanks Dad. I appreciate it."
The Other Mother spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly. "Don't you want to stay here with us? Could you perhaps prefer them?" When Alice shook her head frantically, the Other Mother added, "Then are the buttons truly too much to ask? We don't create the rules here, but we are bound by them."
As Alice hesitated, she saw her mother's face grow angry. And also, it grew. Hannah's round face and plump figure began to stretch, making her tall and skeletal. Alice fell backward off her bench as she tried to put distance between herself and the button-eyed woman. "Mum?"
"You are an ungrateful daughter. I gave you everything but it wasn't enough for you. Why don't we put you somewhere you can cool off until you learn gratitude?" Her voice was soft but her tone was sharp and angry. She stepped slowly around the table toward Alice.
"Lily? Dad?" Alice could feel her voice shaking as she scooted backward away from the Other Mother. She looked to the other two, but they were staring at their plates. Her attention turned back to the Other Mother who was still walking forward slowly. Just as her hand reached out toward Alice, her head was thrown back and a shattering sound filled the room.
Alice blinked as a pair of sparkling balls collided with the Other Mother, knocking her to the floor. "The Beldam is torturing more children today eh? But messing with the little brats is Peevsie's job, it is. The Beldam has no place in this castle."
Alice glanced behind her at the poltergeist before turning her attention back on the Other Mother. The not Hannah rose up slowly to her full height before screaming, "Damn Poltergeist. Get out of my world!" She leapt at Peeves who flew away, cackling madly. As the Other Mother followed him away from Alice, Peeves looked behind him and winked at the terrified girl.
Alice understood. Peeves was distracting the Other Mother for her. She crawled away, staying low and quiet until she reached the Great Hall doors. Once outside the room she rose and fled toward the tiny door and her own world. From behind her she heard a scream of "Alice!" Paling, Alice kept running, even as she heard rapid footsteps behind her.
"Come back, darling. Don't you want to stay here with me?"
Alice didn't answer. She had reached the hall with the little yellow room. As she stopped to open the heavy door, she looked behind her and saw her Other Mother turn the corner. She gasped and pushed harder, finally pushing the door open.
Inside, the room was unchanged and the little door stood open for her. She pushed herself into the tunnel and began crawling. Behind her, the little door flew open again, and her Other Mother's face appeared. "Oh dear, not that way. You need to stay with us."
Alice shrieked and crawled faster, emerging from the doorway as the Other Mother began to reach for her leg. She slammed the door closed, but it shook as she held it. Where did the key go? I need the key!
A clattering sound caused her to look to her left, where the key was lying on the floor near her leg. She snatched it up, using her weight to keep the door shut as she struggled to lock it. The click of the lock was followed by an angry scream from the other side.
Alice sat back slowly, feeling her heart racing in her chest. She stared in horror at the door until the shaking and screaming ceased from the other side.
"Wee Alice needs to be more careful who she trusts." Alice turned in shock. Peeves's voice was almost serious.
"Who is she? You called her the Beldam. Do you know her?" Alice asked quickly.
Peeves stared down at her quietly for a moment. "The Beldam kidnaps brats. She's infested this room before."
"What did she want with me?"
Peeves grinned. "Children are tasty!"
Alice shook, her eyes wide as she realized how close she'd been to being trapped. "If I'd taken the buttons I wouldn't have been able to leave." Peeves only grinned wider in response. "Why did you save me?"
The poltergeist visibly deflated. He scowled at the wall before answering, "She came into my home to steal my playthings. You wee brats are mine to torment."
Alice opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Thank you." She looked around herself and realized something was missing. "But where's Little Alice?"
Peeves blew a loud raspberry. "The dollies are her itty spies."
Alice felt herself trembling. "I, I think I should go talk to my dad."
Peeves let out a shrill whoop and flew around the room once. "The Beldam has new toys, she does. Wee Alice must be clever!" With that, he zipped out of the room, leaving Alice alone.
She wasn't sure what his last comment had meant, but she rose slowly and began walking to her dad's office. She wasn't sure of the time, but she hoped Herbology classes were over for the day. When she arrived, the office was empty, but a full cup of tea was sitting on the desk, cold, and her Dad's wand was sitting on the bedside table. Alice felt herself go still. He never left his wand anywhere. It was always with him.
She sat heavily on the bed, her breathing hard as she fought panic. Where could he be? A small spot of black against the grey of the floor caught her eye. She reached under the bed against the wall and her fingers brushed fabric. When she pulled it out, her face went pale. It was a doll. A doll that looked remarkably like her father.
She's got him. She's got Dad. And maybe Mum too. Her hands were shaking as she held the doll. What can I do? I have to get him out. Maybe, she swallowed, maybe Lily can help.
She began to run up toward Gryffindor tower, still holding the Little Neville doll. She found Lily just as the red-head was about to enter the portrait hole. "Alice! There you are! Are you ok?"
Without responding Alice grabbed Lily's hand and began running away from the Fat Lady. She entered the first empty classroom she could find and stood against the door, clutching a stitch in her side.
"Alice, what's going on?"
"Lils, something is wrong. It's bad. The Beldam has Dad and maybe Mum and will trap them and eat them if I can't save them."
Lily just stared at her, utterly bemused. "What's a Beldam?"
Alice sighed and began to tell the story of the past few days. She told of the little frogs and the better Hogwarts. She even told her friend about Other Lily, though she couldn't quite meet the red-head's eyes for that part. She finished with what Peeves had said and the Little Neville doll.
"So let me get this straight, you have been secretly going to visit an alternate Hogwarts with this Other family every night and now you find out your Other Mother is actually some sort of monster trying to eat you and she's kidnapped your real dad?" Alice nodded. "Not only did you go there willingly but you had planned to stay there because you thought your Other Parents were nicer and because Other Lily always agreed with you?" Alice cringed but nodded again. "Alright."
Alice looked up in surprise. "Alright?"
Lily nodded. "Alright. Let's get Professor Longbottom back."
Alice felt her eyes fill with tears and launched herself at her best friend. "Thank you, Lils. I'm so sorry about the last few days."
Lily patted the sobbing blonde a few times before rousing her. "We need a plan and then we have to get back. Do you know where she'll have hidden him?"
Alice frowned and shook her head. "No, but that Hogwarts is a lot smaller. Plus we can probably use a spell of some sort to find him."
Lily nodded slowly. "I bet Rose knows a spell. The prefects are looking for you since you missed classes but I'll go ask her for a spell. You need to hide here, and then you can take me to the yellow room."
Alice nodded once and watched her best friend slip out of the room. She waited for what felt like an eternity, her hands clenched in her lap. Finally, Lily opened the door.
Alice jumped up. "Did you get it?"
Lily nodded. "We can use a Hominem Revelio charm to at least see if he's nearby. Once we find the room we'll have to search."
Alice agreed, struggling to keep her voice level. The two friends snuck back to the seventh floor corridor, where a blank stretch of wall faced the ugly troll painting. Alice bit her lip. She still wasn't sure how to get in. So she did what she'd done the last few times—she started pacing.
"What are you doing?" Lily whispered, eyebrows scrunched.
"Shhh." Alice replied, praying the door would appear. It always seemed to when she needed it. When she passed the stretch of wall a third time, she heard Lily gasp. Sure enough, the door had appeared. Alice forced a smile and led her friend into the room. The dirty yellow wallpaper hadn't changed and the little door was still locked.
Taking a deep breath, Alice looked around for the key, hoping to find it. There, it was on the table by the couch. She picked it up and moved over to the little door. Before inserting the key, she turned to her best friend. "This could be dangerous. Are you sure you want to come?"
Lily smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Of course I'm coming. We have to get your dad back."
Alice felt relief wash over her as she turned back to the door. She carefully unlocked the door, gestured for Lily to be quiet, and then began crawling through the tunnel. When she reached the other side, Alice found that the Other room looked different. Instead of friendly golden wallpaper and a warm fire, the room was dark, grey, and forbidding. Large dressers that looked like beetles lined the room and the couch had an exoskeleton.
Keeping her voice low, Alice asked Lily to cast the spell. Lily nodded and whispered under her breath. A light pulsed four times in the room before fading. "There are four people here. Two of them are us. The others are probably your parents."
Alice could feel her heart racing. Carefully, they began to search, trying not to make any noise. The eyes of the bug furniture followed them as they moved about the room. The passing minutes felt like hours but there was no sign of her parents.
"Ah, Alice," a cold voice drawled. Alice turned slowly, her eyes wide, to see the Beldam standing in the doorway in her not-Hannah body, her eyes flickering between the two girls. "And you brought a friend! How . . . delicious. What are you two up to?"
Alice thought frantically, looking between Lily, the Other Mother, and the door. She needed to get Lily out but she also had to find her dad. "Uh, hi Mum. Lily and I were playing hide and seek." Alice could feel her voice shaking as she spoke but she managed to keep eye-contact with the Beldam who grinned hungrily.
"Oh really? I do like games. Who are you looking for?"
Alice flinched and looked around the room again. Now that she was standing, she noticed that the normally bright mirror was covered in a layer of dust. Huh. "Well, you're already playing I think. We're looking for my parents and you hid them. So if we know where they are, we win, right, and can go home?"
The Other Mother's face froze for a moment before her smile widened. "Of course dear. But if you lose, all four of you are staying with me, correct?"
Alice chewed her lip and glanced over at Lily who was staring petrified at the Beldam. She turned back to the Other Mother and nodded once. "Yes. Those are the rules."
The Beldam showed her teeth. "Very good. So where are your parents? You've already had time to search for them."
Alice heard Lily give a small cry behind her. She willed her friend to remain calm. "You hid them in the mirror." The Other Mother growled. "I'm right, so you need to release them and let us all go home."
"Alice…" Lily gasped behind her. The blonde looked around and noticed that the room was warping around them as shadows grew and danced.
"Mum, you promised." Alice said desperately.
She laughed. "I lied."
Suddenly she leapt at Alice just as Lily bellowed from behind them "Petrificus Totales!" The Beldam froze, her arms and legs snapping together like a board. She fell forward, hitting the floor with a resounding thud. The shadows, which had frozen at Lily's spell, began to whirl faster than ever.
Alice ran to the mirror and used her sleeve to remove the dust from its surface. Instead of her reflection she saw her parents, huddled together in the distance. "Mum! Dad!" She began to pound on the mirror, crying out.
"Alice, we don't have time!" Lily squealed, gesturing toward the stirring Beldam. "Move." She pushed past Alice and pointed her wand at the mirror. "Reducto!"
The mirror cracked.
The Beldam screamed.
Alice caught sight of her reflection in the mirror as Lily grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the little door. The two began crawling back through the tunnel, pursued by the Other Mother's screams.
When they reached the other side, Alice looked around for the key and, as always, found it just where she needed it. She snatched up the key and locked the door, just as a heavy weight slammed into the door's other side.
She and Lily huddled together, trembling, at the horrible screaming from the other side of the door. I wish that door was gone so she couldn't reach us.
Alice blinked in shock as the door vanished. She exchanged a look of confusion with Lily. "Where did it go?"
Lily frowned. "Well, I was thinking I wanted it to be gone."
Alice nodded. "Me too."
"You know, I should have known you'd be hiding here. Though, I'm impressed you managed to find this place at your age."
Alice spun around in shock to see her father standing in the doorway looking around. She launched herself at him and held him tightly as she began to sob. "Dad, you're back. You're alright."
He stared down at her in confusion. "Er, Alice? What are you talking about?"
"It doesn't matter." Alice sighed. She stared up into his round, kind face. "I love you, Dad. Sorry for being a brat."
He chuckled. "I love you too, princess. But that won't get you out of your weekend of detentions for skipping your classes today."
Alice groaned, stepping back. "I missed all of them?" Ugh. Stupid Beldam…
Neville looked at her in confusion before beckoning both girls out of the room. "We can discuss it later. It's dinner time, and Professor McGonagall is looking for you. Oh and Alice, I heard a rumor the house elves made eggplant parmesan." He winked at her as Lily made a noise of disgust behind them.
Alice grinned widely as she walked with her father and best friend to dinner. When they reached the large double doors to the Great Hall, Alice found her father holding her back. "Go on ahead Lily, we'll be in in a moment."
The red-head looked between the two, but shrugged and stepped into the hall. Neville turned to Alice and bent down so they were the same height. "Sweetheart, I know you've been frustrated the last few days but your behavior has been unacceptable. You've been rude to your teachers and me, and you skipped classes."
Alice sighed. "I know, Dad. I'm sorry."
He nodded once. "Good, because you almost made your mother and I change our mind."
"Huh? Change your mind about what?" Alice frowned.
Her father smiled. "Your Mum and I spoke to the Potters. We can't all afford to go to see the Cup but I'll be dropping you off to see the final with Lily and her family. Hopefully next time we can go as a family."
Alice felt her eyes fill with tears. "Do you really mean it? Oh Dad! Thank you!" She gave him the biggest hug she could.
"We love you, princess," he said softly.
"I know." Alice grinned back through her tears.