"Excuse me, not to be rude…but what?!" Bloom stares at Faragonda and Griselda in unadulterated horror - they cannot be serious! They're not going to bind her magic!

Griselda opens her mouth, a glare on her face, only for Faragonda to cut her off with a wave of her hand. "The binding will be temporary, Bloom. You will merely be unable to use your magic, it will still be there."

"We'll still be able to, say, sense our magic?" At Faragonda's nod, Bloom feels her metaphorical hackles start to lower - but, Merlin, that was not the best way to explain that! Binding her magic would be worse than cutting off all four limbs - she's gone so long relying on her magic that taking it away would induce a full-blown panic attack! In mere moments, it seems - not something she was actively aware of until right this instant.

Thankfully, she can still sense the ball of heat in her chest when Faragonda's through - she can't so much as make a candle flame or even sparks, but she can still tell its in her. Worrying as hell, but not quite enough for a panic attack.

Yet. The panic will have to wait until something happens. Because something's definitely going to happen, its too good an opportunity to miss. Especially for that Coven that may or may not have been spying on Stella for whatever reason - somehow, despite how scared Darcy looked in the moment…Bloom doesn't think they'll give up so easily.

Voldemort sure didn't, and she took his body as a bloody toddler.

Brandon and the others get to Alfea, the night before classes start - Sky's friend, Stella, called. She said they needed some help, and afterwards they'd throw a party. So, the four of them went to the school…only to find as many Fairies in the school. "Uh, what's going on?"

Techna says "Every year, the Freshmen Fairies are given a difficult task to complete. Its given to the entire apartment or dorm. We were lucky enough to get cleaning the school, bar the dormitories and apartments."

Musa adds "And we can't use magic or technology. But Bloom pointed out she didn't say we couldn't call in some help, or have some fun afterwards."

They all introduce themselves, and Riven raises an eyebrow and asks "So, where's Bloom? You said all this was her idea, after all."

Stella shrugs, and says "She said she was used to doing stuff like this, so she'd go on ahead. She's around here somewhere, we'll find her eventually."

Ten rooms that've already been cleaned spotlessly later, they catch up to Bloom - and Brandon has to elbow Sky in the ribs hard to get him to stop blatantly staring at the red-head. Still, its not like there's nothing to stare at - even kneeling on the ground, scrubbing at a stain in the Potions lab, she looks stunning. Flaming red hair in a braid, and the slim build that all Fairies seem to possess - he can't help but stare for a minute. He leans over to Techna, and asks "Is that…?"

"Bloom?"

At his nod, she says "Her full name is Bloom Jessica Potter, and she's the Fairy of Fire. So, if your going to say she's hot…that's a literal statement." At their strange looks, she adds "What? I looked everyone I'm rooming with up a month before coming to Alfea!"

"Oi! You lot gonna just watch me work? Or are you gonna grab a bucket, pick a room, and get to it?" That snaps them all out of it.

They look up to see Bloom staring at them with a raised eyebrow and an annoyed expression, and Flora says "I'll help finish up in here."

Once the others are gone, Bloom says "I got most of the Cauldrons clean, bar the one on that desk over there. I was planning on finishing it after the floor."

Flora nods, and says "I'll get on it, then."

After a few minutes of silence, bar the sound of scrubbing, Bloom asks "So, who were they? The guys?"

"Oh! Those were some of the Specialists, from Red Fountain. Stella knows Sky, and asked for some help. If I had to guess, the other three are his roommates."

Bloom hums, then smirks at Flora's back and asks "So, did they come to help a friend, party, get drunk, or for the girls?" Flora squeaks, actually squeaks, and drops her brush into the cauldron, making Bloom chuckle and say "Relax, I'm joking. Mostly."

Flora gives Bloom a mock glare, which then turns into snickering of her own after a minute. "Ok, you got me…what in the name of the Dragon possessed you to say that?!"

Now Bloom starts laughing, really laughing, and says "The look on your face, you should've seen it!" After a minute, she gets her laughter under control and says "Sorry, usually it takes me a while to warm up to people. I've mellowed out some, but…testing the waters, I guess you could call it."

Flora smiles, and says "Well, lets work on the rooms together. We can talk while we work."

Bloom nods, saying "Yeah, that'd…that'd be nice."

Sky glances over at the red-head sitting in the corner of a couch - with the single most amazing bird he's ever seen on her shoulder, and that's saying something - and murmurs to Stella "Does she look…at all familiar to you?"

Stella gives him a strange look, and says "Sky, we just met her yesterday, you just met her a few hours ago."

Sky grins sheepishly, and says "I know, but…there's something about her."

Stella rolls her eyes once more, and says "Yeah, she seems more likely to punch someone in the face than cast a spell on them. Get this, she goes to make a phone call, Techna's magic-detector device starts going nuts, and she comes back and casually says she got three witches and an Ogre that were spying on us sorted out on her way back."

Sky blinks, and asks "What?" He's heard about Witches, warned away from them after what the Three Ancestral Witches did - start a Dimension-wide war, destroy Domino, and worse - and she...just walked up, punched them out?!

"Yeah! Not a mark on her, either! And, apparently it was the leading Coven at Cloudtower! The Trix!"

Sky glances at the red-head once more, this time in utter shock - Cloudtower's Witches have a reputation, after the Ancestral Witches, of being vicious and cutthroat. The Covens are groups of them, usually ambitious Witches that banded together to get further - strength in numbers, and a bigger pool of knowledge and spells. And whichever Coven is leading the school is the one at the top, not an easy place to be…and even harder to keep. Anyone, Coven or singular Witch, can challenge the current leader or leaders of the school for their spot…they just have to win it from them in a battle. Hard enough with a Coven, and usually impossible on your own.

And the Trix have been the current leaders for the past year, ever since they formed their Coven and knocked the last one out of their spot in a record amount of time. And they've never lost it once. Its Witches like them that are the reason everyone gets warned away from Cloudtower as a whole!

"Oh…you've gotta be kidding. Is she…"

Stella shrugs, and says "She seems like she can take care of herself, Sky. Beyond that…I don't know, we haven't even started classes yet. Ask me for an opinion in a month or two."

And then they hear a roar, followed by a slew of accented words they're all pretty sure are swears from Bloom as she grabs a broom.

Stella nearly screams when the four-armed bull-thing picks her up, but a broom flying straight into its head cuts her off. It drops her with a bellow of pain, even as Bloom yells "Oi! Four-arms! Pick on someone your own bloody size!"

The bull-creature shakes its head, then charges Bloom horns first. Unfortunately for the bull, Bloom dodges easily…and it goes right through the wall.

Bloom deadpans "Bloody fuck."

Riven asks "Seriously, that's your response to this?! The five of you are magic-less, and we've got a few weapons between us! And all you can say is-"

"Four."

Everyone's gaze snaps to her, and Timmy incredulously asks "What?!"

"Four of us can't use our magic. I can feel it, I can break through Faragonda's binding and access it."

Stella all but shrieks "And you only just decided to mention that now?!"

Bloom glares, and says "Excuse me, but its not exactly something I can do at the snap of a finger! I'm just used to digging deep and accessing my magic in situations like this!"

"Well, however your gonna do it…do it fast, its coming back!" Bloom snatches up the nearest broom and swings it at the hole in the wall, just in time for the bull-creature to come charging back - bingo, square in the side of the head. And then she squeezes one of the bottles of soap in its face - again, perfect hit.

While its distracted, Bloom yells "Go! Go to Faragonda's office, she must have something that'll show who's in the school!"

Brandon asks "What about that?! It'll either tear you apart or impale you on its horns!"

"I'll-" She doesn't get to say just what she'll do, though, because one of the creature's arms smashes into her from the side.

Bloom groans as she rolls over - that's at least one rib, probably two, cracked. She doesn't think they're broken, but she's also running high on adrenalin at the moment to. And then she's getting lifted off the ground, and opens her eyes to see a fuzzy yellow gaze boring into her. The creature roars, and Stella shrieks "BLOOM!"

Bloom just gives the creature a nasty smile, and says "Bad bloody move, big guy."

Because that blow knocked Faragonda's binding off somehow - maybe it was the pain, maybe she just broke through it on her own right at that moment. Either way, it leaves her free to burst into flames.

All that's left is a highly overpowered Reducto to the creature's chest and its not a threat any longer. Leaving everyone staring at her in shock, as Musa stutters "You…you actually…"

"C'mon, ladies and gents, we don't actually have all night. Chances are, its those Trix ladies from last night. And chances are they've let something else loose just in case that wasn't enough to stop me." Because she's no illusions about why they summoned that thing, if it was the Trix. They wanted to keep her busy, or possibly - probably - get her out of the way entirely.

Icy, Darcy, and Stormy are sneaking through Alfea, and Stormy mutters "Are you sure that Fairy from last night won't be able to stop us, Darcy? Because I really don't want to meet her again."

Darcy nods, knowing the feeling well, and says "I couldn't sense magic coming from any of them, Stormy. The Whip should be able to keep them busy."

"And if it doesn't?" She's not scared, just...justifiably worried. About what Bloom Potter will do if she finds them here.

Icy hisses "Of course it will, Stormy! All we have to do is follow the Vacuums to the source of magical energy."

Darcy says "I bet its in Faragonda's office, where else would she keep something this powerful."

They summoned the Vacuums on the off-chance there was something truly powerful in Alfea, having missed the chance last year - only to find that, yes, there is something extremely powerful in Alfea's walls right now. The Crystal Bottles will lead them to it, and store it for them - extremely useful, especially since all three of them can summon them. Too bad anyone can summon them if they know how - its not Dark Magic, not exclusive to a Witch or Dark Fairy. Still, too useful not to discount since they'd love to get their hands on something like the Dragon Flame.

They get into the right office, and Icy turns around after turning the light switch on. "Told you, sisters, now spread out and…and what's with the looks?" Because both her Coven Sisters are looking a mix of disbelieving and terrified all of a sudden.

Stormy swallows, and says "Icy, don't…don't move. At all."

Darcy nods, eyes wide as saucers, and says "No sudden movements, and don't freak out, but…she's behind you."

Icy almost scoffs, right up until a familiar voice says "I'd listen to your Coven Sisters if I were you, Icy. Since you clearly didn't listen to me last night."

Icy swallows drily, even as the Vacuums get surrounded by an orange bubble-shield and cut off from their magic. And then Icy gets forcefully spun around, hitting the wall behind her in-between her two sisters - and sees burning orange eyes glaring at them.

Well, they're dead.

The hand that gets frozen only to blow the ice up only confirms that.

AN: Hey, everyone! Yes, Bloom is badass! And, yes, I'm probably taking some liberties with things like the Vacuums - but, in my defense, all it says is that the Trix summoned them. Doesn't say its for Witches only - so, its not for Witches only. The Winx just wouldn't have much use for them.

As for why Faragonda had them cleaning, it was in the first Special episode. Something about a difficult task...its been a while since I've seen it, and I've been busy with school. But, hey, all the other Freshmen dorms got something to do to!

Anyway, enjoy! More chapters coming soon! Please review!

PS. NO, Bloom is not interested in Sky. Not even a little.