The Chaos Within (A Bellatrix Fanfiction)

Tensions

Later on in the year

I headed down to breakfast as usual, though my thoughts were still tangled in the events of the day before. That duelling class had rattled everyone.

Harry Potter was a Parselmouth.

The moment the snake had slithered across the floor and he spoke to it in that eerie, hissing tongue, it felt like the entire hall stopped breathing. It didn't matter what he said, everyone had seen it with their own eyes. And then, not long after, Justin Finch-Fletchley had been found petrified.

Rumours were everywhere. Some said Harry was Slytherin's heir. That he was behind the attacks. That he was sending the snake after Muggle-borns on purpose.

And honestly? I believed it. Something about him felt... off. Dodgy. Who else could command a snake like that?

"Ezza!" Rosanna's voice cut through my thoughts. She waved me over to our usual spot at the Slytherin table. I slid in next to her, trying to shake off the unease curling in my stomach.

"So, we have a plan," Becka began, a sly grin tugging at her lips.

"We do?" I frowned. "About what?"

"We're skipping History of Magic today," Tristan said casually, buttering a piece of toast.

"Is that really a good idea?" I asked quietly. "You know... with the attacks and everything?"

Draco, sitting nearby, scoffed. "Erin, please. We're all purebloods. We're not the targets."

"Yeah," Becka chimed in, "it's only the Mudbloods being attacked."

My stomach twisted at the word. I'd never liked hearing it, even if it was common in Slytherin circles.

"Still... we'll get into trouble," I muttered, uneasy.

Tristan shook his head, mock disappointment in his eyes. "You're such a goody-two-shoes sometimes."

"I blame the blood traitors you hang around with," Rosanna muttered under her breath.

I opened my mouth to defend Lee, Fred, and George, but thought better of it. It wasn't worth a breakfast argument.

The others kept chatting, but I zoned out again, lost in thought. If Potter was really behind this, why target Muggle-borns? He was friends with some of them... wasn't he?

"Draco?" I turned to him. "Do you actually think Potter's behind the attacks?"

He looked up, a curl of disgust in his expression. "Saint Potter? No chance. For one, he likes Mudbloods and blood traitors. For two, he's not smart enough to pull it off. Probably just stirring drama for attention again."

"But... being a Parselmouth?"

He frowned. "Okay, that was weird. But he's not the heir of Slytherin. That's just ridiculous."

I nodded slowly, but my unease didn't fully ease. Draco hated Potter too much to be objective.

When breakfast ended, I followed the others out of the Great Hall. We were meant to head to class, but Becka tugged at my sleeve.

"Ezza, remember? We're ditching History of Magic."

I hesitated. Skipping class was risky, especially now. My goal at Hogwarts had always been simple: keep my head down, stay out of trouble. This... didn't quite fit that plan.

"Erin!" a familiar voice called. Lee Jordan jogged up beside me. "We've got History of Magic next, yeah?"

"Erm..."