It was 6 pm at the Burrow fields when Sirius and the others arrived by Floo, their bags loaded with school supplies. Bella Bulstrode, with the best pop haircut of her life, stepped out, her new look catching the attention of Molly Weasley.

"Look at you!" Molly exclaimed, cupping Bella's face and admiring her transformation. "You're looking marvelous, Bella dear!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Bella replied, feeling shy as she entered the house and tried to avoid the attention she was receiving from everyone.

"Wow, Bella, this haircut really brings out the best of your features. I guess you'll be doing fine this year," Bill Weasley commented, leaning against the kitchen counter with a relaxed posture.

"Thanks, Bill," Bella replied. "Doing fine about what exactly?"

"Yeah? You boys have been dropping hints about this year. Come on, what are you keeping secret?" Hermione asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Wait and you shall see. I'm not going to spoil the whole thing so early," Bill winked at the girls and made his way to join the boys in the sitting room.

Meanwhile, the girls were scattered around Ginny's bedroom, surrounded by a mess of quills, books, and parchment rolls. Bella finished packing her trunk and closed it, feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation that she hadn't felt in previous years.

"Bella, you need to sell this face glowing potion you gave me as a sample! It's pure magic," Ginny exclaimed, rubbing the pearly white potion on her face from the nightstand.

"You think so?" Bella asked.

"If my brothers can make a fortune out of joke candies, then I'm sure you can do no less," Ginny replied with a mischievous grin.

"It's ready!" Hermione entered the room, holding a dozen developed polaroids that were once black. The crystal-clear images showed all of them squeezed inside a photo booth, smiling broadly at the camera. Bella's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to Sirius' handsome, toothy smile in the photo. For a brief moment, she thought he was the most handsome wizard she had ever met.

But the knot in her belly, the one that formed when they spoke at the tea room, made her feel uneasy about where these feelings were leading. She pushed those thoughts aside, feeling it inappropriate to entertain such notions. He would never think of her that way. After all, he was twice her age and surrounded by confident and beautiful witches.

"SIRIUS IS HOT!" Ginny blurted out, breaking Bella's train of thought. Bella burst into laughter and couldn't help but agree.

"Merlin's grave! Ginny, why are you reading my mind?" Bella joked.

"I'm not reading your mind. It's universal! Everyone knows how hot he is!" Ginny replied with a smirk.

"Oh, Gin, I love you," Bella hugged her friend, grateful to have such a shameless Gryffindor who was open-minded and unafraid to say things that others might judge. Or perhaps, she simply didn't care if they did.

Before sleeping, Her mind drifted now slowly to what happened last year, she couldn't keep the happy thoughts, not with what happened to her from her Slytherin housemates.

She's been outcasted since her first year, with no clear reason.

" Just a bit of jerks who hate people for no reason " Harry once comforted her, after Crabb and Goyel magically vanished her charms homework, making her delivers five empty parchment rolls to Mr.Flitwick; who couldn't believe her.

" Bella, here, have chocolates, you'll get better " Remus Lupin once told her, as he hosted her in his office late past 9 in the evening for tea and chocolates , because Pansy Parkinson unleashed a boggart that she stole from Professor Lupin's office into Bella's shower, making her scream out of terror as she saw a dementor, hovering over her head as she showered at night.

Although, Snape punishments on Pansy were harsh, and that Bella could see her every night coming back from her detention, crying. But, who could possibly heal the trauma?

She only wondered before sleeping, how long is this agony going to last? Wishing she was sorted into Gryffindors every single night.. she drifted to a deep sleep, in Ginny's comfy bed at the burrow.