A/N: whoa. It has been a long, long time. I wasn't being lazy, I swear. Let me just make one thing clear: I HATE fixing up houses. And I LOVE writing. So loyal readers, I am back. Thank you so much, animalzoo, svata2004, Phoenix5143, Ms. Marvel, and Melissa for reviewing. I had a lot of fun with this chapter, so I hope you like it. It's good to be back!

"Why isn't she healing?" Phoebe asked anxiously.

"I don't think this is a physical injury," Leo responded.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe looked into Sabrina's unseeing eyes. She couldn't help her daughter, and it made her feel so vulnerable.

"Think about the Cian Master's new powers. He can force us to face our greatest fear. This is Sabrina's greatest fear," Leo explained.

"My greatest fear is to be blind?" It didn't seem right. That wasn't her fear, she was certain.

"No. It's something deeper. This is a form of defenselessness."

"Defenselessness? How could I be afraid of defenselessness? I have tons of defensive power," Sabrina argued.

"That doesn't matter," Leo said. "This is still your fear, and you have to face it."

"Leo's right," Phoebe spoke. "The only way to overcome your fear is to face it."

"But this still doesn't seem right. Shouldn't I feel afraid?" Sabrina just didn't want to see this as her greatest fear. Perhaps it was denial, but Sabrina certainly wouldn't acknowledge that fact.

"Don't you?" Phoebe replied.

The tone of her voice caused Sabrina great aggravation. It was the typical mom tone that informed Sabrina that she was wrong. "Well, maybe a little, but I'm trying to avoid thinking about the fear." How could she get around that, though? She was terrified by this. She was susceptible to all demon attacks. She could easily be killed. She really was helpless.

The suppressed fear began to rise up. She pushed it back and attempted to concentrate on what her mother was saying.

"You can't avoid the fear. Ignoring it will only make the situation more difficult. Sabrina, you have to realize that you have the power to overcome this. You have natural strength in you. Tap into that now and free yourself from that fear."

Sabrina concentrated on the fear. I can overcome this. I am stronger than this. I am not defenseless. But still she did not see. She sighed. "That's very inspirational, mom, but I can't do it."

"Maybe she should just go to bed," Leo said.

"What?" Phoebe cried and turned to Leo. "We can't give up yet. She's blind. I can't leave her like this."

"She can't overcome her fears right now. It might even be more involved than just that fear."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We'll discuss that tomorrow. Just take her to bed."

Now her fear was outweighed by embarrassment. They were going to treat her like she was a child. "I can get upstairs by myself, Uncle Leo."

"Sabrina, don't be proud," Phoebe said and pulled her up. "Let me help you."

Sabrina wasn't about to allow this. She shimmered up to the dorm. "See, mom," she muttered to herself. "I got up here just fine." She turned and walked into her bedpost. "Ow." She rubbed her stinging forehead, feeling glad that no one had witnessed that slip up.

"Sabrina," Hermione whispered, causing her to jump.

"Yeah, Herm?" She looked towards the sound. She didn't yet want to betray her inability to see.

"I was so worried about you. I tried to talk to your aunts, but they wouldn't say anything. What happened?" Sabrina looked kind of odd. It wasn't really anything about her appearance, but rather the way she looked at Hermione. It was like she was staring off into space instead of at her.

"Umm… Nothing much. The Cian Master has Barbas's powers, though."

"Did he use them on you?" She went closer to Sabrina, trying to figure out what was different about her.

"Yeah, actually. But I'm okay. Really. I'm just tired."

She moved a little to the left, then a little more. Sabrina continued to stare ahead at where she had been standing before. "Can you see me?"

"Of course I can see you, Herm," Sabrina said with a laugh. "What a silly thing to say."

"Then why aren't you looking at me?" Sabrina didn't respond to that. "Are you blind?"

She sighed. "Yes, I am. This is apparently my greatest fear."

"That's terrible!"

"You have no idea."

"Isn't there something you can do?"

"I can only overcome the fear, and I'm not too good at that."

Hermione shook her head. "Now you won't be able to admire Harry."

A smile broke across Sabrina's face. "Darn it!"

Hermione smiled a little. "You're pretty good at making the best of everything."

"You're pretty good at making me laugh when I'm freaking out," Sabrina responded.

"I do what I can."

"Well, I should really get some sleep. Maybe I'll wake up and be cured."

Doubt it. "Maybe. Night, Sabs."

"Night."

Hermione returned to her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She was certain that she had heard a voice before. Whose voice it was, she did not know. She hadn't heard anything more either, so she was unsure of what to do about it. It was never good to hear voices. At least she could be sure that it wasn't the voice of a basilisk. No mentions of killing, that was always good. Just a simple statement about her desire for Ron.

They're probably all asleep now. I shouldn't say anything just because I can't sleep.

There it was again! The voice… it was back. But what to do? Should she say something? Whom are you talking about? She asked at last. She felt a bit anxious as she waited for a reply. A million things ran through her mind before the mysterious voice spoke again.

So you're the new voice. I meant to talk to you more earlier, but I was interrupted. I'm the Watcher, by the way.

Er… pleased to meet you… I think. She was talking to an unknown voice. It could just be a figment of her imagination, but it could also be something much more.

I know this is kind of weird, the Watcher continued, but I recommend just going with it. The other voices are pretty cool and easy to talk to.

Other voices? She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

Oh, you haven't met them yet?

No, not yet. You're the only one so far.

I see. Well, you'll meet them soon. Wait, I don't know what to call you.

You want to know my name?

A title, actually. We don't use names here, the Watcher told her.

I see. Umm… I guess I could be called the Teacher.

The Watcher laughed. Well, everybody needs a teacher around sometimes. Welcome, Teacher, to this strange little circle. Just wait to you meet the others.

Is that something to look forward to?

Don't worry, Watcher assured her. You're going to get along just fine with them.

THIS IS A BREAK SINCE THOSE STAR THINGIES WON'T WORK

Sabrina couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't yet opened her eyes. She kept forgetting that she couldn't see. This is going to take some getting used to… She shook her head. No, I can't get used to this. That would mean accepting it, and I am not going to do that.

"Okay, Leo. Now you can tell us all what you meant last night," Phoebe said. Her sisters, Leo, Sabrina, and herself had gathered in her room. They were trying to grasp the whole situation.

"What did he say?" Prue questioned.

"He said that this may be more than Sabrina's fear," Phoebe told her.

It was so strange to only hear her family. Sabrina could clearly picture them in her mind, but it was nowhere near the same thing as actually seeing them. She felt like she was lost in a fog and that there was no way to get out. Strange, though… She didn't feel the same fear that she had felt before. She was more angered by this situation than she was frightened by it. Perhaps that had to do with what Leo was thinking.

"It seems that this is something that Sabrina's subconscious feels she needs," Leo started to explain.

"What? Why do you think that?" Piper asked.

"Think about it. Last night, Sabrina was faced with her greatest fear. You all know that your greatest fear is something that can destroy you immediately if you don't gain control. But that's not what's happening. This is her fear, but it's not destroying her. I believe that she needs to face more than just her fear. She has to realize what she's trying to tell herself. Only then can she overcome this," Leo said.

"Wait. I need this? My subconscious thinks I need this? I don't need this. I need my sight so that I can fight demons. I need it so that I can keep an eye on Chris since I seem to be the only one who believes that he's in the most danger. I need it so that I can figure some stuff out. Plus there's the small matter of my education. Why would I need something that would cancel out all my hard work?" Sabrina demanded.

"Sabrina, just calm down. What you need to focus on right now is this. You may hate it, but you heard Leo, and you need to face this," Paige said.

Sabrina sighed. "Fine. I'll analyze this and fix it. But I'm only doing this because I have more important things to do."

"Good. And speaking of your education…." Phoebe began.

"Yeah, what am I going to do about that?" Sabrina asked.

"Well, you really do have to go to classes. You need all the magic education you get right now. You are sixteen, after all," Prue said.

Now there was a typical Prue answer. Sabrina smiled a little at that. "But how? I don't want to shimmer around the castle. No one here would take too well to someone who's part demon."

"You could just have you friends guide you," Piper suggested, knowing full well that the idea would be shot down.

"Absolutely not. I refuse to be dependent on anyone," Sabrina said adamantly.

"Okay. Well, your pride has been served, but what about the reality of this situation? You can't just wander around the castle, no matter how extensive your knowledge of this castle is," Phoebe said.

"Maybe I should get a seeing eye dog," Sabrina said jokingly.

Prue's eyes suddenly lit up. A grin spread across her face. She turned to her sisters and nodded, puzzling them. Phoebe thought for a moment, then caught onto Prue's idea. Her mouth opened, then she too grinned. She gave her the thumbs up, confusing Piper and Paige.

"What-"

Prue put her hand over Paige's mouth. "Sabrina, you don't have to worry about a thing. We're going to fix this and…. I think… everyone's going to end up much better." She mouthed the key word to her sisters. Piper and Paige finally got it. They all tried not to laugh. Oh, this was going to end very well indeed.

THIS IS ANOTHER BREAK

"I know it sounds ridiculous. And surprisingly, Prue came up with the whole thing. She sees it as a perfect solution for two problems. Sabrina needs help, and she needs to learn how to allow others to help her. She's significantly prideful," Phoebe said to Sirius. She was beginning feel like she should just go. It was just that she was so comfortable with him. And how many times in the past had they come close to admitting their feelings? That was too much, especially at that moment.

But she had never needed Sirius as much as she now needed him. She was helpless, and though she had the support of her sisters, it just wasn't the same as what Sirius did for her. She knew how much she loved him and how much she needed him, but Sabrina needed her now. Phoebe couldn't be with Sirius.

"So you want me to pretend to be a seeing eye dog?" Sirius responded.

"Uh… basically, yeah. You know what, it was a silly thing to ask. I'll just go now. Sabrina probably thinks I'm up to something… and, well, I am, but…. I'm just going to go," Phoebe babbled.

"It's not like I have anything else to do, Pheebs. But how would I make sure that I'm not recognized?"

"Glamour spell. You'll look nothing like your usual dog form," Phoebe informed him.

"I'll do it. It should be interesting to be able to roam around Hogwarts again. And I would like to know why Sabrina hates me."

"Sirius, she doesn't hate you."

"Fine. Strongly dislikes."

Phoebe sighed. "God, Sirius, you know why. Everyone does. We just can't speak of it." She looked away. "And I know what you feel. I know. I love you too." There the unspoken feelings were finally expressing. That which they already knew was revealed. Well, there was no harm in a kiss.

So she indulged. She finally kissed Sirius, and it felt so good. It was everything that she imagined and more. When the kiss ended, she whispered, "but I'm saving myself for the many Hogwarts boys who want me."

"Ha! Like you can resist me." He pulled her into another kiss.

Am I betraying her? I don't know anymore.

THIS IS ANOTHER BREAK

So now we all know each other. And we still have no clue why we hear each other. But at least we know that we're all real, the Watcher said. They had all been introduced to each other, and Hermione had insisted on proving that they were all real. They were.

I'll have to do some research on this. There must be other documented cases of this ability. Perhaps I could figure out what allows for this link. A magical trait that we have in common, maybe, Hermione mused.

Does it really matter? the Son asked.

Of course it matters! Hermione argued.

But why? the Son questioned.

Because this could have great significance in the magical world, Hermione said.

I have to agree with the Teacher, the Shadow spoke. This is a magical phenomenon. There must be some reason for it, and there is a great possibility that this is a significant event.

Well, if something significant is going to happen, it will happen on its own. I don't really care to know any more than that, the Watcher responded.

I completely agree, the Son said.

Fine. You're free to not care, but I choose to research, Hermione said. You know, Watcher, you seem a little distant. What's wrong?

Well, my mother is topping the list right now, the Watcher replied. She's up to something, but I don't know what.

Mothers are almost always up to something, Hermione said. She's not an evil person, is she?

No. Not at all.

Then you have no reason to be worried. She won't do anything awful, Hermione spoke.

I guess you're right. Sabrina paused and listened carefully. Someone was coming.

"It's just me, Sabs," her mother said, announcing her presence.

Ah, here she is now.

"I've solved your little problem."

"Little?"

"Well, big. I thought about what you said, and I got you a seeing eye dog." It was so hard not to laugh. Phoebe just had to hold it back.

"What? A seeing eye dog? I was just joking."

"I know, but it was a good idea."

Sabrina put on a stony expression. "I don't need any help."

"Sabrina, this does not make you weak. And he's a sweet dog, really. You'll love him." The last words turned in a short laugh.

"Are you all right?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. So you'll meet him tomorrow, and he'll take you to your classes. He's, um, magical. He'll know where to take you."

"Fine. I'll use him to get to my classes, but at the end of the day, you take him," Sabrina said, her pride jumping to the forefront yet again.

"Don't be so prideful. You're acting just like your father." Phoebe stopped.

Sabrina didn't say a word. No one ever talked about her father. She knew a little about him, mostly how he died. She didn't know much about the time when her mother loved her father, back when he was good.

The silence lasted a while before Phoebe spoke. "So tomorrow you'll go to all of your classes as you normally do."

"What's the dog's name?"

"His name?" Phoebe repeated.

"Yeah. Most often, dogs do have names."

"His name is… uh…" Couldn't Sirius… Couldn't be Snuffles… Couldn't be Padfoot… "Moose."

"The dog's name is Moose?" Sabrina laughed.

"Uh… Yeah. His name is Moose. Yeah," Phoebe said.

"Okay. Well, it's a unique name."

"Definitely."

"I think I'll try to get in touch with myself now. You know, figure this out."

"Good. That's very good. I have to go now."

"You do that."

She went to leave.

"Oh, and mom?"

"Yeah?" Phoebe turned.

"I think you need to relax or something. You seem kind of weird."

"How's that unusual?"

"True."

Phoebe got out of the room and burst out laughing. By the time she got back to her room, she had worked out the mirth. Paige was there, guarding the door.

"I see you told her," Paige said, smirking.

"I could hardly keep myself from laughing. I glad I did, though, because she suspected that something was up. But now she's too enwrapped in matters of pride to care."

"That's good, I suppose. It's been clear around here."

"I didn't even realize this was going to be so complicated," Phoebe said.

"Well, we do have to make sure that no one finds Sirius."

"Thanks for helping me out."

"No problem."

Phoebe went into the room. Sirius was there waiting for her. "I told her, and she's not too fond of this whole thing, but she'll be okay. Just so you know, I gave you a name."

"Oh? What is it?" he questioned.

"Moose."

"You named me Moose?"

"I just said the first thing that came to mind," Phoebe said.

"Where did 'moose' come from?"

"I have no idea. But lately things have been worse than usual. The Cian Master is after my daughter… now she's blind. And now… us. I can't even think straight." She sat down on the bed.

"Look, we're not going to face the us issue yet. That can wait." He sat down next to her.

"But how long have I made you wait?" She looked into his eyes, then put her head on his shoulder. He gathered her up in his arms. "I just want to protect her and love you. Why is that so hard to do?"

"You try too hard. Concentrate on Sabrina now. She needs you more than I do."

"And I need you."

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

SUPRISE! A BREAK

Meanwhile, Sabrina had gotten caught up in an elemental meditation, likely because it was much harder to analyze herself. She had only been confusing herself by doing that, so she had decided to try to turn into water. It seemed a little easier now that she was blind. She could concentrate more readily on becoming water. But she still didn't enjoy the task.

Do any of you enjoy meditation? Sabrina asked.

Of course. It's so relaxing, the Shadow said.

I've never had time for that kind of stuff, the Teacher said. I'm always too distracted.

Same here, the Son said.

Why do you ask? the Shadow inquired.

I have to do meditation for magical purposes.

Wait, that might just be an idea! the Teacher said excitedly.

What are you talking about? the Son asked.

If we meditate on this situation, we may be able to find the answers within ourselves. After all, the power for this comes from within us, so it's logical that we should be able to understand that power on our own, the Teacher clarified. Of course, research would still help. Goodness, what am I doing just sitting here? I need to get started.

Tell us if you find anything, Sabrina responded.

I certainly will. Keep going with that meditation. Son, Shadow, I recommend that you meditate on this.

Will do.

Sabrina smirked. She enjoyed talking with the voices, and she was glad that she wasn't crazy. That sort of knowledge was always a relief. Sighing, she went back to the task.

Water. I am water. She thought of its flow. She imagined the feel of water on her, and then she told herself that she was a part of that flow. I am a part of water's flow. I am water. She imagined herself melding into the water, becoming a part of the whole. I am water.

Suddenly, a peculiar feeling came over her. She was no longer herself. She was water. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I finally did it!" She concentrated on becoming herself again, and she morphed back. Overjoyed, she shimmered to her mother's room.

"Mom!"

Phoebe jumped. She had almost been asleep there in Sirius's arms. WAIT! Her mind screamed. Sabrina… she can see Sirius… she's going to hate me… She started to panic before she looked into Sabrina's eyes. The panic died down. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"I'm better than ever. I turned into water!"

"That's great!"

Sabrina concentrated on water and was able to become water. Moments later, she was whole again. "Now I just have to show the quizmaster." She shimmered off again.

"That was a little too close for comfort," Phoebe said.

"Which is exactly why you aren't ready for this yet," Sirius said.

"I never knew that you could play the caring guy so well."

"This isn't an act. I care about you, Pheebs."

"Okay, now you're just getting mushy," she said.

"God forbid."

I MISS THE STARTHINGIES... A BREAK

"I want this Drew Perry destroyed. He's part whitelighter. Send enough darklighters to kill him. And don't screw this up. He has some sort of an advantage. He has a knowledge of potions that doesn't make sense. Do whatever you can to take him out. Go now."

A BREAK

"I'm telling you, Drew, you are in danger," Sabrina said urgently.

"I'm quite used to that," Drew said as he measured out the ingredients.

"And why is that?"

"I'm a part of a resistance in the future," he said in an offhanded way.

"Resistance against what?" Sabrina shook her head. "That doesn't matter. The point is, the Cian Master is coming after you. Darklighters are coming for you. Are you even listening?"

"Yeah. I heard you. I've got enough potions here to take care of anything he sends my way."

"Well, at least stick around me," she said huffily. She wasn't sure why she was so concerned about him, but she was.

"Sabrina, you're blind. And I'm older than you. I'm more experienced at this stuff."

"I'm more experienced at protecting people. I always protect Wyatt and Chris," she responded. "Besides, I have instincts. I need my sight to use my powers. I'm aware of movements." She was talking to a wall. Literally.

"I'm over here, Sabs."

She chalked up the use of her nickname to his study of her. "Just be careful."

"You really need to stop worrying all the time. You're acting like Piper," Drew said. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, you know."

"I can protect myself, thank you very much."

"Hey, I saved your life."

"Grr. Fine. I have to get to my classes. If you die, no one can say that I didn't warn you." She stopped, listening carefully. She had heard something strange…

Suddenly, a darklighter appeared. She killed it with an energy ball. "Wow. That felt great."

"You did a good job."

"Wait, you're still here? Just kidding." She left.

"Sabrina, there you are." Phoebe came up to her, leading 'Moose'. "Here is Moose."

"I don't know, mom… this is so weird." But her feelings changed once she found how friendly Moose was. "Aww, he's as sweetie."

"I told you. Now, you get to class," Phoebe said.

"I had a premonition about Drew. The Cian Master is sending darklighters after him. Leo, Chris, and Wyatt could be in danger too, so you'd better warn them. I still have a lot of darklighter potions left over, so give them to them when you can. I tried to get Drew out of his hiding hole, but he wouldn't listen to me. I think he'll be okay, but tell Leo."

"Geez, Sabs, you're really overloading with worry. I'll take care of it."

"I'll check on that progress later," Sabrina replied and started off.

Phoebe watched her go. It was so strange to see her relying on Sirius. I wonder how she'll react when she finds out…

Only time would tell.

LAST BREAK

Well, this day went pretty well. The day had been nice and smooth for Sabrina. Except… she had been avoiding her friends. She didn't want them to pity her. That was one thing that she refused to stand. "You seem to be the only one who doesn't pity me, Moose," she murmured as she walked down the hall, back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, well…" a most unwelcome voice said. "If it isn't the mighty Sabrina Halliwell, rendered completely helpless."

"Malfoy… it is good to not see your face. If it can be called that," she responded, trying to control the energy ball that was beginning to form.

"I'd love to chat, but I think I'd prefer to try out a new spell… see how it works…"

Before either of them could do anything, Moose lunged forward and attacked Malfoy. Malfoy screamed and Sabrina heard a loud ripping sound. That was followed by the sounds of Malfoy retreating.

Moose came trotting up to Sabrina and dropped a large amount of cloth into her hands. She laughed heartily and patted Moose on the head. "Good dog. Very good dog."