Tania Chekhov laughed as Alan caught her around the waist and half-tackled her. They rolled down the grassy knoll together, stopping once they reached level ground. Alan landed on top of Tania, balancing his weight carefully on his elbows so he didn’t crush her.

“I caught you,� he murmured, laughter dancing in his hazel eyes.

“Yes, I suppose you did,� she laughed.

“Do I get a kiss for capturing the fine lady?� Alan asked. He wasn’t entirely teasing.

Tania rolled her eyes. “Only if you stop making the ‘fine lady’ want to lose her breakfast.�

Alan laughed and sat up. Tania sat up as well, pulling her dress back down around her knees. Alan hesitated a moment, then asked, “Why don’t you like it when I talk like that?�

Tania smirked. “You mean like a poorly paid medieval troubadour?�

Alan looked at her and scoffed. “I did not –�

“Yes, you did,� Tania retorted without even letting him finish his sentence. “If you were a well-paid troubadour, you would have used ‘embrace’ for ‘kiss’ and ‘splendid’ for ‘fine’.�

“Fair point,� Alan admitted. They looked at each other, then both glanced away, laughing. A faint blush crossed Tania’s cheeks.

A breeze streaked across the field where they sat, making ripples in the rather overgrown grass. Tania sighed, leaning her head back and letting the wind play across her face, through the small bit of her dark hair that was not pinned up in a bun. She felt the heat of Alan’s eyes on her face and closed her own eyes, breathing in deeply. Tania opened her eyes just as the cloud that had been blocking the sun moved, throwing the field into sunlight.

Tania looked across at Alan. He had turned away from her and was now looking into the distance. He did that sometimes, though Tania couldn’t blame him. Anyone who had seen the death camps in Germany and Poland deserved a few moments of reflection now and again. He hadn’t been at the famous one, Auschwitz, but a smaller one, Treblinka, also in Poland. Tania reached out and took Alan’s hand. Sometimes human contact was all it took to get him out of memories of the camp. He had come home only a few months before. Then Nick Mihailov, a mutual friend, had introduced the pair. Over the weeks, Alan and Tania had had many picnics in this field and others like it.

“Do you have a concert soon?� Alan asked. Tania snapped her head over to look at him. He still held her hand.

Tania smiled. “Yes – we’re starting our next season in a few weeks.�

“The Old Bird give you your rightful part yet?� Alan asked.

Tania laughed at his highly disrespectful name for the leader of the flute section. She played flute in a symphony orchestra. “No, Miss Birdwell hasn’t given me the part I want. But that’s entirely her decision.� Miss Birdwell was at least seventy, though most asserted she was around eighty-two.

Alan looked at her, suddenly serious. “Come on, you know you don’t really think that.�

“Are you accusing me of lying?� Tania demanded in a low murmur, letting her eyes smolder just a little.

Alan grinned, tweaking her nose. “No. But I know you aren’t that complacent about the parts you get.�

“No, I’m not,� Tania agreed. She decided to change the subject. “So why were you late today?�

“Oh.� Alan removed his hand from hers and looked away. “That. Well, a few days ago our driver was taking one of the maids down to the station. He was just rounding the corner that leads to that old bridge – you know the one?� Tania nodded. “Well, this other man came flying over the bridge, driving way too fast, and apparently he didn’t see them.� Alan’s voice became very hesitant. “He slammed into them going over seventy kilometers an hour.� Tania gasped. Alan hesitated, but she nodded at him to go on. “The maid’s fine – she’ll be released from hospital tomorrow – but the driver was killed instantaneously.�

Suddenly Tania was finding it hard to breathe. “The driver… what was his name?� she asked, her voice shaking.

Alan faltered for a moment before answering. “Mihailov. Peter Mihailov.�

Tania gasped, and suddenly tears sprang to her eyes.

Alan took her hands again, staring at her with vibrant concern. “Tania?�

But it was no good. A half-buried memory had wriggled a corner out and demanded to be acknowledged. There was another boy in this memory, but his name was Michael. And another girl, named Minerva. They had been sitting with Tania in an otherwise empty room in a castle called Hogwarts.

Back then, Tania’s name was Bella.


“Bella?�

Bella didn’t answer. She just cried harder into her bare knees.

“Bella, are you okay?� Michael asked.

“What’s going on here?� a loud voice demanded from the doorway. Bella felt Michael stand up abruptly beside her. “Baumfeld, I trust there is an explanation to why Mihailov is crying?�

“I think so, McGonagall. But I can’t get her to tell me,� Michael said, his voice a mixture of sympathy for Bella and frustration.

McGonagall took a few steps into the room. “Mihailov?� she asked, her voice less harsh than usual. She was a Prefect, though only a year older than Bella and Michael. “Bella?� she tried again, her voice actually tender this time. “What’s wrong?�

Bella shook her head, feeling her bony kneecaps push against her eyelids.

“Bella.� McGonagall’s voice was still kind, though it had gained some firmness as well. “Look at me.�

Bella weighed her options for a moment. She didn’t want to let them see her face, but to defy direct orders from a Prefect was simply unimaginable. Slowly, Bella raised her chin. As the large purple and blue bruise across her left cheek and eye became visible in the torchlight, both McGonagall and Michael hissed in sympathy. Bella felt cool fingers on the bruise and knew without looking that it was Michael. He had the gentlest hands of anyone she’d ever met.

“Who did this?� McGonagall demanded, her voice furious.

“Who do you think?� Michael muttered. He and McGonagall exchanged a look and nodded.

“I’m going to Dippet,� McGonagall stated. “Riddle’s gotten away with way too much. Hitting his girlfriend isn’t going to get added to the list.�

“No,� Bella objected, meeting McGonagall’s eyes for the first time. “You can’t. He said if I told anyone he’d hurt me more.�

“Bet he told you no one would believe you either,� McGonagall said dryly.

Bella nodded.

“Listen,� Michael said. “You didn’t tell us. We harassed you until you let us see the bruise.� Bella looked over at him. Anger burned behind his blue eyes. “I’m going to go beat him until he starts bleeding green,� Michael declared. “I don’t give a damn if I get caught, he deserves it, the scumbag.�

“No, Michael,� Bella cried. “It wouldn’t help.�

“Besides, Baumfeld, it isn’t the best plan to come up with in front of a Prefect,� McGonagall reminded him. “We have to do something.�

“Let’s write your dad,� Michael suggested to Bella. “And Nick. They could sort him out with no problem. Peter Mihailov wouldn’t ever allow his daughter to be treated like this.� Michael had met Bella’s father and brother the previous September at King’s Cross Station.

“No. We can’t write them. They’re Muggles, they wouldn’t stand a chance,� argued McGonagall. “No offense,� she said hastily to Bella, who nodded.

“We’ll just have to keep her away from him, then,� Michael suggested. “It’s only a week until the end of term. Surely we can manage it that long.�

Bella began to cry again.

“What’s the matter now?� McGonagall asked, not unkindly.

“I love him, dammit,� Bella sobbed.

“Well, he doesn’t love you,� Michael said viciously. Bella looked at him with wide, shocked eyes. “If he did, he wouldn’t hit you.�

“We’ll just have to keep them apart,� McGonagall agreed. “Can Firstenberg handle that?� Abby Firstenberg, a girl in Bella’s dorm, had been dating Michael for the past several months.

Michael nodded, his eyes steely. “I’ll talk to her about it.�

Bella looked between them for several moments. “Thanks, Michael. And thanks…..� She trailed off, not sure what to call McGonagall.

McGonagall smiled. “Call me Minerva.�



Fifteen minutes later, the three were standing in the entrance to the great hall. As Abby arrived, Michael grabbed her hand and spoke to her in a low tone for several minutes. She looked at Bella several times and asked Michael a few questions before she nodded her consent.

As they were talking, Bella looked around. There he was. Tom Riddle stood at the top of the stairs that led to the dungeons, watching her. His dark eyes glittered threateningly.

“Bella!� Abby called. “Let’s go get dinner.�

Bella Mihailov looked at Riddle for a moment longer. Then she turned her back on him and walked in to dinner.


“Tania?�

Alan’s anxious voice jolted Tania from her memory. She wasn’t sure why she’d thought of that memory. She looked over at him. “Sorry. I’m fine. It’s just…�

“What is it?� Alan asked, brushing a finger along Tania’s jaw.

Tania blinked and felt tears spill over. “I knew Peter well. His son is like a brother to me.�

“I’m sorry, Tania, I should have realized,� Alan murmured, pulling Tania into his arms. She cried into his shoulder. “It was Nick who introduced me to you, after all.�

Tania nodded. “I should see him. Can I go home with you?�

Alan nodded. “Yes, of course. I don’t know if you’ll see him, though. He’s been going out on long walks since the accident.�

Tania shrugged. “I’d still like to try.�

Alan stood up, offering a hand to Tania. She took it. Alan checked his pockets, then bent to the grass to retrieve a small box that had fallen out. “I meant to ask you something today, but I think it had better wait,� he said.

“No, you can ask me,� Tania assured him, wiping her face.

Alan looked at her for a moment. “It can wait.�



When they reached Alan’s home, Tania turned and walked alone down the long gravel drive. She reached the driver’s cottage and rapped on the door, shifting from one foot to the other nervously.

Finally, footsteps sounded on the other side of the door. The door opened, and her brother’s haggard face looked out. His eyes, just the same shade of blue as hers, widened in shock.

Tania breathed in. “Nick?�