Title: Inside My Mind

Pairing: TMR/FemHP, DM/CW, DM/LL, HG/BZ, SB/OC, RL/NT

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the quotes. I also kind of took the quote idea from another story. I don't own the language, Druhir. I also don't own the Ancient Language from Eragon nor do I own the language of Quenya from Lord of the Rings. I just need them for my story to work and I don't fancy making up a language. I'm dedicated but not that dedicated.

Most of this language will not be mine and will be taken from various sources. The list goes on and on so I will not list them but as previously stated and now reiterated, the Elvish language is not mine. See…that rhymed.

Note: Well, this is is. They will be going to Hogwarts in this chapter. And to make up for the short as hell chapter last time, this chapter is extra long. Yay! Someone pointed out Ginny's crush on Tom. Bella is not threatened by it and you'll see in this chapter why she isn't. Anyway, they're going to Hogwarts. I missed writing about Hogwarts…

Inside My Mind

By: Sistersgrimmlover

Chapter XLIX

Platform 9¾, King's Cross, London, England, Great Britain

Wednesday the 1st of September 1995

10:45 AM

"I can't believe that we actually got here before the time the train is supposed to leave," Hermione said in surprise. Ginny and Gideon nodded in agreement. Ron was slouching, his prefect badge gleaming proudly on his chest. Bella wondered briefly how he had got prefect.

"I know! Isn't that amazing, Bella?" Gideon asked, hoping to get something out of Bella.

Bella had purposefully not spoken to any of the children her age for anything. When she had to speak it was always a 'yes' or 'no'. Focusing on her own personal thoughts was a lot easier the way she was going about things. She would officially end the exile of her mind when the train moved but not until then.

"Hn…" Bella said, softly. She ran her hand over Sasha's cool scales. Sasha was curled up around her arm and Bella knew that she would grow bigger than she was. Sasha was but a baby at this point. Sasha would grow to be three feet, as she was a magical snake.

"Why do you not speak to the Bush sister and the flames?" Sasha asked, curiously. Bella shrugged and leaned her head back against the wall.

"I don't feel like it."

"Where is your mate? I do not feel him around," Sasha asked, curiously. Bella choked over air at the word 'mate' but didn't say anything opposing the idea. In all honesty, she didn't oppose the idea all that much. But, honestly, Sasha just couldn't say boyfriend?

"He's a teacher at school. He has to be at the school earlier because they have a staff meeting. I'll see him later," Bella hissed back. If snakes could frown, Sasha would be.

"He is your instructor? That is strange."

Bella laughed, quietly. Hermione looked at her in surprise but said nothing. She was content with just hearing her sister make a noise. The door slid open and Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini stood in the doorway. A gleaming prefect badge sat on Draco's chest. The Weasleys scowled at the two Slytherins.

"Hello, Princess," Draco said, softly. Hermione had written about what had happened. Bella looked up at the nickname that hadn't been used in quite some time. Draco sat down and wrapped his arms around Bella in a hug. She didn't hug him back but she leaned her head onto his shoulder.

"Sorella. Mórrígan," Blaise said, softly in greeting. Hermione smiled and pulled Blaise down next to her. She swung her legs over his lap and leaned her head against his shoulder. He looked down at her with a slight smile.

"How did the hunting go?" Hermione asked. Bella straightened and Blaise's lips curled into a smile.

"Wonderful. Gianna is a saint! Or a demon. Whichever. She was incredible. Mother was ecstatic when Gianna finished everything off. Arsenic. And then Mother burst out crying when Gianna said she wanted to be just like her when she's older," Blaise said, as the warning whistle sounded on the platform. Hermione was laughing as she stood up to get to the prefect carriage.

She looked to Draco who was holding Bella and whispering into her ear. Bella nodded, understandingly. The train began to move and the group tumbled, not ready for the sudden movement.

"Ouch! That fucking hurt! Gideon, get the hell off of me!"

Hermione's eyes widened when she looked over at Bella. She was glaring angrily at Gideon. Gideon had fallen onto her and he was blushing, viciously. Bella's glare softened and she pushed Gideon off of her, gently.

"Uh…er…sorry!" Gideon blurted out, flushing. Bella's lips curled into a slow smile. She was obviously amused at his embarrassment.

"It's all right."

Ron was gaping at her.

"You're talking again!" Ron said in astonishment. Draco rolled his eyes as he turned to walk to the prefect carriage.

"No shit, Sherlock. And you're a prefect…hmph. Where's Loony?" Draco asked. Ginny glared at him.

"Don't call her that!" she spat. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fine, Weaslette. Where is Luna?" Draco said, drawling Luna's name. Bella shrugged and Draco fixed Bella with a set look.

"Barcelona?" Draco said. Ginny blinked at the word. She wasn't sure if Malfoy was asking as a question or just saying the word like it was a code. Ginny was even more surprised by the reactions it evoked from the close foursome.

Zabini looked surprised. Hermione began to laugh and Bella looked feral. Wild. It was strange because it wasn't Bella's usual wildness. It was something different…almost sexual…

"Mhmm. Fun, fun, fun," Bella said with a light grin. Malfoy looked disgusted at that and he looked to Hermione. Hermione laughed.

"I wrote you before I got the unrated version. She told a mild version to Sirius and Maya. I got the good stuff. I'll tell you later," Hermione said, laughing. Malfoy nodded and gave Bella a stern look.

"I found out how to get rid of wine stains, though," Bella said, cheerfully. Ginny had the impression that Malfoy knew exactly how to get rid of wine stains but didn't want to say anything.

"I know how to get rid of wine stains, Bella. I don't want to hear how you got rid of yours. I find it disgusting, frankly," Malfoy said, sharply. Bella laughed and rolled her eyes. Ginny shuddered when her snake reared its head and hissed at her. Bella answered back in a strangled hissing sound before looking up.

"You three should go to the prefect carriage and see what's up," Bella instructed. Malfoy nodded and Zabini smirked.

"Bye, bye Principessa Prefect."

Hermione bared her teeth at him and straddled his lap. She glared at him and lifted her fist up.

"You're not fatally ill anymore. I will kill you," Hermione threatened. Zabini smirked.

"Can't. I'm already nearly dead," he said, cheerfully. Ginny wondered briefly wondered what he meant by that but didn't want to ask. She wasn't all too fond of the Slytherins, though she tolerated them.

"That means you're slightly alive. And unless you will be all dead, you won't call me Princess Prefect," Hermione snarled. Zabini's cheerful smirk never left his face and he leaned forward.

"Of course, bellissima ragazza," he purred. Hermione flushed and pushed herself off of him. Ron looked extremely pissed off at the moment and he glared at Zabini. Zabini gave a dismissive wave that delivered his message loud and clear.

Yes, I know. You're jealous. Too bad that I'm a badass and you're not.

Ron stormed out and Draco grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged her out of the room, leaving Gideon, Bella, Zabini and Ginny alone. They sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Zabini broke it.

"Piano. Will you play for me when we get to Hogwarts?" Zabini asked. Ginny and Gideon stiffened at the question. Everyone had avoided speaking about the incident. Even Sirius hadn't confronted Bella about it. Though, Ginny had seen him go into the ballroom when Bella was playing. She had stopped playing her sad music and played something different then. Even still, it had been a gorgeous sound.

"I can't play the piano," Bella said, flatly. Her eyes were hard once more and Gideon and Ginny knew better than to argue with her. She sometimes got violent and would break something. In Riddle Manor, when Ron had first mentioned the piano, Bella had thrown a plate at him. Ron had ducked just in time for it to shatter against the wall.

"Can't? Or won't?" Zabini countered. Bella sighed.

"I won't. It was a one-time thing. Tom asked so…I did. And I won't. Ever," Bella said, emphasizing the last word. Zabini crossed his arms and sighed, annoyed.

"You're going to have to stop being so afraid, sometime, Bella."

"I am not afraid of a piano," Bella hissed, angrily. Zabini gave her a slight smile and turned back to staring out of the window. Ginny looked at him, curiously as he reached out and tucked a lock of Bella's hair behind her ear.

"I never said it was the piano you feared."

Ginny gave the teen an assessing look. Zabini was the only Slytherin that she had never been able to understand. As a Ravenclaw, Ginny liked to understand most things. She found the bond that the four shared strange.

They were all so different. Malfoy was shallow and sardonic. Bella was beautiful and impulsive. Hermione was bloodthirsty and mature. Zabini was the only one Ginny couldn't quite figure out. Not that he could figure out the others much anyway.

Zabini's attitude told one thing about him that only made Ginny even more confused.

He knew.


Hogwarts Express, English Countryside, Great Britain

Wednesday the 1st of September 1995

12:00 PM

"An hour? What did you guys talk about?" Bella asked as the three returned to the compartment. Ron gave her a smug look as if being prefect mattered to her at all.

"We can't tell you. I'm starving!" Ron said, throwing himself next to his siblings and grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Ginny. Bella stifled her smile when Ginny scowled at him.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."

"Who is the Slytherin girl prefect?" Bella asked, curiously. Hermione sneered, disdainfully at the question.

"That complete cow, Pansy Parkinson. She was throwing herself at Draco. My brother has higher standards than her. How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll is beyond me," Hermione sniffed, viciously.

Ginny and Gideon shared a snicker over that one. Draco looked a little annoyed but he said nothing as he laid his head in Bella's lap. Bella noticed that his hair wasn't slicked back like it usually was. She ran her hands through his hair and she looked down.

"How's Charlie?" Bella asked, carefully. Draco looked up with challenging eyes.

"I don't know. How was Barcelona?"

"Fun. I told you. It was really, really fun," Bella said, softly. Ginny frowned in confusion.

"When did you go to Barcelona?" Ginny asked. Bella's lips curled into a smile.

"A couple weeks ago. My birthday. After I went to dinner with Draco, I went to Barcelona. Blaise was in Spain but I wasn't quite sure where. So, I explored Barcelona for a bit instead," Bella lied, fluently. She was pleased when Ginny seemed to accept this as the truth.

"Anyway, continue. Hufflepuff prefects?" Bella asked. Draco snorted.

"The Jigglypuff prefects: Macmillan and Abbott. And Padma Patil and Goldstein for Ravenclaw," Draco continued. Hermione smacked Draco's leg. She was sitting with Draco's legs next to her and her own legs across Blaise's lap.

"Don't be an ass."

"Too late," Bella snickered. The two girls of the four giggled. Ron snorted into his hand. Gideon frowned.

"How did you guys get so close?"

The four looked at each other at the strange question before Bella's eyes widened. A bright smile spread across her lips as if she had just remembered.

"Right…Draco and I exchanged blood. I offered blood to him in exchange for help but it formed a sibling bond. We started talking and hanging out and became pretty close. Hermione and I were always together and Blaise and Draco were always together so we all started hanging out. I always thought of Hermione as a sister but Blaise…Blaise knows things. He reads me easily so…" Bella trailed off. Blaise snorted.

"Barely. I can't deal with your mood swings like he can."

Gideon got the impression that they weren't talking about Draco. They were talking about the only person that Bella had felt comfortable enough to play for.

Riddle.

"Yes, well. He doesn't deal with my 'mood swings'. He tends to leave and let me destroy things unless they're worth money. I tried to destroy the piano. Didn't work out so well. Then, I went into a fit when Ronald decided to be tactless," Bella said, casting an annoyed yet amused looked at her friend. Ron had the decency to blush.

"Sorry…" he muttered. Blaise looked intrigued.

"How did he deal with that? What did you do?" he asked. Bella blushed. Hermione laughed.

"She started throwing plates. Tom had to carry her out of the room, kicking and screaming before tossing her in a warded room so she couldn't use her magic to destroy the wards."

Bella glared at her as Draco began laughing.

"And don't forget that one mood swing. Do you wanna touch me?"

The students in the compartment looked up at the girl with wide grey eyes and long straggly blond hair. She was already in her Hogwarts robes and she had a dreamy smile on her face. A tall boy with a round pale face was behind her.

Neville.

Luna.

Blaise burst out laughing first. He was on the ground and Hermione was after him. They held onto each other as they laughed. Draco was choking over his laughter. Bella was flushed to the point where she was red.

"That wasn't my fault!"

"No, it was nature. That doesn't mean that it didn't happen."

Ginny frowned. Bella wasn't easily embarrassed. Whatever she did must have really been embarrassing for her. But, at the same time she looked pleased.

"I don't get it," Ron said. Bella shook her head.

"It's better that you don't get it. It'll make life easier for me if you never get it. Luna, come sit down. Neville, you can come in too," Bella said, smiling. Neville gave her a shy smile and walked in with his freaky looking plant. Luna walked in and cuddled up into Draco's side.

Draco stiffened.

"Lu…Loony…don't."

"I know, Draco. I've Seen," Luna said, sadly. Bella straightened with a frown. Blaise and Hermione cast him strange looks.

"Could you…leave for a moment?" Bella asked, slowly. Ron looked annoyed.

"Why should we leave?" he demanded. Bella turned on him, fiercely. Her eyes were a bright green, making Ron flinch. Her wand was pointed at him and the air sparked with static.

"Leave. Now!" she spat. Gideon and Ginny jumped up and Neville was already stumbling towards the door. Ron closed the door and Bella gestured to the door. Hermione pulled down the curtains and locked the door. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Muffliato."

"Learned that one from Uncle Sirius?" Bella asked with a slight smile. Hermione winked.

"You know it."

"What do you have to tell us? What has Luna Seen?" Blaise asked, cutting through the nervous talk. Bella was suddenly paying attention. Draco glared.

"Lord Voldemort has given father a task. He needs to secure an alliance with the Indian Ministry. The Indian Minister on one condition…if I…find her a suitable husband. If I can't, I have to marry her. Apparently, his daughter can get a date by herself. And my father doesn't think I can do it in two years but…" Draco sneered. Bella's eyes widened.

"Does Charlie know?"

"Why does he need to know?" Draco sneered. Luna gave him a sad look.

"I know you feel affection for him," Luna said, regretfully. Draco looked away feeling rather guilty.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. It's not Bella's fault that she fancies Tom. It's not your fault that you fancy Charlie," Luna said, softly. Draco looked at Luna, affectionately.

"But…" Draco trailed off. Luna's lips curled into a smile.

"You fancy me too. Draco…you're going to have to choose eventually. But, I won't make you now. I care for you," Luna said, openly. Bella, Blaise, and Hermione stayed quite, tactfully. Draco nodded.

"Let's focus on the present problem then. Her name is Lalita. She's transferring to Hogwarts this year. And I don't want to marry her. What are we going to do about it?" Draco demanded.

Bella ran her hand through her hair.

"Well, do you have to do it? I mean, if we help you complete this task, we'll be helping Voldemort," Bella said. She wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. Draco blinked at that.

"I do have to do it. I won't put my father in danger. He's bound to Voldemort and if the task doesn't get done…I don't want him to die. And…Voldemort isn't all that bad."

"What do you mean Voldemort isn't bad?" demanded Hermione, shrilly. Draco cringed at her voice and crossed his arms as he thought about how to phrase it.

"I sat with him in the library a lot. He was tolerant of my disrespect, patient, and he has a very commanding air about him. He's rather charismatic, despite his looks. I'm just saying that we should evaluate him and let him do as he pleases. We're Neutral right now, right? What if…what if Voldemort has the right ideas? He talked to me about some of his plans," Draco said, slowly. Bella blinked in surprised and the three others looked to her. Draco seemed to be asking her permission for something. Bella shrugged.

"Continue."

"So, he was telling me about bringing back some of the old pureblood holidays. With Muggleborns coming into our society, they have made us lose our way. We don't celebrate Samhain or Yule anymore. Only some of the purebloods call 'Christmas', Yule anymore. I don't understand why they call it Christmas. Most of them don't practice Christianity. He was also talking to me about equal rights for the creatures and a reform of the justice system for all criminals," Draco explained.

Bella's eyes widened. She recognized the last two ideas. She had expressed her want to do something about those two predicaments after school.

"I suppose…that we could call him an unknown variable for now. But…Grindelwald has got to go. Agreed?" Bella asked. Luna nodded. Draco, Blaise, and Hermione looked at each other before nodding.

"Agreed," the three other siblings chorused. Bella smirked. Hermione turned her attention back to Draco's task.

"Lets see a picture of her. We can see if anyone would be attracted to her. Anyone with standing anyway. Do you have one?" Hermione asked, curiously. Draco nodded, slowly, and reached for his trunk. He opened it before taking out a magical picture.

Bella blinked.

"Oh…wow…wow! Um…I think…yeah, we've got our work cut out for us."


Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain

Wednesday the 1st of September 1995

7:00 PM

The Entrance Hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.

The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes. Again, Bella noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as she passed; she gritted her teeth and gave them uncaring looks.

She didn't give a damn about what they thought.

Luna and Ginny drifted away from them at the Ravenclaw table. Draco and Blaise had left soon after they walked into the Great Hall. But not before Draco had given Bella hug of desperation. He was relying on Bella for this to work.

Bella, Ron, Hermione and Neville found seats together about halfway down the table between Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, the last two of whom gave Bella airy, overly-friendly greetings that made her quite sure they had stopped talking about him a split second before. She had more important things to worry about, however: she was looking over the students' heads to the staff table that ran along the top wall of the Hall.

"He's not there."

"He's not there?" Hermione asked in surprise. Bella rolled her eyes.

"No, no. Tom is there. He's looking at me all amused. I'm talking about Hagrid. I didn't see him bringing the first-years. I saw that Grubbly-Plank woman instead," Bella said. Ron frowned.

"Where do you suppose he is?" Ron asked, curiously. Bella and Hermione exchanged glances.

"We know where he is. He's still out on his mission," Hermione whispered, quietly. Reminding Ron that they knew things that he didn't made him scowl at them. The two girls exchanged the rolling of eyes at their male friend.

"Who's that?" Hermione asked, looking next to Dumbledore.

On the other side of Dumbledore, where Professor McGonagall usually sat, was a woman. She was squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. She took a sip from her goblet and Bella cringed at the pallid, toadlike face.

"Oh dear God…she looks disgusting," Bella said, horrified. Hermione nodded in agreement and then her eyes lit up in amusement.

"She's batting her eyes at Tom. Dear Merlin, look at his face!" Hermione cackled. Bella's lips twisted into a smile as well.

The ugly little woman was batting her eyes at Tom in a coy manner. He looked horror-stricken and many of the other students noticed as well. They were all snickering at him.

"Nice cardigan," Ron smirked.

Bella didn't have the time to respond;Professor Grubbly-Plank who had just appeared had caught her attention. She worked her way along to the very end and took the seat that ought to have been Hagrid's.

That meant the first-years must have crossed the lake and reached the castle, and sure enough, a few seconds later, the doors from the Entrance Hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first-years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first-years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.

The first-years' faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling. The whole school waited with bated breath. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:

In times of old when I was new,

And Hogwarts barely started,

The founders of our noble school,

Thought never to be parted,

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning,

To make the world's best magic school,

And pass along their learning.

"Together we will build and teach!"

The four good friends decided,

And never did they dream,

That they might some day be divided,

For were there such friends anywhere,

As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

Unless it was the second pair

Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?

So how could it have gone so wrong?

How could such friendships fail?

Why, I was there and so can tell,

The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those whose

Ancestry is purest."

Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest."

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those

With brave deeds to their name."

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,

And treat them just the same."

These differences caused little strife,

When first they came to light,

For each of the four founders had

A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted,

So, for instance, Slytherin

Took only pure-blood wizards

Of great cunning, just like him,

And only those of sharpest mind

Were taught by Ravenclaw

While the bravest and the boldest

Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,

And taught them all she knew,

Thus the houses and their founders

Retained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

For several happy years,

But then discord crept among us

Feeding on our faults and fears.

The houses that, like pillars four,

Had once held up our school,

Now turned upon each other and,

Divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school

Must meet an early end,

What with dueling and with fighting

And the clash of friend on friend

And at last there came a morning

When old Slytherin departed

And though the fighting then died out

He left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four

Were whittled down to three

Have the houses been united

As they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

And you all know the score:

I sort you into houses

Because that is what I'm for,

But this year I'll go further,

Listen closely to my song:

Though condemned I am to split you

Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty

And must quarter every year

Still I wonder whether Sorting

May not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

The warning history shows,

For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you…

Let the Sorting now begin.

The Hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in Bella's memory, with muttering and whispers. All across the Great Hall students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors, and Bella, clapping along with everyone else, knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.

"Too right it has," said Bella.

The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts houses and its own role in Sorting them. Bella could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.

"I wonder if it's ever given warnings before?" said Hermione, sounding slightly anxious.

"Yes, indeed," said Nearly Headless Nick knowledgeably, leaning across Neville towards her (Neville winced; it was very uncomfortable to have a ghost lean through you). "The Hat feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels –"

But Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first-years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. Nearly Headless Nick placed a see-through finger to his lips and sat primly upright again as the muttering came to an abrupt end.

With a last frowning look that swept the four house tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out the first name.

"Abercrombie, Euan."

The terrified-looking boy Bella had noticed earlier stumbled forwards and put the Hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The Hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted:

"Gryffindor!"

Bella clapped loudly with the rest of Gryffindor house as Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again.

Slowly, the long line of first-years thinned. In the pauses between the names and the Sorting Hat's decisions, Bella could hear Ron's stomach rumbling loudly. Finally, "Zeller, Rose" was Sorted into Hufflepuff.

Professor McGonagall put down the scroll and cleared her throat. She announce the next name:

"Singh, Lalita."

Bella cringed as she watched the tall and curvy Indian girl walk up to the stand. She was tall for an Indian girl and wore wire frames. Her eyes were a blue-green and she was wearing the Hogwarts uniform.

The trousers were slightly baggy and she was slouching. Her brown hair was pulled into a long braid and the open robe was baggy. Her white button down shirt wasn't tucked in and the vest over it was wrinkled.

"Oh jeez…" Bella groaned. The girl's eyes widened when they fell on Tom. Tom was staring at her in shock. He glanced at Bella and Lalita turned her head to look at Bella. Lalita flinched as she stared at the pretty girl.

She walked forward, slouched before sitting down and putting the hat on her head.

"Gryffindor!"

Lalita stood and Bella stood up, clapping. The others stared at her in shock as they clapped, kindly. Tom frowned at her and she gave a one-shouldered shrug. Lalita made her way to the isolated part of the table. Bella reached across the table and grabbed her wrist.

"Move over, Ron."

"What? Why?" Ron demanded. Bella hissed, dangerously at him. Ron flinched and moved over. Lalita looked at Bella, bewildered.

"Hi! I'm Bella Potter, Draco Malfoy's blood sister. He told me you'd be here for two years. Sit with us," Bella insisted. Lalita didn't say anything but she nodded. Hermione held out her hand, smiling.

"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger, Draco's other and severely underappreciated sister."

Lalita nodded, slowly.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speechmaking, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - for food had appeared out of nowhere,

so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"Excellent," said Ron, with a kind of groan of longing, and he seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them on to his plate, watched wistfully by Nearly Headless Nick.

"You are Bella Potter."

Bella blinked at Lalita's voice. It was surprisingly strong. She looked like the classic nerd. Even though Bella wore glasses, people liked how she looked. They said she looked hot. Well, Tom said she looked extremely sexy but he was obligated to say things like that.

"Yes. I am. Anything you want to know about Hogwarts, I'm your girl," Bella said, trying to be as amiable as possible. She wasn't very good at making friends. Evidently, people noticed that.

"You say Grindelwald and the Dark Lord are back. I believe you," Lalita said, strongly. Bella blinked in surprise before her lips curled into a smile and she nodded.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome. Ah…who is that?" Lalita asked, looking up at the Head Table. She was looking at Tom. Tom's wand was out and he was pointing it, discreetly at the group. Bella frowned in confusion and he gave a sharp flick.

Bella looked down at her goblet and her lips spread into a smile as the butterbeer turned into red wine. Hermione looked at her in surprise. Bella nodded in thanks. He smirked at her.

"Oh, that's Professor Tom Riddle. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Hermione said. Lalita nodded slowly and she looked at the English food, strangely.

"I am sorry for my questions. I do not know Hogwarts. It is disconcerting. I was homeschooled before this year," Lalita said. Bella raised the wine to her lips and she took a sip. She shuddered, slightly, and Ron frowned.

"You all right, Bella."

"Bastard…" Bella grinned. Her hand found the locket and she rolled her eyes as she looked down at it.

"He does that often?" Hermione asked. Lalita looked at her in confusion. Bella nodded and shrugged.

"He finds it funny. He's going to taunt me about it. Bastard."

Lalita took a bite of the kidney-and-steak pie and found that she enjoyed it immensely. She liked it more than most of the other things. She watched as Bella Potter took a sip of the red wine in her goblet.

"Lalita, from what part of India are you from?" Bella asked. Lalita blinked in surprise before clearing her throat.

"I was born in Mumbai but I have lived in New Delhi for as long as I can remember," Lalita said, truthfully. Bella nodded.

"That's cool. What's it—what the hell do you want?" Bella said, looking over Lalita's shoulder. Lalita turned around to see two handsome boys. Lalita blushed when she saw that one of them was Draco Malfoy. She hadn't met him but his picture didn't do him justice. The other boy was just as handsome.

"We wanted to meet Lalita. Don't be rude," the boy she didn't know said sharply. Bella raised her eyebrow.

"You're not my father. He's dead."

"Yes, we know. Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy. You must be Lalita Singh. A pleasure to meet you," Draco said, sharply. Lalita swallowed and Draco looked her over.

She knew the boy's task. Get her boyfriend. A pureblood boyfriend but that would be hard to do. Lalita wasn't interested in boys. She liked studying and horseback-riding. She couldn't tolerate the stupidity of boys. But, her father didn't pay much attention to that. He was so very old-fashioned.

"Hello, my name is Lalita," Lalita mumbled. Draco sneered.

"Don't mumble. Sit up straight. Speak clearly," Draco said, sharply. Lalita followed his instructions and flinched when he gave her a cold look. Bella sighed and shook her head. Hermione patted Lalita's hand.

"It's okay. We won't let the mean Draco Malfoy hurt you."

"Shut up, Mudblood."

Lalita gasped at the word. Was it right to call your sister that word?

Yet, Hermione Granger wasn't bothered by the word. She seemed happy about it actually.

"Ignore their bickering. I'm Blaise Zabini, Draco's brother in some ways. Hermione, Bella, and I will be helping him complete his task," Blaise smiled. Lalita's eyes widened in realization.

They were trying to help their brother.

"Oh…all right," Lalita said, slowly. Blaise gave another charming smile before grabbing Draco by the wrist. Draco turned away, giving Lalita a clear view of his sai swords. She blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to say something. Hermione gave her a knowing smile.

"Everyone knows he carries around those swords. We…we're very paranoid. All three of us. We carry weapons. Bella's violent enough not to need a weapon is all," Hermione teased. The redhead boy and Bella snorted. Lalita found the boy's snorting disgusting.

"Last one to be talking, missy."

"Right…says the one with crazy mood swings," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"You threw a plate at my head!" Ron pointed out. Bella laughed, quietly.

"You deserved it."

They continued to dine until everything had disappeared and Dumbledore stood up, looking at everyone with bright eyes.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too." Bella and Hermione exchanged smirks. Bella looked over at the Slytherin table and could see her brothers exchanging smirks as well.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, the new Hogwarts High Inquisitor."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause. Dumbledore had not said for how long Grubbly- Plank would be teaching.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -"

He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Bella had ever seen it. Tom's lips had curled into a smirk. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, again, Bella felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to herself; all she knew was that she loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ("hem, hem") and continued.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

Bella glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Bella distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "hem, hem" and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Bella had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.

"… because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Bella noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…"

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice.

"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face towards Hermione. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy."

"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Hermione. "It explained a lot.'

"I get it. This is absolutely ridiculous," Bella agreed. Ron frowned.

"I wasn't listening. It sounded like a bunch of waffle," Ron said.

"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," said Hermione grimly.

"Was there?" said Ron blankly.

"How about: 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged'? How about: 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?"

"Well, what does that mean?" said Ron impatiently.

"I'll tell you what it means," said Hermione through gritted teeth. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."

There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.

"Ron, we're supposed to show the first-years where to go!"

"Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey - hey, you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy…"

"I know, but you can't call them midgets! - First-years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"

Bella stood and Lalita stood as well. Bella waved the girl forward with a bright smile. Lalita slunk forward and stood next to the shorter girl. They made it to the doorway until a hand wrapped around Bella's wrist. Lalita blinked when she saw that it was the Professor that she had asked about.

"Tom?" Bella asked. Lalita wondered, briefly, why she called him by his first name. Professor Riddle gave her a sharp look.

"The music room. Tomorrow. Bring your siblings and…perhaps your new friend."

Lalita watched as Bella cringed from the man as if she had just been bitten. Lalita jumped when a black snake hissed from her shoulder. Lalita had missed the snake among Bella's long black hair.

"No. I'm not playing. You're insane."

"Yeah. I'm sure I am. I deal with you," he said, shortly. Lalita blinked. What was a teaching doing, talking to his student like that? That would never have been accepted if he were her schoolteacher at home.

"Right. It's always me. Why are you four so intent on getting me to play again? It was once. You asked. I did. You are so persistent!" Bella groaned. Professor Riddle looked oddly amused by that.

"The pot calling the kettle black. If you want to be difficult, do so. Be prepared to get your ass kicked in your dueling lessons."

Lalita watched as Bella's mood brightened.

"We'll see. I've got to go. Do you know about Lalita?" Bella asked. She knew that Tom most likely knew. He had supposedly had an epic spy network though Bella had never seen one of these spies.

"I do. You'll have to focus more on that then your dueling lessons, so we'll cut them down to every Friday. Is that all right?" Tom asked, carefully. Bella nodded with a smile.

"Of course. Come on, Lalita. It's time to get you to the dormitory."

Lalita followed and wondered how long Professor Riddle and Bella had been in a relationship.

:::

A/N: HA! HA, HA, HA! Lalita has arrived! Draco will not be getting together with Lalita though they probably will become really good friends. This was such a fun chapter to write. I like Lalita. She is your classic nerd. She fades into the background and observes. She was in the company of Bella and Tom for three minutes and she already knew they were together. Though, she is a loyal person. I was about to sort her into Hufflepuff but I needed her in Gryffindor.

Next Chapter: Detentions and Death Threats