Whew! Well after being swamped with studying for exams, taking exams, the sweat from those exams, cleaning, chores, and basically desludging my brain from the school year, I'm back. I thought that perhaps I'd stop writing this after the fifth book came out, but after being slightly disappointed with it, and a few encouragements I'll finish it (THANK YOU WolfMoon, Yoshi-fan2003, clingon87, Skysong, kensingtonkid, and Fire-Mage for REVIEWING!!! Fire-Mage, You put this on your favorite stories list?! Thanks and the review was nice too!) So. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: The only thing I own at the moment is a half-finished Sprite... Wait a minute, do I own that?

Ginny sighed as she wandered down the hallway. Ever since Hermione had done that search for Professor Atwell, her brainy friend had not thought of anything but finding their mysterious helper. Ginny just didn't see how it could possibly help them find Harry. Harry...Needless to say, the little redhead still had her crush from the first day she met the famous boy wizard. Where is he, she wondered. Was he kidnapped? Or, did he leave on his own? But why would he do that? BAM. Ginny slammed full force into someone hurrying in the opposite direction. The books in her hands scattered everywhere.

"Oh, I am truly sorry, Miss Ginny. I wasn't paying attention," Damion apologized profusely. Murmuring something softly under his breath, the books flew up and arranged themselves neatly in her arms.

"Sorry, sir," Ginny mumbled almost incoherently. Damion regarded her thoughtfully.

"Is there something the matter, Ginny?" he inquired gently.

"No, sir." But Ginny just seemed to droop when she was reminded why she was depressed.

"Would you come with me a moment, Ginny? I would need some help before my next class." Ginny was about to bluster and say she had homework. Damion smiled. Suddenly homework didn't seem all that important. She trotted after him down the stairs and into the classroom. Dark art detectors, books like Hexes For Beginners, various scribbled notes from students, and (Ginny had to smile) a large basket of Weasley's Wizard wheezes were set around the room.

"I don't know how the other teachers handle this much work," he puffed cheerfully setting down a book bag. "Especially Professor McGonagal, so many students have described to me her reaction to missing work, my impression of her is that of a vexed hen." Ginny chortled, and then fell silent as a sobering thought came to her.

"It's mostly because a lot of them are missing a lot more than work, Professor..." She explained quietly. He glanced at her quickly before turning back to the papers on his desk.

"Really? Like what?"

"Oh, family... friends," Ginny's voice dropped lower and lower.

"From the attacks from Voldemorte?" Ginny gave a little gasp as he said the name, but nodded mutely.

"I'll have to change that," she thought he muttered to himself. "Have you lost anyone, Ginny?"

"No... yes-no, well sorta," Ginny sputtered. There was silence for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"No one in my family is ...gone. But I..."

"Someone you know well then?"

"No," Ginny sighed, frustrated. "I don't know him well at all! But I don't think You-Know-Who got him he just disappeared and me and my family are... well, why would he leave?" If Ginny had been less distraught, she might have seen the flash of guilt appear on Damion's face.

"Sometimes," he began slowly, "Sometimes the people close to us don't realize just how much they can hurt you." Ginny sniffed, nodding.

"What did you need me for, Prof-Damion?"

"I need to get something, Ginny. It's hidden in the castle. But, as I am new here and not quite trusted, I need someone like you to help me." The girl stared at him in alarm. He smiled.

"No, Ginny. I am not a Deatheater, I will not make you do anything you don't want to, and I truly want to help you. And, no, I'm not someone like Tom Riddle in any case."

Wh-What?! Ginny thought. Did he just-

"Yes, I did just read your mind." Ginny gaped. He chuckled.

"Well, maybe this may convince you." Slowly a soft mist drifted away from his form, falling away like rain to reveal a pair of bright emerald eyes.

There was a moment of profound silence before Ginny's shriek of surprise and delight shattered the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Astarael's golden eyes gazed down in exhaustion at the cocky old man glaring up at her from his position in the armchair. His wiry hair was wild and tangled and long legs akimbo.

"No! Absolutely NOT! And there is nothing you can do that will make me change my mind." he bellowed.

"Darwin," she sighed, "It's needed now. I am not sending Harry to face him without help. The wizarding world doesn't yet realize what Riddle has accomplished, and as far as I'm concerned, they never will."

"Why can't you just go and finish old Voldie yourself? You're a chaos mage! You can do anything!"

"Because Riddle has already learned how to summon the portal."

"So?"

Darwin," she growled. "If I have to spell it out for you, I will. We, I mean chaos mages, are able to draw magic-"

"From the realm beyond the portal, right?"

"Yes, don't interrupt me. Because the magic in that realm is so different, when drawn into this world, it has no boundaries, hence chaos magic. If two chaos mages in full power clash, the amount of power being transported would... Well, let's just say Atlantis most definitely won't be coming back. I don't want that to happen to England." Darwin was silent for a while, gazing down, though not seeing, the potion stains on his robe.

"So, Riddle will soon know how to draw the power out," he figured tapping his palm thoughtfully. "But then why hasn't this kind of situation happened more often, and why are you sending Harry, still an apprentice, to fight him?"

"Well, have you ever wondered how a chaos mage doesn't go dark?"

"Uuumm..."

"Because the choice each chaos master makes is to pick an apprentice that can handle the power and not abuse it, no matter what. That has prevented any dark mages from rising up. But centuries ago the first mages created an artifact of knowledge of some kind in case a master died before leaving an apprentice. Riddle, unfortunately, found it because of the carelessness of one of my servants."

"And Harry..."

"I am depending on Harry's connection with Riddle. I am hoping that Harry will some how be able to prevent him from accessing too much power."

"But he can't do that unless..."

"He has the other half of the crystal blade to focus his powers, which is in your possession," Astarael finished. Darwin frowned, his shaggy eyebrows drawing together.

"Why don't you just make me give it to you?"

"Oh, Darwin," Astarael gave a tired laugh. "I may not be subject to any rules, but I do have morals. Forcing an old friend to do something he doesn't want is not one of them."

"Hey, watch who you are calling old!"

"I could offer you something in exchange for it."

"Really, " Darwin grinned. He motioned to the expansive mansion they were in. "And what could you possibly offer me that I don't already have?"

"Oh... how about revenge? You were not the best of friends with Riddle in school as I recall."



"Heh, heh... Now how could I possibly refuse?"