Chapter 15: Aftermath

Shannon was not implicated. There was no proof that she had tried an Unforgivable Curse on me, and Bella hadn't said a word to anyone since the duel. Although the snake that had risen up to take Avada Kedavra for me would have proven everything, it had vanished before Professor Dreldi had arrived, he told us. Dreldi was in charge of the investigation, but when I told him about Shannon's deeds, he laughed in my face.

Irritating as it was, he had a point. The whole story sounded ridiculous, even to me. The only thing that had everyone at a loss was Volde. My request to keep him had befuddled Dumbledore and concerned McGonagall, my Head of House. Finally, I received a permission note from my mother, and Volde was mine.

Lily remembered very little of what had happened during our duel with Bella. But she knew that someone had stunned her, and believed my claims about Shannon. She was the only one.

With the prank plans on hold, I was permitted to come back to the Gryffindor Tower. I was still friendly with Aaron Diggory, though I had a mistrust or anyone in my House besides Lily and Remus, even Emmeline and Molly. None of them had stood by me when I needed them, though I knew that I wouldn't

do the same for them.

Frank finally stopped despising me, and we then won the third Quidditch match easily, getting the Cup. He and Alice started going out at the end of June. Finals came and went, and I had done well on all of them. Then it was time to leave school.

On the train, I sat alone in one compartment. Lily had gone to sit with other friends, and I had no interest in sitting with anyone else. Then Annie Luvre and Selena Helta came in.

"Hi," Annie said timidly. "We came to say hi. And- thank you. For everything."

I didn't do anything for you," I protested.

'You told Potter not to hex us. Pettigrew just said so." Selena was trying not to look at me.

I grinned. "No problem. Keep an eye on Shannon for me, will you?" I could tell from the way Selena blushed that she knew that Shannon had done something.

But what Annie said next wiped any thoughts of Shannon a way. "Bella's leaving."

"What?!"

"She told us earlier. I thought you might want to know." Annie nodded to the door. "She's two compartments down."

I literally flew out of the room. I opened the door to Bella's compartment breathlessly. "Bella?"

She looked up from a book eyes narrowed. I went to sit down next to her. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry. And I owe my life to you. I… I…" My voice trailed off.

Bella smiled hostilely. "I didn't do anything but get Crucio. Then Shannon knocked both of us out. That's all I remember.

There was a pause. Then I broke the silence. "So, I heard you're switching schools?"

"Yes, Durmstrang, Andromeda's also switching, but she's going to Vitattus School in Brazil. She wants nothing to do with our family anymore. The mudblood has corrupted her." Bella looked bitter. "We used to be so close, but when she got sorted into Gryffindor, I became the enemy. Cissa didn't get the same treatment because she was sorted for different reasons. I miss her so much, and now she will be in a different continent! I'm so angry about it, but she doesn't understand. Meda immediately assumes that I'm

angry with her, not myself. Oh… why am I telling you this?" She suddenly looked up.

"Because we're friends, Bella," I told her. "We may not hang out anymore, and you pretend to hate me, but you risked your life for me, and I'd do the same for you."

She looked at me for a second, and then threw her arms around me in a hug. "I'll miss you, Magda!"

We said goodbye, and I left the compartment. Bella really wasn't what she liked to seem like, but there was no way I could convince her to show her real self.

I walked back into my compartment, and saw that Evan Rosier had joined Selena and Annie; they were playing gobstones. BB was sleeping on top of Volde in the corner, and then something occurred to me. I ran back to Bella's compartment.

"Bella!" she looked up again, this time less hostilely. "This is going to sound really strange, but remember that guy Voldemort Shannon mentioned?" She nodded mutely. "Promise me, that if he ever comes to power you won't join him." She gave me a strange look. "Promise me!" I said desperately. I was working on a hunch, but for some reason, I felt very strongly about it.

"I- " she began, but was interrupted by the door banging open. The Marauders ran in.

"Get away from her!" Sirius said furiously. Bella hexed him with the Leg-Locker Curse. James grabbed both of us and herded us out. I tried to protest, but it was too late. Bella waved, and I smiled weakly back. She

hadn't promised.

I sat down in the Marauders' compartment, and James wandered out. Remus followed him, and Peter tagged along.

Sirius turned to me. "Magda," he started tentatively, "Would you go out with me sometime in the summer?"

My mouth fell open. He had saved my life, but still…

"I don't know," I blurted out. "Maybe in Diagon Alley sometime. Um… See you!"

And I left, blushing furiously. Why, of all people, did it have to be Sirius Black?!