Alexandra Quick and the Deathly Regiment

A Tightly-Wound Plan

Alexandra was surprised and a little suspicious when Ms. King took Valeria into her study that evening. She hoped that the house-elves hadn't told on them, or that Valeria wasn't going to tell Ms. King about the previous night's adventure. Julia noticed her distracted state, and asked her (for at least the fourth time that day) if something was wrong. Alexandra smiled and shook her head, and went back to trying to collect a complete set of Abraxians in their game of Neptune's Horses.

She was even more apprehensive when Ms. King and Valeria exited the study just before dinner, with Triss following them.

Whatever the two women had spoken about, it had put all of the house-elves in a very somber mood when they brought dinner to them that night. Julia seemed to sense the tension and became quiet as well. Alexandra was sure that Ms. King was going to bring up her nocturnal activities, but as Gun-Gun, Rolly, and Nina began to clear away the dishes, Ms. King smiled and waved them off. Then she clapped her hands together.

"Deezie, Olina, Triss, please join us," she said aloud, and the other three house-elves scampered into the room... more of a rapid shuffle, in Triss's case.

Alexandra glanced at Julia, who looked as puzzled as her.

"Girls," Ms. King said, "tonight is a special occasion."

Triss was now standing alone in front of the humans, with her head bowed. The other five house-elves had formed a semi-circle behind her, and their eyes were wide as they wrung their hands together. Alexandra wondered if Triss were being punished. Had she gotten the house-elf into trouble? But she had never heard Ms. King so much as raise her voice with the elves, and their mistress's expression now was a little sad, but certainly not angry.

Ms. King said, "We all know that six house-elves are far too many for a house this size -- especially when only I am living here for most of the year. You're all a great help to Samuel and Myrta, but I also know that though your loyalty is as boundless as my affection for you, you aren't really happy when you have so little to do." She held up a hand, as all six elves began to protest.

They quieted instantly, as she continued. "I have considered giving you to other, more needful families, but I've always been concerned that you wouldn't be treated as well as I would want. And the status of those house-elves who are... released, is often no better. But for Triss, at least, I have found someone at last who I know will treat you well, and whom you will be happy to serve."

Alexandra and Julia exchanged looks, as they realized what was happening.

Triss finally raised her head. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but the elderly elf nodded, and then looked at Valeria.

Valeria cleared her throat. "You understand that this is temporary. I know how you feel about being freed --" She sighed as all the elves winced. "But my family is completely opposed to house-elf servitude. I will happily accept your services, Triss, but I will be putting money aside for you each week, until next I speak to my father. And when I do --"

"Triss knows," the elf mumbled. "But her Valeria has promised Triss may stay with her, even after Master has made her..." She swallowed. "A free elf?"

"Of course. I swear it." Valeria knelt in front of the house-elf, and gave her a hug. Triss began bawling, and the other five elves followed suit.

"Oh, Mother," said Julia.

"Triss will be leaving with Valeria," Ms. King said. "I wish I could send Deezie and Nina with you and Julia when you return to school, Alexandra, but neither Salem nor Charmbridge allow personal house-elves."

Alexandra wasn't sure what she thought about having a house-elf servant, but something else occurred to her. "Valeria, aren't you flying back to Europe on an airplane?"

Valeria nodded. "Yes." She smiled as she realized what Alexandra was thinking. "And you're right, I can't exactly have Triss sit next to me on the plane."

"Oh, Triss is very worried about her Valeria riding one of those Muggle contraptions!" Triss moaned, putting her head in her hands.

Valeria patted the elf on the shoulder. "But you'll be riding it, too, Triss."

This only made Triss moan louder.

"They're as safe as Apparition, trust me," Valeria said.

"Triss would much rather take her Valeria herself where she wishes to go," the house-elf whimpered.

Valeria chuckled. "Even elves can't Apparate across the ocean. You know that."

"If she's not going to sit next to you, where is she going to sit?" Alexandra asked. "In the luggage compartment?"

"Actually, yes." Valeria laughed at Alexandra's shocked expression. "Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't just stuff her into a suitcase. Why do you think I bought that large wizarding trunk? It has quite enough space to be a comfortable traveling compartment for an elf."

Triss shook her head. "Is much too expensive, Miss! Triss can fit in a suitcase. Surely this airplane only takes a few days to fly across the ocean?"

Valeria laughed again, and squeezed the house-elf. "Don't be ridiculous!"

While Valeria explained airplane travel to a fascinated Julia and an appalled Triss, Alexandra glanced at the other house-elves. For what should be a happy occasion, they all seemed overcome with emotion, tearful and apprehensive. She assumed Triss had already agreed to this, but it still seemed cruel. Yet wasn't freedom for house-elves a good thing? Especially if meant working for someone they truly loved?

But she was also thinking about what Ms. King and Valeria had said. Maximilian had told her that three of the house-elves had come with Abraham Thorn when he married Thalia King. They remained at Croatoa and continued to serve Ms. King and her children because he had ordered them to. And apparently, only he could free them.

Did he order them to obey Ms. King and her children, or Ms. King and his children? she wondered.

It was an important distinction. Because she had an idea that wouldn't go away.

She was distracted for the rest of the evening, as a plan formed in her head.

It wasn't a very nice plan. It would, in fact, be a horrible betrayal of everyone in the room. She looked at her sisters, and Ms. King, who had been so kind and generous to her. Could she really go through with this?

Then she remembered what she had told her father. She would do anything to bring back Max. She'd been willing to offer herself as a sacrifice in her brother's place, or do anything else her father asked of her. She'd even said she'd do Dark Arts, if that was what it took.

She'd already taken Maximilian away from them -- how could she make things worse by trying to bring him back? And, she told herself, they'd only hate her if she failed.

---

"Deezie, is your, umm, master, Ms. King, or my father?" Alexandra asked that night.

Deezie was in her room, packing her things, though Alexandra hadn't brought that much and could easily have shoved it all into her pack herself. But it made the elf so happy to do things for her, and since she wanted the opportunity to talk to her, she sat cross-legged on her bed while Deezie performed amazing feats of organization, folding clothes into such tight, perfectly square bundles that Alexandra was sure she must be using magic. Now, the house-elf looked up at her, eyes blinking.

"Deezie is Master Thorn's house-elf," Deezie replied, in her piping voice. "But he has told Deezie she is to stay with Mistress and serve her, and Deezie is very happy to do this."

Alexandra nodded, and licked her lips. The next question was very important.

"Did he just tell you to obey Ms. King, or his children, too?"

Deezie looked puzzled. "Does Miss want Deezie to do something?" She set down a shirt she had folded to the size of a handkerchief, and bounded over to the bedside. "Tell Deezie what Miss wants, and Deezie will do it, snap-snap-snap!"

Alexandra cleared her throat, and lowered her voice. "What if... I asked you to do something that Ms. King wouldn't want you to do?"

Deezie's eyes became wide. "Is Miss Alexandra going to get in trouble again?" She shook her head. "Oh, please don't go outside into the nasty woods again --"

"I'm not," Alexandra said quickly. She frowned, and closed her eyes. This was going to be difficult.

"Do you remember when Max and I came back from the woods, when I visited over Easter?" she asked.

Deezie's eyes went wider still. She nodded. "Of course Deezie remembers."

"Max told you and Rolly not to tell his mother. What would you have done if Ms. King had found out that you saw us come in, and ordered you to tell her what happened?"

Deezie was becoming agitated, as Alexandra could tell by the way the elf began wringing her hands together. "Deezie does not like Miss's questions," she moaned. "Deezie thinks Miss is thinking about trouble."

Alexandra frowned. This wasn't helping. She'd read about house-elf servitude last year, but the books in the Charmbridge library hadn't answered all of her questions.

It had been enough for her to figure out how to summon one of Charmbridge's elves, though. She wasn't sure if she could duplicate that feat, and she didn't want to compel the house-elves. She didn't want to do any of the things she was thinking about, but she forced herself to remember her vow.

"I'm not thinking about trouble," she said. "I just -- want to understand house-elves better." That was almost the truth, which didn't make her feel any better about lying to Deezie, making up a story to wring information out of her. "You know there are a lot of people who think you should be... you know. Not servants. I know you like serving families who take good care of you, but wouldn't you rather do it of your own free will?"

Deezie's face scrunched up in thought, but she still looked troubled. "We would choose to serve our families anyway," she said. "So why does we need 'free will'?" She spoke the last two words almost contemptuously.

Alexandra sighed. "What if your master doesn't treat you well? Don't house-elves ever want to be freed from someone who treats them badly?"

Deezie winced at the word 'free' again, but shook her head. "Deezie doesn't know about such things. Deezie has never been treated badly. Deezie doesn't talk to other house-elves who has such masters."

Alexandra looked away, thinking about Quimley, the scarred former house-elf who had chosen to stay in the Lands Below rather than serve wizards.

"So," she said, "if I ordered you to do something you didn't want to do... something really bad -- don't worry, I'm not going to!" she added quickly, as Deezie's eyes went wide. "You'd still do it? I mean, wouldn't you rather be able to tell me 'no'?"

House-elves didn't seem to deal well with 'what if?' questions. Deezie scratched her hairless head and made a small keening sound, and then, at last, said, "Good house-elves does what they is told. Deezie would never tell Miss Alexandra 'no.'" She looked up at Alexandra with a pleading expression. "But she begs Miss Alexandra, please don't ask Deezie to do something bad!"

"I won't," Alexandra promised, with a smile.

And as Deezie, with great relief, resumed packing her things, Alexandra asked, conversationally, "So, how far can house-elves Apparate?"

Deezie looked up at her again, blinking. "Miss is asking very strange questions."

"Just curious. I guess you can't Apparate with me all the way back to Charmbridge, right, or I wouldn't have to take a Portkey?"

"Deezie does not know where Charmbridge is. And Deezie has never taken anyone with her when she Apparates."

Alexandra bit her lip. "But, how about when Valeria is visiting her family in New England? If Triss comes with her, could she Apparate all the way back here from New England?"

"Deezie is sorry, Miss. Deezie has never been to New England." Then her eyes brightened. "But Triss has! Triss lived with Master Thorn and Miss Valeria's family, before he married Mistress King. And Deezie remembers, Master Thorn once sent Triss from Croatoa to take presents to Miss Valeria and her sisters!" Then her ears drooped a little. "When Triss returned, she said Master Thorn's other wife told her not to ever come back. Triss was so sad."

Alexandra smiled triumphantly, for a moment, as one more part of her plan clicked into place, and then wiped the smile from her face and nodded seriously. "Well, now Triss will get to stay with Valeria again, so she must be happy."

Deezie nodded. "But she will miss us, too, and Mistress, and Miss Julia. Deezie hopes Miss Valeria will visit Croatoa again with Triss."

"I do, too," Alexandra said.

She didn't sleep much that night, as she went over and over her plan in her head. She tossed and turned, as doubt and uncertainty and guilt gnawed at her. She was making so many assumptions, hoping things would work out the way she wanted, and if she failed --

No! she told herself. I can't fail. I won't fail.

And if she did fail, it wouldn't matter what happened to her. She had spent months thinking about little else except how to save Max. If it all proved fruitless in the end, then her brother would still be dead, it would still be her fault, and if Ms. King and her sisters hated her, she'd deserve it.

---

Alexandra was sure that her intentions must be written on her face the next day, but no one noticed the way she furtively avoided eye contact with Valeria, nor could anyone hear the hammering of her heart as she watched Valeria open her wizarding trunk and let Triss climb inside, with pillows, blankets, a lamp, and plenty of food.

It wasn't watching everyone say good-bye to Triss that made her pulse race, though -- it was the little box Valeria handed the house-elf, along with a purse, some books, a small box of potions, and a wand care kit.

"Are you comfortable, Triss?" Valeria asked, looking down into the cavernous space within the trunk.

"Yes, Miss Valeria," Triss replied.

"Good-bye, Triss," Julia said, wiping a tear from her eye and turning to Valeria. "Oh, you will bring her with you when you visit again?"

"Of course." Valeria smiled, and then she put the false bottom in place, sealing off the magical compartment where Triss was hiding, and the container became, to Muggle eyes, an ordinary traveling trunk.

It was cold but sunny, in the aftermath of the storm. Ms. King and Alexandra and her sisters all rode in the carriage for one more trip across the sound. This time they did not head towards New Roanoke, but into the woods north of the town. Their first stop was the Blacksburg Wizardrail station. Valeria was taking the train north, so they dropped her off first.

While porter-elves removed her trunk from the carriage and took it into the station, Valeria embraced Ms. King, thanking her profusely for her hospitality, and then turned to her sisters.

"It's been so good to get to know you both," she said. "And please believe me that I'm very sorry I've never visited before. I'll try to return more frequently, and hopefully Lucy and Dru will come along next time, as well."

"Oh, we would so like that!" Julia said, hugging Valeria, and then it was Alexandra's turn.

Valeria held her arms open, and Alexandra stepped into her embrace, feeling like a traitor. She couldn't quite get her arms around her sister's soft, plump waist, but Valeria squeezed her with surprising strength.

"I meant what I said, if you really want to learn the things I've learned," she whispered. "And I will stay in touch. We'll continue to exchange owls, yes? And I'll try to get to a computer more often, when you're home for the summer."

Alexandra nodded.

"But you need to let go," Valeria whispered, much more softly in her ear. "I know it's hard, but you need to accept what can't be changed."

And she stepped back, and patted Alexandra's cheek.

"So your plane takes off at a quarter to midnight, right?" Alexandra asked.

Valeria nodded. "I'm surprised that you've never been on an airplane." She smiled at Alexandra. "Perhaps someday you'll fly to Europe to visit me."

Then, with one more wave to all of them, she turned and walked into the Wizardrail station.

Julia sat in the back of the carriage with Alexandra, as they continued down the road to the Portkey station. Julia began talking about the Plymouth-Salem Yule Ball, which was apparently an intermural event, and one of the only opportunities girls at the Salem Witches' Institute had all year to socialize with boys.

"I want you to promise me, Alexandra, that you will attend Charmbridge's Winter Ball. You need to do something that's fun! And don't tell me no boy will ask you -- we both know you won't let a little thing like that stop you, if you actually intend to go."

Alexandra sighed, but all of her resistance crumbled in the face of Julia's earnest pleading, and her desire to do one thing to make her sister happy, so she nodded. "All right."

Julia laughed, almost the way she used to laugh before Maximilian died, and kissed Alexandra on the cheek. "Cool!" she said, and giggled. Alexandra smiled.

At the Portkey station, while Ms. King went to the ticket booth to pay the fares for both of them, Alexandra looked around.

It was a small building. The booths were inside, looking much like porta-potties. Uniformed porters -- wizards, not elves -- would carry the Portkey to the desired destination into one of the booths on a pillow. It wasn't the Portkey booths that concerned her now, though. It was the restrooms -- which were actually outside. The Portkey building was very old, and had apparently been built back in the days of outhouses.

When Ms. King returned to tell Alexandra and Julia that their Portkeys were being brought out, Alexandra said, "I have to go to the bathroom." She smiled abashedly. "I think I'd rather go before taking the Portkey."

Julia giggled. Ms. King smiled. "That's probably wise. Go ahead, dear. We'll wait right here."

Alexandra nodded, and turned and walked outside.

Her heart beat faster and faster as she walked to the outhouses -- side by side, one with a sign labeled 'Witches' and one labeled 'Wizards' -- and then past them.

She looked over her shoulder. An elderly couple was walking into the Portkey station, but no one else was visible. She broke into a run as she crossed the road, and then she was dashing into the trees opposite the Portkey station. Her feet sank into sodden piles of leaves wherever she stepped, and there were fallen branches everywhere, knocked to the ground by the weekend storm. It was damp and dark, and as soon as she crouched behind one of the trees, she was almost certain that she was invisible from across the road.

And now, everything depended on whether her assumptions were correct -- if her plan was going to work, she'd know before she even began.

She sat there for what seemed like forever, with her eyes constantly darting between the watch she'd taken out of her pocket and the front of the Portkey station, noting the time and feeling every minute passing as if it were a year.

And then someone stepped out of the tree line, about twenty yards from where she crouched.

It was a girl with short black hair, wearing a brand new, dark red cloak. She dashed across the road, ran to the outhouses, and slowed to a walk. And just before walking into the Portkey station, she turned around and looked directly at where Alexandra was hiding.

The other Alexandra smiled and raised her hand to her temple, throwing a salute to her counterpart hiding in the trees, and then she went inside.

Alexandra couldn't breathe. Her knees almost gave way beneath her. She wanted to weep. She was excited, exhilarated, and almost disbelieving, but she'd just seen the evidence with her own eyes.

It's going to work! she thought. It's going to work!

---

After several hours, Alexandra was feeling less exhilarated. It was cold and wet in the woods, and as the sun went down, it became even colder. She was dressed in heavy robes beneath her cloak, but it wasn't one of the magical ones with a built-in Warming Charm, and she was afraid to light a fire for fear it might be seen. She considered moving deeper into the woods, but remembered her experience getting lost on the island. She also considered hiking to Blacksburg, which was only a couple of miles away, but thought there was too great a possibility of being seen by someone, or possibly being delayed.

But I already know I won't be, she told herself. I saw myself returning! Didn't that mean that no matter what she did now, she'd be stepping out of the woods shortly after she entered them, hours before?

But her returning at the right time depended on what she did now. It could only have happened if she made no mistakes before then -- she shook her head, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm. It was as Valeria had said: cause and effect was complicated. Maybe she could step in front of a train right now, and her future self would still walk back into the Portkey station to go to Chicago, but it didn't seem like a smart thing to test.

So she stayed in the woods, waiting for hour after tedious hour, walking around in circles to keep warm.

Carriages, horses, and an occasional wizard automobile went up and down the road. Alexandra had watched as Ms. King rode off in her Thestral-drawn carriage, hours earlier. Unhurried, unbothered, obviously having just seen both Alexandra and Julia off to their respective schools.

Not long after sundown, the Portkey station closed. Eventually the lights went out, and Alexandra saw several of the employees taking off on brooms, and the old wizard who carried Portkeys around on pillows rode off in a cart pulled by a blue ox. It became utterly dark on that stretch of road, and Alexandra heard owls and other creatures in the woods around her.

It was so cold and miserable in the woods, she decided to take a chance, and emerged to walk across the road to the now-dark Portkey station. She looked around, and saw no one.

I wonder what guards the Portkeys? she thought, looking at the darkened windows. Were they put in a vault, or guarded by some fierce beast, or curses? No matter -- she had no intention of going inside. She sat on one of the benches outside, and decided to take a further risk by pulling a book from her backpack, and lighting her wand.

She kept the illuminated tip of her wand covered by her cloak, just in case someone came by, and tried reading a little more of The Master of Death. She didn't get very far, though. She was shivering, and fatigued, and she kept nodding off.

She awoke with a start after realizing that she must have napped for hours. When she checked her watch, though, it had only been forty minutes. It was now eleven-thirty at night.

Valeria's plane wouldn't have taken off yet. Alexandra had never flown, but she knew baggage had to get loaded onto the airplane, which meant Valeria's trunk was now almost certainly not with her. Alexandra yawned, and decided it was close enough.

She rose to her feet, and grimaced at how shaky she felt. The cold had sapped strength and energy from her body. Next time, she needed a better way of keeping herself warm.

She held her wand and took a deep breath. She knew this was going to work -- it had to -- yet she still felt uncertainty at what she was about to do. Not just as to whether the bits of binding and summoning magic she'd learned the previous year, when trying to learn more about house-elves, would have the desired effect, but whether she wasn't about to do something unforgivable.

It doesn't matter, she reminded herself firmly. They'll only hate me if I fail.

There weren't many insects out, by late November, but the hoots and cries of night birds died down for a moment as Alexandra spoke aloud:

"By spells that bind your kind to mine,
by compact made in ancient times,
by my name, given when I was born,
Triss, answer Alexandra Thorn!"

There was a pink flash of light, almost blinding in the darkness. Alexandra looked down, to see a dazed house-elf at her feet. Triss almost fell over, before Alexandra caught her.

"Miss Alexandra!" Triss practically shrieked. "Where is Triss? What -- how --? What has happened to Miss Valeria?"

"Valeria's fine," Alexandra told her. She felt a stab in her heart, knowing that she was only about to add to the elf's distress. She knelt in front of her.

"Triss, I need you to do something for me," she said in a low voice.

Triss's eyes were almost all that were visible in the sliver of moonlight -- wide and gleaming, shocked. She stammered: "How did Miss Alexandra --?"

"Stop," Alexandra said, and her voice was a command. Triss stopped talking.

"Can you Apparate back to where you were, in Valeria's trunk, and then return here again? Are you able to do that?"

Triss stammered again, and then nodded. "Y -- yes, b-b-but --"

"Listen to me," Alexandra interrupted her, forcing herself to say what she had to say. "I need you to return, and bring me the box that Valeria gave you -- the little brown one with the silver lock that was the first thing she handed you when you stepped into the trunk. Do it, now."

Triss goggled at her, but there was no mistaking the tone of Alexandra's voice. She wasn't asking or pleading with the house-elf; she was ordering. She was Abraham Thorn's daughter.

Triss gulped, and disappeared with a pop.

Alexandra waited. Her heartbeat measured the passing moments. Was it possible that she had somehow miscalculated? No, it was not possible -- she knew what she had seen. There was no other explanation but that she had been -- would be -- successful. And yet she realized she had been holding her breath, when Triss reappeared. This time, Alexandra had to catch the elf with both arms, as Triss all but collapsed.

She took the box from the elf's hands, and looked down at the poor, shivering creature.

"Triss," she said gently, "I'm really, really sorry. I know this is terrible, what I'm doing."

Triss stood up, on wobbly legs, and stared at her, then whimpered, "Triss does not understand."

"I know," Alexandra whispered. She laid a hand on the elf's tiny shoulder. "There's only one more thing you need to do. Return to Valeria. Go back to the trunk, and then tell Valeria what happened, as soon as she's able to let you out. And tell her --" Alexandra swallowed. "Never mind. She'll know what I did, and why." She squeezed Triss's shoulder gently. "If I succeed, you'll forgive me, Triss. Even Valeria won't be angry at me, if this works. Now go."

She gave the command before Triss could ask more questions. Triss stared, and then disappeared again with another pop.

Alexandra stood up, and no longer worried about being seen, held her wand over the box. It was locked, and Valeria no doubt had the key. It took longer than she expected to unlock the box -- all of her facility with Unlocking Charms nearly proved useless, and she was on the verge of trying to use force to open it, when she finally succeeded in causing the tiny, surprisingly stubborn silver lock to pop open. And there, inside, lay the Time-Turner.

Alexandra took it out and opened it. The face of the gold pocket watch had two sets of hands. Both currently pointed to the same time: eleven-thirty-seven and fourteen seconds. There were tiny dials that could manipulate those hands, and Alexandra guessed one of them would also change the date that was displayed in a little engraved gold counter beneath the glass face of the watch, under the hands.

She had watched, very carefully, when Valeria had turned back time. For such powerful magic, it was surprisingly simple. She only hoped it would be that simple when she needed to go back months, rather than hours.

In her haste, she almost started turning the dials right where she stood, in front of the Portkey station, and then mentally kicked herself. She couldn't just appear out of nowhere, back where she'd started!

She walked back across the road, and into the trees where she had seen herself emerging, back when it was still early afternoon.

Here goes, she thought, and she took the same dial she had seen Valeria turn between her thumb and forefinger, and very gently, began to twist it.

The sound of owls disappeared, to be replaced with a low rustling roar as the night smudged around her. The moon plummeted out of the sky. The sun leapt above the horizon. Gray blurs shot up and down the road, almost too fast to be seen. Alexandra sucked in a breath as she saw that she'd caused the hour hand to leap backwards far faster than she'd intended. She almost fumbled with the dial, but continued moving it, more slowly, trying to make sure she didn't go past where she wanted. She knew the precise time at which she needed to stop.

At one-twelve p.m., she stood in the woods with the sun shining down on her, and held the Time-Turner in her trembling hands. She looked across the road. Ms. King's carriage and Thestral were still sitting in front of the Portkey station. A young wizard with a knee-length coat, an absurdly wide belt around it, and a tall conical hat, was walking out the door. She waited for him to step onto a broom and fly away, and then she put the Time-Turner back into its box, closed it, and put it in her backpack.

She stepped out of the woods and ran towards the outhouses across the road. She slowed when she reached them, and then, just before continuing into the station, she turned and looked at where she had been crouching, all those hours ago.

She was sitting right there, right now, watching herself, she thought. She raised her hand and threw herself a salute.

It's going to work, she thought. This is how I knew it was going to work.

Ms. King and Julia were still waiting for her inside.

"Why, Alexandra, you're shivering," Ms. King said. She frowned at Alexandra's damp cloak.

"I dropped my cloak on the ground," Alexandra said. "Stupid." She was struggling to maintain alertness -- she had greatly underestimated what sitting alone in the dark for over ten hours would do to her.

"Tsk." Ms. King shook her head, then gave her a hug, enfolding her in her warm embrace. "It was wonderful to have you here again. You know you're welcome to visit again any time."

"Perhaps over New Year's?" Julia suggested. "Or next Easter?"

"Perhaps." Ms. King released Alexandra, after giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you so much, again, Ms. King," Alexandra said. "And... I hope next time I see you, things will be... better."

Ms. King smiled at her, though her eyes were distant for a moment. "Yes," she murmured. "I hope so, too."

Julia was next. She put her hands on Alexandra's shoulders.

"Well, I suppose this is good-bye for now. But keep writing." She looked meaningfully into her younger sister's eyes. "And what we talked about before," she whispered. "You will tell your parents?"

Alexandra nodded. She didn't really intend to -- but after today, she wouldn't have to. There would be nothing to tell them.

Then Julia was hugging her. "Take care, dear Alexandra. We'll see each other again soon."

"Yes," Alexandra said hoarsely. And then, as Julia pulled away, Alexandra mumbled, "I... I really... you mean a lot -- I mean, I really care about..." She stumbled over her words.

Julia blinked at her. There were tears in her eyes. She hugged Alexandra again, more fiercely than before, and didn't let go of her until Ms. King finally cleared her throat.

"I love you, too, Alexandra," Julia whispered in her ear. "And so did Max."

Alexandra turned away, a little too quickly, once Julia released her a second time. She only turned around again when she was in front of the Portkey booth. She waved to Julia and Ms. King with one hand, while rubbing her eyes with the other. She was tired, she told herself. That's why they felt watery.

The porter, the one who would be riding home in a cart pulled by a blue ox, set a pillow with an old radio on it on the shelf in the booth. He held the door open for Alexandra as she stepped inside, and then closed it behind her.

It would be almost eleven hours before they'd learn about her theft. Maybe longer, if Valeria didn't find out what she'd done until after she arrived in Europe.

By then she'd have fixed things. With Maximilian alive, not dead, they would surely forgive her for anything else she'd done. And telling herself this, she smiled, as she laid a hand on the Portkey and was yanked through space to her destination.