Disclaimer: I own Illaera and most of the ideals surrounding her, the magnificent Joanne Kathleen Rowling owns everything else (oh yeah, I know there's something about Warner Brothers and Bloomsbury, but *shrugs* they don't count…)

A/n: This chapter, as all other chapters, is dedicated to my friends Admiral Albia, Kiki, Tkaa and my very own Kaera and my muse Maize. And of course, my best friend Zara.

Professor McGonagall was in a state of shock. As soon as she heard about what happened in Potions she crept into her office and got quietly drunk. Everybody could only assume Snape had done the same thing.

Illaera, Hermione, Ron and Harry were worried that Dumbledore would take away their private common room, but he did not have a chance, because from the next day forward things were thrown into an uproar. A student was missing. Her name was Takima Kikalbi, a Ravenclaw fourth year and nobody had seen her in three days. Those who believed Voldemort had returned feared the worst.

Ron, Hermione and Harry were confined to the Gryffindor Common Room. Illaera was confined to her invisibility cloak. Luckily for the Shifter, the animals had no such restrictions. Illaera used the best attributes of each of the animals and in the end, her efforts paid off.

***

"The body of Takima Kikalbi was found this morning in the Forbidden Forest. Her mysterious disappearance and death are currently being looked into," Hermione read aloud to the somber gathering in the common room that evening. "The Daily Prophet has been unsuccessful in obtaining an interview with The Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, and we wonder if perhaps the time has come for his resignation?" This was met by gasps all over the room, but Hermione merely waited for quiet and continued, though her voice was shaking slightly with anger. "As most of you will remember, Dumbledore was suspended three years ago during the outbreak of attacks at Hogwarts. Perhaps the governors made a mistake by reinstating him."

"How could they!" George exploded. "How could they write such awful things?"

"Surely you haven't forgotten Rita Skeeter already?"

"Was it her? Did she write the article?" Katie Bell asked angrily.

Hermione shook her head. "Somebody I've never heard of wrote it. Parrus Carlisle."

"Parrus!" Angelina exploded. Everybody glanced at her.

"You know him?"

"Know him? He was my brother's best mate growing up! I can't believe he'd do something like this! I have to owl my brother."

Angelina leapt up and headed for the portrait hole. Ginny stared pointedly at Fred for a moment, who let out a sudden exclamation, clambered to his feet and hurried after her. Ginny giggled and returned to her sketchbook.

"What are you drawing Gin?" Ron asked casually.

Ginny frowned.

"I don't know…I had a dream…in Divination if you must know, and in it was this girl…I've never seen her before, but she was extraordinary. She's stuck right in my mind and won't leave. I was going to see if I could draw her well enough for somebody to recognize…"

Harry swallowed nervously, as did Hermione, Ron, and (from underneath her invisibility cloak) Illaera.

"Uh…can I see Gin?" Harry asked.

Ginny blushed furiously. "No! It's…It's just it isn't finished yet…"

"Please Gin?" Harry coaxed, prizing the sketchbook from her fingers. Harry drew in a breath. Not that he'd doubted it, but the paper showed a stunning likeness to Illaera.

"That's…that's really good Gin…I didn't know you could draw so well…" he mumbled, handing her book back.

"Thanks Harry. Do you recognize her?"

"Uh…no. No."

Ginny regarded the boy skeptically. Whenever somebody lied, their eyes slid slightly to one side. Harry was definitely lying.

****

Ginny lay in bed that night, wondering what Harry was hiding. If Harry was hiding something, chances were that Hermione and her brother were hiding something too. What did they know about that girl? Who was that girl? Ginny drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Ginny, my name is Illaera. I mean no harm. Please do not expose me though. I need to remain a secret to protect Harry. Tomorrow after Harry has Quidditch practice meet us all in the Owlery. Keep this as a token of my sincerity.

Ginny woke with a start. Keep what? Ginny rubbed her eyes, only to poke herself in the cheek with something cold and metallic…She glanced at it and saw a silver pendant in the shape of a crescent moon. There was no way she was going to the Owlery alone tomorrow. Ginny hesitated for only a moment, then slipped out of bed, out of her dormitory and down the stairs. She had intended to sneak into the boys' dormitory, but luckily she did not have to.

"Ginny, what are you doing out of bed?" Fred asked from where he was curled up in an armchair with Angelina. Ginny tossed the necklace to Fred and he caught it.

"What's—" he froze as he caught sight of the pendant on the chain.

"Angelina, I need to talk to my sister. See you in the morning?"

Angelina nodded, kissed Fred on the nose and headed up the stairs, smiling at Ginny as she passed.

"Gin, where did you get this?"

"In my sleep. Tell me what it means to you."

"To me? Nothing. I was just—"

"Stop lying to me Fred. I know you know about Illaera. So do George, Ron, Harry and Hermione."

Ginny knew no such thing. As far as she knew, Illaera was a servant of Voldemort, sent to haunt and torment her. But Ginny was not going to be a tool of the Dark Lord again.

"What do you know?" Fred asked warily.

"Only what she told me in my dream. I want to know who she is, how she's in this school and if she intends to hurt Ron or Harry or Hermione!"

"I…I think you should talk to her about it."

"No, I want you to tell me now!"

Fred winced a little. Ginny had a famous temper, and so far she was only mildly annoyed…

"Okay! Okay…She doesn't want to hurt Harry or Ron or Hermione, or any of us."

Ginny regarded Fred in disbelief. It looked like he was expecting to be struck by lightning any minute. Fortunately for Fred, he wasn't. However he continued to glance around nervously before muttering something about needing his beauty sleep and heading for the girls dormitories. Ginny watched him go into Angelina's dorm room and thought, "I doubt anybody will be getting much beauty sleep in there…"

****

"Ginny! Wake up! It's the first Qudditch practice of the season! Don't you want to find out who the Captain is? And the new Keeper?"

"And chaser," Ginny mumbled as she woke, "Alicia Spinnet isn't allowed to play this year remember? I think it's awful of her parents to forbid her from playing. It's the NEWTS, not the end of the world!"

"Yes, yes, that too. Come on!" Kylie exclaimed, drawing Ginny's bedclothes off her. "Get up, get up, get up!"

As Ginny dressed in her weekend robes she examined the pendant more closely. It seemed to be inlaid with traces of Amethyst, but so slight you could barely see it, and not at all if you didn't squint.

"Ginnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" Kylie wailed from downstairs. "Aren't you ready yet?"

Ginny hurriedly hung the pendant around her neck and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She squeezed her feet into the shoes she should have discarded a year ago and half-ran, half-hobbled down the stairs. From the common room Ginny and Kylie raced down to the Quidditch pitch, moving at record speed.

"Ron!" Ginny cried as the two girls raced across to the grass to where Ron and Hermione sat watching practice. "Has it started yet? Did we miss anything?"

"No, they still haven't announced the Captain or let those kids over there know if they can go back to bed or not."

Clumped in a small group not far from the change rooms were 7 or so Gryffindor students, eagerly waiting to see which one of them would be the new keeper and who would replace Alicia as chaser.

"Look! There's Alicia…" Kylie murmured. Ginny glanced in the direction Kylie had indicated and saw Alicia making a beeline for the change rooms. At the last minute she stopped, turned and headed (more slowly) towards the stands.

"Force of habit," she muttered to Lee Jordan, who nodded understandingly.

"Heretheycomeheretheycomeheretheycome!"

Ginny glanced at Kylie who was almost bouncing with excitement.

Fred and George stepped forward, cleared their throats and announced,

"Ladies and gentlemen…"

"…witches and wizards…"

"…it is our honour…"

"…No Fred, our privilege!"

"No George, we were voted into this, remember? It's really our duty, or curse…"

"In any case…drum-roll please…"

"The new chaser…"

"..replacing our dear irreplaceable Alicia…"

"…is none other than…"

"The sixth year who turns all the ladies heads-"

"Dalaran Azeroth!"

Dalaran smiled his famous smile and sauntered over to the small cluster of people who held the attention of everybody within sight.

"And now, our newest Keeper..."

"...who we're sure will do very well..."

"...do our team proud..."

"...and help us win the cup once more..."

"Andra Rasine!"

Ginny and Kylie cheered extra loudly for their friend, the fourth year girl who shrieked as she ran over to join the team.

"And now...the moment you've all been waiting for..."

"..without further ado..."

"...with no more hesitation whatsoever..."

"...we'll put you out of your misery by announcing..."

"...proclaiming..."

"...informing..."

"Get on with it!" Ginny yelled to her brothers.

"Now, now dear sister, no need to be rude..."

"...our very own-"

"Who else's would they be George? This is the Gryffindor Quidditch team..."

"Good point Fred. Very good point."

"I thought so..."

"Introducing..."

"...our new leader..."

"...our Captain..."

"Angelina Johnson!"

Angelina grinned broadly, her cheeks beginning to turn red as the entire team hugged her and Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Kylie and all the other people who were watching burst out cheering for her.

"Alright!" she cried. "What do you think your doing, attending a picnic? Get on your brooms and get up in the air!"

****

"I'm so happy for Andra! Pass the marmalade."

Ginny nodded and did so.

"Me too, and Angelina was a really good choice," Ginny commented to Kylie as she munched on her toast.

"You would say that. After all, she's dating your brother..."

"That has nothing to do with it! And besides...I'm not sure if they're actually dating or just really, really, really, really, really, really, really good friends who kiss a lot..."

Kylie giggled at Ginny. "You're nuts!" she exclaimed, taking a sip of orange juice.

"We know that," Ron commented from across the table where he sat with Hermione, eating breakfast while Harry practiced.

"Thanks a lot! Oh, Ron...I wanted to show you something...actually I meant to show it to Harry before practice but I slept in..."

Ginny pulled the pendant out from under her robes and leant across the table to show Ron.

Ron and Hermione dropped their forks in unison, creating a clatter that attracted the attention of half the table.

"Where did you get that Gin?" Hermione asked Ginny cautiously.

"What does it mean to you?"

"Where did you get it?" Ron repeated.

"What does it mean to you?"

"Ginny..."

"Ron..."

"Umm...I hate to interrupt the family squabble, but what's going on here?" Kylie broke in.

"I have to talk to my brother and Hermione Kylie," Ginny explained, not taking her eyes from the pair. "Can I meet you at the common room later?"

"Umm...sure..."

Ginny stood up, still holding the gaze of her brother, who also rose to his feet. Ginny turned and left the hall, Ron and Hermione at her heels.

"Where are we going Ginny?"

"To meet Harry and Illaera at the Owlery," Ginny replied quietly.

Hermione gasped.

"You...you know?"

Ginny nodded curtly, then hesitated.

"Yes and no. I expect Illaera can explain it all."

****

Ginny had taken a risk. For all she knew Illaera could have been a necromancer or demon-mistress. But there was no way she would have kept silent if it had meant putting her brother and his friends at risk. She was not yet sure she trusted Illaera, but she had yet to meet the girl. Ron seemed a little nervous about Illaera and Ginny wondered once more who exactly Illaera was, what she was doing at Hogwarts and if she posed a threat.