The next morning Adele and Hermione met Harry and Ron in the Common Room. They headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were almost there when the step Adele was on suddenly vanished beneath her foot. With a cry, her leg sunk into the staircase to above her knee.

"Crap!" she seethed. It hurt!

Harry and Ron grabbed her under the arms and pulled her out. "You'll want to watch out for the trick steps," Harry said.

"Really?" Adele asked sarcastically.

Hermione giggled and they continued on to the Great Hall. They sat down at the Gryffindor table and Ron began gobbling up all the food in site. Adele was about to whack his head like Ginny suggested but was saved from having to do so by Ginny herself. As she walked behind Ron she smacked the back of his head.

"What was that for?" Ron asked indignantly.

"For eating like a pig, Ronald. Imagine what Mum would say," Ginny said teasingly. Ron glared at her but straightened up and began eating in a more polite manner.

"Hey, Gin," Harry greeted her.

"Hello, everyone," Ginny said. "Has McGonagall handed out the schedules yet?"

"No," Hermione said worriedly. "I do hope I get cleared for everything!"

"'Mione, stop worrying," Ron muttered.

Hermione's heated reply was cut off by the arrival of the owl post. Most students were getting more letters than usual these days; concerned parents wanted to hear from their children and vice versa. What was different, however, was that after the owls dropped off their post, they flew to Adele. The entire Hall fell silent as she was swarmed with hundreds of owls. Adele blushed crimson as two owls perched on her shoulder and one perched on her head.

'Thank you for your kind welcome, but you have to go! You're scaring your owners!' she thought to them. The owls knew she was right and flew out of the Hall. Adele raised her head to see all the students and the teachers staring at her.

"I told you animals liked me," she mumbled.

Harry laughed nervously before turning to Ginny and starting up a random conversation about Quidditch. Everyone took his cue and resumed their conversations, but people kept on glancing on Adele. She squared her shoulders, refusing to look embarrassed.

Hermione wondered what Adele was hiding. She had noticed the scars on her arms and the way Crookshanks had taken to her. And now the owls? One thing was for sure: a visit to the library was in order.

Professor McGonagall descended from the head table to distribute schedules. It was more difficult than usual for the sixth years because she first had to verify that everybody had the necessary O.W.L. grades. Harry and Ron continued with D.A.D.A., Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Potions.

"And, Potter, here is the list of hopefuls for the Quidditch team. As Captain, you may choose trials at your leisure," she added. Adele made a mental note to put her name on the list.

Professor McGonagall came to Adele's side. "I see you haven't put in an application yet, Miss Evans," she said. With a look at Adele's O.W.L. grades, she added, "But your O.W.L.s will allow you to take any classes you choose. I would suggest you take Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, and Ancient Runes. Would that be all right with you?"

"Yes, thank you, Professor," Adele replied. She and Hermione headed to their first-period Ancient Runes class together.

"So, Hermione," Adele started, trying to make small talk. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Hermione blushed but said, "No, I don't. No one has caught my eye."

Suddenly, a voice from behind them sneered, "Yeah, right, Mudblood. Like any guy would go for you."

Adele had no idea what "Mudblood" meant but assumed it was an insult. They turned to see Draco Malfoy behind them, for once without his usual cronies.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Hermione said through gritted teeth.

"Language, Granger," he laughed, wagging his finger at her. Abruptly, he turned to Adele and asked, "What's your blood status?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean by that," she replied coolly.

"I mean, are you pureblood?"

"Does it matter if I am? Hermione has befriended me without bothering to find out," Adele said in an aloof tone.

"Don't mess with me, Evans," he spat, moving closer to them. "I know magic you wouldn't even dream of."

Adele couldn't help it. She snorted. She sincerely doubted this Malfoy boy could do half of what she could do. But apparently, laughing at him was the wrong thing to do. His face flushed and he grabbed her right wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Adele said in a disinterested tone. "Let go of me."

"I don't think so. What are you going to do, Mudblood? Laugh at me? My magical abilities are not something to take lightly," he threatened.

Her blue-green eyes locked with his light gray ones. She brought her other hand up to rest on his arm. "Let go, please," she said quietly.

"No," Malfoy sneered.

"Alright, I warned you." Thinking of Crookshanks, Adele reshaped her fingernails into cat claws and drew her nails down his skin. Four bleeding gash marks appeared. Draco hissed in pain and dropped his arm. "You think that's funny, Mudblood?" he said. "You haven't seen the last of me."

Hermione watched with wide eyes as he stalked off. She had never seen anyone handle Malfoy like that, and to tell the truth, she was quite impressed. Adele had gotten rid of Malfoy without so much as drawing her wand. But she had made a new enemy already, and if Harry's suspicions about Malfoy were right, Adele was in trouble. Hermione put that to the back of her mind and congratulated Adele.

"Thanks for getting rid of him," she said.

"No problem," Adele said, glaring in the direction Malfoy had gone. "I do not like that guy."

"Not many people do. But come on, we're going to be late for Ancient Runes."