Inside My Mind (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter X

Hogwarts Platform, Hogsmeade, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain

Tuesday the 1st of September 1992

7:45 PM

Hermione watched as Bella read one of the scrolls she had gotten from Professor Riddle. It was known by almost everyone in school that he favored her immensely Hermione noted. Hermione couldn't understand a word that it said, but Bella seemed to. The train was slowly coming to a stop and Bella placed the scroll in a special case in her trunk and muttered a quick warding spell that Sirius had most likely taught her.

She cared so much for the scrolls and books in there that Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Come on. We don't want to be late to the Sorting" Bella sighed and Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.

They exited their compartment, abandoning their trunks so that someone on the train could take them to the dorms. Hermione knew that the train was a relatively new way to transport students to the school. The three pushed their way through the thick crowd. Bella was the smallest of the three in stature so she was between them and hooked arms with Hermione.

The girl looked very tired her eyes were dimmer and there were slight circles under her eyes, but it seemed that with every step Bella took, the Girl-Who-Lived looked less worn.

Hermione watched as Bella did a double take when she passed a girl with wide grey eyes and arched eyebrows that made her look permanently surprised. Her robes didn't have a crest so obviously she was a first year.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Bella shook her head but said nothing. Ron, Bella, and Hermione wandered around and followed the sea of older students to a bunch of horseless drawn carriages. The bushy haired girl pointed at them.

"That's how the second years and above get to the castle. I read about it" Hermione said, quietly. Ron snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, you've read about everything" he commented. Bella snickered as the three piled into the first empty carriage they came upon. They talked about stupid things but Hermione's mind was still on the Italian boy.

She could tell he was Italian. She understood basic words but for the life of her she was still confused on what he had called her. She had made an absolute fool of herself before and she refused to ask him what it meant.

"Bella, does Professor Riddle know Italian?" Hermione asked she knew from Bella that he had traveled the world at one point. Bella looked up from her intense conversation of Quidditch with Ron.

"Maybe…he traveled with his mentor for a time, I think. He might know the language. Why?" Bella asked. Hermione looked away and willed the blush from surfacing on her cheeks.

"I was just curious to know what a few words meant."

"Why? Did someone tell you something in Italian?" Ron asked, trying to get into the conversation. Hermione blushed and looked down. Bella gave her a sly smile and tilted her head.

"I'll ask him for you, tomorrow night" Bella promised. Hermione and Ron gave her a strange look and she looked at them, blankly.

"Tomorrow night?" Ron asked in confusion. Bella smirked and crossed her arms.

"I'm going to get my first detention of the year tomorrow! I bet you by the end of my seven years here, I'll have more than all of the Marauders put together, I bet you three sickles, Hermione that I will without even trying" Bella said, proudly. Ron sniggered, loudly.