[A/N: I know the first chapter didn't really sound Harry Potter-ish, but I hope this just clarifies it a bit. The poem was called 'Terror By Night,' and I only wanted to put it up, since this fic's named after it... :-)]


Chapter 1 The Beginning of the End


¡§I wonder who the new one is,¡¨ Ron Weasley said absently as he watched the countryside slide past his eyes. He could just see his red hair and freckles in the window, past the green trees and fields.

¡§Who?¡¨ Harry Potter asked just as absently. He was shifting through his trunk, looking for his wand.

¡§The new Gryffindor Seeker. Of -course- the Defense Against Dark Arts professor, numbskull.¡¨ Ron rolled his eyes. ¡§Quidditch players.¡¨

¡§I can¡¦t believe you two are talking about professors and - and Quidditch when you could be studying for the N.E.W.T.¡¦s, or for your Apparating licenses, not to mention your exams. Haven¡¦t you learnt anything? Don¡¦t leave anything to the last minute!¡¨ Herminone Granger frowned at the two boys from over her book.

The Boy Who Lived and his ever-faithful sidekick Weasley and their know-it-all companion Hermione Granger were back on the Hogwarts Express, speeding their way back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for another promisingly exciting year. If Hermione and the teachers didn¡¦t bury them with schoolwork.

This was their Seventh and final year at Hogwarts, and everyone had nostalgic feelings about this. After all, they had quite a few adventures.

It all started and will eventually end with Voldemort (a.k.a. You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the Dark Lord, and millions of excuses to not say his name). Once a smart, handsome boy learning magic along with hundreds of witches and wizards at Hogwarts, he was now unrecognizable to those who knew him years ago. Having undergone many transformations, he was now the most feared wizard in the concealed wizarding community.

Harry Potter was the only one who had faced him countless of times, and had emerged every time alive, more confident and even more loved by his fellow magical folks.

On Halloween night around seventeen years ago, Voldemort appeared in Godric¡¦s Hollow, and murdered on of his nemesis, James Potter, then his wife Lily Potter, before turning on our young hero. And blasting himself into the dark recess of an Albanian forest, bidding his time before he would strike once more.

Eleven years later, he indeed struck out again at the child who had been his downfall. In his first year at Hogwarts, Harry stopped Voldemort from gaining immortality, giving him more time to breathe, but luck was not in favor of giving him rest. He faced the legendary monster of Slytherin, commanded by the memory of Voldemort, clever Tom Marvelo Riddle through a young girl. Fortunately, young Harry defeated his enemy once more.

Harry¡¦s third year was a nerve-wracking one, with dementors, werewolves and the teachers breathing down his neck to protect him from his godfather, Sirius Black. When the Triwizard competition rolled around, Harry had patched things up with his godfather and was ready for another hectic year. Being the youngest contender for the Triwizard Cup was no easy feat, but the Boy Who Lived did win - along with Cedric Diggory, tragically - and not only witnessed Voldemort¡¦s rebirth, but dueled with him and survived.

Things seemed to go smoothly the next year, but the Hogwarts Express was derailed by a series of horrible spells, sending five souls to the afterlife, three of them just graduated the day before. The next year started off with a bang - the dementors had abandoned Azkaban, the wizarding prison, and were reported appearing at various Muggle dwellings and terrorizing Muggles.

Hopefully, nothing would happen this year.

Harry Potter was hoping against hope, but it was a nice thought anyway. He had other worries at the moment: a lecturing Hermione Granger.

¡§Oh, give it a rest, Hermione. Let us rest until at least Christmas Break before you give us our studying schedules.¡¨ Ron glared at his busy-haired friend before adding, ¡§Which we -don¡¦t- need. We can find our way through our notes, thank you very much.¡¨

Hermione opened her mouth- to tell him off about his poor O.W.L.¡¦s probably - but Harry intervened before a huge row could rift a distance between his two hot-tempered friends.

¡§What happened to Professor Marsh?¡¨ Harry asked quickly. There wasn¡¦t an answer right away, but Hermione¡¦s expression softened as she turned to Harry, ready to inform him about their latest Defense Against Dark Arts teacher.

¡§She left, because she had a position in Switzerland.¡¨

Harry nodded, trying to look interested. ¡§Then how about Professor Hornby?¡¨

Hermione allowed herself to smile. ¡§She couldn¡¦t stand Moaning Myrtle.¡¨

Ron also chuckled. ¡§Wasn¡¦t hard to guess -that,- but imagine having Myrtle floating through you every time you started to teach about haunted houses.¡¨

Hermione giggled, something her two best friends hadn¡¦t heard in a while. ¡§I heard her complaining to Professor McGonagall once about how cold she was when she went to the bathroom, or when she was eating, sleeping, walking¡K Myrtle surely drove her crazy that year.¡¨

They all laughed. The door opened behind Ron, and his younger sister walked through the door, trailed by Neville Longbottom, a forgetful boy with a round face with a great fear of Snape.

Ginny Weasley was a slim sixteen-year-old, with the trademark Weasley freckles and red hair. She sat beside Hermione, avoiding Harry¡¦s eye. She had long since gotten over the girlish crush on the Boy Who Lived, but was still shy around him.

¡§Ginny! Neville! Brilliant. We can play Exploding Snaps with two decks.¡¨ Ron produced two packs of cards from his sister¡¦s ear.

She rolled her eyes. ¡§Ever since he saw that Muggle television show about some kind of magic show,¡¨ she told Hermione, ¡§he¡¦s been hiding Knuts and keys in his sleeves just to perform ¡¥magic¡¦ without a wand.¡¨

¡§Aww, Gin, look!¡¨ he picked up Harry¡¦s hat, and showed it to the compartment¡¦s occupants. ¡§A seemingly empty hat, no?¡¨ Harry and Hermione had seen this trick performed by Muggles (more skilled than Ron, to tell the truth) to expect anything amazing, and Ginny had helped Ron sew in pockets up his robe sleeves, so she wasn¡¦t surprised at anything.

Neville, however, was hanging onto the edge of the seat, waiting to see more. He did indeed. ¡§See, Neville, nothing in this hat. Feel inside.¡¨ Neville put his hand in Harry¡¦s hat and it did indeed come out empty. ¡§All right, let me say the magic word, **Ada Kadada!**¡¨ he shouted grandly.

Hermione and Harry shook their heads at the incorrect words, but didn¡¦t spoil Ron¡¦s moment.

Ron reached into the hat, and pulled out a ruffled Pigwidgeon. Neville¡¦s eyes were wide and surprised.

¡§Oh, wow, Ron, you did magic without a wand!¡¨ Ron grinned and bowed deeply.

¡§Thank you, Neville. If you¡¦re a good boy, I might even show you how I do it.¡¨ He reached over and pulled a Muggle banknote from Neville¡¦s ear.

¡§Don¡¦t listen to him, Neville. It¡¦s not magic. He only puts things in his sleeves, and pulls them out,¡¨ Hermione told him. She glanced at Ron dismissively, and he sneered back, but they all settled down for a quick game of Exploding Snaps before schoolwork pushed ¡¥fun¡¦ out of their vocabulary.

*

Arachne Drakul stood silently outside the Headmaster¡¦s office entrance, holding a suitcase and a backpack. She could hear the old man¡¦s voice arguing with another man. Actually, she could only hear the Headmaster¡¦s low rumble and the man¡¦s words.

¡§First a Werewolf, then -this!- Albus, have you gone mad? It¡¦ll eat the students, and it¡¦s a wonder why they haven¡¦t joined Voldemort already.¡¨

There was a rumbling reply, but the man didn¡¦t reply. Instead, the gargoyle in front of Arachne Drakul sprang opened after a few moments, and a man stepped through.

He was a tall, thin man with sallow skin. He hadn¡¦t noticed Arachne yet, and she had even more time to study this disagreeable man. His hair was black and shiny due to the gathered grease. It was about shoulder length, and slicked back out of his way with something that probably contributed to the greasy look. He had a hooked nose, which he looked down it to see anything.

The man didn¡¦t see her until he had almost run her over. Looking startled, he looked her up and down suspiciously, but regained his composure.

¡§Good evening,¡¨ he greeted formally. ¡§The Headmaster wishes to see you.¡¨

She nodded, and started towards the opening to the Headmaster¡¦s office.

*

Severus Snape followed the silent figure walking to Dumbledore¡¦s office. Her long black hair was pulled up into a ponytail, which shone blue in the dim light. Her figure was hard to tell, due to the long black cloak she was wearing, but he guessed it was slim, if her face was any clue.

He couldn¡¦t quite see her eyes, because they were hidden behind dark, reflecting shades. Just as well, he thought o himself sourly as he continued to follow her up the stairs. It was too bad her kind hadn¡¦t been wiped out long ago, but this should be an interesting year. After all, Potter and all the nitwits in his year were gong to graduate. That should be something to go by.

They had reached the doorway to Dumbledore¡¦s office at last, and the man they were waiting to see opened it. Dumbledore smiled broadly and moved aside to let them in. The woman (or what resembled a woman) nodded silently, and entered the office. She set down her bags in front of Dumbledore¡¦s desk, and waited. Dumbledore smiled behind his long silver beard.

Severus Snape stood to one side, and took a good look at the woman¡¦s face. It was deathly pale, contrasting to her blood-red lips and to the blackness of her glasses, hair and cloak.

Looking as hard as he could, Severus could not find a flaw in her delicate face. The skin was smoother than marble, with not a dent nor scar marring her features. She looked as if she had been carved from paper-white marble. As ageless and dangerous as the sea. But in truth, she looked young... very young indeed. Severus shuddered at the thought of her being Changed at such a young age.

With high cheekbones and small enough nose, she was a breath short of gorgeous, but there was nothing she had that he could ever want. The mere presence of her made him want to run in the other direction, but he was rooted to the spot by fear, longing, obligation and curiosity.

¡§Arachne! I hope you¡¦ve had a good trip up?¡¨ Dumbledore was once again seated behind his desk, watching her over his half-moon glasses.

Arachne. What a revolting name, thought Severus nastily. As if what she was wasn¡¦t bad enough.

The woman turned towards Severus and fixed her stare on him. He froze, remembering her kind¡¦s vast power. Even through the glasses, he could feel the heat of her gaze, and he was suddenly grateful for the lens that separated their eyes. She turned back to Dumbledore, quickly releasing Severus¡¦ mind from hers.

¡§The trip was wonderful, Headmaster,¡¨ she said in a low, melodious voice. It was certainly hypnotizing, and very soothing. There was a slight accent, which Severus couldn't quite make out.

¡§Good, good. Let me introduce you to your new colleague, Professor Severus Snape. Severus, this is an old friend of mine, Arachne Drakul. She was kind enough to help us by taking the Defense Against Dark Arts position.¡¨ Dumbledore smiled pleasantly, and watched the two greet each other cordially.

¡§Severus is our Potions Master, Arachne. He¡¦s also the Head of Slytherin, one of our four houses. I¡¦m hoping he¡¦ll show you around the school, and get you acquainted to the rest of the staff.¡¨

Severus nodded silently, carefully keeping his mind blank, so the creature would not know what he was thinking.

*

Harry sighed happily upon seeing the castle so near. He was definitely looking forward to some food. His stomach growled confirmation. Ron was chattering happily away with Neville about Quidditch. Hermione was still flipping through her spellbooks enthusiastically. Harry only sat and watched his friends and thought about the upcoming feast.

When their horseless carriage arrived at the castle, they joined the huge crowd fighting to get into the castle.

They all elbowed their way through the crowd, getting to their table and sitting down. Hermione had finally put down her book, and was studying the Head Table.

¡§Well, the rest of the professors are here and accounted for... Hagrid¡¦s with the First Years, then Professor McGonagall with them. But Snape and the Dark Arts teacher aren¡¦t there.¡¨

¡§Don¡¦t they tell the Head Girl who it is?¡¨ asked Ron.

Hermione shook her head. ¡§We need to wait, just like you. At least, that¡¦s what I believe. Or maybe they didn¡¦t have enough time to inform us... Oh! There¡¦s Snape, and...¡¨

¡§Oh, will you look at that!¡¨ Ron craned his neck to see the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher as she walked in. ¡§Oh, they do hire the right ones, eh, Harry?¡¨ He elbowed Harry, who was staring at her with interest.

Hermione humphed. ¡§She looks awfully young, doesn¡¦t she?¡¨

¡§The younger the better! How old do you think she is?¡¨ Ron breathed. Harry shrugged, and continued to watch the new professor settle down beside an exceptionally mad Snape.

She was (as Ron said) very young - she looked as if she had just graduated - and she was beautiful, as most of the male students would say, if asked. There were a few curious things about her... the dark glasses she wore, and the paleness in her face. It reminded them of Snape¡¦s paleness curiously, but it wasn¡¦t sallow. It was simply pale, and it only enhanced her beauty.

¡§Snape doesn¡¦t seem so happy,¡¨ Harry commented after a moment.

¡§I would be, if I were in his place,¡¨ Ron looked wistful as he stared up at her. They didn¡¦t even notice Seamus Finnagin and Dean Thomas coming towards them.

¡§Oh, will you look at that,¡¨ Seamus whistled.

¡§Crikey, she¡¦s a -¡§ Dean started to add to Seamus¡¦ commentary, but Hermione cut him off.

¡§A what?¡¨ She asked sharply.

¡§Erm, a - a good teacher?¡¨ Dean improvised quickly, so the Head Girl wouldn¡¦t take off his head.

Hermione glared at him, but let the matter drop. ¡§I -hope- she¡¦s a good teacher. Well, she hardly looks capable of First Year Hufflepuffs,¡¨ Hermione said loftily. ¡§I wonder how the Slytherin Seventh Years will torment her?¡¨ she added maliciously.

¡§Not to mention you, huh?¡¨ Ron glanced at Hermione. ¡§Oh, come off it. I thought you Head Girls were supposed to support the teachers, eh?¡¨

Hermione blushed slightly at the rebuke, and was silent. Harry smiled sympathetically at her, and tried to steer the subject away from the new teacher.

¡§Who¡¦s the Head Boy?¡¨ he asked.

¡§Terry Boot. He¡¦s Ravenclaw.¡¨ Hermione pointed out the boy sitting at one end of the Ravenclaw table. He had blonde hair, and was looking extremely pompous as he talked to the girl next to him.

¡§Bloody hell, he looks like Percy.¡¨ Ron made a face.

¡§He is a -very- good student,¡¨ Hermione told him sniffily. Ron didn¡¦t say anything to that, because Hagrid trooped in with the First Years and Professor McGonagall, a strict-looking teacher, carrying a ragged hat on the stool. The First Years lined up behind the hat, and watched it apprehensively.

The rest of the school also quieted, waiting for it to do something. What, the First Years didn¡¦t know and was anxious to find out.

The rip at the brim of the hat opened and to much of the young students¡¦ surprise, it broke out into song.

I¡¦m quite renown as a certain Hat
That can sort students to their places,
I¡¦ve had that job for quite a while,
That at one point I was covered in laces.
Of course, I belonged to Gryffindor,
A brave soul to say the least
He cared for me and took pride in me
And set me to this feat.
On a brighter note, Ravenclaw
Was a fine and smart young lady
And when she got to seventy,
She wasn¡¦t a least bit shady.
A cunning man by Slytherin
Was different from the rest,
He always did get his way,
Until one day he built a room with a test.
A sweeter girl was never known
That a lady named Hufflepuff
When everyone got into fights,
She was calm and never in a huff.
So try me on, dear friend in need,
And see which house you belong in.
Because my friends, I shall tell you
Where you can begin.
For each House has its story,
Each one rich and unique,
No matter which house you are in,
You shall have fun and learn, a guarantee!
Whether brave or smart,
Shrewd or sweet,
Tall or short, big or small,
You shall be complete,
Because at Hogwarts School,
We all learn and learn alike!


The whole Hall burst out in applause and cheers as it did every year when the Sorting Hat finished its song. When the clamor died down, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a scroll of parchment.

¡§When I call your name, please step forward and try on the hat, then proceed to your new House.

The First Years were looking more nervous than ever, but one by one, they were sorted.

¡§Barsimmon, Zachary!¡¨

¡§GRYFFINDOR!¡¨

The Gryffindors welcomed the slightly wobbly First years, their first one of the year. When Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington tried to shake his hand, Zachary got a nasty shock, but it got worse when the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower¡¦s head nearly fell off, hanging off a tendril of ghostly flesh. Nearly Headless Nick apologized profusely, as the Sorting went on.

¡§Ilsonot, Kevin!¡¨

¡§HUFFLEPUFF!¡¨

Hermione had moved down the table, trying to comfort Zachary Barsimmon, who looked as Petrified as she did when she met the basilisk in her second year.

¡§Orloff, Cassandra!¡¨

¡¥RAVENCLAW!¡¨

The Head Boy himself and welcomed the young witch to the (as Ron called it when Ravenclaw was ahead of Gryffindor with points) Ignoramus Lane.

Harry was praying avidly that the last one would bring a stop to Dumbledore¡¦s train of thought, leaving them ample time to fill their bellies.

¡§Zaffunda, Mesopotamia!¡¨

¡§SLYTHEIRN!¡¨

Harry¡¦s prayer was answered. Dumbledore stood, smiled and said in his deep voice, ¡§Don¡¦t let the food go to waste.¡¨

Harry let out a great yell, and started filling his plate as soon as the House Elves sent the food up.

Hermione had joined them again, and also started to fill her plate. She narrowly missed Ron's fork, when it flew out of his hand in excitement. "Honestly, Ron. You're acting like you haven't eaten in ages."

"I haven't! -Four- hours, can you believe it? And it was only a box of Chocolate Frogs! Hey, Harry, look, chicken pie!" Ron shoveled his mashed potatoes into his mouth, making room for the pie.

Harry watched Hermione pull a batch of asparagus onto her plate. He was about to say something about the amount of greens Hermione was eating, but Ron elbowed him and pointed at the Head Table with his fork.

"Look, she's not eating."

Harry and Hermione looked up, and sure enough, the woman had nothing on her plate yet, nor was she reaching for anything. She only passed the pie to Snape when he said something to her. "Well, she's certainly prissy about herself," Hermione said snippily.

"I don't know why - she -looks- thin enough," Ron said through a piece of chicken breast. She indeed looked thin enough. It was apparent, even through her black robes. Slender, but not gaunt.

"Well, looks can be deceiving," Hermione drank from her goblet. "Perhaps she has a different time schedule, and she eats later, or has eaten before." She looked at her new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher. "Have you ever seen a face like that? She looks like a vulture."

"Oh, yes, a very, very se-" Ron started to say in a dreamy voice, but Hermione's look stopped him. "Er, I mean, a very, very er, se - silent person." His ears went red.

Harry, Seamus and Dean snorted at Ron's catch. Hermione humphed again. She caught Harry's grin. As if hearing his though, she looked sulky.

"I am -not- jealous."

*

Arachne sat silently, watching everyone eat to his or her hearts' content. She didn't touch a morsel of food, nor a drop of the drink, as was the custom of her people.

She was sitting beside Professor Vector, an enthusiastic eater, who asked her regularly to pass the plate of whichever dish was by her side. The rest of the teachers knew what she was, and thankfully refrained from asking her to join in, but she was feeling much like a waitress, handing plates of food over to either Vector or Snape. It was irking her, but she did comply with their requests.

Conversations were flowing all around her, among the teacher. Professor Vector tried several times to make conversation, but gave up, since the woman only replied in monosyllabic words.

Thankfully, Snape didn't try to talk to her, but his thoughts were probably more disturbing than his words. Arachne refrained from retorting to his thoughts. After all, they were supposed to be private, and she definitely needed to refrain from using people's thoughts against them. If practice did not perfect skills, then she probably wouldn't know what would.

It took nearly three hours before the last remnants of the feast were cleared from the golden plates. By then, Arachne was thoroughly bored and tried of listening to the static in her head from interior conversations, and her ears were ringing from the exterior conversations. The glasses were irritating her, and the sounds of humans eating happily were somewhat sickening her. Surely, surely such torture would not continue? She had to be here for this feast, or else she would have long since run off.

Extremely relieved (not to mention grateful), Dumbledore stood, and a hush fell over the gathered students. Evidently, this headmaster was respected from all corners of the Great Hall.

"Good evening, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Now, before I send you off into your warm beds to float around in your pleasant dreams, I do have a few obligatory words I always seem to say during the Start-of-Term-Feast." Dumbledore paused for a moment before continuing.

"First, I must remind the older students about the Forbidden Forest, and why exactly it is forbidden." He gave the older students a stern look. "And, First Years, also note that Hogsmeade is out-of-bounds for those under Third-Year.

"Mr. Filch has also asked me to remind you about eating sweets in classrooms and... leaving them there, and about the horrible stench the Dungbombs create, especially set in the hallways." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he cleared his throat.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested should see their House Captains.

"And finally, I am pleased to welcome a new teacher into our ranks - Professor Drakul. She will be our Defense Against Dark Arts teacher."

There was applause, especially from the male portion of the student body. When it died down, Dumbledore bade them all good night, and the students dispersed. The teachers started to leave the Hall too, but Dumbledore stopped Arachne and Severus.

"Ah, Arachne, Severus, I see you two have gotten along!" If Dumbledore saw Severus' thin, grimacing smile, he didn't comment on it. "Well, I'm sure you've showed Arachne to her rooms, and to the classroom." Severus nodded silently. "Severus, there is something else.

"Arachne's condition may not allow her to teach on an extremely... sunny day. In that case, I must ask a favor of you, for you to switch your lesson with her." Severus nodded again. Dumbledore smiled again, and bid them goodnight, and left the two to face each other.

"I'm not going to pretend to like you and your kind," Snape said, as soon as Dumbledore was out of earshot.

Arachne nodded. "I understand," she said in her low, melodious voice. It was indeed intoxicating. "I appreciate what you're doing," she added.

He glared. "I'm not doing -you- a favor. I'm only doing Dumbledore a favor."

Arachne was taken aback by the venom in his voice, but expected as much, after seeing his initial reaction. She didn't blame people like him. They didn't understand, and didn't want to. She had long since stopped expecting them to empathize with her situation.

"Well, thank you, anyway." She bowed her head, and left the Great Hall.

*

Severus Snape watched her go, feeling rather lightheaded, despite his harsh words. Her voice was indeed seductive... her whole -person- spelled seduction. The way she talked, low and slowly, how she held herself, and how she walked.

As Severus watched her, he realized that if he wasn't watching her, he would not have heard her walk away. Knowing this suddenly made him uneasy. God knew what she was going to do with her power.

Has she lured men away, just to kill them under the cover of darkness? Had she pulled children from their families? What was Dumbledore thinking in hiring her?

He thought back to what Dumbledore had said about her. She was very capable of avoiding the Hunters and Aurors, along with normal beings. He was also reminded at how she smeared some kind of paste onto her abnormally white skin to make it look human. How disgusting.

Potter. He was the cause of this. First, Quirrell and his betrayal. It led to Lockhart and his mask of fame and glory. Lupin was definitely better than -her.- Both were monsters no one needed. Mad-Eye Moody was another betrayer. Dumbledore definitely needed to stop trusting those kinds of people.

Scowling, he also exited the Great Hall after Drakul.

He found her halfway to the Astronomy Tower, looking utterly lost. She turned sharply upon hearing his footsteps, though he was further away. -Much- further. He stood frozen, watching her glide over to where he was standing.

"I should say you look rather... lost," Severus said silkily. Her face was in the shadows of the hall, and she looked nearly human. She glided closer still.

"I believe so," she told him neutrally. She stepped forward, and Severus was lost in two twin pools of violet smoke, unable to be found.

'Severus Snape, you have no reason to fear.' An indescribable voice filled his whole being. He was willing to give himself to it - NO! It was going to destroy him, and it would take advantage of him.

Severus struggled with all his might, and broke through. he was triumphant, and was exhilarated, until he realized her eyes were covered with the dark glasses.

So the creature had let him go. His will was not stronger than hers was after all. ¡§What do you think you¡¦re doing?¡¨ he hissed angrily.

¡§I¡¦m sorry,¡¨ she whispered.

Severus considered killing her for a moment before she brushed past him, but then all the thoughts were pushed away. Dumbledore had said something about that. She was nearly impossible to kill. Neither stake nor cross would divert her. Not even the sun was very effective in killing her. Damn that creature.

*

Arachne had succeeded in getting herself thoroughly lost. Then Severus Snape had showed up... such a terrible mistake. It was now near four o¡¦clock. Five hours before the school would come alive with students, teachers and ghosts. Sighing, Arachne popped a blood-flavored lollipop into her mouth, and proceeded to walk the dark halls again. Tomorrow night, she would try the grounds, and the forest. She ought to familiarize herself with Hogwarts. After all, this would be her home for the next ten months.

She could feel the magic pressing against her, strong and pulsing like a music beat too loud to hear, but the feeling was delicious. Arachne couldn¡¦t decide if the magic was like music. It definitely reminded her of the days when magic still flowed in her veins, and she had been able to use it. Now, all she had were memories of her magic, and the borrowed pleasures of watching wizards and witches perform an age-old right, passed on and on over the generations, sometimes skipping generations, sometimes appearing in new threads.

Arachne frequently wondered what she had done to receive this kind of punishment. She longed to feel the warmness of magic coursing through her. All she felt now was the hard, cold emptiness.

Sighing, she started towards her room, to take a short nap before facing students. Today was a mix between Fourth-Years and Seventh-Years from all houses. Arachne felt she would need the rest.

Children ¡V especially teenagers ¡V were not exactly her favorite people, although they were, a very long time ago. After all, she had grown up planning to marry and create a family of her own. Until the unexpected had happened. But there was no use in dwelling among such unpleasant thoughts. She was getting too old for this.



Disclaimer: I own zilch, 'cept for some things...