Word count without a/n: 1,081

Written for QLFC round 1: write about your chosen death eater being at school.

Chaser 3 for Puddlemere United

Prompts:

"People in their right minds never take pride in their talents." - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Anger (emotion)

"I should warn you..." (dialogue)

Ever since they had been small, Bella Black had always been somewhat... odd.

At first, Andromeda, along with her not-quite-so-concerned-parents, had thought the eldest daughter to be a mere trickster; eager for a practical joke, excited to plan a hoax, you know the type.

But, from the ages of five to eight, Bella's little 'pranks' had evolved from the childish activity of scribbling moustaches on the portraits of deceased Blacks dotted around the manor to ordering one of the family's house elves to jump from a three-story balcony because she'd "dropped her favourite doll over the side".

Needless to say, their father hadn't been pleased when the unpleasant task of mounting another head on the wall came a few decades too early.

But Bella Black was no longer a child. It had been four years since she'd begun Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a puny, Slytherin first year, determined to make her way in the world by terrorising others and flaunting her talents at every possible opportunity.

Though, after ten detentions and the threat of suspension, Bella soon cleaned up her act.

(In front of the professors and parents, that is).

"Must we, Bella?" Andromeda asked, pulling her winter robe tight around her shivering body as an attempt to block the chilly wind that rushed through the surrounding trees.

Her elder sister continued to stride ahead, boots crunching through the deep snow underfoot. "Don't be such a baby," she said without looking back. "What's life without a little adventure?"

"A butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks sounds like the perfect adventure to me," Edward Travers – one of Andromeda's fellow third years - muttered under his breath from beside her. The two momentarily made eye contact and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

"I can hear you," Bella said, briefly glancing back over her shoulder to frown distastefully at the freckled boy. "Don't think I can't."

"I don't think you can't," Edward replied, however his voice didn't come out nearly as strong as he'd intended, sounding more like a timid kitten than a fierce lion.

But Bella still spun around, drawing her wand from the inside pocket of her robe and pointing it straight at him. "I should warn you-"

"Oh do be quiet," Augustus Rookwood, the fourth and final member of their party interrupted, stepping forward to grab Bella's wrist and force it downwards. "Both of you." He looked between them for a second, then turned to address Bella. "Can you hurry this up or I'm turning back. At this rate our eyeballs will be frozen over before we get a chance to see whatever it is you're trying to show us."

"Fine," Bella said, keeping her eyes narrowed viciously at Edward for a moment longer before shifting her focus to look down at the wizarding village of Hogsmeade behind him. It was painted white with the heavy December snow that had fallen a few days ago and, from their distance, their fellow student looked nothing more than ants, scurrying around the cobbled streets. Bella observed them briefly, then declared, "We only need to get far enough away so that nobody can see us." And she turned on her heel and marched off again, leaving Andromeda, Edward and Augustus to scramble through the snow after her.

Five minutes later Bella drew to a stop, apparently happy that they'd reached their destination. "This'll do," she said, drawing her wand again.

Edward took a small step back.

"This better be good," Augustus said, crossing his arms over his chest as Andromeda nodded alongside him.

"It will," Bella smirked, rolling up the sleeves of her robe. "Serpensortia."

A long, black adder shot out from the tip of her wand, landing heavily in the centre of the circle that the four of them had inadvertently made.

"Congratulations, Bella," Augustus said dryly, drawing his own wand just in case the adder made a move to attack him or one of the others. "You summoned a snake."

"That wasn't what I wanted to show you," Bella said, trying to glare at him but couldn't resist the Slytherinesque smile that slipped onto her pale face. She directed her wand at the snake. "This is what I wanted to show you." And then she uttered, "crucio."

The docile snake cringed as the spell hit it, curling up, then jerking, writhing, spitting, hissing.

"Merlin, Bella!" Andromeda exclaimed, jumping back, her hands over her mouth.

Edward went as pale as the snow beneath his feet, stumbling backwards and falling, landing hard on the ground where he stayed, watching on with horror.

Augustus, for his part, looked interested, if not a little uncomfortable. "Where the hell did you learn that?" He asked after a moment had passed.

Bella grinned, not taking her eyes off the snake. "In a book."

"They don't have books teaching you that at Hogwarts," Augustus said. "Not even in the restricted section."

Andromeda shuffled her feet, fairly certain she knew exactly which library would have those sorts of books; she'd wandered through it enough times as a child.

"Stop it!" Edward suddenly exclaimed.

Bella raised her eyebrows. "Why should I do that?"

"You're hurting it!" He shouted, but Bella didn't react, keeping her wand hand steady. Edward stumbled back to his feet and launched himself at her, sending them both tumbling to the ground and causing the curse to lift and the snake to fall still; Augustus took the opportunity to vanish the poor thing.

"Get off me!" Bella snarled, shoving Edward away viciously and clambering to her feet, robes askew and thick, black hair speckled with wet snow.

"You can't use that curse," Edward spluttered, still lying on the ground as he tried to catch his breath.

"Watch me," Bella said, her upper lip curling as she turned to point her wand at the snake once more. But it had gone. She span around, glaring at the cowering boy with all her might. "You vanished it!"

"No I didn't!" Edward spluttered.

"Liar!"

"I swear, it wasn't me!"

Bella took a step closer to him, raising her wand. "You are so going to pay for that! Cru-"

"BELLA!" Andromeda screamed, flinging herself forwards, clutching on to her sister's wrist as Augustus watched on in uncomfortable silence. "You can't! That's illegal! You'll get sent to Azkaban!"

Bella snatched her arm away, training her wand directly at her target but staring straight at her sister, her pale cheeks flushed and her dark eyes sparkling manically.

"So?" Bellatrix said.