Quirrell dropped to the ground in a heap as the entire hall erupted in screams.
"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yelled over the crowd. At once the hall became silent. "Prefects please lead your houses back to the dormitories, teachers please follow me to the dungeons."
Bella was pushed and shoved with the crowd due to her small height. Before she knew what was happening Bella was being frog-marched down the corridor by Percy.
"Hermione is missing, let me go!" Bella struggled to no avail.
"The teachers will find her, but you need to be in the common room."
Bella huffed knowing struggling was no use. Once in the common room Bella was warned to stay where she was.
"She'll be okay." Came the voice of Fred over her head as George dropped into the seat beside her.
"That's just it, they're all missing now." Bella wiped the tears from her eyes as she spoke.
"What do you mean?"
"Ron and Harry aren't here, neither are Emily and Freya and I don't know where they are." Bella was beyond worried for her friends and her brother.
"It'll be okay. You know what they're like." George wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.
It was all Ron's fault. If he hadn't been rude to Hermione then she wouldn't have been crying in the bathroom and they all would now be safe in the common room. But no. Ron had to go and be a git and now they could all be dead. If he wasn't already she was going to kill him. Just as Bella thought she might explode with worry the portrait swung open to admit the missing group, Professor McGonagall bringing up the rear.
"The troll has been removed from the castle." Were the only words she spoke before departing.
"Where have you been?!" Bella threw her arms around Ron's neck, pulling back slightly to inspect him for any injuries.
"We went to get Hermione, we couldn't leave her with a troll on the loose." Ron smiled.
As the group told her what had happened in the bathroom Bella was speechless. They had actually gone after a fully grown mountain troll! What were they thinking?
"You're all okay though? No one was hurt?" Bella asked.
"Thankfully no." Freya replied. "We did lose two hundred and fifty house points though."
This just kept getting better and better. Two hundred and fifty! There was no way Gryffindor would win the house cup now.
"Do you have any idea what you've done? Not only could you have gotten yourselves killed but we've lost any chance at the house cup!" Bella fumed.
"We've already heard it from McGonagall we don't need it from you." Ron snapped.
"I'm sorry." Bella smiled, throwing her arm around Ron's shoulders. "I'm just glad you're safe."
A short while later the group retired for the night. Bella lay awake long after the others had gone to sleep. If this was first year what were they in for later?
