Death by Innocence

It was the night they were to meet the person at the lake. This whole dilemma was utterly preposterous to Helena. Honestly! Who asked you to dress up in the middle of the night and go to the black lake? No one that's who, at least no one Helena really wanted to talk to. She didn't even know how she got dragged into this madness!

In fact this was completely preposterous! She didn't need to listen to some person's unsigned letter! It was a free country! So there, she wasn't going and there wasn't anything anyone could say about it.

"You ready Helena?" Alex said, skipping in from behind her.

"No," Helena murmured resentfully. "Because I am not going! I do not trust this letter where the person didn't even bother to sign their name. It's a little fishy if you ask me…"

Alex frowned at her and folded her arms. It was her "I mean business" face. She squinted her eyes and looked at Helena skeptically. Helena; however, was not giving in.

"Fine," Alex sighed wearily, "You can stay here."

Helena looked up at her like she was crazy. She won? She never won arguments quickly. It usually took hours to make Alex see her way.

"Really?"

"Heck no!" Alex cried skipping away. "Did you really think I'd let you win so easily?"

Helena followed Alex with her gaze. She was not excited for this. Se knew trouble when she saw it. Why did she trust a piece of paper? This was not good. This was very not good.

So they walked out into the grass, quietly, trying to evade the detection of a teacher. Helena was glaring over to Alex every couple seconds, as if to say, this is all your fault. And when they got to the lake they realized something no one was bloody there! Helena was extremely proud of herself.

"I told you so…!" she spat, her voice maintaining a whisper..

Just as she said it, a dark figure approached them. Hell, is everyone against me today? She and Alex exchanged glances, unsure how to continue. It only got better, it was Ron.

"Hey," he muttered jogging up to them.

If it had been lighter Helena could swear that his face would be bright red. Probably to the point that it would be comparable to a ripe tomato. He just walked over, as if nothing had ever happened between them.

"Look, Alex, I am sorry. I already apologized to Neville, I…." Ron trailed off, unsure.

An awkward silence fell. No one said anything for what seemed to be a grand total of twenty minute, though it couldn't have really been that long. Helena stole a glance at Alex to see how she was taking this. It was to dark, unfortunately, it was impossible to see her face.

"Neville forgave you?" she asked slowly.

Ron nodded cautiously.

"Then I guess I do to. I mean, I can't keep being mad at you. You're my buddy after all, even if you are a complete arse."

Ron let out a relieved breath, and Alex hugged him tightly. If Helena wasn't still mad at Ron she would have thought it was quite funny. Ron dwarfed Alex in size considerably. There had to be at least a foot difference.

"Break it up," Helena scolded bitterly. "No need to give Neville another reason to be jealous, the silly sod."

Alex and Ron both flushed. Ron then started smiling like a complete idiot. He seriously couldn't stay in one place for two seconds. He was bouncing around on the balls of his feet looking pleased as hell.

"Hey do you guys mind? I gotta tell Harry! He'll be pleased that he can talk to you mates without me biting his damn head off!"

"Sure, sure," Alex replied tossing him a grin.

Ron literally skipped on over to the castle.

"Oh yeah!" he threw over his shoulder. "You two look nice! Why are you dressed up?"

Alex and Helena exchanged alarmed glances. He didn't give them the note? Then who the hell did? That certainly was not expected. For a while they just stood there completely dumbfounded. This was not turning out as planned. Did they have a stalker on their hands? Helena scoffed to herself. Who in their right mind would want to stalk her?

"Oh good, you’re here," a voice said loudly from behind them, completely shattering the silence.

Helena spun around in unison with Alex. To their surprise they came face to face with McGonagall. As in the Professor McGonagall, the strict old woman who taught Helena's transfiguration classes, she just stood there as if that was were she was supposed to be.

"Hello…?" Helena began not quite sure how she should be reacting.

McGonagall sighed and smiled thinly at the pair.

"No, you are not in trouble for being out of school after hours, and no I am not a boy you were hoping to see giving you a secret love note. I am here speaking to you on behalf of Dumbledore, please follow me."

Helena and Alex could do no more but stare at each other with completely dumbfounded expressions. This was definitely not what she had expected. They walked a little further until, suddenly they stopped.

McGonagall looked at the both of them carefully before choosing to speak.

"Now, I am going to ask you to grab both of my hands, we are just at the border of the school. I am going to apparate the two of you to London. There we'll have a little meeting away from the prying eyes of the ministry, or the press for that matter."

Alex frowned. "The press?" she asked skeptically.

McGonagall's face remained still, but her voice quavered in the slightest.

"Well how would it look if I were to be seen with my pupils after school hour in London?"

Even though Helena didn't know McGonagall well, it was very obvious that she was hiding the truth.

After a rather painful experience with side apparition Helena felt quite nauseated. It wasn't until they had found their seats that her stomach began to settle once more.

"I brought you both here for a reason," McGonagall began stiffly. "I won't be long because I know you have lessons tomorrow. I'm just going to get this out quickly. Your presence is required on the day of the hearing…"

"Well of course!" Alex laughed. "I was going to go if I was able; it's my parents for Christ's sake!"

McGonagall glared at her, silently berating her for interrupting her.

"I mean Ms. Dussel that your presence is mandatory you must under whatever circumstances attend. Not only you, Helena as well."

"What?" Helena inquired a little more loudly than necessary. "But why?"

"It will all become clear when you attend the hearing," McGonagall continued glaring at Helena sternly as if she had misbehaved in some way.

Helena paused. "Whatever," she replied childishly turning away from the scene to look at the inhabitants of another table.

"Umbridge, may attempt to stop you from leaving the school so you must come to Dumbledore's office on that day. Oh yes, and Alex?" McGonagall paused. "Don't freak out when you see your mother's state."

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