Alice was fuming!
Standing in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, staring at Theo knocked out cold—rage had nowhere to go but boil.
Theo blew it big-time brewing potions: cauldron kaboom, launched him like a rocket. Lucky break—Snape was holed up in his office next door. Heard the blast, sprinted in, patched him up on-site, then hauled ass to Madam Pomfrey.
Saved his life. Still, kid's been lights-out for hours.
Alice only got the scoop from Pansy—while she was back in the dorm, geeking out over Pansy's borrowed bracelet.
Snape loomed beside her. Didn't expect Alice and Theo to be this tight.
"Theo's potion ingredients—you footing the bill?" Snape drawled.
Alice nodded—then side-eyed. Why's he asking?
Snape pressed: "What's the angle, Norton? What's your play?"
"Already building your little empire at eleven?"
Alice arched a brow. Dean, chill.
"Dean, you tripping? I see a classmate with mad talent, stuck 'cause he's broke. I've got cash—helping out's just decent."
Snape's voice flat as a graveyard: "School's got scholarships, Norton."
"How's that clash with me spotting Theo? Dean."
"Also—big question: shouldn't we be hunting who set Theo up? Why you grilling me on 'sponsorship'?"
Snape locked eyes: "Theo's accident was random. Zero tampering at the scene."
Alice wasn't buying. Didn't care if it was random—someone's paying. Flint and Bode? Perfect scapegoats.
"Dean, you've got politics. I'm just Theo's ride-or-die. He's been catching heat—I'm not calling this 'oops'."
She spun to bounce. Pomfrey said Theo's stable—wake up, he's golden. No point camping.
"Alice Norton!"
Snape barked. She whipped back—green eyes blazing. Snape opened his mouth… nothing.
She blinked. He cleared his throat, raspy: "Don't go too far."
Alice flashed a grin—sweet but lethal. "Relax, Dean. Just protecting my boy. And I'll mostly stay inside the rules."
Watching her strut out, Snape glanced at bedridden Theo.
Potions prodigy. Muggle-born bestie. Bullied.
His girl back then? Fought back too—but got worse.
Tch.
Lucky bastard.
Snape's lip twitched—then dropped. Green-eyed Gryffindor brat flashed in his head. Mood killed.
Alice? Clueless to Snape's brain spiral. Still seething. Needed to cool off to plot Flint & Bode's demise.
Face calm, rage banked—she headed to the dorm.
Back inside: Stardust paw-pinning Pansy's bracelet. Pansy yanking the other end—mine.
Alice walked in. Stardust sulked, lifting its paw. Watched Pansy slap the bracelet back on—heartbroken.
Pansy swallowed. Alice looked terrifying.
"Theo…?"
"Pomfrey says he's good. Just coma-napping."
Pansy nodded—then blurted: "Flint's crew?"
Alice shrugged. "Dunno if they did it. But I hope they did—no wrongful accusations."
Pansy blinked. "You're gonna clap back?"
Alice scooped Stardust, eyeing Pansy like she's dumb. "You think I let my people get jumped and do nothing?"
Pansy flapped: "Not that! Just… dangerous. Theo wouldn't want you in the crossfire."
Alice waved it off. "I got this."
Then—weird. She stared at Stardust, face odd.
Pansy clocked it. "What's up?"
Alice: "I was nuclear. Hugged Stardust—rage just… poof. Gone."
"That's not normal. Emotions don't ghost like that. But it did."
"You think Stardust ate it?" Pansy got it.
Alice nodded, asking the critter: "You suck up my bad vibes?"
Cheep cheep!
Stardust nodded—then wriggled free, flew to Pansy's arm, pecking the bracelet like a junkie.
Alice guessed: "Bracelet gave you emo-vacuum powers?"
Frantic nod. Yup.
Pansy: "I've worn this thing two, three years—zero clue it did that!"
Duh. You're wasting it! Stardust shot her shade. Prime gear in peasant hands—and you won't even let me keep it!
Been drooling over that bracelet the whole damn time.