A/N: I went to Borders today and I found a copy of Fushigi Yugi #3. Needless to say, I read the thing. I have a new favorite guy character aside from Tama-kun, Nuriko and Hotohori. Actually, I think that we can sufficiently call Nuriko a girl. The poor guy wouldn't be able to function as a guy, even if tried. He's waaaaaaaaaay too girly looking to pass for a guy. Even in men's clothes, he looks like a woman with a flat chest.
As for my new fave character? I LOOOOOVE CHICHIRI! AAHHH! @.@ Good Lord.... The guys hot even with that scar! Oooo.... That and he's hilarious! ^.^ Yui is startin' ta git on my nerves! Grrrr..... Even I have more loyalty than her! ::achem:: of course, she doesn't know that Miaka didn't know about her problems and is now blaming herself for it all.
That and I'm fiercely loyal to my friends. There ain't nothin', short of actual betrayal, that breaks that.
By the way... don't mind my version of the Japanese words from those songs in Ch. 13. I did it by ear, so it's as good as yer gonna get from me. I have six of these CDs and they all serve a purpose, have a feeling attached to them, that I use to be able to draw or write. The few songs on this new CD make me feel empowered, as opposed to what I was feeling somewhere around the time I got to Borders, which was sick and weak. I didn't listen to my empowering CD. That and I was very tired and getting hungry. I had just spent about thirty minutes in the HOT Texas afternoon sun.
::sings I Don't wanna Cry::
Chapter Sixteen
"The first thing on this month's Prefect Meeting agenda is a few missing students. Does anyone know anything about them?" The Head Girl asked.
No one said anything. Harry had heard about a couple of students from Hufflepuff that had gone missing, but he suspected it was that strange light that had them.
The weather outside was pleasant for March in the evening. When everything was over, he walked back to Gryffindor tower feeling very tired and wiped out by all the meetings the prefects had put together.
In the Morning, Astra awoke to find something on her bed. Skywise right in front of her, clicking his beak at her chidingly. He transformed into a snake and wrapped himself around her shoulders.
"Good Morning to you too, Sky..." She patted his head. "I wonder kind of creature you are. I haven't found anything in my books that tell me."
"None of your concern...." Skywise wisped out in parsel tongue.
"Oh right... you always misdirect me when you don't want to admit something. It's as if yer hiding something from me." She sighed and picked up the package. "Never mind, Sky..."
She opened the package and was surprised by it's contents. "A disk? Who would give me a... hard disk...." She smiled at the handwriting on the front of her package. "Keith you hacker you! I knew you would find me the information I needed!"
"Information?" asked Skywise. "I don't remember you ssssssaying you needed information..."
"You remember that letter I sent after I brought Harry back from outside that one night? That was the letter to Keith about the missing information on the creature in my laptop." She grinned at Skywise and opened up her laptop.
When it booted up, she put the disk into the disk drive and listened to it hum as it read the information on the disk. She opened up the program and et it assimilate the new information. "Okay, Soul Reaver.... what information do you have for me...."
The picture of the soul reaver showed up. Then, Astra saw the information show up. "Not much is known about the soul reaver. It inhabits dark places and comes out at night to feed on human souls. There are very few left in the world, but are still classified as being highly dangerous."
Astra tapped the keyboard impatiently. "Come on... there's gotta be more than that!" she growled at the computer. "Here we go... it wears a gemstone that gives it its light and life."
She tapped the keyboard again a little harshly and growled. "Keith... what is up that you couldn't get much mor than this!"
"Why are you sssssso determined to know more about thissssss creature....." Skywise hissed again.
"Because of what I saw out there that night. I swear I thought I saw those creepy red eyes staring at me from across the lake." Astra said with a shiver.
"Red eyessssss?"
"Voldemort... I swear I saw him out there, watching me take Harry back." Astra shuddered at the thought of those eyes boring into her.
"Why would he be out there...."
"That's what I'm tryin' ta figure out! I think it has something to do with that thing out there, of which I swear is a soul reaver." Astra said as she closed the laptop. She remembered her fifth year and those eyes that seemed to beckon her.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Miss Snape growled impatiently as Neville tried to give the several ways to deflect a vampire. Astra wondered why most of the boys weren't as entranced as they had been during the year.
Harry sat behind Astra watching Miss Snape tap her desk as Neville squeaked his narraration. When he was through, she smiled coldly and stood up. He noticed that there wasn't the same force emitted onto him as there usually was.
"Today... I'm going to talk to you about a creature that is very deadly. It's as bad as a dementor and works almost the same way. It's called a Soul Reaver."
Astra sighed in triumph in front of him. "Finally.. Some more info on this thing..."
Nevaeh nodded her agreement. "I concur... that thing is incredibly creepy."
"Soul Reavers use their voices, much like sirens do, to lure their prey out so they may feed. Sometimes they get cheeky and make up words to the tune and sing it as sort of a battle cry."
There was a vein popping out of Miss Snape's forehead as she spoke. She rubbed her temples and smiled through gritted teeth. Harry swore he saw her mutter something that looked like, "shut up, you twit!"
"They hide in dark places and come out at night to feed on the souls of humans, leaving the husk behind, usually. Dementors do similar, but Soul Reavers have a tendency to assimilate the body of the victim as well."
She growled and gritted her teeth again in a smile that made Harry wish he were someplace else. She muttered something again and straightened up again. She suddenly looked composed and there was an enormous force emitted onto him. He felt as though the imperious curse were being put on him again.
She smiled brightly and laughed that horrible laugh of hers. "Oh ho ho ho! I see my dear cousin decided to peek in on us! Come on in, Severus!"
Professor Snape walked into the classroom through the door and grimaced at Miss Snape. "My, my, Aldonia... I see you're having some problems. Is there any way I can help?" he sneered at her. She glowered at him efficiently enough that he suddenly went pale and back off a bit.
"No, Sevie.... I'm having a WONDERFUL time teaching this class!" she beamed at him maliciously. "Do you have anything you want to add to what I was talking about, or are you here to watch and hope for a failing."
Professor Snape gritted his teeth and smiled at her. Then, he backed out of through the door and walked away. Miss Snape smiled in triumph. "I just LOVE doing that!" She laughed that horrible laugh once again.
After lunch, the sixth year Gryffindor students walked out to the stables for their Care of Magical Creatures class. It was nice outside and Harry could feel a nice breeze. Professor Wizworth walked out of the stables and smiled at everyone.
"Today... we're going to study the Hippocampus." Professor Wizworth said with a smile. "Not to be confused with a part of the human brain." He said quickly as Hermione raised her hand.
He directed them to the lake and smiled. "I have asked the Merpeople to let us study their tadfoal... or the Hippocampus babies." He kneeled to the ground and tapped the surface of the water.
Suddenly, two merpeople sprang out of the water and handed a tadfoal to Professor Wizworth. He said something in a high screechy voice and then stood up as the Merpeople dove under the water again.
The tadfoal was cute. It was rather large, like a regular colt, but it had a fish tail instead of hind legs. "The hippocampus lays large semitransparent eggs. They are generally found in the Mediterranean Sea, but this one's mother was found a year ago and was bred to give these people a few more to put to good use." He was struggling with the thing, which was interesting to watch as the creature flipped it's tail at Professor Wizworth's face, while trying to slip away from him. "Now stop that! You'll go back in a little bit!"
"Does anyone want to pet him?" He asked the students gathered. Astra stepped forward and smiled up at Professor Wizworth.
"I'd like to!" she said gleefully. She had a soft spot for strange and unusual creatures. She let the tadfoal smell her, letting it judge her as a safe person. When it stopped squirming, she petted it's nose and scratched behind his ear. He whinnied happily. "All he needed was a nice touch!" she beamed.
Professor Wizworth stared at her and raised an eyebrow. Harry thought he saw something flash across Professor Wizworth's face for a split second. Then, Professor Wizworth smiled and beckoned more people forward. "Don't worry! Everything will be alright!"
That night, Astra stared at her computer screen in the common room. Harry walked over sat down next to her, looking the screen himself. "What is that." he asked her.
"A soul reaver... although... I can't for the life of me figure why Keith the genius couldn't get more on them...." Astra said, still frustrated with her own brain.
"I was wondering... what time did you find me at?" harry said to her. He was trying to figure why every time the Soul Reaver came around, it was well after dark that it did so.
"Around twelve o'clock." She said pointing to her watch. She wondered why she saw Voldemort in the forest, watching her drag Harry back to the castle. "Harry... did you see anyone other than the soul reaver and the boy?"
"No..." He thought back to that night. He remembered what happened when he fell to the ground. "My scar was burning...." he said quietly.
Astra's eyes narrowed, a look of determination on her face. "Voldemort was watching me drag you back to the castle. I saw those eyes of his through the mist in the forest."
"Why though... he would only be after me, but why didn't he do anything except watch?" Harry said. He suddenly thought of something. "You said you had found me around twelve, right? I went up to the Astronomy tower around nine. I had only been up there for about ten minutes when I heard the voice and saw the boy. What do you think happened?"
Hermione seemed to be listening as well as Nevaeh and Avalon. Avalon fixed her eyes on Astra and growled, but said nothing as she walked over to a corner next to window and gazed out. "Time!" Hermione and Nevaeh exclaimed at the same time.
"Time... time, that's it! I realize it now!" Harry said.
"The Soul Reaver's light is generated by that stone around her neck. That stone must also bend time as well." Astra said.
"But why would Voldemort want it...?" Harry asked. He leaned against the arm of the couch.
"Duh-uh! He's gonna steal it! He's gonna take it away from the soul reaver and use it for himself!" Nevaeh said.
"But why! There's no reason to do that! He can't change the future." Hermione said.
"Don't be so sure of that, Hermione.... I can change time if I wished. All you need to do is know what time period you want to be in, go there and do what you want and you change the future." Astra said.
"But what about that time in third year when we rescued Sirius and Buckbeak." said Harry. Then, he slapped his face in realization that neither Astra nor Nevaeh knew about that incident. He explained about it and Astra smirked.
"Cute... yes... time can be changed... but I guess I have some more things to learn. If he's gonna do something, he's gonna do it soon. If my guess is correct... then we'll end up going with him." Astra said.
Harry was going to question what she meant by that statement, when he distinctly heard the voice through the window. Hermione and Nevaeh froze up. Everyone in the Common room were still as statues. Except Astra, who stared toward the window.
"There's someone screaming." she said.
Harry watched her as a great blur as she grabbed her wand and ran out the common room. Harry followed her. He wasn't going to let her get herself hurt. Her words still rang in his head.
They reached the outside. Harry saw the mist on the lake. He saw a very tall and thin man holding a smaller woman against him. "Now.... reveal her to me, woman!"
"I don't know what you are talking about! Let go of me before I damage that pretty little skull of yours!" The smaller figure growled. Then, she let out the horrible laugh.
"Great Merlin! Would you stop that laughing! It's going to give me a headache!" The tall man said to Miss Snape. "Severus was right, you are a pain in the arse!"
She clung onto his arm and laughed. "Yer soooo pretty! I just looooove those eyes of yours!"
Voldemort seemed to stop for a moment, staring into her face. Then, he turned when Harry showed up beside Astra. Harry's scar burned furiously. He winced in pain as Voldemort tried to get Miss Snape off of his arm.
"Looks like Voldemort has suddenly become the hostage." Astra smirked.
"Gerroff me! Gerroff me! AAAGH!"
"NO! You're just so pretty! I'm never letting you go! HO HO HO HO!"
Harry stared incredulously at the scene before him. Miss Snape had successfully wrestled Voldemort to the ground and was sitting on top of him. "You're mine now!" she laughed.
"Get this freakish woman off of me!" he growled. He threw sparks up into the air with his wand. Harry couldn't help smiling at this sight. It was hilarious!
Astra giggled against her hand, which she had clamped over her mouth. Suddenly, Voldemort grabbed Miss Snape by her hair and pulled her off of him. She hit the ground with a gasp.
Suddenly, Harry was brought to his knees in pain. He gripped a hand over his scar, which was now bleeding. He thought it was blood, at least. He felt liquid drip over his nose and down over his cheek.
Astra brought her wand up and shouted. "Expelliarmus!"
Voldemort shot off of Miss Snape and hit the ground ten feet away from her. Miss Snape stood up and walked over to Astra, cowering behind her. "Get him! He's a horrible prospective mate for me!"
Astra stared at her incredulously. "You were thinkin' he would make a good husband? Are you dense?"
"What! Do you think that just ANY guy can be with a beautiful woman like myself?! I have to keep standards, you know!" Miss Snape stamped her foot onto the ground.
"The guy's the head of the wizarding version of the Klu Klux Klan and you think that that would be a great addition to your family?"
Suddenly, Astra was thrown back by a punch to her jaw. She landed on the ground in a heap. Voldemort was where she was standing, his fist clenched tightly.
Harry stared up at them through the pain in his head. His head felt like it was trying to eat itself. He stood up and tried to brandish his wand, but another wave of pain ran through him.
"I want that creature out, now!" Voldemort growled.
Astra sat up and rubbed her jaw. "That was a cheap shot, assh--"
Suddenly, someone jumped in front of her, grabbed her and jumped away. She felt herself in the arms of someone very tall and rather strong. Long wisps of shimmering black hair fell over her as she felt herself land on the ground. She looked up to see that same profile of her previous rescuer in Diagon Alley. His large, yellow, cat's eyes shone through the darkness.
She looked around her and saw Harry kneeling on the ground about twenty feet away from her. She started to get up, but Professor Wizworth grabbed a hold of her around her waist. He glanced down at her and gave a look that made her stop squirming. "Don't worry... I know you are to help Harry... just not yet..."
She stared at him astounded by his manner. "Who are you!" Astra growled. She was getting angry at this man for holding her hostage like this. "Let go of me! I need to get over there!"
"No!"
Astra was pinned to the ground by her wrists. The man held her well and she couldn't move. Her cheeks started burning. "Wha---"
"Not yet! I'll send you out when you need to--"
Astra kicked him in his groin and ran. She ran across the distance between her and Harry and kneeled next to him. "Are you alright? Yer bleeding from yer head." Astra said softly into his ear.
Harry lifted his head and looked up at her. "I can't move... too much pain... can't think straight...." he managed to get out.
"Give me that creature! Now!"
Harry saw Voldemort on the ground, his hands around Miss Snape's throat. She opened her mouth and suddenly, there was a wisp of fog surrounding the area. Harry could barely see what was happening.
Then, there was a light that escaped Miss Snape's mouth. Voldemort let go of her and let her drop like a rag doll onto the ground. The light turned into the form of a woman. The form solidified and Harry saw a sight that made him cringe.
The creature before him had very large yellow eyes that reminded him of Madame Hooch's, except they were five times as big. It had long, pointed ears and long, wispy white hair that flowed all around it, like the fog. There was one thing that drew Harry's attention. A large green gem hung over the creature's chest. The gem was as green as Harry's own eyes.
"Foul creature...! You dare to annoy me!" the creature growled at Voldemort.
Harry saw the cruelest grin spread across Voldemort's face. "I have something to collect from you...."
The creature slapped his hand, which was reaching for it's chest, and backed away. "How dare you! It's mine! You can not use it!"
"I will have that gem, now, or you shall find out why everyone fears me, creature!" Voldemort growled. He lunged at the Soul Reaver.
Someone in the distance shouted something. "NOW! DO IT NOW!"
Harry didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Astra's hand and he lunged at Voldemort. Harry saw Voldemort's hand close around the stone, but Harry punched him in the jaw. The chain broke on the creature's necklace.
Harry was suddenly caught in a whirlwind that hit him like a tidal wave. His grip held on Astra's hand and she grabbed onto the rest of his arm. Harry didn't dare grab his wand from his pocket, the wind would have knocked it out of his hand. Astra tucked hers into her own uniform and clung onto Harry tightly.
The creature cried out and dispersed in a bunch of wind and fog. The wind died down and the gem stone floated up into the air. It shone brightly in the darkness, fog swirling around it. A small light flew past Harry and disappeared around Astra. Harry felt himself being lifted up as he held onto Astra. He saw Voldemort lifted up as well, a large black raven joined him and then.... Harry hit the ground.
As for my new fave character? I LOOOOOVE CHICHIRI! AAHHH! @.@ Good Lord.... The guys hot even with that scar! Oooo.... That and he's hilarious! ^.^ Yui is startin' ta git on my nerves! Grrrr..... Even I have more loyalty than her! ::achem:: of course, she doesn't know that Miaka didn't know about her problems and is now blaming herself for it all.
That and I'm fiercely loyal to my friends. There ain't nothin', short of actual betrayal, that breaks that.
By the way... don't mind my version of the Japanese words from those songs in Ch. 13. I did it by ear, so it's as good as yer gonna get from me. I have six of these CDs and they all serve a purpose, have a feeling attached to them, that I use to be able to draw or write. The few songs on this new CD make me feel empowered, as opposed to what I was feeling somewhere around the time I got to Borders, which was sick and weak. I didn't listen to my empowering CD. That and I was very tired and getting hungry. I had just spent about thirty minutes in the HOT Texas afternoon sun.
::sings I Don't wanna Cry::
Chapter Sixteen
"The first thing on this month's Prefect Meeting agenda is a few missing students. Does anyone know anything about them?" The Head Girl asked.
No one said anything. Harry had heard about a couple of students from Hufflepuff that had gone missing, but he suspected it was that strange light that had them.
The weather outside was pleasant for March in the evening. When everything was over, he walked back to Gryffindor tower feeling very tired and wiped out by all the meetings the prefects had put together.
In the Morning, Astra awoke to find something on her bed. Skywise right in front of her, clicking his beak at her chidingly. He transformed into a snake and wrapped himself around her shoulders.
"Good Morning to you too, Sky..." She patted his head. "I wonder kind of creature you are. I haven't found anything in my books that tell me."
"None of your concern...." Skywise wisped out in parsel tongue.
"Oh right... you always misdirect me when you don't want to admit something. It's as if yer hiding something from me." She sighed and picked up the package. "Never mind, Sky..."
She opened the package and was surprised by it's contents. "A disk? Who would give me a... hard disk...." She smiled at the handwriting on the front of her package. "Keith you hacker you! I knew you would find me the information I needed!"
"Information?" asked Skywise. "I don't remember you ssssssaying you needed information..."
"You remember that letter I sent after I brought Harry back from outside that one night? That was the letter to Keith about the missing information on the creature in my laptop." She grinned at Skywise and opened up her laptop.
When it booted up, she put the disk into the disk drive and listened to it hum as it read the information on the disk. She opened up the program and et it assimilate the new information. "Okay, Soul Reaver.... what information do you have for me...."
The picture of the soul reaver showed up. Then, Astra saw the information show up. "Not much is known about the soul reaver. It inhabits dark places and comes out at night to feed on human souls. There are very few left in the world, but are still classified as being highly dangerous."
Astra tapped the keyboard impatiently. "Come on... there's gotta be more than that!" she growled at the computer. "Here we go... it wears a gemstone that gives it its light and life."
She tapped the keyboard again a little harshly and growled. "Keith... what is up that you couldn't get much mor than this!"
"Why are you sssssso determined to know more about thissssss creature....." Skywise hissed again.
"Because of what I saw out there that night. I swear I thought I saw those creepy red eyes staring at me from across the lake." Astra said with a shiver.
"Red eyessssss?"
"Voldemort... I swear I saw him out there, watching me take Harry back." Astra shuddered at the thought of those eyes boring into her.
"Why would he be out there...."
"That's what I'm tryin' ta figure out! I think it has something to do with that thing out there, of which I swear is a soul reaver." Astra said as she closed the laptop. She remembered her fifth year and those eyes that seemed to beckon her.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Miss Snape growled impatiently as Neville tried to give the several ways to deflect a vampire. Astra wondered why most of the boys weren't as entranced as they had been during the year.
Harry sat behind Astra watching Miss Snape tap her desk as Neville squeaked his narraration. When he was through, she smiled coldly and stood up. He noticed that there wasn't the same force emitted onto him as there usually was.
"Today... I'm going to talk to you about a creature that is very deadly. It's as bad as a dementor and works almost the same way. It's called a Soul Reaver."
Astra sighed in triumph in front of him. "Finally.. Some more info on this thing..."
Nevaeh nodded her agreement. "I concur... that thing is incredibly creepy."
"Soul Reavers use their voices, much like sirens do, to lure their prey out so they may feed. Sometimes they get cheeky and make up words to the tune and sing it as sort of a battle cry."
There was a vein popping out of Miss Snape's forehead as she spoke. She rubbed her temples and smiled through gritted teeth. Harry swore he saw her mutter something that looked like, "shut up, you twit!"
"They hide in dark places and come out at night to feed on the souls of humans, leaving the husk behind, usually. Dementors do similar, but Soul Reavers have a tendency to assimilate the body of the victim as well."
She growled and gritted her teeth again in a smile that made Harry wish he were someplace else. She muttered something again and straightened up again. She suddenly looked composed and there was an enormous force emitted onto him. He felt as though the imperious curse were being put on him again.
She smiled brightly and laughed that horrible laugh of hers. "Oh ho ho ho! I see my dear cousin decided to peek in on us! Come on in, Severus!"
Professor Snape walked into the classroom through the door and grimaced at Miss Snape. "My, my, Aldonia... I see you're having some problems. Is there any way I can help?" he sneered at her. She glowered at him efficiently enough that he suddenly went pale and back off a bit.
"No, Sevie.... I'm having a WONDERFUL time teaching this class!" she beamed at him maliciously. "Do you have anything you want to add to what I was talking about, or are you here to watch and hope for a failing."
Professor Snape gritted his teeth and smiled at her. Then, he backed out of through the door and walked away. Miss Snape smiled in triumph. "I just LOVE doing that!" She laughed that horrible laugh once again.
After lunch, the sixth year Gryffindor students walked out to the stables for their Care of Magical Creatures class. It was nice outside and Harry could feel a nice breeze. Professor Wizworth walked out of the stables and smiled at everyone.
"Today... we're going to study the Hippocampus." Professor Wizworth said with a smile. "Not to be confused with a part of the human brain." He said quickly as Hermione raised her hand.
He directed them to the lake and smiled. "I have asked the Merpeople to let us study their tadfoal... or the Hippocampus babies." He kneeled to the ground and tapped the surface of the water.
Suddenly, two merpeople sprang out of the water and handed a tadfoal to Professor Wizworth. He said something in a high screechy voice and then stood up as the Merpeople dove under the water again.
The tadfoal was cute. It was rather large, like a regular colt, but it had a fish tail instead of hind legs. "The hippocampus lays large semitransparent eggs. They are generally found in the Mediterranean Sea, but this one's mother was found a year ago and was bred to give these people a few more to put to good use." He was struggling with the thing, which was interesting to watch as the creature flipped it's tail at Professor Wizworth's face, while trying to slip away from him. "Now stop that! You'll go back in a little bit!"
"Does anyone want to pet him?" He asked the students gathered. Astra stepped forward and smiled up at Professor Wizworth.
"I'd like to!" she said gleefully. She had a soft spot for strange and unusual creatures. She let the tadfoal smell her, letting it judge her as a safe person. When it stopped squirming, she petted it's nose and scratched behind his ear. He whinnied happily. "All he needed was a nice touch!" she beamed.
Professor Wizworth stared at her and raised an eyebrow. Harry thought he saw something flash across Professor Wizworth's face for a split second. Then, Professor Wizworth smiled and beckoned more people forward. "Don't worry! Everything will be alright!"
That night, Astra stared at her computer screen in the common room. Harry walked over sat down next to her, looking the screen himself. "What is that." he asked her.
"A soul reaver... although... I can't for the life of me figure why Keith the genius couldn't get more on them...." Astra said, still frustrated with her own brain.
"I was wondering... what time did you find me at?" harry said to her. He was trying to figure why every time the Soul Reaver came around, it was well after dark that it did so.
"Around twelve o'clock." She said pointing to her watch. She wondered why she saw Voldemort in the forest, watching her drag Harry back to the castle. "Harry... did you see anyone other than the soul reaver and the boy?"
"No..." He thought back to that night. He remembered what happened when he fell to the ground. "My scar was burning...." he said quietly.
Astra's eyes narrowed, a look of determination on her face. "Voldemort was watching me drag you back to the castle. I saw those eyes of his through the mist in the forest."
"Why though... he would only be after me, but why didn't he do anything except watch?" Harry said. He suddenly thought of something. "You said you had found me around twelve, right? I went up to the Astronomy tower around nine. I had only been up there for about ten minutes when I heard the voice and saw the boy. What do you think happened?"
Hermione seemed to be listening as well as Nevaeh and Avalon. Avalon fixed her eyes on Astra and growled, but said nothing as she walked over to a corner next to window and gazed out. "Time!" Hermione and Nevaeh exclaimed at the same time.
"Time... time, that's it! I realize it now!" Harry said.
"The Soul Reaver's light is generated by that stone around her neck. That stone must also bend time as well." Astra said.
"But why would Voldemort want it...?" Harry asked. He leaned against the arm of the couch.
"Duh-uh! He's gonna steal it! He's gonna take it away from the soul reaver and use it for himself!" Nevaeh said.
"But why! There's no reason to do that! He can't change the future." Hermione said.
"Don't be so sure of that, Hermione.... I can change time if I wished. All you need to do is know what time period you want to be in, go there and do what you want and you change the future." Astra said.
"But what about that time in third year when we rescued Sirius and Buckbeak." said Harry. Then, he slapped his face in realization that neither Astra nor Nevaeh knew about that incident. He explained about it and Astra smirked.
"Cute... yes... time can be changed... but I guess I have some more things to learn. If he's gonna do something, he's gonna do it soon. If my guess is correct... then we'll end up going with him." Astra said.
Harry was going to question what she meant by that statement, when he distinctly heard the voice through the window. Hermione and Nevaeh froze up. Everyone in the Common room were still as statues. Except Astra, who stared toward the window.
"There's someone screaming." she said.
Harry watched her as a great blur as she grabbed her wand and ran out the common room. Harry followed her. He wasn't going to let her get herself hurt. Her words still rang in his head.
They reached the outside. Harry saw the mist on the lake. He saw a very tall and thin man holding a smaller woman against him. "Now.... reveal her to me, woman!"
"I don't know what you are talking about! Let go of me before I damage that pretty little skull of yours!" The smaller figure growled. Then, she let out the horrible laugh.
"Great Merlin! Would you stop that laughing! It's going to give me a headache!" The tall man said to Miss Snape. "Severus was right, you are a pain in the arse!"
She clung onto his arm and laughed. "Yer soooo pretty! I just looooove those eyes of yours!"
Voldemort seemed to stop for a moment, staring into her face. Then, he turned when Harry showed up beside Astra. Harry's scar burned furiously. He winced in pain as Voldemort tried to get Miss Snape off of his arm.
"Looks like Voldemort has suddenly become the hostage." Astra smirked.
"Gerroff me! Gerroff me! AAAGH!"
"NO! You're just so pretty! I'm never letting you go! HO HO HO HO!"
Harry stared incredulously at the scene before him. Miss Snape had successfully wrestled Voldemort to the ground and was sitting on top of him. "You're mine now!" she laughed.
"Get this freakish woman off of me!" he growled. He threw sparks up into the air with his wand. Harry couldn't help smiling at this sight. It was hilarious!
Astra giggled against her hand, which she had clamped over her mouth. Suddenly, Voldemort grabbed Miss Snape by her hair and pulled her off of him. She hit the ground with a gasp.
Suddenly, Harry was brought to his knees in pain. He gripped a hand over his scar, which was now bleeding. He thought it was blood, at least. He felt liquid drip over his nose and down over his cheek.
Astra brought her wand up and shouted. "Expelliarmus!"
Voldemort shot off of Miss Snape and hit the ground ten feet away from her. Miss Snape stood up and walked over to Astra, cowering behind her. "Get him! He's a horrible prospective mate for me!"
Astra stared at her incredulously. "You were thinkin' he would make a good husband? Are you dense?"
"What! Do you think that just ANY guy can be with a beautiful woman like myself?! I have to keep standards, you know!" Miss Snape stamped her foot onto the ground.
"The guy's the head of the wizarding version of the Klu Klux Klan and you think that that would be a great addition to your family?"
Suddenly, Astra was thrown back by a punch to her jaw. She landed on the ground in a heap. Voldemort was where she was standing, his fist clenched tightly.
Harry stared up at them through the pain in his head. His head felt like it was trying to eat itself. He stood up and tried to brandish his wand, but another wave of pain ran through him.
"I want that creature out, now!" Voldemort growled.
Astra sat up and rubbed her jaw. "That was a cheap shot, assh--"
Suddenly, someone jumped in front of her, grabbed her and jumped away. She felt herself in the arms of someone very tall and rather strong. Long wisps of shimmering black hair fell over her as she felt herself land on the ground. She looked up to see that same profile of her previous rescuer in Diagon Alley. His large, yellow, cat's eyes shone through the darkness.
She looked around her and saw Harry kneeling on the ground about twenty feet away from her. She started to get up, but Professor Wizworth grabbed a hold of her around her waist. He glanced down at her and gave a look that made her stop squirming. "Don't worry... I know you are to help Harry... just not yet..."
She stared at him astounded by his manner. "Who are you!" Astra growled. She was getting angry at this man for holding her hostage like this. "Let go of me! I need to get over there!"
"No!"
Astra was pinned to the ground by her wrists. The man held her well and she couldn't move. Her cheeks started burning. "Wha---"
"Not yet! I'll send you out when you need to--"
Astra kicked him in his groin and ran. She ran across the distance between her and Harry and kneeled next to him. "Are you alright? Yer bleeding from yer head." Astra said softly into his ear.
Harry lifted his head and looked up at her. "I can't move... too much pain... can't think straight...." he managed to get out.
"Give me that creature! Now!"
Harry saw Voldemort on the ground, his hands around Miss Snape's throat. She opened her mouth and suddenly, there was a wisp of fog surrounding the area. Harry could barely see what was happening.
Then, there was a light that escaped Miss Snape's mouth. Voldemort let go of her and let her drop like a rag doll onto the ground. The light turned into the form of a woman. The form solidified and Harry saw a sight that made him cringe.
The creature before him had very large yellow eyes that reminded him of Madame Hooch's, except they were five times as big. It had long, pointed ears and long, wispy white hair that flowed all around it, like the fog. There was one thing that drew Harry's attention. A large green gem hung over the creature's chest. The gem was as green as Harry's own eyes.
"Foul creature...! You dare to annoy me!" the creature growled at Voldemort.
Harry saw the cruelest grin spread across Voldemort's face. "I have something to collect from you...."
The creature slapped his hand, which was reaching for it's chest, and backed away. "How dare you! It's mine! You can not use it!"
"I will have that gem, now, or you shall find out why everyone fears me, creature!" Voldemort growled. He lunged at the Soul Reaver.
Someone in the distance shouted something. "NOW! DO IT NOW!"
Harry didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Astra's hand and he lunged at Voldemort. Harry saw Voldemort's hand close around the stone, but Harry punched him in the jaw. The chain broke on the creature's necklace.
Harry was suddenly caught in a whirlwind that hit him like a tidal wave. His grip held on Astra's hand and she grabbed onto the rest of his arm. Harry didn't dare grab his wand from his pocket, the wind would have knocked it out of his hand. Astra tucked hers into her own uniform and clung onto Harry tightly.
The creature cried out and dispersed in a bunch of wind and fog. The wind died down and the gem stone floated up into the air. It shone brightly in the darkness, fog swirling around it. A small light flew past Harry and disappeared around Astra. Harry felt himself being lifted up as he held onto Astra. He saw Voldemort lifted up as well, a large black raven joined him and then.... Harry hit the ground.
