Ella ○ Harry Potter

Seven: Bestie Snape

The four sat in the dungeons almost silently, before a loud argument broke off.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY THAT DUMB?!" Fred bellowed.

"How the hell is that my fault?" Lee yelled back, "I just came around and you said 'let's prank the Hufflepuffs!', how is that my fault?!"

"You're the one who talked us into pranking the Slytherin!" George threw in, making everyone start talking together, Ella trying to stop Koda from attacking one of the twins as she yelled at them to stop screaming so close to Snape's office.

Within moments Ella's fears turned to reality, and Severus Snape sauntered closer to them. These days, Snape was particularly sour and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire.Snape didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever. He even stopped waking Ella up, not even threatening her with detentions!

Ella was almost worried.

"Hello Professor sir," Ella greeted, making the three Gryffindors silence.

"What are you all yelling about?" the man hissed at the four teenagers menacingly, making Koda hide in Ella's jacket.

"Fred asked me out and I said no," Ella blurted out. "And then I asked Lee out, but he said he's into Angelina Johnson-" Ella blubbered, hoping that her memory served her right and there really was an Angelina Johnson in the Gryffindor's Quidditch team. "And Fred and George heard, and George is also into Angelina, and this whole argument broke out; we're sorry, Professor sir, teenage drama."

"Well, get this argument away from me or you'll continue discussing this in detention."

"Yessir," the four chorused, standing up and walking away.

After a moment a new argument broke out; "I don't mean to be rude here, but I don't even like Angelina!"

"Yeah, and my preference is Alicia, if anything," Lee added.

"Well, I just don't understand why I am the one who asked you out."

"Would you all shut up?" Ella snapped, listening carefully, a smirk spreading over her lips. "I think Peeves started his part."

The four stayed silent for just a moment; When they added the Slytherin part into this plan, they filled balloons with glitters in all of the colors they could find, but unfortunately no Slytherin walked around so close to the curfew.

Unlike the Hufflepuffs, as they could clearly hear.

"Okay, now we just need to get Mrs. Norris," Ella concluded, groaning. "I still can't believe you somehow teleported her to Merlin knows where."

"She must be somewhere in this school, since you can't use magic to get either in or out." The three turned to give Lee a strange look; they weren't expecting him to know anything of that sort.

"Oh."

"Well, then- if that's the case, we could always just leave her to find her way on her own. Maybe she'll drop dead or something," Fred waved off.

"But she is a cat," Ella hesitated; she may hate Filch and his cat, but a., Filch cared for her deeply and could possibly be even more evil without her, b., she couldn't bring herself to let a cat's death be on her hands. No matter how evil that cat was, it was an animal, and animals were pure creatures.

"Well, um..." Fred ran a hand through his hair, "I guess you're right, we should split up and--"

"You four, what are you doing here?" a voice barked, and they turned to see a ginger Gryffindor boy followed by a Ravenclaw girl.

"Hi Perce," Fred greeted, and with a sly smile added "hi Percy's girlfriend."

The two flushed deep red, and Ella giggled, matching her three newly- made friends' smiles.

"Shut up George!"

"I'm Fred, gee," he rolled his eyes. "You're the worst brother ever," Percy's face turned scarlet by now, and he simply eyed Ella.

"Are you bullying Slytherins again? For Merlin's sake--"

"Hey, no one can bully me!" Ella piped in. "I am the queen of everything and no one can or will hurt me or my dignity."

George and Lee exchanged a glance before Fred patted her shoulder. "Sure you are, Ella. Sure you are."

"Koda," she commanded, making the tanuki poke its head out of her sweatshirt. "Attack Freddie!

Koda screeched, jumping out and latching into Fred's shoulder, freaking him out for a moment, but not really doing anything, he soon realized.

"That's it, detention!" Percy snapped.

"What is going on?" a stern voice asked, and they all turned to see Professor McGonagall.

"Oh crap," Ella muttered, "Koda, come back," she muttered, and he climbed off Fred, climbing up his owner.

"I asked," the professor snapped, "what is going on here."

"The four of them are traveling the school after curfew and arguing loudly. I'm just about to give them detention--"

"There will be no need, Mr. Weasley," the woman waved him off. "You and Ms. Clearwater are free to go. They, however, are in deeper trouble."

"Who? We?" the four questioned innocently.

"Did you know," she started as Percy and Ms. Clearwater took off, "that I am an animagi? A cat, in fact."

Ella could sense where this was going, especially as she heard the footsteps that belonged to Filch: heavy and way too loud, only he walked around like this.

"Yes, Professor," Lee spoke, "you showed us at our third year, I think."

"Why, then, you realize I've got the basic skill of understanding cats when I am in my animagus form?"

"That is awesome and all," Fred spoke nervously, "but I don't see why you are telling us that."

"Because, Mr. Weasley, I'd like you to explain what exactly went through your head when you teleported Mrs. Norris into the lake!"

"Oh crap."

Ella mused if maybe she could convince Snape to save her, he was her bestie after all.

"You damn kids!" Filch's voice screamed, as he finally saw them. Ella could see Mrs. Norris wrapped in blankets and towel in his arms, and her heart squeezed.

"Poor thing," she spoke, and no longer wanted Snape to help her out of the punishment; she deserved it. "I am sorry, Professor, Mr. Filch. It's all my fault." she shook her head, tears stinging in her eyes. "The three of them are not in fault, it's all me. And I really am sorry, sir. And cat. I never meant for you to fall into the lake."

There was a moment of silence before Filch exploded;

"DETENTION! FORBIDDEN FOREST! FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! CLEAN THE SCHOOL WITH A TOOTHBRUSH! I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE!"

"Well that escalated quickly," she awkwardly said.

"Silence, Argus." McGonagall seemed deep in thought for a moment before speaking. "For the prank on the Hufflepuffs, you three will get a week's worth of detentions with Professor Sprout," she told the boys, who nodded awkwardly. "Ms. Gray," she spoke next, her voice leveled. "You will get a three nights detention at the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid," she nodded, her heart not as heavy as it was before she heard Hagrid's name. "And," Ella raised her glance towards the woman, "you will have to talk to Dumbledore- I'm afraid you might not be able to complete your education at this school."

"Oh crap," Ella simply said once more.