"Excuse me.. Professor Dumbledore." Whispered Andromeda. Professor Dumbldore looked up from fawkes.
"How may I assist?" Asked Dumbledore in his deep calm voice. Nadia, Rose, Aaliyah and Andromeda told the story from start to finish. Right from the bullying between Elsie and Nadia to the last meeting. Then Nadia begged
"Can you please let Alicia come back? I feel terrible for her." Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"You are brave children, you did the right thing." Observed Dumbedore. Nadia, Rose, Aaliyah and Andromeda looked hopeful.
"And Alicia will certainly come back...after the events unfolded. I think that we need you to send them to me. Could you, Miss Andromeda, please tell them to come here?" Andromeda sped off.
"Now you three it's the end of the year and I need your advice. Should we give the 4 another chance?" Asked Dumbledore seriously, no sight of a twinkle in his searching blue eyes.
Everyone thought for a few minutes then Rose said.
"One more chance." She said. Dumbledore turned eyes now regained its old glimmer. Nadia considered head tilted
"I suppose so. After all, they may change." Aaliyah nodded then Andromeda burst in with 4 surprised and anxious girls.
Dumbledore spun round. He wasn't smiling.
Nia looked at Nadia beadily, Zosia gave a half-angry half-sharp look, Angelina was looking as usual, haughty and unruffled. Meanwhile, Willow looked bitter and a disgusted look on her face. Dumbledore poured out the story, raising his eyebrows as they looked horrified.
"Is it all true?" He asked. Willow knew that there was no point pretending. She nodded, her eyes fixed to the floor. Angelina just tilted her head silently while Nia made an obvious look of guiltiness. Zosia was a coward. She would not stand for this!
"Look, Professor! Didn't you know Nadia and Aaliyah were both involved?" screamed Zosia stamping her feet "I bet those COWARDS didn't mention themselves!" Nadia immediately rose to Zosia's bait.
"Coward!? I was going over to the side that will help me and guide me when I am wrong. There are only weak cowards that are evil!" Hissed Nadia. Zosia glanced at Dumbledore's pained expression and smirked. But his facial expression went as quickly as it came.
"How very true indeed Miss Phelps." Mused Dumbledore
"Never call me a coward, do you hear me?" Aaliyah said through her laughs. They all went out, happy, apart from the four girls.
"Aaliyah! We are twins, you were meant to be with me! I always guided you, and now, well, of all ungrateful little snobs - you are!!" Yelled Zosia, the moment they were all alone, without a Professor. Willow was looking at Rose with such a disgusted expression, her eyes were bits of ice. She looked very ugly.
"I'll pay you back, Rose Quinsen, you wait." She hissed in a harsh voice. Angelina was looking livid and her neat hair was a mess. She stared at the whole four of them and looked ready to kill.
"I'll get you back you little brats." Hissed Angelina eyes flashing "You snitches! and you two." She glared at Nadia and Aaliyah "Are cowardly traitors."
Nia nodded in agreement and added
"I can't believe it after all these years of friendship. Remember we sat together and vowed to never leave each other? Remember Nadia Phelps when we put stickers all over our cat Lulu? When we played with our pixie dolls and we accidently bewitched them to form an army and attack father?"
Nia's voice sounded so powerful and Nadia felt as though she should comfort her.... Rose sensed that, and put her hand on her shoulder. Nadia turned and smiled weakly. She regained her own thoughts and whispered menacingly
"Remember when you ate all of my best Honeydukes chocolate, remember when you threw my best clothes in the bin and stamped on my spellbooks and telling mother it was me?"
Nadia was sure she heard heaving sighs around her.
This is the way that the first Grade ends, with four friends, happy and proud of their choice. Their bags packed, they waved goodbye to Hogwarts, until the second year!
