Moody dismissed the class right then, during that awkward silence.

The boy he mentally tortured left first, taking big strides. Then Bella's three friends came up with her things and took her with them. Not long after, the room was empty.

Bella was not a killer, but she had just killed a spider, and it destroyed her.

BPOV

My head was pounding with intense pain. Memories I was sure I had never experience flooded my mind. Tears still threatened to flood my eyes as my friends and brother guided me to our common room to collect myself. Despite all my efforts, my eyes still blurred and my vision was impaired.

Why was this a big issue? I had dealt with much worse situations before, hadn't I. It was, after all, only a spider, wasn't it?

Faintly, I could hear Hermione soothing me, her hand running through my hair. A vertical motion on my back registered in my brain and I acknowledged Ron and his string of insults directed towards Moody.

Only about ten minutes after we had reached the deserted Common Room, I felt the need to walk about.

"Can we leave?" I asked my friends who still gathered about my side.

"Are you sure? We can always stay." Hermione replied in a worried voice.

I shook my head. "I'm hungry. I hadn't eaten much this morning."

"We could bring you food." Harry suggested.

"No, I really want to go. What's the worst that could happen?" I gave them all a weak smile and rose from the couch.

They were all very hesitant and stayed back for a moment as I walked to the portrait hole, but when they realized I had left, they hurried along to catch up.

My face was dry now, perhaps a little red but I could easily pull that off with an excuse. Once I got to the doors and walked down to the Gryffindor table, enduring the few stares I received, my stomach really did growl and I sat down with a smile.

A couple of my friends asked me if I was okay, but for the most part, I ignored the fact that anything ever happened.

Looking around the room, once again I caught eyes with Marco, but this time I smiled and he smiled back.

From the corner of my eyes, I spied the row of Cullen's sipping from goblets with the teachers.

When I had my full, I decided to return to the common room and freshen up. My face still felt a tad bit stiff from the dry tears and I was in desperate need of a private moment.

On my way out, however, Cedric caught up to me. However much I wished to continue our common flirting, I was not in the mood to deal with him at the moment.

"Bella, I haven't had a chance to talk to you lately. What have you been up to?" He asked me smiling.

"Oh, nothing really. Mostly catching up with friends, you know?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders and waving my hand.

"Yeah, okay. Listen, you look a bit unwell. Are you okay?" He asked awkwardly.

I noticed a few people around us listening into our conversation, making me even more nervous than I already was.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm perfectly fine. Do I really look that bad? I should get back to my common rooms than, maybe freshen up a little. I'll see you around though, is that fine?" I said, already turning to leave.

His face fell a little, probably from the mention of my leaving already, but it couldn't be helped. I needed time to think about things on my own.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you then."

But I was already striding to the door.

Harry POV

"She's so distant lately; I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to make her uncomfortable but…" Hermione droned off.

"That's going to happen from time to time. You need to let her breathe." Harry said, looking up from his food.

"I know. It's just that we tell each other everything and I know she's not hiding anything from me but I feel like there's more than she's letting on, you know?"

"Yeah, I agree." Ron nodded in between taking a bite from a wing and a rib.

"How can you possibly agree when all you even do around her is insult or comment?" Hermione asked, incredulous.

"You know I'm not good with sensitive emotional things!" He cried.

"Whatever, it's to be expected with everything that's happening lately. She's under a lot of stress." Ginny put in.

"What stress?" Ron asked.

"Social stress, of course." His sister said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry and Ron snorted, earning an eye roll from both Hermione and Ginny.

"That's true. She's the only person here, besides Ginny, which attempts to keep a reputation here. Double that, all the boys she fancies and who fancy her, and then family drama together. Imagine that?"

"Wait just a minute. All the boys she fancies and all the boys who fancy her? How many boys are we talking about here, Hermione?"

"Oh, you're so dense!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No, I really mean it. Tell me."

"If she wanted you to know, Bella would have told you by now. You're smothering her again." Ginny said forcefully.

Harry just grunted.

Bellatrix was his only real family, besides Sirius of course. He wanted her safe, even if it cost her happiness.

Alice POV

The incident last class in DADA wasn't a secret. Everyone was thinking about the dreadful teacher who made a student use an illegal curse.

I wasn't actually there but it was obvious that it happened, even if no one said anything out right.

Some of the more gossipy teachers were all muttering between themselves about it. Everyones heart went out to Bella, even the slytherins.

The room hushed at the sound of the doors bursting open. Bella walked at full speed to her table. Her head was held high, and her aura was confidence at it's epitome, but your could clearly see the tear streaks on her face, and the redness around her eyes and nose. You could see the fear and worry in her eyes, as if it was eating her up but she couldn't scream.

I didn't know what Bellatrix Potters story was, but this was cruel. Most seemed to hold her to high esteem, she was a social butterfly at this school. She had talent, smarts, grace, and experience.

"It's almost as if she's not even my Bella." Edward muttered, at my thoughts.

"And what was your Bella like?" I asked in a low but snappy tone.

"She was shy, and clumsy. She was mature and independent, took care of herself and her own. She always—"

"Edward, this is the same person, in another body. Not even, just a different appearance. Everything you know about Bella Swan is actually everything you know about Bellatrix Potter. Sure, she's not clumsy. Sure, she's younger. But mentally, she's the exact same person. You have to remember, she went to Forks to do exactly what we're doing now. She was observing humans, muggles, whatever."

Edward let out a deep sigh and squeezed the bridge of his nose as if it would solve all of his problems.

"It's just, she's fourteen. She's naïve, and—"

A person can't fake experience and independence, Edward.

"But that makes no sense…"

I said nothing. My eye was trained on Bella, watching her every move. Some people came up to her, asked her if she was okay, but Bella gave nothing away.

She finished her food with few words, and got up to leave. She hadn't even got to the door when someone called her name.

"Who the hell is that?" Rosalie muttered in disbelief.

Wow, talk about twins. Hey Edward, are you sure you don't have any long lost relatives in the Wizard world?