CHAPTER EIGHT
' the alias '

AURORA tightened her fingers around the quilt, pulling it tighter against her body as she peered out of the window. She leaned back in her chair, allowing the blanket to loosen and expose her jumper. The jumper was far too large on her, falling off the side of one shoulder, exposing the evidence of dark magic that tainted her skin. Her fingers moved from the quilt up to the locket that hung around her neck, wrapping around it tightly so the cool metal met the warmth of her palm.

   Her lips pursed as she stared out onto Hogwart's scenery. It was all so familiar to her sense but deep down, her soul did not recognize it. Sighing, she released her grip on her necklace, standing up and setting the quilt down on the chair.

   How the fuck did I end up in the 70s? I may have told Ginny I looked good in bell-bottoms but that did not mean I have the universe permission to send me back in time!

With a huff she moved towards her bed in the infirmary, sitting at the edge of it as she pulled her notebook from Hermione out, passing through the runes that protected the book's contents from people who were not meant to see it.

Her fingertips trailed over Hermione's neat cursive— imagining the way her brow would furrow as she wrote out her thoughts. Something that Aurora knew deep down she would never see the muggle-born do again.

Is this because of the time I hexed Draco Malfoy's hair red and gold? Because if so, I do not apologize. That was hilarious.

Tears gathered in her eyes as she glanced at the brief note Harry had written into Hermione's version of the notebook for Aurora while on the run.

Definitely not the red and gold hair then. Maybe this is punishment for hexing Pansy Parkinson after her comments about Angelina. Nope, that was justified. Hmm, maybe when I punched Nott Senior? Nope, justified. Maybe when I killed Greyback? No, I deserved a medal for that, not to be sent back to disco and platform shoes. I am already relatively tall, what would I need platform shoes for?

Flipping the page, she eyed the messages between her and Hermione that lasted over the course of her sixth year, detailing everything Hermione had discovered and deciphered on the run.

Thanks, Dumbledore for the fucking children's book that we were somehow supposed to know meant that the Tale of the Three Brothers was real? What an arse.

   With a sigh, she closed the notebook, placing her wards over the contents of the book before placing it back in her bag. Sparing the clock on the wall a quick glance, she noted the time and grabbed her potions to take at designated times. Uncapping the ones she needed to take, she downed them with a grimace, trying to keep the liquids down.

   She was due to meet with Dumbledore and Unspeakable Pierce soon too.

   Dumbledore came to check on her here and there and get updates on her condition. But, she hadn't seen Unspeakable Pierce since she first arrived in 1976.

   He seemed reliable. But Aurora had also learned firsthand that trust was to be earned—not to be given out without care.

   But, there was an amount of respect she granted him for the fact that he had seen through the facade Dumbledore presented to the world. As she knew well, Dumbledore was indeed powerful but power doesn't necessarily mean that a person is good. She needed to be able to trust Unspeakable Pierce.

   Merlin knows Dumbledore can't be trusted.

   The sound of the door opening broke Aurora from the danger of her own mind. Pulling her from her thoughts, she glanced up from her spot on the bed, her eyes meeting Dumbledore's as he led Unspeakable Pierce into the infirmary.

   "Good evening, dear! How're you feeling today?" Dumbledore greeted her with a smile, eyes drifting to where her notebook peered out from the containment of her bag.

   Do not grab your wand. Do not grab your wand. Do not do it.

   "I'm feeling better I suppose," Aurora crossed her legs in front of her, pulling a blanket over her lap to conceal some of the wounds she gained from the battle, tucking her hands beneath the fabric and pushing her wand up into her sleeve.

   Can never be too prepared.

   "Wonderful news! As you can see, Unspeakable Pierce is back from the Ministry to give us an update on our circumstances and ask some more questions, is that alright?"

   Aurora nodded, gesturing for the Unspeakable to take a seat across from her as he had previously. Getting the message, Unspeakable Pierce pulled out his notebook and clipboard, sitting down at the seat Aurora pointed to before turning to Dumbledore, "I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave, Albus."

   "The child does not have a legal representative here aside from myself."

   Aurora rolled her eyes, picking at a thread on the bed.

    "She doesn't need one. She is a child soldier Albus, I'm not going to arrest the girl. See yourself out please."

   With a tight-lipped smiled and a tip of his head, Dumbeldore turned on his heels and exited the infirmary, Unspeakable Pierce waiting a few minutes before waving his wand around them. "It's a protection ward so no one can listen in on our conversation."

   Aurora nodded at his words before tilting her head to the side at his earlier words, "Child soldier?"

   He hummed as he opened his notebook, not bothering to glance up at he spoke, "Your wand is tucked into your sleeve and you are prepared to fight should you need to. That is not the normal stance of a young girl unless she was taught that way." His eyes flicked up to hers in a moment of understanding, "Additionally, I am able to recognize what I have experienced."

   There was a respectful silence that lingered between the pair, their eyes telling all that they needed to know. Aurora shifted, allowing her limbs to loosen, and moved her hand that had been clasped over her sleeve out from under the blanket to rest on her lap. 

Unspeakable Pierce nodded to himself, pulling out a muggle pen to fill out his paperwork, "You said that there was a battle? And that you did not perform any spells while you were sent back?"

"Yes, there was a battle here at Hogwarts. I am not sure what all I am allowed to discuss with you given the sensitivity of time travel. But, I did not perform any spells in the time directly before or during."

His hand moved across the paper quickly, jotting down her account of what happened. "I assume it's correct to assume you were distressed?"

   No, I was having the time of my life watching everyone die. It was oh so fun.

   "Yes."

"And this battle, was dark magic present?"

"Yes, there was loads of dark magic being used."

"Is there a chance a stray spell could've hit you?"

"I suppose so. Though I don't recall physically feeling anything hitting me before I traveled."

Unspeakable Pierce nodded along, jotting down notes as he pleased before looking to Aurora, "And you are sure there was no time turners there?"

"Yes. To my knowledge, all time turners had been destroyed years before the battle following a situation at the Ministry."

"Okay." He clasped his notebook shut, standing up with his things in his arms. "Those are all the questions I have for you today. Once I've reviewed this and spoken to a specialist in time travel, I will come back with an update. For now, I am going to call Albus back in and we can discuss what to do from here."

"Okay."

Unspeakable Pierce pulled his wand out, casting a silvery Patronus in the shape of an aardvark. He relayed the message for Dumbledore and a few minutes after it disappeared from the room, Dumbledore made his way back into the infirmary.

"Thank you for your patience Albus," Unspeakable Pierce gave him a nod before he continued, "I would like to discuss what would be the best option for concealing Aurora's identity."

Dumbledore held his hands over the front of his body, "Is it not best to keep her here in the infirmary and hidden from the curious eye?"

"Keeping her locked here will not help her grieve. She lost her entire life and what she knew; at the very least we can help her, not isolate her to be poked and prodded. Also, should the students find out a child their age is being hidden here, it would only fuel curiosity."

"And what do you propose?" Dumbledore asked, brows furrowing in thought.

"If we can formulate a good cover story, I think we should integrate her here into the Hogwart's student body."

Oh fuck.

"But I know so much of their futures, is it safe?"

Dumbledore wore a furrowed brow and pursed lips on his face as he thought about it. "I see. I too think this is a wise decision. You will just have to be careful about maintaining your cover."

Aurora gulped. She would have to see the parents of her friends. The friends that she watched grow and then die. The parents that would look so much like her friends but Aurora would not recognize them in the same way.

Dumbledore broke her out of her trance. "Miss Deveraux, we will meet tomorrow to create a believable story for you to use as an alias. For now, please rest."

How can someone rest when their mind is always running?

THE next morning had been dreadful for Aurora. Not only was there the impending idea that she would have to join the students at Hogwarts but also because she had barely slept.

She rarely did anymore.

   How could she when every dream that plagued her sleep was memories of the people she loved and how they died?

   She could take some Dreamless Sleep. But, once she started, she knew she would never stop. The potion could get rid of everything that haunted her in her sleep.

   But no, she needed to remember. She needed a reason to fight. She needed a purpose.

   When Dumbledore entered the infirmary later in the evening, he had a house-elf trailing behind him carrying a tray of tea.

   "Good evening, dear! Have a good day of resting I hope?"

   "As good as I could have."

   "Wonderful!"

   Aurora watched as the elf placed the tray on the foot of her bed before glancing her over. When the elf was done, they turned to Dumbledore with a nod before popping away.

   How odd.

   Dumbledore, however, looked pleased, taking a seat and helping himself to some tea. "Please, make yourself a cup. We have much to plan and discuss. First of all, we need a name."

   "We can keep mine as is. I don't think I'd do well with a different name. My father took my muggle mother's maiden name so there should be no confusion on my last name."

   "That should be no problem. I have taken the liberty of preparing a backstory. You will be from nowhere but everywhere all at once. You grew up traveling alongside your parents, a half-blood yourself. As for why you are living here only now, we will say your parents tragically passed and as a friend of your father, I am taking care of you in the school."

   Of course, he made himself out to be the savior in my sob story.

   "How did they pass?"

   "With the uprising of dark magic, we will say they were murders by followers of the dark group. It is believable in these times and with our political climate. I will give you time to create your own details and specifics of the story. However, starting next Monday, you will become a student here at Hogwarts once more."

   It was Thursday. She had three full days left.

try and spot the hints ;)

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