For those of you in our facebook group - Bubbleybear & Pienuniek's Story Nook - this news will come as no surprise. But I recently lost a very dear friend to cancer who was also an unofficial Pre-Reader for the Under Her Spell Series. Leonie Price, I miss you, so very much but I hope that you are free from pain, wherever you are.

In her honour, I am dedicating, not only this chapter, but this entire book to her. Her enthusiasm helped me continue to write on many days where I felt ... lost. In fact, one of the last emails she sent me was that she wished that these books had been on the big screen; that they were better than the originals. I know it will never happen, but the thought was enough to encourage me. Please keep her in your thoughts as we continue with this story. Cheers.

I'm so glad that I can finally give you the next in the series. Just know I've already read Book Six and have taken my notes. Now ... I can say that I've started to write!

Thanks must go out to my team. My pre-reader Pienuniek and my Beta Alice's White Rabbit. I would be lost without the pair of you, truly.

I don't own Twilight, or Harry Potter, I'd be a richer person if I did. But I do so love to create my own places for them out in the world. No copyright infringement is intended.

See you at the bottom ...

Chapter Eleven ~ Detention most Foul

Just after dinner, Harry and I made our way out of the Great Hall and along the corridors, making our way to Umbridge's office. Neither of us were looking forward to having detention; even though we knew that her torture devices were no longer working, we still had the part to play. And that was the worst part about it—having to play into this woman's delusions of grandeur.

"Do we have to do this?" Harry grumbled, walking just ahead of me.

I sighed. It wasn't the first time he had asked. "Yes, Harry. Part of figuring out how to take down Fudge, Voldemort, and all his believers is to play a part. And she's just the first step of that."

"I know, I know. Why do we have to pretend, though? Why can't we let her know that her little gadget isn't working?"

"Because she has to believe it's working or she'll try something even worse. She has that type of personality, and I have no doubt that's what she'd do."

Harry grunted as we approached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom door. "I'm surprised she's actually allowing you into detention, though."

"You're not the only one." I snorted. "I don't think she really wants me there, but she's sticking to her laurels. I'll bet she doesn't do this with me again."

"Make her uncomfortable, do you?" Harry whispered.

The smile I let loose made Harry chuckle because it was slightly evil. "You have nooooo idea."

Harry and I entered the classroom and made our way to the office that I had snuck into earlier that day. I knocked on the door, making it loud enough that Umbridge jumped slightly, spilling her tea. She'd made enough noise that Harry heard and laughed to himself.

"Come in," Umbridge called when she had gotten herself set up.

Harry and I opened the door only to stop and look around. I didn't take the time to look when I had been in there earlier. But now, I did. The room was … there really was absolutely no words. Her office was much like her, decked out completely in pink. From the paint on the walls, to the lacey doilies around the room, to the vases of dried flowers. But it was the wall next to us that caught my attention because it was completely covered in ornamental plates. And on every single one of those plates was a picture of a kitten. A living, moving, breathing kitten.

I could hear Umbridge's thoughts and kept an eye on them as I scanned through the other frequencies in my brain. For the most part, it seemed, the cats were just ambiguous pictures that moved. Much like the photographs that were taken with the magical cameras. Something I had become quite addicted to. We had never been able to have many photos while living in the muggle world, but since coming here, I have wanted to capture many moments on camera, even though I had an infallible memory or the fact that I could use Bella's Memovisum to replay any memory. I still wanted that hard copy, that proof that something beautiful had happened. But there was a buzzing I was slowly narrowing in on as Umbridge watched us take in her "abode", as she called it.

Eventually, I found the one kitten on all those plates that wasn't just a picture. It was dead in the middle of the top row of plates. It was a small tabby, fluffy kitten that sat as still as any vampire I had ever seen. It sat there and stared at us with a calculating expression. I could hear that it was also taking in everything about us. I had a feeling we might need that kitten on our side this coming year. I smirked slightly, wondering whether Salem might be making an unscheduled visit to Hogwarts regardless of what Dumbledore wanted.

"I want you both to take a seat at either end of this table." Umbridge pointed at either end. At each place was a piece of parchment and a feathered quill that was long and black. The very same ones I had fiddled with earlier.

Harry and I took our seats—one at either end—and Umbridge waited until we were both seated before she spoke again. "Both of you are in this room because you are argumentative and disrespectful to our elders, as well as your superiors." Here Harry looked at me and rolled his eyes when Umbridge wasn't looking. "Today, you will be writing lines. Mr. Potter, you will write 'I must not tell lies.'" Harry's mouth opened to argue, but I shook my head. Otherwise, we'd be here all year. "Mr. Masen, you will write 'I am mythical, not magical.'"

"How many times?" Harry asked while, this time, I rolled my eyes.

"Until it sinks in," she answered. "You don't need any ink. So just start writing."

We have to pretend this hurts, right? Harry asked, peeking up at me as he put the quill to paper. I looked up to the ceiling, then down to the floor. Harry understood that I was nodding to him and gave his own small nod. Then let's get this done.

For the next several minutes, Harry and I began writing the lines Umbridge wanted us to write.

I thought writing lines went out of style years ago. Didn't we do this in primary school in the states? Harry idly thought while he hissed a little trying to make the effect look believable as the letters appeared on his hands.

I refused to make a noise but grimaced as I looked around. I could see that the tabby kitten was still sitting in place. But rather than the speculative look on his face, it was now intrigued. And he was looking dead at me. When he saw that I was looking at him, he tilted his head. I cycled back through until I found the frequency the kitten had been on. He was taking stock of what we were doing. But I also caught the hint of something. Like he didn't want to be doing what he was doing. I also saw a flash of grey fur. It was that brief flash that made me smirk because it seemed that Salem had not stayed home. It made me wonder where he was right at that minute.

Eventually, Umbridge leaned over Harry's shoulder to see his progress. She was pleased with the fact that his words had been imprinted into his skin. But you could see her whole demeanor change when she looked at my hand. I had to withhold the smirk when Harry pictured steam coming out of her ears because she looked furious.

"How dare you!" she thundered, pointing down at my hand. "That is supposed to be 'in' your hand. An open wound that will help you to remember why you should not be here!"

I opened my mouth to tell her that it wouldn't matter because my skin was impervious. Nothing would have affected it, especially an ineffectual spell made by a witch who didn't know a vampire from a werewolf.

"You are nothing but a creature!" she shrieked, causing the kitten who had been watching me to flinch and move showing me something I hadn't seen before. A scratch. A mark that was marring his perfect plate. It seemed that he was embarrassed by it. "You should not be here. You should not be allowed to do magic. And I will take every opportunity to make sure that you don't! Creatures should only be used to benefit human kind."

My mouth dropped open as did Harry's. He also had the thought she did not just say that. I could only nod as Umbridge span around and continued to rant as she sat down at her desk.

"Get out of my sight. Mr. Potter, be back for detention tomorrow night. Same time."

Instead of answering the obviously agitated woman, we stood and spun toward the door. I looked toward the kitten on the marred plate. He wasn't looking at me but down toward the floor. I had hit the nail on the head before—he was embarrassed by the small imperfection. As I walked past, I raised my wand arm, flicked it in a subtle movement, and whispered "reparo". Instantly, the blemish was fixed, and I could see the relief all over the kitten's face. The last thing I heard was a quiet thought of thank you as I closed the door behind me.

Neither Harry nor I spoke until we reached the moving staircase on our way up to the Gryffindor Common Room, and it was Harry who broke the silence. "I notice that you don't have to go back for detention tomorrow," he said with a small amount of humor.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Her punishment didn't have the desired effect on me. No doubt, she'll find something else for me, but for now, her ignoring me and not allowing Bella and I into her class is going to have to be enough."

"How long do you think until Bella snaps if Umbridge pushes her too hard?"

"Oh, God," I groaned. "I don't think it'll take her long. After the last few years, she's not going to have a lot of patience for stupid people, even less for stupid teachers."

Harry nodded with a laugh. He was quiet for a bit longer but asked one last question as we reached the seventh floor. "Do you think Gabrielle and Fleur will be thrown out of defense too?"

"That is the question. Guess we'll have to wait and see." I shrugged because I had honestly no idea. If she knows that Gabrielle and Fleur are both Veela, it would stand to reason that neither of them would be allowed in her classes.

I hadn't expected the first thing we would come across was Angelina Johnson. She was standing in front of the doorway—inside the common room—not allowing us any farther. Angelina had her hands crossed over her chest as she scowled down at Harry. "I thought you said you would be there for tryouts! How the hell are you going to be there Friday if you're serving detention with Umbridge?"

"It's not like I meant for it to happen!" Harry argued. "But Umbridge isn't going to let us actually use magic in our classes. I couldn't let that go without an argument!"

Besides the fact that she won't agree that Voldemort is back, and that was the reason she gave Harry detention. Not that he was arguing about using magic, Bella thought wryly as she melted against me.

The rest of the common room came to a standstill at Harry's words however, including Angelina. Her mouth dropped open before she snapped it closed. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't had her yet?" Harry asked. It was his turn to cross his arms over his chest as Angelina shook her head. "She's making us learn the basics of defense from a simple book." At Harry's words, a book thumped down on the table next to Angelina, curtesy of Hermione. "Surely, you had to purchase it too?" At Angelina's nod, Harry continued. "There's not one spell in there that will be performed in class. It's all theory. And that was why I was arguing with her. How are we supposed to be prepared for real life, if we can't perform the spells? Hmm?"

"That was why you got detention?" Harry nodded. It wasn't the only reason, but he wasn't going to spill the beans on the rest of it. "Oh. You were questioning our right to practice magic?"

"Of course." Harry spread his arms out wide. "How else are we supposed to learn? Theory only teaches us so much. I'm sorry that I'll miss the tryouts, but I also have a feeling Umbridge is going to have it in for me this year."

Angelina sighed. "Should I find another player for your position?"

I stepped forward. "Not yet, Angelina. But keep it in mind that you may have to."

"Then I apologize, Harry. I shouldn't have assumed."

Harry waved her off. "It's no problem. I understand. Just be prepared for Umbridge. That's all I'm saying. And her methods of detention are torture."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't get detention and you'll never have to find out," Harry answered as he made his way up to his dormitory. He wanted to change and relax after our first day back at school. Unfortunately, we all had way too much homework that we had to start, so he was back down within a few minutes. "Let's get this homework done."

With a nod, those of us misfits in Gryffindor sat down to at least get a start on the homework we'd been given on our first day back.

~*~UHS~*~

It seemed like our workload wasn't going to get any easier the more classes we had to attend, I mused as we made our way down to Care of Magical Creatures the following day after lunch.

We'd had a double Charms lesson this morning where Professor Flitwick had us not only revising all of the summoning charms we had learned last year but practicing all of the charms we had learned previously. We had gone through them all. Practicing them. Writing down the wand movements as well as matching them to the correct incantations, all before he told us that we would have to research as many of the counter charms as possible. Let me tell you, that was not a small list, and we only had a fortnight to get it done.

Once we'd finished Charms, we made our way to a double lesson of Transfiguration. I hadn't expected Professor McGonagall to take it easy on us. In fact, she was the only one who never really had. Professor McGonagall always wanted us to be the best we could be, and she pushed us to be just that. And this year was going to be no different. For our lesson, we were required to practice vanishing spells. These were decidedly harder than any of the spells we'd learned in previous years. It even took me several times to get it right, and Bella had been no better off.

Eventually though, we both had been able to complete the spell. But it took us just about all lesson to do so. But it was a spell that had most of our friends struggling, even Hermione. So, our homework for that class was to continue practicing the spell. It was definitely a work in progress because I wasn't completely comfortable enough with my casting of it.

"What do you think Hagrid is up to?" Bella asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Something for Dumbledore, no doubt," Hermione replied. "Dumbledore isn't going to give us all the information."

I snorted. "Especially because we don't give him the same in return."

"Maybe if he was more forthcoming, we would be too," Bella grumbled, balling up her fists. "I don't understand how he thinks we should trust him if he can't give us the same courtesy in return. Why does everything have to be a secret with that man?"

"I think he's been fighting against the second coming of Voldemort for so long that he thinks nobody can help him with the information he has."

Harry nodded. "He's kept things too close to the vest for too long. He feels like divulging the information might jinx it all somehow."

"Exactly." I pointed at Harry.

Neville hummed. "That I can understand. I didn't want to tell anyone about what my nan had done to me. Keeping quiet felt … safer somehow."

"That seems awfully sad and lonely," Ginny whispered as we approached where Professor Grubby-Plank was standing just outside of the Forbidden Forest.

"Good afternoon, class," Professor Grubby-Plank stated as the Slytherin's finally joined us.

Edward, have you heard about Hagrid? Draco asked quickly, drawing my attention.

I shook my head gently, only partly listening to Professor Grubby-Plank, once more, explain to us how the OWLs were going to work for us this year. Surely, once was enough.

I think I know where he's gone. Father was talking about sending an envoy to the giants. If I were Dumbledore, I would send a half-giant to talk to giants.

I looked at Draco from the corner of my eye and nodded when he looked in my direction. It seemed that our friend was a brilliant strategist, as well as brave. Because that is what I would have done too. It hadn't even crossed my mind that there were other … real … giants out there in the world. Really, it should have.

"I would like you all to take a good look at what is here on this table and tell me what you think they might be." Professor Grubby-Plank indicated toward the table she had next to her.

Several of the others, from both Slytherin and Gryffindor, moved toward the table while the rest of us stood back. This was another moment in time that I was completely thankful for the friends we'd made, both inside and outside of Hogwarts, for we had seen these creatures inside of our friend, Newt Scamander's, suitcase.

"Do you not want to look?" Professor Grubby-Plank asked even though she'd had no plans to call on us after what happened with the unicorn last year.

"No, thank you, ma'am," Ginny answered. "We've seen these before."

Of course, you have. The professor barely restrained her eye roll and sigh combo. "I'll give ten points to Gryffindor if you can tell me what they are?"

I couldn't help but snicker when not only Ginny answered but Bella and Hermione did with her. "They're Bowtruckles," they said together before Bella asked with no small amount of sarcasm, "does that mean we get ten points each?"

"No, Miss Swan, you do not." I could tell that Professor Grubby-Plank wanted to roll her eyes more than ever. Her nose rose in the air just a little. She was trying to prove herself to Bella, to try and trip her up. "However, if you can tell me what they eat, I will award you five more points for Gryffindor."

I could hear in Bella's thoughts that she heard the challenge in the professor's question. She knew the professor wanted her to not necessarily fail but stumble somehow. Bella sniffed a little, showing her disdain for what the professor was trying to do. Instead of cowering away, Bella held her head up and stood tall. "Bowtruckles live in trees that are usually perfect for making wands. They like to eat woodlice but prefer fairy eggs. And as an added bonus, if a human gets too close to their tree angering them, they're known for leaping forward and trying to gouge out their eyes."

Professor Grubby-Plank's mouth had dropped open, just slightly, as Bella started to answer her. But the more Bella spoke, the more the professor's mouth fell open. By the time Bella had finished, the snickers coming from the students were unmistakable. The professor snapped her mouth closed and glowered down at my girl, causing a growl to rumble through my chest. Bella reached out and squeezed my hand as she stood tall, staring back at the teacher impassively.

Instead of saying anything to Bella however, she faced the rest of the class and gave them a look that shut them all up. "Five points for Gryffindor. Now, for the rest of the lesson, I want you to sketch one of the bowtruckles, and I want you to label every part of them. Hand it in at the end of the lesson."

For the next few minutes, the students found seats around the table, opened bags, and pulled out pencils, quills, and parchments. The rest of the class was spent in contemplative silence as they sketched, drew, and labelled all the different parts of the bowtruckles placed in front of us.

I listened to the thoughts around me, especially Professor Grubby-Plank's, as the lesson continued. She hadn't come into this lesson, nor this year, holding a grudge. She had actually wanted to see how much Bella knew. She knew this had been the perfect opportunity for her to find out, but she had let her sense of righteousness, her want to be the only one her students turned to for answers, override her emotions. So, when Bella, and even Ginny, had demonstrated their knowledge, she had dug in her heels instinctively. Professor Grubby-Plank sighed, letting it all go. She knew what she had to do.

Ten minutes before the end of the lesson, the professor stood next to the table. "I want to thank you for your attention today. I also want to issue a public apology." There were gasps from some of the students, mainly the Slytherins—particularly Pansy Parkinson—before the professor spoke again. "I, unfairly, judged Miss Swan on her ability to learn from other sources." She turned to my girl. "Instead of accepting and molding your knowledge, I set about to make you feel bad for it. And for that, I am sorry. For my error, I would like to offer Gryffindor another ten points."

The shock that had rippled through the students before came back with a vengeance. At first, Pansy and her cronies had been incensed that a teacher, a professor, would apologize at all to a student, and their thoughts had reflected that. But now? Now they had been stunned into silence—in thought and spoken word—because not only had the professor apologized but given Gryffindor ten more points.

"Thank you, Professor. I appreciate the apology, and I'm sure my housemates appreciate the points. While not necessary, I'll accept them both, and you're forgiven." Bella nodded to Professor Grubby-Plank, offering a physical acceptance as well as her words.

"Thank you, class. Please hand in your drawings and be excused for the afternoon."

With some shuffling, everybody stood and made their way to the table to leave their work. Not much was said until we were away from the edge of the forest. Unfortunately for us, it was Pansy Parkinson, walking behind us, who opened her mouth. "I don't know why Professor Grubby-Plank apologized to that half-breed. If anything, she should have to apologize to the professor for always being a know-it-all. Her and the rest of them," she said with a snooty attitude.

"Like totally," one of her followers replied. "If anything, points should have been taken from Gryffindor. I mean, Professor Umbridge wouldn't even let the freaks in her class. Why should Professor Grubby-Plank apologize?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I spun around, letting go of Bella's hand so I didn't pull her over. The Slytherins froze when they saw the look on my face. "Maybe Professor Grubby-Plank realized that her thought process was wrong. That instead of belittling others who are different, who know things, that we should embrace them, accept them. That the magical world doesn't have to be separated by class, race, or genetic makeup. Or maybe, just maybe, she realized that the only way to truly continue on in this world, especially with all that we're facing, is that we need to not be at odds with each other. And that's why she apologized. She shows a lot more class than any of you." I growled low but loud enough for them to hear and to cause the hairs on their arms to stand up.

Bella stepped in front of me, her hands on my chest, and looked up at me. "Edward, calm down. They aren't worth it, and I would never take what they have to say to heart."

"It's not the point, Bella. It's this type of attitude that divides the muggle world. It's how wars are started. It's this kind of talk, this kind of person, that Voldemort is wanting. It divides everyone and gives him a way to slam that wedge in even further. People follow Voldemort because they think just … like … this!" I pointed in Pansy's, and all her follower's, direction. If they had been in front of me, I would have stabbed her right in the chest with my finger.

"I know, Edward. I know," Bella soothed. "There will come a time that people like them"—Bella pointed over her shoulder with her thumb—"are going to have to choose a side. Remember … a war is coming, whether they like it or not, and they're either going to have to face us on the battlefield, or be with us."

There were more gasps, much quieter this time, from those who had stopped around us. Nobody had put things so simply before. For the most part, people had accepted The Truth's word; they didn't think of the ramifications of his return.

"A war?" One of the Slytherin's stepped forward. She was short with a brown bob cut.

Bella spun around. She was furious now. "Did you think Voldemort was going to slink off into the night?" she asked. "He's the darkest wizard since Grindelwald, and he's back. He's not going to leave well enough alone. He wanted to take over the magical world before. What do you think he's going to do this time? Or have you not thought about that? At all?"

Once more, Bella's display had stopped people and their thoughts in their tracks. She was right though. None of the students had thought much about what it meant that Voldemort was back. They knew it in the abstract sense. Remembered what had been reported. But they hadn't thought about what impact it would have on everyone they knew.

Instead of staying around to see what they would say, Bella turned and reached out for my hand. "Let's go. I don't want to hear their excuses or their reasons."

"You got it, baby." I wasn't the only one to follow Bella. All of our friends. All of the Gryffindors and several of the Slytherins—including the girl who just asked about the war—followed as well. The only ones left behind were Pansy, her crew, and a few others who weren't quite sure what to make of it. Eventually though, they all made their way back to the castle.

"Edward? Bella?" we heard from behind us. We spun to see the Slytherin who had spoken before. "Is there anything we can do?" I could see several students nod from behind who I found out now was Exea Rallaes.

I nodded while Bella answered her question. "You need to keep an eye on The Truth. See what's happening in the world and not just what The Prophet is reporting. And be prepared because things could change quickly."

"By be prepared?"

"Practice as many spells as you can. Prepare to fight."

"Thank you for being honest," Exea said before looking at those around her. "We'll do everything we can."

~*~UHS~*~

"Why have we got so much homework?" Neville complained as he sat down at our table in the library. Most of the time, we worked in the Room of Requirement because it could provide any book, any resource, that we needed. But sometimes, we liked to work in the library because although Madam Pince was a grouchy person, she was a great source of information too.

"That might be because we're in our fifth year," Bella answered off-handedly. "And because we only have a couple of years before we're out in the real world. This is where we need to decide what we're going to do. If we need higher education, muggle education, or go directly into work."

Neville's mouth had dropped open. I couldn't help but snicker because he actually hadn't expected an answer.

"That's why we have more homework this year. And I expect that workload is only going to get worse." Bella never once looked up from her homework in the entire time she had answered Neville's question. Did I answer that right?

I laughed. "You did, sweet girl, but Neville didn't actually want an answer."

That caused her head to shoot up, and she looked in Neville's direction. He was now sitting at the table, pouting, with his arms crossed over his chest. Bella smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Neville. It's a question that has been answered over and over recently—all over the school—so I just answered automatically."

"It's fine." He waved it away with a roll of his eyes as the others laughed at them. "You can't help what you hear."

For a few minutes, we went back to working on our homework quietly. There were a lot of thoughts floating around, but all of them focused on the homework they were doing. Neville hadn't been wrong. We weren't even at the end of our first week at Hogwarts, but the homework we were given had been a huge leap forward when compared to the first few years. Even last year with the Triwizard Tournament, the homework pile had been minimal.

In all honesty, it looked like we would be doing homework all weekend. We had to write an essay on Self-fertilizing shrubs for Professor Sprout and another on the Inanimatus Conjurus spell for Professor McGonagall. Professor Sinistra had assigned us homework about Jupiter's many moons. I had no doubt that we would be assigned more before the week was over. Thank goodness it was Thursday. How much more could we be given?

Wonder how the tryouts are going to go tomorrow afternoon. Are we gonna go watch? Bella thought, looking at me from the corner of her eye.

I nodded in response, winking back at her before turning the page I was looking at. If it was something that the muggle schools were lacking in, it was astronomy, so as such, I was really enjoying learning more about the planets. Although, I wasn't entirely sure what we were learning about them would be in muggle schools anyway.

Hermione let out a sigh, shutting the book she was reading. "That's it. I'm done for the day. Well, at least for now. Who's hungry?"

With nods and agreements all around, we collected our belongings and returned books to shelves under the watchful eye of Madam Pince. Once we were done, we made our way down to the Great Hall.

Over dinner, we discussed all that had been happening in Defense Against the Dark Arts since Bella and I were unable to attend. It seemed that Umbridge was the type of teacher who recited the work, made you copy it, and expected you to memorize it. We'd had teachers like that in the muggle world, and it was one of the most boring ways to learn things … ever.

I wondered how she expected the children to pass their exams if they couldn't practice the spells. Nearly half of the test had a practical element. It made absolutely no sense to me.

~*~UHS~*~

Friday morning dawned bright and sunny. Bella had been sleeping in my recliner chair for the last five hours, and only the last five hours. It seemed the older she got, the less sleep she needed. From the research I had done into Veelas a few years ago, I'd learned that Veela, while immortal, still needed to sleep every night. Once they reached adulthood, they only required a few hours of sleep. Seeing as Bella was fifteen this year, and she would only age to the same age as me—all of seventeen—then it stood to reason that she would start sleeping less and less.

I was staring out the window, down toward the quidditch pitch. Gryffindor was holding their tryouts today. I was feeling a little envious. For once, I would like to give playing a go. Like a real competition. Playing at home with the Weasleys was fun, but I wish I could play, just once, here at the school.

Whatcha thinking, Edward? Bella asked as she wrapped her arms around me from the side.

I slid my arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer. "How much I'd like to play for Gryffindor. Or even professionally."

Maybe one day, it will happen. I could see Hermione changing all sorts of rules if she gets into the ministry. Could you imagine the headlines now … England recruits Veela and vampire mates for their quidditch team … people would lose their minds, she thought, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"We can only hope." I sighed. I squeezed her once more as the others started waking up for the day. Bella kissed my lips once before she made her way to the showers to get ready for the day. Once Bella was ready, we both made our way to the Great Hall for breakfast, the others meeting us there when they had gathered their things.

I had just plated up some scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon when the owls began delivering the post. Athan landed in front of me, his wings spread wide, showing off for the other owls no doubt. He was a bit of a poser, really.

"Athan, must you?" I muttered, reaching out for The Prophet when he held out his leg. Bella giggled from next to me. "Don't encourage him, sweet girl, he needs to learn some humility."

Athan huffed at me, almost smirking when Bella reached over to pat him. "No, he doesn't. He's perfect just the way he is."

Yeah, I'm perfect. He preened, puffing out his chest. There's no one better than me. I couldn't help but snort as I spread the paper out to the side of my plate. Oh, by the way, Salem is here. He's doing something in that … woman's … office.

My head snapped up to look Athan in the eyes. I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Mmhmm. Not sure what, but no doubt it will be handy later.

"Huh. Thank you, Athan. That is interesting news. Say hello to Saffy for me."

Will do. Athan nipped at Bella's finger before snatching a piece of bacon from my plate and taking off toward the windows.

"Funny bird, that one," Harry mumbled around a mouthful of eggs. "What did he tell you?"

"Salem's been a little bit busy. Apparently, there's something in Umbridge's office that is intriguing him."

Bella frowned. "He's not supposed to be here."

"And you think Dumbledore telling him no was going to stop him?" I asked with a snicker.

Bella barked out a laugh. "No. There wasn't a chance Dumbledore's decree would stop him if he thinks we needed him."

I hummed, taking a bite of my toast and quietly muttering the spell that would reveal The Truth's page. They had begun hiding their newspaper page in a layer of The Prophet recently because Fudge had been on a rampage against them. They had been smart about it, having a writer in The Prophet letting the readers know how to access The Truth's page by leaking it in an article. Truly brilliant. And it was a different word every few days.

I found the word from today's paper and revealed what secrets The Truth was giving away this time. I frowned before sliding it over to Bella. Tapping the paper, I asked, "Wasn't he supposed to be part of the guard for Kings Cross?"

Bella's eyes flickered from her conversation with Hermione, and she looked down to the paper. "Yes, he was. What is he doing?"

I read over the article again. Sturgis Podmore had gone missing before we returned to school. The night before we were due to ride the Hogwarts Express, to be exact. He had been supposed to join the other Order members, protecting us on the way to Kings Cross to board the train, but he never showed up. It had been a big concern for the Order. And it seemed that they had a right to be concerned because, as The Truth was reporting, he had been caught trying to break into the Ministry a couple of days ago.

"What do you think that's about?" Bella looked up at me. She had a thought floating around in her mind, but she wasn't sure she wanted to put a voice to it.

It was at this point that the others had caught onto our conversation and had revealed their articles in the paper.

"Hmm," Hermione hummed. "The Daily Prophet isn't reporting it. You would think they would want to toot their own horn, catching someone trying to break in."

"They don't say where he was trying to break in," Harry said. A familiar door popped into his mind. One that he had seen during the summer. We think it had been a vision from Voldemort, something Harry had been trying to block. With that vision, he worked extra hard, eventually learning Occlumency, and had been able to stop any more visions coming through.

I pointed at him. "Possibly. But why?"

"Why what?" Neville asked.

"Harry had a thought that he was trying to break into that door he dreamt about. But why would he? I mean, he was part of the Order; surely, he knows what's behind that door and that he can't get to it," I answered as I tried to read between the lines in The Truth. I'm sure there was something they wanted to say but were actually hinting around.

Hmm, Bella hummed, re-reading the article. I could see thoughts floating around inside her brain, but I couldn't quite follow her line of thought.

Ginny spoke next. "What would be the point? He's a part of the Order. What would he need to break in for?"

I tried to keep following Bella's thoughts as the others continued to speculate as to why Sturgis Podmore had tried to break into the Ministry. She kept circling around and around through the whys and what he could gain from breaking in. She had a feeling there was a piece missing. After a moment, her thoughts circled back to what Sturgis had been like over the summer. He had been loyal in meetings. Always looking for ways to help.

It's almost like … "He was under a spell," Bella whispered, catching the attention of all our friends.

My eyes snapped to hers in surprise. That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. "What did you say?"

Bella stared at me, her thoughts now on one single outcome. "What if he didn't attempt to break into the Ministry on his own. What if he was doing it for someone else? What if he was under a spell?"

I kept my eyes on Bella, and poke directly to her. "You're talking about the Imperious Curse. You think he was under control of someone from Voldemort's camp."

"Why else would he break into somewhere he already has access to? He'd been in the Ministry when we were there for Harry's hearing."

"Hmm … and you think he was placed under the curse then?"

Bella smirked at my questioning. "And just where was he standing guard when we were there? And which known Death Eater was there that day?"

I thought back to that day, remembering where everyone had been standing. I groaned. Sturgis has been standing next to the door that led into the Department of Mysteries. "Damn, he was outside that door. Right where Fudge had caught up with Malfoy."

The others groaned from around the table. They had followed along with Bella's and my conversation.

"Should we tell someone from the Order?" Harry asked. "Or do you think they've thought about this?"

I thought about that. "I'm sure that someone in the Order has thought about it. At least, Sirius has. This article reeks of it."

Everyone nodded. But it was Hermione who had the final say. "I think we should write home about our suspicions anyway. Just in case they haven't thought about it."

~*~UHS~*~

Bella, Luna, Gabrielle, and Hermione were skipping ahead of Fleur and me as we made our way down to the quidditch pitch. We had spent all day in class excited for tryouts this afternoon. It had been hard for the professors to keep some of the Gryffindor students on task.

"Who do you think will be trying out this afternoon?" Gabrielle asked excitedly. "I don't think I've ever been this close to a game of quidditch before."

Luna and Hermione spoke at the same time. "Have you ever been?" and "Did you play at Beauxbatons?"

Gabrielle shook her head. "No. Fleur and I have never been, nor did we play at Beauxbatons. We didn't even really have flying lessons. You guys are so lucky to have so many different lessons here."

You really are. And now we are too, Fleur thought, giggling at the girls in front of us.

I smiled. "We all are," I said. "How are things between you and Bill?"

"Ve are doing very well. It is hard to be so far apart, but ve are managing." Fleur smiled to herself. "Vy are you and Bella not tryin' to become part of ze team?"

"Unfortunately for us, because of what we are, we are unable to try out."

Fleur frowned. "Because you are Veela and vampire? Zat is not very inclusive."

"It's not so much because of what we are, but because of the amount of damage we could do to the other players if we collided," I explained.

Bella snorted, turning to walk backward. "Not just that but because our reflexes and speed are so much better and faster than that of everyone else. It wouldn't be much of a competition now, would it?"

Fleur laughed at Bella. "No, I don't suppose it would."

We continued laughing and joking as we made our way inside the stadium and up into the stands.

"It's a shame Harry can't be here," Hermione said as we took our seats. "Do you think Umbridge is gonna let him play at all this year?"

"That all depends on how often he annoys the crap out of her, I suppose," Luna laughed.

We all joined her laughter until the current Gryffindor team—minus Harry—came out onto the field. There was the new team captain, Angelina Johnson, who played as chaser with Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet. As well as Fred and George Weasley, who were still beaters. The only one missing was Harry as seeker.

"Welcome, fellow Gryffindors," Angelina spoke, addressing the group of hopefuls who had made their way to the pitch in hopes of joining the team.

"Look, there's Ginny!" Luna shouted as she pointed down to the pitch.

"Neville is down there too!" Hermione said with the same level of excitement.

I laughed because I had known they were going to try. "We'll have to cheer them on."

Bella spun around, pointing her finger in my face. "You knew, and you never said anything."

"I didn't want to ruin the surprise!"

"Hmph." Bella huffed dramatically, but comically, because she wasn't really upset.

We looked back down at the pitch as Angelina started to talk once more. "I have a feeling we're going to have a tough year ahead of us. I want you to know that we will only be accepting the best to take Oliver Wood's position of keeper." There were titters of conversation between those who were trying out for a few moments until Angelina held her hands up for quiet. "Before you even get to try on the keeper position, we'll be running a series of drills. If you can't handle these drills, you won't be trying out for keeper, okay?"

There were nods all around as the nerves shot out of control. If Jasper had been here, he would have struggled to keep those feelings under wraps.

We watched as Angelina and the others split the group into smaller groups to work with them. Some were made to mount their brooms and run drills around the pitch. They flew in circles, in straight lines, and in loop-de-loops. Others went with the twins where they worked them hard with the bludgers.

Fred and George weren't letting the hopefuls practice beating the bludgers. No. They were pelting the bludgers at those trying out. They wanted to see if they would be able to dodge bludgers while moving on their brooms. That was, by far, the most intense part to watch because the twins didn't hold back.

For about an hour, we watched as the current members of the Gryffindor quidditch team put those trying out through their paces. Those trying out would cycle through the different parts that had been set up.

"Okay, everyone, come back here to the center of the pitch, please?" Angelina called when she had finished with the last group she was working with.

"There were so many who didn't complete the trials," Bella murmured as they all gathered on the pitch.

I snorted, leaning forward, and resting my elbows on my knees. "They didn't exactly go easy on them, Bella."

"Nor would ze other teams," Fleur said. "It'z best zey did zat now, rather zan leaving it 'til a game where it counts."

"At least, Ginny and Neville are still there," Hermione cheered quietly. We had decided earlier on that we weren't going to really cheer because we didn't want to distract them. And I had read that they were already nervous enough because they knew we were there.

We all quietened down as Angelina started speaking once more. "Congratulations on making it through the trials. We only have one last trial for you to complete." Angelina pointed to the rings at the end of the pitch opposite her. "You have to keep the quaffle out of the rings. You have to stop Katie, Alicia, or myself from getting goals. As many as possible."

Ginny, Neville, and the three others—Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Cormac McLaggen—turned toward the very rings Angelina had pointed to. They studied those rings before they turned back to Angelina.

Angelina nodded. "Cormac, would you like to go first?"

"Sure," Cormac replied. He was a confident, cocky man-child. But he had been good at the drills earlier. I wondered how he would fair with this task. He mounted his broom and took off for a circle around the pitch. He stopped in front of us, winking at Bella and Hermione, before flowing off for the rings when I growled loud enough for him to hear it. "When you're ready!" he called from his position in front of the middle ring.

I really hope he doesn't get the position. Could you imagine all that hot air going to his head? Bella thought sardonically, rolling her eyes over to me. He'd float through the roof.

"Maybe he'd fly away," I snickered.

Bella laughed. At least, I wouldn't have to put up with him anymore.

"Too true." I pulled Bella close, kissing her forehead. I knew Cormac had been watching. I couldn't help but rub it in his face that he'd never have her. And to make sure it really hurt, I tipped her face up to me and pressed my lips to hers.

Bella smirked before turning back to watch the pitch. She knew what I had been doing, and she didn't mind one bit.

Cormac was a showboater to his very core. Instead of focusing on what was happening around him, he preferred to show off in front of Bella and Hermione. It was one such instance that caused him to miss a save.

"Are you watching, Hermione?" he had yelled out at the top of his lungs.

"Not even close," Hermione had muttered, causing us to snicker. Unfortunately, he'd seen our smiles and thought we were giving him the attention he wanted. He didn't see the flying red projectile until it was too late. It went sailing past him and through the ring that he was hovering near.

"Pay attention, McLaggen!" Angelina had yelled at him. "You keep this up and the seeker position will be filled before you're even back on the ground!"

After that, McLaggen paid better attention. He was even able to show off, stopping a goal by flying upside down and kicking the ball back at Alicia.

"Ugh," Fleur groaned. "He vas good when he concentrated, but his attitude leaves much to be desired."

I nodded in agreement. "He's entitled. And he would love to have everything he wants. Including either Bella or Hermione."

Fleur sniffed in derision. "Zen he can wish all he wants. My girls have better taste zan zat. Besides ze fact zat Bella iz mated to you."

"Too true."

We turned back to the field as Seamus and Dean took their turns defending the hoops. Neither of them was quite as good as Cormac as they let through more quaffles than he did, but they put on a good show. We cheered for them as they finished and landed back on the ground.

"Thank you, Dean," Angelina said as he walked back in her direction to stand with the others. "Neville, if you please?"

"Okay," he spoke softly.

"Oh, he's so nervous," Hermione whispered. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

Luna nodded frantically. "He'll be fine. He's just got to get over those initial nerves."

Luna didn't see but Hermione, Bella, Gabrielle, and Fleur all smirked at her show of nerves for Neville. It seemed that Hermione wasn't the only one wearing her heart on her sleeve this year. I couldn't help but chuckle quietly. Hormones were running rampant around Hogwarts, and I was glad to see that Bella and I weren't the only ones feeling them. It was a strange sensation to begin feeling what I knew would become full blown later on. I wondered if I would actually feel lust for Bella before her scent changed for the second time. I'd hoped that I would be able to ease into feeling that before the instinct to mate with her overtook all of my other senses.

Neville flew up in front of the rings. He was a little wobbly because his nerves were getting the best of him. To try to settle his nerves, we cheered for him. Bella and I could see the flash of relief in his smile, and we could see that he settled onto his broom with a little more confidence. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie followed behind, each with a quaffle.

We were all on the edge of our seats as Alicia, Angelina, and Katie took turns throwing their balls at Neville. Luna leaned forward. Her chin sitting on the tips of her fingers as her elbows rested on her knees. She was focused. Much like Neville. At first, he wasn't able to figure out where the others were going to aim the quaffle, so he was unable to deflect their shots. But eventually, Neville began to read their body language and began to predict which ring they would be throwing to. Once he was able to do that, he was able to stop the girls from getting their goals. By the end of the ten or so minutes, Neville had deflected more shots than not.

Neville did a fist pump as we jumped up from our chairs, cheering for him. He had more than proven to himself that he could step outside of his comfort zone and do something for himself that scared him. And as far as he was concerned, this was a success, even if he wasn't picked for the team.

Angelina nodded at Neville as he landed. Her thoughts showed that she was impressed. I could hear her think—considering where he started, how nervous he used to be, this was very impressive. As a fellow Gryffindor, I'm very proud of how far he's come in the last few years.

She couldn't be more right.

"And last but not least, Ginny. Please, whenever you're ready." Angelina indicated toward the rings at the end of the pitch. This was the one she had been looking forward to the most. Ginny had made an impression throughout the trials. Angelina could see the talent, the potential, that Ginny had within her. I had a feeling that as long as Ginny read the shots well and deflected the majority of them, then she would become the new keeper for the Gryffindor team.

I completely believed that if Angelina could, she'd have an all-female quidditch team. It would be the very first of its kind in a thousand years of Hogwarts history.

Ginny smiled. Well, it was more of a smirk, but she smiled at the boys who had come before her before she mounted her broom and took off for the rings. Ginny was completely confident in her abilities. She had been playing quidditch with her brothers for years at The Burrow, and if she wasn't playing as seeker, she had been the keeper. Bella had usually been the opposite to her. It was a shame Bella couldn't play as well. I have no doubt she would be brilliant at it.

Once Ginny was in place, Angelina and the other girls followed her up with the quaffles. There was no pretense with Ginny. She didn't show off. Ginny was concentration personified. Watching Ginny was thrilling. She could dodge and weave between the rings like there was nobody watching, and while she didn't deflect all the shots, I was positive she was right up there with the best of the day.

"Do you think she blocked the most?" Gabrielle shouted out as we cheered for Ginny. "Do you think she'll be the new keeper?"

"I lost count!" Hermione replied, just as excited.

Bella turned to look at the others. "She blocked as many as McLaggen. Wonder how they'll choose between them." Bella's head spun in my direction so fast that I thought she might hurt her neck. "Do you know how they'll pick a winner?"

Fleur snickered at the look on Bella's face as I shrugged before shaking my head. "I have no idea. I've never been to one of these before."

"Shhhh! Angelina is about to speak!" Luna jumped up to lean over the edge of the stadium seating as if it would help her hear better.

We looked down at the gathering, all of us leaning forward on our seats. It was intense waiting to find out.

"Thank you for coming out. You have all put on a good performance today. My beaters have been keeping track of the goals you deflected. Fred, George, can you tell me the results?" Angelina gestured to the twins.

Fred stepped forward. "In fourth and fifth place is Dean and Seamus. I'm sorry, but this means that both of you won't be joining the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"In third place," George continued, "is … Neville. He managed to deflect thirteen out of the twenty-one goals thrown by our chasers, which is a brilliant effort but not quite enough to become our new keeper. Sorry."

Dean and Seamus's shoulders had slumped as Fred had been talking but congratulated Neville before they left the field. Neville thanked both Fred and George, as well as the other team members, before making his way up to where we were sitting.

We all gushed over him as he sat down next to me but behind the girls, none more so than Luna. She practically fell on his lap to turn around and tell him her thoughts. It was really sweet.

"Settle down, everyone. Angelina is getting impatient with us," I murmured. Angelina knew we wanted to see who was going to be the new keeper. As everyone turned back around, I placed my hand on Neville's shoulder and whispered, "You did really great, Neville. I am so proud of you."

Thanks, Edward. I'm proud of me too. Neville smiled. It was a proud smile. One that Neville didn't often wear, but he was totally deserving of it this time.

Angelina turned to face Fred and George, as we all did, to find out what the results were. George spoke first, with a smile. "The two of you deflected the most amount of quaffles from the girls. Ginny, you stopped eighteen of the twenty-one quaffles. Congratulations."

Ginny smiled. She didn't think she had stopped that many.

"Cormac," Fred began with a sigh. He didn't seem happy about what he was going to say. "You, too, deflected eighteen of the twenty-one quaffles, meaning that we have a draw for first place."

"Thank you, boys." Angelina also sighed. During her tenure on the team, there had never been a draw for a spot, so as such, there was no precedence for this outcome. "I'm not sure where to go from here. We could do another round of defending the goals." She didn't seem to like that idea very much. Both Ginny and Cormac had shown that they were very capable of playing keeper.

I stood and leaned over the railing. "Angelina?" I called loud enough for her to hear.

She looked up, relieved. "Yes, Edward?" she shouted not realizing I could hear her if she spoke normally.

"Do your teammates sometimes fill other roles?"

Angelina nodded. "Rarely, but it does happen."

"Maybe, then, have the pair of them shoot goals, instead of defending them? Maybe have Fred and George defend the hoops? See if they can play another position?"

That's a good idea. "Thank you, Edward. I think we'll do that." She looked at Ginny and Cormac, both displaying different emotions. Cormac was all cocky while Ginny was quietly confident. "Fred, can you take Ginny and Alicia with a couple quaffles over to the far end of the pitch. George, you go with Cormac and Katie to this closer end of the pitch. We aren't going to start yet; I want this timed as well as counted." Angelina looked up to where we were sitting. Contemplating. I think we're going to need help. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Can we have some help with this exercise?"

"Sure." I held out my hand. "Bella and I will sit down with Ginny. Maybe Hermione and Fleur can sit here at Cormac's end."

Bella snickered quietly. I know what you are doing! she sang. Ginny doesn't need our help.

"I know," I whispered. "But we can never be too helpful."

Angelina nodded at us. "Thank you. Your help will be appreciated. Do you have watches?"

I held up my pocket watch while Fleur displayed a stunning watch attached to her wrist.

"Good. You two will time this activity. We're going to have them shoot goals for fifteen minutes. Bella, Hermione, can you please count the amount of goals they successfully complete?" Angelina spoke loudly.

Bella nodded, as did Hermione, before they made their way to either end. I followed Bella, and Fleur sat down next to Hermione. Angelina waited until we were all in position, including Cormac, Ginny, and the others.

Angelina made her way up to the stands between the two locations. She stood exactly halfway between where I sat with Bella and where Fleur sat with Hermione.

"Edward and Fleur, please take out your watches. I am going to count down from three; on go, start timing. Cormac and Ginny will start attempting goals. When time is up, call time and everything will come to a stop. Hermione and Bella will then tell us how many goals each of them managed." Angelina looked at each of us and waited until we all nodded. "Okay. Three … two … one … go!"

I noted the time of six-oh-eight as everyone flew from the ground. I was grateful for my mind-reading abilities as well as the fact that Bella's mind was constantly open because I could keep an eye on my watch and watch Ginny through my girl. I was also able to see McLaggen through Hermione.

Fred was defending the goals on our end while Alicia was using her wand to send the quaffles back to Ginny after she had thrown them. George and Katie doing the same at the other end.

Ginny was very no-nonsense as she was attempting to throw goals around her brother. She could read her brother from the years of playing at home. She flew with purpose with little to no fanfare. Ginny would chase down the quaffle as Alicia threw them before she'd spin around and head back toward the goal posts. You could see with the way she bobbed and weaved to aim at the other posts that she'd had experience doing just that, giving Bella plenty of opportunities to count goals.

Cormac, on the other hand, had gone back to showing off. His cockiness wasn't impressing anyone. With the constant need to loop-the-loop, winking at Hermione as he scored goals, and flipping as he caught the balls, he wasn't impressing anyone.

Least of all, the object of his affection. Hermione rolled her eyes. Who does he think he's impressing? I don't like the winking. Ugh.

Why isn't she smiling? I know she likes me. Why else would she be here? Cormac thought. It seemed that he had designs on Hermione. That he had been trying to talk to her when none of us were around her. I could see memories through him. Why hadn't she told us?

Hermione continued to count his goals. Although, the more frustrated he got, the less he managed to get around George.

"Time!" I called, raising my hand in the air at the same time that Fleur did the same calling out, "Done!"

"Bella, Hermione, come here please?" Angelina called. Both of the girls got up and made their way to where Angelina was standing. "How many did you count, girls?"

After a short conversation with Bella and Hermione, Angelina asked the others to come up into the stands.

"Bella and Hermione have given me the results," Angelina spoke when they were all up in the stands. "We have a clear winner of this shoot out. With a score of thirty-seven to twenty-three … Ginny, you are the new Gryffindor keeper!"

Cheers rent the air after Angelina had stopped speaking. Bella, Hermione, Luna, and Gabrielle all screamed and launched themselves at Ginny, only to jump around in circles, screaming at the top of their lungs.

I laughed at them before snatching Ginny out of the circle of screaming girls to give her an enthusiastic hug. "Congratulations! You were fantastic."

"Thank you!" Ginny squealed. "I didn't think I was going to get it."

"You earned it, Ginny," Angelina said from her perch. She had a smile on her face at the reactions to those around us. "But …" She drew the word out. "We also need to name a reserve keeper." Angelina paused. She had the final say on who would be taking that position. Usually, it was the runner up, but … "Neville, how would you like to take that position?"

Before Neville could answer—not that I was sure he could because his mouth was hanging open—Cormac huffed and stormed off the stands. He was furious. Why Neville and not me? I was better than that dimwit! I stopped more balls, and I was able to compete in the shootout. Why was he chosen?

Angelina sighed. She knew she would have to talk to McLaggen and explain herself, but she wasn't looking forward to it.

In the meantime, Neville's mouth had snapped closed. "Uh, why me?"

"Because you rock!" Fred and George shouted, pulling Neville into a hug with them. It caused quite a bit of laughter.

But it was Angelina's answer that stopped the laughter. "Because you showed the most potential, Neville. When you started at Hogwarts, you were a shy, awkward child, and considering your history, I wasn't surprised. But in the last few years, you've come a long way. Today, you showed that you won't let your history hold you back anymore. And that is why we've chosen you as the reserve keeper. Do you accept?"

Neville looked around at his support system, knowing there was more than just us. He knew, no matter what, we would all be there for him. And he knew with that knowledge, he could do just about anything. "Yeah. Yes, I would love to."

"Excellent!" Angelina beamed. "Quidditch practice starts tomorrow afternoon at two. Everyone be there, including all the reserve players. Someone tell Harry?"

There were several nods from everyone.

"Good. See you all tomorrow at two!" Angelina clapped her hands before she started to walk away. She had to return the different balls back to Madam Hooch.

"Let's go celebrate!" Bella cheered. "Two more of our friends are on the team. That's something worth celebrating."

Hermione snickered as we gathered our things. "Can you imagine Mum and Rose getting ahold of this information. Christmas is sure going to be interesting."

"Oh," I groaned. "You have no idea. And this information won't be kept from them. They'll know before too long. Expect presents in the post."

"I can't wait. Nobody has ever celebrated something like that for me." Neville smiled with a little embarrassment.

"I have no doubt zat zere will be much celebrating in your future, Neville." Fleur spoke sagely. "Zis family supports us all."

I nodded. "That we do, Fleur. It's what family is all about."

~*~UHS~*~

Ahh ... we all knew Umbridge was a piece of work, didn't we? She's certainly an abuser. Although, she wasn't happy about Edward not feeling her wrath.

Ginny and Neville made the quidditch team, yay! Can't wait to see how this all turns out!

See you in a fortnight!