Alexandra bit her lip as she watched Edna open up the old wooden chest with difficulty, peering inside with a smile spread across her wrinkled face.

     But Alexandra let out a light gasp when Edna dug into the chest and took out a long blue dress.

     It was a gown unlike anything Alexandra had seen in real life before. It was one that she pictured queens of centuries ago wear. It was made of silk blue and was designed with glorious lace at its chest.

"Oh, my... this is beautiful! But it looks so... new," Alexander breathed out, still staring at the gown in awe.

"Well, it looks to me that it carries a charm to look that way," said Edna, smiling at Alexandra's expression. This was the exact reaction she had hoped to get from her. "Go on, Miss Starling! Try it on!"

Edna urged her, handing her the dress. Alexandra took it in her hands, observing the beauty of it inch by inch.

"It's amazing," she whispered under her breath, carrying it toward her mirror to have a better look at it.

"I'll leave you to it, then," said Edna admirably. "Call me up when you're done so I could do your hair."

With that, she made her way toward the door, but Alexandra stopped her at the doorway when she called upon her.

"Yes?" said Edna.

"Thank you, Mamma," Alexandra said softly.

Edna only managed to smile at her before leaving the room, closing its door behind her as she left Alexandra alone.

When she returned back to the room after long minutes, she found Alexandra already in the dress gown. It fitted her perfectly.

So Alexandra sat down before her mirror as Edna started combing her hair gently, singing the lullaby she used to sing to Alexandra to get her to sleep as a kid.

Soon, her hair was done. Edna had curled her raven black hair and pulled it all to one side neatly.

"Hmm... something is missing..." Edna mused, tapping at her chin, before squealing in excitement as she realized something. "Ah, yes! Of course!"

Alexandra then watched the elfish woman from the mirror as she went back toward the chest which was still full of book and other artifacts that belonged to Alexandra's parents. So Edna fished into the chest and took something shiny out of it.

With a smile, Edna made her way back toward where Alexandra sat there still, looking at her in the mirror.

"There you go... the finishing touch!" said Edna, placing a tiara on top of Alexandra's raven black har.

Alexandra stared back at her own reflection. This look oddly reminded her of someone, but she couldn't connect the dots. It was too familiar.

"Alexandra!" Both her and Edna jumped a little when they heard Mr. Starling call her loudly from downstairs, his sharp and demanding voice ringing through the room. "Hurry up!"

"I'll be there, Grandpa!" Alexandra yelled back, briskly getting up to her feet and starting to run toward the bedroom door.

"Ooh, Miss Starling, wait!" Edna called her, causing her to come to a halt.

Edna then took Alexandra's warm cloak out of her closet and handed it to her so she could wear it in a rush. Alexandra then started to run back to the door so she could go downstairs, but she came to a stop as she remembered she had forgotten something.

With that, Alexandra ran back toward Edna, bent down, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, Mamma." And so she went downstairs as quick as humanly possible.

Her grandfather was waiting for her down at the first step of the stairs, already in his most expensive Wizarding robes and silk cloak, a cane in his hand which had a snake's symbol made of gold on top of it as its handle.

"I'm ready," Alexandra called out as she was rushing down the stairs hurriedly.

But the moment her grandfather opened his mouth to ask her what had taken her so long, he came to a halt when he looked up and saw her.

"You're wearing — is that —?"

"Grandma's dress!" Alexandra said cheerfully. "Had she ever worn it herself?"

"I don't know," her grandfather whispered. "But you look..."

He was saying, but then as if suddenly coming back to his senses, he shook his head and turned around, walking away.

"Come along, Alexandra," he said with authority, making his way out of the mansion.

"But — where are you going?" Alexandra asked, rushing after him. "Aren't we taking the Floo Network as always?"

"No," he said simply, walking out of the house and into the dark yard. "We'll be going by Apparation. Floo Powder is too much of a mess. I'm not too fond of it."

Alexandra gulped. "But I'm still underage."

"It's side-along Apparation. It's legal," he said shortly.

"But — I — We still haven't had our Apparation lessons at Hogwarts yet!"

"I'm sure you'll manage," said Mr. Starling coldly, holding up his arm.

Alexandra hesitated at first, but then she walked forward and wrapped a hand around her grandfather's arm tightly, closing her eyes.

The next moment, everything suddenly went black. Alexandra felt like she was being pressed very hard from all directions and found it almost impossible to breathe. But despite the pressure, as soon as it had all started, it came to an end and Alexandra opened her eyes when she felt her feet hit the ground again.

She took a deep breath for air as she felt the cold around her and saw her breath evaporate into most in the frosty air that promised a cold and long winter.

"Come along," said Mr. Starling as he started walking, not even glancing back at Alexandra who was frozen on her spot, breathing heavily as she felt like she was going to puke any moment.

But trying to shake the horrible feeling away from her and show herself tough and strong, Alexandra took one last deep breath before holding her head up high and following after her grandfather through the high hedge.

      As they walked forward without breaking their pace, the iron gates before them magically swung open. Alexandra looked around her excitedly, looking for the pure-white peacock that always stuttered majestically along the top of the hedge.

     She finally sighted it and smiled to herself, but tried to turn her gaze back forward so her grandfather wouldn't get the words to scold her.

      As they kept walking with their footprints being left on the white snow, the handsome manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond-paned downstairs windows.

Once they reached the familiar manor, the doors to the house opened. Mr. Starling walked inside the hallway, although Alexandra turned to glance behind her shoulder to smile and wave at the two house elves who had opened the doors for them.

The Malfoys always brought many house elves from all around to serve at their Christmas Balls, but it was the way they treated those poor creatures that made Alexandra loath their family so much.

Alexandra and her grandfather walked down the long corridor with many portraits hung upon its walls, watching them pass by. The closer they got to the main ballroom, the louder the sound of chattering and music got.

But the moment they stepped inside the large hall, the people closest to the door turned to face them, falling silent as they spotted Alexandra and their eyes slightly widening in surprise.