Trying to get rid of me are you?

Exorcisms? Ha!

I'm no demon, kid. Nope. But my tentacles are wrapped around your brain- stem and spinal cord. Know what that means? It means you die if I want. One little squeeze and poof! The heart stops working. Or better yet, the lungs.

Every little thing your brain tells your body to do I know about.

Don't worry, you're more useful alive. Trust me, kid. You and I? We're going places.

After Hermione woke up and had had a cup of tea, Mr. Weasley brought up the matter of the treasure. Since, he argued, Hermione's ancestor had buried the treasure, it was hers. Hermione, however, wanted no part of it. It was, in her opinion, blood money.

In the end, the money was divided up into three parts. The Weasley's took most of it. Hermione (reluctantly and only at Ron and Harry's urging) took enough to pay for the rest of her schooling at Hogwarts and the rest, which Bill calculated was worth roughly a thousand Galleons, went to Saint Mungo's hospital as charity.

A few days later, the Hogwarts letters arrived as they were eating breakfast. By then, the twins had returned to London, Bill to Egypt, and Charlie to Romania, where he worked with dragons. Gary's envelope was quite thick. When he opened it, a belt buckle fell into his hand. It was the Canadian flag replicated in burnished steel and colored enamel.

"What's that, Mate?" Ron asked.

"Something I needed," Gary replied. "Professor McGonagall was kind enough to make the arrangements for it's delivery." He slid the buckle into his pocket and began reading his supply list.

"Well, no sense in waiting around," Mrs. Weasley said. "Get dressed, everyone, it's time to go to Diagon Alley."

"We're going into the fireplace?" Gary asked when they had all gotten dressed and stood at the fireplace.

"You've never traveled by Floo Powder?" Ron asked.

Gary shook his head and took a deep breath. "What do I do?"

"Go first, Harry," Ron said. "Show him how it's done."

"Don't sneeze," Harry advised Gary as he walked towards the fireplace. "I sneezed the first time I used it and wound up at Knockturn Alley." He took a handful of powder and cast it into the flames. "Diagon Alley!"

Gary blinked as Harry vanished. "Wow."

"Go on, then," Mrs. Weasley said to Gary. "Don't be nervous."

Gary took the powder and then cast it into the fireplace. "Diagonally!"

"He's in where?" Ron asked as he, Harry, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley hurried through Diagon Alley. Ginny had been left in the care of the twins at their joke shop.

"Knockturn Alley, I think," Mrs. Weasley said as they stopped at Knockturn's entrance.

"Scary place," Ron noted as they looked into the dingy darkness. At that point, from somewhere in the depths, a woman screamed. There were more shouts and then the bright flashes of spells being cast.

Moments laster, a wizard dressed entirely in black ran out of the alley, his robes in rags, long bloody scratches down his face and arms. "Demon!" he shrieked as he ran past. "Demon in Knockturn Alley!"

"Demon?" Harry asked.

Other witches and wizards scrambled out of Knockturn, their clothes in various states, all of them obviously in a state of fear and terror. More shouts were heard and then there was the flash of fire and smoke belched out of the alley entrance as though it was a chimney. Six wizards hurried past them into the Alley, wands out. There were more flashes of spells and more shouts.

"We might want to get back, dears," Molly said nervously. Hermione had already withdrawn to the edges of the rapidly forming crowd.

"But Gary might be down there," Ron pointed out.

"There's not much we can do for him," Mrs. Weasley replied.

"She's right, Weasley," growled a voice. An older wizard with a heavily scarred face stood nearby. One of his eyes was a brillant blue and moved in the socket seemingly of it's own accord. Left, right, even backwards at though it was looking out the back of his head. "If your friend is down there, we'll find him."

"Hello, Professor Moody," Harry said.

"Potter," Moody said in acknowledgement and then looked back at Ron. "Best you be out of here," he said. Nearby, other wizards were dispersing the crowd. "If there is a demon down there, you don't want to be nearby if it gets bored and comes up here."

"He's right," Mrs. Weasley said. "Come along, children." She nodded. "Alastor."

"Molly," Moody replied and turned back to look at the alley.

"Wow," Ron said, "a demon. I'd love to be down there."

"No you don't," Hermione said. "I've read about fighting demons. It's a job for only the most experienced wizards...which neither one of you are."

"Quite right," Mrs. Weasley sniffed.

They found Gary sitting outside a sweet shop, a lollipop in his mouth and talking to Luna Lovegood of all people.

"Hello," she said to them as they ran up, "is there something wrong?"

"Where did you wind up?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked, grabbing Gary and pulling him into a hug.

"Mgurph," Gary replied. "Gurglemumph!"

"And look at you!" Mrs. Weasley continued, pushing Gary out to arm's length and staring at him. "Are you all right?"

Gary pulled the lollipop from his mouth and took a breath. "I'm fine," he said. "Wound up in this off shoot. Knock something."

"Is that blood?" Hermione said, pointing at Gary's eye.

Harry looked. A spot of something red lay near the corner of Gary's left eye.

"Blood?" Gary asked, giving the impression of someone doing very fast thinking.

"Wait, you were in Knockturn Alley?" Ron excitedly broke in. "Did you see the demon? How did you get out?"

"Demon?" Gary asked and then his face brightened. "Is that what the screaming was about? Some guy pushed past me as I was trying to get out, screaming the whole time. It's probably his." He started to pull a handkerchief from his pocket and then stopped as Luna began wiping at the spot, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. "Ah, thank you."

"It's important to be clean and well dressed," Luna said with a nod. "Are you shopping?"

"For Hogwarts," Harry said. Secretly, he was pleased. Luna seemed to be less shy then she'd been the previous year. The D.A. seemed to have been good for her. "Would you like to come along?"

Luna shook her head and held up a crystal. "I need to recharge this." She sat back down in front of the sweet shop. "So much positive energy here."

"Okay," Gary said. "Will you be at Hogwarts too? I am. I mean, I'm a student. At least for this year. Did I say that?"

"Come on," Hermione said, grabbing Gary by the collar and pulling him away.

"Bye, Luna," Harry said. Luna did not respond.

"I'm beat," Harry said, sitting down on the floor of Flourish and Blott's.

"Tell me about it," Ron said, massaging his own feet. "We've been all over Diagon Alley."

"Odd," Hermione said, musingly.

"What is?" Ron asked, pulling his shoes back on.

"Gary." The bushy-haired girl's tone was thoughtful. "Look at the way he's standing."

Harry and Ron looked. Gary stood in the line of students to buy books. His basket sat at his feet and he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, feet apart. His expression was blank and he looked quite prepared to spend all day in that pose.

Harry's eyes narrowed. He couldn't explain it, but he was suddenly quite sure that Gary, at some point, had spent an entire day standing like that. In fact, more then one day.

To be quite honest about it, he was fairly sure that Gary would be quite at home in a military uniform.

"What about Gary?" Ron asked.

"Oh . . ." Hermione groaned. "Look at him, Ron. Nobody stands like that. No one civilain, anyway."

"What's a civilian?" Ron asked.

In line, Gary suddenly slumped his shoulders and stuffed his hands into his pockets, as though realizing he'd been doing something he shouldn't.

And so summer marched on. Gary often vanished for the whole day and the Burrow would get owls from Fred and George, gleefully reporting that they had seen Gary in Diagon Alley with Luna Lovegood.

Mrs. Weasley thought it was the greatest thing. Ron was baffled. "How could he fancy Luna?" he would ask anyone who would listen. Hermione tried to explain it to him, but at last gave up.

September First dawned clear and cold and the Burrow exploded into chaos. Or at least it looked like chaos. After five years with the Weasleys, Harry had learned that the chaos was more along the lines of a Qudditch match- very fast and apparently random, adapting as time passed. However, underneath was a well thought out strategy. By eight, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione's trunks were parked by the door, fully packed and they were inspecting their rooms to be sure that nothing had been left behind.

Gary had somehow managed to pack his things into a large duffel which lay across the trunks. Of course, considering he didn't have much in the way of personal items, it was fairly easy. He was the last downstairs. He wore what the muggles called cargo pants tucked into black boots. His shirt was faded gray and he wore an old denim jacket. On the middle finger of his right hand was a large signet ring.

"What's that?" Ron asked as they sat down to eat breakfast. He peered with intense interest at the ring and it was easy to see why.

It was silver and set with a rectangle of black onyx. Etched into the onyx was the head-on suggestion of a hawk in silver, surrounded by flames of gold. The hawk seemed to be wearing an expression that dared the veiwer to try their luck. The band was etched with a strange design that seemed to subtly change if Harry watched it for too long.

Gary glanced at the ring. "The Academy gives these only to a select few-- those who had proven themselves to...have the right stuff." He shrugged. "I felt like wearing it today."

"You mean you were a prefect?" Harry asked.

"Something like that."

"It's gorgeous," Hermimone said.

"Thanks," Gary said as he poured syrup on his pancakes.

The journey to King's Cross was singularly uneventful, as was getting onto Platform nine and three-quarters.

As usual, the platform was crowded with Hogwarts students.

Harry, Ron and Hermione moved towards the train, waving hello to their friends. Ginny was whisked away by several other fifth years and a few minutes later, Gary dropped his duffel on Ron's cart and took off, saying he'd meet them on the train.

"Probably saw Luna," Ron joked and then suddenly froze, staring into the crowd. Then he whipped around, stared at Harry, and then looked back at the crowd, then back at Harry. "Mental," he muttered, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"This..." Ron trailed off and looked around before beckoning Harry and Hermione closer. This...this is going to sound nutters, but...I swear I just saw Harry in the crowd."

"That's ridiculous," Hermione said. "Harry's right here."

"I know. Like I said, it sounds nutters."

"Hello," said a voice behind them. Ron looked and then leapt backwards. Harry and Hermione turned and Harry's jaw dropped.

Standing before them was a young girl. She was very beautiful, with black hair that came down to her ankles and pale skin that reminded Harry of moonlight. Her eyes were emerald green and guiless and on her forehead...

Harry swallowed hard. On her forehead was a lightning shaped scar.

Harry could have been looking into a mirror, except that there was no mistaking the shape under the clothes.

"My name is Helena," she said softly. "Helena Potter. I'm your sister."

As Harry tried to marshal his thoughts, a whistle blew.

"Last call!" bellowed the conductor. "All aboard!"

"Oh, no!" Hermione said and she began to run towards the train.

"Come on, Harry!" Ron called.

Harry couldn't move, still too stunned to react.

"Come on, brother," Helena said. "We can't miss the train." Her words seemed to snap Harry out of his daze.

"Oh, right." Harry said and ran for it. Helena ran after him.

Intent on getting on board, neither Ron, Hermione, or even Harry noticed Helena's eyes flash in triumph...and just for a moment, they were full of inhuman malice.

Because they were prefects, Ron and Hermione had to go forward to the Prefect's car to receieve instructions from the Head Boy and Girl.

Harry and Helena found an empty compartment where they began to talk.

Helena explained that she had been raised by distant realatives in America. Apparently, a rather vague procephy had been made about her, hinting at some great destiny, so their parents had sent her away.

"It's like Star Wars," she explained. "If you didn't stop Voldemort, there's still me."

"Star Wars?" Harry asked. Outside the train, the express had left King's Cross and was steadily steaming through London.

"Farmboy saves the cosmos," Gary said as he breezed into the compartment. "Turns out he had a sister who had been hidden away to prevent the bad guys from destroying the only hope in existence." He flopped on the seats. "It's called separated at birth and it's been played out tirelessly on soap operas."

Harry couldn't argue there. Aunt Petunia loved watching soap operas. Occasionally there was something interesting, but for the most part, they seemed to continuously recycle old stories.

"But it does happen," Helena pointed out.

"Not often enough to not be contrived," Gary said with a smile that could have charitably been called nasty. "Oh. I'm Gary Stuart by the way."

"Helena Potter," Helena replied as she and Gary locked eyes. The very air between them seemed to freeze. "Harry's sister."

"So you are," Gary said, smiling that same smile and looked at Harry. "Sorry about disappearing like that, there was something I needed to talk to someone about." He pulled the deck of cards from his pocket and began to shuffle.

"Can I ask what?" Helena asked.

"Nothing important. It's a dead issue now."

Gary leaned back in the chair, singing softly to himself as he continued to shuffle the cards; "So cower low and close your eyes, be very very scared. It's time to sort the Mary-Sues, so get your sporks prepared."

Ron and Hermione returned just after the trolley cart had made it's rounds. Harry and Helena had exchanged their life stories by then. Gary had more or less ignored them as he sat on the floor playing solitaire, a lollipop in his mouth. Occasionally, he had made snide remarks in response to Helena's words. In the back of his mind, Harry was positive that there was a second conversation going on in the room.

"You're going to be sorted," Ron informed Gary as he took a Chocolate Frog from the pile of candy. "They want the exchange students to have the full Hogwarts experience."

"Sorted?"

"Yeah. You put this old hat on your head and it tells you which house you're supposed to be in. Looks inside your head and stuff." Ron shuddered slightly. "It's weird feelin."

"Sounds fun," Gary said. "I wonder what it will find inside my head?" He looked up at Helena. "What do you think, Hel?"

"Helena," she corrected. "And I expect that it will find good reason not to sort you at all and expel you from the school."

"Probably," Gary agreed and laid down the ace of spades. "Wonder what it'll find in yours?" He took another card from the deck and looked at it. "The proverbial wild card. Wonder how it got overlooked?" He tossed away the card and it landed at Helena's feet. It was a joker and its grin seemed slightly menacing. "What do you think, Harry? What's inside your sister's head?"

Helena stared at him and then looked at Harry. "Excuse me for a moment, brother." She looked at Hermione. "Which way are the bathrooms?"

"Middle of the car," Hermione said.

"Thank you." Helena rose to her feet and exited the compartment.

Gary snickered.

The instant the compartment door closed, Helena took off at a run. She didn't bother with the bathrooms but instead looked into several other compartments and then ran to a compartment in the next car which she threw open and darted inside, slamming the door behind her.

Inside, several girls from various countries looked up at her. Like Helena, they were all very beautiful even if they seemed far too skinny for their body shapes.

"You're supposed to be charming Potter," snapped one of them. She was tall and thin, with fiery red hair.

"I'm sorry, Meghan," Helena said. "But I need to talk to Kalia, it's important."

"Kalia has entered deep cover and even if she hadn't, nothing justifies leaving your assignment," Meghan said. "Explain yourself."

"The Weasley's took on a house-guest; Gary Stuart. One of the exchange students, from Canada. I think he's a D.S.A. Spork." The others sat up straight, alarm in their eyes. "And I can't find Amanda or Crystal," Helena continued.

"Are you sure?" one of the other girls asked.

"Not completely, but he is wearing a signet ring with the Firehawk emblem on it."

"It could be a coincidence," another girl pointed out. "We killed all the Sporks before we left."

"And the fabrication labs were blown up with the scientists."

Meghan, however, was frowning. "It's always possible we missed something or someone."

"Even if we did, how did they send him here? Mari--"

"Shut up," Meghan said. "Let me think."

"Why?" asked one of the others, a very tall girl with an expression of pure nastiness. "I'll take care of him." she started to get up, but Meghan waved her back down.

"This is neither the time or place, Kat," Meghan said and then sighed. "We'll continue as planned. Helena. Find Serenity and tell her what you told us. Describe him to her and tell her to pass it along to the rest of us. On my authority, we're not, repeat, not aborting."

"But what will we do about him?"

"At the moment, nothing. He's not to be terminated. Understand? Do. Not. Terminate."

"Yes."

"Good. The last thing we should do is draw attention."

"But I like attention, Megs," purred a dark haired girl who was wearing a white button down shirt and a very short skirt.

"That's Meghan, you cocktease," Meghan said. "Now shut up." She looked at Helena. "Once you've talked to Serenity, get back to Potter and his friends. Try to befriend Stuart and even if you can't, see what you can find out about him." Helena nodded and left.

"Why do you keep needling her?" Harry demanded as soon as Helena had left. "She hasn't done anything to you."

"I know, I can't help it. There's something about her that just pisses me off," Gary said as he retrieved the joker and reshuffled the cards. "Poker?" he said to Ron. "We can use these beans as chips." He indicated the box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

"What's poker?" Ron asked.

Gary's grin got big. "The game of time, my friend. The game of time."

Harry crouched down between Gary and Ron. "What do you mean you can't help it?"

"Ever meet someone and you instantly hate them? They didn't do anything, just something about them makes you want bash in their skulls?" Harry thought about the first time he'd met Draco.

"Yeah--wait, are you--"

"It's not that bad with your sister," Gary continued, "but I can't say I care for her much." He sighed. "Look, Harry, you're my friend. I can't say I'll be her friend...but I'll try to get along with her."

Harry stared at him for the longest time, searching his face and then he nodded. "Okay."

At that moment, Helena returned and crouched next to her brother. "Gary...I've done some thinking, and we got off on the wrong foot. For Harry's sake, I'd like us to be friends. Truce?"

Gary looked at her a moment. "Truce."

Helena nodded. "Deal me in?"

Gary looked at her for a moment and then smiled chillingly. "Why not?" He drew five cards and passed them over. "Ante up..."

"Four queens, Ron said as he smiled with satisfaction and leaned over to rake in the beans. Just then, the compartment door slid open.

"Well, well, well," Draco Malfoy drawled as he stepped through the door. He had already donned his school robes and his Slytherin Prefects badge gleamed in the compartment's lamplight. "Hello, Potter."

"Go away, Malfoy," Harry snapped, rising to his feet as Hermione and Ron both stood up and drew their wands.

"Or what, Potter?"

"Or deal with me," Helena said, stepping in front of Harry.

Draco's eyes traveled over her form, lingered on her chest and then settled on her face. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Helena Potter. Harry's sister."

"Potter has no sister." Draco snarled. "Not that it matters, you'll be dead along with everyone--"

"Hey! Fairy boy!" Gary said. He had reshuffled the cards and now was playing a game of solitaire. "You mind? I'm concentrating here."

"Who the hell are you?" Draco asked.

"A friend of the Weasley's," Gary replied, not even looking up from his game. "Now bug off. I'm busy."

"And if I don't?" Draco asked softly as he kicked the cards already laid out.

Harry blinked. One moment Gary had been sitting crosslegged on the floor, the next he was on his feet and staring Draco in the eye. Harry was sure he hadn't seen Gary move. It was just one moment he was seated, the next he was on his feet. Like he had Apparated or something. He had also gone very, very still, like he was about to suddenly lash out. But it was Gary's eyes that sent a chill down Harry's spine. They were cold and empty, the eyes of a killer.

Crabbe and Goyle started forwards and Draco's hand moved, ordering them to stay put.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, both asking each other the same thing. When had Draco grown a spine? He normally hid behind his father's name, his family's wealth, or Crabbe and Goyle. He was a coward. Why hadn't he reacted?

"So Potter has another friend does he?" Draco asked. "You'll die too at the Dark Lord's hand."

Gary smiled. It was a chill smile of death and he said something too soft for Harry to hear, but it caused Draco to take a half step back.

"You'll regret that," Draco snarled and left the compartment, Crabbe and Goyle following close behind.

"I regret a lot of things," Gary said and sat back down on the floor to gather up the cards.

Hermione glanced out the window at the raindrops splattering against the compartment window and the dark night. "We'll be at Hogwarts soon," she said thoughtfully. "We'd better change."

She and Helena left the compartment and Harry, Ron, and Gary exchanged looks and then shrugged and began removing their jackets.

When Hermione and Helena returned, Luna had joined them.

"Hello," Luna said.

"Er..." Gary said, looking anywhere but at Luna. "Uh, hi." If Luna noticed, she gave no sign.

Outside the train, lightning flashed.

"How much longer, d'ya think?" Ron asked Hermione.

Hermione, however, was glaring at Gary and Helena. "Those," she said. "Are not the Hogwarts uniforms!"

Indeed, Gary was wearing a hooded coat fastened across his chest by a silver chain connected to a silver disc on each side of his chest. Under that was a white turtleneck, black pants and boots. A potions knife hung from his belt on the left side. Black armbands circled his wrists, keeping the sleeves from flapping everywhere. The coat was black on the outside, red on the inside.

Helena wore a blue robe over a white button down shirt, gray sweater vest and skirt.

"The letter said we were to wear the uniforms of our home schools upon arrival at Hogwarts," Helena said.

"They wear that where you went to school?" Hermione asked Gary.

Gary just grinned.

When the last first year had been sorted, Professor Dumbledore stood up. "As you have no doubt heard, We are hosting students from other schools of magic worldwide. Some of them you have already met on the train. In order to provide them with a the full Hogwarts experience, so to speak, they will be sorted into houses."

The doors to the great hall opened and about fifty or so students filed in, most of them girls, and gathered at front of the hall.

"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall said, "Step forward, I will place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted." She produced a second roll of parchment and read out loud. "Anderson, Bellamina Boston." A girl with soft curves, wavy auburn hair and ivory white skin stepped forward.

"Ravenclaw!" the hat shouted and the Ravenclaws applauded.

"Bach, Febreeze, Arabella."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Hurry up," Ron moaned softly under his breath as "Crinslow, Meaghan" became a Slytherin. Something about her bothered Harry. Meghan's eyes were cold and cruel and as she slid off the stool, her eyes flicked over the students as though choosing a cut of meat at the butcher's.

"All you can think about is the feast," Hermione said as McGonagall called forth more names. "Honestly."

"Po..." McGonagall started and then stared at the parchment. "Potter, Helena."

Whispers exploded throughout the hall as Helena stepped forward and sat on the stool and all the teachers stared, dumbfounded. Unperturbed, Helena sat there as McGonagall placed the hat on her head.

"Gryffindor!" declared the hat a moment later and the table exploded with applause. As Helena sat down across the table from Harry and Ron, she smiled. "It's wonderful to be here," she said to Harry, I know we're going to have a wonderful time."

"Schimdt, Kat, was declared a Slytherin, and moments later, the hall went deadly quiet again as McGonagall called out "Snape, Sakura." and the hat couldn't seem to decide between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Dumbledore declared that she should sit at the Ravenclaw table for the time being and a final decision would be made after the feast.

Gary was declared a Gryffindor and the rest of the exchange students were quickly sorted, though Welkin, Celestia, had to be seated at the Hufflepuff table when the hat couldn't decide between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

"I believe the announcements can wait," Dumbledore declared and spread his hands. "Dig in."

Gary nearly jumped out of his seat as the food appeared on the table. "This is ours?"

"Yep," Ron said, his mouth full of chicken. "Help yourself."

"It's not a feast for nothing," Helena said.

Gary, however, took only modest portions and then picked up a pitcher of butterbeer and peered inside. "What's this?"

"Butterbeer," Ron said. "And that's pumpkin juice over there."

"Butterbeer?" Gary seemed skeptical but poured a glass anyway.

"You need to eat more," Hermione pointed out. "If not now then before classes tomorrow. You'll need it."

Gary looked at her a moment, a skeptical look on his face.

"You don't eat much do, you, mate?" Ron asked.

Gary shook his head. "At the academy, we had to supply most of our food. Squirrel's pretty good if you season it right."

"They made you hunt food?" Hermione was aghast.

"And cook it. Every student was expected to be able to forage and live off the land. And we weren't allowed to eat much. Students who ate too much were punished. After a while, it becomes habit."

"God," Hermione whispered in shock. "How did you survive?"

"Dunno," Gary said with a shrug as he looked over the table and then selected a ham steak. "When in Rome," he said and dug in, all the while, watching behind him as though half expecting one of the teachers to descend on him and hand out detention.

After dessert, Dumbledore rose.

"I bid you all welcome to Hogwarts," He said. "As always, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has advised me that in view of last year, the list of Banned Items now numbers five hundred and is available in his office should you wish to see it."

"Not likely," Dean Thomas called out and everyone laughed.

"Also," Dumbledore said, "The mid-winter Qudditch match has been rescheduled to spring."

"How come?" Ron burst out.

"A very good question, Mr. Weasley. As you know, Hogwarts has a great deal of magic around it, which is why many Muggle devices simply will not work here. Every so often, that magical energy needs to be . . . expunged as it were. Sort of like clearing dust and cobwebs. So, just after the Holiday break, Hogwarts will be temporarily cut off from the rest of the world for about twenty-four hours." He gazed around the room. "And now, the school song, for few things can compare to music. Everyone pick their favorite tune and off we go."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione typically tried to ignore the horrific spectacle of the school song, but Gary joined Dean and Seamus Finnegan standing on the bench and belting out the school song in operatic three part harmony. Or at least, that's what they were attempting. Ginny observed that they sounded more like a catfight.

"Bravo," Dumbledore said when the last notes had faded away. "And now, off to bed, all of you."

As the students began to file out the room, Ron grabbed Gary's sleeve and whispered something in his ear. Gary nodded and then hurried to catch up with Luna.

"What did you tell him?" Hermione asked.

"The password. I figured he wanted to walk Luna to Ravenclaw's tower," Ron said and then raised his voice. "Oi! All first years, over here! Gryffindor first years, this way!"

That night...

Sakura cried out as she hit the wall and slid down it to sit on the floor. Fearfully, she looked up at Meghan, who was staring down at her with an expression of apocalyptic fury.

"Snape?" Meghan demanded. "Sakura Snape? That's what you came up with?"

"Sn-Snape was on the ta-target list..." Sakura stammered.

"AS A SEDUCTION, YOU IDIOT!" Meghan screamed. "You're supposed to seduce him, not masquerade as his daughter!" Swearing, she stomped back and forth across the empty classroom they had chosen to meet in. All the Sues at Hogwarts were present.

"She could still seduce him," Tawnee Vern said. Tawnee was a shapley dark- haired girl who's thoughts were never far from dirty. Like Meghan, Kat, and Sakura, she was in Slytherin and there were rumors that she had already seduced her roommates and grappled with both Crabbe and Goyle on the train. "She's got the bod."

"You're sick," Helena said.

"I prefer direct."

"I thought it would be better," Sakura said. "If he sees me as family rather then a lover."

"You thought?" Meghan demanded. "No, you don't think. None of you think! I make the decisions around here!"

"No," Kat said, striding forward. "Kalia's mission commander and we have only your word that she left you in charge while she's off under deep cover." She turned to the others. "She treats us like morons, screams constantly and insults us. Why the hell should we follow her?"

There were mutterings of agreement.

Meghan's lips twitched in a smirk. "Is that so?" The next thing anyone knew, Kat was lying on the ground moaning in pain and Meghan was looking at her contempuously. "Let's clear this up once and for all," Meghan said. "I'm in charge until Kalia says otherwise. The next one of you miserable fuck-ups who challenges my authority is going to be torn out of their host and fed to that three-headed dog. Is that clear?" She glared around the room and watched with satisfaction as everyone nodded. "Now, you all saw a guy named Gary Stuart be sorted, right? Well there's a chance he's a Spork. Helena has been trying to find out for sure."

"Ninety-five percent positive," Helena said. "At dinner, he talked about his old school, and he mentioned things that only the D.S.A. did to train cadets. He also has a ring with the emblem of the Firehawks on it." She frowned. "Crystal wasn't on the train, and neither was Amanda. But I spoke to Amanda right before I revealed myself to Potter."

"Crystal is presumed lost," Meghan said. "Amanda as well, it seems."

"He would have had to have killed Amanda on the platform and hide the body without anyone noticing," Aroha Maruapo mused. "Then get back on the train in fresh clothes. And he would have had to do it in the space of a few minutes."

Bellamina Anderson nodded. "He's not infantry then."

"A specialist. I hate specialists," someone muttered. "Especially Firehawk specialists. Remember what they did to us in New Edo?"

Meghan nodded. "That's why," she paused and glared at Kat, "I'm holding off on taking him out. We need more information." She gestured for Helena to continue.

"Finally," Helena said. "He's interested in Luna Lovegood from Ravenclaw. The last I saw of him today he was walking her to Ravenclaw's dorm after dinner."

"So let's take Lovegood then." Tawnee said. "We'll entertain him a bit and then stick a knife in his guts." She shrugged. "It worked with this body's parents." She paused for a moment, lips pursed. "Though the dad was a little small and the mother smelled funny."

Everyone standing near Tawnee took a step away from her.

"Why bother?" Kat asked. "Specialist or not, I can take him. Give me ten minutes and he'll be dead. Problem solved."

"Are you bloodthirsty or just really, really stupid?" Meghan asked. "Do all those peircings on your face somehow drain the brains out of you? There's only twenty of us here and that's not enough to keep someone from mentioning him if he turns up dead. If he does, the Ministry will be here at Hogwarts almost immeditly. We don't need Aurors poking around." She pursed her lips. "He would have been given ballpark information, not specifics. No one who knew Potter would have been around to tell him..." She trailed off. "I'm going to talk to Kalia. All of you are to remain as is until then. Do not do anything to tip our hand and above all else, don't do anything to attract Stuart's attention." Her gaze lingered on Tawnee, who pouted. "Helena, keep looking for information. Anything you think we can use. We'll meet again in one week. Scram."

When the others were gone, Meghan turned back towards the shadows.

"You did well," Kalia said moving out of the shadows and perching on a desk.

"Kat and Tawnee are going to mess it up," Meghan said. "We never should have brought them."

"She told me too," Kalia said. "We needed Assassains and you must admit that their lack of morality is useful."

"Perhaps," Meghan said. "But it's Stuart I'm worried about. What if..I mean, there were rumors that Granger--"

"We can't do much from here," Kalia inturuppted. The mission commander paused, staring at Meghan in silence for some time before speaking again. "You're scared of him, aren't you?"

"Stuart? Of course not!" She paused. "We killed the Sporks, but they nearly wiped us out." She sighed. "Two Assassains, an Analyzer, two Controllers and a bunch of Couriers...hardly an assault force."

"We must have faith in her," Kalia replied. "She has yet to steer us wrong."

"You're right," Meghan said. "Good night, Kalia."

"Goodnight." Kalia replied and left the room only when Meghan's footsteps had faded away.

'You can't get away with this!' the host screamed silently thorough their connection. 'I'll find a way, I'll stop you!'

"I doubt that," Kalia murmmered. Unlike the others, Kalia had left the host's mind intact, instead imprisoning the human's mind in their body. It was amusing to watch it struggle. "You're the last person Potter would suspect and that makes you perfect for me. You're mine, kid, just accept that."

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked sleepily.

"Gloria Mundi," Kalia replied and stepped inside