Belle took a deep breath, visibly struggling to calm down. She pushed the hood of her cloak off, arranging the lock of hair that fell over her eyes back behind her ear. "There isn't much to tell..." she sighed, eyes glued to the brush as it changed hands. "We only just moved in to our apartment a few days before she vanished. She would often leave to explore or meet up with an acquaintance and I never though much about it because..." Her eyes welled up with tears. She pressed her lips together, furiously blinking them away.

"...because she said she was an adventurer and you could tell she was experienced in battle. She seemed like she knew what she was doing. I'd been so distracted by the library here that I rarely saw her anyway. If...if I'd been around when she left, maybe I would h-have noticed something, but..." Belle sniffled, putting her face in her hands to hide her crying.

For a moment it seemed like she'd crumble into despair, but she lifted her head suddenly, staring at Harry as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Wait...you're a wizard?"