A?N: Hello folks. I have officially fixed my picture links in my profile. I seems the old links had percentage signs or somethign in them that the format automatically deletes. Yuck. But I moved the pictures and renamed some thing so, as long as your computer is okay with it, they should all work. I tested them myself.

Also, a thought for the day, would any of you believe that I procrastinate all week and then sit down every Sunday afternoon and pump out the next Bellmotne chapter in one sitting? Cause I do. I am massively lazy. And that's enough thinking for today.

Disclaimer(I should put these in more often): Harry Potter...owns himself. I do not condone slavery. And as for Draco and everyone else, well they don't belong to me either. More the pity.

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"I'm not in the mood, Franklin! We are not discussing it."

"She's eight. You of all people know what she'll have to try and live up to. We should have a backup plan! We should have another-"

"You're right. I know what she has to prove…but I am the true Bellmonte here, Franklin. We have only one line, no secondary branches of the Family. If Alexandria doesn't survive the tests, then you may speak to me about another child."

His deep green eyes narrowed and the tall, strong man that was her father turned his back to his wife. With powerful strides, he crossed to the door and slammed it open.

Alex, who'd had her face pressed to the wood, peering through the thin crack between the double doors, skidded across the marble floor. She gasped in pain and clutched at her nose, which was now streaming blood.

"Alexandria!" There was as much exasperation as fury in her father's voice. "How many times have we told you not to spy on us!"

Alex tried to breath around the taste of blood in her mouth.

"What's happening, Franklin?" Deana had appeared in the doorway.

"Alexandria has a bloody nose." Franklin covered the space between them and took her face in his hands. His fingers cautiously probed the offending attribute.

Alex whimpered.

"It isn't broken, but…." He yanked her chin up and forced her mouth open. "It would seem she's also bitten her tongue."

"You're becoming quite a nuisance, Alexandria. You've gotten blood all over my floor. Come with me." Deana grabbed Alex's wrist, pulling her to her feet and out of her father's grip. The older woman strode off impatiently. "Go think about what you've done."

A door was opened and Deana yanked Alex in front of her, so that she stumbled through. The heavy downpour immediately began the simple process of soaking her.

"You'll be fetched when you may come back in," her mother said seriously.

Alex nodded. Her father shut the door with a quiet thud.

Alex flipped over, spitting hair out of her mouth.

"Alexandria, it is time you had a pet."

Alex glanced up from her potion, wondering how much time this would take. She had only a few minutes until she needed to add…. Her mother's words sank in. "A pet?"

"Two, in fact." Deana stepped forward and held up her hands.

Alex shrank back, her gaze flickering between the asp gracing her mother's left hand and the tarantula gracing her right. "I-I…."

"They will remain on your person for the next two weeks. You've got charge of them."

"I see."

"Do you? For the next two weeks these lovelies must remain in contact with your skin twenty-four hours a day. You will feed and do whatever is necessary to care for them. They have not had their venom removed. If they feel in anyway threatened, hungry or any of a dozen other things, they'll bite you. I assure you, it's quite deadly."

Alex swallowed and held out her hands.

"I want that potion on time as well."

"Yes, mother."

Her moan was low and muffled.

The coast was clear; Alex sighed in relief. Inching her way along the rooftop until she came to the apex, Alex took a deep breath and swung her leg up and over. She stopped and shifted her weight, as she'd been taught in her riding lessons, until she found her balance.

Once that was assured, she moved forward with her mission. All she needed to do was reach the far chimney and…. The roof tile her right foot had braced against moved. Alex glanced down at it in horror, but it continued to slide, taking her foot and her balance with it. Alex fought desperately, making a grab for a hand hold. She had one…she had it…she….

With the sharp pain of scraped skin and a lost nail, the ten year old felt herself falling. It was nothing like she thought it would be. There was no painful tumbling, just a fast, sharp slide on her side as she watched the edge approach. It came far too soon and then she was plummeting through the air, trying to grab for her wand.

Alex landed with a crunch, a thud and a scream.

Everything faded into a haze until her mother appeared above her, wand out.

"Why did you scream?" she demanded, scanning the area, as if for enemies.

"I-" Alex croaked, "I fell."

Deana's sharp gaze flew to the roof and she frowned.

"Well," she said at last, "your leg looks broken, as does your collar bone and probably a few ribs. Nothing fatal though…" her eyes narrowed, "which means you're a lucky idiot."

"Mother…." Alex knew she'd messed up…big, and she knew better than to try it again. She tried to put all that into her voice, hoping her mother would lecture her after she healed her. Almost every other time she'd been willing to.

"No." The word was firm.

Alex's eyes flew open in shock. "Wh-"

"You're ten. You've been training for years. You'll be going off to Hogwarts soon. You can clean this up yourself. You should know how."

As she walked away, Alex turned over, fighting the shortness of breath, the pain and the nausea, and began to trace a pattern in her own blood. With any luck she wouldn't pass out more than once before she finished.

Alex kicked out and dimly heard a thud as her comforter hit the floor.

"You really think so?" Smiling with just a hint of shyness, Alex smoothed her hand over the skirt of her gown. Only of late had she filled out enough to wear dresses reminiscent of her mother's wardrobe.

"I would never lie to a lady…but you look a little flushed, Miss Alex."

"I…I am, a little," Alex stuttered as her awareness clicked on.

It was a dream.

She didn't have this memory to relive when she was awake. It only came to her in her dreams…and even then, she never saw his face.

"Perhaps a stroll along the balcony will help you." He was all kind refinement.

One part of her mind classified him as upper merchant class, but it made little difference. She would probably never know the name of the only person she'd ever killed.

If it wasn't a sign of weakness, she would have told her parents. Between them, they would've been able to find a cure….

"It is a kind offer. I couldn't think of refusing."

"Dammit!" Alex hissed between clenched teeth, shivering as the cold night air hit her sweat soaked skin. Not all of the details in her nightmares were accurate…but enough were, and once she started dreaming, she didn't stop, not for weeks usually. The lesser ones at first, and then down the spiral 'til…. "Dammit!"

She rubbed her hands viciously over the back of her neck and dug her nails into the skin under her hair.

"Mmmmm…" she whimpered, moving with the nervous energy inspired by adrenaline. Struggling out of her mattress, Alex hissed again as her feet hit stone floor. The shock was enough to stir her from her emotional haze and back into thought.

And the one thing she thought was absolute: Sleep was out of the question. Feeling around the top of her trunk at the end of her bed for her robe Alex knocked a thick book with her wrist.

"Damn." She dove for it and managed to catch it before it hit the floor and woke her dorm mates. "Well, I can't stay here."

Setting the book on the area rug, Alex opened her trunk and dug out a certain satchel. Might as well get some of her "Special" homework done, since she had the time. She'd been neglecting it worse than her schoolwork lately.

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The Slytherin Common Room was attractive to her just then in a way that no non-Slytherin could ever understand. It was an island, a refuge and a highly defensible fortress all at once…but also a place you need never fight for. You could breathe in here. Relax in a way impossible almost everywhere else.

In the middle of a cold night, where sleep brought even colder things to light, the empty tables, chairs and furniture, all lit by the warmly crackling fire both made Alex want to burst into tears and kept her from needing to.

If you ever asked her what her home was she would've answered "Bellmonte Manor" instantly…but if you asked her to describe what the word home meant, this room would have taken shape in your mind.

Shivering, Alex walked into the circle of warmth and headed towards a favorite chair. All black leather and elegantly overstuffed for comfort.

Halfway there a low growl stopped her in her tracks. Who? What? She whirled towards the sound and almost laughed in relief.

Off in one corner, so she couldn't be seen from most of the room was a harassed looking Tania Dethart, sitting in the middle of a small sprawl of junk, glaring into her trunk.

The growl had come into being in response to the annoyance that spread over the thin face. This time Alex couldn't help herself,(maybe she was getting hysterical), she laughed.

Tania did the expected. She jerked up, spotted Alex and froze.

"Hi, Tania." Alex changed her destination and moved to join the other girl. "Sorry about laughing. But the look on your face…I'm guessing a Project isn't going the way you've planned?"

Something in her words or manner must have struck the right cord because Tania reverted back from "Statue Tania".

"No. Uh…I mean you're right." She said, her tone thick with the annoyance of a moment earlier.

Alex ignored both the tone and Tania's reaction, for the silly girl was sure to think Alex would take insult from it. Instead she dropped her bag onto a nearby couch and asked, "Do you mind if I join you for a bit? I have some extra work I need to get done…out of sight."

"Of course." It was graciously said, even as Tania glanced protectively at her things.

Alex smiled. "Never fear, my dear. I won't peek at your notes…though if you do need some help with whatever it is in your trunk that has you stumped feel free to ask."

"Thank you." Tania refused politely, turning back to her trunk.

It was around then that Alex realized how much she liked Tania. Something about the girl had completely drained her of all the stress and fear left behind by the nightmares. It had snapped her back form the emotion faster than anyone but Blaise had ever managed…not that that many people had ever helped her overcome a nightmare, even unknowingly.

Hmm…she'd have to do something about Tania's stupid brother though, if they were to become actual friends. Well, something to ponder, but not when she had work to do.

Pulling open both Pain and her notes on the book so far, Alex settled in for a long night.

"Oh, bloody blustering…" the rest of the swear faded away, even though, looking up, Alex still saw Tania's mouth moving.

What was she working on? And what did her trunk have to do with it, empty and propped up on end like it was?

Somehow she didn't think it was the nice leather stitching. Maybe there was a secret compartment…but why put in a Muggle thing like that? You could just ward a portion of the Wizarding Space, and besides, if it was a hidden compartment there was a simple spell to find them.

Thoughts of this nature distracted her for a while, even though her gaze remained on the pages before her. But then something crazy and unthinkable happened.

Tania coughed. "Umm…Miss Bellmonte…?"

Alex obligingly pulled her nose from her book.

"I-I…I…umm…if you have a moment…perhaps you could help me with something?" As she finished Tania blushed fiercely. But, Alex noted, mostly out of humiliation. She doesn't like to ask for help.

Then she did a mental double take…Tania Dethart just asked for help! Has the world ended without my knowing? Will a Weasley be Sorted in Slytherin next!

"If I'm not interrupting…"

"Not at all, Tania." Alex affected an elderly air, "You're too young to know the value of interruption."

The only reaction she got was a low snort, which may have been amusement.

"Anyway," Alex slid off the couch and grinned. "what're we working on?"

Tania made a small motion, aborted almost as soon as it was begun but Alex recognized it and laughed silently at the mental image of Tania diving protectively over her research.

"Never fear," she repeated from earlier, "I give you my most solemn promise and a Bellmonte and Slytherin that anything related to or involved with your Project that is discussed will never go beyond us two. Furthermore I swear that I will personally torture anyone trying to steal or use your work without your permission. And besides, "Alex shrugged lightly, "you don't have to tell me why you need the information you're asking about."

Her exaggerated melodrama did the trick and Tania relaxed again. "I want to know everything you know about Wizarding Space." Tania stated.

Alex blinked. "Do you know how long it'll take to get through all of it?" she asked, then frowned a little. "We can do it that way, but, I'd hate to waste your time covering things you already know. If you could give me a tiny little hint as to what you're looking for…well, it'd all go much faster."

Tania scowled, but not at Alex directly. Smoke almost poured from her ears as she thought. Alex just waited.

"Okay." And with that one word Tania agreed to let Alex have a glimpse. "What do you know about the formation of Wizarding Space?"

"Making it? Umm…well, supposedly the original owners of Never-Ending came across the perfect formula, which has remained a closely guarded secret ever since. But I find it unlikely as there are reports of things that could only have taken place thanks to Wizarding Space from long before the store existed.

"I do know that the amount of space per inch ratio in the Never-Ending inventory is vastly higher than most normal shops…which is what makes it so expensive. In fact…" Alex scrambled up over the couch and grabbed her satchel. "Here, look at that. It's a birthday gift from my parent. A Never-Ending. I've fit most of the contents of my trunk in there before."

Tania obediently took the bag and stuck her hand in it. After a second she pulled it back out looking impressed. But then her eyes sharpened again. "What did you mean by 'space per inch ratio'?"

"Oh!" Alex looked over in surprise. "Well, you can't create something from nothing even with magic, especially not on this magnitude. What happens is they take existing space, such a as bag or a trunk and use magic to stretch and expand it. So, your trunk isn't any bigger but it can hold more per inch than it could originally."

Tania nodded slowly, understanding dawning over her face. "Which means it's not a separate area attached to the trunk to keep it in the physical but just the trunk itself!"

"Does that help at all?" Alex asked, knowing it did and that Tania was going to dive into a new round of crazed research.

"Mm-hmm." She muttered, already neck deep inside trunk.

"If you like I'll clear out my bag and you can have it, either for research or to store your stuff while you work on your trunk." Alex offered, stubbornly refusing to be shoved out just yet. She didn't want to go back to her own work yet. It didn't seem nearly as interesting as whatever Tania was doing.

Tania pulled herself back out and stared at Alex. "You…? Oh, I couldn't. You need it to-"

"No, not really. I have other book bags, and I'll be deep in this particular text for weeks and won't need any of my other references. Here." Alex grabbed the thing off the floor and stared pulling things out of it.

By the time she'd gotten to the top of her third pile of books Tania's eyes were round.

"Heh. You know maybe I'll clear it out and let you have it tomorrow."

"Alright."
"Good." The pile disappeared more rapidly than they'd shown up. "I'd hate to have to carry all that upstairs."

Looking from the empty table to the satchel Alex suddenly frowned. "What was I doing?"

"Your book?" Tania pointed helpfully.

"Oh yeah. Thanks."

But Tania was already lost to the world again and Alex followed her example, dropping back into her place on the couch.

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A/N: So I just realized that the whole thing was only two scenes, almost one really...but it's was long enough right? Well, I hope so.

Next Chapter: The first Challenge (okay show of hands, who forgot this was in the middle of the TriWizard Tourney?)