As the weeks bled into June and the summer sun began to beat down on the grounds, all anyone wanted to do was laze around outside, soaking up the rays from the sun - but they couldn't. Their exams were just around the corner and so everyone resigned to spend every waking minute with their head stuck in a book.

The exams were even serious enough that Fred and George were studying; they were getting ready to sit their O.W.L's (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to sit his N.E.W.T's, (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the higest qualification offered to them at Hogwarts. As Percy was hoping to secure a place in the Ministry of Magic, he needed the best grades he could get. Bella and Percy had major disagreements daily as he was becoming increasingly irritable and giving out severe punishments to anyone who even dared breath in the common room. The only person who seemed to be more on edge than Percy was Hermione.

Her friends had all but given up asking how she was managing her extreme workload and her multitude of classes but they couldn't help themselves then they seen the exam timetable she made for herself. The first colum read:

Monday

9 o'clock - Arithmancy

9 o'clock - Tranfiguration

Lunch

1 o'clock - Charms

1 o'clock - Ancient Runes

"Er, Hermione." Ron said hesitantly as she was liable to snap at anyone who interrupted her these days. "Are you sure you've copied these times down right?"

"What?" she snapped, snatching the parchment from his hand. "Yes of course I have!"

"Is there any point in asking how you're going to sit two exams at once?" Harry said.

"No." Hermione replied sharply. "Have any of you seen my copy of Numerology and Grammatica?"

"Oh, yeah. I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading." Ron said very quietly.

Hermione began to rummage through heaps of parchement, looking for her book.

"It was here a minute ago." Emily said, helping Hermione to search.

Just then, there was a small rustle of feathers by the window and Hedwig flew through it, a note tied to her leg.

"It's from Hagrid." Harry said. "Buckbeak's appeal is set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams." Hermione said, continuing to look for her book.

"We need to go and support Hagrid." Bella said.

"They're coming up here to do it." Harry said, continuing to read. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic - and they're bringing an executioner."

Hermione stopped rustling.

"An executioner?" Freya said softly.

Harry nodded his head.

"They can't bring an executioner to an appeal!" Hermione cried. "That sounds as if they've already decided!"

"They can't" Ron howled. "I spent ages doing all that research. They can't just ignore me!"

Bella felt she had a good idea why they were bringing the executioner - Lucius Malfoy had obviously had a huge influence in their decision.

"I'm going to find out what's going on." Bella said firmly, striding from the common room.

"Where are you going?" Ron yelled, chasing after her.

"The Dungeons." Bella replied.

Ron slowed to a halt in the middle of the corridor but Bella didn't stop, not until she reached the wall she knew hid the Slytherin common room. She hammered relentlessly on the wall and only stopped then the wall opened and Blaise Zabini stood behind it, a scowl on his face.

"Weasley?" he said, leaning against the entrance with his arms crossed over his chest "What do you want?"

"I need to speak to Dr - Malfoy." she corrected herself.

"Draco!" he yelled back into the common room. "Someone here to see you."

"Who?" Draco said as he appeared next to him.

His eyes widened in surprise when he spotted her; "Weasley?" he sneered. "What do you want?"

Bella rolled her eyes at him; "Come with me." she said, turning on her heel and striding away from the entrance to the common room.

"Why should I go anywhere with you?" he scoffed, poking his head out of the hole in the wall to follow her with his eyes.

"Because I said so." she snapped.

Bella heard him huff and the sound of the wall sliding shut behind him and she felt him getting closer behind her as she stopped beside the stairs to the Entrance Hall

"Nice performace back there." she commented, sitting down on the step.

"Can't have the Slytherins thinking I'm friends with a Gryffindor." Draco shivered in mock disgust as he stood in front of her. "Especially a Weasley."

"Oh, we're friends now, are we?" Bella said, smirking.

"Well, er - I -" Draco stammered.

"I'm kidding." Bella laughed. "You should have seen your face."

"Shut up." Draco grumbled, a pink tinge to his pale cheeks. "Did you actually want to talk to me about something or did you just come to annoy me?"

"I actually came to speak to you." she said. "Buckbeak's appeal - what do you know?"

"I don't know anything." he replied, unable to look her in the eye.

"Do not lie to me, Draco Malfoy." she warned.

"Ugh, fine." he sighed. "My father says the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures have decided that with or without the appeal, Buckbeak will be executed."

"They can't just do that!" Bella cried.

"Actually, they can." Draco said awkwardly.

"This is your fault, you know that." Bella said.

"My fault?" Draco said, offended.

"Yes. Your fault." Bella said firmly. "If you hadn't insulted Buckbeak, he wouldn't have attacked you - Hagrid told us that. You didn't listen, as usual, and got yourself hurt."

"As usual?" he gasped. "What do you mean, as usual?"

Bella chukled; "You never listen. You really have a over-inflated ego and think that you're better than everyone else."

"That was really uncalled for." Draco said.

"I'm sorry but it's the truth - and now Buckbeak's being sentenced to death for something that wasn't even his fault."

"He's still a dangerous animal." Draco pointed out. "If he can attack me, he can attack anyone."

"I've punched you a few times, does that mean I'm going to punch every single person that looks at me?"

"Well, no." Draco said.

"Exactly!" Bella said. "He only attacked you because you insulted him and you can tell me it wasn't your fault every day for the rest of your life if you want to but you and I both know that's not true."

"Well, it's not as if I can do anything about it now." Draco said. "Father's determined."

"Oh, yeah, we noticed - you know, bringing an executioner to an appeal and all?"

"I don't want to argue with you about this again." Draco sighed. "I can't change what's happened."

"You could do the right thing and tell the Committee what really happened." Bella urged.

"You know I can't do that." Draco said.

"But -"

"Bella." Draco said fiercely then sighed. "Look, I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do. Telling the Committee now won't solve anything."

"You know, Harry and Ron were right." Bella commented, standing from the step and climbing them into the Entrance Hall.

"What?" Draco said quietly as he watched her go.

She turned back to look at him at the top of the stairs; "You really are a Slytherin, through and through."