A/N: I'm so so so so sorry this is so late! We've had illness in the family which took up a lot of Christmas and then I had my mocks, which weren't brilliant and then I got an offer from Durham University, which means I now have to work incredibly hard to get the grades to go, so updates will be slow from now on unfortunately :( But, I've finally managed to get another chapter done! I don't feel like it's my best, so if anyone can give me any advice, I'd be grateful! :)

Lucius Malfoy. He sounded so much like his son that it was unmistakeable, despite the mask muffling his voice. Slowly the group turned to face him, Harry clutching the ball tightly to his chest. At the first glance, Ariella could immediately see the likeness between father and son. The long blonde hair that showed behind the mask and the pale blue eyes blinking through the slits were exactly like Draco's.

"Ella…"

Lottie's whisper had her turning away Lucius as she looked at what her friend was pointing shakily at. She froze. Two robed Death Eaters were slowly making their way down the aisle towards them, the rounded silver masks portraying no emotion and making Ariella incredibly uncomfortable as they seemed to stare right through her. Tentatively, she pulled out her wand, her breaths falling a little heavier as she moved backwards towards her fellow students.

"To me, Potter," she heard Malfoy repeat, and the Death Eaters stopped where they were.

Ariella felt Lottie slip her spare hand into her own, squeezing tightly as they faced two hooded figures,now close enough that the girls could see the eyes glinting maliciously through the slits in their masks.

"To me," Luicus demanded yet again. Still Harry did nothing. Ariella's wand was shaking as she waited for Harry's signal. Any signal.

"I want to know where Sirius is," the boy finally demanded and Ariella winced as several of the Death Eaters laughed, a harsh barking sound.

"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked a woman's voice. The jolt of recognition that shot through the young witch had her frozen for a few seconds, fear stealing the breath from her. She knew that voice. The voice that had been haunting her dreams for the last few months. Bellatrix Lestrange.

Lottie must have felt her friend jolt for she squeezed her hand again, this time in reassurance, as Harry continued to press about his Godfather.

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was two," Bellatrix cooed in an awful, mock baby voice, sending another shiver down Ariella's spine. If she thought her dreams were bad enough, being near the woman in real life was a hundred times worse.

"Don't do anything," Ariella heard Harry mutter to the group, but then flinched as the female Death Eater let out a harsh scream of laughter.

"You hear him? You hear him? Giving out instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as well as I do, Bellatrix," Malfoy said softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter, or we start using wands."

The young witch's stomach dropped even further at those words. What did Harry think he was playing at?! The group of students were no match against Death Eaters who had had years of experience dabbling in the Dark Arts! However, she obeyed Harry's command, gripping her wand tighter as she pointed it as the masked figure in front of her.

The Death Eaters didn't move.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," Malfoy stated coolly, but there was an edge to his voice that Ariella didn't trust. It seemed Harry agreed with her.

"Yeah right!" he laughed. "I give you this… prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

Malfoy didn't get the chance to reply before the female Death Eater shrieked: "Accio proph –"

"Protego!" Harry didn't even let her finish the spell before firing back. Ariella tried not to show how shaken she was by the sudden outburst. Even if Harry could fire spells back so quickly, she didn't feel she'd be able to do the same thing if the Death Eater in front of her decided to attack.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," Bellatrix cackled, although the young witch could hear the amusement playing through the madness.

It was then that Neville spoke. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

Ariella couldn't help but turn her head to look. There was something about hearing her name said out loud that suddenly seemed to make things more real than they had been before. She'd pulled down her hood. That was why Neville had recognised her. The gaunt, skeletal face and pale skin was nearly translucent in the dull light, making her lidded eyes look darker and more hollowed as they fixed on the boy that had just spoken.

"Neville Longbottom, is it?" she asked, her tongue flicking out to wet the corner of her dry lips. Then, she smirked, eyes lighting up cruelly. "How's Mum and Dad?"

Neville surged forward determinedly. "Better now they're about to be avenged!" He raised his wand, but Harry and Hermione reached out and grabbed him, holding him back.

Bellatrix, instead of retaliating, backed up and pointed her own wand at the small group, her chin raised as if daring them to attack. Meanwhile, Lucius stepped forward, hands out. "Now, let's everybody just calm down," he said firmly, staring warningly at the students. "All we want is that prophecy."

However, it seemed Harry wasn't about to give in. "Why did Voldemort need me to come and get this?"

There was silence for a moment before there was a harsh whisper from Bellatrix. "You dare speak his name?" Then her eyes narrowed. "You filthy Half-Blood!" she shrieked.

"It's alright," Luicius soothed, not taking his eyes off Harry or the prophecy. "He's just a curious lad, aren't you?"

No answer.

"Prophecies can only be retrieved by about whom they were made," he started to explain, taking a step forward. "Which is lucky for you really." Another step. "Haven't you always wondered what was the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord?" Another. "Why he was unable to kill you that night… when you were just an infant?" And another. "Don't you want to know the secret of your scar? All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand." He was now right in front of Harry, who was staring at him, almost as though considering giving up the dusty orb in his hand. "All you have to do is give it to me. I can show you everything."

Ariella could feel the group shifting uncomfortably as the Death Eaters got closer and she reluctantly pulled her eyes away from Harry to face the one in front of her. The shining mask glinted at her as the eyes behind it narrowed on hers.

"I've waited fourteen years…" Ariella nearly dropped her wand in surprise. What was Harry doing?!

"I know," Lucius sighed, clicking his tongue sympathetically.

"Guess I can wait a bit longer," he suggested before yelling: "NOW!"

Suddenly thrown into action, Ariella panicked, casting the first spell she could think of and running after the group, tugged along by Lottie as they rounded a corner. However, she was so engrossed in the twist of black smoke shooting above her that she didn't realise the students had come to an abrupt halt in front of her.

"Oof!" she exclaimed as she smacked straight into the back of Ron. He didn't seem to notice however. Instead, he was staring, horrified, at the glaring shape of Malfoy in front of them; hand out in a demand for the prophecy. Suddenly realising what the black smoke above them was, the girl reversed slightly and pulled Lottie down another aisle, desperate to get away from what was quickly becoming a nightmare.

As they fled past the shelves, the sudden zoom of black smoke above them alerted Ariella to the fact that they were being followed. Swallowing hard, the girl forced herself to keep going. She knew she had lost the others, but there was nothing she could do except find somewhere safe to hide. However, the following loud cackle as the smoke zoomed back made the young witch's blood run cold. Bellatrix.

"Ella…" Lottie whimpered, having also heard it.

"Come on," Ariella encouraged her friend. "We just have to keep go…" She trailed off as she ground to a halt, the breath leaving her as she took in what was at the end of the aisle. "Lottie… wand," she whispered faintly.