Bella spent the half-hour after she returned explaining everything that had happened to Freya and Emily.

"Dumbledore's really gone?" Freya asked.

"And Hagrid's really being taken to Azkaban?" Emily added.

Bella nodded her head.

"What's going to happen now?" Freya asked.

"I don't know." Bella replied. "But I don't think it'll be good."


Summer was now arriving at Hogwarts but it didn't bring as much joy to Bella as it usually did. With Dumbledore gone and Hagrid now in Azkaban, fear had gripped the inhabitants of Hogwarts. Everywhere Bella turned, faces riddled with anxiety stared back her; in the corridors, in classes, in the Great Hall, nowhere felt safe anymore. Madam Pomfrey was in a right state. No longer would she allow anyone into her hospital wing in fear that the monster would come back and finish what it started. Dumbledore's last words continued to ring in her ears 'help will be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it', she knew they needed help but who would they ask? Everyone was as clueless as she felt.

Hagrid's last words were much easier to work with and Bella had helped Harry look, in corridors they passed through, for spiders but with no such luck. Ron had trailed behind, grumbling under his breath about how horrible spiders were but they paid him no mind. They couldn't go looking on their own, owing to the fact they had to be escorted everywhere by a teacher. The other Gryffindors were happy to follow whatever teacher they needed to but Bella and her friends were beginning to get tired of it.

Draco had been entirely too irritating for Bella's liking, striding along the corridors with a gloating grin plastered on his face. A few weeks since Dumbledore and Hagrid had gone, Bella was still sat next to him in Potions and it was in this lessons she realised just how irritating he could be.

"I did tell you that Dumbledore was the worst Headmaster Hogwarts has had. At least now Father has done something about it. Maybe we'll now get a Headmaster who'll want to keep the chamber open. It's the least they can do to uphold Slytherin's memory." Draco didn't bother to keep his voice quiet as he gloated to Crabbe and Goyle sat at the table in front of them. Bella gripped her quill tightly in her hand to avoid punching the smarmy boy on her left. Snape, robes billowing behind him, swept dramatically to the front of the classroom, making no comment about his missing student.

"Sir!" Draco called loudly, leaning forward in his seat. "Why don't you apply for the Headmaster position?" "That's quite enough, Mr Malfoy." Snape replied, though his words held no weight with the smirk set on his face. "Dumbledore hasn't been sacked, only suspended. I suspect he'll back with us very soon." "I'll believe that when I see it." Draco scoffed. "You would get Father's vote any day if you wanted the Headmaster's job. I'll tell him just what an amazing teacher you are." Bella giggled as Seamus pretended to vomit into his cauldron while Snape swept around the dungeon, smirk still firmly in place.

"I'll bet you dunderhead five Galleons the next mudblood dies." Draco continued as Bella got more frustrated with him. "Just a pity it wasn't Granger." The bell rang at that moment and Bella had had enough of Draco's attitude for one day. "One more word about Hermione and your reputation will be in tatters Malfoy." She whispered in his ear as she passed him. Ron was being restrained by Harry and Dean, kicking his legs in an attempt to free himself from their grasp, a venomous glare on his face. "I'll kill him." He growled. "You'll be killing no one." She stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Come on, I've got to take you to Herbology." Snape barked and they filed out of the classroom. Harry and Dean still had Ron in a tight grip, frog-marching him down the corridor. They only let him loose when they were on the castle grounds and heading to the greenhouses, as far as they could be from narcissistic Slytherins.

The atmosphere in the greenhouse was tense; both Hermione and Justin were missing and both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were taking it hard. Professor Sprout had set them the task of researching the Venomous Tentacula. The greenhouses were silent, save for the scratch of quill on parchment, as they studied.

"How can you really defend him?" Ron whispered to Bella. "Defend who?" She asked, confused. "Malfoy." Harry spoke from Ron's other side. "I'm not defending him, not about this anyway." She replied. "You were adamant he wasn't Slytherin's heir, why?" Freya asked. "Malfoy's all talk and no action." She replied. "He talks a big game but he wouldn't do a thing, he's too scared." "What makes you say that?" Emily asked."All you have to do is look at him to know that. He hides behind his father. Talks a big game but will go running in the opposite direction at the first sign of conflict." Bella replied. "Well, he was nearly crying when you beat him up last Christmas." Ron chuckled.

"Guys." Harry cut off Ron's chuckles as he pointed to the floor near the window of the greenhouse. A handful of large spiders were hurrying across the ground, trying to squeeze their way out of the floor-length windows. Bella leaned over the table slightly and she felt the table shudder as Ron trembled in his seat. "You're such a big baby, would you calm down." She snapped at him, leaning back in her chair. "They look like they're headed to the Forbidden Forest." Harry commented. "That's just great." Freya groaned.

After the lesson was over Professor Sprout escorted the class to their next class, Defence Against the Dark Arts. "I reckon we're going to need the cloak again." Harry spoke quietly as they lingered at the back of the group. "We can take Fang, he's used to being in the forest with Hagrid." Bella added. "Right, well... aren't there like, Werewolves and stuff in the forest?" Ron asked nervously. Harry and Bella exchanged a quick look before Harry spoke, completely avoiding Ron's question. "The Centaurs are alright and there's Unicorns too." Bella and Harry had only been in the forest once before and although it was not an experience they had enjoyed, they knew they needed to; they needed answers and the forest was where they would get them.