"Before we start I would like to say something," Mr Weasley said, his glass raised.

"A toast," said Mr Weasley. "A toast! To Miss Isabella Potter without whom I would not be here. Who in three years' time would have defeated You Know Who for good." Bella felt her face burn brightly, she hid in her hair.

"Bella." He said at the end he raised his goblet.

"Bella!" everyone repeated. She flushed darker; she glanced at Ron's face he was smirking at her embarrassment. The twins were snickering.

"Fred! George!" Mrs Weasley said angrily.

"Sorry mum, but look at her. She's gone all shy." Fred said laughing as she glared at him.

"Ickle Bella's all embarrassed." George said again laughing when she turned her glare to him.

"Thanks, Mr – Arthur, but I –"

"Mate, shut up and accept you're the hero." Ron said laughing, dodging Bella's hand.

Bella flushed darker making everyone else laugh.

"Can't we just get on with the meeting. Like how we should try and start destroying the Horcrexes, quietly, while no one believes us. That way, Voldemort isn't to exploratory."

"I'll get the diadem was soon as we go back to Hogwarts tomorrow." Bella said. "And I will work hard with occlumency,"

"What about the cup," Hermione said. "That'll be the hardest to get, Dumbledore already knows where the ring is."

"Sirius," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "Though a convict, the goblins would not undermine your right to your cousin's vault I believe this would be the most undisruptive way of retrieving the cup."

"I reckon Bella's way is better," Fred chortled.

"Please give credit where it's due, it was Hermione's idea to escape on the dragon." Bella said watching her brunette friend blush.

"Kreacher has the locket, once he is back, we'll get him back on our side," Hermione said distracting herself from her future actions.

"Yes, that will be the easiest to destroy,"

"I reckon we should let Kreacher do it," Bella said quietly.

There was a murmur of agreement.

"What about Draco? How are we going to stop You Know Who from forcing him to join?" Ron said concerned.

Bella swerved again as the serpent lunged at her; she soared upward and straight toward the place where, she prayed, the door stood open; Ron, Hermione and Goyle had vanished; Malfoy was screaming and holding Bella so tightly it hurt.

George growled at Malfoy.

'I'm not trying to hurt her, Weasley,' Malfoy said, though not in the usual sneer. He had picked his side, now... and it wasn't his parents. 'But...' Malfoy stood up with his hand out.

'I'd like to be her friend, this time I promise I won't insult, Gran – Hermione or Weas- Ron again. In fact,' Malfoy took his hand from in front of Bella and held it out to Ron. For a few seconds Ron just stared at it; then slowly he took it and they shook.

'May I be friends with your ladies?' Malfoy smirked, they both scowled at him, Ron laughed.

'Sure ferret, welcome to the team.'

'Thank you, Weasel King.'

"I will be teaching two students occlumency, and discussing Draco's part, and safety with him on our return to Hogwarts," Snape looked at Ron, who nodded.

"Then it's just the snake," Sirius said.

"Not quite," Bella said rubbing her own scar. Several members of the group winced, George's grip on the teen tightened.

"Let's not talk about that one yet, Dear." Mrs Weasley said looking pale.

"Nagini and Bella will have to be the last Horcrexes we destroy, or it may tip him off." Dumbledore said.

"We still need to kill Nagini, before he knows we are hunting horcrexes, otherwise it's going to be hard to get close to her," Sirius said.

They continued to plot and discuss the events of the future and their plans retrospect of it, for several hours.

"I think we should all go to bed," Mr Weasley said, noting Ginny trying to hide her heavy eyes. "You all have to be back at school tomorrow. Readjust to time again,"

"Yes, that's a good idea Arthur," Sirius stood up, and waved his wand to clear the table.

The squeaking of chairs and murmurs of goodnights flowed through the kitchen as the teenagers began to make their way up to bed. As soon as Bella got back to the room, she smiled and stroked Hedwig's beak.

Knock knock.

She whirled around to see George leaning against the door.

When he saw her he smiled, reaching out his hand. She took it, and moved closer to him. The redhead wrapped his arms around her, pulling her so their foreheads touched.

"We need to have a talk," he said. She nodded.

"I'll er, I'll go shower," Ron grunted, moving past the happy couple.

"Shall we sit down," Bella gestured to the bed.

"Forward,"

"Shut up," she blushed, pulling away from him, and sitting down. He chuckled and sat beside her.

"Obviously me and Fred aren't going to buggar off, cause a bit of mischief yeah, but if we get kicked out we will go to the Room of Requirement."

"I'll sneak you food," she smirked.

"Yeah, I reckon Dumbledore'll have to tell his brother some stuff,"

"From Dumbledore, it will just sound normal though," Bella smiled. He laughed.

"True,"

"Do you want to talk about, Fred," she said quietly touching his arm. George grimaced, and shook his head.

"Know that you can if you want, ok. We are going to change it, I know we are."

"Hopefully, we can avoid the Battle of Hogwarts all together,"

"Yeah, I was thinking… I have been trying to think when I can get Voldemort to kill me." She could feel hear voice get smaller, as her heart thumbed harder in defiance. George wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into his body.

"I hate that you have to think about that," he murmured through her hair.

"At least I know I'll survive," she tried to smile.

"It's still terrifying," he said, rubbing her back. "You don't have to put on a brave face for me."

Knock knock.

The couple jumped, and pulled apart to see a wet haired Ron.

"Mum says, we have to go to bed now." He shifted his weighed, his eyes flickering to the bed. George rolled his eyes.

"Relax, I'm going upstairs." He said, he kissed her temple. "Best get some rest, I reckon, gunna be weird watching clocks go again." He said, Bella laughed.

"Goodnight," she kissed him.

"Mm, goodnight."

George left Bella and Ron, who for a moment stayed in silence.

"You all right?" she asked him, playing with her fingers.

"Fine, reckon I'm still taking everything in," he said as he pulled his duvet up, and got into bed.

"It's going to be a lot of déjà vu,"

Ron snorted.

"Night Bells,"

"Night,"

"I thought she would come," said Voldemort in his high, clear voice, his eyes on the leaping flames. "I expected her to come."

Nobody spoke. They seemed as scared as Bella, whose heart was now throwing itself against her ribs as though determined to escape the body she was about to cast aside. Her hands were sweating as she pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it beneath her robes, with her wand. She did not want to be tempted to fight.

"I was, it seems . . . mistaken," said Voldemort.

"You weren't."

Then a voice yelled: "BELLA! NO!"

She turned: Hagrid was bound and trussed, tied to a tree nearby.

His massive body shook the branches overhead as he struggled, desperate.

"NO! NO! BELLA, WHAT'RE YEH - ?"

"QUIET!" shouted Rowle, and with a flick of his wand, Hagrid was silenced.

"I'm giving you what you want," she said. "You won't harm them. Hagrid included. You will not touch them. Hagrid tell Ron, Hermione and George, there are letters in Dumbledore's office for them. Please tell them." She said desperately, Hagrid sobbed loudly. "You were my first friend Hagrid, and you always will be."

The only things that moved were the flames and the snake, coiling and uncoiling in the glittering cage behind Voldemort's head.Voldemort and Bella looked at each other, and now Voldemort tilted his head a little to the side, considering the girl standing before him, and a singularly mirthless smile curled the lipless mouth.

"Isabella Potter," he said very softly. His voice might have been part of the spitting fire. "The Girl Who Lived."

A flash of green light, and everything was gone.

Bella jumped from the bed gasping. The bright green light still blinding her vision.

"Bad dream?"

The voice made her jump, she turned to see Ron, his face was white, his eyes drained.

"You too?"

"Yeah, which –?"

"My death,"

"Your death,"

"Sorry,"

"Come on," Rom grunted. "Let's get sorted, before Mum starts screaming."

Not pushing him, she got out of bed, grabbing her toothbrush. It was going to be a long day.