From the moment Bella opened her eyes the following day she was bombarded with questions about her sleeping arrangements with Seamus the previous night. She told her friends about how she had woken up with her head on his shoulder and about the hug before bed and they didn't try to hide their disappointment when they learned she hadn't shared a kiss with him. Although Bella couldn't wipe the smile off her face if she tried, her thoughts were still occupied by the emerald necklace buried deep in her side table.
The holiday season ended sooner than anyone hoped for and Bella's day was made when in their first potions lesson of the term Seamus, true to his word, blew up his cauldron, showering himself and Snape in the foulest substance Bella had ever smelt. He sent a wink her way as Snape roared at him over the sound of the snickers of the rest of the class. He earned himself a detention as he began to chuckle along with the others, much to Bella's dismay.
Hermione was more than frustrated that they hadn't found anymore information to tell them who Nicholas Flamel was or give them any hint as to what could be hidden in the school.
"Hermione we've looked everywhere." Ron whined, dropping his head onto the table top.
After the bell had gone, signalling the end of their first day back, Hermione had all but dragged them to the library.
"He's got to be here somewhere." Hermione flipped the pages of the book she was reading with such ferocity that Madam Pince, the scary librarian, glared at her from over the rim of her glasses.
"I swear I've read his name somewhere but I've never read any of these books before, he won't be here." Harry pointed out.
"Chocolate frog anyone?" Emily asked, pulling a stash from her bag.
Ron swiftly lifted his head from the table and his eyes shone with glee as he took the offered chocolate frog. He ripped into the wrapping, shoving the entire chocolate frog into his mouth in one go.
"You're a pig Ronald Weasley." Bella scolded as Harry took the collectable card from the wrapping.
"I KNEW IT!" Harry cried loudly, jumping from his seat.
"SHH!" Madam Pince hissed over at him and Harry quickly took his seat again.
"What is it Harry?" Freya asked.
"I knew I'd read his name before, it's on the back of Dumbledore's card. Listen to this." Harry cleared his throat before speaking again. "'Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel.' !"
Hermione squealed, bouncing in her seat. All eyes turned to her as her eyes lit up.
"I know what book to look in! I have it in my dormitory." She spoke excitedly.
"You mean to tell me you've had the book we needed this whole time!" Ron groaned but Hermione paid him no mind.
"Well you'll just have to tell me about it later." Harry got to his feet as he spoke, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Quidditch practise."
The group slowly trickled from the library leaving Bella alone to read her book. She found the library to be a calming place to read, free from distraction, or so she thought. She hadn't been alone for long before a figure slid into the seat across from her. She tore her eyes from her book and lazily glanced up to see who had disturbed her.
"What do you want?" She asked, eyes drifting back to the book in her lap.
Draco smirked as he eyed her.
"I know you told Finnegan to blow up that cauldron today." He stated matter-of-factly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She retorted, eyes never leaving her book.
"Because Snape gave you a detention before Christmas."
"I still don't know what you're talking about Malfoy." She replied, flicking the page over lazily.
"Your little boyfriend going to fight your battles from now on?" He drawled.
Bella finally tore her eyes away from her book, grinning slyly at him.
"If you're worried about getting another beating I wouldn't, I would hope you've learnt your lesson by now."
Draco stiffened and fear flashed in his eyes before he quickly schooled his features.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He spat.
"What's wrong Draco, not want anyone to know that big bad Draco Malfoy was beaten by a girl? Would it bruise your ego?" She knew the use of his given name would rile him and it had the desired effect.
"I wasn't beaten by a girl!" He raged.
"Tell that to the black eye you were sporting before Snape fixed you up." She laughed, shoving her book into her bag and rising from the table.
Draco grabbed her wrist, halting her movements. She looked from his hand clasped tightly around her wrist to his face and tried to wrench her arm from his grip, to no avail.
"I won't have my reputation ruined by some silly little blood-traitor." He seethed.
"You do that all by yourself, you don't need my help." Bella spat as she wrenched her arm from his grip violently, causing him to stumble forward.
She shot a venomous glare at him and she turned on her heel and stalked out of the library seething. Just who did he think he was! Stuck up, pompous, arrogant ass!
Bella crashed into a solid barricade and went tumbling to the floor with a yelp. Before she could hit the floor a hand dipped under her back and pulled her flush against the barricade she had walked into seconds before.
"Are you okay?" A deep voice asked above her and she took a step back, looking up at who she had collided with.
"Y-Yeah I'm fine." She breathed. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright." He laughed.
The boy she was standing in front of was at least a head and a half taller then she was and obviously an older student. She had seen his face before but couldn't quite place him. His Hufflepuff robes stood out in the dimming light of the corridor and his dark hair complimented his grey eyes.
"I'm Cedric." He said, smiling down at her.
"Bella." She replied.
"You're Fred and George's little sister aren't you?" He asked.
"Yeah I am."
"Nice to meet you." He smiled.
"You too." She smiled back. "And you know, thanks for catching me."
"No bother. Just try and watch where you're going next time, I might not be there to catch you again." He laughed.
Bella laughed awkwardly as she lifted her bag from where it had fallen on the ground.
"I'll see you around, tiny." He chuckled as he stepped around her and strode down the corridor.
Bella watched him walk away and regained movement in her legs as he turned the corner. She walked quickly down the corridor and bumper into Freya, Emily and Hermione all heading for dinner.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked her.
"Yeah I'm fine." Bella replied, linking her arm through Emily's as they took the stairs to the ground floor.
She didn't know why she didn't tell her friends about her strange interaction with Cedric but she thought it better if she kept it to herself, for now at least.


"He's the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"
The group were huddled in a secluded corner of the common room. Hermione had the book from her dorm spread out over her legs as she read. Looking around at the confused faces she sighed and continued to read.
"The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist."
"So that's what Fluffy's guarding then?" Bella asked.
"Must be." Ron replied.
"Dumbledore'll be keeping it safe because he's Flamel's friend and he didn't want anyone getting to it. I'll bet that's why it was taken from Gringotts." Hermione added.
"It's no wonder Snape wants it, who wouldn't!" Freya retorted.
"There's something else about Snape." Harry chimed in.
"What is it?" Bella asked.
"He's refereeing the Gryffindor Hufflepuff match."
"HE'S WHAT!" Ron bellowed drawing stares from the other occupants of the common room.
"Why would Snape want to referee a Quidditch match." Emily asked.
"Another opportunity to try and kill Harry since he failed the first time." Ron snapped.
"I don't know." Harry replied, glaring at Ron.
"You can't play." Freya said.
"I have to." Harry replied.
"No Harry you can't!" Hermione said.
"I don't have a choice. If I don't play Gryffindor can't play."
Bella sat quietly listening to her friends bickering. Snape's sudden desire to be the Quidditch referee made the least bit of sense but he couldn't be trying to hurt Harry. He wouldn't, at least not in a stadium full of students and teachers. He wasn't as brazen. Or was he.