"Daniel, give that back this instant!" I heard my mother's voice shout down the stairs from above. My twin's laughter could be heard accompanying his thumping footsteps throughout the house, fading as they seemed to go too the West Wing of our house. Well, a Manor is a more accurate description of it; five floors, an East and West Wing, several acres of land, and dozens of rooms per corridor (each floor having roughly seven corridors). It was just the way of a Pureblood family. Okay, the way of a Pureblood family that's not the Weasleys. Our family didn't take part in the battle. Some say that it was a cowardly move, but my parents and grandparents all insist that it was to show that we were neither for the ways of the Death Eaters, but weren't against them either.

I was jolted from my thoughts as a fifteen year old boy - who's head sported locks of blonde-brown hair which were filled with pride and an over-inflated ego - came rushing down the corridor.

"Al, there you are! Look, if mum asks, I wasn't here, but you thought you heard me or passed me on the fifth floor, I dunno like running up towards the attic, yeah?" He came to a halt beside me, looking me dead in the eye, eyebrows furrowed in a questioning fashion. I shrugged at him.

"Sure, whatever. What did you do this time though?" Curiousness was ebbing away at my mind; my brother could be a trickster at times.

"Well, it was an accident, I swear, but-"

"Spit it out."

"I may have kind of... stlenmmsbatchofhairdyngpotionanreplceditwthubatchofhairlosspotion..."

"I didn't quite get that."

"Um well-" he rubbed the back of his neck, a habit when he was nervous, "-I may have stolen mum's batch of hair dying potion and replaced it with a batch of hair loss potion..."

"What? But- but why?"

"Eh. I dunno. Anyway, will you cover?'

"Why not?" I shrugged again.

"Thanks sis, bye!" He patted me on the back and ran off again.

I stood in the middle of the corridor, leant against the wall, wand out, and practising some transfiguration. I conjured some rabbit statues first, and whilst messing about, saw my mother hurrying down the hallway, her usually long, silky black hair gone.

"Alice! Have you seen Daniel anywhere?"

"Uh yeah, why? And- and what's happened?"

"Your twin! He replaced my hair dye with hair loss! So, tell me now, truthfully, have you seen him, and where?"

"Uh... he was on the fifth floor. Pfft. Sixth corridor I think? Um, the one with the carvings on the wall? Ring any bells? It's by the attic. I think that's where he was going, I didn't really stop to ask him, I just thought he was practising his running for Quidditch training." But my mum was no longer listening. Upon hearing the "location" I saw him, she had waved, thanked me, and started to go in that direction

My poor, naïve mother.

I wandered round the hallways, bored to oblivion. That was when I saw somebody at the gates. Because by now I had gone outside, I spotted my broom a few yards away. I grabbed it, got on, and kicked of the ground, shooting like a bullet through the air. It was tons faster to go to the gates by broom.

Once I was hovering over it, I recognised the figure to be my best friend, Alex Wright. I landed, and ended the gates, ushering her inside cheerfully.

"Hey A!" I greeted her.

"Hi." Was her glum responce.

"Alex, are you alright? You seem a little... down." At this she snorted. Something was going on. "Alex, what is going on?"

"N-nothing. No, I just came to say hello?"

"Yet you actually just said "hi" in the most un-Alexish way I have ever heard anyone say anything."

"Okay, you got me. How about I explain inside?" I nodded, and grabbed my broom, shouldering it; she hated flying or so much as seeing somebody on a broom.

This is why it completely shocked me when she turned around and asked,

"Actually, can we use that please?" My mouth hung agape, head frozen in place, eyes flicking from the broom to her, and back again.

"Well - ugh - um - yeah? Sure, yeah."

So I mounted it, she was behind and holding on for dear life whilst I shot forwards like a bullet. Soon, we were nearing the ground, before landing gracefully.

She hurried inside, me following curiously.

"Okay, Alex what the actual- what's going on?"

"In here." We entered one of the empty rooms in the fourth floor. "Okay, basically, I need your help."

"You? Need help? From me? Alex, you're the best in the class!" She sighed in frustration at this.

"Alice, this isn't about schoolwork. But you have to swear that what I tell you right now does not leave this room. Okay?"

"Alright... I promise?"

"Okay then. So where to begin? Basically, I was walking down Diagonal Alley, and y'know how your birthday's coming up? Well, I went into Quality Quidditch Supplies. And then... I can't remember the details exactly, but the next thing I know, I'm out of the shops, presenting a firebolt to some man, and then some angry shop keeper was chasing me. Alice, I think I stole a broom worth - well, worth too much for them to display in the shop window!"

"Merlin's Sweet Granny Knickers! Alex, what are we gonna do? If mum knew that, she'd have you out of her as fast as Harry Freakin' Potter's scar! I mean, from the sounds of things you were like imperiused or something, but have no proof! If they catch you, there'll be a trial, and as you're over the age of eleven, you could go to Azkaban!" I squawked pacing back and forth.

"ALICE SHUT UP!" She yelled, "I know all of this, which is why I need you to help me! We need like eye-witnesses or something! But I can't get any, because I'm the one who's probably wanted or something now!"

"Oops, sorry."

"Yeah. Look, we gotta think of a way to prove I'm innocent! I swear I didn't know what I was doing! Well, I did, but it was like only vaguely. I felt so happy, and carefree."

"That's definitely starting to sound like the Imperius curse. Now this is really important. What did the man who you gave the broom to look like?"

"Well, it was quite shadowy, but from what I could tell he had glasses."

"Really?" I sighed.

"Yeah."

"Okay then, anything else perhaps?" Alex frowned.

"Well er... he was quite chubby. And balding at the top of his head, but the part that wasn't bald was dark blacky-grey curls. And he had a mustache. A big one. His glasses were rectangular, and metal."

"Brilliant! Would it be possible for you to draw him?"

"Well... I... I guess."

I left in the room, and fetched some drawing parchment, quills, pencils, a pot of ink, and a rubber (she's more used to that way - half-blood). After an hour or so, an incredibly realistic portrait of a man was in front of me. What can I say? She's real good at drawing.

"Hang on... I know him from somewhere... Think, Alice, Think..." As if by magic, something clicked inside my brain. "That's Bruce Robinson!" I all-but yelled, "He works at the Ministry."

"But that's bad then, isn't it? I mean, if your parents can't know about it, how are we supposed to let people know it was him not me?"

"Ah. Good point. Although..."

"Yeah?"

"I said my mum couldn't find out. I dare say though, that my dad would be... slightly eager to help us."

"Eager? To help convict a fellow Ministry worker?"

"Years ago he and my dad had a fight or something. They worked in the same department, but the head favoured Robinson. Dad got suspended then sent to work in the Regulations department. He's held a grudge ever since. If this is a way to get back at him, he'll grasp it by the horns."

"Perfect! But- how do we tell him without your mum finding out?"

"Uh... I don't know. I'll say I need help with some Arithmancy homework or something. Mum's never been good with numbers."

So when he got back home, that's what I did. Well, after dinner. I snuck some food into my pocket for Alex. Dad followed me upstairs. I led him to the room we had decided she'd stay in, but before entering I warned him not to interupt. He agreed, and stepped inside. Alex explained the story, and he was happy to help.

"Okay, first off, we need to find a way to prove you're not guilty. Then we'll prove it was him."

"No dad, we need to find a way to make sure mum doesn't find out. We need to like put a hidden door in this room and it leads to a secret room that can be Alex's or something."

"Ah. Good point. I probably should've thought of that. Well er, seeing as you two aren't of age yet, I'll do it." He withdrew his wand and cast some non-verbal spells, making a stone brick in the wall shimmer slightly, before returning to normal.

"Right, did everyone see that?" We both nodded. "Good. You just have to top it with your wand - gently - and it should open up." He did so and it worked; it turned into a door handle, which when pressed downwards and pushed forward opened up a doorway made from the wall. We filed in, dad leading the way. It wasn't long before we reached a new door, which was opened to reveal a bedroom.

"Perfect!" Both me and Alex chorused. "Thank you so much!"

He chuckled, before settling down on the chair beside a desk.

"It's fine. Now, we need to work out how to prove she didn't do it."

"Memory in a penseive?" Alex suggested.

"But can't memories can be tampered with?" I put in.

"Yes. Unless... we could look at hers, gather the eye witnesses, and one by one, they present their memory of it, and they'll see her eyes looked weird-" Dad started off.

"And because they'll all show it, it means it'll be proven to be that it wasn't if her own free will! So then we show here, and when it gets to the giving the broom to Bruce, they'll see that it was him!" I finished for him.

"Brilliant."

"So, we'll need a pensive then?"

"I have one. Accio penseive!"

It arrived, and Alex extracted the memory. We all delved in, and watched it replay. Sure enough, her eyes were unfocused. At the end, dad whooped with glee.

"That's him alright! That's Robbinson!"

We exited, and after seeing the time, each went to bed (me and dad leaving via the tunnel). When I awoke the next morning, it was thinking that it had all been a particularly peculiar dream. But alas, upon entering the kitchen, it was to find a mother who looked half-upset, half-frightened, and a bit of worry added into the mix, too.

"Mum? What's wrong?"

"You seem to have mis-judged that friend of yours Alex. I have to say, I was shocked, she's always seemed so nice, and friendly. Like she'd never do anything like this…" Pretend you don't know Alice, pretend you don't know.

"Like who'd do what?"

"Alice, this may be slightly upsetting seeing as you've known her for a long time. But… Alex is a theif?"

"I think you're getting slightly confused, mum. Alex has never stolen anything in her life. She wouldn't be able to - she'd either be too scared, or worried, or something like that-"

"Read this." She thrust a copy of The Daily Prophet towards me. On the front page was a moving picture of her at the register, letting the person remove the burglary spells, and pretending to sift through a bag of galleons. Then. She reached over for it, galleons still in hand, and legged it out of the shop.

I gaped at it, pretending I didn't know the truth and imagining what it would be lie if it was real.

"That's not Alex - it- it can't be. She wouldn't do that. It can't be her-"

"I said read it." So I began to read. "Out loud."

"A-Alex Jordan, a seventeen year old schoolgirl was caught on security film st-stealing a firebolt. The girl was pretending to buy it, but grabbed it and ran away at the first ch-chance. She was seen heading towards Diagonal Alley before the event, at fifteen-twenty hours. The theft happened only two hours, thirteen minutes later, at seventeen-thirty three. All citizens are told to stay alert and r-report at sight of her. Mum-"

"Finish it Alice."

"The trace has had no success, implying that she is with a wizard in family. Anyone found hiding or aiding in any way will be prosecuted."

"Do you know where she is?"

"What? No. No, I don't!"

"Tell me where she is hiding Alice."

"How can I tell you if I don't know myself? Look, I swear I don't know! And that she would never do anything like that! You've known her for years too, mum. Would she really steal anything? Like ever? She has never so much as stolen part of the feather in a quill, let alone the most expensive broomstick out there!"

"Where is she?"

"I don't know!"

"You have five seconds or your wand will be confiscated."

"I don't know! How many times?"

"Five-"
"I don't know!"

"Four-"

"I have as much an idea as you do."

"Three-"

"You can't confiscate my wand anyway, seeing as I'm an adult now." I jeered, a smirk on my face.

"Two-"

"I'll let you know where she is, when I find out where she is." I sighed, bored.

"One second Alice-" she warned me.

"I don't know mum." I sung back at her.

"Well then. You haven't told me. Shows how much you trust me, doesn't it? Follow me." Slowly, she led me to the room which held the secret entrance. "Remembering yet?"

"Remembering what?"

"That you just have to tap a certain brick and you'll be led to your friend?"

"Mum, what're you on? You're delusional!"

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"Look, this is ridiculous. I'm going." I turned around to leave, but noticed mum raising her wand to the concealed stone.

"Anything at all to say?"

"Yeah actually. A lot. But I'm not gonna say any of it, 'cause it'd end up with me locked in my room, with my wand at the back of your wardrobe."

With that, I skipped out, glaring at her as I did so. I went round the corner, before creeping back, and peering in through the gap in the door.

"Well, Alex, let's see how to get you out of trouble, shall we? She opened the door, to my utter shock and horror, before following the corridor. Merlin, Merlin, Merlin. This is not gonna end well.

I went to my room, and paced bak and forth, a nervous habit of mine. I thought through all of my options but couldn't think of a way out. Instead, I owled my dad, who had taken Alex memory, and was seeing who he could recognise, to show the memory at the hearing.

I then headed downstairs, where I found a large, snowy owl. I recognition used it to be the one owned by Alex's family.

As if to complete the moment, mum came back in, a guilty Alex in tow. That was when I saw the envelope. It was a large, red one which was now beginning to smoke slightly. I yore it open, knowing that otherwise it'd end up being worse.

"ALEX JORDAN, YOU GET HOME THIS INSTANT! YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO YOUNG LADY! YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE! Oh, and if she's not there, please accept my most humble apologies, Alice, Daniel, Rowena and Charles.  If she is there, however please most graciously send her back this instant. See you soon!" The Howler which had screamed Alex's mum's words at 10x her normal volume tore itself up at the end.

"Oh er, hi Alex, fancy seeing you here?" I said after a few minutes of awkward silence, in which mum was shooting her most ferocious glares at me. I smiles sheepishly as the glares turned into daggers.

"I don't know where she is mum, I swear." My mother hissed at me. "I'll let you know as soon as I find out. I have as much an idea as you do. Well it seems I had a very good idea indeed, which means you did too."

"Or a lucky guess?" I shrink back a bit. "I'll just be quiet now."

"Well. There's an even better idea."

"Please Mrs Fawley, its not her fault, I-"

"Came here when you were in trouble, seeking my daughter's help, yes I got that. What I didn't get, however"

"The shock, the horror." I muttered to myself.

"Speak up Alice. What's that you have to say? Nothing, good. Anyway, what I ddibr get was why you didn't tell me. I have powerful contacts, you know. And I could find you a place to stay, change how you look, I know people who could give you a new identity."

"But maybe she wants to stay herself, and prove her innocence."

"Maybe you shouldn't interrupt."

"Maybe this is why you weren't told. Because you know so many people that you could just as easily hand her in. How much would your reputation been tarnished, mother, if you were found to be hiding a thought-to-be thief? Hey?"

"Maybe I've known her so long I look to her as another daughter and therefore wouldn't ever dream of handing her over."

"Maybe you should go and stick one up-"

"Guys, stop bickering!" A quiet Alex shouted. "Look. I'm innocent. Alice, your mum already knows. Apparently the way she knew his to get in was that you weren't very secretive when you and your dad came to see me. Your mum has offered to help, and I accepted because we need everyone we can get."

I looked at my mum.

"Okay. You can help, but just… please limit the bossiness."

"I'm not bossy!"

"Er you so are!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!" Alex snorted.

"What?" My mother and I chimed, glaring slightly at on another.

"It's just- you too are so similar!"

"Are not!" Glare.

"Y'see what I mean?"

"Nope. We're as different as can be." More glares exchanges. "Shut up! No, not until you do! Look, just take it back."

"No."

"Take it back."

"No."

"Fine. I'm not helping you then." I turned to my mum.

"Okay, can it just end now?"

"I didn't like it at the beginning."

Eventually everything got settled. Days passed with planning and tracking people down until some people who were there agrwwd to help. Others, naturally, declined. Alex recieved a letter as to the date of the hearing (she hadives into a flat by herself so that when the letter came, it couldn't be traced back to us.

At last, the day came. The day to decided whether Alex would get prosecuted, or pardoned.

I wasn't allowed in the defendants area, but was able to go to the side benches to watch. It was going smoothly. It seemed that Alex had been under the influence of Imperious. And then Alex's memory. Upon exiting it, the person declared it be a Lennie Milton.

That was when it started to go downhill. Records were searched for this man, but he simply did not exist. The person who has declared it had shot off. He turned out to be Bruce Robinson's cousin.

More people entered the memory. They came out, and announced that it was Bruce. Despite the pay rate, it seemed, Bruce had been bragging recently about the new Firebolt he had bought his son.

He was convicted, and it was displayed in every newspaper. Alex was let off, and in pardon was cleared off the records of underage magic. Our family was slightly told off for aiding her, but were also rewarded for standing by the truth and showing courage or something.

So all in all, it ended well. Until my other friend was found for "murder". But that's a different story altogether.