"I don't understand," Jasper stated. "How is a duffle bag going to help us get to this Hogwarts place of yours?"

"Portus," I said, pointing my wand at the item, before turning to face Jasper. "If we were on the right continent and there were less of you, I'd be able to take you by side-along apparition. We're too far away though for that, so the next best thing is to use a Portkey. You're supposed to inform the Ministry before using one nowadays, but to hell with that! I've set this one to depart in three minutes. Everyone needs to place a finger on the bag."

Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Rosalie and Edward all looked a little hesitant; Alice and Emmett, however, looked positively jubilant. My vision wasn't sharp enough to catch their lightning-quick movements as they both went to touch the Portkey. Following their example, the others all shuffled in, forming a tight circle as they similarly placed a finger on the bag.

"So, Bella, what exactly is this 'Ministry' you mentioned?" Carlisle questioned.

"Well, I suppose you could compare it to your—I mean—the American Senate, or the English Parliament. It's basically the governing body of wizards and witches that help to run the magical world. They deal with laws and that kind of stuff."

"And there really are such things as dragons?" Emmett chipped in with a hopeful expression.

"Yes, there are, but I wouldn't go getting any ideas about battling one, Emmett. I'm sure it would be far more challenging for you than bears, but they happen to be a protected species. You'd annoy a lot of people if you went around attempting to slay them. Dragon's blood is extremely valuable in the wizarding world, as are dragon heartstrings, which are sometimes used in manufacturing wands."

"Is that what's in your wand?" Alice asked, enthusiastically, "A dragon heartstring?"

"No," I answered, "mine is made from yew and unicorn hair."

Rosalie's head snapped up.

"You didn't really think you were the only mythical creatures out there, did you?" I chuckled, giving a teasing smirk.

Alice squealed and began bouncing, though her finger never left the port key. In the next second, the item began to glow, causing me to wonder whether it was Alice's foresight or her discovery of unicorns that had brought on her sudden excitement. I felt the familiar pull at my navel, before my feet left the hard floor and I began flying through the air in a maelstrom of colour. Then the world stopped spinning and my feet slammed into the ground.

Predictably, I lost my balance and ended up on my butt. I would have been more embarrassed had it not been for the fact that even the seven perfect vampires were not fully in control of their usually spotless balance for once. Esme was clutching Carlisle; Alice had her hands raised at either side of her to help keep her upright; Jasper had stumbled slightly against the side of the bar; the others, though they were in definite shock, all seemed to be ok on their feet.

"That was … that was … awesome!" Emmett declared, his eyes wide and unfocused, as if staring at something far off in the distance.

I stared around the room. It was dim, the only light coming from the embers flickering in the fireplace. The darkness confused me at first, until I remembered the considerable time difference existing between the UK and the Eastern Pacific. Yes, it was definitely the Hog's Head, though why we were asked to come here I had no idea. My puzzlement was about to be answered, however, as an old looking wizard with long grey hair and a stringy beard came running into the room.

"More? That's just my luck! Should have known I'd get no bloody peace after Potter and his friends."

"You've seen Harry?" The man focused his bright, blue eyes on me, regarding me for a second before huffing and throwing his arms in the air.

"Bah! Yes, I've seen him. Him and his friends set off the ruddy Caterwauling Charm, didn't they! Had to shoo away the damn Death Eaters, didn't I!"

"So where are they now?"

"They went up to the castle. There's a secret passageway behind that portrait," he said, pointing to a painting of a pretty girl with blonde hair, "which leads to the Room of Requirement."

"Seriously?" I asked, impressed, to which I was met with a look of extreme annoyance. "Ok, well, err … we'll just be going then."

For the first time, the man seemed to examine the others occupying the room. He stiffened and inhaled sharply.

"Vampires? Girl, what the hell are you playing at?"

He took out his wand and shot a shield between us and the Cullens, who were all evidently wondering how the man knew what they were. I winced, which did not go unnoticed by Edward. He turned his eyes on me and regarded me suspiciously.

"You always knew, didn't you?" he accused.

I was about to speak, but was saved from doing so when a loud popping sound announced the arrival of others. I turned and scanned the bar, and was met by a sight that made me feel like bursting into song. On the far side of the room stood two familiar figures, one whom appeared to be glancing nervously at the Cullens, and one whom was gazing around with a pleasantly serene expression.

"Luna! Dean!" I cried happily, running forwards to embrace my schoolmates.

"Bella?" said Dean, a little shocked, though a note of happiness could be heard in his voice.

"Hello, Bella. It's been an awfully long time since I last saw you. You have far less wrackspurts buzzing around you lately. Does that have something to do with your vampire friends?"

"Probably." I laughed, before introducing her and Dean to the Cullens. Dean remained wary, but Luna walked dreamily up to Edward and place her arms around his neck in a way that only she would.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said, pulling back, unphased by the absolutely flabbergasted expression pasted on Edward's face. The others, too, looked bewildered. I chuckled. "I'm so happy Bella has found someone to keep her wrackspurts at bay. They're extremely pesky little creatures, but, of course, you wouldn't know about that would you? Vampire brains never go fuzzy. At least, now you know why."

"Um … I-I guess so. Er … thanks." Seeing Edward so speechless was nothing short of hilarious.

"Well, I guess we should be on our way," Luna announced, "or they might start without us."

"Surely you're not going with them!" the man shouted, using his wand to indicate the Cullens.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake! They don't hunt humans! Look at their eyes," I shouted, releasing my frustration on the bar-owner. "They're gold, which means they feed off animals."

The man grunted and lowered his wand, though his irritation did not vanish entirely.

"Goodbye, then, Mr …"

"Aberforth."

"Wait … Aberforth? As in Aberforth Dumbledore?"

Behind me, I heard Emmett muttering to Rosalie, wondering what was up with 'all these crazy names'.

"That's right. Now are you going or what? No doubt there'll be more of you disturbing me shortly," he grumbled, "and I certainly can't fit all of you in my bar without causing a stir!"

I turned to the portrait and waited for it to swing open. As I was about to step into the tunnel, I heard Luna addressing the group behind me.

"May we ride you?"

I spun.

"I beg your pardon?" Rosalie asked, clearly offended.

Emmett almost choked from laughing.

"May we ride you?" Luna repeated, before continuing with her explanation. "The sooner we get to the castle, the sooner we'll be able to help our friends. Who knows what's going on up there. They could be facing death as we speak."

Once again, the vampires were gobsmacked. It probably had more to do with the confident and dreamy way in which Luna had posed her question, rather than the question itself. Emmett, unlike the others, was in hysterics. He let out a roar of laughter, before walking up to the peculiar girl and swinging her up onto his back. I climbed onto Edward's, whilst Dean reluctantly took Carlise's.

Once we were all in place, we darted off up the passage, and in no time at all, we were exiting into a vast luxurious room, decorated with red, blue, and yellow hanging tapestries, along with countless bookcases loaded with volumes ancient in appearance, comfortable looking hammocks, and massive beanbags.

"We got your message, Neville!" Luna stated. "Hello you three, I thought you must be here!"

A cheer erupted amongst the crowd assembled in the room, and yells of "Bella, Luna, Dean!" met our ears. I felt the crushing pressure as students closed in from all sides to embrace us, whilst my family remained stationary, observing the scene before them.

I recognised the faces of the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff students; some were bruised and swollen in places. The disciplinary system at Hogwarts had clearly changed since my last visit. As well as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, Terry Boot, Ernie MacMillan, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and the Patil twins were also present. There were others, too, who I couldn't put names to.

"Hi, everyone!" said Luna happily. "Oh, it's great to be back!"

"Luna," said Harry as he made his way to greet her, "what are you doing here? How did you—"

"I sent for her," said Neville, holding up his own fake Galleon. "I promised her and Ginny that if you turned up I'd let them know. How did you find out, Bella?"

I laughed and flashed my bracelet at him, which I had put back on just after creating the Portkey. "I thought it would make good costume jewellery."

"Excellent!" Neville responded with a toothy grin. "Who are the newcomers?"

"Vampires?" Hermione whispered, her eyes glued to my family, all of whom were stood in silence and wearing nervous expression, possibly anticipating some kind of rejection.

I straightened my posture and made sure to fill my voice with as much confidence as I could. "This is Dr. Cullen and his family. I met them in Washington. They're extremely kind and have saved my life on numerous occasions. Their diet is a little different from your average vampire, in that they live off of animals rather than humans." I directed a stern expression at the occupants of the room, daring anyone to challenge me. "They want to help."

I had expected some form of protest, but to my relief and extreme delight, the only sound spreading throughout the room was that of approving murmurs, and I took it that my fellow students were expressing their appreciation for more than just the additional help the Cullens were sure to provide. I rolled my eyes.

Once again, Neville shouted out words like "excellent" and "brilliant" before marching up to Carlisle, grabbing his hand and shaking it with eagerness. The fact that regular humans experienced instinctual fear when they were in close proximity with the vampires only seemed to enhance their disbelieving, yet happy, smiles as the wizard made his accepting gesture: Alice's face lit up; Esme looked close to tears; Rosalie was wearing a proud, satisfied smile; Emmett had one that touched his eyes; Carlise's was appreciative as he returned Neville's handshake; Jasper looked on in awe; and Edward was in shock. His head turned to me, and I saw some emotion swimming his eyes that I could only guess at. Gratitude?

"This is all really great and everything, but you still haven't explained what you're all doing here," said Harry.

"Well," answered Neville, "we all thought that if you came back, it would mean revolution. That we were going to overthrow Snape and the Carrows."

Whilst the others continued the discussion, I whispered aside to the Cullens, filling them in on Snape's treachery and how the Ministry, which had fallen under the control of the Death Eaters, had put the story out that it was Harry who had been the one involved in Dumbledore's death.

It was just as I was finishing the explanation that the portrait door swung open behind us, and in came Ginny Weasley, her brothers, Fred and George, and Lee Jordan, followed by Harry's ex-girlfriend, Cho Chang. I ran forwards and hugged the boys, all of whom met me with whoops as they ruffled my hair and patted me on the back. Fred threw an arm around my shoulder, as did George on my other side.

"Missed us did you, Bellsy?" George laughed.

"Of course she did," Fred said seriously, stroking his cheek with his free hand. "Who wouldn't miss this face? It's divine."

"I couldn't agree more," said George, and I responded with a laugh.

The Cullens, especially Edward, were now looking at me questioningly.

"We weren't in the same year, but we became friends when I made the Gryffindor Quidditch team," I explained, forgetting that the vampires knew nothing of the wizarding sport.

"Trouble, this one," said Fred, nodding his head in my direction. He then turned his eye on Rosalie, Alice and Esme, all of whom were receiving quite a bit of attention from the wizards in the room. "As Bella has forgotten her manners and hasn't introduced us properly, I'm Fred Weasley, and this is my dashing brother, George."

The three females laughed, Rosalie again wearing a very satisfied smile, undoubtedly content that she was drawing so many adoring gazes. The men chuckled at Fred's nerve, though it was obvious that they took a liking to him. It was difficult not to.

"Aberforth's getting a bit ratty," Fred said, addressing Harry and Neville. "He wants a kip, and his bar's turned into a railway station."

It wasn't long until Harry began arguing with the crowd. Apparently, he, Hermione and Ron hadn't returned to fight. They had some other business at Hogwarts instead, though whatever it was remained a mystery to the rest of us. The three began whispering to each other, at which point I rejoined Edward, who was looking off in the direction of the trio.

"Edward, why are they here?" I asked, for I knew he'd be able to discover the reason. The crease returned to the space between his eyes, and it was a few seconds before he leaned his head close to mine to whisper in my ear.

"I don't really understand it properly. They're looking for something called a Horcrux, but it's not a word I've ever come across. Do you know what it is?"

"I've never heard of it" I replied, shaking my head.

His head remained bowed, but his eyes flicked up to look at Ron from beneath his long, thick lashes.

"Wait … There's something … something about a soul? Something about destroying a soul. Something to do with a raven's claw. What significance does a raven have in all this?"

"Ravenclaw is one of the four houses of Hogwarts. There's also Gryffindor, which is the house I'm in, as well as Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Slytherin is the house which usually produces Death Eaters. That's why there are no green and silver banners in here—the room hasn't had to accommodate for anyone belonging to that particular house."

"Alright," he answered, "but why would they have to destroy the soul of someone belonging to Ravenclaw?"

"They wouldn't," I said simply, meeting him with a look of puzzlement. My eyes flitted to the bookcases lining the room and I shuffled closer to one.

"I need a book containing information on Horcruxes," I whispered, hoping that the Room would answer my request. I inhaled sharply as it responded, a large, thick, ancient looking book appearing on the uppermost shelf. I snatched it down and looked briefly at the family, all of whom looked shocked again, yet impressed. The book was labelled Secrets of the Darkest Art. That definitely didn't sound good. Whatever dark magic Harry had been battling, it was clearly something extremely evil, which, of course, was to be expected considering the enemy he was up against.

"I'm actually surprised at how well you're all taking this," I murmured as I flipped open the book.

"Is there an alternative at present?" Edward asked, a hint of sarcasm audible in his tone.

"Not really. Right… what is a Horcrux? This entire book is completely based on the subject of them. Maybe the explanation is given in the introduction," I said, as I read the opening lines.

I had only been reading for a minute when Harry began speaking to the crowd again, but even that was enough. The first twelve lines had told me everything I needed to know … and now I felt positively sick. I would have vomited right there and then if my stomach hadn't been empty.

"What does it say?" Edward whispered. I couldn't reply, so, instead, I just passed him the book, allowing him to read it for himself. I saw his lips moving, though I heard no sound, and understood that he was reading the passage to his family at a level the rest of us couldn't hear. I turned my attention back to Harry.

"There's something we need to find," he stated loudly. "Something—something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?"

Luna then spoke up, suggesting that the object Harry was seeking could in fact be the lost diadem. A conversation followed and it was decided that Luna would accompany him to the Ravenclaw common room where he would be able to view an image of Rowena's treasure.

As the pair left, I saw Ron and Hermione resume their whispered conversation. If we knew more about what they were trying to do, perhaps we would be able to help. I was about to ask Edward to read their minds when he spoke.

"So this evil Lord … what's his name?"

"We don't say it. Or, at least, the majority don't. I've never understood the fear people seem to experience when they hear the name … Well, anyway, he's called Lord Voldemort. I would have told you back at the house, but the name was jinxed recently—it was announced on the wizard wireless—which is why I couldn't say it. We're protected here though by powerful enchantments."

Edward nodded, doing his best to follow. I could understand the difficulty—even for a vampire, this life altering information was all hitting him way too fast. He was being launched into a battle in a world he had had no idea of until about half an hour ago.

"Right, so this Voldemort has performed some spell to split his soul, and has transferred the other pieces into various objects, meaning that he can never die?"

"Yes, except it's not the plural. Harry, Ron and Hermione are only looking for one object."

"Actually," Edward corrected me, "I think it is the plural. When Harry left he asked Ron and Hermione to 'look after the other one', and when I read Ron's mind he was thinking about a goblet and how to destroy it."

"But… wait!" I panicked, the implications of this triggering a suffocating wave of horror. "If Voldemort has the ability to split his soul more than once, there could be god-only-knows how many Horcruxes out there to find!"

"No, I think they knew exactly how many there were when they set out on their hunt for them. Your old headmaster left them with specific details. From what I can gather, there was a ring and a locket, both of which were destroyed with a sword. The sword of—"

"Gryffindor?"

"Yes! Ron's wondering how to get into the Head's office so that he can get his hands on … on … a hat? I don't understand."

"The Sorting Hat," I explained. "Harry pulled the sword out of it in second year. It presents itself to those who demonstrate courage. It's the quality which defines true Gryffindors."

Edward gave a small smile and his eyes smouldered as they roamed my face. I unsuccessfully attempted to suppress the inevitable blush.

"If he can get to the hat, maybe it will present itself to him," I reasoned. "I mean, he's obviously demonstrated that quality countless times in recent months if he's been off doing what we think he has."

"Maybe," Edward answered. "Now he's talking to Hermione about the other Horcruxes. Voldemort has a snake, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he's also managed to transfer a piece of his soul to his pet, and … and I think Ron's just had an idea."

"What?"

"He was thinking about the snake, and it led his thoughts to the giant one that Harry fought in the Chamber of Secrets?" Again I could understand why this was confusing Edward and his family. It was all foreign to them.

"Yeah, there was a basilisk living beneath the school. His sister, Ginny, released it when she was possessed by Voldemort's diary. I know that sounds nuts, but—"

"Actually it doesn't," Edward interrupted, "because, according to Ron, the diary was a Horcrux too."

My facial muscles suddenly went slack. I felt like I had just been plunged into freezing cold water, or that someone had injected a shot of it into my veins, and now it was pumping around my body, stealing every morsel of heat.

"That fits," I whispered.

Edward nodded.

"And Harry destroyed the Horcrux with—"

"A basilisk fang!" I looked over in Ron and Hermione's direction and saw them slipping from view. "They're going to the Chamber of Secrets, aren't they?"

"Yes," Edward said simply, gazing over my head to the spot from which the two had just disappeared. "Bella, there's something else."

I looked back at him, and I knew that Jasper was informing him silently of the terror that one little sentence had provoked.

"I don't really know how—perhaps Harry has a similar ability to Alice—but before he left, he had a vision. It's Voldemort … He knows that Harry is destroying Horcruxes. He's checking to see which ones are safe, and which have been taken … which means … he's coming here."

Edward didn't need Jasper this time to realise my fear—the second the words were out, my heart flew into overtime; I could feel it banging against my ribcage and, suddenly, their didn't seem to be enough air to fill my desperate lungs, which seemed to be shrinking with the pressure of my terror. Immediately I was in Edward's arms. He scooped me up and pressed me to his chest, rocking me gently as I fully absorbed his words.

"It's OK, Bella," Emmett said in his attempt to reassure me. "We'll fight him. We won't let him hurt you."

"You don't understand," I whispered. "It's not me I'm concerned about. I'll have you to help deflect the jinxes and curses should any fly my way, but there aren't enough of you to protect every student in this school. If Voldemort is coming," I added fearfully, my eyes roaming over the faces of my many friends, "then the chances of everyone surviving the fight are virtually zero … If Voldemort is coming … I have no idea how many, but there will be people in this room that won't live out the night."

The Cullens' faces all now reflected my horror. They looked about the room and considered the gravity of my statement.

"But they're practically children," Esme whispered. "They're just children."

"Do you think that matters to him? He tried to kill Harry when he was only a toddler. People like me and Hermione Granger—Mudbloods—and those like the Weasleys who associate with us—Blood Traitors—we're vermin in his eyes. He wouldn't think twice about killing us."

Low growls erupted from both Edward and Alice. From Edward it was only to be expected; however, it was strange hearing such a small, pixie-like creature like Alice release such feral sound.

"Imagine placing an immortal Hitler in the middle of a room filled with defenseless Jewish families. Now, give him and his officers wands that each have the potential to be more lethal than an atomic riffle. That's what it's like. To some of them, it's little more than a fun and productive game that achieves the desired social cleansing. They'd torture us just for the sheer satisfaction of it, and then they'd kill us, or anyone else who got in their way. And after they'd finish, they'd continue rounding up the Muggle-Borns on the outside. Azkaban will probably have to be extended before long; either that or they'll have to build a second Aucshwitz.

"I've lived with some of these people for six years of my life and have known them for seven." I had nodded my head in the direction of Neville and the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, and my vision blurred with the film of moisture. "They're almost like siblings. How would you feel if you knew someone was coming, and would succeed in killing at least one member of your family? How would you feel if there was nothing you could do that would make damn bit of difference?"

The tears rolled down my face. I turned my head into Edward's chest to prevent any of the nearby students from noticing. He didn't speak—none of them did—for there wasn't really anything to say. Eventually I decided to address a subject that I knew would not bode well with Edward.

"Edward, I realise that you'll do everything you can to protect me, but—"

"Bella," he warned.

"No, hear me out. I understand that you'll do your best, but these aren't vampires we're facing. You can't beat them simply through strength alone. If something happens to me, which it might, I—"

"We're not discussing this, Bella. I refuse to allow any creature, no matter what species they are, to rip you away from me, especially not now when I've only just come to terms with the idea of keeping you forever."

I knew it was pointless to argue, so I took a different approach.

"I love you."

"As I do you."

I smiled then, and cast my mind back to a happier time.

"Would you like to hear a secret? Do you want to know the first moment I knew we were meant for each other, or, at least, the first moment I knew I would never love anyone more than you?"

Edward's expression softened as he looked into my tear-stained face. He nodded. The rest of his family were listening, but I really didn't care.

"It was when we were in the cafeteria at school and you were telling me about your hunting habits. You were talking about Emmett's favourite and how he's like a bear." I heard a distinct chuckle from said bear at that point. "And then I asked you about your favourite, and you told me 'mountain lion.'"

Edward nodded at the memory, though his expression betrayed his confusion at why this moment was such a defining one for me.

"You said you were like the lion, and that maybe preference was indicative. That was when I knew."

"I don't understand," he admitted softly.

"Well, you see …" It was at that moment when I chose to conjure my Patronus. It travelled through the air and circled our group, emitting brilliant light that made Edward appear even more impossibly beautiful as it touched his marble skin. "My Patronus is a lion. It always has been.

"The shape a person's Patronus takes usually reveals something of their character. It can indicate their qualities and personality, or sometimes it assumes the same form of the Patronus cast by the one they're in love with. The shape of mine never made sense to me. I've been known to be protective, I guess, but I would never have compared myself to a lion. It was a mystery to me … until I met you. I guess we were destined for each other."

The lion moved back towards us until its head was an inch from Edward's chest. Then, just before it faded into nothing, it touched it's temple to the area in which laid his heart. His eyes lingered on the spot where it had made contact, before he lifted his face to mine and kissed me.

It was gentle, but it managed to convey more meaning than any sentence could ever deliver. When he pulled back, his expression was unbelievably tender. He stroked my cheek with one hand, whilst holding me with the other. He was about to speak when the portrait door swung open once again, and in filed a line of familiar faces, resulting in loud cheers and lots of clapping.

I recognised those with whom I had once played Quidditch. There was Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson. I was stood close to the secret entrance, which was probably why they approached me first. The girls ran at me, and I only just had enough time to pull away from Edward before they pounced, embracing some part of torso in bone-crushing hugs.

"Bella! You're ok!"

"Of course I am," I laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"We were worried they might have gotten to you," Angelina explained. "With the Muggle-Born registration rubbish … well, we didn't know whether or not you would have presented yourself."

"Why would I go and do something like that?"

"Did you go into hiding?" asked Katie.

"No, I just moved back to the States instead."

"Right... of course. Well that makes sense. Why didn't we think of that, Katie?"

"Maybe you both got hit in the head with a bludger one two many times," I laughed. Angelina hit my arm lightly in response, chuckling as she did so.

Wood, who had just finished greeting the Weasley twins, came over to say hello. Like the girls, he gave me a similar bone-crushing hug, lifting me off the floor and swinging me around.

"Wood! Can't – breathe!" I wheezed.

"Tut, tut, Swan. Have you forgotten the no-pain attitude already? You've been out of the game too long. Weakness, that is. Weakness!"

We all laughed in unison, before I directed their attention over to the Cullens.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Edward—my fiancé. And this is his vegetarian vampire family. They follow a strictly no-human diet."

Edward beamed at me. I guess he really liked being introduced as my future husband.

"Whoa! Hold up! You're engaged?" Angelina blurted.

"Merlin's beard!" Katie exclaimed, "That's mental! Congratulations, Bella!"

I smiled.

"I love how you guys are more surprised by Bella's bombshell that she's getting married, rather than the fact that she's getting hitched to a vampire. No offense, of course," Wood said, now addressing Edward. "I just think it's pretty amusing that their priorities are marked so clearly."

Edward laughed, grasping Wood's hand when he offered it for a handshake.

"Don't be fooled by that sweet exterior, mate," he warned, "She might look tame, but she's a devil, I swear! I lost count of how many Slytherins she fouled when she first made the team. It was basis of her appeal."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked, clearly amused despite his confusion.

"You know, Quidditch. Did she not tell you she was on the Gryffindor house team? She's a natural born Chaser!"

"What's Quidditch?" Emmett asked over Edward's shoulder.

The jaws of my friends dropped at precisely the same moment, before they rounded on me.

"You didn't tell them about Quidditch?!" Wood asked, disbelief colouring his tone. "How could you not tell them about Quidditch?! That's … That's criminal!"

"Well I only just told them about the existence of wizards and witches. I've been a bit more concerned with explaining about the war. Honestly, Wood, Quidditch isn't exactly a priority at the moment."

The expression this last comment provoked indicated that it had obviously been an inconsiderate and offensive thing to say. He turned his back on me and began explaining the sport to the Cullens, all of whom listened on with rapt attention.

"And is it difficult, then, to make the teams?" Esme questioned.

"Absolutely. You have to be able to handle a broom with ease, which not everyone can do. You also need to be agile and well-balanced."

"And you're telling us Bella fits those requirements? Ha!" Emmett boomed. "Do you even know her at all?"

"Probably better than you do, mate," said Fred as he came walking up to the group. "I know her gracefulness is abysmal on the ground, but you haven't seen her in the air. She definitely compensates."

"Did you tell them how ruthless she can be, Wood?" asked George.

"I'm not that bad!" I protested.

"Tell that to Malfoy!" he retorted, before turning his attention back to the Cullens. "He was about to catch the Snitch once, only Bella wouldn't stand for that. She flew into his path so that he had to swerve to prevent a collision, but being the pillock that he is, he flew into the goal post and knocked himself out. And then, of course, there was the time you used that excuse that a bludger was about to hit you to fly into Montague and 'accidentally' head-butt him. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that he cast a toe-nail growing hex on you two days before?"

"He had it coming." I muttered, shuffling my feet and suddenly finding my shoes very visually interesting. When I looked up again, the Cullens each had eyes as wide as saucers. I'd never been one for Muggle sports, so they had never had the opportunity to witness my competitive streak. It was probably a good thing.

Thankfully, I was saved from my embarrassment when the portrait opened again, providing us all with the distraction of more newcomers, some of whom I recognised. First there was Remus Lupin, our old Defense teacher. Next came Kingsley Shacklebolt who had been at the Ministry the night I had gone with Harry and the others into the Department of Mysteries. Then, surprisingly, Fleur Delacour walked in, her hand clutching that of a man with flaming red hair. I assumed this must be one of the Weasleys. I guessed Bill, because he was the only brother I hadn't met, though I'd only seen his younger sibling, Charlie, once at the Tri-Wizard tournament. There was also Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, both of whom I had met on various occasions during the school holidays whilst I had been visiting the Burrow to play Quidditch with the twins. Mr. Weasley had set up a port key for me numerous times, back in the days when I hadn't been experienced enough to perform the spell.

Mrs. Weasley ran up to our group after catching sight of the terrible twosome, ensnaring them both in a mighty hug. Before she left to see Ginny, she patted me on the cheek and gave me a quick but affectionate embrace. The group dispersed then, and I was left with just my family.

"So, you play dirty then, Bella?" Emmett asked.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Edward, where abouts in the castle is Harry? Could you search for him?"

"He's just left the Ravenclaw common room with an elderly woman in a tartan dressing gown … Professor McGonagall. I'm sorry Bella, I should have been keeping tabs on him, but I just assumed that he'd be ok considering he has an invisibility cloak. I was watching Ron and Hermione instead."

"Is everything ok?" I asked.

"Harry was attacked by the Carrows in the common room, but apparently they've been taken care of. They …"

"Edward?"

"Your Professor has just run into Snape. She … He …" Edward inhaled sharply and my heart went into double-time again. "Bella, I can't read Snape's mind. Why can't I read Snape's mind?"

I exhaled. "I think Snape must be an accomplished Occlumens. It's a special branch of magic that helps to protect the mind from intrusion. It's a rare gift. Not many people bother to learn it."

"Did you learn it?" he asked inquisitively.

I nodded. "I once saw Harry being possessed by Voldemort. I'd managed to get away from a battle we were having with a group of Death Eaters, because I wanted to go and help him. I saw his face when it happened and it terrified me. For weeks I had nightmares about being possessed, so I did some research and learned that the best way to prevent it was through Occlumency. It was very difficult to learn and it took me the best part of a year, but I got it in the end.

"I think what you do must be a form of Legilimency. It's not possession, but it's similar in that it involves mental intrusion. I guess that's why you can't hear Occlumens like me, because we know how to defend our minds."

Edward remained silent as he took in my words, then suddenly he announced, "They're fighting!"

"Snape and McGonagall?" The whole family was looking at Edward now, all of us waiting with bated breath.

"Alice? Who will win?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know, Jazz. I haven't been able to see anything since that first vision. Something is blocking me!"

"Remus Lupin—over there—is a werewolf. An actual werewolf. Your vision probably stopped when he heard we were gathering and decided to come." I turned my attention back to Edward.

"There's a giant serpent about to attack McGonagall. It's turned to smoke. Now she's sending daggers at—she's missed. He used a suit of armour to shield himself. Now there are other people there … there's a tiny man and a plump woman."

"That'll be Flitwick and Sprout," I blurted.

"And there's a big, roundish man in silk pyjamas."

"Slughorn."

Edward described the rest of the fight, which culminated in Snape's cowardly flight from the castle after he jumped through a high window. He then proceeded to inform us that the teachers were performing defensive spells to protect the castle.

"Professor McGonagall is speaking to Professor Slughorn. She's telling him that if he or any of the Slytherins attempt to sabotage the resistance they'll … they'll duel to kill."

"You mean … the teachers would kill the students?" Carlisle asked appalled.

"Carlise," I addressed him, "I know this is difficult to grasp, but you have to understand that this is a war. An actual full on war, not a school-ground brawl. It's no secret that the Slytherins are fans of the Unforgivable Curses. Most of their parents are Death Eaters. Their offspring have adopted the same principles. If any of them try to sabotage the resistance, as McGonagall put it, they'll be doing so knowing that their actions will contribute to the death of Harry and his allies. Only those of age will be allowed to stay, which in the wizarding world is those seventeen and over, so it's not like we'll not be battling children. We'll be fighting adults wielding dangerous magic who happen to be attempting to kill us. I know it's horrible, but it's just the way it is."

"Slughorn isn't going to side with the Death Eaters," Edward told us. "He doesn't like the idea of going up against them, but he knows which side he'll pick if he has to."

I nodded. I'd never thought of Slughorn as the usual breed of Slytherin. He was ambitious and resourceful, yes, but I'd realised quickly that he didn't share the same prejudice of Muggle-Borns as those of his house.

"Harry and Luna are on their way to instruct everyone to go to the Great Hall where evacuation procedures will be discussed."

"Alright. Just so you know, everyone," I said to them, surprising myself in the way I suddenly seemed to have adopted the role as temporary leader, "the most important person in this entire battle is Harry. When we went to the Ministry to fight off the Death Eaters in fifth year, we discovered that they were after a prophecy about Harry and Voldemort. Though it smashed before any of us could hear it, I'm guessing that it had something to do with the final battle. Most people believe, as do I, that only Harry can kill Voldemort. If Harry dies, it's over. It's vital that we do everything in our ability to protect him. Got it?"

Everyone nodded as Remus' voice announced Harry's arrival.

"Harry, what's happening?"

Harry looked astonished as he stared at the crowd, probably wondering how it could have expanded so much since he had last laid eyes on it. Fred informed him that he and his brother had sent messages to the rest of the DA who had, in turn, alerted the Order of the Phoenix.

"What's first, Harry?" called George. "What's going on?"

"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized… We're fighting."

A roar filled the room and everyone began moving towards the door. I grasped Edward's hand in mine and squeezed.

"Time to go."