Sisterhood

[Ralinde]

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING BLACK

"Andy, hurry up! Mum will be furious if we're not on time!"
A bunch of brown hair appeared around the corner of the door. "Just a minute!" the girl referred to as Andy said and disappeared. The other girl sighed and glanced sideways at the big clock. Any moment now, they would come down the street...
"Bellatrix, Andromeda, we're leaving. Are you girls finally packed and ready?" The voice of the girl's mother was stern and severe but they didn't know her any better. She appeared just inches away from where Bella was standing, followed by a blond girl.
"Yes mother, we are ready," the girl named Bella hastily answered.
"Where's Andromeda?" She frowned.
"I'm right here mother."
Andy had appeared next to Bella and the two sisters looked at her with a blank face, hoping she wouldn't ask what they had been doing. They were sure she wouldn't approve of the items they had just purchased at the local jokes store. Andy quickly shoved a bag with the imprint Gambol&Japes in the pocket of her cloak and hoped her mum hadn't noticed.
"Well, don't just stand there, follow me!" the girls' mother bellowed and then strolled away. The three girls followed her. "We have to go to Olivander's."
"What have you been doing?" the blond girl, obviously a younger sibling, whispered.
"None of your business Cissy," Bella said. "You'll find out soon enough."
Andy grinned at the look on Cissy's face. Being the middle child, she had often endured the teasing of her elder sister but it felt good to be on the other side for a change. And as Cissy was Mum's favourite, she didn't mind too much, as long as Cissy didn't tell.
Mister Olivander, the wandmaker, greeted them when they entered the store.
"Ah madame Black, welcome." He bowed and said to Cissy: "I bet you're entering Hogwarts this year dear, and you're in need of a wand. Am I right?"
"That's right," madame Black said before Cissy could speak.
"Well, as you probably already know, the wand chooses the wizard or witch. If I remember correctly, your own wand is a 12½" oak with a core of unicorn hair?"
She nodded. "And your father's," he was now talking to Cissy again, "is a 13" rowan with a core of dragon's heartstring. So, why don't we start with this one, chestnut and unicornhair, 11¾", reasonably flexible."
He gave the wand to Cissy, but shook his head. "No, that's not right." He handed her another wand. "Yew and dragonheartstring, 12"." He took it back almost as soon as he had handed it to Cissy. He handed her a few more, but didn't seem happy until he handed her an 'elmwood, unicornhair, 11". Madame Black purchased the wand and they all left the store. Bella was silently wondering why her Mum could not have gone wand shopping with just Cissy instead of all of them but was wise enough not to utter this comment out loud.
Madame Black continued her walk throughout Diagon Alley and turned a corner. They found themselves in Knockturn Alley, full of dark and shabby shops.
The most obscure store was called Borkin&Burkes and it was towards that store they were heading. Andy felt a shiver. She hated this store, though she couldn't tell why. Bella seemed to be intrigued by it and Cissy just stayed close to their mum. Not a big fan either, Andy thought. Or maybe just too little.

"Good afternoon, Druella." A man with a rat like face appeared and nodded. Madame Black nodded back at him. "Caractarus."
"And the misses Bellatrix, Andromeda and I assume Narcissa?" He pointed at the blond sister.
"You assume correctly," Druella replied coldly.
"I would like to purchase the item we talked about."
"Right, right, now just let me see..."
"I do hope you haven't sold it, have you?" Druella raised an eyebrow and the man shook his head. "No no, off course not," he replied in a squeaky voice. "Just a minute." He scurried to the back of the store, to return in what seemed like mere seconds. He held a package in his hands and carefully handed it over to Druella. The three girls tried to see what was inside the wrapping paper as their mother opened it but she carefully blocked their view.
"Fine, that'll do," she said and replaced the wrapping paper before handing it back to the shop owner. She also gave him a large bag which, judging by the sound of it, contained a large amount of Galleons. The package changed hands once more as Druella placed it in her bag. With one final nod she strolled out of the store.
"I hope you see that being a Black has his advantages," Druella said as they continued their walk around Knockturn Alley. The girls raised their eyebrows. They did not understand at all. But Druella gave no further explanation. They just had to assume she was right. They whispered amongst themselves as to what would be in the package their Mum had bought at Borgin&Burkes. However, none of their ideas made any sense, so eventually, they had to give up their guessing.

Back at the Estate, Bella hurried towards her room. She shoved the packages she had been carrying under her bed. She grasped a broom and ran downstairs to the garden. If she was lucky, she could just practice her flying a bit before dinner. She mounted her broom and rose into the sky. She loved the feeling of the wind blowing around her ears. She increased her speed and soared through the sky. This was just marvellous! Against odds, she secretly hoped the rules had been changed this year and that girls actually would be allowed on the team. It was not likely to happen but Bella still hold on to a sparkle of possibility. She practised for about an hour and then reluctantly descended the broom when it was time for dinner to be served.

Dinner went by in silence, as it always did. The Blacks considered talking whilst consuming food highly offensive. One might even think they thought talking in its own was offensive, for parents and children hardly spoke at all with each other. The girls were raised in a formal way but had great esteem for their parents. Being a Black meant something in the wizarding community. It meant wealth and influence and the respect of other people. It meant almost being royalty, at least in their own eyes. It meant getting anything you wanted for the sheer fact that you wanted it. It meant never having to be bothered with financial problems. Being a Black also meant good marriage prospects, since they had money, intelligence and beauty.
The beauty they shared was attractive and frightening at the same time; high cheekbones, fine features and a certain arrogance in their look. Cygnus, the father, was a tall, severe looking man. His wife Druella's features were a little softer, probably because she already had some grey in her hair. The girls looked very much alike, be it that they each had a different hair colour. Bellatrix, the eldest daughter, was 16 and had long raven hair. Andromeda was two years younger. She had brown hair, which fell just below her shoulders. Narcissa, the youngest sibling, had long blond hair. Though she looked least like her parents, she was their favourite, their pet child. They spoiled her rotten.
Bellatrix and Andromeda had been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for several years and this year Narcissa, who had turned eleven in october, would join them. She was anxious and excited and couldn't stop asking her sisters all kind of questions about Hogwarts, like were there really ghosts in the castle?
They had been shopping for supplies in the afternoon, since school was due to start the next day.

The next morning they all woke up early. The girls' suitcases thumped down the stairs. Cygnus magically shrunk them so they ended up looking like handbags. They would travel by Floo powder to get to Kings Cross Station, where the Hogwarts Express would be waiting at platform 9¾, as it did every year. Bella went first. She grasped a handful of Floo Powder and said in a clear voice: "King's Cross Station." She threw the Floo Powder into the fireplace and green flames erupted around her. She felt a familiar, nauseating feeling but when she opened her eyes, she was standing in a large hall, filled with people. Andy followed quickly after her, as did their father. Their mother came last, with Cissy. From this point on, Bella took over.
"Goodbye mother, father." She nodded to each of them. Andy repeated her moves and with a little hesitation, so did Cissy. Cygnus and Druella nodded back, give their daughters a final warning not to besmirch the Black family name and Disapparated.
"Come along," Bella muttered to Cissy. "You're not a baby anymore, sure you can get on a train on your own?" But her tone was more mocking then actually unpleasant. Cissy sighed and followed her through the stone wall which separated platform Nine from platform Ten. Going through the barrier, there was another platform, invisible for the Muggles, the non-magical people. This platform, platform 9¾  was crowded with people in cloaks. The big red Hogwarts Express was already waiting. They were early. After having installed Cissy in one of the compartments, Andy and Bella left to go find their friends.
Cissy felt rather alone and wished they had stayed just a little longer. But she manned up. She was a Black, wasn't she? And Blacks were supposed to take care of themselves. She didn't need her sisters alongside every step of the way. She reached in her trunk for a book and started to read.
The door burst open and a boy with blond hair stood in the doorway. "Hey, there's an almost free compartment here!" he yelled at some one Cissy couldn't see. Two boys entered the compartment. They looked her age, so she figured it would be a nice moment to get to know some of her fellow students already. She put the book back in her bag and introduced herself to them. The boy with the blond hair said his name was Ricardo Vitel and the other one, who had brown curly hair, introduced himself as Leonard Blishwick.
"Blishwick, as in family of Jimbo Blishwick?" Cissy asked intrigued. She had heard of the name, a distant relative had been married to Jimbo Blishwick.
"Yes, he was the brother of my granddad," Leonard replied.
Ricardo cut in. "Are you really a Black?" he asked.
Cissy nodded, content with the look of awe on his face.
"So, you'll be in Slytherin then I guess."
"I suppose. My sisters are in Slytherin, and my parents have been in Slytherin too, as have my grandparents and uncle and aunt."
"Awesome. Leonard is probably going to be in Slytherin as well. As for me, I don't know yet where they'll put me, but I suppose everything is fine as long as I'm not in Gryffindor. Me dad would kill me if I ended up in Gryffindor."
The boys laughed and Cissy laughed with them. They were kind and she figured the journey would be more pleasant with company. She hoped they would all be sorted in Slytherin and felt confident now that she knew two fellow students.

When the train arrived at Hogsmeade station, it was already starting to get dark. A gigantic man with a black beard bellowed: "Firstyears, this way!"
They followed him to a big lake, where little boats lay waiting. Older students went the other way, talking and laughing and greeting old friends.
"Come along, come along!" the man shouted at the group of first year students who stood hesitatingly at the side of the lake. Slowly, they walked to the boats. When all the students had boarded, the boats sailed themselves towards a big castle.

[Ralinde]

Bella and Andy were very happy to see their friends again. Bella's best friend Geraldine Zabini hugged them both, as did Andy's best friend Amelia Bones.
"How was your holiday in France, Amelia?" Bella asked. "Andy told me you've been to Paris!"
"Really?" Geraldine leaned in closer. "I heard the boys there are really good-looking..."
"Oh oh, you're only interested in boys, aren't you?" Bella said with a smile.
"What's the matter with that? I'd rather look at a nice boy than at some silly old building."
They all laughed. Geraldine looked embarrassed, which made them laugh even more.
"Sorry, this carriage is already taken," Bella said to group of second years about to get in one of the carriages.
"What? But we were here before you girls were!" one of the second years protested.
"So? We're older and besides, I'm a Black, so you'll just have to take another carriage." She stepped past the dumbstruck secondyear student and got in the carriage. Geraldine grinned and got in as well. Andy frowned. "Bella..." she began.
"Oh shut up and get in," Bella said. "It's not like there are no other carriages."
Reluctantly, both Andy and Amelia got in. As the carriage pulled itself in the direction of the castle, Andy said:
"That was not really necessary Bella, right? We could just have taken another carriage ourselves."
"I didn't feel like waiting," Bella replied haughtily. "It'll be a lesson for them, not to linger if you want to get somewhere. Oh get over it," she said when she saw her sister's face. "They'll be fine. I'll give them Sugared Quills when we're at Hogwarts, happy now?" Her voice was drenched in sarcasm and Andy sighed. "Whatever," she shrugged finally.

As always, the Great Hall was lined with tables. Four big rows of tables, one row for each house. And off course there was also the table the teachers sat at. Bella, Andy and Geraldine walked to the tables on the left, which were Slytherin's. Amelia was in Ravenclaw so she walked over to the table left of the centre. They were barely seated when professor McGonagall, head of Griffyndor House, entered through the big doors. She was followed by a line of frightened looking children, all firstyears about to be sorted.
"Look, there's Cissy!" Andy pointed. She tried to wave at her, but Cissy didn't notice.
Like every year the Sorting Hat spoke a few words about each House before the ceremony started. The first one to be sorted was Andy Abbots, a little boy with glasses. Bella grinned at Andy. "How cute, you share your name with a firstyear."
"Shut up," Andy said and stuck out her tongue.
Andy Abbots was sorted into Hufflepuff and a cheer came from the tables on the right of the centre. They watched as Melanie Adams, a pale looking girl, was sorted into Ravenclaw and Krystal Allegria into Gryffindor. They cheered for the Avery-twins Amandine and Waldemar when the Sorting Hat shouted Slytherin. Cassiopeia Bard entered Gryffindor, followed by Jeremy Belting who was sorted into Hufflepuff.
"Again, there's quite a lot of them who are not from one of the pureblood families, isn't it?" Bella frowned as she let her eyes scan the firstyears.
"You're right," Geraldine said. She also frowned.
"I thought last year was bad but I sure hope that it won't be any worse this year, though I highly doubt it by the look of it."
"How can they even let so many enter?" Geraldine wondered.
"I honestly don't know. I think it's Dumbledore. Mum says he's a bit of a softy when it comes to Muggles and I think she's right. Well, I'm glad Slytherin only takes on purebloods."
"Ssshh, it's Cissy's turn," Andy whispered.
"Ah well, she'll be in Slytherin with us, no doubt about it," Bella replied but she stopped talking nonetheless. She expected the Sorting Hat to shout out Slytherin the moment the Hat touched Cissy's head but much to her surprise it took some time for the Hat to finally decide that Cissy would be in the same House as her elder siblings. Cissy ran over to the Slytherin tables and was hugged by Andy and Bella.
"What took you so long?" Bella asked with a smile.
"Well, the Hat hesitated whether he should put me in Slytherin or in Ravenclaw."
Bella snorted with disdain. "Ravenclaw, as if."
"Hey, Amelia is in Ravenclaw as well," Andy objected.
"Yeah, but Cissy is a Black and Blacks ought to be in Slytherin. Imagine what Mum and Dad would say if they received word that Cissy was in Ravenclaw, I'm sure they'd say it was our fault or something."
Andy nodded sadly. Yes, their parents were like that and, she hated to admit it, Bella looked more like them than she told herself. She was glad she had never told Bella that the Hat had hesitated with her as well. She might have been a Hufflepuff. She shook her head to drive the thought away.
"Anyway, you're in Slytherin now," she smiled. "We're very proud of you and I'm sure Mum and Dad will be too." She gave Cissy an extra hug before Cissy sat down. The Sorting Ceremony had continued and it was Leonard Blishwick's turn.
Bella eyebrows rose in surprise. "Blishwick?" she said. "As in..."
"Family of Jimbo yes," Cissy replied. "He's really nice."
"You've met him?"
"Yes, we shared a compartment on the Hogwarts Express."
"That's a Black all right, befriending the son of one of the great wizarding families on your very first day at Hogwarts," Bella said admiringly. "Good job Cis!"
They cheered when Leonard was indeed sorted in Slytherin, just as Ricardo had predicted. He took a seat on the other side of the tables and Cissy smiled at him. She was glad he was a Slytherin too, because it meant they would share classes.
The Ceremony went on and on. To Cissy's disappointment, Ricardo was sorted into Hufflepuff, not Slytherin. That meant they would still have some classes together, but that they could'nt really hang out. She glanced at Leonard and saw he was disappointed too.
When there was only one girl left, Geraldine poked Bella. "My god, that's Celine!"
"Celine?"
"My aunt Agnosta's daughter. We're not really close with that part of the family anymore, something to do with an inheritance, I don't know the details.  I had no idea she was old enough to attend Hogwarts already."
They watched and when Celine was, much to the shock of Geraldine, sorted into Gryffindor House, headmaster Dumbledore rose from his seat. The murmuring that had been going on ceased and the Great Hall fell silent.

"To all our new students I say welcome!" professor Dumbledore spoke. "And to all of you who have returned, welcome back. The Forbidden Forest is, as the name already indicates, still forbidden for students. You may have noticed that one of the chairs behind me is empty. Unfortunately, professor McMillan has found himself with a very nasty case of dragon pox and won't be teaching for a while. This means that, for the time being, there will be no Defense Against the Dark Arts classes."
A cheer erupted from the students. That meant more free time for the time being. Dumbledore raised his hands. "However..." he continued and everyone fell silent again.
"However," he repeated, "we try our best to find a substitute teacher as soon as possible and since we care deeply about your education, all missed lessons will have to be taken later in the year."
The students now groaned. That meant extra hours when McMillan was back and the idea of an overly filled schedule did not appeal to many students.
"Well, that's it for now. Prefects, Head Boys and Girls, you have all received the passwords for your Houses I presume?"
He looked around the Great Hall and saw that several students were nodding.
"Very well. For now, enjoy your meal!"
Out of nowhere the tables filled themselves with all kinds of food.
"Thank goodness, I'm starving!" Andy said.

After a very copious meal, everybody sat back, relaxed and filled with food. The magic ceiling showed the stars that were also visible through the large windows. The food disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and the students began to rise.
The sisters Black linked their arms together as they walked down the stairs to the dungeons that hold the dormitories and student room of Slytherin House.
"Norwegian Ridgeback," the Prefect said and the entrance to the Slytherin common room slid open. They entered the common room, which was also silver and green. Two large snakes flanked the fireplace, in which a cosy fire burned. But the thing that was most astonishing was the sight from the windows. They looked out to the black lake so what you saw was a lot of water. A few fishes swam by.
"Wow, it's beautiful!" Cissy said in awe.
"Yeah, it's not bad. Wait until you see the Giant Squid!"
A couple of Slytherin students sunk down on the comfortable couch or chairs close to the fireplace. Bella was amongst them. Some of the firstyears were yawning.
"I think you'd better go to bed," Geraldine advised. "Lessons start early tomorrow and it's getting rather late already.
"Hey what are you, me mum?" one of the boys said defensively.
"Well, actually, I think she's right. I don't know about you lot, but I'm off to bed," a ginger girl said. More firstyears followed her example and Cissy also took off.
"Welcome at Hogwarts," Andy grinned at Cissy before she left for the dormitories.

[Ralinde]

2. NOT THE NEW DADA TEACHER

The three sisters saw each other briefly the next morning at breakfast. It was a cloudless day. After breakfast, all the firstyears were ordered to follow the professor that was to give them their first course. Slytherin and Hufflepuff had Herbology and Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were directed towards History of Magic.
The older students waited for their timetables. Year by year the students took off, to classes or for a free period. Finally, only the sixth and seventhyears were left. The heads of Houses gave each student a personalised timetable.
"Bellatrix, you did very well on your OWLs last year," professor Slughorn said happily. "I just hope your NEWTs will be equally good. You'll be following Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, History of Magic and I see you also applied for Alchemy?"
Bella nodded.
"Only a small amount of students have applied but I reckon seven is enough to start the course. So that's eight subjects for you." He flicked his wand over a piece of paper and Bella's timetable appeared. "There you go. As professor Dumbledore already said yesterday evening, we currently don't have a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, so you'll have the first period off today. I do hope you'll use it to study."
Bella snorted. "We don't have any homework yet professor, so I intend to use it wisely, by doing absolutely nothing before all the works starts."
She and Geraldine walked to the castle yard. They had practically the same schedule only Geraldine hadn't chosen Alchemy as an extra subject.
"You're absolutely crazy, you know that?" she said to Bella when they were outside. "Taking on an extra subject, as if sixth year isn't hard enough as it is already!"
Bella shrugged. "Well, I can always drop it if it becomes too much. But it sounded like it could be fun. It's a pity History of Magic is obliged or I would have dropped that immediately. Gosh, it's so boring."
"There's no discussion about that, History of Magic is definitely the most boring subject anyone has ever come up with. I mean, who cares about the Troll Wars, right? Such a waste of time," Geraldine said dismissively.
As they continued their stroll across the grounds, Geraldine suddenly froze.
"What's the matter?" Bella asked, alarmed by the look of shock on Geraldine's face.
Geraldine pointed. "It's Zachary..." she muttered. Bella looked and grinned devilishly. Zachary Gray was in their year, he was also a Slytherin. Geraldine secretly had had a crush on him since before the summer holidays.
"You probably want to catch up with him, don't you? Should I call him for you?" Bella didn't wait for a reply but shouted instead: "Hey Zachary!"
Geraldine pulled her arm. "Sssh, shut up! I don't want to see him." However, Zachary had already heard Bella's greeting and came walking towards them.
"Hey Bella, Geraldine. Had a good holiday?" he said.
"Well, the usual," was Bella's answer. Geraldine quietly muttered something that sounded like "Okay." Her face was scarlet.
"How was yours?" Bella asked. Zachary began an elaborated description of his holiday in Spain but she cut him short with a gasp.
"Oh I'm really sorry. I totally forgot that professor Slughorn wanted to see me! I must go and hurry! We'll talk another time, right?"
Geraldine cast her an angry look, which Bella pretended not to have noticed. She quickly disappeared, leaving Geraldine to talk to Zachary. She smiled. Who knows what might come of it. The only problem now off course was that she had to find something to do on her own during the remainder of the free period. Since most people had classes and Geraldine would probably continue talking to Zachary for quite a while, she decided to head back to the Slytherin common room. She met professor Slughorn on the way who appeared surprised to see her.
"Now Bella, what are you doing inside? If I remember correctly, I thought I heard you say you wanted to do 'absolutely noting'?" He had a twinkle in his eyes.
"I'm not exactly doing anything right now, ain't I professor?" she replied with a smile. She liked Slughorn. Besides Head of Slytherin House, he was also the Potions teacher.
"Quite right, quite right. On you go then."
She was about to walk on, when she turned. "Professor?" she asked. "Who will be teaching Alchemy? There was no name on my schedule..."
"That'll be me," Slughorn replied. "And I have no doubt you'll do equally well on Alchemy as you do on Potions. Between you and me, you were top of the class on the OWLs last year." He winked.
Bella flushed. She knew off course she had done well on her potions exam, she had got an Outstanding, as she had for Transfiguration and Charms. But she had not known that she had been top of her year when it came to potions.
"Who else will be taking on Alchemy professor?" she asked.
"Well, as I said this morning, only seven students applied. You're one of them off course. Then there's Archibald Hoover and Zachary Gray, also from Slytherin. Melissa Queens, she's a Hufflepuff I think, and Yennifer Allegria from Gryffindor. And two Ravenclaws, Josh Carrington and Adam Peters."
Bella snorted. She knew at least two of them we're halfbloods and even thought Melissa was a Muggle. So she had to work closely with that kind of people? She began to doubt whether it had been a good idea after all to apply for Alchemy.
Slughorn misinterpreted her snorting and said merrily: "Well, if you don't get along with one of them, we work mostly in pairs, so that should not be a problem, should it?"
"I guess not," she replied reluctantly.
"So I hope you're not thinking about dropping Alchemy after all?" He sounded a little worried and, was that disappointment she heard in his voice?
"Off course not professor," she said, even though that had just been what she had thought only an instant ago. "It wouldn't even cross my mind."
"Good, good. I'm glad to hear that. For Alchemy beholds many interesting things for those willing to learn and it would be waste if such a talented witch as yourself would not merit from its revelations."
For Bella, he had spoken in riddles but it was obvious to her that there was more to Alchemy than she had thought and that it promised to be a most interesting subject indeed.
"I'm looking forward to the first lesson," she said pleasantly.
Professor Slughorn nodded happily. "Very well. We'll meet again later today than. For now, I will let you continue doing 'absolutely nothing', as you yourself called it." He winked again and walked away in the opposite direction.

Bella went to her dormitory to retrieve her books and was only just in time for Transfiguration.
"Where have you been?" Geraldine hissed when they took their places. "That was very mean of you, leaving me with Zachary like that."
"You wanted to get to know him better, didn't you?" Bella said innocently. "I figured this would be as good an occasion as any. But tell me, what have you talked about? Díd you get to know him a little better?" She winked and Geraldine flushed. But before she could reply, they heard McGonagall's voice: "Silence please ladies. I'd like to start." So Bella had to wait untill after class for the details of the conversation Geraldine had had with Zachary. When Geraldine found out that Zachary too was taking Alchemy she said: "If I had known that, I might have applied myself."

***

Andy had just finished a double hour of Care of Magical Creatures and her hands were sore. Professor Kettleburn had had let them deal with Bowtruckles and since she wasn't that good at it, she had been bitten quite a bit. Luckily, their next lesson was Herbology. As soon as she entered the greenhouse she went to professor Sprout and asked her if she had some ointment that would take away the nagging pain in her fingers.
"Bowtruckles eeh?" Professor Sprout said when she saw Andy's hands.
"Yes, me and them don't get along that well," she replied.
Professor Sprout rummaged through the pots and plants in the cupboard and gave her a greenish ointment.
"Here, take this," she said. "It won't make the pain go away, but it will certainly make it less annoying."
Andy took the ointment, put it on her fingers and instantly felt a soothing coolness spreading over the bite wounds. "Thank you professor. It is really amazing, the things plants can do."
"That's right dear. Now, take your place, so we can get started."
When all students had taken their places and looked at her expectantly, professor Sprout cleared her throat.
"Welcome in year four students. You will find that Herbology will become more complicated, but also more rewarding with every step you take. Today's subject of study is the Elfenrank. Now, which one of you can tell what it is and what it is used for?"
Professor Sprout looked expectantly around the greenhouse but none of the students replied.
"No one?" she said disappointed. "I would have guessed at least one person would have been able to give me the answer." She shook her head. "Apparently, you're not yet used to being back to school yet. But that's not something a nice essay can't solve."
The fourth years groaned. It was the first day back at school and they already got an essay to write? Professor Sprout wouldn't hear to their complaints.
"You thought this was going to be an easy year? Well you can easily forget about that. We have a lot to cover this year if I want to get you ready for your OWLs next year."
For the remainder of the hour, they all worked with a lot of concentration. Elfenrank proofed to be a difficult plant to handle, since it had the tendency to crawl underneath the sleeves of your robe, making it impossible for you to cut them without cutting yourself.

***
To Cissy, everything was new and exciting. She absolutely adored the castle with all its dark and strange corners and ever-changing staircases. It had taken her quite some time to go from one classroom to another but the first years were guided by the Head Boy or Girl if they got lost, so she figured she did rather well, considering things.
She had already gotten to know some of her fellow Slytherin firstyears and was merrily talking to a girl called Eleanor Dupont. Like Cissy, Eleanor was the youngest of three sisters. Eleanor had long blond hair, again, much like Cissy, and the girls were about the same height. They might have been mistaken for sisters. Eleanor was part Veela so she attracted attention everywhere she turned, even if she was only eleven years old. Cissy liked her a lot and they got along quite well. It was only the first day and she felt like she had already made two friends. She couldn't wait to tell Andy and Bella.

The firstyears walked over to a grass pit, where a wizard was already waiting with brooms. They had had lunch and now it was time for their first flying lesson. Off course, some of the pureblood wizards and witches had already flown a broom before, but they all had to start at zero. Cissy had had some practice with Bella, who absolutely adored flying.
She wasn't very good at it but at least she understood the basics, which was more than could have been said of some of the Muggleborn firstyears from Ravenclaw House. Firstly, they had to mount their brooms and hover just above the ground. A bunch of Slytherin students laughed as one or two of the Ravenclaws fell of their broom and had to climb back up again. 
By the end of the course, they had all mastered to at least stay on their broom and get a sense of what it meant not to be standing on your legs but to rely on non-gravity instead.
"In the next course we'll attempt to kick off and slow down. It is very important that you master this before you can even begin to think about actually flying," professor Pevensy said. Not everybody was happy with this.
"You mean, we're not actually going to be flying?" Waldemar Avery said.
"Eventually, we will, off course. But if you don't master the basics, you'll never be able to fly to the fullest of your abilities. And with that note I'd like to end this lesson and I hope to see you all again next week."

[Ralinde]

***

Two weeks had past and Bella and Andy shared the opinion that this year was 'definitely harder' than last year. Both were stacked with homework already and especially Bella had to work hard in order to keep up with all the homework since she also had the extracurricular alchemy lesson to deal with. The subject intrigued her though. Professor Slughorn had been correct when he had said that it was challenging but Bella found she managed all right. She carefully avoided sitting next to Melissa, Josh and Yennifer and shared a table with Zachary and Archibald instead. It was hard work and they got a lot of additional homework, even more than for Potions or Transfiguration. The only good thing was that professor McMillan was still ill, so she had two extra free periods each week during which she attempted to do most of her homework.

During the weekend, a small note in silver and green was put on their common room board. It indicated that the trials for the Slytherin Quidditch Team would take place the following Saturday. Bella felt her heart make a little jump on seeing that announcement. That Saturday, she went to the Quidditch field, her broom in her hand. She had asked Thierry Rosier last year if she could fly, but he had laughed at her in her face, saying girls were lousy flyers and couldn't been allowed on the team. She had practised and now felt confident that she flew equally well as some of the players that had been on the team last year.
On entering the Quidditch pitch, she noticed that it was already rather crowded with Slytherins. She lined up with the other wannabe players and ignored the malignant smirks they gave her. She would show them, she said to herself. Show them what a Black could do with a broom. And then they would not have a choice but to let her be on the team.
When it was her turn to show her flying abilities, Thierry Rosier, who was the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team, snorted.
"Again, Black?" he said. "Wasn't I clear enough last year?"
But Bella stood her ground. "You could at least watch me fly before you make up your mind."
"If you insist on humiliating yourself, be my guest," he said sarcastically and waved his arms at the pitch. "What will it be Black, Seeker? Chaser?"
"I'd like to try it as a Beater," she said and tried to ignore the laughter that erupted from the other Slytherins that would fly that round, some experienced, some wannabes.
"Very well, if you insist. Carrow, could you be a Chaser for the time being? We wouldn't want Miss Black to denote her 'talents', would we?"
Bella clenched her fists at the denigrating remark. Thierry blew the whistle and the seven players took off. Bella soared through the sky, enjoying the feeling of thrill she experienced. A bludger came her way and she hit it with the bat. It flew across the field and nearly knocked one of the chasers of his broom.
All in all, Bella thought it had gone rather well. With a smile on her face she stepped down from her broom. She sat down at one of the benches to watch the other rounds. A dodgy secondyear, she vaguely remembered he was the one she had taken the carriage from, was last to fly as a Beater. He flew okay but he missed to hit a bludger and also hit one with the wrong end of the bat.
When the boy descented his broom, it was time for the teamselection. Thierry choose the Chasers, the Seeker, the Watcher and one of the Beaters. This was it. Only one spot left on the team. She knew she hadn't made any mistakes, so she had as good a change as anyone to be chosen. Thierry glanced a sideways look at Bella when he shouted: "Well done Kalzagiritz! You're obviously Beatermaterial, so I'd like to welcome you as the completing member of the Quidditch team."
"What!" Bella rose from her seat. She was furious. "You're letting that git play even when you knów my flying was better?" 
"Your flying is rather good, considering you're a girl. But that's also your problem: you're a girl and like I said before: no girls on the team."
"You... you... pompous idiot!" she yelled. "You're so holding on to your own ridiculous ideas that you'd rather let Slytherin loose than electing the best player for the team? What's in that head of yours, flobberworms?!"
"That's enough Black," Thierry said angrily. "I'm still captain of this team and I choose whoever I prefer. And as captain of this team I have the right to remove you from the Quidditch pitch so I order you to leave this instant."
She looked at him in disbelief. Then she yelled: "Fine, whatever!" She threw her broom to the ground and stalked away. She was outraged. "How dare he, I'm a Black for crying out loud," she muttered as she headed for the castle. "A Black, a bloodrelative through my mother, and I was way better than that git of an Kalzagiritz!"

She opened the door to the castle and then slammed it shut. At that moment, she absolutely hated Thierry Rosier. She felt like she needed to hit something but the only thing she encountered were the walls of the castle and she knew for a fact they didn't give in. She rounded a couple of corners, not knowing where she was heading. All of a sudden, she saw a statue of Galwyn the Great. She pulled out her wand and fired a bombarda-charm at it, pretending it to be Thierry, and felt a little more satisfied when it explodes into tiny pieces. She was still angry off course but the explosion of the statue had had a somewhat soothing effect on her.
Further down the hall, a door slammed and a man she had never seen before stormed out of a chamber. He had black hair and aristocratic features and was sort of good-looking, if you took in account the fact that he had to be in his late thirties or early forties. He stalked in her direction and froze a moment when he saw her, and then he continued in another direction. Down in the Hall, she heard the great wooden doors of the castle slam as the stranger must have gone outside. She went to one of the large windows and saw him indeed walking to the edges of the Hogwarts grounds, where he disappeared into nothing. She recognized the phenomena, for she had seen her parents do it all the time: he had Disapparated.   
Bella wondered who he was and why he was so angry. And also, what he was doing inside the castle. As far as she knew, the only people allowed in the castle were either students or staff or had received a personal invitation from the Headmaster. Seeing the state the man was in, she highly doubted that he had been here on personal invitation of Dumbledore. So that left students – which he obviously wasn't – and staff. She had a revelation. Hadn't Dumbledore said they were looking for a substitute Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, now that McMillan had been taking ill with dragon pox? Maybe this tall, handsome man would be the new substitute teacher! That would definitely be interesting. She frowned. If he was the substitute teacher, what was he being angry about? Perhaps he wasn't the substitute teacher after all, but just someone who had applied for the job and had been turned down? Yes, that had to be it, she decided, just a job applicant who had been turned down.
It was a pity though, because it would have been nice to have a good-looking teacher for a change, then at least they would have had something to look at when the lessons were boring. Ah well, at least it meant they still had the extra free periods every week, so she didn't mind that much.
She fired another bombarda-spell at a smaller statue nearby, just because it was there. Thierry Rosier was a moron and if he refused to let her play, then that was his problem. He would find out soon enough that it had been a mistake to select Kalzagiritz, but she decided that even if he changed his mind and begged her to play, she wouldn't do it. He had had his chance and she had her pride.

[Ralinde]

3. CISSY'S BIRTHDAY PRESENT

Bella forgot about the mysterious stranger completely in the next couple of weeks, because schoolwork took up so much of her time. Like all the other sixth and seventh year students, she secretly cursed their professors for giving them so much homework to do. More than once, they would be found in the library during their free time or sit in the Slytherin common room until far past midnight, trying to finish an essay of some kind that was due the next day. Professor McMillan had finally recovered from his dragon pox, so the workload had increased even more since the Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons had started again.
Andy and Cissy complained that Bella was snappy and barely had time for them and she grudgingly had to admit they were right. One rainy Sunday morning in October, she had enough of it. She cracked her muscles and stretched. She had been sitting in the same position for a while and desperately needed to do something other than homework. It was almost Halloween and the next day would be Cissy's birthday so she figured this would be as good an occasion as any to spend some time with her sisters.
She knew what she wanted to do only somehow she doubted whether Andy and Cissy would be willing to join her. It was sort of against the rules and if they were caught there would most certainly be detention and a letter to their parents. She decided she didn't care. What was life if you didn't take a risk once in a while? Besides, the weather was perfect; no one in their right mind would be going. She had to take precautions though. She went looking for Geraldine and told her about her plans. Geraldine looked envious.
"Can't you take me with you? Gosh, I'm dying to get out."
Bella shook her head. "I'd love to but this time I really want to spend some time with Andy and Cissy. It's Cissy's birthday tomorrow and I feel I've been neglecting them lately. Besides, you have Zachary to hang out with, right?" She grinned. After she had callously tricked Geraldine into talking to Zachary the first day back at Hogwarts, they had met several times and were now somewhat of an item. She was happy for her friend, she deserved it and she liked Zachary.
"Oh well, you're right. Go and have fun this afternoon, I'll watch out for you girls," Geraldine finally said.
"Thanks, you're the best!"
Content, she went to lunch. She couldn't tell Andy and Cissy straight ahead about her plans because they were surrounded by other students. Nonetheless, she managed to slip them a message, saying she would meet with them in the common room after lunch and could they bring their coats.

After lunch, she quickly went to the Slytherin common room. Andy and Cissy were already waiting for her when she arrived. They had their coats on and asked: "What are we going to do?"
"I think it's a nice day for a stroll around the grounds, don't you think?" she said out loud.
Andy looked at her as if she had lost her senses and said: "Have you been out today already? It's not like the weather is perfect or anything..."
Bella hushed them; there were two other Slytherins in the room. They appeared not to be paying attention, but you never could tell.
"It's a nice day to test the nonpluvius-charm I've learned," she said matter-of-factly. "Now come on, don't just stand there, follow me." She put on her own coat and led them out of the common room. Andy and Cissy followed her curiously. She didn't go to the main entrance door heading for the grounds though. Instead, she turned a few corners and let them across staircases, round a few more corners and then halted in front of the statue of a witch.
"What are we doing here?" Cissy asked. "I thought you said you wanted to go outside and test your nonpluvius-charm?"
"Ah, but I haven't said where we would be doing that." Bella winked and then looked around to see if no one was in the vicinity. The hallway was clear so she tapped the hat of the witch three times and murmured 'Dissendium'. To Andy's and Cissy's surprise, the statue swung back, revealing a dark passage way.
"This way please," Bella said and went in first. Andy hesitated, then followed, so Cissy had no choice but to follow as well.
"Now, can you tell us what we're going to it? It's a bit creepy in here..." Cissy said as they progressed through what seemed like an endless tunnel.
"That can be fixed," Bella said. "Lumos!" A tiny light appeared at the end of her wand, so they could see where they were going. Andy and Cissy followed her example.
Andy suddenly gasped. "Bella, is this... can this be... one of the secret passageways leading to Hogsmeade?" Disbelief was audible in her voice.
Bella chuckled. "Took you long enough to figure it out sis."
"But... but... I thought they were just a legend, that no one knew their exact location..." Andy voice trailed away. "Wow, you actually managed to find one..." she said, now impressed.
Cissy cut her short. "Wow, is this true Bella? We're going to Hogsmeade? Through a secret passageway no one knows about?"
Bella smiled. "That's correct. Happy birthday sis. I just figured we would do something special. That, and I got bored with homework," she admitted.
"But how in Merlin's name did to manage to find it?" Andy questioned her. "And have you been using it before?"
"I found a description about this passageway in one of the schoolbooks," she replied. "I don't remember which one and it took me ages to find the correct statue. Gosh, I must have looked like a moron last year, tapping all the statues hats." She giggled. "Anyhow, we're almost at Honeydukes, so we have to be silent now."
Indeed, they found themselves in a basement of what appeared to be a candy store. "Now, follow me."
Bella led the way and walked up the staircase. She listened at the door and then indicated her sisters to follow her. She quietly opened the door and the three sisters silently passed through it. They found themselves inside Honeydukes. Cissy looked around, astonished at the diversity of sweets presented in the store.
"Now, what can I get you: Sugared Quills? Every Flavour Beans? Chocofrogs?" Bella pointed around the room. "Just say the word."
Cissy hesitated then said: "I'd love a Chocofrog, if that's okay."
"Perfect." Bella clapped her hands and took a hand full of Chocofrog boxes from one of the shelves. She went over to the counter, where an elderly wizard dozed.
"We'll take this Chocofrogs, please," she said.
The wizard awoke. "Is it time already?" He saw the Black sisters and he hurriedly stood up, knocking down the chair he had been sitting on. "Right, right, that'll be a Galleon than."
Bella placed one gold Galleon on the counter and the girls left happily, each holding two Chocofrogboxes. "Wait, I'd almost forgot. Nonpluvius!" she said as they left the store and walked into the streets. It was raining outside, but somehow they stayed dry.
"It actually works," Bella said. "Hmm I would not have guessed that, but it's good to know it does. Where do you want to go to?" She had turned to Cissy who was taking in the view. She off course had never before been to Hogsmeade, since only third years and above could profit from the trips to the little town.
Cissy turned around. Her face was glowing like a lantern. "It's brilliant Bella. This is the best birthday present you've ever given me!"
"My present is nothing compared with this," Andy said sadly.
"Oh I don't think that's true," Cissy reassured her. "I'm sure I'll love your present too."
Andy didn't look convinced but let the topic rest for the remainder of the afternoon. They had a lovely afternoon and Bella laughed more than she had done in weeks. It sure felt good to be away from homework. She knew she would regret it in the evening but right now she didn't care. She put her arms in those of her sisters and together they strolled the streets. Hogsmeade wasn't that big, so it didn't take long before they had seen all the local stores. They had eaten the Chocofrogs from Honeydukes and Andy had bought a new quill.
They went over to Mrs. Puddifoot's Tearoom to have a drink before they had to go back to Hogwarts. They picked a table next to the window. Just after they had ordered, Bella spotted something, or rather someone, through the window.
"That can't be right," she murmured. Andy and Cissy looked up at her. "What are you talking about?" Andy asked.
"I thought I recognized someone who was walking down the streets. I highly doubt it's the same person, but I want to go check. Are you girls okay with that? I'll be back in a sec."

They nodded and she stood up. She hurried to the door and pushed it open. She murmured the nonpluvius-charm again and scanned the street. There he was! She carefully shadowed him. She just had to know for sure. Why exactly she didn't know. After all, she had only seen him once and it was not like they had talked or anything. He turned around and Bella quickly stepped back in the shades. It was him! What was he still doing here, when professor McMillan had taken back his classes two weeks ago? Unfortunately, he had seen her too and had frozen where he stood, his eyes locked in hers. She decided that it would seem stupid if she pretended she hadn't seen him, so she reluctantly stepped forward from the shades.
"Euhm, hello," she said nervously.
The stranger that had been in Hogwarts remained silent for a moment.
"Hello," he finally said. "Haven't we met before?"
"Yes, I think so. It was on the day... the day that..." her voice trailed away. What could she say? The day you applied for a job at Hogwarts but got turned down? She didn't even know if that had been the case. Suddenly, she felt really stupid for going out after him. She could just have stayed inside with Cissy and Andy, warm and cozy in the Tearoom...
The stranger didn't notice her hesitation, or pretended not to notice.
He put out a hand. "My name is Lord Voldemort."
Bella reluctantly took his hand and shook it. "Bellatrix Black."
He looked at her with a frown. "You wouldn't happen to be a daughter of Cygnus now would you, Bellatrix?"
"As a matter of fact I am," she said, surprised to hear her father's name coming from the mound of the stranger who had introduced himself as Lord Voldemort. And why did he call himself Lord actually? As far as she knew, there were no lords in the wizarding world.

[Ralinde]

"You're correct," he said. "There are no real lords in the wizarding world. I just felt this name suited me better than my original name."
Bella flushed. "Was it that obvious that that was what I was thinking?" she asked.
"Perhaps not to everyone, but to me it was indeed very obvious."
She wasn't sure she understood the remark completely, but tried to turn the conversation to a safer subject.
"You knew my father?"
"I didn't really know him but I believe he was in Slytherin at least partially at the same time as I did. You look like him."
Bella relaxed a little. If he had known her father from Hogwarts, he couldn't be that bad. She just had to ask. "Why were you at Hogwarts the other day, when I saw you?"
He hesitated a moment, then he replied: "I'm sure you have your own ideas about that, haven't you?" He sounded amused.
This time it was Bella who hesitated. "I thought you applied for the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," she eventually said. She looked him straight in the eye.
To her surprise, he showed somewhat of a smile. "As a matter of fact I did. Then I presume you also predicted the outcome of the conversation I had with Dumbledore?"
She nodded.
"I figured that already. You're quite the clever witch, aren't you?"
She didn't know what to reply so she just remained silent.
"I understand professor McMillan has recovered from his dragon pox?" he informed.
"That's right."
"And, are you learning everything you want to learn?"
The question was so strange that it took her by surprise. "I guess..."
"Oh too bad. So there aren't things you would like to learn that you aren't getting taught at school? For exemple, what do you know about the Dark Spells?"
"Uh, we haven't learnt about them yet..."
He appeared shocked. "Not? Oh dear, things are worse than I suspected."
"Why didn't you get the job?" she asked bluntly.
"I think professor Dumbledore didn't approve of my ... teaching methods."
"That's just stupid. If you can teach us what we need to know, who cares how you teach us? Dumbledore's a fool not to have hired you."
He raised an eyebrow and Bella felt she had been out of line. She started to apologize, but he lifted a hand to silence her.
"Would you like to learn more, Bellatrix? Would you truly like to understand the Dark Arts? All in order to being able more to defy them off course."
The question dangled in the air and after a moment of thought, Bella replied: "Yes, I would love to learn more. I just feel there's a lot more to the subject than they teach us at school."
"Well, they're probably scared to teach you with all the Muggles around. Who knows what they'll do with that information? But I'm sure a pureblood like yourself would see things in the right perspective. So ain't you lucky you ran into me then today?" He spread his arms. "I could teach you all the things they don't teach you at school Bella. Are you okay with me calling you Bella by the way?"
"Bella's fine," she said. "But how can you teach me when I'm at Hogwarts and you can't come in?"
"How come you're out in Hogsmeade when you're supposed to be at Hogwarts?" he retorted the question.
She flushed. No way she was going to tell him about the secret passageway to the Honeydukes' basement.
"There's another one," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "You have to be brave to be able to use it, for it's entrance lies beneath the Whomping Willow."
"Really? And where does it end?"
"You see that little house-like building up the hill?" He pointed to a shabby wooden building. Bella nodded.
"I just can't believe it."
"We could practice there if you would like to. I believe in a practical approach instead of filling your head with theories. And then I could also teach you how to shield your thoughts from others, because right now, ai ai ai." He shook his head.
Bella looked shocked. So, he actually had been reading her thoughts?
"Like I said, it's not like it's that difficult to read them, you could just as well have been shouting them out loud. It actually hurts my ears, so loud are they."
Bella was confused. She had never heard someone mention that they could hear her thoughts. She didn't even know that was possible.
She instantly wondered if all adults could hear everything young witches and wizards thought and if it was something you only learnt to shield when you turned seventeen. Was this how teachers and parents knew when you disobeyed the rules? Because they heard your thoughts? She immediately saw the advantages of learning how to shield those thoughts from others.
"So, what do you say, Bella, daughter of Cygnus, do you accept my offer?"
She drew herself to her full height and again looked him straight in the eyes. "Why me? There are many wizards and witches out here. So why me?" she persisted.
"My dear girl, anyone capable and brave enough to sneak off of Hogwarts just for a day of fun with siblings, is certainly destined for greatness. I recognize a clever student when I see one and I believe there's a lot I can teach you."
"If you can teach me things I'm not learning in school, I'll accept your offer. But I have to warn you that if you mean me harm, you picked the wrong witch to meddle with."
"Oh I can assure that that doesn't even cross my mind. I just care about your education." Did she imagine it, or did he sound bemused?
"I don't know how often I'll be able to come..."
"Oh, once a month will do for the time being, I reckon. So, what do you say, shall we meet again at the final weekend of November?" When she nodded, he continued:  "Very well then. For now, I wish you a good day." He saluted and carelessly strolled away.

Still a little confused, Bella went back to the Tearoom. Andy and Cissy greeted her with a worried look on their faces. "What took you so long?" Cissy said. "We thought something had happened to you."
"It's nothing, I'm fine. Really," she said when she saw their faces.
"Your tea'll be cold by now," Cissy said in a soft voice.
Bella felt the teacup; it had indeed lost most of its warmth.
"You're right, off course. Look, I'm sorry I made you worry about me. But now I'm back, I'm unharmed, so we can just continue our afternoon, right?"
She took a sip of her tea and pulled a face. "Yuck, cold tea is really nasty." She dashed the remainder of the tea beside one the potplants in the window.
The atmosphere around the three of them had changed, so eventually they decided they might better just be heading back to Hogwarts.
"After all, we have to go to Honeydukes, be able to sneak to his cellar, follow the tunnel... We just have to go now, otherwise we want be in time for supper," Bella defended her decision to break up the party.
"I guess you're right," Andy said. "Too bad, it was perfect not to be thinking about homework for a change." She sighed. "Let's go back."

The sisters walked back to Honeydukes and wondered they were ever going to go inside the store unnoticed. As they soon found out, entering the sweet store was the easiest part. A witch, equal in age as the wizard they had encountered earlier that day, only much more vigilant than her husband, had taking over from him. She guarded the store like a bird guards his nest. Bella began to fear they just might have to fight her to get to the cellar, when a tall, dark haired wizard entered the shop. Bella didn't have to look to know who it was and used the diversion to usher her sisters to the door of the cellar. They managed to sneak into the cellar and when the door closed behind them with a soft click, they tiptoed down the stairs. Bella lifted the hatch and Andy went first into the tunnel. She would guide Cissy and Bella followed.
"Lumos!" the three witches whispered, this time prepared for the darkness. Bella closed the hatch hastily but checked if it was closed indeed. They shuffled as quickly as they could through the passage until they came to a wall.
"Could you lend me a light?" Bella asked. Andy and Cissy held their illuminated wands close whilst Bella whispered 'Nox' to her own wand, which immediately extinguished. She felt the wall with her hands. It didn't take long to find the spot she was looking for. She pointed her wand and tapped the wall three times, just as she had done before with the statue of the witch. A door appeared and she softly pushed it open a bit.
She peeped her head through the opening and scanned the halls. Off course, they could only climb out when there was no one around, otherwise they be brought to professor Slughorn immediately. And with her newfound information that some people could hear your thoughts, Bella felt this would be bad time for them to get caught. Luckily for them the hallway appeared to be empty and after another quick glance, the three sisters darted through the door. Bella closed it and the wall became solid again.
They brushed the dust from their robes.
"This truly was amazing," Cissy said once again.
"Absolutely worth it," Andy admitted. "Just, next time when you find out something like this, just let me know, right? If only I had known this passageway existed..."
Bella grinned. "And spoil the surprise? Nah, some secrets just have to be kept."
The three sisters giggled and returned to the Slyterin common room. Bella felt pleased. It had been a surprise and she had just loved the look on their faces when they arrived at Hogsmeade. It had been nice to spend some time together, no parents, no teachers, and no other students, just the three of them. It had definitely been a good idea to do this.

[Ralinde]

4. PRACTICAL MAGIC

After their trip to Hogsmeade, Andy and Bella seemed more relaxed. The mere thought of having clandestinely sneaked out of Hogwarts without anyone noticing uplifted their spirits. For Cissy, it was more difficult, for she constantly had to be aware not to let any details of what she had seen in Hogsmeade slip. After all, first years were not allowed in Hogsmeade so if she would talk about it, they would find out she had been there illegally. The trip created a bond between the three sisters; they now shared a secret, one they were bound to use again later. In the days that followed the trip, Bella wondered if everyone could read their secrets from their thoughts, but even though McGonagall casted her a strange look, they had heard nothing about it from any of the teachers.
As December neared, Bella began to question her decision to go and meet this Lord Voldemort, in a building at the edge of Hogsmeade. Should she actually go on with this? She was sure the man would understand, but imagined herself that he would also be disappointed if she didn't show op. Why was that even important to her? Because she was a Black off course, she told herself firmly. And Blacks kept their promises. Besides, he knew Father.
So in the end she decided she would go after all, just to be sure. The weather accommodated her plans well; due to terrible weather, the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin had been moved to exactly the weekend Bella had agreed to meet 'the other teacher', as she called him silently. She still wasn't speaking to Thierry Rosier and she was nagging Karzagiriz whenever she had the oppurtunity, so no one was surprised if she wouldn't go to watch it. When the Slytherins all prepared for the game, Bella left for her dormitory, stating she didn't feel well. Andy opened her mound for she thought she knew what Bella's actual plan was, but closed it again. After all, it had been Bella who had discovered the secret passageway, so it was only fair that she should use it once in a while.

Reluctantly, Andy walked over to the Quidditch Pitch to see the match. She felt strangely alone. Bella had stayed in the dormitory and would most likely use the spare time to visit Hogsmeade once more. Cissy had already gone to the Pitch with her new friends and since Amelia was a Ravenclaw, she couldn't sit with her either. For the first time it hit her that most of her friends where in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor and that she didn't really hang out with anyone from Slytherin besides her sisters. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember when she had even talked to the other girls in her dormitory, other than the regular small talk. Maybe she needed to do something about her social life, she concluded. And why not start straight away?
She sat down next to boy from her year who's name was Tao Lee and who had been talking to his friends when she arrived. He looked at her for a brief moment, then turned around to continue talking to his friends. The message was very clear; he had no interest in talking to her whatsoever, even though that had a lot of classes together. But Andy persisted. If she wanted to do this, she just had to swallow the pill.
"Hey Tao, Lucas, Irvine" she said to Tao and his friends. "What do you think the outcome will be? With what score will be defeat Ravenclaw?"
She now had their attention. They had to react; she had obviously addressed them, so they couldn't pretend they hadn't heard her.
"Two hundred to zero," the boy named Irvine said with certainty.
"I don't know. Haythorn isn't in his best shape, so I reckon we'll be lucky if we make it to one hundred and fifty to ten. And that's only if Jacobs catches the Snitch in the first minute," Tao said.
"No way, man, are you out of your mind?!" Lucas shouted. "Haven't you seen the spectacular safe at last weeks training? Haythorn'll keep his goals empty, I'm sure of it. I've got my money placed at one hundred and seventy to zero."
The three boys got into a heated conversation. Andy smiled. They hadn't really involved her in the conversation, but she somehow still felt part of it.
After a couple minutes of arguing, Lucas suddenly turned to her. "What have you got your money set on?"
The arguing stopped and all three of them now looked at her. Andy felt uncomfortable. "I haven't set my money on anything," she began. The boys howled. "I haven't set my money on anything, but if I had done, it would have been on three hundred to eighty."
They looked at her in shock. "You mean you think Haythorn will let eight goals through?" Irvine said in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, I'm with Tao on this one," she apologised. "I've seen Haythorn this last couple of days and he looked like dragon dung. I'm surprised he's not lying sick in his bed. I don't think he'll be able the keep the rings clean."
Lucas shook his head but before he could say anything, the voice of the commentator announced that the match was about to begin. "We'll see who's right," he whispered.
Unfortunately for Slytherin, Andy's observations had been far more adequate than Lucas'. It was even worse than she had predicted. Haythorn's face was a weird shade of green and sometimes it looked like he was about to vomit. Most Quaffles went past hem through the hoops, without him being to stop any of them. When they were halfway in the match, Slytherin was already behind with one hundred and ten points to thirty. The Slytherins scowled and yelled at the team to give it their best. But alas. Jacobs did catch the Snitch but by then the Ravenclaws had scored nine more goals and the Slytherins only one, so the game ended at the very depressing outcome of one hundred and ninety to one hundred and eighty.
"We were so close!" Tao said afterwards.
Irvine shook his head. "We were never close. We didn't stand a change. And the worst part is, it wasn't even all Haythorn's fault. That little kid, the new Beater? He missed every single Bludger sent his way!"
Andy ranted with them. It felt strangely nice to be discussing Quidditch with her classmate, even though today was the first conversation she had shared with them since first year.
"I mean, I saw that sixthyear fly at the trials... She made an absolute fool of herself showing up and I'm all against girls on the Quiditch Team but I think she would have done a lot better today than the git we got stuck with now!" Lucas said.
Andy froze. They didn't immediately notice but then they stopped. "What's up?" Tao said. Andy shook her head.
"Wait. The girl on the trials..." comprehension dawned on Irvine's face. "She's your sister, isn't she? I think I've seen the two of you hang out together."
There was no denying it. Andy nodded. She felt as if the little friendliness between them had instantly been gone, but to her surprise Lucas said: "She's got one hell of a swing to her beating, I wished I could do that. I swear, if she had been a boy, she would definitely have made it to the team, no doubt about it."
Andy shrugged. "I'll pass the message," she said dryly and grinned. After a moment, Tao grinned back and then they all started to laugh, Andy included.
"Come on y'all, I've got a stack of Butterbeer in the dormitory, smuggled it out of Hogsmeade last time. Anyone care for a drink?"
Andy walked with them, talking and laughing, as if they had been friends since forever. It was nice that they accepted her so easily; she would never have guessed that. They were fun and she enjoyed their company, another thing she would never have guessed.  I need to remind to thank Bella, after all, if she hadn't been going to Hogsmeade today, I might never have dared this.

Meanwhile, Bella had indeed waited for everyone to go the Quidditch match before trying to get to Hogsmeade. She hadn't figured out yet how to get past the Whomping Willow but if there really was a secret passageway then sure it should not be that difficult? She couldn't have been more wrong; it proved very difficult to get past the Whomping Willow or even to find the entrance. After she had nearly escaped an attack from the tree a couple of times, she finally spotted a hole underneath the tree that was bound to be the entrance. She managed in the end but she was sure she would feel sour for a couple of days, being beaten by the tree on her way in. Why again was she doing this? However, once she got inside the hole and saw that it actually was a passageway, her spirits lifted instantly. Actually, this was kind of exciting and adventurous...

[Ralinde]

The passageway was locked with a hatch, just like the one leading to Honeydukes had been. She pushed it and it gave way, so she climbed up.
"There you are," a voice said. "I was beginning to doubt if you'd come."
"I had some... problems with the Whomping Willow," she said reluctantly.
"Didn't I tell you to hit the knob on the bark?"
"No you didn't."
"Well, now you know, so I reckon it shouldn't be a problem anymore next time."
Bella remained silent, asking herself how he could be so sure there would be a next time.
He chuckled and she shivered at the sound of it. It didn't sound... human, strangely enough. She shook her head. No, she must be imagining things.
"Are you ready to start on the basics?" he said.
"Off course I am. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."
"Very well. What has been treaded during your Defence against the Dark Arts lessons so far? No, I don't need an elaborated, detailed description of everything you have ever talked about during those six years," Lord Voldemort said when Bella had opened her mouth. "Just, tell me about this year. I've been at Hogwarts, so if the program hasn't changed too much, professor McMillan should teach you about the same things I learned in year six from professor Merryweather."
Bella thought for a moment. "Well, we've dealt with Werewolves, Fwoopers, Ashwinder Eggs and off course the counter spells for some of the hexes and curses."
Lord Voldemort's eyes had moved when she mentioned the Ashwinder Eggs, but now that she was finished, he shook his head. "Still no practical lessons then I see."
"What do you mean?" she said. "We're practising how to defeat creatures and how to block spells..."
"My point exactly. How can you fully block a spell if you don't know anything about its power? You learn how to deal with magical creatures because they are brought to class so you can work with them. You learn how to handle plants simply by handling them in the greenhouses. No teacher in their right mind would teach young witches and wizards how to handle a Venomous Tentacula without bringing some of these plants into the greenhouses, and when you were taught about Fwoopers, I'm quite certain there were a few of them in class as well. So why is it that when it comes to curses, you're supposed to block without them actually being uttered?"
Bella had to think about that. "That's a good question," she eventually said.
"I have been asking myself the same question when I left school, so after I graduated I found myself a wizard in Albania who was willing to teach me. Just as I'm about to teach you right now."
"Well, let's get started then," Bella said eagerly.
"I like it that you're so enthusiastic. I've taken the liberty to bring a couple of leeches for you to practice on. I hope you're not discomforted by them?"
When Bella shook her head, he pulled a jar filled with leeches. He placed the jar on a table. Bella couldn't help but to keep watching at it.
"We'll start with an easy jinx," he said. "I'm pretty sure it is still in use amongst students who have a quarrel with one another, but it's just to get you started." He took out a leech, murmured 'Engorgio' and the leech increased in size. "This will help making the effects more visible. Now, the spell we're testing looks a bit like the one I've just used. The incantation is 'engorgio skullus' and you wave your wand like this." He flicked his wand and pronounced the incantation. The head of the leech grew extensively. The counterjinx to this spell is 'redactum skullus'. You use almost the same wand movement but with a slight difference. He showed her the movement and the counter-jinx and Bella grinned. This could actually be fun. She hadn't seen the spell being used before but it looked very promising to try it out on, say, a Thierry Rosier for example.
She took out her wand and mimicked the movement and words she had just seen and heard from Lord Voldemort. The first time she tried, there hardly was any change. The second time, she spoke too aggressively and the leech' head blew up like a balloon and then exploded with a big bang. Bella shrieked.
"Don't worry, don't worry. That happens all the time. We have plenty of leeches." He took out a new one from its glass imprisonment and enlarged it. "There you go."
This time, she managed to master the spell and the leech' head blew up just like it had done when Lord Voldemort had shown her. She turned the leech back to normal with a sigh.
"I see you can already see the benefits of knowing both the jinx and anti-jinx here, don't you? And the best part about this spell is, it also works the other way round." He said 'redactum skullus' and the leech' head shrunk to half its size. It looked very odd. She enlarged it with the 'enlargio-spell' and its head took its normal size again.
Bella now really began to have fun with this. She shrunk and enlarged the leech' head at random and giggled each time it transformed.

After some time, Lord Voldemort stopped her. "I think you master these jinxes now. I would like for you to practice another one, which is also still rather harmless. It's called the antler spell and I bet you can already predict what it does?" he looked at as if waiting for an answer.
"Judging by it's name, I would guess that it makes antlers grow out of somebody's head?"
"Correct. Very useful if you want to jinx someone you don't like, since there is no real counter-jinx so the subject to the jinx will have to have the antlers removed at the hospital wing, which will take up to one or two days."
Bella chuckled. She would so love to try them on Kalzagiritz or a Muggle student in one of the other houses. How absolutely ridiculous they would look!
"The incantation for this spell is 'anteoculatia'. The wand movement is a little complicated, since it consists of two different movements. He showed her several times and then spoke the incantation to the spell. Immediately, the leech grew antlers.
Now Bella laughed out loud. The leech looked totally ridiculous. She couldn't wait to try it out herself. Lord Voldemort placed the leech in a corner, took out another one and enlarged it before handing it to Bella.
"Antocula," she said. The leech head suddenly had two extra eyes. "O my, that was absolutely not what I intended." She said nervously.
"Not a problem." He discarded the now four-eyed leech like he had done with the other failed cases and presented her with a new one out of the jar.
This jinx proved to be a lot more complicated than the head-enlarging and head-reducing spell. It took Bella eight times to make a full set of antlers sprout from the leech' head. She repeated it a couple more times and the pile of disfigured leeches at the corner of the room grew simultaneously.
When he thought she mastered the jinx well enough, Lord Voldemort finished the lesson. It was already starting to get dark, so if they didn't stop now, she would not be back in time for dinner and would most surely have to answer all kinds of questions.
Bella was disappointed.  She experienced a strange pleasure on learning some 'reasonably harmless' jinxes, as Lord Voldemort called them, and to know that from now on, she would have a counter weapon if anyone dared to cross her. It felt powerful. However, she hadn't forgotten about their first conversation in Hogsmeade.
"I thought you promised me you would teach me how to shield my thoughts from others?" she said frowning.
"That, my dear Bella, will unfortunately have to wait until our next session. That is, if want to continue off course."
She knew he already knew the answer to that question but replied nonetheless. "I would love to learn more."
He nodded. "Shall we make this our monthly meeting then?" he asked.
Bella almost replied 'yes', then changed her mind. "Next month, it will be the Christmas holidays at the end of the month. So I won't be at Hogwarts."
"Ah off course. Christmas... how could I have forgotten?"
To Bella, this was a strange remark. How could anyone just forget about Christmas?
"How about the end of January?" she suggested.
"Hmm, that'll have to do then I presume," he replied. "But I'll give you homework to do. Practise the jinxes on beetles, leeches, anything you can find. And if during these two months anyone annoys you, assaults you or do anything disrespectful, just use one of the jinxes you've learnt today. They wouldn't dare to cross you afterwards."
Bella promised she would practice. She greeted Lord Voldemort and opened the hatch to go back to Hogwarts through the passageway that ended underneath the Whomping Willow.

[Ralinde]

In the weeks to come, she secretly practised the jinxes when she was alone. She got better at it and could now perform them flawlessly. She also had, once again, a lot of homework to do for her regular subjects.
One evening, Cissy asked her if she wanted to play a game of wizard's chess. She almost said 'no' but changed her mind. She really liked wizard's chess and Cissy was actually rather good at it. "Sure," she replied instead with a smile.
"Great!" Cissy shouted. "I'll just go and fetch the board and pieces then."
A couple of moments later, she arrived with a chessboard and a wooden box filled with chess pieces. It was the present she had gotten from their parents on her birthday.
"I have played with classmates, but they're absolutely hopeless," she told Bella when she arranged the pieces. "It's not that difficult, is it? Why can't they just learn it?" 
Bella didn't reply to the question, but laughed.
"At least you'll give me some competition before losing," Cissy mocked her.
"Yeah? Well, I intend to win this time, so buckle up," Bella teased back.
Soon, they were caught in an endearing game of wizard's chess. Cissy had become an even better player than Bella had accounted her for, so she had rather a hard time keeping up with her.
"Bella, do you know what's up with Andy?" Cissy all of a sudden said.
"What do you mean, what's up with Andy?"
"I don't know, but she seems so absentminded lately. I mean, not like in the I-have-a-lot-of-homework-kind of way but... The other day for example; she asked me if I wanted some pumpkin juice so I held out my cup. She poured out the juice with a vague expression on her face and just poured it all next to the cup. I had to shout at her to make her realize something wasn't going as it should be."
Bella raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like Andy at all. Are there other things?"
Cissy told her about one or two more occasions on which she thought Andy had been behaving oddly and Bella's frown grew deeper.
"I didn't want to bother you with it at first, you being all busy with homework and such..." Cissy apologetically said. "But I'm happy I caught you alone tonight because I actually really wanted to talk about it. I'm worried Bella. What if something is the matter with her?"
Bella stood up and hugged Cissy. "I'm very glad you told me," she said. "I'm sorry I haven't been more available lately." She felt guilty. If Cissy had noticed, surely she should have had noticed too, didn't she?
"I'll go and talk to her," she promised Cissy. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."
Cissy looked relieved. "Let's just both keep an eye on her. After all, she is our sister."

The other day, Bella took Andy aside and asked her if something was wrong. Andy assured her she was feeling fine, she wasn't in a row with a classmate, she had no longer an excessive amount of homework and she was exited about the upcoming holidays.
"So, there's nothing bothering you?" Bella persisted. "Because if there is, just tell me. Cissy and I are worried about you, you don't seem yourself lately." Cissy noticed, I was to busy with my own business, she thought guiltily.
"No need. Everything's perfect," Andy reassured her once more.

In the final week before the Christmas Bella found out why it was that Andy had been behaving oddly. She and Geraldine took a shortcut to go to their Charms lesson, when she spotted a couple sitting close together, holding hands. She recognized the boy as being a Muggleborn from Ravenclaw. And the girl looked a lot like... but that could not be right! The girl bore a striking resemblance to Andy...
"Andy?" she asked astonished.
The girl quickly let go of the boy's hand and lifted her head. She looked bewildered at Bella.
"Bella, I... I can explain..."
"What is there to explain?" the boy asked. "Why do you even need to account for your acts to your sister?"
"My sister's a Black. Blacks don't associate with Muggles," Bella said haughtily.
"And you think your sister is incapable of making that decision for herself?" He got up, angry now. He ignored Andy pulling the sleeve of his robe. "Why don't you mind your own business?"
Bella was astounded by his tone. She felt she too was getting angry.
"How dare you speak to me like that? I'll teach you to keep away from my sister." Without actually realizing it, she had drawn her head and before she could stop herself, she heard herself shout 'anteoculatia!'.
The boy sank to the ground, howling with pain. Antlers were starting to grow out of his head. Both Andy and Geraldine looked at her with frightened faces. Then Andy got furious. "Bella what are you playing at! Make it undone, right now!"
"I... I don't know how..." she mumbled.
Andy shot her a look of pure hatred and Bella backed away. Andy touched the boys shoulder. "Ted? Are you okay?"
"Leave me alone!" he growled.
"Ted?"
"I said LEAVE ME ALONE! You're just as crazy as she is." Ted looked terrified and this time it was Andy's turn to back away. Ted got up and stalked away. "You'll here from this, insane witch!" he yelled.
Andy started running after him. "Ted, wait!"
He turned. "What's your problem, don't you speak English? LEAVE ME ALONE! It's over, do you hear me?! I never want anything to do with anymore, you hear me?!" He turned back and continued striding towards the castle, without looking back afterwards.
Andy stood forlorn for a moment, then turned furiously to Bella.
"What on earth are you doing? Why can't you just once mind your own business without driving away someone who's important to me?" she raged.
Bella had regained a grip on her senses and said: "Look, I'm sorry. But he's a Muggle and you heard to way he talked to me..."
"So?! You had no right to interfere! Don't think you can just boss me around and tell me what to do!"
"What are getting all worked up about? He's a Muggle and sure, he'll have to walk around with antlers some days, but that gives you a nice opportunity to mingle with someone more appropriate for you. There a plenty of pureblood wizards at Hogwarts."
"You're so arrogant and you think you know it all! Well, you have nothing to say about me!" Andy shouted and had drawn her wand as well. The two sisters stood vis-à-vis each other, wands drawn and a look of rage on their faces.
"Girls! What in Merlin's name is going on here?!" The sharp voice of professor McGonagall quickly came closer. Both sisters let down their wands a little.
"Why are your wands drawn?" she asked.
Bella and Andy looked at each other with disgust but neither of them spoke a word.
"Very well then. You'll both come with me. Miss Zabini, to your class, immediately," she ordered Geraldine who quickly walked away, relieved that McGonagall left her out of this. Bella saw she shook her head and when she looked back at Andy who still had a scornful expression on her face, everything started to sink in. Andy had a boyfriend, a Muggle. She didn't quite know which part she felt more strongly against, Andy having a boyfriend before she did, or the fact that said boyfriend was a Muggle.
"Follow me girls," McGonagall said sternly. She didn't wait to see if they were indeed following her but she needn't. They followed her inside the castle, avoiding each other's eyesight.
"Well? Is any of you going to tell me what's going on between you?" McGonogall asked when they were seated in an empty classroom.
They still didn't talk.
Andy opened her mouth but was interrupted when the door to the classroom opened.
Professor Sprout entered and walked hastily to professor McGonagall. She whispered agitatedly with great hand gestures and professor McGonagall's face turned even graver than it had been before.
"That changes matters," she said solemnly. "Andy, you can go to your common room. Bella, I would like to have a word with you."
Andy walked out of the classroom without looking back at Bella.

"Why in Merlin's name did you do that?" Professor McGonagall questioned Bella. "Poor Ted, he'll have to stay in the hospital wing for a couple of days, and that with Christmas approaching rapidly!"
"I'm sorry professor," Bella mumbled whilst looking at the tips of her shoes.
"Don't be sorry to me, be sorry for Ted! Where did you get that spell from anyway?" professor McGonagall asked suspiciously. "It is not taught in any of the Hogwarts lessons..."
"I... I got it from a book," Bella replied. She felt that now wasn't the time to be honest, she was sure professor McGonagall would not approve of her extracurricular activities and then she would also have to tell her about her sneaking out of Hogwarts through the secret passageway.
"Look at me when you speak," professor McGonagall said. For a moment Bella feared she might be trying to read her thoughts, but the professor showed no evidence of that.
"It mentioned antlers and I thought it would be fun, seeing as it is almost Christmas and all," Bella continued. "But I hadn't expected actual antlers to grow out of his head professor, honestly."
Professor McGonagall didn't look convinced. "So you come across a spell that you don't know, and you figured you might just try it out, without knowing what it did?"
She said almost exactly what Lord Voldemort had said, so Bella inhaled sharply.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," she said.
"Anyway, you'll receive detention off course. And I think writing some lines would do you good as well but that's for professor Slughorn to decide."
"Honestly Bella, you disappoint me. I thought more of you. You're such an adept student! And then this..." she shook her head.
Bella looked to the floor again. Even though professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House, she had always respected her and before, she had felt that McGonagall also had some respect for her because she was one of the best in Transfiguration. But now, all that was gone and professor McGonagall was disappointed in her. Andy hated her and Geraldine probably thought she was some kind of freak. She had never felt more miserable in her life.

[Ralinde]

5. COME WINTER, COME SPRING

Bella indeed received detention, but professor Slughorn decided she would have to do that after the Christmas holidays. As professor McGonagall had said, he also gave her lines to write, which she had to hand in before the holidays. Andy didn't look at her most of the times and if she did, it were looks filled with rage. Cissy hadn't really captured what had happened, but the rumours were buzzing around the school, so she soon found out about it. She decided that, for the time being, she wouldn't bother with either of them, since spending time with one of them resulted in foul looks from the other one and vice versa. So she just stayed out of it. However, she wanted to shout at her sisters to act normal. She didn't. But she felt abandoned by her sisters and didn't like it at all they she couldn't talk to either of them, all because they choose to have a quarrel.

The Christmas holidays had started but it wasn't the usual merriness that comes with Christmas. The atmosphere at home was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. Cygnus and Druella tried to figure out what was wrong with their daughters but neither of them told them what was going on between them. Andy didn't because she felt that her parents would be on Bella's side and that they would scorn her associating with a Muggle. Bella didn't, for almost the same reason; she didn't want to add their parent's anger to Andy's distress. And Cissy didn't either, because she felt it wasn't her fight and she didn't want to get in the middle of it. Either way, everybody in the Estate was relieved when school started again.

Andy wasn't to happy being back at Hogwarts. She was still angry with Bella. Off course she had known that Bella, like her parents, wasn't a great fan of Muggleborn witches and wizards. That was why she had hesitated to tell Bella about Ted. But she would never have expected the things that had happened before the holidays. Bella's spell had hurt not only Ted but Andy as well be it that her pain was emotional, not physical. She had tried to talk to Ted, in the days after the event and also in the weeks after the Christmas holidays, but he had hold on to the fact that he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. Most of the time he just ignored her and she missed his company. However angry she was with Bella, she was also disappointed in Ted. She was not her sister and the fact that he didn't want to look past that had hurt her perhaps even the most. She had cried herself to sleep for over a week so she looked ashen. She found herself wondering now and then, that if Ted had been a pureblood wizard, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have had to hide him from her family, Bella wouldn't have gotten mad and she and Ted would still be together.
Things between her and Amelia had cooled down a bit to. After all, Amelia was a Ravenclaw as well. But it didn't last long. Amelia was too good a friend to abandon her.
"He's still talking about it, you know," one day she said to Andy.
"What does he say about me?" Andy asked eagerly.
"Well, he doesn't actually talk much about you," Amelia replied after a little hesitation. "It's more like... he keeps recounting the details, of how Bella had drawn her hand, how much it had hurt when it happened, how miserable he had felt in the hospital wing..."
Andy got angry. "Fine! If that's all he talks about, then maybe he wasn't the guy I thought he was. He can just drop dead, l couldn't care less about what happens to him!" Off course this wasn't true and they both knew it, but Amelia didn't speak it out loud.
Weeks went by and slowly the hurt began to lessen. Andy had thrown herself to her schoolwork and got high grades on every assignment she handed in.

               ***

For Bella, a period of detention arrived with the start of the new term. She would have detention for two full weeks and every evening the teachers gave her another boring task to do. It was a miracle that Geraldine still wanted to talk to her, though she didn't quite sound the way she did when they had talked before. Bella missed that but she felt that Geraldine eventually would come round. Andy still wouldn't look at her, but ultimately she had to come around too, hadn't she? She couldn't be mad forever, not with that Ted boy walking around the castle without his antlers anymore. He had spent three full days in the hospital wing but was now completely recovered. Nothing remained to be seen about his 'distransfiguration' as he himself called it. The little brat. Not every remark Bella got was negative though. Some Slytherins had grinned at her when re-entering Hogwarts, congratulating her on 'outsmarting a Muggle' and others had even asked her if she could teach them.

Due to all this rumour, Bella began to doubt the 'other teacher'. She had thought about using the antler-spell on a Muggle student, just so they would look absolutely ridiculous but the effect was far from satisfactory. Yes, he had looked ridiculous with those antlers but it hadn't been as much fun as she had anticipated. Somehow using the spell on a leech was rather different than using it on a fellow student...
Nonetheless, she decided she would go to their appointment for the end of January, if only to announce that it would be the last time she would show up. After all, he had promised to elaborate her knowledge on Defense Against the Dark Arts and how to shield her mind from others, not how bully other students.
She went early to the Shrieking Shack, determined to arrive there before Lord Voldemort did. She didn't fully achieve that, since they arrived about the same time.
"I'm quitting," she told him straight away. "I don't want to be looked at as that freakish kid who jinxes you whenever she has the chance."
"Whohow," Lord Voldemort interrupted. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about those jinxes you told me to practise whenever someone annoyed me."
"They're harmless," he said. "Everybody used them on each other in my days."
"Well, not anymore," she replied wearily but she had calmed down a bit already. If the students in his days had used them all the time, then there could be little harm in them, couldn't it?
"Okay, so let's stick to the curriculum then today, shall we?" He waited for her to reply and Bella nodded hesitantly.
"Very well. Last time we spoke each other, you told me about some of the subjects treated during the Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. What have you learned since then, what are you currently working on?"
"We have been treating the counter spell to 'neurintio'," Bella replied.
"As good a spell as any to start our lessons with," Lord Voldemort said. "So, like I've said before, we're going to practice first and foremost the curse itself. I've brought beetles this time, instead of leeches." He took out a jar similar to the one he had brought last time, filled with multi-coloured beetles.
"Neurintio is amongst the lesser dark spells. The subject to this curse will be much more sensitive to pain, so it is often used to intensify a torturing," Lord Voldemort lectured.
Bella shivered at the word 'torturing'.
"In it's own, it's not that harmful, but combined with another Dark Spell it can prove lethal." He had grapped a beetle and enlarged it as he spoke. "The subject will cringe due to the enlarged neurofunctions." While he spoke, he flicked his wand and a ray of purple left his wand and hit the beetle. Bella watched eagerly what would happen.
"If you as much as touch it right now, it will experience a lot of pain. Come on child, you're here to learn, aren't you?"
She slowly approached and touched the beetle softly with the tip of her finger. It shrieked in agony and Bella quickly withdrew her hand.
"Now you try it." He showed her the movements and repeated the pronunciation of the spell.
Slowly, Bella took out her wand and mimicked his movements. When she figured she understood the movements, she uttered the spell. Her wand spurted a dash of purple at the already hit beetle.
"You're a bit wicked, aren't you?" he said bemused. "The creature doesn't have any nerve system left if you hit it twice." His hand approached the beetle but before he could touch it, the beetle shrieked of an excruciating pain. "See?"
Bella had turned white. If being hit twice meant no one could even approach you without you feeling pain, then what would happen if you were hit with the spell and then hit by a torture curse?
Lord Voldemort took out another beetle. "Here, try again."
She repeated the movement and the incantation and another ray of purple spurted from the tip of her wand. Every time he gave her another beetle, but the results were the same: she had only to touch the beetles barely or they shrieked in agony.
The more she practised, the more she wanted to practise. It was strange, but it was as if by mastering the spell she now understood it, like it was part of her. She was dazed by the effect of using the spell and Lord Voldemort now said it was enough for the day. Reluctantly, she obeyed. Something had changed in the atmosphere during her lesson. Lord Voldemort seemed very pleased with her achievements and she was happy he was content. She assured herself she would do even better next time.
"I see we have again skipped the shielding," he said. "We'll start with it first thing, at our next meeting."
Bella only mildly objected. Next time was fine as well, wasn't it? And February was a rather short month, so it wouldn't take long before she would have another lesson.
It wasn't until she was back in the Slytherin common room and had been able to clear her mind a bit that she realised that this was the second time he hadn't taught her the shielding charm, even though he had now promised her three times that she would learn it. There was no way she was going to let that happen again.

[Ralinde]

                                                             ***

At the end of January, professor Flitwick had a surprise for the fourth year students. He waited for everyone to be seated, cleared his throat and said: "In all my years of teaching, I've found that the attention of my fourth year students seems to somewhat... drift away when February approaches. The excitement of learning new spells wears off and your OWLs seem far away.  So, it's seems only natural that you start talking about other things during my classes. You shall not believe how similar those conversations are over the years nor how anybody seems to think theirs is definitely more interesting than what I have to tell. And Rowena here is kind enough to demonstrate my every word." He addressed a blond haired Hufflepuff, who had been whispering to her friend. She turned scarlet and several students started to laugh. Even professor Flitwick smiled. "Thank you Rowena for illustrating my words," he said dryly. More people laughed.
"However," he continued and the laughter died away, "this is off course not a desirable evolution. Not something I encourage I would say. Therefore, I have decided to give you all a task."
The students now leaned in closer, interested by his words. What could it be?
"Starting Monday, each week an object will be hidden somewhere in the castle. You will have to use whatever spell you know to find it and bring the object to class. I will not tell you what it looks like, but you will recognise it when you find it."
The students looked each other, a little disappointed. That's the great challenge? A game of hide and seek? They were fourth years, for crying out loud!
"Ah, I know what you're thinking! You're thinking: old Flitwick must have lost his mind, don't you?" he waved his finger like saying no. They felt uneasy now, for that was exactly what they had been thinking.
"Maybe you won't think me that strange anymore when I tell you that the students that are to find said object receive fifty points for their House?"
The message had an effect similar to a 'quietus'spell multiplied by ten. The students were dead silent. Fifty points. That sure was worth the trouble.
"That's right. Fifty points. Fifty points, every week from now till Easter. How does that sound?"
Andy looked at Amelia, excited.  This was just what she needed to clear her mind from all things Ted-related. She pictured herself and Amelia, exploring the castle, sneaking out to forgotten places... "Who knew, charms could get interesting!" she murmured.
"I know!" Amelia murmured back, just as excited. "Imagine if we were to find it! Oh..." her voice trailed away, most of the enthusiasm gone.
Andy had realised it to. "If we find it, we'll earn points for our House. Which means we can't go looking for it together." They looked at each other. That sure took a lot of the fun out of it.
For the remainder of the hour, the students would ask all kinds of questions to professor Flitwick, trying to find out what the object would look like or how they would be able to identify it as being the object he had hidden. But professor Flitwick just giggled every time they posed him a question. The lesson ended in complete and utter chaos, but at least he had managed to capture their attention.
"Too bad we can't go searching together," Andy said disappointed when they had left the classroom. "It would have been so much fun to do that together. You know what I don't get?"
Amelia shook her head.
"They always say the Houses should work together a bit more and then Flitwick goes and gives us a task to make us compete amongst each other. That's weird, right?"
"Hmm. It does seem a little odd," Amelia confirmed. "But who knows, maybe he thinks that if we compete on this task, we'll work together more on other things?"
"Honestly, I'm not quite sure what his objective is besides us repeating all the charms we're supposed to have learnt in the last couple of years." Andy suddenly grinned. "Come to think of it, it sounds just like an examination, wrapped in a game. It's clever."
Amelia giggled. "Whatever it is, if it's a test, I much rather have this than the ones Slughorn and Sinistra give us."
They both thought about the ridiculously difficult test they had had in Potions last week and the stardiagram professor Sinistra had had them draw. They agreed: if the hide and seek game was a test, then it least they would have fun taking it.
In the next couple of weeks, fourth year students were seen to utter all kinds of incantations on all kind of locations throughout the castle. Students from fifth, sixth and seventh year grinned whenever they saw them. They recognised the symptoms. They had acted similarly when they had been fourth years, on a quest to find the mysterious objects professor Flitwick had hidden.
However, so far no one had succeeded in actually finding one of Flitwicks object, so the students had come to wonder whether he actually had hidden objects or if he just enjoyed letting them search the castle using every spell they knew.
It was a grey morning in March when Andy and Tao took a shortcut to their Care of Magical Creatures class, that Tao said: "Pff it's just stupid. I'm absolutely sure there are no hidden objects, he just wants us to believe there are. I mean, we've searched the entire castle, tried every spell and so far, no one has managed to find even one object!" He waved around with his wand, saying angrily: "As if shouting 'Glacius' at that elderly witch over there, will reveal an object!" He had pointed at the painting of a witch of high age at the wall opposite of them. A wall of coldness erupted from his wand, covering the entire painting and part of the wall with a layer of ice.
"That was not really my intention," Tao murmured. "Oh god, I do hope she isn't mad..." He conjured a small fire and melted away the layer of ice. When the lady in the portrait was visible again, he started to apologize to her but the lady interrupted him.
"A simple atmospheric spell would have done the trick too, thank you very much," the woman said grumping. "Honestly, I could have caught a cold!"
"Stop whining and give the boy the token," a wizard from another painting said impatiently.
"All right, all right," the woman said. They heard a small click.
"Tao, look!"
He looked in the direction Andy was pointing at and they both saw the portrait of the lady swing open to reveal a small cove. In the alcove they found a little wooden box.
"Now, go on, don't just stand there, take what you needed to take, I haven't got all day," the lady said impatiently.
With a little hesitation, Tao walked over to the alcove and carefully took out the little wooden box. When he and Andy opened it, they found a clear diamond and a note. Dear student, it said, [/i]if you're reading this note, that means you've just found one of thee hidden objects and have earned fifty point for your House. Congratulations.[/i] It was signed by the name of Filius Flitwick and Andy and Tao looked at each other.
"This can't be, right?" Tao wondered. "I mean, I've actually found one?"
Andy smiled. "It sure seems like it. Wow, that's so awesome!" She hugged him without thinking about it and kissed him on the cheek. "Amazing Tao, you did it!" Tao blushed and Andy quickly let go. That was not a smart move.... she commented mentally on her actions. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"It's okay," Tao assured her. "I don't mind." He blushed again. Hmm, he actually looked quite cute when he blushed, Andy noticed.
"Let's just get going to Care of Magical Creatures," Andy finally said. "Or we'll have a lot of explaining to do. Reluctantly, Tao agreed. He put the box with the diamond in the pocket of his robe and they rushed towards the classroom they had Care of Magical Creatures in.
They were scorned but sat down excitedly. Hastily they started to explain to the other Slytherins what had happened, but a sharp 'Silence!' was all it took for them to shut up. They didn't want to give the professor anymore occasion to scorn them.
Back at the dormitory, the other Slytherin fourth years slapped them on the back, saying they had done a fine job. And the next day, when they had Charms again and handed the little wooden box to professor Flitwick, he seemed pleased as well.
"Well done, Tao, Andy. Fifty points to Slytherin for finding this diamond." The Slytherins cheered. "What spell did you use?"
"Uhm, just a simple freezing charm..." Tao said.
"Brilliant, brilliant," professor Flitwick said. "Did she tell you that any other meteorological spells would have worked as well?"
"She might have mentioned something of the kind."
"Very well, very well indeed. So, for today, I want you all to practise on your meteorological spells. Just, don't make it rain on me, okay? Oh, and I need to tell you that none of the other objects is hidden behind a painting, so there's no use whatsoever to fire spells at the poor beings depicted on it." He had a twinkle in his eyes.

After class, Ted bumped into her on the way out.
"So, you and Tao then," he said menacing. "I should have guessed you'd go for a pureblood next, with that family of yours."
Andy felt all her muscles tighten. "As I remember correctly, you were the one that dumped me and told me very clearly on several occasions that you absolutely wanted nothing to do with me anymore," she replied coldly. "So it's none of your business what I do and who I date." She hadn't intended to say that last part, since she and Tao weren't a couple, just good friends, but the remark hit Ted in the face.
"So it's true then," he said after a short silence. "You're just as crazy as the rest of your family."
"Don't say a word about my family," she said angrily. "At least they respect me for who I am, and that's more than I can say for you." She turned her heels and walked away, just like he had done a mere three months ago. It felt good to have told him what she had wanted to say for a while now. And who knew, she might even start dating Tao after all. He was kind and she had fun with him. She kind of got the feeling Tao liked her as more than a friend and that he had lifted his head hopefully when she had spoken to Ted. Ted. Her dating Tao would most definitely annoy Ted, so that would be a nice bonus. She put her hand on Tao's sleeve and smiled flirtatiously at him.

[Ralinde]

6. THE DINNER PARTY

The summer holidays were approaching rapidly. Bella had had several more meetings with Lord Voldemort and each time she looked forward to a next lesson with an eagerness that scared her a bit. She couldn't quite explain it but there was something about him. It was like he was oozing with magic and she just needed to learn what he did, so that she could feel that way too...
They had started working on non-verbal spells. It was already difficult to use them in a classroom for defensive spells, but is seemed like it was even harder to produce offensive spells without saying a word. She still hadn't learned about shielding her thoughts. A part of her nagged her and said it was important to learn it and that Lord Voldemort constantly broke his promise to teach her, that he took advantage of knowing her every thought, but she dismissed the thought. It would come up when the time was ready, he had said and she believed him. She felt more secure now with the spells and her understanding of the offensive spells also increased her knowledge of the defensive spells. Her marks for Defense Against the Dark Arts had never been higher.
She almost felt sorry that the summer holidays were nearing. She would have to miss her 'lessons of practical magic' as she now called them and she didn't know if she could cope two whole months without them.

Andy too had mixed feelings about the upcoming holidays. She would miss Tao and all her other friends. She had started dating Tao and they were a couple for almost half a year now. At first, she had mostly turned her attention to Tao because it annoyed Ted to see her with someone else but she actually had grew to like Tao a lot. He made her laugh and he adored her. Every now and then, they would send each other cutesy messages. Things between her and Bella had slightly bettered, since Tao was a pureblood. Andy had off course not forgotten Bella's actions a little before Christmas but the wounds had healed considerably, so they were now on speaking terms again. She was glad with this change, because she and Bella had always been very close and she had hated the time they weren't communicating with one another.
It was the day of the concluding Quidditch match, Slytherin versus Gryffindor, which proved to turn in to a highly interesting game. Slytherin had done better on its next games and the debacle of the first match of the year was soon forgotten. She and Tao would go with Lucas and Irvine, just like the time their friendship had started. Amelia would be there as well and so would some of her other friends. Amelia had accepted Tao as Andy's new boyfriend and the boys had accepted Amelia into their circle of friends. Andy was very happy that they all accepted each other, so that she could hang out with all of them at the same time.
"Do you remember, the first Quidditch match we watched together?" she asked.
"Yeah, I remember. You were 'that girl that was in our year and asked questions about who would win'," Lucas grinned.
"Tao has never been the same since," Irvine added dramatically.
Tao acted as if clutching his chest in hurt and they all burst out with laughter.
"Too bad you weren't there Amelia," Andy said. "But on the other hand, had you been there, it might not have happened."
Amelia nodded. She had heard the story several times now. She quickly changed the subject. "Today's Slytherin-Gryffindor. I'm curious as to which team is going to win."
"Slytherin off course!"
"Gryffindor off course!"
Andy and Eleanor, one of her Gryffindor friends, yelled at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.
"Well, we'll see," Eleanor said and waved at them. "There are my classmates, I'll see you guys after the match! Prepare for a beat-down!" she yelled smiling as she walked away to a group of Gryffindors in bright gold and red.
"We haven't put our money in!" Irvine said all of a sudden. They quickly went over to the corner where you could place your bets and even Andy chipped in. Then they went to their seats and waited for the game to start.

The one most looking forward to the holidays was Cissy. True, she had managed above expectation this first year, considering that her sisters had been mostly unavailable to her. She also had made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun with them. She would miss them during the holidays off course but they would write each other and Aurore had promised her she could come stay with her at her family's mansion in France. Aurore had told her a lot about the mansion and Cissy couldn't wait to go there and experience the French country life.
"What's so special about France?" she asked Aurore when they were walking towards the Quidditch pitch.
Aurore laughed in reply. "The French are much more vibrant then the English. No offense. It's just like they always try a little harder to get more out of life. And the landscape is just amazing."
"How come?"
"I don't know, I just think it's beautiful. I love the fields of sunflowers, bluebottles, poppies... They're a sight for the eyes, all those colours. And there are all kinds of birds and butterflies," she went on, dreamily.
"Sounds good," Cissy said in awe. She would love to see all those flowers, birds and butterflies Aurore talked about. She liked butterflies. They were of a kind of mysterious beauty and the way they fluttered through the sky from plant to plant intrigued her.
"What are your mum and dad like?" she asked.
"Mum's like me, but a tad older. She's a Veela. She can be a bit strict sometimes but she lightens up when she works in the garden, she absolutely loves that. My dad is a funny looking guy. His hair never does what he wants and he can be a bit chaotic at times. He's always in for a joke and loves to teach me about foreign places he has visited when he was still a sailor. It truly is amazing, the things he knows." She shook her head in amazement.
"It'll be lovely to stay with them and discover things with you," Cissy said. "I wish my parents were anything like that."
"I'm sure they're nice as well, aren't they?"
Cissy hesitated. "Yeah, they're alright I suppose. They always pamper me with gifts but it would be nice to sit down and just chat with them, you know, small talk and how's school..." Her voice trailed off and she added, "I think they're just not that accustomed to showing affection but that doesn't mean it isn't there."
"There you go. See? No parent is perfect," Aurore winked.
A question popped to Cissy mind. "Hey, I was just wondering. Why aren't you in Beauxbatons if your parents live in France?"
Aurore smiled. "Mum and dad thought it was important that I learnt how to work together with and get to meet both girls and boys. And since Beauxbatons is an all-girls school..."
"I see. But don't you miss them when you're at school?"
"No more than you do," Aurore replied. "After all, we're both in school, away from our parents, so it doesn't really make a difference that mine live further away then yours."
The girls chattered on and Cissy was really excited about going to France.

She wasn't that exited about another thing: the Blacks would spend one or two weeks with uncle Orion and aunt Walpurga. Cissy hated the house they lived in, it was far too sombre for her taste and the heads of house-elves long gone scared her. However, she liked seeing her cousins Sirius and Regulus again. Sirius was only four years younger than she was and thought of her as a sort of bigger sister, just as she thought of both of them as her younger brothers instead of her cousins. Ah well, she would have fun, she decided.

The match between Slytherin and Gryffindor was very good. Both teams played to the best of their abilities and the approaching summer holidays seemed to have given every player a burst of motivation. They were equal in strength and the audience truly got an amazing afternoon. Slytherin soon took the lead but Gryffindor stayed really close. When the score was ninety-ninety, it got heated. It looked like the outcome of the match would be decided by whoever caught the Snitch first. It didn't take long before the audience rose from their seat. Both Jacobs and Roselyn, the Gryffindor Seeker, were racing through the pitch. Apparently, they had both spotted the Snitch. They both stretched their arm to catch it but it was Roslyn, who was just a tad longer than Jacobs, who closed his hands around the Snitch, Jacobs' fingers sliding over his. Victoriously, Roslyn held up his arm and Jacobs looked disappointed.  Slytherin had just failed to win the Quidditch Cup.
The Slytherins were in a depressed mood when they went back to the castle for the concluding speech of professor Dumbledore.
"I can't believe it," Irvine said. "We've won so many matches in a row and in this final one we're beaten by Gryffindor."
"Ah well, just be lucky they didn't win the Cup with it."
"Ow yeah that's right." Irvine cheered up a bit. Gryffindor had had an off-season and their winning today only meant they would end third instead of last. Hufflepuff had done exceedingly well and had won all of it's matches, so they were the winners of the Cup.
After celebrating the Quidditch Cup winners, professor Dumbledore congratulated the House that had won the House Cup. Again, Slytherin was second, a position they shared with Gryffindor. Ravenclaw had only ten points more than they had, but they still were the winners.

Back at the Black Estate, Bella, Andy and Cissy told their parents how their respective years had been. They had off course been writing but telling it in person was much more fun. They did however not get much of a chance to talk to their parents as they announced that there would be a dinner party that evening. They wondered who would come and why it was that important that it had to take place on the evening of their return.
"There are certain things we need to discuss tonight. Your father's brother will be here, as will some wizards and witches we only know by name." Druella told them. "I sincerely hope you girls will not besmirch the Black name, since as hosts of this diner, we can not allow ourselves even the slightest mistakes. Imagine what the other families would say if we couldn't even host a simple dinner party." She shivered in horror.
Bella had picked up on the 'your father's brother' line her mother had used and asked where she could find her aunt and uncle.
"They're in the salon." Indeed, when the girls walked into the salon, they found that aunt Walburga and uncle Orion were already sitting there. They greeted them and Cissy asked:
"Are Sirius and Regulus with you, aunt, uncle?"
"They are upstairs," Orion belched in his low voice. "They will have to spend the night off course so that we can leave for London first thing in the morning."
The sisters looked at each other. Andy raised an eyebrow. They hadn't expected to be leaving so soon already.
They went upstairs and found their cousins in a room that had two spare beds in it. It was an empty room, with no decorations what so ever and the boys looked a bit forlorn. However, that changed the minute they saw them. Sirius jumped up from the bed he had been sitting on and run towards them, yelling: "Cissy! Andy! Bella!" He threw himself into their arms and they laughed. Regulus followed his brother's example mere seconds later.
"My, have you grown!" Andy said when they had finally let go. "I hardly recognised you."
She and Cissy played with Sirius and Regulus. Bella felt like she really was too old to play games like hide and seek now, she withdrew herself in her room. She understood how important this dinner party was, so she put on a velvet dress in a deep shade of purple, determined to make a good impression at the still unknown guests. She breaded her hair loosely and after a moment of consideration, placed a flower at the end. She looked at herself in the mirror and was content with what she saw.
When they were called for dinner, the three sisters went down, curious as to who would be there. Sirius and Regulus followed them down the stairs.

[Ralinde]

"Take them to the adjoining dining room and make sure they behave correctly," Druella sternly told Bella.
"What?"
"You heard me. We have important business to discuss and it's no thing for children."
"I'm turning seventeen next week!" Bella objected.
"Which means that at this moment, you're still a child. Now go." Druella had a look on her face that would take no for an answer and that promised trouble for Bella if she didn't obey soon. She turned, angry with her parents, but help came out an unexpected corner.
"Just let her stay. After all, it's partly because of Bella that I'm here tonight."
Bella froze. She would recognise that velvety voice everywhere and it belonged to the last person she had expected here, in her parents' dining room. She wasn't the only one to freeze. Just a moment ago, the room had been buzzing with all the murmured conversations going on. Now everybody had fallen silent and several faces were looking curiously in her direction. Andy and Cissy looked at her in amazement and her mother's look was one of suspicion.
"You've met my Bella?" the deep voice of her father broke the silence. 
Bella's heart was pounding in her chest. She prayed he wouldn't give away their clandestine lesson, for she was sure her parents would never agree.
"I ran into her one day when I was in Hogsmeade," the man replied. "Her looks and name reminded me of someone who was in my House when I was at Hogwarts. She confirmed me she indeed was your daughter. And here I am."
He made it sound like that was the only logical thing to do after meeting her, but Bella knew better. There had to be another reason. Druella wasn't convinced either, she snorted. "Very well then, if you insist, Bella can stay," she said stiffly. "Andy, take Cissy and the boys the other room. It'll be your job now to watch over them. And no, don't even think about protesting or you'll be grounded for the remainder of the summer."
Andy looked at Bella. Tell me everything, her eyes said before she left the room angrily.
Her mother called one of the house elves. "Bring an extra chair and set another plate at the table. Miss Bella will be joining our dinner tonight," she ordered. Bella just stood where she stood, petrified, not knowing how to act next.
"Well, come on girl. You haven't lost your manners now have you?" her father said severe. Slowly, Bella approached the table. She felt all eyes were on her and that didn't actually comfort her. Blizzy the house elf had conjured a chair out of thin air and Bella knew nothing else to do but to sit down. Everyone looked at her with curiosity.
"Uhm, hi," she finally said, to break the silence. No one replied, so in the end Lord Voldemort spoke.
"I'm sure you're very curious as to who else is present here tonight, aren't you?" he asked. Bella nodded and looked round the table. She knew her aunt and uncle off course, and also Lord Voldemort. Further down the table was a man who looked a spitting image of Zachary, so she figured he was his father. And the woman besides him should be his mother then. But she had no idea who all the other people were.
"Let me introduce you. From left to right: Robin Avery and his wife Tilda, Justus Rosier, his wife Isobel and their son eldest Evan, Melchior Mulciber and his son Melchior junior." He pointed at the people as he named them. Bella froze a moment upon hearing the name 'Rosier' as she was pretty certain these had to be Thierry's parents and older brother.
"Off course you already know Orion and Walburga and I think Zachary, the son of Louis and Khedira Gray, is in your year?"
Bella nodded. So, they were indeed Zachary's parents, as she had guessed already.
"That leaves only Rowan and Ravenna Lestrange and their sons Rodolphus and Rabastan."
A quick count taught her that there were now nineteen people, her included.
"And why exactly are we gathered here tonight?" she asked.
"That, we shall speak of later. For now, I understand dinner is ready?" He looked at her mother, who nodded. "Well then, let's eat for the time being."
Another house elf served the table and soon everyone was enjoying their meal.
Bella engaged in a whispered conversation with Tilda Avery, who asked her a few questions about school. Bella answered them politely but didn't elaborate much. She hardly knew the woman and she didn't particularly like her husband, who had an air of arrogance over him.

When everyone had finished their dinner, Lord Voldemort cleared his throat. All of them stopped their conversations and turned their heads to him expectantly.
"As some of you may already know," he began, "I strongly believe our wizarding world is in danger. In danger, because more and more Muggles find their way into Hogwarts and other wizarding schools, where they take the rightful places of our own children. Do we just let this happen?"
They all shook their heads.
"That's why we have to take actions. I seek to convince the Minister that new laws are in order, laws that will put the Muggles in their rightful places. However, I fear the Minister listens too much to Dumbledore, who is a true Mugglefriend. So we might have to... take matters into our own hands. I've called upon an old bond. Robin, Justus, Melchior, Louis, Rowan," he nodded to each of them as he mentioned their names, "we go back as far as Hogwarts. Orion, Cygnus, you both share my repulsion of Muggles. I intend to visit the other pureblood families as well but this is where it starts, as far as I'm concerned. Are you all with me should we have to take action?"
"Yes, the Muggles take everything we hold precious. The time has come to show them our superiority!" Rowan shouted.
"Purebloods first!" Melchior added.
The others around the table applauded at this remark.
Bella had turned pale. She herself had talked to Geraldine about the increasing amount of Muggles at Hogwarts and had even jinxed Ted Tonks, but that was because he had touched her sister, she told herself. However she didn't like the sound of this.
Lord Voldemort raised his hands to silence everyone. "We will off course first try our chances at the Ministry. Actions are only there if everything else fails. For now, we shall call it a night. I ask of you to spread the word of my intentions. It is of uttermost importance that as many pureblood families as possible join our ranks in order for us to stand a chance with the Minister."
There it was, he had done it again, Bella thought. Just like he had in Hogsmeade the first time they had met and on several of their lessons. Just ending a conversation, a meeting, with a voice everybody obeyed to. People were already starting to pack their things and saying their goodbyes. Lord Voldemort looked at Bella and winked at her.
When everyone had parted, Lord Voldemort was the last one to stay behind. He turned to Cygnus and Druella. "I would like to talk to you about Bella," he said calmly. "I believe she is a very bright witch and I would like to make you a proposition concerning her education."
Cygnus face went dark and he said to Bella: "It's time for you to return to your sisters and cousins now. You've already heard more than you should have and it's enough for tonight."
She could hear from the sound of his voice that he meant it, so she didn't object but quickly disappeared out of the dining room.

Meanwhile, Andy and Cissy had been discussing what it was all about. Why were all these people here and more importantly, who was the man that said he knew Bella and what could he want?
"Regulus, don't spill the sauce!" Andy said when the sauce bowl balanced dangerously on the edge.
"I've got it," Cissy said and she managed to save the sauce bowl from falling.
Sirius smiled. "Father and mother told me you'll be coming along to London tomorrow."
"So I've heard," Andy smiled too.
"That's nice. I like it when you're around. How long will you be staying?"
"I don't know," Cissy replied. "It's usally a week or two, so I guess this year shall not be very different.
"Can we go fly kites?" Regulus said hopefully.
Andy and Cissy laughed. "Off course, if there's enough wind we'll fly all the kites you like."
"Is Kreacher still with you?" Andy informed and when they nodded, she added "Gosh, that's one scary house elf. He really gives me the creeps."
Sirius laughed. "Yes Kreacher is a terrible house elf," he said wisely. Regulus punched him. "He's not that terrible."
"Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a big fan of him," Sirius' grin widened. To Andy and Cissy it was clear that he was teasing his little brother but Regulus looked hurt.
"He doesn't mean that," Cissy reassured Regulus.
"How can you tell?" Sirius asked.
"Because you're our cousin, we know you," Andy said dryly.
They had finished dinner long before the adults had and were playing cards when Bella returned. She looked pale and her sisters started asking her questions.
"Not now," she said. "I'm exhausted. And you should be as well, it's rather late already!"
"Ah come on Bella, come sit with us and play cards. We don't have to go to bed as long as Father and Mother don't tell us to," Sirius pleaded with a mischievous smile.
Unfortunately for him, they heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. "That's Father," Sirius said. "Come on Regulus, I think we need to be off now." He disappeared quickly, taking Regulus with him. The three sisters were left behind.
Cissy shook the deck of cards a couple of times. She was dying to find out what they had spoken about at the dinner table and Bella was the only one who could tell them.
Bella hesitated. "Oh come on! You promised!" Andy said.
"Well, okay. The man in the black cloak?"
"Which one was that?" Cissy asked. "I only saw the back of their chairs."
"The one that mentioned my name," she said. "He wanted... a law approved by the Minister. And he needed support from other mighty families." She couldn't tell them the entire truth; she knew instinctively how Andy would react. Andy, who she was certain of also had a few Mugglefriends... And Cissy, she was just too little to understand yet. And besides, what she said wasn't a complete lie, now was it? She was just... omitting some details. For their own wellbeing.
"A law?" Cissy sounded disappointed.
"Yes it was rather boring actually. If I had known it would be about a law, I would much rather have stayed with you guys."
"But what does that have to do with you?" Andy inquired.
"I don't know. I think he only mentioned running into me because that would give me an excuse to stay. Not that I have a clue as to why he wanted me to be at that meeting."
She could tell they didn't truly believe her but there was no further time to chat. Their mother yelled at them: "Time for bed girls! And no talking or you'll be grounded!"
"Just great," Andy mimicked. "Ah well, good night Cissy. Good night Bella."
"Good night Andy," they replied simultaneously.

[Ralinde]

7. SWEET SUMMERTIME

They had had a wonderful time with aunt Walpurga and uncle Orion, mostly because they enjoyed spending time with Sirius and Regulus. They were happy to be back at the Black Estate nonetheless.
"I just can't understand how they can live there," Cissy said disapprovingly. "I mean, uncle Orion is Father's older brother, shouldn't he have an Estate like ours?"
"Imagine it had been the other way around, that they would live at the Estate and we in their house." Andy shivered of the thought.
"Anyway, I'm glad to be back," Cissy said.
"You have nothing to complain, you're leaving for France soon. I wish I could too," Bella sounded jealous. "You're so lucky!"
"I'll write you off course," Cissy promised hastily.
"You'd better," Andy grinned. "Or we'll no longer call you our sister."
Cissy gave her a push. "You couldn't, you'd miss me too much," she teased.
Bella had a feeling she wouldn't have much time to miss Cissy, since her parents had informed her that they had agreed to Lord Voldemort's proposal to give her extra lessons during the summer holidays – lessons, they didn't realise, were more a continuation than a start – so they would take place every week. She didn't say so to her sisters however, they'd find out soon enough.


One morning, the fireplace in the living room simmered and after some green flames had erupted, two witches stepped out of the fireplace. One of them was Cissy's friend Aurore and the older one had to be her mother, they looked so much alike.
"Aurore!" Cissy yelled and ran to hug her friend. She then turned to the older witch. "Madame Dupont." She curtsied.
"Bonjour Cissy," Aurore's mother said in a melodious voice. "Are you all packed?"
She went over to her parents and introduced herself as Alicia. Cygnus couldn't stop staring at the beautiful Veela in front of him. Druella looked she had just eaten a lemon. She reacted coldly to the other woman.
"I'll bring 'er back in two weeks."
After Cissy had said goodbye to everyone, she went over to the fireplace. Aurore went first and said: "Résidence Dupont". In a flash of green she disappeared. Cissy would go together with Alicia. Another green flash and she felt they were being transported through the Floo powder network. They stopped in another fireplace. Cissy opened her eyes, she hadn't realised she had closed them during the journey.
They stepped out of the fireplace into a cosy living room with red furniture and heavy burgundy curtains. One of the walls of the room was stacked with books.
"Wow, it's beautiful!" she said.
"I'm glad you like it," Alicia said. "Aurore, amène-Cissy à ta chambre."
"Oui, maman," Aurore replied. "Come on Cissy, we'll put your stuff in my room. Oh it will be so cool to be staying here together!" she exclaimed. "Normally, it's just me and Mum and Dad, so I'm really glad you're here."
They walked the stairs to a room filled with posters of wizarding bands and artists. One bed was covered with a plaid and another bed had been made on the other side of the room. Cissy placed her trunk next to the second bed and smiled. "So, here I am! Can you give me a tour of the house?"
"Sure!" Aurore left the room, indicating to Cissy that she should follow her. The Dupont residence wasn't as big as the Black Estate but Cissy loved it from the very start. It had a certain warmth around it with all the wood.
"And you haven't even seen the best thing yet. My mum's pride and glory: our garden."
With a smile Aurore opened the door and she and Cissy went outside.
"Wow...." The garden exceeded every expectation Cissy might have had about it. It was big and filled with flowers, as far as the eye could see. A giant tree stood in the middle. It had a swing attached to it. She could hear birds singing and did indeed spot butterflies.
"I can see why your mum likes to be in this garden. It's absolutely lovely. What does your dad do when she's out here?"
"Oh most of the time he just reads a book. Or he just sits here," she pointed a table and some chairs at a terrace, "and watches her work. Mum hates it when he does that, she says it makes her nervous." Aurore giggled.
They went back inside to get some fresh lemonade.


During her stay with Aurore, they often went to see the towns and villages surrounding the Residence. Aurore and her parents lived in a part of France they called Bretagne, which reminded Cissy of England.
"It's funny you know, there actually is a link with England," Aurore explained one day when they were heading towards the beach. "Both parts were inhabited by folk that shared the same language and the same culture. They called this part Bretagne and when some of them sailed out, they arrived in a country they called 'Grande Bretagne', or Great Britain as the English themselves call it now. Hard to believe the English overseas and the French in this part of France ever spoke the same language, isn't it?"
They had arrived at the beach and for the umpteenth time during her stay, Cissy said "Wow." She had never been to a beach before and the sight of the ocean and the boats marvelled her. "It's fantastic!"
"And the best part is," Aurore smiled, "if you look closely, you can see England from here!"
Cissy stared at the horizon but couldn't see it.
"It's there, see? The tiny stripe of dark on the horizon?"
Cissy nodded and Aurore continued: "That's England."
Cissy shook her head in amazement. "Surely, if I were to live here, I would never leave."
They both laughed and Aurore showed a spot where they could lie down.
"If only this could last forever," they mused.


Cissy really enjoyed her stay with Aurore. Her mum and dad where kind and her father indeed tried to make them laugh all the time. The weather was good and the people they encountered were all very friendly. The fields of sunflowers and bluebottles amazed her, as did the city of Paris they once went to. The train looked a bit like the Hogwarts Express with its compartments and they also offered food and beverages.
"You know what's fun? If we act like Muggles for a morning," Aurore's dad grinned. "We'll just take a bus and pretend we're tourists."
"Eberhard!" Alicia said reproachfully but her eyes twinkled. 
"What do you mean?" Cissy said.
"You'll see."
Aurore's parents changed their clothes and afterwards also changed the girls' clothes. They now looked like the Muggles surrounding them.
"Yugh, I'm not liking these Muggle-clothes," Cissy said with a frown. "They're weird."
Eberhard shushed her and they got on a bus. It was big and red and it was open on the top. Cissy had seen busses like these in London too.
A woman started telling them in nasal English all the sights they we're passing.
"She skips half of them!" Cissy whispered agitated.
Eberhard almost couldn't hold his laughter. "I know, that's because she can't see them!"
"You mean they're magical buildings?"
He nodded and Cissy now looked with another look at the buildings they were passing. While the woman in the front of the bus kept babbling, she too felt laughter creeping up on her. There was so much Muggles just didn't see. She couldn't imagine how they could live like that. She didn't dare look at Aurore because she knew that if she did, they would burst out in laughter and that would cause very odd looks from the surrounding Muggles. She bit her tongue to prevent her starting to laugh and noticed Aurore was doing the exact same thing.
Finally, they got off just in front of an enormous road that appeared to go on for miles.
"Les Champs Elysées!" Alicia announced.
Muggles were walking in and out of store but what they apparently didn't see was another line of store where witches and wizards in robes of any colour shopped.
"Now, let me see," Eberhard mumbled. "The entrance has to be here somewhere..."
He paced up and down the spot they were standing and suddenly his face lit up.
"Off course," he said. He carelessly sat on a park bench, tapped it three times with his wand, faded a little and then reappeared. They could off course still see him but they kind of had a feeling the Muggles couldn't anymore. Alicia, Aurore and Cissy also took place on the bench. Alicia tapped it at exactly the same spot Eberhard had tapped it and they felt a funny feeling go over them, like an egg broke on their heads. Then the feeling was gone. The magical street now looked even brighter than it had done before. It was like a french equivalent to Dagon Alley, only much, much bigger.
"Wait," Eberhard said, when people were staring at them and pointing. He flicked his wand over all of them and they were in their own clothes again. "That's better," he said.
Cissy couldn't agree more; her own clothing was way more comfortable than the Muggle clothing had been. She couldn't understand how they could stand it.
They walked towards the stores. The first store they entered was a bookstore, because Eberhard wanted to buy the newest book in the series of Gregorian – The Wizard Detective, a series he very much enjoyed reading. Cissy also bought herself a new book. It was on Atlantian mythology and had a beautiful moving cover of a seahorse and merfolk and she just had to have it. It was like the book called out to her to buy it. Happily, she placed it in her bag. She couldn't wait to read it when she was back at the Estate. After they had done some shopping, Eberhard and Alicia took the girls to an ice cream parlour. It was a huge store and the counter was filled with what seemed like a hundred different flavours of ice cream.
"Just pick anything you like," Alicia said.
"Do you come here often?" Cissy asked when she picked chocolate and orange, her favourites.
"This is where we met," Alicia said smiling. "Right here, in this very ice cream parlour."
She turned to Eberhard, who smiled back at her.
"That's right. Alicia was working here during the summer," he said.
"And Eberhard came back every day for ice cream just to see me," Alicia giggled.
Aurore rolled her eyes. Apparently she had heard this story many times already. Cissy thought it was sweet, the way they still seemed very much in love.


The trip to Paris was the final day of Cissy's stay with Aurore and she was really sad that she had to leave and go back to the Estate. After the warmth and homily interior of Résidence Dupont, the Black Estate was a cold place with its marble halls and severe looking portraits of ancestors.
She hugged Aurore and after a little hesitation, also Alicia and Eberhard and promised to write. Alicia went with her through the Floo powder channel and they appeared in the fireplace that was so familiar to Cissy. She said goodbye to Alicia and watch as she disappeared again in the green flames. She sighed. This was it, it really was over now.
"Cissy?" Andy voice yelled from the salon. "Cissy! You're back!" Andy stormed in and hugged her tight. "Gosh, I've missed you, you have no idea how boring it has been with you gone. How was France? You have to tell me everything!" She took a breath and Cissy cut in.
"Wow, easy sis. I haven't even unpacked yet," she laughed.
"You're right. I'm sorry." Andy blushed.
"Don't be silly," Cissy said. "Let's take a seat."
"Now just tell me all about France," Andy said, the moment they had sat down.
"Ow, it was wonderful Andy! Too bad you couldn't come as well. Aurore's home is very nice, it has carpet in almost every room and their garden is lovely. Aurore's mum tends to her garden herself, you know? I've seen sunflowers and bluebottles and there were all sorts of butterflies."
Andy smiled at the enthusiasm with which Cissy was telling about her visit.  "And the villages, were they what you expected them to be?" she asked.
"The villages were beautiful and the people were really nice. Oh Andy, I've been to the beach! It was brilliant, we could see England on the horizon! Aurore told me they once spoke the same language there as here, isn't that weird? And, and, and, I've been to Paris! Which is like, the most beautiful city ever! Her parents met there, at an ice cream parlour, so sweet, they're still in love. It was on a magical shopping street, even bigger than Diagon Alley and the Muggles couldn't see it, even though we walked almost next to them! Oh and I haven't even told you the best part!"
"What, there's more?" Andy grinned. "Sounds like you've seen all of France in just two week already. So what's it?"
Cissy's eyes twinkled and she leaned in a little closer. Without realising it, Andy followed her example.
"When we were in Paris, we dressed up as Muggles and took one of these tourist busses, you know, like the ones they have in London? It was hilarious, they couldn't see half of the buildings!" She burst with laughter. Andy looked shocked for a moment, then burst out in laughter as well.
"Oh my, Cissy, that must have been marvellous!" she hiccupped. "I can hardly imagine you in Muggle clothes, you must have looked ridiculous!"
"It was scary at first but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Aurore's parents are really nice, it was her father who came up with they idea. I just can't imagine Father coming up with something similar." They both giggled at the thought of their father in Muggle clothes.
"Both how were things over here? You mentioned something about it being boring?" She looked around the room, "Where's Bella, anyway? I kind of expected she would be here to hear me out as well."
A cloud passed over Andy's face. "She's probably busy with her lessons," she sneered.
Cissy sat up straight. "Lessons? But it's the holidays and Bella is top of her class. If anyone can finish Hogwarts with a lot of NEWTs, I reckon it's going to be her. What on earth is she taking extra lessons for?"
"I don't know anymore than you do," Andy said darkly. "Do you remember the man we saw that evening, at the dinner party? The one that appeared to know her?"
Cissy nodded. "We talked about him afterwards, I remember."
"Well, ever since, he's been around the Estate twice a week, giving her private lessons in Merlin knows what. Bella won't talk about it but I can see she's changing. Something is the matter with her and I'm not really sure I like this 'new' Bella. She looks like she hasn't slept in days."
She paused for a moment and looked grave. Cissy did too. The unconcerned atmosphere of just mere moments ago was gone.
"I wished Bella would just talk to me, you know." Andy sighed. "And Father and Mother are over the moon with his visits, apparently he's someone really important."

[Ralinde]

8. THE OTHER STUDENT

With the beginning of the new school year, the changes in Bella's behaviour were apparent to everyone, not just to Andy and Cissy. Geraldine quietly asked them what was wrong with Bella but they couldn't explain it to her. Zachary knew off course, his parents had been at the dinner party and had seen Bella there. Due to this fact, Bella sometimes talked more to Zachary than to Geraldine, who was getting furious at what she saw as betrayal of a long friendship.
There was one positive side about Bella returning to Hogwarts: with her NEWTs coming up, her lessons were brought back to once a month instead of twice a week. Bella regained some of her old vibrancy and colour and Andy and Cissy were relieved she appeared to be noticing them again. However, she still wouldn't listen every time they told her they worried about her.
"There is nothing wrong with me. For crying out loud, just leave me be," she would say on those occasions.

Rumours were beginning to spread amongst the students, about a man who called himself Lord Voldemort and who intended to get a law past the Minister about Purebloods having priority over Muggles.
"It's ridiculous, really," Amelia said furiously one day when they were in Astronomy. "Apparently, he's been going round the houses of pureblood families, asking their support for his cause." She snorted at the last word. "Well, my family sure as hell isn't going to back him up, half of our friends are Muggles!"
Andy thought about the dinner party and the weekly visits. She was pretty sure Amelia talked about the same man but she still didn't know how Bella had gotten involved and why he took such an interest in her. She figured it would be best not to tell Amelia about Bella's lessons since that would only call for questions to which she didn't have an answer.
"Surely he's been to your parents as well, hasn't he?" Amelia inquired.
"I think so. There has been a dinner party during the holidays but I haven't actually seen him." She hesitated a moment, then decided she couldn't tell Amelia about her parents embracing his ideas either. And so another friendship crackled.
And it wasn't just her friendship with Amelia. Andy felt she was dissociating herself from her parents and their eagerness to follow Lord Voldemort's ideas as well.  She felt like she would soon be in the middle of something she couldn't understand and that she would have to choose who's 'side' she was on. She didn't feel like picking sides at all but instead just hoped against odds that things would turn back the way they were before the summer holidays.

Bella appeared not to notice these subtle changes. For her, only two things mattered now: her monthly lessons with Lord Voldemort and passing her NEWTs. She worked hard for both. Due to the extra lessons from Lord Voldemort, she was now by far the best of her class now in non-verbal spell work, both in Charms as in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professors Slughorn and McGonagall were very content with her results in Potions and Transfiguration. True, her Ancient Runes didn't keep up to the same standards but she figured she wouldn't be needing it after school anyway so she didn't bother much with getting more than 'Above average' on her tests.
During the summer holidays, she had finally learnt the thing she had wanted to learn since the first time she had met Lord Voldemort: to shield her thoughts from others. She found it rather difficult but Lord Voldemort said she was improving so she assumed he was right. It was too bad she couldn't try it because she knew no one else who could read minds like he did.
Even though her lessons had become less frequent, she hungered for them more than ever. Last year, they had been practising on beetles and leeches but they had moved up to mice and other small mammals.
"Bella, I think it's time I'll teach how to duel," Lord Voldemort said coldly on their last lesson before the Christmas holidays.
She was confused by his remark. "Duel, my Lord?" She had come to name him Lord instead of sir of teacher because that just didn't feel right any more.
"Yes, it's time you learn how to act when in battle."
She looked shocked now. "So, I take it the Minister won't cooperate then?" she asked cautiously.
His face darkened and Bella flinched. I shouldn't have said that... she thought.
"You shouldn't have," he agreed and Bella was painfully aware of the fact that she hadn't kept her guard up. "However, since you asked: no, the Minister doesn't seem to be inclined to support our cause."
She felt some pleasure as he spoke of 'our' cause instead of 'my' cause. She felt included, felt like she was a part of something bigger.
"But for now, wand at the ready."
Mere seconds after she had gotten her wand out of her robe, a flash sprung of Lord Voldemorts wand and threw her into the wall. With a loud thud she fell to the floor. It hurt badly.
"What on earth are you doing that for!" she raged in pain.
"Enemies won't wait until you've been so kind as to draw your wand," he sneered. "Now, get up, grab your wand and defend yourself!"
This time, she was sort of expecting the flash as another spell darted her way. She ducked and it missed her by inches. She grabbed her wand and got up. When the next spell came her way, she yelled: "Protego!", the first spell that came into her mind. The spell bounced off but Lord Voldemort bellowed: "What have I been teaching you lately?! Non-verbal spell work Bella!"
She blushed. How could she have forgotten when it was all they had worked on last summer? Come to think of it, he had indeed not uttered one word when sending spells her way. With a look of determination, she told herself to focus. Non-verbal spell work took her a lot of concentration but she would show him the lessons hadn't been in vain.
She managed to block a stinging jinx with a non-verbal counter jinx and it backfired at him. Frozen, he fell over and she laughed. See, she could do non-verbal spell work!
The spell didn't last long. As he got up, she half expected him to be mad, but to her surprise, he was grinning.
"You're a quick learner, Bella," he said. "I think you'll make an excellent duellist one day."
She revelled in the compliment he had given her. "Thank you my Lord."
"We'll try again. This time, try to hit me with one of the jinxes we've practised."
Bella looked uncertain. "Um," she began.
"What are you waiting for girl? Are you afraid you might actually hit me?" He started to laugh while he carelessly rolled his wand through his fingers.
Bella bit her tongue. She concentrated on the 'neurintio' spell and a dash of purple light spurted his way. He blocked it without even looking at her. "Surely, you can do better than that?" he taunted.
She felt rage building up inside her. If there was one thing Bellatrix Black didn't like, it was being taunted. She thought of a spell that would knock him of his feet. She whispered "Dispondera" and at the same time, a ray of blue left her wand and he jumped aside, blinking with surprise.
"Now that's interesting ..." he muttered and shot her a thoughtful look. "Bella, hold it for a moment, will you?"
She lowered her wand a little but not much. She hadn't forgotten what had happened the last time she had been unprepared and feared this was going to be another lesson: 'never let you guard down when your opponent tells you to' or something of the kind.
"What was that spell?" he asked.
Bella was confused. Surely he must have recognised it as being a spell to knock people of their feet? She said so.
"It's not a spell we've practised, now have we?"
"No my Lord."
"Did you learn it at Hogwarts?" his voice betrayed that he doubted it.
She felt herself shrinking. Unknowingly, she must have done something wrong.
"Then were did it come from?" he inquired.
"I, I just made it up, my Lord," she confessed.
"You just ... made it up? Just yet? You've never used it before or seen it somewhere in a book?"
"I'm sorry, okay?" she replied weary. "I'll never do it again."
"Oh, on the contrary Bella, it think you'll do it more often. I had no idea, but this really changes everything."
"So I made up a spell. What's the big deal?" she was getting angry again.
"The big deal is," he spoke slowly, accentuating every single word, "that only very talented wizards and witches can do this. If you can do this at only seventeen, we can expect great things of you in the future Bella."
Bella opened her mouth and then shut it again.
"But how can't really teach you how to duel, when I'm the one duelling you. I'll make sure there'll be someone to practise with next time."
"So you mean, this lesson's over?" she asked, still not being able to grasp what he had just told her.
"I think for today, yes," he replied.
"But don't worry, we'll meet again soon," he reassured her.
She sighed. The wonderful feeling of superiority caused by firing offensive spells quickly ebbed away.
"Well, I'll see you next time then, professor," she said with emphasis on the last word, because she knew he hated it when she called him that. It was her way of telling him she didn't like it.
But he only replied with a soft "Until next time Bella. Enjoy your holidays" which confused her, to be honest.

In the weeks to come, she had time to think about what he had said. That only very talented wizards and witches could create working spells. Truth be told, she didn't know for sure it would have done what it was supposed to do but she felt that if he hadn't jumped aside, he would have been kicked off his feet, just as she had intended.