Mysterious Ways

"Has anyone asked you yet?" Lily asked as she spread jam on her toast.

"No," Alice said shortly, pushing away her uneaten plate of scrambled eggs. She wasn't hungry this morning. "And to be honest, I'm not holding my breath."

It was exactly one week before the Christmas ball, and everyone, it seemed, had been bitten by the love bug. Alice didn't know what it was about dances that seemed to get everyone so worked up - it was just another day of the week to her.

"What kind of attitude is that?" Lily asked sternly. "You can't go through life with that sort of negative outlook, can you?"

Alice sighed. "Look, can we just drop it? I've had enough of Belinda and the others getting all squeaky about the ball; I don't need it from you too."

"There's no need to get testy about it," Lily said, sounding offended. "The ball's not a personal attack on you, you know."

Alice sighed. "I'm sorry, Lily. It's just; don't people have other stuff to worry about that what they're going to wear to the ball? It just seems kind of... superficial."

"Well, that's probably what people need right now," Lily said wisely. "You know, the whole thing with Voldemort and everything... I think everyone's looking forward to one night of frivolity, one night where they don't have to worry about what's going to happen next, or who's going to die next - one night where they can have fun."

Alice had to admit that this was probably right. Lily always had been more in touch with people's emotions than she had. It was then that Alice noticed a small grey owl swoop through the window into the Great Hall.

"That's weird," Lily frowned. "The mail's already been."

Alice shrugged. "Probably just something arriving late." Her curiosity mounted, however, when the owl dropped a small piece of parchment next to her plate and flew back out the window, screeching.

Lily eyed the parchment as if it was a bomb about to explode. "What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"A note?" Alice said cheekily.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

Alice shrugged and reached for it. It wasn't anything fancy; just a thick piece of parchment folded in half once, and when she opened it she could tell it had been written in a hurry:

Miss Tyler,

Please report to my office at once.

Professor Dumbledore.

"What do you think he wants?" Lily, who had been reading it upside down, wondered aloud.

"Dunno," Alice said with a frown. "I'd better go and see." Leaving her breakfast untouched, she tucked the parchment in her pocket and stood up. "See you in Transfiguration," she said to Lily before leaving the hall.

As she walked down the corridor, Alice mused over what Dumbledore could want. Was it something to do with her uncle? A faint glimmer of hope began to rise inside her. Maybe he had been caught! Alice's heart lifted and her pace quickened. She arrived at Dumbledore's office in record time.

Alice had just raised her fist to knock when the door opened and Dumbledore peered out. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything Dumbledore ushered her inside and shut the door hurriedly.

"I got your message," Alice began uncertainly, not really sure what to say. Dumbledore didn't appear to have heard her, however; instead he just strode over to his desk and picked up an enveloped that was sitting on top of a pile of books.

"Did you tell anyone you were coming?" Dumbledore asked, his back to Alice.

"Well... no. I mean, Lily saw your note, but..." Alice broke off, puzzled. Why was Dumbledore asking her this?

"I see." Dumbledore began to pace up and down, still holding the envelope, a slightly worried look in his eyes.

"Sir?" Alice said tentatively. "Are you... I mean, is everything OK?" Dumbledore was usually so calm and composed; she didn't like seeing him act so strangely.

Dumbledore stopped pacing and turned to Alice. "No," he said with a deep sigh. "I regret to say that it isn't."

Alice remained silent, unsure whether it would be OK to ask why. Dumbledore slowly walked over to her and put one hand on her shoulder. Alice began to feel slightly panicked. Dumbledore looked so sombre. What on earth could be the matter?

"I have had some news." Dumbledore began his pacing again. Alice wished he wouldn't do that; it made her uneasy. "News which... greatly disturbs me."

"What news?" Alice found that she was holding her breath. What did it have to do with her? Was it something to do with her family?

"I can't really go into detail now." Dumbledore sighed heavily. "All I can say is that Lord Voldemort has gained an... incredibly powerful weapon."

Alice relaxed slightly. Then the full impact of what Dumbledore had just said hit her. She felt her chest tighten until she could barely breathe. Voldemort - gaining a powerful weapon? This was terrible! "How powerful?" she asked in a strained voice.

"Powerful enough to destroy the world," Dumbledore said quietly.

Panic began to rise in Alice's chest. "But - we've got to stop him!" she said wildly. "There must be something we can do!"

"Calm down, Miss Tyler," Dumbledore said, raising a hand. Alice instantly fell silent. "There is something we can do," Dumbledore continued, "which brings us back to why I called you here in the first place. I need you to do something for me."

"OK," Alice said, her brow furrowing slightly. "What is it?"

Dumbledore walked over to the desk again and took something off it. Alice couldn't see what it was, as Dumbledore was blocking the view.

He turned and came back to stand beside her, gripping something in his left hand, something from which a thin gold chain dangled. Holding his hand out, he opened his fist to reveal an hourglass.

"A Time Turner," Alice said in surprise.

Dumbledore nodded. "Set to a precise date and time."

"When?" Alice asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"November 11^th, 1944," Dumbledore informed her.

Alice did some quick calculations. 1944 was thirty-one years ago... somehow it seemed familiar to her.

"Tom Riddle's seventh year at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, as if reading her mind.

Alice eyed the Time Turner uneasily. Just knowing that was where it was set to made her want to get as far away from it as possible. Dumbledore held it out to her, its gold chain winking in the bright light of the office.

"What is it for?" Alice asked, reluctant to take it.

When Dumbledore spoke again, his voice was calm. "I need you to go back in time and deliver this letter to my former self." Alice noticed the envelope that was still in Dumbledore's right hand.

"I don't understand," Alice said, confused. "How will that stop Voldemort from receiving this weapon?"

"It won't," Dumbledore said matter-of-factly, "but it will stall him for a certain amount of time... time in which we may be able to prevent him from getting it altogether."

Alice hesitated for a moment. If her doing this could prevent Voldemort from getting the weapon... then her decision should be obvious. Nevertheless, she was scared. This was a huge amount of responsibility for her. What if she failed? What if something happened to her? She wasn't at all anxious to go back to a time where Tom Riddle still roamed the halls of Hogwarts. "Why me?" she asked, trying to stall for time. "I mean, I'm sure there are other people who would be better candidates for a task like this..."

"Because I know you have the stubbornness and determination to succeed," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye despite the desperate situation.

Alice smiled back weakly. Well, if Dumbledore had faith in her... "I'll do it," she said finally.

Dumbledore smiled and merely held out the Time Turner. Alice took it and placed it round her neck.

"We don't have much time," Dumbledore said, suddenly business-like. "Once you arrive, find my former self as quickly as you can. Give him the letter and wait until he has read it. He should then give you a small brown envelope. As soon as you have received it, return here immediately."

Alice nodded grimly. "Good luck," Dumbledore told her, handing her the letter. Alice took a deep breath and turned the hourglass over.

All at once, Alice had the odd sensation of being pulled about in two different directions. Everything seemed to whiz by at lightning speed; Alice couldn't make out anything solid and her feet didn't seem to be touching the ground. This went on for what seemed like hours, but must really have been less than a minute, until Alice felt the hard ground beneath her feet again. Everything stopped.

Feeling slightly breathless, Alice pulled off the Time Turner and stowed it away in her pocket. Clutching the letter to her chest, she glanced around. She was still in Dumbledore's office - but of course, it wasn't Dumbledore's yet, Alice reminded herself. Who had been headmaster in 1944? Alice cast her mind back to what she'd read in Hogwarts: A History before recalling the name Dippet.

Deciding she had better get out of there before anyone saw her, Alice made for the door and hurried down the stairs. When she emerged into the corridor she was shocked at how different everything looked. It was Hogwarts, but not the Hogwarts as she knew it. The corridors were lit only by candles, which cast an eerie glow across the portraits of old-fashioned looking men and women. As Alice looked at them, they scowled down at her and began muttering things that she couldn't quite hear. It was quite a contrast to the brightly-lit corridors and - for the most part - friendly paintings in the Hogwarts she was used to.

What a nice atmosphere, Alice thought, raising her eyebrows. Dumbledore must have seriously revamped the place when he became headmaster.

Thinking of Dumbledore reminded Alice of the task set to her and she journeyed down the corridor, ignoring the hushed whispers of the portraits.

She came to a corner and rounded it; bumping into someone as she did so. Startled, she stepped backwards to look into the face of a dark-haired boy, pale faced who was a good deal taller than her.

"What are you doing here?" the boy said sternly. "It's after hours - you should be in your dormitory."

Alice noticed the Head Boy badge pinned to his robes and her eyes widened. This - this was Tom Riddle! She took an automatic step backwards, terror squeezing at her heart like a cold fist. "I - I'm sorry," she stammered, fighting the impulse to run. "I'll just be g-going now." She turned and began to walk as quickly as she could, when she heard him call, "Wait!"

Alice froze. Should she run, or would that just make things worse? She slowly turned to face him, her heart thumping wildly.

"What's your name?" Tom asked with a frown. "I don't seem to recall your face."

Alice thought quickly. Telling him her real name would be a mistake, she knew that. "It's Dorcas Meadowes," she blurted out. As soon as she said it, she wanted to bite off her tongue.

What the hell did you say that for? Inside her head, Alice groaned. Why didn't she just make something up? And what had made her say Dorcas' name in the first place?

"Tom?"

Alice whirled around to see Dumbledore approaching - a much younger Dumbledore. His face was less wrinkled and his hair and beard were brown, not white - but the twinkle in his eye was still there behind his half-moon glasses.

"Professor Dumbledore," Tom greeted him. Alice remained silent.

"It's rather late to be wandering the halls, is it not?" Dumbledore turned his piercing gaze from Tom to Alice. "And who is this?"

"She says her name is Dorcas Meadowes," Tom said with a cold look at Alice. "I don't recognise her, sir."

Alice didn't look at him - she didn't think she could if she wanted to. She instead pretended to be very interested in a spot on the floor.

"Thank you, Tom," she heard Dumbledore say. "I'll take care of her. Go back to your dormitory."

Alice didn't raise her head, but heard Tom's footsteps begin to walk away. Dumbledore waited until he had rounded the corner before speaking. "Miss Meadowes?"

Oh, right. That's me. Alice raised her head to look at Dumbledore. "Follow me," he said curtly, turning and beginning to stride down the corridor. Alice followed, suddenly feeling very foolish. Just give him the damn letter and leave! You shouldn't hang around here too long.

They came to a door, leading to which Alice presumed was Dumbledore's office and entered. The room was quite bare - there were the usual portraits on the wall and papers scattered across the desk, but other than that, there wasn't much to look at.

Dumbledore seated himself at his desk and Alice stood awkwardly, wondering if she should just thrust the envelope at him or wait for him to speak. Just as she was about to launch into an explanation, Dumbledore spoke.

"You are not from this time." It wasn't a question.

Alice couldn't think of any reply to this, so instead she just held out the envelope. Dumbledore took it with question, slit it open and began to read, while Alice tapped her foot anxiously. After what seemed like an age, but was probably only a couple of minutes, Dumbledore looked up. His eyes were cloudy, but Alice could see the determination in them.

Dumbledore waved his hand at the fireplace on the far side of the room: it immediately sprung to life with a splutter; occasionally emitting red hot sparks. Dumbledore walked over to the fire, letter still in hand. Deliberately he dropped the parchment onto the dancing flames. Alice watched as the edges grew charred and curled over in the burning embers, until eventually nothing was left save for a few cinders.

Once Dumbledore seemed to be satisfied that the letter was destroyed, he turned and strode over to a small space behind his desk. With a few muttered words in a language that Alice didn't understand and another wave of his hand, something in the space began to shimmer to life, like a bad TV picture crackling into focus. Eventually it began to take form and Alice saw that it was a small wooden cabinet, with a single drawer in it. Dumbledore reached out a hand and seemed to pluck something from mid-air: immediately a small golden key appeared. He inserted the key, turned it and pulled open the drawer. Alice craned her neck to see the object he was now taking out.

It was a small wooden box with a sapphire lock, which Alice eyed with suspicion. Somehow she didn't think it contained tomorrow's homework assignments. Whether deliberately or by accident, Alice didn't know, Dumbledore shifted so he was blocking the box from view. A few seconds later he moved again, and Alice could see that the box had now disappeared, presumably back in the drawer, which had vanished. Dumbledore's fist was clenched - he was obviously holding whatever it was he had taken from the box, and the object was small enough that Alice couldn't see it through his fingers. In one quick motion, he lifted the envelope and dropped the object in it. Much to Alice's disappointment, she hadn't caught a glimpse of what it was.

Dumbledore strode across the room and back to his desk, where he sealed the envelope. He then looked up at Alice, his eyes piercing into hers. Alice waited nervously for him to speak.

"Take this," was all he said eventually, holding out the envelope. Alice took it warily.

"Will you be able to get back to your own time?" Dumbledore asked.

Alice nodded. "I have a Time Turner," she said, holding it up. Curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't help but ask. "Professor - what is in the envelope?"

Dumbledore heaved a sigh. "I cannot say, Miss Tyler. All I can tell you is that it is an extremely powerful object, and you must get it to my future self as soon as possible."

A feeling of unease crept over Alice. She didn't feel too happy about carrying something like this around with her, but she supposed it had to be done. "I'd better go," she said, knowing that it would be a good idea to get whatever it was to someone who could be trusted with it.

"That would be wise," Dumbledore said with a nod.

Alice backed away towards the door. "Thank you, Professor," she managed to utter as she pushed open the door.

"Good luck." The two quiet words followed Alice as she left the office. As she began to descend the stairs, Alice realised something: Dumbledore had called her Miss Tyler.

"How is it that he seems to know everything?" she mused out loud as she stepped out into the corridor. Bemused, she lifted up the enveloped. "Whatever this weapon it, it's kind of small," she said in amusement. Holding it out in front of her, she gave it a slight, nervous shake. Nothing happened. Satisfied that it wasn't going to explode, Alice grasped the Time Turner and prepared to turn it over. Before she could move, however, somebody grabbed her by the shoulder.

Alice spun around, startled. Standing there, glaring down at her with cold eyes, was Tom Riddle.

Alice gasped and tried to step backwards, but Tom had her shoulder in an iron-like grip. Fear crashed over Alice like a waterfall. She reached desperately for the Time Turner, but quick as a flash, Tom had grabbed the envelope she was clutching and yanked it from her hand. It skidded across the floor and landed a few metres away against the wall.

Alice could only think of one word appropriate for the situation, and that word was fuck. There was no way she could go back without that envelope.

"You must think I'm completely stupid," Tom spat. Alice squeezed her eyes shut, trying to banish his malicious expression out of her head. It worked to some extent, but she couldn't block out the venom in his voice.

"You and that fool Dumbledore," Tom continued, his icy words seeping into Alice's skin. "I know you're not from this time."

"I..." Alice stammered, wildly trying to concoct a lie on the spot. "I don't... I mean..."

"I don't know what you're doing here, Miss Meadowes," Tom hissed, his fingers digging into her shoulder. "But believe me, I'm going to find out!"

To this day, Alice still didn't know how she managed it. All she could hear was her brain telling her to get out of there, now. She supposed both her fear and desperation must have given her strength she didn't know she had. All she could remember happening was wrenching her shoulder out of Tom's grasp and diving across the floor, fingers scrabbling wildly for the envelope. When she located it, she turned the Time Turner over and closed her eyes, praying; she heard Tom give a yell of anger from behind her and then she was gone, the familiar feeling of being lifted from the ground taking over.

A couple of seconds later she felt solid ground. Peeping through her lashes, she saw the hem of a robe on the floor in front of her. She dared gaze upwards and saw that she was back in Dumbledore's office, lying on the floor at his feet. Embarrassed, she jumped up and began to dust off her clothes.

"I trust by the envelope you're holding that you were successful?" Dumbledore gestured to her hand, and Alice thought she could see a twinkle of amusement in his eye.

"Well... yeah, I guess." Alice couldn't exactly say she had been successful. Oh, sure, she had brought back the - whatever it was in the envelope, but she had also been caught by Tom Riddle. And saying Dorcas Meadowes' name like that... Alice could have kicked herself for her stupidity. What if she had gotten her into some sort of trouble?

Dumbledore was looking at her expectantly. It took Alice a moment to catch on.

"Oh! Sorry." She held out the envelope. Dumbledore took it and turned it over a few times, eyeing it critically. Alice rather hoped he'd open it so she could see what was inside, but no such luck.

"Well, thank you, Miss Tyler." It sounded rather final, and Alice took it as a sign she should go. Feeling slightly put out at the casual dismissal, she headed for the door. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, she heard Dumbledore speak from behind her.

"Miss Tyler?"

Alice turned back. "Yes, Professor?"

Dumbledore was smiling at her kindly. "Well done."

Alice grinned back. "Thanks, sir." She was halfway out of the room before she realised something. "Erm, Professor?" she asked, sticking her head back round the door. Dumbledore paused from slitting open the envelope to glance at her.

"Don't you - I mean, wouldn't it have already happened? Me going back in time and everything - you must remember it happening. You must have known that I would come back to get the weapon, because - you know - it already happened." It was one of those moments where Alice knew what she wanted to say, but when she tried to express herself, the words came out all gabbled. Dumbledore seemed to know what she meant, though, because his eyes were twinkling over the tops of his glasses.

"Time travel is a tricky thing, Miss Tyler. You would be wise not to mention this to Miss Evans, or anyone else."

"Yes, sir," Alice replied, feeling slightly confused, and left the office.

On her way to Transfiguration, Alice let her mind wander. Everything that had just happened already felt incredibly surreal, as if it was all just a dream. Her mind shifted back to the encounter with Tom, and she shuddered at the memory. That definitely hadn't been a dream. Even in her worst nightmares she had never felt anything as cold and evil as the waves that rolled off him. Alice was so lost in her thoughts that she walked straight into someone with a smack.

You know, it would be nice for a change to be able to walk down a corridor without bumping into someone. With an inward groan, Alice saw that it was bloody Lucius Malfoy. What a day this is turning out to be.

"Sorry," Alice muttered, making a move to walk around him. Instantly he stepped in front of her, blocking her way. Alice turned the other way, but he moved in front of her again. Irked, Alice glared up at him. "Did you want something?" she asked snippily.

"A date to the ball."

Alice blinked. Had she heard that right? Maybe her head was so muddled with thoughts that she had heard him wrong. "What?"

He looked slightly annoyed. "Go with me to the ball."

It was more of a command than a question. He said it as if no wasn't an option, and he assumed that she didn't already have a date. Alice didn't like his arrogance, and she was about to tell him that, but something made her stop. Well, she didn't have a date, did she? And if nobody else asked her, which was likely, she wouldn't be able to go at all. Well, she could, but it would look incredibly sad, going alone.

What did one do when they were put on the spot like this? Alice opened her mouth and said the one thing that she could think of in this situation: "OK then."

He seemed pleased. "Good. I'll meet you outside the Great Hall at seven." He gave her a cool nod before brushing past her and heading down the corridor.

Alice stood there for a long moment, hardly believing what had just happened. Had she really just agreed to go to the ball with Lucius Malfoy? What the bloody heck had she been thinking?

Realising that she needed to get to Transfiguration, Alice started off in the direction of the classroom. Well, you could say one thing about life at Hogwarts, she thought glumly, at least it's never dull.