Chapter 3

I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light

Helen Keller

"You're up early" Albus' voice made Belle look up from her book and breakfast.

Smiling, "So are you" she replied.

He took up the place opposite her, pouring himself some tea and grabbing some toast, "any particular reason?"

Belle took a forkful of eggs from her plate, "been for a morning run" she explained.

Albus looked at her, "do you go every morning or was it just a one off?"

"Every morning since I was 13," she told him. This stuff was easy, the slight inane chatter about something that wasn't really personal but seemed like it was, "helps me clear my head."

Albus looked at her, "that I get, well if you ever fancy a running partner..." He tailed off.

Belle smiled at him, "I might take you up on that sometime"

Their breakfast was interrupted by Professor Longbottom walking up them, "Timetables" he told them putting their timetable in front of them, "settling in Miss Belle?" He asked nicely.

"I think so" she told him, he seemed really nice, mainly because he went along with her wanting to keep her name a secret, anyone who was willing to do that and didn't ask questions probably was the alright sort.

He smiled, "and is Al here looking after you?"

Belle opened her mouth to respond but before she could Al did it for her, "of course Nev, always" He said jokingly.

"Albus" the Professor scolded but he had a slight smile on his lips as he said it.

"What?" Albus said feigning innocence, "no one is around."

The Professor just looked at Albus who was the picture of innocence. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, before telling Belle he would see her in class and then wandering off to hand out more timetables.

Belle turned to Albus, "Nev?" She asked, trying to contain her laughter that was threatening to come out.

Albus raised his eyebrows and took a gulp of tea, "our parents are friends" he explained, taking a bite of toast, "so, what is your timetable like?" He asked as they began to compare.

She had ended up asking a stray Hufflepuff where the DADA classroom was after her Muggle Studies lesson. He had begun to tell her where it was but after her face just got more and more confused, he had tapped her shoulder comfortingly and said, "Scratch that, I'll take you". Belle basically hadn't talked the entire time as he led her though the corridors and stairs. The Hufflepuff just talked and talked. He suddenly stopped outside of a room, "here we are. Well I'll be going. See you tomorrow Belle" before walking back the way they had come.

She just stood there by the door for a moment. It was closed and there was no sound coming from it but she wasn't that early. She looked around hoping to spot someone else. It didn't take too long before a voice behind her said, "Hey, you waiting for us?"

Pivoting on her heels she turned to see Albus and Rosie walking towards her.

"Someone just dropped me off from Muggle Studies" she explained as Albus pushed open the door holding it open for Rosie and herself. The room was empty. A wall of books covered the left hand side, the desks all bare. She followed them to four seater desk, two rows from the back.

"Any good?" Albus asked as they sat down

"Yes," she answered as the door swung open again and more people entered the classroom. Two nodded in greeting at Albus before he turned his attention back to her, "it was," she paused unsure whether she should let her enthusiasm show, "actually it was fascinating" she settled on.

Rosie giggled gently, "You should meet Grampa Weasley," she told her, "He finds it all fascinating as well" adding extra emphasis on the "fascinating"

Soon students stopped coming into the room and it wasn't very long till a short, relatively chubby man entered. His greying hair flopped around his eyes as he spun in front of his desk before leaning against it. Surveying the assembled class, his blue eyes jumped from each student in turn, "Welcome to NEWT Defence Against the Dark Arts. We won't bother with introductions I know you and you know me." During this his eyes fell on Belle, "except you I don't know you."

She swallowed hard, "Belle, Sir"

"Ahh, Yes. The headmaster did tell me. Well welcome to our little cohort, I'm Professor Gould. I hope you will be very happy" he greeted her kindly before turning his eyes back to the class as a whole. "Right shall we begin with a little practical?" He asks gleefully clapping his hands together, "desks back and on your feet, 6th years"

All too quickly his desires to the arrangement of the classroom were met and they all stood roughly in the same places that their seats had been.

"As I hope you have all bought, 'Confronting the Faceless', for your NEWTS, I thought we should start with attempting a little Patronus spell, to get us in the mood for our studies"

"Little?" Rosie whispered in her ear, incredulously. Belle just sent her a small look as they all stood there waiting.

"Let us first practice our pronunciation, because..." He elongated the pause searching around the room, "Ms Weasley?"

"Because one must pronounce correctly to spell correctly." She repeated in such a way that Belle guested that it was something that Professor Gould had been telling them every year.

"Correct, Ms Weasley, a point to Gryffindor I think." He rubbed his hands. "Right. So repeat after me. Expecto Patronum."

The class repeated it back, "excellent, and again"

They stood in the room, all just repeating, "Expecto Patronum" a few more times.

"The trick to this particular spell is a memory. Not just any memory but a happy one. The happiest memory you have. Not of course a memory where you believe you should have been happy but one where you were truly absolutely happy." He paused, "wands up, and go!"

The room was full of shouts, wand pointing. For a while nothing happened. A few had whispery silvery strands shot out of their wands but that was it. After a while most of the class looked downcast and the lack of success.

"Well, well, no worries. It is rather tricky magic." he smacked his hands together, "most of you will never be able to conjure one anyway" The small groups of students looked at each other.

"But Sir, What was the point then?" a lad in the back asked.

"Mr Smith. The point is that I expect 4 foot of essay on the spell on my desk by Thursday from you all."

The class groaned, "now come come this is NEWTS what did you expect?" he paused, "let us practice again shall we?"

This time the Professor circulated though the groups of students, giving tips and comments. Eventually he made his way to Albus, Rosie and Belle.

"Very nice Ms Weasley, try to be more firm on the wand movement." he turned to look at Belle who for the whole lesson had just been standing watching Albus and Rosie.

"Perhaps you could join in Ms Belle?" he asked inclining his head.

"I'd rather not, if that is okay?" she told him, not breaking his eye contact.

The Professor looked shocked, his lips moving slightly, trying to find the words

"Umm, Professor." Albus' voice pulled the professor around to him, "EXPECTO PATRONUM" suddenly a fully formed silvery Pig was standing around them. The class all stopped and stared at the pig who waddled around them

"Excellent, Mr Potter. Just excellent!" Professor Gould exclaimed, almost jumping off the ground in excitement, "of course not surprising" he muttered under his breath, "50 points to Gryffindor." He looked slightly at odds with himself, "You may go." as bags and books were picked up, "don't forget the essay!"

Walking out of the classroom, Albus turned to Belle, "you owe me" he said smiling.

"Thanks."

He just shrugged, "no worries, Gould is a bit of a name whore, he loves stuff like that."

"Please you just like to show off" Rosie chimed in as they turned the corner heading towards, Belle guessed, the great hall for lunch.

"What, moi?" Albus looked faux-insulted raising a hand to his chest like he had been wounded, "I think you have me confused with Jamie" he added staying in character. Rosie just sent him a withering look before rolling her eyes at Belle who couldn't help but giggle slightly.

As they continued walking, a skinny boy walked past them, knocking Belle's shoulder.

"Watch it" she said when they didn't stop.

The boy turned around, his white blond hair slicked back, his small lips set in a firm line. His eyes just stared at her. A few seconds later though they went wider and confusion coloured his face, his forehead crinkling. "Not going to say Sorry Malfoy?" Rosie's question meant they both looked at her.

"Oh..." Malfoy coughed, "um" he paused, a hand pushing his hair further back, "yeah, well Sorry…" he trailed off, still staring at Belle.

She could feel colour rising in her face, "It's fine" she said sharply. Pulling her eyes away from him, "Lets go" her voice still sharp, she began to walk off, knowing that Rosie and Albus trailed behind her.