this is the action packed part I promised. It's a little long, but I hope that you won't notice. Also, I am not just overly obsessed w/ ad&d, it does have relevance. And, the faerie (elokin) reflected in the story follows the ad&d parameters for a faerie (w/ all the ad&d powers) and in no way reflects my personal belief in the nature of the wee ones. (

1 Part 4

Elokin pointed her wand at a feather.

" Vengardium Leviousa!" The feather didn't even twitch. A new wrinkle found its way into Elokin's brow. Harry sat beside her, looking on and regretting that he couldn't help in some substantial way. At the moment, he was just moral support. Ron and Hermione were outside of the library, having been kicked out for the loud argument that had yet to find its end. Ever since the day Elokin had received that package from Draco Malfoy, Ron had been bitter with Hermione because she wouldn't let him see the note that had come with it. Right after Potions that day, Hermione tried to give the note back to Elokin, at which point she had promptly run to the nearest lavatory and thrown up. And ever since that day, they were careful not to leave Elokin alone outside the common room. It seemed Malfoy had gotten a hold of his own copy of the Marauder's Map, for that was the only way he could have followed Elokin's movements so closely. And to top it off, Chris and Tsukiko were about to leave for the holidays, leaving Elokin alone at Hogwarts for the first time. The three of them tried to stress their friendship w/ Elokin as much as possible, but Hermione, who she had gotten closest to, was about to leave for home as well. The only thing that seemed to keep her mind off things was trying to master wand spellcasting.

"I don't understand why I have to use this stupid thing! Why does everyone here assume that this is the only way to do magic?!? Magic doesn't necessarily participate in pointing-stick-and-muttering-arcane-latin- ness!!!!!!" Some other students turned, and she sank back into her chair, embarrassed. Hermione and Ron came and sat down, Ron looking particularly ruffled.

"Wanna play a game of wizard's chess, Harry?"

"I know of a better game," All four turned to see Tsukiko, standing behind them looking somewhat triumphant. She thrust into Elokin's arms a badly wrapped rectangular gift. "Go on! Open it! Its from me and Dad!" She watched intently as Elokin carefully unwrapped the gift. Her face shone.

"Tsukiko-chan!!!" she exclaimed, "How long have you spent making this?!?"

"I started when Dad wrote that there was no way I was going to be able to stay. It's good. I had Hunter help." Elokin took out the bound pages, holding them so that none of the others could see.

"Lets play now, before you leave!"

"Did you even look at it?!? Its days long! It'll take you guys forever to finish it!" Elokin peeked inside for the first time, and her smile grew.

"I had better prepare," she said with a fiendish look, getting up and walking out of the library, Tsukiko in tow.

. .. .

Elokin had been hold-up in the girls' dormitory for three days, and the vultures were starting to smell mischief; Fred and George had been hanging out with Ron and Harry since the students left for home. This holiday break was unique in that half of the Slytherin house had stayed instead of went home to their families. Harry and Ron were sure that it was because their parents were busy with Lord Voldemort's bidding, but neither of them let this opinion slip outside of the Gryffindor common room. After lunch on the third day, Elokin came out. She was radiating energy, so much that Harry and Ron's ears were ringing.

"Do you guys want to play? Did Tsukiko explain the game?"

"No! She wouldn't ell us anything! And why haven't you come out in three days!?!" exclaimed Ron, whose face was slightly red.

"They made the game really extensive, with lost of monsters and challenges. I couldn't have done it all without preparing first."

"Monsters!"

"Challenges?" Fred and George chimed in, ears perked up; this sounded like their kind or game.

"Haven't you guys played AD&D before?" All four of them shook their heads. "Ok, the first thing you need to do is pick out a character. You an be any race, any class," she looked at Fred and George, "within reason. Then I start you out on the quest. I'm the dm, so you won't see me, but I'll be giving you instructions and creating the obstacles you encounter."

"What do you mean, creating?" said Harry.

"I'm a faerie. One of my inherent abilities is creating visual and auditory illusions. The only problem is, I can't hold them for a long time normally. That's why I had to stay away for awhile, to build up my energy reserves." The four of them didn't care anymore the reasons behind it; they were too busy coming up with characters.

"Dragon!"

"Giant!"

"Ferret-riding gully dwarf!" Elokin pulled out a book labeled Character Making for the Beginning Player and tossed it on the table.

About two hours later they were all ready to play. Ron was a human knight, Fred a gnome, George a Kender handler, and Harry a human wizard (hey, some people just love it). They followed Elokin to the staircases, where she disappeared.

"Good luck!" her voice echoed down the staircases. The three, grinning widely, began to make their way up the staircases, completely oblivious to the footsteps running the opposite way.

. .. .

The ravenous beaver-toothed imps charged towards them, bellowing their war cry. The mechanical cantrip creature (an invention of Fred's) cantered up to the leader of the beasts, stopped, then began to fume and spark.

"Its not gonna go! Run for it!" Fred cried, and the entire party turned tail and began to sprint down the corridor, save for George, who was, true to his Kender character, admiring them.

"Darnnit! He's going to make us fight again! Stop being so true to your character!" Ron shouted, turning around and drawing his sword. What insued was truly a battle of epic proportions; Ron swinging his sword like he could actually hold it up without toppling over, Harry blasting out mammoth fireballs, Fred stabbing with his short-sword, and George flying through the air, bellowing, and banging imps on the head with his hoopak. They (amazingly) beat back the imps and began collecting the gold and weaponry the imps had left behind. George was snatching things up with amazing speed.

"Let off! You don't get it all! You're the reason we had to fight those things in the first place!" Ron pushed George aside. He was promptly bitten on the butt by a mechanical cantrip creature with over-sized jaws. "Fred!"

"That's Fredamulicousnitartchulnicesma..." Fred began, obviously glad to have gotten the opening. All of them groaned, even normally-able-to- tolerate-Fred George.

"We're never going to get anywhere if you don't lay off it," he said, elbowing his twin in the stomach.

"Its my name! You guys get to say your whole name, so you're just going to have to wait until I'm done. Meepoliciousyawer..." Then, as if by clock- work, another monster appeared to move them along, this time a large mountain troll. Both Harry and Ron flinched. They both readied their weapons.

"Hey, you guys." They jumped. They should have been used to hearing Elokin's voice out of nowhere by now, seeing as they hadn't actually seen her since the game began. Or maybe it was the worry/fear in her voice.

"Yeah?" Harry said, leveling his wand at the troll.

"Um.I don't know how to tell you guys this.its never happened before, I swear!." Now they all were listening.

"What's 'never happened before you swear'?" Fred said, that phrase being to familiar for comfort.

"Um.I didn't make that," No pointing was needed. The troll itself, however, was acting very un-troll-like. It was standing still, as if it was.thinking?!? It turned its head, looking next to Ron. "Um, now it's looking at me," she whispered, the anxiety in her voice multiplied. It was only interrupted by the twin cries of Fred and George, who had begun running down the corridor in a state of panic. The rest followed suit. At the end of the corridor, however, they beheld a sight far more terrifying.

"Stop right there, Potter!" Professor Snape yelled, with Draco Malfoy by his side. For the first time in his career at Hogwarts, Harry blatantly defied Snape running right past him, motioning as he ran. Snape didn't need the motioning, his eyes widening as the troll came into view. The troll came to a sudden stop, though not because of Professor Snape. All four of the Gryffindors stopped and turned.

"Why did it stop?" Draco said in a whiny, fearful voice.

"Because I stopped," Elokin whispered, though the corridor was quiet enough to that everyone could hear it. The only consistent sound was that of the troll's labored breathing.

"Elokin?" Professor Snape whispered, his eyes widening in understanding. "Don't move," he said, drawing his wand. His head bent low as he began an incantation, then shot up again, as did everyone else's. "What was that?" he said, feeling the surge of energy. Behind the troll, a shadow played on the walls of the adjacent corridor. The troll sniffed the air, then turned in one semi-smooth spin, as a head emerged from around the corner of the corridor. The head and neck of a massive, horned, purple dragon rose into the air, its burning red eyes focused on the troll. It opened its mouth to, presumably, shoot flames at the troll, when it made them unnecessary; the troll collapsed onto the ground, having blacked-out it fear. The dragon turned, looking at a now visible Elokin, hovering in the air like a hummingbird, held up by huge, iridescent wings. It turned and its shadow disappeared down the corridor. All were staring now at Elokin, who was beginning to waver in the air. Her wings stopped beating and she began to plummet side-first downward. Snape rushed up and caught her just before she hit the floor. Her lips and fingertips were a bluish tint.

"She's tapped out!" Malfoy whispered, and all the others shared in his awe. All except Harry.

"Huh?" This seemed to snap Snape out of the awe-fest.

"50 points from Gryffindor! Get back to your quarters!" He bellowed, heading for the hospital wing.

. .. .

As soon as they could escape their quarters the next morning, all four were at the hospital wing, much to Madame Pomfrey's dismay.

"No, you can't see her! Yes, I know what happened! She needs her rest!" she roared, making shooing motions at the four Gryffindors.

"I think you would be more successful, Poppy dear, if you let them see her for just a moment. I'm sure they wouldn't disturb her," came Dumbledore's reassuring voice from behind Ron, who was by far the loudest of the four. Without another word, Madame Pomfrey nodded, drew open the curtains, and withdrew, leaving the four plus Dumbledore alone with a sleeping Elokin. She was curled up under the blankets and looked as if she were merely sleeping, with no signs of the previous day's melee. Her lips and fingertips had returned to their original color. Harry turned to Dumbledore.

"What does 'tapped out' mean?" he whispered, partly so as to not wake Elokin, partly to hide the fact that he didn't know what everyone else did. The old man backed away from the crowd, beckoning Harry to do so as well.

"Tapping out is a phrase used when a wizard fully exhausts all of the magical energy within them. It is very rare to see such a thing, and the mark of great ability," he whispered, but for the former reason, not the latter. Harry nodded, now understanding the moment of awe in the corridor after Elokin had fallen. He looked toward the hospital bed.

"Will she be ok?"

"Oh yes. quite. We do have on staff one of the most accomplished potionmasters around, on who has even mastered the little-bothered-with 'Rebuild' potion, though heaven knows why." Dumbledore said, a privileged smile forming on his face. "But now, I think," he said, his voice resuming its usual volume, "its time we let the girl rest." All four boys were led out by Dumbledore, who halfway down the hall back to the Gryffindor commonroom looked behind him, the smile returning to his face.

. .. .

"Its all clear!" Ron whispered, standing guard at the door to the Gryffindor boys' dormitories (no Gryffindor girls had stayed for the break). Harry sat down in the chair nearest to the fire, which was forming into a face.

"Hello Harry," Sirius said, his face visible in the flickering firelight. "How is everything? And why do you look like you haven't slept in three days?" His voice peaked in concern.

"Its going to sound really strange," Sirius nodded for him to continue, trying his best to hold back a snicker, "Well, two days ago we began a dungeons & dragons game with Elokin, and a troll got in, and a dragon killed the troll, and we couldn't sleep because we were worried about her, and." Harry said, his ramblings getting faster and more incoherent by the second.

"AD&D?!? Man, I haven't played that in years! You guys must have a faerie going to Hogwarts. Dumbledore must be worried.."

"You played AD&D!" Sirius nodded, a grin forming on his fiery face.

"You bet we did! Lily's friend Narnia was sucking down 'Rebuilds' almost every night for awhile," Harry's eyes widened.

"Lily, like my mother Lily?" Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, she and Narn were best friends. Lily used to get so mad at us for playing, but it never hurt anything." Then he stopped, his eyes widening as if he just had a startling realization. "Harry, how old is your faerie friend?"

"She's 15, just like the rest of us. Why?" Sirius was shaking his head, looking fit to kill.

"I can't believe he would do that. And I thought Dumbledore was a decent guy. Just because of stupid Voldemort." The use of "stupid" to describe Voldemort made Harry sit up. Sirius looked into his eyes. "You watch her, Harry. There are plenty of things at Hogwarts that she is best left unaware of. Do you understand?" Harry nodded, though he had no clue what Sirius was talking about. "I have to go now. Send an owl if anything comes up." Harry nodded as Sirius' face was replaced by the random flickering of a real fire. Before Ron could voice Harry's confusion, he raced past him into the dormitories, throwing open his chest and taking out the photo album Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year at Hogwarts. He looked at it almost every night, but had only two years ago first noticed anyone other than his parents; that being Sirius, who he had found in the picture of his father's best men. This time he flipped to his mother's bride's maids where, sure enough, he recognized someone new. A faerie stood at his mother's side, smiling widely and whispering into his mother's ear. She was taller than his mother, with pastel pink hair that shone in the light. She had the same large green eyes Elokin had, which were reflecting the happiness that everyone in the photograph seemed to feel. Curious, he flipped through the wedding pictures, stopping on one. It looked like it was at the reception, during the first dance. The picture centered on Harry's parents, dancing in the center of the room. Off in the corner he spotted Narnia's pink hair. She was dancing with someone as well, her head resting on the mystery man's shoulder, her eyes closed. As the picture moved, the two danced in a small circle, almost to the point where you could see the man's face, but not quite. From the back, he was tall and gaunt, with a ponytail of black hair flowing down his shoulders.

"Ugh! Why can't the bloody thing turn just a quarter of an inch more!" Ron's words echoed how he felt. But not a stranger to Hogwarts, that's what the Sorting Hat had said, and Harry knew how important the Hat's comments could be. Both parents went here.and one of them had been his mother's best friend. Did she know? No, he thought, she couldn't have. She would have said something, he was certain of it. There are plenty of things at Hogwarts that she is best left unaware of.Was this one of those things? Should he tell her?

"Best not say anything, not with what Sirius said," again, Ron seeming to read his mind. He nodded, turning the picture at every possible angle, trying to see the face of Narnia's dancing partner. "Probably doesn't matter," Ron piped up, "I mean, how many of your parents friends do we know? Even if we saw his face, it probably wouldn't even help. We wouldn't even recognize it." Harry nodded.

"But why would Dumbledore ask her to come here? Sirius didn't seem to think it was a good idea,"

"One things for sure," Ron said, the hint of a smile on his lips, "It must be a new year now. We've got another mystery to solve."