The next morning at breakfast wasn't easy. It was only a little easier than learning the truth about everything that had been happening with Katrina. The thought that all this time Katrina had been carrying this with her and that he had not only not been there for her, but loathed her through it, was almost too much to bear. He didn't know how he could look her in the eye, or how he could ever make it up to her, but he knew he would do his best and hoped she could find it in her to forgive him.
Bella, Parisa, and Sabrina were ready to commit murder when they entered the great hall. They were pretty intimidating, with Parisa and Sabrina flanking Bella in their matching uniforms, with matching uniforms and deadly expressions.
A few professors tried to make it to them, but they didn't have much of a chance. They had only been in the hall a few seconds before the news broke.
"I see you've heard that your little friend has been kidnapped," Alecia called apathetically, a hint of malice in her expression. Bella stopped dead.
"What?" She said. She turned to the professors, who were silently cursing themselves for not making it sooner.
"Is this true?" She asked. Professor Finnigan nodded. Sabrina froze and Parisa choked. Bella bristled.
"Well what are we doing standing here, than?!?" Bella shouted. The entire hall had fallen silent. All eyes were on the girls, just now finding out that their friend had been abducted.
"Miss Lachapelle-"
"Standing here trying to get me to calm down won't help Katrina!" Bella yelled
"But!"
"What's the ministry doing, anyway, weren't they supposed to have caught this witch by now?" Bella, normally level-headed, was getting a little hysterical. Albus rose and tentatively touched her shoulder.
"Bella-" She whirled around and there was an uncontrollable fire in her eyes.
"And you!" she shouted recklessly. "You and your stupid stubborn pride you-" She began to slam her fist into his chest with each word. "Stupid! Ignorant! Foul! Loathsome! Unforgiving! Toad! She was trying to help you and you just couldn't see past your own stupidity and now she's gone and we might-Never! Get her! Back!" As Bella pummeled him, Albus stood still and upon this last broken statement, she gave in, collapsing into Albus' arms and sobbing.
The hall was deathly quiet, as Albus hugged Bella, providing the only comfort he could.
"She's only ever been what everyone wanted from her." Bella whispered in between sobs. "She never complained. She never-" Albus nodded into her hair, letting her know she didn't have to continue. He knew what she meant. "She never deserved any of this," she finished.
No one in the hall dared to breathe. Everyone had been scared, a little frightened for their own lives and their friends'. There had been light speculation about who would be kidnapped next, hushed whispers about those who had already been taken when the teachers were out of earshot, passed rumors about Delphi and her plans. But before this moment no one in the school had allowed themselves to feel the fear. They had all put on a brave face, slipped on a mask of security. But seeing Bella, who just moments ago had looked ready to take them all single-handed, reduced to tears and hopeless, dissolved the false reality they had allowed themselves to live in.
No one thought this was funny. No one thought they were safe.
This was real life.
"Students, these last few months have been trying on all of us," McGonagall said sympathetically. Slowly, like in a dream, the students moved their focus from Bella to the headmistress. "I know that you tire of hearing the same speech; that the ministry is days away from finding Delphi and returning your classmates to you, that the tournament will continue as planned, that you are safe, that you are not to panic. I know that you believe it as much as I do. There have been few times in Hogwarts' history where the school has been subject to such danger, I will be honest. However, Delphi is only targeting Quadwizard Tournament Champions, that much is obvious. The rest of you are perfectly safe. I have spoken with the champions and they have all agreed to accept the risk and continue with the tournament as planned."
Bella looked up at Albus.
"This is suicide," she whispered harshly. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? You know she'll be after you next." Albus didn't meet her eyes, instead keeping his gaze trained on McGonagall.
"With this in mind, it is with terrible forboding that I announce that due to the abduction of Katrina Fizzleworth, Beauxbatons must obtain a new champion for representation. This champion will be allowed the same choice as the other champions, given the circumstances. If the champion drawn does not wish to risk a target on their back, a new champion will be chosen.
McGonagall glided to the cup, which with recent events in mind, had remained within reasonable reach. Just like it had been planned, the cup sputtered and spat out a slip of paper before McGonagall had even reached the ring. She plucked it out of the air and with great trepidation, she unfolded the slip and squinted to read the handwriting.
"Sabrina Bellamy." All eyes turned to the back once more, but not for long as Alecia stood quickly, a look of outrage flushing her face.
"This is absolutely ridiculous!" She exclaimed. "First that nobody Katrina, and now this freak? The cup is clearly mistaken. It must have been rigged against Beauxbatons, it's clearly not picking our strongest wizards!
"Miss Labelle I assure you that the cup is most certainly not "rigged" and I will remind you that Beauxbatons holds the first place slot currently, thank to Miss Fizzleworth, so if you would please sit down-"
"This is completely out of line!" Alecia complained. "The cup is wrong! These people aren't special, they don't deserve to be champions!"
Albus felt Bella prepare to surge forward to defend her friends, just as she always had, but for the first time, someone beat her to it. To everyone's complete shock, Sabrina, who had always done anything but rock the boat, marched forward, seized Alecia by the collar of her Beauxbatons uniform and yanked her forcefully off the bench. She tumbled to the floor, making a noise of surprise and outrage, but before she could do much, Sabrina's still-firm grip on her uniform tugged her upward to her knees. Sabrina lowered so her face was right in front of Alecia's.
"Since our first day at Beauxbatons you have ridiculed, mocked, and belittled me. You have called me freak, outcast, mouse, mute and nobody. You have torn down my confidence, stripped me of my self esteem, and robbed me of my hope, leaving me with nothing, absolutely nothing, but my caring friends who never left my side-" She paused as her free hand drifted to her side. "And my wand," she continued as she forcefully rested the wand on Alecia's throat. She grunted in protest but did not struggle. She was petrified.
"Every single day for six years you have lead me to believe I am worthless. You have drowned out any other noise and stolen my voice. But today, it's your turn to listen." The entire hall held their breath. No one had ever seen such a surprising outburst before. Even the professors did not lift a finger to stop the situation.
"You are a bully, a tyrant, and a manipulator. The only reason you have any worth is because you convince others that theirs does not exist. You believe you are better than us, but someday when you are all alone, you will realize that all of these people who follow you only do so because you're the biggest fish in the pond. None of them are loyal to you, and when the time comes every single one of them will leave you, and you will have nothing and no one. Someday you will realize that everything you thought gave you power left you with nothing in the end, and all you will have to show for it is a shadow of a girl who once thought she was the center of the universe."
"Katrina Fizzleworth is a million times the witch you are or ever will be. She is fierce, and talented, and brave, but more importantly she is kind, and loyal, and honest, and because of that other talented and loyal witches and wizards will follow her and trust her. Mark my words someday you will look up from this hole you never realized you were in and will see that when you thought you were looking down on her, you were seeing a reflection of the stars."
"I am just as gifted a witch as you are, and as such not only will I be accepting the spot as our school's temporary champion, but I can also assure you that if I ever hear another ill word about Katrina drift out of your mouth I will hex you until you can't comprehend morning, is that clear?"
Alecia nodded pathetically, and Sabrina forcefully shoved her to the ground, where she remained, possibly attempting to collect the shards of her dignity. Meanwhile, Sabrina whirled around and without a second glance over her shoulder, marched out of the great hall, drunk with courage.
Albus, Bella, and Parisa followed quickly behind her, equally unsure what had just happened as anyone else in the hall. They had to jog to keep up with her surprisingly brisk walking pace and when she finally stopped part way into the grounds, she turned around, breathing heavy, seeming a little dazed as if her brain was still processing what she had just done.
And then, she smiled.
"Well that was BLOODY BRILLIANT, wasn't it?!?!?"