A/N: A bit of a filler chapter, sorry. At least it's longer than the past few...

Ria

When I woke, the blindingly white ceiling told me immediately where I was. The Hospital Wing. Ugh. The second thing I noticed was the voices arguing from beyond my line of sight.

"Headmaster, that was a Dark curse! You can't honestly tell me that you aren't going to expel Bellatrix for using it on a fellow student!" Madame Pomfrey was in a tizzy. She was very, perhaps overly protective of students that came within her domain.

"I'm afraid I can't, Poppy. It is just barely legal, and Cygnus is the Head of the Board of Governors. Unless I have proof of a truly illegal act, it is impossible for me to expel his favorite daughter. However, if I keep her here, I can watch her closely, and put some controls on her behavior. Rest assured, none of the culprits are going to be unpunished." Dumbledore said, gravely. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, was the old adage. It made sense in this case. There was a furious snort, which I identified as coming from McGonagall.

"If I have my way, they'll be wishing that they were expelled." She said, fiercely, anger thickening her Scottish brogue.

"Hear, hear." Flitwick said, his normally cheerful voice quite furious.

"I can't believe they thought that they could get away with blatantly attacking other students!" That was the new Head of Hufflepuff, the Herbology teacher, Sprout. Her anger was leavened with confusion.

"I knew that Miss Black and Miss O'Reilly had a history, but I never imagined that Miss Black would use a potentially deadly curse…She isn't the most stable individual…" Slughorn was just bewildered. The fat man was reluctant to think badly of anyone, especially well connected students, and twice that for his Snakes, so serious wrong doing always took him by surprise. You'd think he'd have learned by now that Trixie is just crazier than a cuckoo clock.

"Does anyone else find in significant that it was the younger Miss Black that was leading with Mr. Malfoy, instead of her sister who dates him?" Flitwick asked.

"Bellatrix is the leader; Narcissa is always a follower of those about her." I said, starting to sit up. The adults jumped in surprise, except for Dumbledore, and the Nurse hurried over and shoved me firmly back down.

"You stay right there, young woman! You lost a lot of blood, and there were complications from the interactions of the two spells you were hit with. You aren't going anywhere for a while." She chided, waving her wand and casting diagnostic spells on me.

"But-" I began to protest, only to be cut of crisply.

"No buts about it, if you want to be on the train home with your peers." Nodding in satisfaction, she turned to the teachers. "You may talk to Ria, now, but don't over tax her, or I'll throw you out on your ear." She warned. I saw Sprout and Dumbledore hiding smiles, while Flitwick and McGonagall were looking me over, with concern.

"How are you feeling?" The Transfiguration professor asked, taking one of the five chairs set around my bed. I gave my favorite teacher a smile.

"I've been better, I've been worse. I'd prefer not feeling like I was trampled by a run-away kangaroo." I said, with a small smile, as she snorted at the bizarre metaphor.

"A kangaroo? Isn't it usually a quadruped of some sort?" Flitwick said, smiling that I was feeling well enough to joke. My Head of House had a lively sense of humor.

"But kangaroo's are more fun. I mean, they jump everywhere, they kick-box for dominance, and they're marsupials. What sort of animal that carries its babies around in a pouch isn't awesome?" I asked, sneaking a glance to see that the nurse wasn't watching, before sitting up. I disliked lying down while talking to people, especially adults; it made me feel too vulnerable and helpless.

"As fascinating as this discussion is," Unlike most adults using that particular phrase, Dumbledore didn't sound sarcastic, but actually interested and regretful, "We do have other things to talk about."

"Yes, sir. What do you want to know?" I said respectfully. The headmaster might have more bats in his belfry than a cathedral, but he was a genius, and a powerful man, magically and politically. Even if he was wearing purple robes with sparkly gold and silver stars embroidered on them…

"Ted said that you interrupted the group that was hexing him." Sprout said, smiling at me approvingly. "Could you tell us what happened, from your point of view?"

"I was walking by the lake, when I heard raised voices. I recognized them, and I knew that Bellatrix," I was careful not to use my scornful nickname for her, "and Malfoy were bullies that like to pick on people, especially muggleborns. I can't begin to count the number of times they've called me a Mudblood." The adults all winced at the word, and scowled. I shrugged. "It really doesn't bother me, even after I got it explained. It's one of the more pathetic insults I've ever heard, and the way they throw it about, you'd think people would become desensitized." I wonder why they don't. It doesn't even make sense… "Anyway, I really don't like bullies, so I went to interfere." I shifted uncomfortably under their intent gazes. I really didn't like being the center of attention, especially of adults I wasn't close to. If it was just McGonagall, or Flitwick, or even both of them, then I'd be fine, but as it is…

"You went there alone, even knowing that there were at least two students with more schooling than you?" Sprout asked, disbelievingly. Well, Hufflepuff is known for loyalty, common sense, and hard work…

"Yes. I didn't know if I had time to get an adult before whoever it was that was being bullied got seriously hurt. Those two are known for being particularly nasty. I've heard rumors that they like to use an Itching Hex, and leave the victim behind in a full body bind." An Itching Hex wasn't that bad, as long as you could scratch, or cast the counter, but if you couldn't, it rapidly became very painful.

"Why haven't we heard of this?" Demanded Flitwick. I snorted.

"People are either too scared of them, or, mostly in the case of Gryffindors, no offense, Professor McGonagall, too proud. They feel it would be letting the bullies win to talk to an adult. Darn silly if you ask me. I'd have told, but I didn't really have any proof I could bring to a teacher, only hearsay. They're clever enough to not do anything where they could get caught by a teacher, normally. Once I got Ted out, they were focused on me, and didn't realize I'd sent him for help. They actually thought I was dumb enough to stay there and deal with nine older students alone." I snorted. "I'm not suicidal. I couldn't turn and leave, there were too many of them to make that a viable option. The only thing I could do, is what I did, try and stay in one piece long enough for help to get there. Speaking of which, are Ted and the others all right?" I looked around, and didn't see anyone in the surrounding beds, much to my relief.

"You were the only one hurt, Miss O'Reilly." Dumbledore told me, making me relax. If my friends had gotten hurt because of me... "Only a few scrapes or bruises, and in Mr. Pettigrew's case, a severe instance of Twitchy Ears, that Poppy was able to deal with in a jiffy."

"Oh, good! What now, Professors?" I asked a bit nervous still.

"You are going to recover under Madame Pomfrey's care. The culprits are going to spend the last week of term in detention, and under constant adult supervision. Those that are in sixth year or below are going to have all privileges, including Prefect status and Hogsmeade trips, revoked for next year. At next Christmas we will review their behavior, and see if they have earned their Hogsmeade trips back, but they will never hold an office over other students." McGonagall said, making me wince at the news I was going to be stuck with the dragon lady.

However, the punishment of the Slytherins cheered me up, until I realized that they would undoubtedly blame me for it. I was going to have to watch my back carefully from now on. As the teachers stood to leave, I happened to overhear Sprout muttering to herself. I froze as the words penetrated my consciousness.

"-still say they should be expelled. She nearly died, because of them." I what?! Please tell me I heard that wrong! Died? It wasn't that bad, was it? Shoot. Gosh-darn Trixie!

A/N: Okay, I'm getting too many reviews, favorites and follow to list them out by catagory, sorry for that. But this makes me happy that so many people like my writing. Feel free to send me a nasty note if I forget you! Thanks!

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