Inside My Mind (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter LVI

Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain

Tuesday the 11th of February 1996

5:00 PM

Bella cursed. Loudly. All of Hydra, her siblings, and Luna looked up at her. Luna seemed to be looking at her knowingly. Daphne picked her head up off the girl's lap and looked at her, curiously.

"What is it, lovey?" Daphne asked. Bella snickered at that before her thoughtful expression reappeared on her face. She began tearing grass from the ground as she thought of a proper way to phrase it.

"I've been thinking…no one believes me. About Grindelwald I mean. And Umbridge yells at anyone who even considers I'm telling the truth. How am I going to get around that? We can't get people on our side if they can't believe us," Bella said. Daphne sat up. Neville was nodding in agreement.

"That's true. I believe you of course but I heard Seamus and Dean talking about you. They think you're lying," Neville said without a single stutter. Lalita smiled at him proudly and he flushed. Anthony looked over at Neville with a slightly jealous look on his face. It was Lalita's turn to flush now.

"The girls in my dorm have been considering that you're telling the truth. But they all agreed that they need the facts," Padma supplied. Bella nodded. Michael looked up from his DADA book. He scribbled his notes onto the parchment next to his book.

"That's the thing, Bella. No one believes you because they have no idea what happened. They see a dead woman and you show up. And then you're claiming that Grindelwald is back. Anyone would deny that. And then you say Voldemort is back too. Voldemort is just as bad as Grindelwald," Michael explained. Bella looked around at Hydra. They were all nodding. Linda ran a hand through her hair.

"The Dark Lord," Bella corrected him. Michael looked at her, surprised.

"Bella, if you want to convince the world, you're going to have to let the world hear your story. And somehow I doubt that the Daily Prophet will be willing to hear your story," Linda conveyed. Hermione and Blaise stiffened. They turned to look at Luna and she smiled, sweetly. Everyone turned to her.

"Hello," she said, happily. She had been there the entire time of course but Luna was strange like that.

"Luna's father is the editor of the Quibbler," Hermione said, softly. Bella's eyes widened and she looked at Luna with a grin on her face. Suddenly, the grin slid from her face.

"But, we need a reporter. A credited reporter."

Blaise's thoughtful look made everyone stare at him. Draco quickly got impatient and he shoved his brother.

"Well, out with it Blaise," Draco snapped. Blaise glared at Draco before quickly relaxing. He straightened and looked around at their unorthodox group. Everyone was looking at him with an air of impatience.

" Rita Skeeter."

Everyone looked at him as if he were insane. Theodore rolled his eyes.

"Blaise…she was discredited last year by Professor Riddle. In front of everyone. And then Bella snapped her wand. She not really a credited reporter," Theodore reminded him. Blaise nodded in agreement and he leaned back against the tree. He looked up at the darkening sky. It was chilly, being a February night, but the group always sat by the oak tree. Rain or shine. If it was raining, they didn't do homework. They'd just hang out under the leafy canopy that the tree provided.