Belladonna

The Wicked Witch Returns

Belladonna 20

The Wicked Witch Returns

29 October 1993

Ana was sure that after their last session, when she mouthed off to Sev, that Adrian would never want to speak to her again.

She was wrong.

Adrian approached her a few days later asking to resume their sessions. Ana was happy to oblige, and so they met without the direct knowledge of Sev. Ana was certain he still knew, but she never told and he never asked.

September rolled into October, and the first Hogsmeade weekend loomed nearer. Still, Fred kept his distance and his silence. All the girls had dates already, even Hestia had agreed to go with Duncan from Ravenclaw. Ana, however, wasn't sure of her date status, and that was something Flora loved to comment on any chance she got.

That uncertainty, however, was about to change.

"Oh, Professor," Marietta Edgecombe sang in a mockingly sweet voice.

It was the Friday before the Hogsmeade weekend. Ana and Hestia were leaving Divination where once again, Ana had been a shining star. She was, apparently, really good at it and rather enjoyed the class, even though it always left her with a headache. Marietta, as it turned out, was not so good at the subject. And so she often took out her frustrations on Ana and Hestia.

Marietta opened her mouth to deliver what was sure to be a mediocre insult at best, but Ana and Hestia beat her to the punch and delivered an insult that Marietta could not counter.

"You know, Edgecombe, there are three types of people in this world," Ana began.

"There are those like me who have to work hard to be great," Hestia continued. "And there are those like Ana who are just born great."

"Then there are people like you, who fall into the pit of failure no matter what they do."

"And do you know what happens to the people in the pit?"

"The snakes devour them whole."

On cue, Ana and Hestia both licked their lips and gave a gentle hiss. Marietta's eyes were wide with fear and disgust as Cho Chang dragged her away.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Hestia said with a smile.

"I don't know...I think it may have been a little much."

Hestia cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm great; I know I am, but was I really born great, or is it simply a compilation of all the great people around me?"

Hestia's eyebrow rose even higher.

"No. You're right, Hes. I was just born this way."

Hestia rolled her eyes and laughed. "For a moment there you had me worried. I thought perhaps you'd been body snatched."

"That I'd been what?"

"Body snatched...It's this talking picture that Duncan keeps raving about."

"Oh... right... So, you and Duncan?"