Stella Nova Edited

by BrooklynFazenbaker

When the Weasley's took in Sirius Black's daughter on Halloween night, they expected him to return for her in a few days. Instead, they raised her alongside their children. How will a Slytherin "Weasley" change the story? Especially when she's a troublemaker and so close to so many snakes... and how will Sirius react to seeing his daughter again? (I do not own Harry Potter)(Edited)

30. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Saturday afternoon, Stella was on the Quidditch pitch with Crabbe, Goyle, Baker, O'Connor, Keeny, and Walsh, the seven flying around and tossing the ball back and forth. They were the only ones to have shown up and Stella had made them all first line, not that she would have actually chosen anyone else. They were the better players honestly. All six of the boys actually wanted to play professionally one day and Stella was already debating if she should make Baker captain after she graduated next year.

They played a practice game, Baker goalie for both teams as they only used half the field. Crabbe was beater for Stella and O'Connor and Goyle was beater for Keeny and Walsh. The seven trained hard together for the next several hours, score not being kept, mostly because Baker blocked so many shots. He really was just unbelievably talented. After practice, the seven walked towards the school, smiling with one another as they went.

"Well, well, well," six seventh year Ravenclaws stepped in their way, the one in the center speaking. "What do we have here?"

Crabbe and Goyle stepped to the front as Stella put herself in front of Baker, the youngest of the group.

"Looks like a few little Death Eaters in training," one of them smirked.

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" the leader smirked, his wand sliding into his hand, the others following suit.

Spells began to fly and Stella told Baker to run, giving him cover as he went to find Snape. Stella had a wand in each hand and she was fighting hard. Crabbe and O'Connor were down already and Goyle looked like he was one good hex away from it as well. Stella jumped in front of him, blocking the spell that was heading towards him while sending another one under her shield.

"Cover Crabbe and O'Connor," Stella told Goyle as she rushed forward, surprising one of the Ravenclaws when she punched him in the face instead of throwing a spell, breaking his nose.

She got three more spells out before she felt herself being thrown backwards. Goyle ended up catching her with a cushioning charm on the ground behind her. Stella bounced once, throwing a spell before she hit the ground again. Goyle yelled and rushed forward, tackling the Ravenclaw that had attacked Stella behind her back. Stella's eyes grew before she ran after him, tackling the girl that had gone to jump on Goyle's back.

The two rolled across the grass and Stella landed on top, raining punches down on the girl's face. She didn't stop until the girl was out cold, face bloodied from her family ring and bruises already forming. Stella stood, breathing heavily before she turned to see Goyle having done the same.

"What is the meaning of this?" McGonagall's voice demanded as she rushed over. "Miss Black, Mister Goyle, what?"

She seemed too shocked to say anything. There were six older students on the ground, four of them knocked out by magic and two almost unrecognizable. Crabbe was out cold but O'Connor had just woken up, seeming extremely confused. Keeny and Walsh had their wands out, pointed at the Ravenclaws in case they tried anything else, both breathing heavily and bleeding. Baker returned then, Snape running behind him.

"Stella!" Baker yelled, rushing to her and his arms wrapping around her waist in a tight hug.

"Good job, kid," Stella whispered to him, still breathing heavily, blood dripping from her lip and feeling a few different bruises on her body.

"What?" McGonagall was still shocked.

"I've got it Minerva," Snape tried but McGonagall came out of her shock then.

"Absolutely not! You will let them get away with brawling with other students!"

"I am taking them all to the hospital wing and then to the Headmaster," Snape corrected her. "Mister Baker came to find me when the fight began. I'm sure a pensieve will help us decide appropriate punishments."

Stretchers appeared under the knocked out students and O'Connor, who still seemed confused, probably a concussion. Stella began limping after them when Goyle walked over and lifted her into his arms, carrying her bridal style instead. Stella turned red for a moment before she shrugged. They passed students as they went and Stella tried not to be embarrassed at being carried but it was rather difficult.

She thought about how Blaise used to hold her back with a hand on her leg or shoulder and how Theo would physically carry her from a fight, making it so she could only yell at people over his shoulder. Here was Goyle, who watched her break someone's nose and tackle someone before leaving the Black family crest imbedded in their face. The differences were screaming at her, red flags appearing in her head.

In the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey let out a gasp of shock before she got to work, going to the two that Goyle and Stella had gone after first. Goyle placed Stella on a bed gently before going to the end of her bed and standing guard. Dumbledore rushed in with Flitwick a minute later and Stella tried to make herself look smaller, having no success at doing so as Dumbledore's eyes found her quickly.

"Miss Black, would you like to tell me your account of the events?"

"We were coming back from practice and those six stopped us, called us Death Eaters in training. They threw the first spell. I told Noah Baker to run and gave him cover as he went to get Professor Snape," Stella answered honestly.

"What happened to Miss Thacher's and Mister Holdings' faces?" Flitwick demanded.

"Oh, is that their names? Holdings threw me with a spell so Goyle had a go at him. Thacher tried to attack Goyle from behind so I tackled her. I think Muggle brawling is a good form of wandless magic."

"Black," Snape growled.

"Sorry, sir," Stella flinched. "Sarcasm and bad jokes are a coping mechanism."

Snape pulled Stella's hand into his own, looking at her knuckles for a moment before tapping her hand with his wand, sewing the cuts back together and clearing away the blood. He put bruise balm on her hand before moving to Goyle and doing the same to his fists.

Pomfrey finally made it to Stella, waving her wand to produce a diagnostics charm. She tutted unhappily before she got to work, muttering under her breath the entire time.

"Broken ankle, bruised ribs, cracked knee, bump on the head…"

Stella was handed two potions before being told to lay down, closing her eyes and falling asleep due to one of the pain potions. Stella woke in the middle of the night, complete darkness surrounding her. She sat up slowly, seeing the Ravenclaws and the majority of her team in beds around her. She wondered why she'd woken up when she heard it.

"Stell," Harry's voice whispered and Stella looked around in confusion before realization dawned on her.

"Harry, I can't see you," she whispered.

"Oh," Harry removed the cloak, "sorry. Forgot."

"That thing is basically a part of you," Stella let out a quiet laugh. "What are you doing here?"

She scooted over in the bed, pulling Harry's arm so he laid beside her. They were laying on their sides, whispering back and forth, Stella telling Harry what had happened.

"And Goyle ran at the guy?"

"He carried me here, too," Stella nodded.

"Weird."

"Thanks," Stella told him with a nod and a quiet laugh.

"I don't mean it like that," Harry assured her. "It's just weird. I mean, how many times have you and Goyle actually interacted with one another?"

"Not very," Stella admitted. "Just Quidditch, really. I used to help him with homework quite a bit."

Harry seemed thoughtful, thinking rather hard about something.

"Is this about Malfoy and your theory again?" Stella asked him.

"I know you probably think it's stupid. Ron and Hermione do."

"I'll see what I can find," Stella told him.

"Really?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"Really," Stella nodded. "It might not happen very quickly though, so be patient with me. Pansy said Malfoy isn't really talking to anyone anymore so it'll take some time."

"Of course," Harry nodded. "Thank you, Stella."

"Of course," Stella smiled to him.

"I should let you get some sleep…"

"Will you stay?" Stella asked him.

"Yeah," Harry nodded, seeming nervous suddenly.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Stella told him.

"I want to," he insisted quickly. "I do."

"Okay," Stella nodded.

"Okay."

Harry moved to his back, pulling Stella closer to him. She rested her head over his heart, the steady thumping lulling her back into sleep. Stella woke as Harry snuck out of the bed, morning light pouring into the room. He kissed her head and pulled the cloak on, sneaking out of the Hospital Wing to get back to his tower. Stella sat up again, looking out at the Slytherins as Madam Pomfrey began moving around in her office. The Slytherins and four of the Ravenclaws were released after breakfast, the Slytherins going first. The boys surrounded Stella as they walked through the halls, heading towards the common room. Stella was thankful that it was Sunday, meaning less students would be in the halls. It saved her from more of the strange looks that they were receiving.

The group was applauded when they walked in. Stella didn't feel like being applauded though and went to her dorm, deciding to change into jeans, a thin shirt, and the leather jacket Sirius had given her, before taking a walk around the grounds, hair up with Blaise's and Sirius's wands sticking out of her messy bun, her own wand in her front pocket. She ran into Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Oh, hi," she smiled, feeling shy suddenly.

"Where are you heading?" Harry asked her.

"I was just going to get some air," she admitted. "Common room is a bit too bipolar for me right now."

"Sure you aren't trying to see the Gryffindor tryouts?" Ron smirked.

"I forgot those were today," Stella admitted. "I won't go near the pitch."

"You can come," Harry spoke up quickly.

"Harry, we're captains of opposing teams," Stella smirked.

"I know who's on your team and how they play. It's fine. Hermione needs company anyways."

"Fine," Stella sighed, following the three out. "Don't get mad when I learn all your strategies, though."

"Honestly, I could probably use your help," he sighed.

"You'll do great," Stella assured him. "You're a great player and we already know that you're a great teacher."

A misty drizzle had begun and Stella put heating spells on all four of them before Harry handed her his glasses so she could make it so water bounced off of them if the rain picked up more. She kissed his cheek before following Hermione into the stands. Half of Gryffindor house had shown up and Stella knew that most of them weren't there to tryout. She got stares and pointed at quite a bit but she watched the field, ignoring everyone.

"How do you do that?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"Do what?" Stella asked in confusion.

"Ignore everyone when they're talking about you, as if you can't hear them?"

"I'm not ignoring them," Stella admitted. "I know what people say about me, Mione. They've been saying it for years. I've grown used to it. There's a difference."

Hermione gave her a sad look as Stella turned back to the field. Ten first years were sent away quickly, followed by ten girls, who were giggling the entire time. One of them, the pretty brunette from the train, glared at Stella as she passed her. The third group had a pileup halfway around the pitch. Most of the fourth group came without broomsticks. The fifth group were Hufflepuffs.

"If there's anyone else here who's not from Gryffindor," roared Harry, who sounded seriously annoyed, "leave now, please!"

There was a pause, then a couple of little Ravenclaws went sprinting off the pitch, snorting with laughter. Stella stood.

"Not you!" Harry yelled and Stella looked to him, feeling a bit chastised as she sat back down.

They two gave each other amused smiles and Harry turned back to everyone that was trying out. Romilda Vane glared harder. After two hours, many complaints, and several tantrums, one involving a crashed Comet Two Sixty and several broken teeth, Harry had found himself three Chasers: Katie Bell, returned to the team after an excellent trial; a new find called Demelza Robins, who was particularly good at dodging Bludgers; and Ginny, who had outflown all the competition and scored seventeen goals to boot. Pleased though he was with his choices, Harry had also shouted himself hoarse at the many complainers and was now enduring a similar battle with the rejected Beaters.

Stella let out an annoyed sigh and stood. She summoned her broom and took to the air, getting to Harry's side quickly. Stella pulled a small pouch from her pocket where she kept a bit of first aid; her calming draughts, pain potions, and an allergy potion included. She passed Harry a potion for his throat, which he took without question.

"Need help?" she asked him. "I swear not to sabotage you."

"Please," Harry sighed.

"Okay, well I can tell you right now that those five are not going to work as beaters. They have no upper body strength."

"Oi! You five!"

Harry immediately listened to Stella's advice. She was honest and told him how she'd picked her team the year before and Harry nodded, sending away any second year on the field for now. Stella flew back over to Hermione, hovering close by and watching from her broom.

"I don't think you're supposed to be helping him choose the team you'll be playing against," Hermione smirked.

"I wanna beat the best," Stella shrugged. "Gryffindor actually has some impressive players."

Harry ended up choosing a third year who had given him a bump on the back of his head with a bludger, Stella healing the bump quickly, and a fourth year who looked a bit small but he aimed well. Keeper tryouts were last and the stands were more full than when Harry had begun. Ron looked a bit green and Stella passed him a potion for his nerves as McLaggen took his turn. He gave her a grateful look after taking it and she gave him a pat on the back, telling him to just breath and have fun.

"Good luck!" cried a voice from the stands on Ron's turn.

Stella looked over to Lavendar Brown and smirked. She and Hermione shared an amused look before watching Ron fly into the air, Stella having taken a seat again, her broom beside her. Ron saved five goals and McLaggen was pissed. He rushed towards Harry from where he now stood on the ground and Stella jumped on her broom, flying down quickly as Harry stepped back.

"His sister didn't really try," said McLaggen menacingly. There was a vein pulsing in his temple. "She gave him an easy save."

"Rubbish," said Harry coldly. "That was the one he nearly missed."

McLaggen took a step nearer Harry, who stood his ground this time.

"Give me another go."

"No," said Harry. "You've had your go. You saved four. Ron saved five. Ron's Keeper, he won it fair and square. Get out of my way."

"I'd hate to have to send more people to the hospital wing this weekend," Stella spoke up, spinning her wand between her fingers.

McLaggen glared at Stella and then cast one more dark look at Harry before walking away, growling what sounded like threats to thin air. Harry turned around to find his new team beaming at him.

"Well done," he told them. "You flew really well—"

"You did brilliantly, Ron!" Hermione smiled, running onto the field.

Stella pulled the schedule from Harry's pocket so he could check when their first practice was. She flew into the air as everyone else went their separate ways, just hovering in the air above everything. She could see a dark figure heading towards the pitch and rolled her eyes before flying towards him.

"Hi, sir," she greeted. "I'm guessing you're here to tell me my punishment?"

"Detention for the next week," he told her. "Seems like you really were just defending yourself but still. Duels and brawls are both against school rules."

"Of course, sir," Stella nodded.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Watching Gryffindor tryouts," Stella shrugged.

"Don't know why I'm surprised."

"Is Uncle Moony still here?" she asked curiously.

"No. He simply came for a quick meeting with the headmaster," Snape sniffed.

"Is that what I saw?" Stella smirked.

"Is that one of your questions or are you receiving another detention?"

"How did the two of you start?" Stella asked curiously.

"A girl named Lily Evans and I were best friends before starting at Hogwarts. She was sorted into a different house than I but we still found time to study together. She became friends with Lupin and he started studying with us. We began speaking when he wasn't around his… friends. It was tentative at the start but we were together from second to fifth year. Lily was the only other person who knew of our relationship. Covered for us a few times as well."

"Lily Evans… Potter?"

"Potter's mother," Snape nodded.

"Huh," Stella nodded, looking Snape over a bit. "Another question."

"Go on."

"You're more pale lately. Any idea what's causing it?"

"I am a spy in an ongoing war while maintaining a highly stressful teaching job where I am forced to keep mouthy teenagers from killing one another, Head of a House, oversee detentions, even on my days off, brew potions for the hospital wing, and… I have poor genetics."

"… why isn't Slughorn helping make the potions?"

"Horace Slughorn prefers to teach and nothing else," Snape explained.

"I don't like him," Stella sighed.

"I didn't think that you would, honestly. You are not one to associate with people who think they're better than others."

"Thank you?"

"You're welcome."

"I can help with the potions," Stella told him. "I'll go put my broom away and we can go to the brewing room."

"… That would be most helpful."

Stella flew off quickly, putting her broom away before running back to Snape. The two swept back into the castle, going straight to the third floor. The Hospital Wing had its very own brewing room and Stella had never actually been in it before. It was darker than the hospital wing, most potions ingredient needing to be kept in dark places to keep them from expiring quicker. There were ten work stations with cauldrons and their own sinks.

Snape told her the potions they were low on and Stella got to work, taking over three stations at once. Snape sat at a desk that was there, looking beyond tired. She brewed basic pain relief, cure for the common cold, and an allergy relief, all three likely to be needed soon. Two hours later, she waved her wand and potions portioned into vials, labeled themselves, and flew to the cabinets, organizing themselves. Stella sent the cauldrons to clean themselves and turned, finding Snape asleep with his head laid down on the desk.

"Sir?" she asked softly, shaking his shoulder gently.

Snape sat up quickly, taking a deep breath and looking around.

"Let's get you back to your quarters," she told him, summoning a dreamless sleep to herself and passing it to him to take once he was in his room.

Stella walked down to the dungeons alone, feeling like she'd actually had a rather decent day until she heard her name. She paused, hearing voices coming from around the corner. She activated the map in a hushed tone and stood just around the corner, listening as she stared at the map.

"She's so easy," Pansy laughed to Daphne, Lily, Crabbe, Goyle, and Millicent. "I mean, seriously. I talk to her once and she thinks we're the best of friends. Pathetic."

"She thinks we're friends now," Goyle spoke up. "Cause of the fight."

Stella didn't think that about either of them but she wondered why it mattered.

"I'm telling you, it's going to be too easy," Daphne told them. "All we have to do is stay close to her and then we'll be able to turn Potter over to the Dark Lord. She's going to lead her boyfriend right to him and not even realize it."

"Then she can watch him die like she watched Zabini," Pansy was smirking. "Good riddance."

The whole group laughed.

Stella swore she saw red but forced herself to walk away, holding her breath as she did so. She threw herself into an empty classroom and began breathing heavily. She put up a privacy charm and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep her emotions in check. She began screaming in anger suddenly, the chairs and desks in the room flying away from her in different directions, crashing into the walls, some breaking due to the impact.

Stella took harsh breaths, waiting until she had calmed enough to check the map. She stood in the center of the destroyed room, watching as the group moved to the common room. Stella decided that if the Slytherins wanted to manipulate her and use her to get to Harry, they were in way over their heads. If war was what they wanted, war was what they'd get.

Stink pellets kept getting into most of the sixth year Slytherins belongings. It was so strange how it kept happening. Strange how Stella, Draco, and Tracy were the only ones not caught in the crosshairs. It was happening in the halls so there was no way to pinpoint how it was happening. Ten dungbombs went off in the common room while Stella was in the brewing room with Snape and Stella smirked as he ran off to check on everyone, feeling rather proud of herself for convincing Fred and George to create some that were on timers.

Stella was in the second floor girls loo, listening to Moaning Mrytle complain as she brewed a few potions at once, having combined two stalls to make them into one so she had enough room to work. She'd gotten an idea last time she'd been in Potions class. She was using her copy of Professor Snape's old book to make changes to Veritaserum, Confusing Concoction, Alihotsy Draught, Hate Potion, Wideye Potion, and Moonseed Poison. She was careful with all of them, keeping them in bubbles so the fumes wouldn't interact and have reactions. She'd also anonymously mail ordered items from Fred and George's shop, paying an extra fee so the items came in looking like care packages from home, school books, and feminine items. It was rather genius of them.

Stella walked to the Gryffindor table on the morning of the first Hogsmeade day. She sat beside Harry, listening as Ron told Hermione the story of Harry making him dangle upside down in the air.

"Levicorpus?" Stella asked Harry.

"Yeah," he smiled.

"Nice," she nodded. "I 'accidentally' got Crabbe with that one the other day."

"Wish I'd have seen it," Harry complained.

"I did find one spell in there that you should stay away from. I'll find it later and tell you which page," she told him.

"Alright," Harry nodded.

"See? Stella's checking the spells!" Ron told Hermione, who was glowering across from them. "You just don't like the Prince, Hermione," he pointed a sausage at her sternly, "because he's better at Potions than you."

"It's got nothing to do with that!" said Hermione, her cheeks reddening. "I just think it's very irresponsible to start performing spells when you don't even know what they're for and stop talking about 'the Prince' as if it's his title, I bet it's just a stupid nickname, and it doesn't seem as though he was a very nice person to me!"

"I don't see where you get that from," said Harry heatedly. "If he'd been a budding Death Eater he wouldn't have been boasting about being 'half-blood,' would he?"

"The Death Eaters can't all be pure-blood, there aren't enough pure-blood wizards left," said Hermione stubbornly. "I expect most of them are half-bloods pretending to be pure. It's only Muggleborns they hate, they'd be quite happy to let you three join up."

"I literally killed three of them," Stella whispered across the table to her. "I doubt they'd be willing to take me as a replacement."

"There is no way they'd let me be a Death Eater!" said Ron indignantly, a bit of sausage flying off the fork he was now brandishing at Hermione and hitting Ernie Macmillan on the head. "My whole family are blood traitors! That's as bad as Muggle-borns to Death Eaters!"

"And they'd love to have me," said Harry sarcastically. "We'd be best pals if they didn't keep trying to do me in."

This made Stella and Ron laugh; even Hermione gave a grudging smile, and a distraction arrived in the shape of Ginny.

"Hey, Harry, I'm supposed to give you this."

It was a scroll of parchment with Harry's name written upon it in familiar thin, slanting writing. "Thanks, Ginny . . . It's Dumbledore's next lesson!" Harry told Stella, Ron, and Hermione, pulling open the parchment and quickly reading its contents. "Monday evening!"

He looked suddenly light and happy. Filch was standing at the oak front doors as usual, checking off the names of people who had permission to go into Hogsmeade. The process took even longer than normal as Filch was triple checking everybody with his Secrecy Sensor, Stella leaning into Harry's side further when she saw the man.

"What does it matter if we're smuggling Dark stuff OUT?" demanded Ron, eyeing the long thin Secrecy Sensor with apprehension. "Surely you ought to be checking what we bring back IN?"

His cheek earned him a few extra jabs with the Sensor, and he was still wincing as they stepped out into the wind and sleet. The walk into Hogsmeade was not enjoyable. Stella had always hated the cold. She'd wrapped herself in multiple sweaters but she'd left her scarf behind on her bed, Jinx having been curled on top of it when she'd gone to put it on. Even warming charms could only do so much.

Harry, noticing Stella still shivering, put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, letting her steal a bit of his body heat. Zonko's was boarded up, but Ron pointed toward Honeydukes and the four rushed inside.

"Thank God," shivered Ron as they were enveloped by warm, toffee-scented air. "Let's stay here all afternoon."

"Harry, m'boy!" said a booming voice from behind them.

"Oh no," muttered Harry.

The four of them turned to see Professor Slughorn, who was wearing an enormous furry hat and an overcoat with matching fur collar, clutching a large bag of crystalized pineapple, and occupying at least a quarter of the shop.

"Harry, that's three of my little suppers you've missed now! Oh! You as well Miss Black, though I understand your reasoning," said Slughorn before poking Harry genially in the chest. "It won't do, m'boy, I'm determined to have you! Miss Granger loves them, don't you?"

"Yes," said Hermione helplessly, "they're really —"

"So why don't you come along, Harry?" demanded Slughorn.

"Well, I've had Quidditch practice, Professor," said Harry, who had switched a few practices with Stella. This strategy meant that Ron was not left out, and they usually all had a laugh with Ginny, imagining Hermione shut up with McLaggen.

"Well, I certainly expect you to win your first match after all this hard work!" said Slughorn. "But a little recreation never hurt anybody. Now, how about Monday night, you can't possibly want to practice in this weather. . . ."

"I can't, Professor, I've got — er — an appointment with Professor Dumbledore that evening."

"Unlucky again!" cried Slughorn dramatically. "Ah, well . . . you can't evade me forever, Harry!"

And with a regal wave, he waddled out of the shop, taking as little notice of Ron as though he had been a display of Cockroach Clusters.

"I can't believe you've wriggled out of another one," said Hermione, shaking her head. "And how are you getting out of them?"

"I help brew the potions for the hospital wing," Stella shrugged before Hermione continued.

"They're not that bad, you know. . . . They're even quite fun sometimes. . . ." But then she caught sight of Ron's expression. "Oh, look — they've got deluxe sugar quills — those would last hours!"

Stella bought all of Ron's favorites to make him feel a bit better. He still looked moody and shrugged when Hermione asked where he wanted to go next.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," Harry tried. "It'll be warm."

Harry bundled his scarf over Stella's face and pulled her close again. The bitter wind was like knives on their faces after the sugary warmth of Honeydukes. The street was not very busy; nobody was lingering to chat, just hurrying toward their destinations. The exceptions were two men a little ahead of them, standing just outside the Three Broomsticks. One was very tall and thin; squinting through his rain-washed glasses Harry recognized the barman who worked in the other Hogsmeade pub, the Hog's Head. They were barely feet from him when Stella recognized him. Harry seemed to have as well, from him shouting, "Mundungus!" when they were close enough to be heard.

The squat, bandy-legged man with long, straggly, ginger hair jumped and dropped an ancient suitcase, which burst open, releasing what looked like the entire contents of a junk shop window.

"Oh, 'ello, 'Arry…. Stella," said Mundungus Fletcher, with a most unconvincing stab at airiness. "Well, don't let me keep ya."

And he began scrabbling on the ground to retrieve the contents of his suitcase with every appearance of a man eager to be gone.

"Are you selling this stuff?" asked Harry, watching Mundungus grab an assortment of grubby-looking objects from the ground as Stella bent down to help.

Her hand hovered over a goblet, recognizing it immediately. Her eyes slowly moved over to Mundungus slowly. He audibly gulped but Stella didn't even get the chance to do anything before Harry had the thief pinned against the wall of the pub by his throat. Holding him with one hand, Harry pulled out his wand.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione.

"You took that from Stella's house," said Harry, breathing heavily and face dangerously close to Mundungus's. "It has the Black family crest on it."

"I – no – what?" spluttered Mundungus, who was slowly turning purple.

"What did you do, go back the night Sirius died and strip the place?" Harry snarled.

"I – no –"

"Give it to me!"

"Harry, you mustn't!" Hermione shrieked as the man started turning blue.

There was a BANG and Harry's hands were thrown from Mundungas. Stella stunned the man before he could do anything else though. Harry and Stella stood tall beside each other, both looking rather terrifying, even wrapped up to protect themselves from the cold.

"Wow, you look like Mum when she's angry," Tonks voice spoke but Stella didn't care.

She kneeled down, looking through the rest of Mundungus's belongings. There were multiple stolen goods, some that Kreacher hadn't gotten to hide in his room yet. She summoned everything that had fallen and placed it into the case before standing with it in her hand. Harry's wand was pointed at Mundungus, keeping an eye on him while waiting for Stella to tell him what she wanted done.

"Let's get inside," Stella told the group as she shrunk the case and put it in her pocket. "It's cold."

The four teens left Tonks and Mundungus outside, not looking back as they stepped inside. Harry was fuming but Stella had a calm anger about her. She seemed to keep the same demeanor at almost all times now, always quietly angry, refusing to show weakness. Harry and Stella sat while Ron and Hermione went to get drinks. Harry held Stella close, kissing the top of her head and just leaning against her. Stella was shaking now but it had nothing to do with the cold.

Hermione and Ron returned with the drinks, saying nothing as they sat across from the two. Stella would have found it entertaining how much they were tiptoeing around the two lately if she weren't so angry at just about everyone around her all the time.

"Shall we call it a day and go back to school, then?" Hermione asked as they all finished their drinks.

It had not been a fun trip and the weather was getting worse the longer they stayed. Once again they drew their cloaks tightly around them, rearranged their scarves, pulled on their gloves, then followed Katie Bell and a friend out of the pub and back up the High Street, Harry holding Stella yet again. Stella caught a glimpse of Dean and Ginny in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop and smirked before ducking her head as a sharp bit of wind blew through the street, letting out a small whine. It was then that she heard part of the conversation happening up ahead.

"It's nothing to do with you, Leanne!" Katie stated.

They rounded a corner in the lane, sleet coming thick and fast, blurring Stella's vision. Leanne made to grab hold of the package Katie was holding; Katie tugged it back and the package fell to the ground.

At once, Katie rose into the air, not as Crabbe had done, suspended comically by the ankle, but gracefully, her arms outstretched, as though she was about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie. . . . Her hair was whipped around her by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed and her face was quite empty of expression. Stella, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Leanne had all halted in their tracks, watching.

Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open but whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, was clearly causing her terrible anguish. She screamed and screamed; Leanne started to scream too and seized Katie's ankles, trying to tug her back to the ground. Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed forward to help, but even as they grabbed Katie's legs, she fell on top of them; Harry and Ron managed to catch her but she was writhing so much they could hardly hold her. Instead they lowered her to the ground where she thrashed and screamed, apparently unable to recognize any of them.

Stella watched in stunned silence for a moment before she ran back towards Hogsmeade.

"TONKS!" she screamed. "TONKS!"

"What's happened?" Tonks demanded, appearing in front of Stella.

"Katie! She's been hurt! Come on!" Stella grabbed Tonks's hand and dragged her back to the others.

Harry had run towards the school, presumably to get a teacher. Katie was still writhing and screaming on the ground.

"Get back!" Tonks shouted. "Lemme see her!"

"Something's happened to her!" sobbed Leanne. "I don't know what –"

Harry returned with Hagrid as Stella stole Ron's scarf. She crouched down as Tonks performed a few spells and nodded to Hagrid, letting him lift Katie and run her towards the school. An ornate opal necklace was visible, poking out over a brown-paper package. She wrapped it in Ron's scarf, careful not to touch it. Harry, seeing what she was doing, hurried over, taking it from her the moment she was finished, not wanting it anywhere near her.

"How did Katie get ahold of this?" Hermione asked Leanne.

"Well, that's why we were arguing. She came back from the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks holding it, said it was a surprise for somebody at Hogwarts and she had to deliver it. She looked all funny when she said it. . . . Oh no, oh no, I bet she'd been Imperiused and I didn't realize!"

"I'm happy that I didn't need to pee today," Stella mumbled before raising her voice. "We need to get to the school, take that to a teacher."

"She didn't say who'd given it to her, Leanne?" Hermione asked gently.

"No . . . she wouldn't tell me . . . and I said she was being stupid and not to take it up to school, but she just wouldn't listen and . . . and then I tried to grab it from her . . . and — and —"

Leanne let out a wail of despair. As they followed Hermione and Leanne up the road, Harry seemed to be thinking furiously. They had just entered the grounds when he spoke, unable to keep his thoughts to himself any longer.

"Malfoy knows about this necklace. It was in a case at Borgin and Burkes four years ago, we saw him having a good look at it while we were hiding from him and his dad. This is what he was buying that day when we followed him! He remembered it and he went back for it!" Harry told Stella.

"I — I dunno, Harry," said Ron hesitantly. "Loads of people go to Borgin and Burkes . . . and didn't that girl say Katie got it in the girls' bathroom?"

"She said she came back from the bathroom with it, she didn't necessarily get it in the bathroom itself —"

"McGonagall!" said Ron warningly.

Harry looked up. Sure enough, Professor McGonagall was hurrying down the stone steps through swirling sleet to meet them.

"Hagrid says you five saw what happened to Katie Bell — upstairs to my office at once, please! What's that you're holding, Potter?"

"It's the thing she touched," said Harry.

"Good lord," said Professor McGonagall, looking alarmed as she took the necklace from Harry. "No, no, Filch, they're with me!" she added hastily, as Filch came shuffling eagerly across the entrance hall holding his Secrecy Sensor aloft. "Take this necklace to Professor Snape at once, but be sure not to touch it, keep it wrapped in the scarf!"

Stella and the others followed Professor McGonagall upstairs and into her office, Stella telling Harry that Malfoy had been in detention today, not in Hogsmeade. He looked disappointed but nodded.

"How do you know that?" Ron asked in a whisper.

"I told Harry I'd keep an eye on him," Stella whispered back.

"Oh, not you, too," Hermione groaned.

The sleet-spattered windows were rattling in their frames, and the room was chilly despite the fire crackling in the grate. Professor McGonagall closed the door and swept around her desk to face Stella, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the still sobbing Leanne.

"Well?" she said sharply. "What happened?"

Haltingly, and with many pauses while she attempted to control her crying, Leanne told Professor McGonagall how Katie had gone to the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks and returned holding the unmarked package, how Katie had seemed a little odd, and how they had argued about the advisability of agreeing to deliver unknown objects, the argument culminating in the tussle over the parcel, which tore open. At this point, Leanne was so overcome, there was no getting another word out of her.

"All right," said Professor McGonagall, not unkindly, "go up to the hospital wing, please, Leanne, and get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for shock."

When she had left the room, Professor McGonagall turned back to Stella, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"What happened when Katie touched the necklace?"

"She rose up in the air," said Harry, before the others could speak, "and then began to scream, and collapsed."

"Why is it that when something happens it is almost always you four?" McGonagall sighed.

"Been asking myself that same question for a few years, Professor," Ron tried for a joke.

"I need to go up to the hospital wing and check on Katie Bell," McGonagall sighed. "Good day to all of you."

The four walked out of the office, watching as McGonagall ran off.

"I have potions to brew," Stella sighed. "I'll see you lot later."

"Yeah," Harry nodded, kissing Stella's head before releasing her and letting her leave them.

They thought she was heading to the hospital wing, but Stella turned on the second floor, stepping into Mrytle's bathroom. There was already someone there though. Draco Malfoy was standing over a sink, breathing heavily. Stella closed the door quietly, not letting him know that she was there until, after watching him for a few minutes as he tried to not have a panic attack, she cleared her throat.

Draco's wand was in his hand in a second, shooting a spell at her without hesitation. Stella flicked her wand, sending the spell off to the side. Draco looked horrified when he realized who he'd shot a spell at, hand shaking and wand slowly lowering.

"What – what are you doing here?" he asked, voice shaking.

"This is the girl's bathroom. What are you doing here?" Stella asked in return.

"None of your business," he scoffed, trying to stand tall but still shaking.

"Do you need a calming draught?" Stella asked, already pulling one out of the stash that she kept on her regularly these days; being around people who were planning to use you to kill your best friend grated on the nerves a bit.

Stella walked slowly to Draco, hands raised to show she didn't have her wand in hand and that she had a draught out for him. She was trying to make it obvious that she meant him no harm. Once she was an arm's length away, Stella held the potion out to him and he took it in his shaking grasp, swallowing it down quickly. It took a minute but Draco was able to stop shaking.

"Would you like to see what I'm doing?" Stella asked, trying to distract him.

"Why not?" he sighed.

Stella waved for him to follow her and led him to the very last stalls. She opened one of the doors wide and let Draco see inside, finding her cauldrons bubbling away and a few potions already bottled up. There were joke products galore as well, stocked up in a corner. Draco stared in confusion before looking to Stella.

"You're stock piling joke items?" he asked. "Why?"

"Revenge," she shrugged, taking a calming draught of her own.

"Aren't you the one always sprouting off about how none of us are our parents?" Draco deadpanned.

"We aren't our parents," Stella shook her head. "The ones I'm going after are their own people planning against me to get to Harry. I refuse to lose another friend."

Draco's eyes widened a bit, but his expression stayed blank outside of that.

"What happened?" he asked. "Who's planning against you?"

He almost sounded protective.

"Parkinson, Greengrass, Crabbe, Goyle, Bulstrode, and Moon. I overheard them making fun of Blaise's death and Theo's injuries and laughing because they thought I was easy to manipulate. They plan to use me to get closer to Harry so that they can hand him to Voldemort when the time comes."

Draco flinched at the name but Stella said nothing, even as he rubbed his arm. She knew. She'd caught a glimpse in Potions two weeks ago but said nothing. Draco was more pale and thin than normal, almost like a ghost walking through the halls. Voldemort liked to use children and she had no doubts that the same was happening now.

"Wanna help?" Stella asked, remembering how close Draco, Theo, and Blaise had once been as kids.

"Absolutely," he growled out, more than likely thinking the same thing Stella just had.

The two got to work, brewing more potions and bottling ones that were finished. Stella showed Draco the changes to the potions and he followed them to the tee. Two days later, the Veritaserum was complete. Stella used the map so that she and Draco could sneak into the kitchens late at night, disillusioned as they walked in so that the elves couldn't snitch on them. The kitchens were set up in the same manor that the Great Hall was, making it so that food would transfer from the table in the kitchen, straight to the tables in the Great Hall. Stella took the inner side of the table and Draco took the outer.

The two walked down the table, pouring the truth potion into goblets and swirling them around the edges before moving to the next. Every goblet, tea cup, fork, and spoon ended up with a layer of the potion. It took a few hours to get the entire table, but they headed back to the dorms, sneaking in and climbing into their beds as if nothing had happened.

Stella dressed like she always did in the morning. Draco was skipping breakfast, which would surprise no one since he'd already been skipping meals doing who knew what. Stella went to head to the Gryffindor table but Pansy grabbed her arm, dragging her to the Slytherins instead. Stella had to keep appearances up and let the Slytherins think that they were on the right track. It was a bit unnerving how easily they bought her friendship. She truly thought Pansy would have seen through it by now but Stella had Occluded every time it got hard and Pansy always asked if she was thinking of Blaise and Theo whenever she did it. Stella would nod and take a few deep breaths before giving Pansy a weak smile and moving along.

"What happened at Hogsmeade?" Pansy asked her, news of Katie being attacked had finally made it around the school apparently. "We heard you were there."

"She touched a cursed object," Stella shrugged. "Not sure how she got it or how she was stupid enough the touch the damn thing."

"Dirty half-blood," Daphne muttered to Lily, thinking Stella couldn't hear her so Stella pretended she hadn't.

"Let's hurry and eat. We have Charms this morning," Pansy sighed.

Tracy kept glancing at Stella from down the table, a worried expression on her face as she saw the other Slytherins surrounding Stella. Stella wondered if Tracy had figured it out. When the others had figured out that Tracy was a Muggleborn, she'd been pushed out of the group and made friends with some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. She and Stella were still friendly though and Stella was sure Tracy wanted to warn her.

Having already taken the antidote just in case, Stella began eating breakfast without a bit of worry, drinking her morning tea and eating her bacon and eggs. It started with the first years, who began telling each other their crushes, which was actually a little sweet. Third year was next and Stella got to witness the end of a relationship when it was discovered that one of them was cheating.

"I wanna fuck you," Pansy sighed, looking at Stella.

"I'll think it over," Stella shrugged and then forced a confused look onto her face as she looked to Pansy, whose hand was covering her mouth.

"I didn't mean to say that," Pansy told her, a bright blush taking over her face.

More chaos was breaking out amongst the Slytherin table, people blurting out secrets. It was rather amusing considering they were supposed to be the sneaky house. Stella stood from the table quickly and went straight to the heads.

"Sir!" Stella yelled when she was close enough.

"What is going on?" Snape asked, confused before he ran towards the table, three fist fights and a duel having broken out.

Stella smirked as the teachers and students were all distracted. She walked to the door, arms folding over her chest as she leaned against the wall by the entrance, watching. Draco stepped in, leaning against the wall beside her, the same smirk on his face. Tracy hurried over to them.

"Stella, they're plotting against you," Tracy stated, out of breath. "You have to stay away from them."

"I know," Stella shrugged. "Why do you think this is happening?"

"You did this?"

"We did," Stella tilted her head towards Draco before pulling a potion from her pouch and passing it to Tracy. "Antidote."

Tracy took it quickly, passing the vial back to Stella and joining them on the wall.

"You should know I'm not nearly done yet," Stella told Tracy.

"I want in," Tracy glared at the Slytherins. "They deserve everything you have planned."

"Let's get out of here."

The three pushed themselves off the wall, leaving through the doorway without another word. Harry, Ron and Hermione saw them leaving and followed quickly. Stella cast disillusionment charms quickly though, losing the Gryffindors in the crowd. Once in the bathroom, Stella removed the charms and led Tracy to the enlarged stall. Stella told Tracy her plans, what she wanted to do in order of when she wanted it done.

"You want to do what to the common room?" Tracy asked, eyes wide.

"You heard me," Stella smirked.

Things were tense in the Slytherin house, Snape popping in more often than not now to check on all of the students and make sure no one was at one another's throats again. The best part was that Stella had no suspicion on her at all. The other houses had been targeting them so often that no one even thought to think that the attack had come from inside the house itself. Not even the elves had any information to give, but Stella knew she wouldn't be able to sneak into the kitchens again.

Stella told Draco that she knew about the mark three days later, having avoided Harry, Ron and Hermione for the past few days now. He'd had a bit of a break down and told Stella everything; Narcissa being held captive by Voldemort and threatened with Greyback, being assigned to kill Dumbledore and get Death Eaters into the school through a magical cabinet that needed repairing. She'd pulled him into a tight hug as he'd cried, vowing to protect them herself and reinserting them into the family, black sparks shooting into the air of Mrytle's bathroom and causing her to wail in fright.

Stella was looking more and more like Bellatrix Lestrange every day. Her hair was curling and becoming frayed in places. She pulled it up so no one would see. Her smile was more nasty and her laugh was turning a bit mad. Draco was having some of the same issues. He smirked wickedly quite often and his hair was always a mess. They only took calming draughts every so often now.

They had both heard of the Black Madness before but experiencing it was a whole nother thing. They both knew what was happening but neither really minded at this point. Tracy, on the other hand, was a bit unnerved around them at times. Stella would remind her how the Slytherins had treated her since finding out about her parentage though and she'd get this determined look on her face before bottling a potion, holding it up to the light so she could see it better. Stella knew she was manipulating the other girl a bit and wanted to feel bad for it, but she didn't.

The game against Gryffindor loomed closer and closer. Katie needed to be replaced but Stella didn't know who would be taking over since she was still avoiding Harry. She pushed her team hard, trying to keep herself in line every time that she saw one of her beaters. She knew Ron was still having problems and his nerves would get to him. Anytime she had a class with them, she would sing 'Weasley Is our King' under her breath. It kept the trio away from her as well, which was helpful.

Pansy seemed beyond thrilled by Stella's behavior, no clue what was coming for her. She thought Stella had finally given up on the Gryffindors and was coming around to them. She'd still push Stella to talk to Harry at times and Stella would lie and say that she was to appease her. Stella knew it wouldn't last after the game though. She could claim her competitive side for her distance for now, but after the game, it would be a different story.

Pansy had been flirting with Stella constantly now and Stella had been flirting back, trying to keep her entertained. She just embraced her inner Blaise. They were in an abandoned corridor one day after having taken a walk through the school.

"Screw it," Pansy groaned out, grabbing Stella's face and kissing her roughly.

Stella forced herself not to flinch away. Instead, she put her hand on Pansy's throat and pulled her behind a tapestry before pressing her against the wall, other hand on her hip as she pressed her body to Pansy's.

"Oi!"

Stella looked over but stayed pressed to Pansy, not even looking a little bit ashamed of herself as her eyes locked onto Harry and Ron.

"Hmm?" Stella hummed, tilting her head slightly.

"I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!" Ron yelled.

"This was a deserted corridor till you came butting in," Stella pointed out as Pansy began kissing her exposed neck.

"Maybe we should go to our dorm?" Pansy suggested.

"You go on," Stella told her, turning so their lips were almost touching. "I want to have a word with my brother."

"I'll be waiting," Pansy gave Stella a quick kiss before Stella stepped back, letting Pansy pass her.

"Right," Stella sighed once Pansy was gone, tossing up a privacy spell before turning to Ron, "let's get this straight. It is none of your business who I decided I snog or when or where I do it—"

"Yeah, it is!" said Ron angrily. "D'you think I want people saying my sister's a –"

"A what?" Stella asked, her wand sliding into her hand as her temper rose. "A what, exactly, Ronald?"

"He doesn't mean it," Harry tried.

"Oh yes he does!" Stella yelled. "Just because he's never snogged anyone in his life, just because the best kiss he's ever had is from our Aunt Muriel—"

"Shut your mouth!" Ron bellowed, bypassing red and turning maroon.

"I will not!" Stella yelled back. "You chase after Fleur every time she enters a room, hoping she'll give you a kiss on the cheek. It's pathetic! If you went out and got a bit of snogging done yourself, you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!"

Ron had pulled out his wand too; Harry stepped swiftly between them.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron roared, trying to get a clear shot at Stella around Harry, who was standing in front of Stella with his arms outstretched. "Just because I don't do it in public—"

"Been kissing Pigwidgeon, have you?" Stella laughed. "Or have you got a picture of Aunt Muriel under your pillow?"

"You—"

A streak of orange light flew under Harry's left arm and missed Stella by inches. Harry pushed Ron up against the wall, arm pressed to his throat.

"Don't be stupid—" Harry tried.

"Harry's snogged Cho Chang! Hermione snogged Theo and I snogged Blaise and now Pansy! It's only you who acts like it's something disgusting and that's because you've got about as much experience as a twelve year old!"

Stella turned on her heel and headed towards the dungeons. She felt a bit bad for everything she'd said but she hoped it would save Ginny from having to scream at him later. She and Dean were a bit hot and heavy these days as well. She'd need to have a talk with her, make sure that if anything went further that Ginny was being safe and knew what to expect.

Pansy was in the dorm room, looking rather put out by the fact that Daphne and Millicent were talking at her. Stella snickered and sent her a wink before heading back out. She ended up working on her potions again as Draco tried thinking of different ways to kill Dumbledore. She pretended not to notice when one of her vials of Moonseed Poisoning disappeared, hoping that Draco wouldn't get expelled or murdered just after she'd written to Gringotts to make him a vault again. It was a lot of paperwork.

Stella snuck over to the Quidditch field, watching a rather dismal practice. Ron was in a foul mood and it showed. He ended up missing every shot, letting the Quaffle through every time before bellowing at Robins, causing her to burst into tears.

"You shut up and leave her alone!" shouted Peakes, who was about two-thirds Ron's height, though admittedly carrying a heavy bat.

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Harry, who had seen Ginny glowering in Ron's direction and, remembering her reputation as an accomplished caster of the Bat-Bogey Hex, soared over to intervene before things got out of hand. "Peakes, go and pack up the Bludgers. Demelza, pull yourself together, you played really well today. Ron . . ." he waited until the rest of the team were out of earshot before saying it, Stella just barely able to hear from her hiding spot, "you're my best mate, but carry on treating the rest of them like this and I'm going to kick you off the team."

She really thought for a moment that Ron might hit Harry, but then something much worse happened: Ron seemed to sag on his broom; all the fight went out of him and he said, "I resign. I'm pathetic."

"You're not pathetic and you're not resigning!" said Harry fiercely, seizing Ron by the front of his robes. "You can save anything when you're on form, it's a mental problem you've got!"

"You calling me mental?"

"Yeah, maybe I am!"

They glared at each other for a moment, then Ron shook his head wearily. "I know you haven't got any time to find another Keeper, so I'll play tomorrow, but if we lose, and we will, I'm taking myself off the team."

Ron strode away and Harry tilted his head back, looking beyond frustrated.

"Any chance you'll go easy on us tomorrow?" he asked suddenly and Stella jumped when he looked directly at her. "I saw you an hour ago. I am a seeker after all."

"No chance," she smirked, walking onto the field. "Wanna fly for a bit? Get rid of some of that stress?"

He chewed his lip before shaking his head.

"Why were you with Malfoy that day?" he asked.

"I can't tell you," she shrugged. "I'll tell you eventually, but for now, I have to keep it to myself."

"Okay," he nodded.

"Okay?" Stella asked in confusion, honestly shocked that Harry had let it go so easily.

"I trust you," Harry told her and Stella gave him a soft smile.

"Twenty galleons says I catch the snitch before you do?"

"You're on."

Breakfast was the usual excitable affair next morning; the Slytherins hissed and booed loudly as every member of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall. Stella glanced at the ceiling and saw a clear, pale blue sky: a good omen. The Slytherin table was a sea of silver and green, all cheering as the team joined the table. It seemed they were back to liking her again, though they still talked badly about her behind her back. Maybe Snape's speeches had gotten to them but she doubted it.

The team left the table, going down to the changing rooms together. Stella got changed behind a screen before joining the rest. They walked out onto the pitch to tumultuous roars and boos. One end of the stadium was solid red and gold; the other, a sea of green and silver. Many Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had taken sides too: Amidst all the yelling and clapping Stella could distinctly hear the roar of Luna Lovegood's famous lion-topped hat.

"Captains, shake hands," Hooch demanded and Harry and Stella shook hands, Stella sending Harry a wink before he kissed her hand.

"Oi! Stop flirting down there!" Ginny yelled and Stella laughed before mounting her broom.

"On my whistle… three… two… one…"

And they were off. Stella flew high into the air. She heard Zacharius Smith making fun of Ron before hearing that O'Connor was streaking down the field.

"… Slytherin's first attempt at a goal and—"

Stella didn't bother to look.

"- Weasley saves it, well, he's bound to get lucky sometimes, I suppose…"

"What?!" Stella screeched, turning quickly and seeing Ron smiling proudly and passing the ball to Ginny.

Harry laughed and Stella turned her glare on him. She and Harry raced through the field, searching hard for the snitch. Half an hour into the game, the score was zero to zero, Ron and Baker both working overtime. Both teams were frustrated and Stella decided to say screw it, flew down, stole the Quaffle from Ginny, tore down the field and threw the ball through a goal post, scoring the first ten points of the game.

"Find the snitch!" Stella yelled at Walsh and he took off into the air.

Coote hit a bludger and took out Baker, Stella yelling in anger as her youngest player was taken to the hospital wing on a stretcher. Walsh took over goal post instead. Ginny and Stella were fighting for goals now. Every time that Stella scored a point though, Ginny scored two. The score was 240-80 in Gryffindors favor and Stella was pissed. Smith had started in on Harry's beaters now.

"Of course, Coote isn't really the usual build for a Beater," said Zacharias loftily, "they've generally got a bit more muscle —"

"Hit a Bludger at him!" Harry called to Coote as he zoomed past, but Coote, grinning broadly, chose to aim the next Bludger at Stella instead, who was just passing Harry in the opposite direction.

Stella bumped Harry with her foot as she passed him, knowing Hooch wasn't looking.

"Hey!" he complained.

"I don't like Coote! Or Ginny!" she yelled before she saw a streak of gold. "Get ready to lose that bet!"

She took off down the field, Harry chasing after her.

"Black of Slytherin has seen the Snitch! She's seen something Potter hasn't!" Smith yelled excitedly.

Stella was so close, Harry right behind her. She just wanted the game to end, put her team out of their misery at this point and keep the score as close as possible so they could catch up on points in other games, get the chance to play Gryffindor again at the end of the year. Stella's fingers wrapped around the snitch and she flipped in the air, flying pass Harry and holding up the snitch.

"She's done it! Black catches the snitch and ends the game making the final score 240-230! Gryffindor wins…"

Smith grumbled the last bit. Stella wasn't paying attention to his words though as she flew directly into the commentator's podium with a large crash. Harry flew to her quickly, helping her back to her feet as McGonagall began screaming at her.

"Sorry, Professor," she sighed, hands going to her hips. "Wasn't paying attention after I caught the snitch."

Harry let out a laugh and lifted Stella into a hug before setting her back down quickly and joining his team as they celebrated. Stella got back on her broom, flying over to where Pansy was standing, the rest of the Slytherins having already left.

"Here," Stella smiled softly, passing the snitch to her. "I caught it for you. Sorry I couldn't win it."

"There's always next time," Pansy smiled back, taking the snitch and staring down at it. "Do you know what everyone thinks when the seeker gives the snitch to someone?"

"No. What?" Stella shook her head, knowing exactly what it meant.

"It means that the seeker wants to take things seriously with the person it's given to. When Potter gave you one, everyone backed off," Pansy told her.

"I forgot he even gave me one," Stella lied. "Don't think he knows what it means, either."

"Hmm," Pansy hummed. "Do you still want me to have it?"

"Yeah," Stella nodded. "Only if you want it though."

"Hmm," Pansy hummed. "I'll think it over. See you later, Black."

"See you later, Parkinson," Stella smirked before flying down to the changing rooms.

Stella took a quick shower and got dressed. She walked out of the changing room to find Harry waiting for her.

"Party in the tower," he told her. "Wanna come?"

"Always," Stella smiled. "Then you can give me my gold."

Harry laughed and nodded, leading her towards the castle.

"So, what's going on with you and Pansy?" Harry asked as they walked into the school, seeming as if he didn't want to know the answer to the question.

"We're just having fun," Stella shrugged. "I think I deserve some fun after the ministry, honestly. So do you."

"I guess," he shrugged.

Stella grabbed his hand and gave him a small smile.

"How are you actually doing?" Stella asked him.

"It doesn't matter," he shook his head. "You lost—"

"We're not talking about what I lost," she told him quickly. "I'm asking after you. You lost your godfather. Blaise was your friend and Theo is, too. So, how are you actually doing?"

Harry sighed and pulled Stella into an empty classroom, which happened to be the one closest to the Gryffindor common room. He put up a privacy charm and turned to her, looking a bit broken. Stella wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him. Harry wrapped his arms around her waist as well, staring down at her with brilliant green eyes.

"I feel better when you're around," Harry admitted. "It feels easier to breath."

"I feel the same," she admitted, meaning it.

"I didn't know about you and Blaise," he told her.

"I forgot that you weren't there during that argument," Stella sighed. "Yeah. It was at Christmas."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Harry asked.

"Honestly we wanted to see how long it would take for anyone to notice," Stella smirked. "Theo knew. Walked in on us snogging once."

"I don't wanna hear about that," Harry frowned.

"Oh?" Stella laughed. "Why not?"

Harry remained silent, staring down at her.

"Why not?" Stella asked, voice soft.

"I don't know," he told her but Stella could tell it was a lie. "We should get to the party."

"Okay," Stella sighed and neither of them moved causing her to smirk. "Any day now."

"Right," Harry let out a small laugh and stepped away from her, pulling her with him.

Renewed cheers and clapping greeted their appearance, and they were soon surrounded by a mob of people congratulating Harry and telling Stella "good flying". It took time to shake off the Creevey brothers, who wanted a blow-by-blow match analysis, and the large group of girls that encircled Harry, laughing at his least amusing comments and batting their eyelids. Romilda Vane was, once again, glaring at Stella. Stella simply rolled her eyes as Harry pulled her closer, arms wrapped around her as he stood behind her, chin resting on the top of her head. This seemed to deter the girls and they finally moved along.

"Am I just fourth year repellant for you?" Stella laughed as they finally found Hermione, who was laughing with Ginny. "Hello."

"What are you doing at a Gryffindor party?" Ginny smirked.

"Celebrating that I caught the snitch before- Is that Ron?" Stella pointed towards the two people in the corner making out.

"Yeah, the filthy hypocrite," Ginny laughed. "He yelled at me the other day for holding hands with Dean and now he's eating Lavendar Brown's face."

"That's my fault. I may have riled him up a bit," Stella smirked. "I suppose he's got to refine his technique somehow."

Harry let out a chuckle which reverberated from his chest through Stella's back, causing her to shiver. Stella spotted Crookshanks trotting after Arnold and pointed it out to the two girls, who both immediately went after their pets. Harry's arm tightened around her as McLaggen approached them, seeming to try for some sort of swag as he walked but looking more like he didn't know how to work his own arms as they waved around beside him.

"Stella Black," McLaggen smirked. "Any way I could steal you from Harry for a dance?"

"I'd rather drown in the lake," Stella told him, pulling Harry away.

"Come on," Harry laughed and the two headed up to his dorm room, away from the crowd and the noise. "Twenty galleons, yeah?"

"Don't worry about it," she shrugged. "I don't really want the money."

"But I lost," Harry pointed out.

"You'll make it up to me some other way," she shrugged, plopping down onto his bed.

Harry smirked and sat beside her, the two falling backwards and laying down with their legs hanging off the side of the bed.

"Wanna see something cool?" Stella asked, head turning towards Harry.

"Sure," he smiled in return.

"Baubillious," Stella said, pointing her hand up and causing white sparks to shoot from her fingers.

Harry was delighted by her having figured out a bit of wandless magic. She shot different color sparks into the air for a while, the two giggling as Harry requested different colors.

"Are you going to Slughorn's party?" Harry asked her.

"I think I have to," Stella sighed.

"That makes two of us," Harry shot back.

"Well, at least we'll be in good company," Stella smirked.

"Do you want to go together?" he asked.

"Sure," Stella nodded.

"Cool," Harry nodded, staring up at the ceiling again.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Dean asked as he walked into the room, freezing when he saw Stella and Harry on his bed, the two having changed how they were laying when their legs began to fall asleep so now they were cuddled closer to one another. "Oh! Sorry to interrupt. I'll go."

Dean left in a hurry and Stella and Harry exchanged looks before they began laughing. It was late by the time the two stopped talking and Harry asked Stella if she could stay. Stella agreed and stole some of Harry's clothes to sleep in, which included a clean Quidditch jersey. She stepped out of the loo, her hair still up in a messy bun. Harry just stared at her, eyes wide and mouth open slightly.

"What?" Stella asked him, knowing perfectly well what that look meant but not willing to admit it.

"Nothing," Harry shook his head quickly, going to the loo to get changed himself.

Stella made herself comfortable on the bed, the blanket covering her legs where the shorts Harry'd found for her didn't cover. He returned and climbed in beside her, pulling the blanket up over the two of them and shutting his curtain. Harry pulled Stella close to his side and Stella laid her head on his chest and their legs tangling together. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep.

"OI!" Ron bellowed the next morning, waking them. "THAT'S MY SISTER!"

"And she's trying to sleep in," Stella grumbled, getting comfortable on Harry's chest again after they'd both initially jumped.

"Wha—" Ron sputtered.

"What time is it?" Harry asked, grabbing his wand and casting a charm to check the time. "Ron, it's eight on a Sunday. Why are you awake?"

"Why is my sister in your bed?!" Ron demanded.

"Not the first time it's happened. Don't know why it's such a big deal now," Stella complained.

"Not the first time!?"

"Shut it," Seamus complained, sitting up in his own bed. "What's going on?"

"Hi, Stella," Dean waved, looking far too awake and entertained for her liking.

"Stella?" Neville asked. "How long have you been here?"

"She slept here," Dean answered.

"You knew?!" Ron was shocked.

"I came up to see where Harry'd run off to last night and found them," Dean shrugged.

"Can we circle back to THAT'S MY SISTER?!" Ron bellowed again.

"And you're a toerag but you don't hear us screaming it at eight in the morning," Stella rolled her eyes before sitting up and stretching. "I should probably get to the dungeons."

"Before your girlfriend comes looking for you?" Harry joked.

"Funny," Stella rolled her eyes, climbing over Harry and getting out of the bed. " 'Scuse me."

Stella went to the loo, changing into the jeans she'd worn to the party but unable to find her shirt. She walked back into the dorm, checking along the floor as she went.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked her, now sitting up.

"I can't find my shirt," she admitted.

"I'll find it later and bring it to you," Harry offered. "You should hurry before Snape goes looking for you."

"He's much scarier than Parkinson," Stella agreed. "Alright. I'll get your jersey back later."

"Keep it," Harry shrugged. "It was an old one. Doesn't fit anymore."

"Bye, all!" Stella called as she left the room.

A few people were already in the common room and Stella waved as she left. She took shortcuts to get to the dungeons, avoiding being caught as she walked into the Slytherin common room, disillusioned. Pansy was there with Daphne, the two whispering back and forth. Stella approached them slowly, tiptoeing so they wouldn't hear her.

"I'm telling you, Daphne, it's going to happen," Pansy smirked.

"Are you sure you want to take it that far?" Daphne asked her.

"She may be a blood traitor, but she's still hot. And rich," Pansy rolled her eyes. "Using Black may pay off in more ways than one."

Stella walked away then, rolling her eyes as she went. Maybe it was time to step up her game.

The night before Slughorn's party there was a party in the Room of Requirement. Stella passed the message along to the Gryffindors and led the Slytherins to the room, having told Draco to be seen literally anywhere else. He ended up getting detention with Flitwick for the cause. Tracy was staying back with the younger students, studying in the common room in plain view. Stella had to keep up appearances as she and Pansy walked hand-in-in hand into the room, Stella having used the map to keep them all from getting caught.

She was wearing a school skirt but it was rolled up dangerously short, a white button up blouse that was barely done, and kitten heels, hair pulled up in a high ponytail and lips stained red. Pansy had been eyeing her the entire time that she'd walked around the dorm getting ready, bending so she could look in the mirror while doing her makeup so her skirt rode up even more, fishnet tights hugging her toned legs.

Music was already blaring and drinks were flowing when they got there. Stella moved straight to the dance floor with Pansy. She pulled Pansy's body against hers, the two dancing against each other inappropriately as quite a few people watched on. Pansy moved her face as if to kiss Stella, so Stella spun her around, making her face away from her. One hand was on Pansy's hip as they ground against one another. Her other hand went up Pansy's front, going between her breast and up to her neck, choking her just slightly so Pansy tilted her head back, eyes closed.

Stella moved her hand from Pansy's throat back to her back, bending her forward so that she bent at her waist. The two girls laughed as Pansy stood straight again, turning in Stella's arms. Stella's hand wound into Pansy's hair as Pansy went to kiss her again. Stella pulled her head back just a bit by her hair before giving her a teasing smile and then kissing her.

Stella didn't mind the kissing honestly. She liked the control that Pansy let her have. If she didn't know what Pansy was actually planning, she would have seriously thought on sleeping with her by then but she did know. Which was why Stella separated from Pansy slowly and gave her a smirk.

"Entertain yourself for a bit?" Stella asked her. "I'm going to get us drinks."

Pansy nodded, a bit breathless. Stella passed Pansy off to Daphne and strode over to the drink table where Harry was standing with Seamus and Neville.

"Having a good time?" Seamus asked.

"About to be," she answered, pulling two potions from her pocket, removing the corks, and pouring the contents into the two punch bowls. "I wouldn't suggest drinking this. Let the others know discreetly, please. Not the Slytherins, obviously."

Stella poured a glass for Pansy before grabbing a firewhiskey spiked butterbeer and leaving the boys. She passed Pansy her drink and the two continued dancing, drinking as they went. Stella even made out with her a bit more before separating again. She danced happily, jumping up and down with the beat. Soon the Slytherins were getting a bit sloppy, almost as if they'd ingested copious amounts of confusing concoction. Stella and the other houses stuck to the bottles rather than the punch that the Slytherins were drinking.

Pansy wondered off and Stella strutted over to Harry's side, turning and leaning her back against his chest. Harry's arms wrapped around her and she just watched everything unfolding. The Slytherins were bumping into people, seemingly lost and confused by their surroundings.

Stella loved messy bitches.

"Girls go to strange lengths for revenge," Harry commented and Stella let out a dark chuckle.

"You have no idea."

"What did they even do?" Harry asked. "You never told me."

"It's a part of that thing I can't tell you yet," Stella admitted. "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't fancy babysitting them."

"Of course," Harry whispered directly into her ear and Stella couldn't stop the shiver that worked through her body.

Damn firewhiskey. Harry chuckled, as if knowing what he was doing to her. She gave him a glare and then smirked, dragging him to the dance floor, hiding them in the crowd. She danced on him much like how Pansy had been dancing on her not too long ago. Harry's eyes widened and his hands tightened their hold on her hips, holding her close and moving with her.

They ended up leaving before the other boys in his year, Stella leaving the map with Neville, who looked rather out of place in the crowd. They fell into Harry's bed, him staring at the hem of the rather short skirt with interest.

"Alright there?" she smirked, feeling rather bold.

"This skirt is very short," he told her, face red from alcohol.

"And I am very cold in it," Stella admitted, pulling Harry close.

Harry was lying halfway on top of Stella, staring down at her and breathing heavily. Neither moved or said anything, remaining silent and Stella wondered if Harry was going to give in or not, barely a few inches between them now. Harry leaned forward and Stella watched as he leaned up, kissing her forehead before holding her to his chest, pulling a blanket over the top of them. She felt disappointed as she drifted to sleep.

The Slytherins had woken up with severe headaches that hangover potions couldn't heal. It got them in trouble throughout classes all day, Tracy, Stella, and Draco hiding their victorious smirks the entire time.

Later that night, Stella dressed in a red cocktail dress and heels. Her hair was braided in a bun and she had the necklace and earrings that Sirius had gotten for her on. She never took off her watch from Blaise or the bracelet from Harry, so those were on as well. She finished her makeup, a smokey eye and red lips, before leaving the Slytherins behind, finding Harry waiting for her outside the portrait hole. His eyes widened when he saw her and his mouth fell open, reminding Stella a bit of when he'd seen her at the Yule Ball.

"Hey," she smiled brightly and Harry shook himself.

"Hi," he told her, voice soft. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look nice as well," she told him honestly, fixing his tie a bit. "Should we go?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded.

"How were your last few classes of the day?" she asked him, trying to make small talk.

"Alright," Harry nodded. "Did you hear there's a vampire coming?"

"I have!" Stella smiled excitedly. "I've never actually seen one before."

Harry stopped her outside of Slughorn's office.

"Ready?" he asked, looking a little resigned.

"As I'll ever be," she shrugged.

Whether it had been built that way, or because he had used magical trickery to make it so, Slughorn's office was much larger than the usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in conversation, and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squeakily through the forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they were bearing, so that they looked like little roving tables.

"Harry, m'boy! And, of course, Stella! Two of you are always together. Just like your fathers!" boomed Slughorn, almost as soon as Harry and Stella had squeezed in through the door. "Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet!"

Slughorn was wearing a tasseled velvet hat to match his smoking jacket. Gripping Harry's arm so tightly he might have been hoping to Disapparate with him, Slughorn led him purposefully into the party; Harry seized Stella's hand and dragged her along with him, her trying not to laugh in the process.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of 'Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires' — and, of course, his friend Sanguini."

Worple, who was a small, stout, bespectacled man, grabbed Harry's hand and shook it enthusiastically; the vampire Sanguini, who was tall and emaciated with dark shadows under his eyes, merely nodded. He looked rather bored. A gaggle of girls was standing close to him, looking curious and excited.

"Harry Potter, I am simply delighted!" said Worple, peering shortsightedly up into Harry's face. "I was saying to Professor Slughorn only the other day, 'Where is the biography of Harry Potter for which we have all been waiting?' "

"Er," said Harry, "were you?"

"Just as modest as Horace described!" said Worple. "But seriously" — his manner changed; it became suddenly businesslike — "I would be delighted to write it myself — people are craving to know more about you, dear boy, craving! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews, say in four- or five-hour sessions, why, we could have the book finished within months. And all with very little effort on your part, I assure you — ask Sanguini here if it isn't quite — Sanguini, stay here!" added Worple, suddenly stern, for the vampire had been edging toward the nearby group of girls, a rather hungry look in his eye. "Here, have a pasty," said Worple, seizing one from a passing elf and stuffing it into Sanguini's hand before turning his attention back to Harry.

"My dear boy, the gold you could make, you have no idea —"

"I'm definitely not interested," said Harry firmly, "and I've just seen a friend of mine, sorry."

Harry and Stella practically ran to where Hermione was standing with a tall redhead that Stella would know anywhere.

"Fred?" she asked, eyes wide and a smile on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Mia invited me," Fred shrugged, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Brilliant," Stella smiled wide, knowing that Fred still held a flame for Hermione, who deserved to be happy, even if it wasn't with Theo.

"Hello, Professor Trelawney," Fred greeted.

Stella could smell cooking sherry but hadn't realized who it was coming from until the professor that she'd never had appeared beside her.

"I had the strongest urge to come see you, dear," Trelawney said to Stella.

"Erm- did you?" Stella asked, trying to step closer to Harry to escape the teacher.

"You should be careful of your left arm," the woman told her.

"Will do…" Stella nodded slowly as Fred, Hermione, and Harry tried not to laugh.

"Harry Potter!" said Professor Trelawney in deep, vibrant tones, noticing him for the first time.

"Oh, hello," said Harry unenthusiastically and it was Stella's turn to try to not laugh.

"My dear boy!" she said in a very carrying whisper. "The rumors! The stories! 'The Chosen One'! Of course, I have known for a very long time. . . . The omens were never good, Harry. . . . But why have you not returned to Divination? For you, of all people, the subject is of the utmost importance!"

"Ah, Sybill, we all think our subject's most important!" said a loud voice, and Slughorn appeared at Professor Trelawney's other side, his face very red, his velvet hat a little askew, a glass of mead in one hand and an enormous mince pie in the other. "But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions!" said Slughorn, regarding Harry with a fond, if bloodshot, eye. "Instinctive, you know — like his mother! I've only ever taught a few with this kind of ability, I can tell you that, Sybill — why even Severus —"

And to Harry's horror and Stella's great amusement, Slughorn threw out an arm and seemed to scoop Snape out of thin air toward them.

"Stop skulking and come and join us, Severus!" hiccupped Slughorn happily. "I was just talking about Harry's exceptional potion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!"

"Hello, sir," Stella smirked.

"Black," Snape greeted only her, sending a glare at Fred.

"It's natural ability!" shouted Slughorn. "You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death — never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don't think even you, Severus —"

"Really?" said Snape quietly, his eyes still boring into Harry, who felt a certain disquiet.

The last thing Harry wanted was for Snape to start investigating the source of his newfound brilliance at Potions. Little did he know that Snape already was aware of why Harry was doing so well.

"Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" asked Slughorn.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology…"

"All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror," said Snape, with the faintest sneer; Stella was just surprised that Snape actually knew why Harry was taking those subjects.

"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do," said Harry defiantly.

"And a great one you'll make too!" boomed Slughorn.

"I don't think you should be an Auror, Harry," said Stella while shaking her head. Everybody looked at her. "Luna says the Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, I thought everyone knew that. They're working to bring down the Ministry of Magic from within using a combination of Dark Magic and gum disease."

Harry inhaled half his mead up his nose as he started to laugh. Emerging from his goblet, coughing, sopping wet but still grinning, he saw something calculated to raise his spirits even higher: Draco Malfoy being dragged by the ear toward them by Argus Filch.

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls aquiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detection in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Stella knew he just needed a cover. Malfoy pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious.

"Alright, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gatecrash, happy?"

"No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"

"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving a hand. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."

Filch's expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly predictable. Malfoy's smirk was in place again. And why was Snape looking at Malfoy as though both angry and . . . was it possible? . . . a little afraid? Harry looked to Stella, seeing her and Draco exchange a glance before looking anywhere but at each other and knew she'd planned something.

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Snape suddenly.

"Oh, now, Severus," said Slughorn, hiccupping again, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard —"

"I'm his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," said Snape curtly. "Follow me, Draco."

Draco nodded to Stella and she nodded back, a smirk on her face. Slughorn moved on and Harry, Hermione, and Fred all stared at Stella.

"Can't tell you," she told Harry and he let out a frustrated groan. "You'll know soon enough."

"What?" Hermione asked in confusion before screaming could be heard.

"They're singing my song," Stella's smirk turned into a sinister smile as they joined the crowd leaving the office to see what the commotion was.

There was water covering the floor, reminding Stella of second year. The first through third year Slytherins were all unharmed, Tracy having snuck them out of the common room to show them a secret pathway that led to the astronomy tower using Stella's map, Draco had been caught long enough ago that he couldn't be tied in, and Stella had been with Harry for the past hour.

"What's happened?" Slughorn demanded as Snape and Draco came running back to the crowd.

More screaming was heard and Snape ran ahead of everyone. Draco moved to Stella's side and the two bumped elbows, smirking all too proudly of themselves before both shivered and controlled their expressions. They rushed forward as well, the others following suit.

"Stay back!" Snape yelled, McGonagall and Dumbledore having joined them now.

"How many inside?" Dumbledore asked, wand raised.

"All of them," Snape breathed, looking panicked.

"What's happening?" Tracy asked, appearing with the younger students.

"Don't know," Stella shook her head, looking confused.

"Where were you?" Snape demanded from Tracy.

"I was showing the younger students a few shortcuts to classes. They're having a rough year after all."

"Stella?" Baker asked, going to her side.

"Let's all step back!" Stella yelled, waving her arms and forcing everyone to step away from the door.

"Ready," Dumbledore told Snape and McGonagall and they nodded, bubblehead charms in place.

The door opened and water began sloshing out before Dumbledore waved his wand, forcing it to stop. Snape and McGonagall jumped into the water, wands raised. Merpeople began pushing students out of the room and into the hall, Pomfrey appearing and healing students as they came out. Stella stepped forward, rolling her eyes before helping Pomfrey. Most of the Slytherins had been removed now, most having been in their rooms when it had happened and safe when the glass separating the Slytherin common room from the Black Lake had shattered suddenly, random explosions having taken it out.

Those that had been in the common room however…

Pomfrey was working hard over Parkinson and Greengrass. They had burn marks on them and had swallowed multiple mouthfuls of water. Stella took over the less injured students who hadn't been as close to the explosion. She forced the water out of their lungs so they were able to breathe again before passing them to Draco to move out of the way.

She'd yet to see Crabbe, Goyle, or Bulstrode as the water began to receded. Stella guessed that Snape and McGonagall had fixed the glass now and were pushing the water out of the common room. Crabbe, Goyle, and Bulstrode were the last ones pushed out, having the same injuries as Parkinson and Greengrass.

'Good,' Stella thought to herself as Snape and Dumbledore began working on them.

They were taken on floating stretchers to the hospital wing and Stella stepped into the common room, finding the glass completely intact again. She walked carefully inside, looking around to see the water damage and waving her wand, fixing the damage a bit and making sure there was no evidence left behind from how she'd done it. Draco walked beside her, lazily waving his wand with her. Flitwick and Sprout ran in, searching the room for evidence and shooing Stella and Draco out.

"Well, I think I'm all partied out," Stella sighed, kicking off her heels.

"Me as well," Draco nodded, picking Stella's heels off the floor for her before turning to the younger students. "Sleep over in the abandoned classroom down the hall. Let's go."

The students followed Stella, Draco, and Tracy away, only Harry, Fred, and Hermione seeing the looks on their faces. They all looked… mad. Not angry mad, but off their rockers, out of marbles to lose, mad.