Chapter 11: Halloween

The next month and a half passed in a blur for all the new students. Between practicing their Transfiguration spells to making sure they had all the correct potions ingredients, most of the students were panicking about the work load.

The day of Halloween was the first time any first years in Charms got to use practical magic. That class also happened to be full of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Professor Flitwick gave them each a feather and went over the incantation and the wand movement they had all been practicing for the last week.

"Now remember, it is swish and flick, as you say the incantation," Professor Flitwick reiterated in his squeaky voice. "Never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest." He chuckled before he continued with the incantation. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Soon the classroom was full of half said incantations and improper wand techniques. Ron even went so far as to start chopping the air over his feather with is wand.

"Stop, stop, you're going to take someone's eye out," Hermione reprimanded him. "And besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa. You need to make the 'gar' nice and long."

"Well if you're so good, why don't you do it then?" Ron retorted as he gave her a sour look.

"Fine," Hermione replied. Pointing her wand at the limp feather, Hermione easily said the incantation correctly. Her feather began to rise seemingly of its own accord while everyone else watched in amazement.

"Well done, Miss Granger! Well done!" Professor Flitwick congratulated Hermione as Ron merely rolled his eyes and took on an even sourer look.

The rest of the class managed to get their feathers to move before class ended for the day, Dustin's being the one that moved the most. On his way to History of Magic with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor boys, Ron berated Hermione behind her back.

"She thinks she a real know-it-all, doesn't she?" Ron seethed. "It's no wonder she hasn't got any real friends."

As Ron said this, a bushy haired girl in Gryffindor colors shouldered him as she walked by at a brisk pace.

"I think she heard you Ron," Harry said to Ron as they reached Professor Binns' classroom for History of Magic.

For the rest of the day, Ron tried to apologize to Hermione but whenever she saw him coming to talk to her, she would disappear from his sight.

By dinner time, Ron still had not found Hermione. He took his normal seat at the Gryffindor table, hoping Hermione would be there too.

"Have you guys seen Hermione?" he asked Lavender and Pavarti.

"She's been in the girl's lavatory crying since lunch," Pavarti answered Ron. "You really hurt her feelings Ron."

Before Ron could answer, Bella came up behind him and punched him in the arm.

"Why'd you say that stuff about Hermione?" Bella questioned him threateningly.

Ron paled before the angry Slytherin. "I was angry. I didn't mean for her to hear," he stammered.

As Bella was about to hit him again, a cold hand grabbed her wrist.

"I think that is quite enough, Miss Darling," Snape said as he pulled her away from the Gryffindor table. "While it pains me to do this, you have just lost ten points from Slytherin, both by myself and Professor McGonagall."

Snape took Bella outside the great hall through another door on the side of the hall. On the way to the door, he had also grabbed Davidella Jones, the fifth year Slytherin prefect, and brought her along.

"Have you eaten already?" Snape asked Bella suddenly. She nodded while avoiding his gaze. "Good," he scoffed. Then he turned to Davidella. "Take Miss Darling back to the Slytherin common room. She is not to leave until I have talked to her after the feast." He left without another word, leaving Bella to the mercy of Davidella.

"Come on, firstie," Davidella ordered Bella as she dragged her to the dungeons. Bella went willingly and silently. She knew what she did wasn't right and that she shouldn't have lost her temper

"Are you going back to the feast afterwards?" Bella asked her chaperone hesitantly.

"Yes," she answered shortly. A minute later, as they neared the cellar that hid their common room entrance, she commented on Bella's hitting skills.

"Um, thank you," Bella replied, feeling worse for hitting Ron.

"Not that it matters, but why did you hit the Gryffindor?" she asked, actually curious about what had caused such a cool headed Slytherin first year to snap.

"He made my friend cry," Bella answered even quieter than she had before.

Davidella was stunned. It wasn't everyday you heard of a Slytherin first year, heck any Slytherin really, fighting because someone got hurt. Usually it was the Slytherins that caused the hurt and were the target of retaliation.

"That's... a good reason," Davidella finally said as they entered the common room. Bella moved towards her dormitory but was held back by a strong hand on her shoulder.

"If you tell Professor Snape exactly what you told me, I don't think he'll be as hard on you. McGonagall too; she always likes students that stand up for their friends," Davidella added with a smile.

Bella nodded while looking at her feet. "Thank you, Miss Jones."

Davidella was once again stunned. Normally, first years were disrespectful when they were in trouble, but this girl, this angry-in-a-minute-and-then-solemn-the-next girl, was completely respectful.

"You can call me Davidella," she said as she squeezed Bella shoulder.

Bella smiled slightly. "You can call me Bella," she replied quietly.

Davidella pushed Bella towards the first years' dormitory. "I'm going back to the feast. Professor Snape should be here soon. Good night Bella," she finished as she left the common room and Bella alone.

Bella ran into her dormitory and threw herself on her bed. She was ecstatic and scared at the same time. She was ecstatic because she had finally made a friend within her own house. She was scared because she still had to deal with Professor Snape. She waited about ten minutes before she heard the common room begin filling with students.

Figuring the feast was over, and that Professor Snape would be there soon, Bella headed back to the common room but when she reached it, there was no sign of Professor Snape and it looked like every single Slytherin student was there, even though it was only eight thirty.

As Bella moved through the crowd trying to find a prefect, preferably Davidella, she heard people giving her praise for standing up to the blood-traitor Gryffindor, whatever that meant. Bella finally found Davidella warding the entrance to the common room with Marcus Flint, one of the sixth year prefects.

"Um, Miss Jones, what's going on?" Bella asked the fifth year, knowing Davidella wouldn't want other people to hear a first year call her by her first name.

"There's a troll in the castle," Davidella answered once she had finished adding her wards to the entrance and the head girl took her place. "No one knows how it got in, but they said it was down here, in the dungeons," she continued. "The teachers are looking for it but everyone at the feast was sent back to their common rooms." Davidella looked at Bella sneakily. "I don't think Professor Snape will be able to talk to you tonight," she added quietly so that only Bella heard.

Bella smiled at Davidella's thought but she also worried. Most full grown wizards still had quite a challenge for themselves if they went up against a full grown troll. Knowing Professor Snape was willingly trying to go up against one...

Eventually, all the students disbanded and headed off to their dormitories. Only the prefects stayed, along with Bella and a few of the older students.

"First years are suppose to be in the dormitories," Flint told Bella as he came towards her and Davidella on one of the couches.

Before Bella could answer, Davidella stood up and blocked Flint's path. "Professor Snape wished to speak to her before she went to bed. I don't think you want to anger him anymore than you already do, Marcus," she defended.

Flint quickly backed away and no one else bothered Bella or Davidella. Around ten thirty Bella fell asleep leaning on Davidella's shoulder. It wasn't until eleven that she was awoken.

Snape walked into the common room looking disgruntled to say the least. All the remaining students, besides Bella, fled the room to their respective dormitories. Davidella gave Bella an encouraging smile before she left the room last.

For a few minutes, there was silence; Bella stared at her feet intently while Snape stared at her, trying to figure her out.

"Get over here Darling," he commanded. Bella quickly complied and came to stand right in front of him. "Look at me." Bella looked up into his eyes fearfully.

"Why did you attack Mr. Weasley?"

"He- he made someone cry," Bella whispered looking down at her feet again.

Snape sighed. "Look at me Miss Darling. You only hit Mr. Weasley because he made someone cry?"

Bella cringed at his tone of voice. "Yes sir," she trembled as she looked up again.

Snape rubbed his eyes in exasperation. "While Professor McGonagall may disagree, I am letting you off with a warning. But," he added when he saw Bella's disbelieving face, "if I ever hear of you hitting another student without being provoked, I will not be as forgiving. Understood?"

Bella nodded, unable to speak.

"Good. Now go, it is past your curfew." Bella quickly hurried to her dormitory. When she reached the door and turned around, Professor Snape was still there.

"Thank you Professor," she said hesitantly. "Good night!"

. . . . .

Snape watched as the young and naïve first year went into her dormitory. She had no idea who he was and he had no one to thank for that besides himself.

I'll tell her when she's safer, he reasoned with himself. For now she was better off without being the daughter of a defect death eater in Slytherin house, especially while there were still students and parents that supported Voldemort. Snape left without another thought except that he wished he had not scared his own daughter like he had tonight.