Number Twelve Grimmauld Place
Third Person
Bella immediately called Sirius, Remus, Charlie, and Dumbledore and explained the situation. She left out the Cullen’s involvement not wanting to get them in trouble. Once their conversation had concluded, she proceeded to spend the rest of that evening and the next day packing all her belongings. It took some convincing, but she knew that she needed to protect the people of Forks and La Push. She had made many friends in the small town, and she knew they would be You-Know-Who’s first targets if he ever found out about them. It pained her to know that they would never remember who she was, but it was for their own protection. She briefly wondered whether Jacob or the Cullens would remember her. Bella did not believe that Dumbledore knew about the supernatural that hung out in Forks and La Push and probably did not think to alter the charm accordingly. Maybe one day she would be able to come back and explain everything.
Bella was almost finished packing. She just needed to grab the remaining small things and had to hurry because Dumbledore was picking her up from Charlie’s to take her to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place at 10:00 Washington time. Bella looked around the room taking in everything and doing a mental checklist of everything she needed. She quickly gasped remembering that she had not packed her wand. She reached under the bed, lifting the loose floorboard to grab her want and was shocked when she discovered another loose floorboard.
She pulled the second loose floorboard up and sucked in a shocking breath. Underneath the floorboard was the plane tickets Edward got her, the pictures from her birthday, and any other memory Bella would have had with Edward. She was stunned and angry. How could he hide all the memories they shared together? Why would he hide them under her floorboard? Did he think she would not eventually find them?
She was pulled out of her thoughts when someone knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal Charlie on the other side. “Bella, Dumbledore is here,” he told the young teen.
Charlie and Bella grabbed all her things and carefully brought them downstairs. Seeing Dumbledore standing in the doorway, wearing his robes, white hair and beard glistening in the window light, Bella wanted to cry and give him a hug. Bella missed Hogwarts, her family, her friends, and her teachers so much, and seeing him brought up all those emotions on top of what she was feeling about the Cullens.
Dumbledore gave her a small hug before stating "Everyone is waiting for you at Twelve Grimmauld Place." Bella gave him a confused look. "I figured you deserved a night with everyone before heading back to Hogwarts. Give you some time to catch up and some time to think considering everything that has happened." He continued almost as if he could read the young girl's fears. Bella gave him a soft smile.
Bella watched as her bags disappeared in front of her. Despite spending many years in the magical world, it still amazed her every time it was used. Dumbledore grabbed the young girl and apparated to their destination. Bella felt her stomach drop as they arrived outside Grimmauld. “Your bags should already be ready for you in one of the rooms. See you at Hogwarts.” He told her.
Bella looked at the door that would lead to her family and friends. She paused thinking about what they would say regarding her adventures in Forks. Her entire family was very protective of her, well those she cared about at least. She took in a breath and walked through the door. Upon opening the door she was met with a long corridor that led to many different doors.
She made her way through the corridor, passing a grumbling house elf as she did so. She could briefly make out to voices shouting behind one of the doors. As she approached the room, she could begin to make out what they were fighting about.
“She was sent away to keep her safe,” the voice shouted. She realized that the voice belonged to Molly Weasley. Bella briefly wondered who she was fighting with.
Her question was answered when she heard Sirius shouting back at her. “Clearly she wasn’t!” It didn’t take long for Bella to realize they were arguing about her. “Vampires, Molly!” He continued “If vampires could find her then so could You-Know-Who.”
“Quiet,” Molly suddenly exclaimed in a hushed tone. Molly must have heard Bella walking down the corridor because she suddenly appeared from the opened door.
“Bella honey!” She exclaimed, giving the girl a hug. Molly pulled away taking a good look at the girl. Once Molly determined the young girl was okay, she guided her away from the room. “Why don’t you head upstairs, catch up with all the kids, and make sure all your stuff has arrived. Dinner should be ready shortly.”
Mrs. Weasley was always trying to protect the twins. She wanted them to have a childhood and not be forced into a fight that was started long before they were born. It was one of the many things Bella appreciated about Molly. She was the mom that Bella never got the chance to have because hers was taken from her. Bella quietly made her way up the stairs so as to not disturb anyone. When she reached the top of the staircase, she took a look around the floor. There was a long hallway with multiple rooms. She assumed this floor had been designated the kids’ floor per Mrs. Weasley’s comment. Bella wondered which room was hers. She didn’t have to wonder long because a head with red hair popped out of one of the rooms.
“Bella!” Ginny exclaimed upon noticing her in the hallway. Ginny rushed down the hallway to give her friend a massive hug. “You’re here!”
Bella took comfort in her friend’s arms. The commotion must have alerted everyone else because once Ginny released her, she was attacked with more hugs. Bella was so excited to be home. “Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Harry!” Bella exclaimed.
“Great to have you back Bella.” Harry said, giving his sister the longest hug. He had been so worried about her. Sirius told Harry about Bella’s run in with the Cold One Vampires, so he was happy to be able to see and hold her for himself. “How are you doing Bella?” he asked, pulling away from her.
“I’m doing okay,” Bella told her brother. She was not sure whether she was ready to tell him about what happened in Forks.
“Why don’t Hermione and I show you your room,” Ginny questioned, pulling Bella away from Harry. “You are sharing with Hermione and I.” Ginny had noticed Bella’s tense stance. She assumed the young teen was not ready to answer the questions that Harry was sure to ask. Bella gave Ginny a quick nod and followed the two girls to their room.
“We are so happy to have you back,” Hermione stated. “We have missed you loads and there is so much to tell you.”
“The school year has just started,” Bella reminded Hermione with a chuckle that didn’t reach her eyes
“Oh, I know!” she exclaimed in response. “But so much has already happened.” The three girls sat on their respective beds as Ginny and Hermione told Bella about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
“She is horrible Bella!” Ginny exclaimed. “You should see the new rules she is making, and she refuses to believe what anyone says about You-Know-Who.”
“Plus, you should have seen what she did to Harry during his detention,” Hermione added to the conversation. Bella could not believe that Dumbledore would allow someone to take over his school and start making rules. She found it strange, but after the half a year in Forks Bells knew there was probably more to it. Bella knew that Dumbledore was trying to fight a war on two fronts and eventually one of them would break.
Bella was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. The three girls looked up and Fred poked his head into the slightly open doorway. “Mom said it’s time for dinner,” he informed the girls. “Better hurry too, she seems to be in a mood.”
“I wonder whose fault that would be,” Bella quipped with a chuckle at the red headed twin.
“Now why you gotta blame everything on me Izzy,” Fred responded with a chuckle. The three girls got up and started walking towards the door. As Bella neared, Fred opened his arms for a hug. “How are you doing?” He asked her, looking into her eyes. He could see the pain in her eyes despite the slight smile that covered her face.
“I’m good,” She told him, but at the look on his face she sighed. “Okay maybe not, but I am getting there.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Fred told her. Bella followed Fred, Ginny, and Hermione to the dining room for dinner. As she followed behind them, she thought about the Cullens and how different their family dinners were. They generally sat and watched her, and she ate whatever food Esme had prepared for her.
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When the group had arrived in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley had created a gourmet dinner filled with all the food that Bella loved. Around the table were all of her friends and family.
“REMUS!” Bella exclaimed upon seeing the werewolf at the table. Her godfather stood up as Bella rushed into his open arms. Even though the two had only met two years ago, they became extremely close. Remus was the father that James Potter could not be due to his death. The two had bonded through her third and fourth years at Hogwarts.
“Bellsy!” Remus exclaimed with a sigh upon seeing his goddaughter. He had been constantly worried about her while she was in Forks, and his worry only increased after hearing she had an incident with Cold Ones. Seeing Bella now calmed some of Remus’s worries.
Bella smiled at the nickname her godfather gave her. He had stepped up the past 2 years and has become like another father to her. Thinking of her father, Bella brought her hand to the locket Remus had given her. The locket contained a picture of herself, Harry, and their parents. The locket was a constant reminder that her parents loved her and would do anything to protect her. Even giving up their own lives.
“How are you holding up Bella?” Remus asked his goddaughter, as he pulled her into a hug. Remus knew there was more to the story than what she was telling them, but he also knew better than to push. Bella would come to them in her own time.
“I’m doing better now that I’m here,” she told Remus, enjoying the comfortable feeling his hug gave her. Once the two pulled away, Bella went to sit in her seat between Harry and Ginny.
As the group ate dinner, they all chatted between themselves. Bella took in each member of the table and smiled at how comfortable everyone was. Bella compared it to her meals with the Cullens. Even though they made her feel at home there was also a certain amount of tension and uncomfortable silence as she ate. With the Weasley’s they were always quietly chatting among themselves and catching up on everything that was going on in their day to day. In this moment Bella knew she was home and safe. She had longed for a family outside Harry and the Cullens filled that void for her. She now realized that her family had been in front of her all along.
“So, I hear Hogwarts is getting two new staff members mid semester,” Sirius stated to the group, breaking Bella out of her thoughts. The group of young wizards and witches looked at each other. This was the first the group had heard about it. If new teachers were coming to the school, it was a last-minute decision. Teachers were never assigned to the school mid semester unless they were replacing an existing teacher.
“Yes, Hogwarts is,” Arthur Weasley stated, having heard it through the ministry grapevine.
“That’s odd,” Bella stated quietly. Besides the last couple of years, Hogwarts has had a steady flow of faculty members. Even then the only spot that had been a continuous revolving door has been the Defense Against the Darks Arts Position. Bella was beginning to think that position was cursed.
“Why yes, it is,” Arthur agreed.
“Is someone leaving?” Harry asked knowing all the teens were asking the same question in their minds.
“I do not believe so,” Arthur Weasley responded. “Most of the ministry members were in shock as well. I believe it was a last-minute decision by Professor Dumbledore upon Bella’s return.”
“Oh,” Bella stated shyly. She wondered why Dumbledore extra teachers were needed for her return and who the new teachers might be.
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The next morning, Bella, Hermione, and Ginny were awoken by yelling from outside the door.
“What is that?” Hermione asked, still groggy from sleeping.
“I don’t know, but would it shut up already!” Ginny exclaimed, not happy at being woken up from her peaceful sleep. The first night of peaceful sleep since returning to Hogwarts.
Bella couldn’t make out what was being said, but she could distinguish the voices of Harry and Ron going back and forth. “It sounds like Harry and Ron fighting,” Bella explained to the two witches, pushing her blanket off her. “I’ll go brake up their fight before they decide to kill each other.”
Bella got up and navigated her way towards the door. When she opened the door, she found Harry and Ron standing right outside of it. She quickly pushed the two boys further down the hall and away from the room.
“What are you two idiots fighting about so early in the morning!” Bella exclaimed.
Harry and Ron looked at each other before Ron finally spoke. “Well…” he paused. “Mom wanted to take you and the girls shopping to get your new schoolbooks and maybe some new robes.”
“And that required you two yelling back and forth why?” Bella further inquired. She could not imagine a situation in which Mrs. Weasley wanting to take the girls shopping needed to end in an argument.
“Well, I told Ron that there was no way I was waking you up this early.” Harry started to explain but was interrupted by Ron.
“And I told Harry that Ginny would kill me or hex me if I woke her up this early.”
“You don’t think Bella wouldn’t do the same!” Harry exclaimed, turning to look at his friend.
The two friends proceeded to get into yet another argument. Bella could not believe they were fighting over who would wake them up.
“Enough!” Bella exclaimed, starting to get a headache from all the fighting. Both boys shut up and turned to look at her. “You idiots. You were too busy fighting about who would wake us up, that you woke us up anyways.” She explained. “Next time just knock like a normal person.”
“Sorry,” both boys said, dropping their heads in shame.
“It’s okay, I forgive you,” Bella started watching the boys perk up at Bella being so quick to forgive them “But, you guys get to carry all our bags when we go shopping,” she finished laughing as the boys’ smiles dropped.
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Later that afternoon, Bella was walking with Hermione and Ginny laughing at Harry and Ron’s constant grumbling. The boy’s had not stopped complaining about having to carry their bags since the second store and they were about to head into the fifth store.
“Guess you shouldn’t be so loud next time,” Ginny called back to the two boys.
Bella laughed at Ginny’s comment, but her laughter was cut short at the sudden feeling that she was being watched fell over her. Bella came to a quick stop looking around trying to figure out where the feeling was coming from.
“What’s the matter Bella?” Harry asked coming to a stop next to her upon noticing her quick change in mood and behavior.
“Nothing,” Bella told her brother, determining that nothing seemed out of place, and no one seemed to be paying extra attention to her. She still couldn’t shake the feeling. Something just felt off.
“I know better than that, with you it’s never nothing” Harry said looking at her with concerned eyes. Bella had not told them what happened in Forks, but Harry knew that it damaged her in some way.
“I feel like I’m being watched.” Bella admitted to her brother.
“You’re safe with me Bella” Harry said putting his arms around my shoulders. “And once we are at Hogwarts no one will be able to touch you. Dumbledore will make sure of it.” He continued trying to reassure her. Bella nodded her head at her brother but couldn’t help feeling like he was very wrong.