This @#*$%! computer hates me!!!!! I think that the whole $#@*($% &#^%! internet hates me!!!!!! Everyone asks me to update sooner, so I rush to write out another story like a good little author... And guess what! The &$@& internet decides to act like a --- all of this is censored --- * muse Tikki scampers up and jabs a finger towards the reviews, K.E. stops to avidly read them... * sniff...sniff... wahhaaaahhaaaaa... You reviewed!!! I feel so loved!

Thank you to:

Jess S ~ Thank you, Astarael and Leo are my original characters, I am thrilled that you like them!

Anora ~ Thank you! * grins back *

athenakitty ~ You'll see ^_^

Tessa ~ Wow! That's a really big complement! There are 2 other stories that I think are just the best. I put them on my favorites list, check them out!

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur ~ Glad you like it, sorry about the delay...

crystal potter ~ Here's more, and I've started on the next chappie so it shouldn't be too long.

gaul ~ I really, really appreciate it!

PheonixPadfoot89 ~ Thank you!!!!!!

Tania Nightqueen ~ Unfortunately I've not been able to read Dragonlance. (I could never figure out which book came first) I did make Astarael up myself, but I'm not surprised there is a similar character from somewhere...

keebler-elmo ~ I'm one of those people who blame the lagging updates on my computer. Heck, you would too if yours was a decade old, at least. As for Ginny and Harry being soul-mates * grin grin GRIN * Now that would be telling... teeheee...VERY good guess!!!!!!

WolfMoon ~ Hello! You'll see what happens, sorry about the update, and your story was great, keep it up!!!

howling wolf ~ I hope you'll come back!

Death's little side kick ~ Ah, I was wondering if I'd loose anyone about the chaos mage thing. Basicly a chaos mage can do anything. i.e. Avada Kedavra isn't supposed to have any countercurse, a chaos mage can. You can't fly without a broom, a chaos mage can, etc. I hope you get it...



OK then next chapter... Whoa, I'm almost finished with this fic! So maybe two more chapters after this... perhaps an epilogue.



Disclaimer: ................................................... I mimed at the computer, use your imagination, do you think I really own Harry Potter? Or anything else that is remotely familiar for that matter?

"Phillip! Phillip, you stupid ferret, where are you?" Lana Skoriaff scrambled around the astronomy tower. Why now of all times did her pet want to play hide and seek? Squeaking sounded from rafters below. Diving down she caught him before he could go any further.

"You want to get us killed? Oh, no! I was supposed to be in the Great Hall an hour ago!" Taking the steps three-by-three, she nearly ran over a pair lugging up a chest.

"Whoa, another redhead." George frowned at her. "Where are you going?"

"To the Great Hall, I had to find Phillip!"

""Well," said Fred with a shrug, "You had better stay with us. Too late to make it down there safely."

"Yeah, grab the package there, please." Lana did as George asked and followed them back up the steps.

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Sirius jogged after Dumbledore. The corridor wound about on itself doors and hallways branching of. He and Lupin were straining their necks to see every bit; they never knew this was here. Harry, he pondered, where are you and what are you doing? If you got yourself into trouble I'm going to kill you...

Dumbledore trotted up to a set of stairs. There was someone waiting for them. The women looked up through strands of long white hair, but she didn't look any older than mid-twenties! As molten gold eyes swept over all of them in turn, Sirius felt like he was being examined beneath a muggle X-ray. She lingered longest on Dumbledore. Finally she swept down the stairs to greet him, a rather impudent grin suddenly transforming her grim features.

"Dumbledore, you made it! My, my," she leaned forward examining him, "You got older and decided to grow a beard!"

"Well, we all can't stay eternally young, Astarael," Albus chuckled. "And what have you done with my students? It was rather rude of you to steal them away without asking." The others gaped.

"Steal? Little me? That's a naughty word, I was merely borrowing them."

Sirius heard Lupin snort and silently agreed with him. Standing just a few inches above the headmaster this woman was far from little! But something then hit him.

"Students? Ya mean yur be'ind Harry, Ginny, Ron, 'n' Hermione missin?!" Hagrid roared, beating him to the punch. The woman raised a single eyebrow at him.

"Certainly. But they're not missing as I know exactly where they are-" No sooner were the words out of her mouth when the doors burst open and a body tumbled through head over heels and landed at her feet. Harry gazed up at her disorientated, pushing his long hair from his face. Ron, Hermione and Ginny sprinted out after him.

"HARRY!" Sirius shouted dumbfounded.

"Heh, well you certainly took your time, Harry," Astarael surveyed her student with a fiendish smile. "Sorry, I forgot to warn you about the 'backfire' didn't I?" Harry lurched to his feet.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" He scowled.

"Only a couple hundred times."

"Ron! Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley rushed forward to embrace her son and daughter, also giving Hermione a squeeze. Mr. Weasley was right behind her. She would have also hugged Harry but stopped. He was paying no attention to any of them.

Astarael held a slender shard out to him. Sirius stared. His godson's eyes were glowing as he took it! Leo the stone lion trotted up, the second in his mouth. Piecing the two crystals together they merged with a soft hum that made the entire room vibrate. A mist curled and twisted around one end forming an ornate hilt. It continued to glow slightly. Harry then slid it into a sheath hanging from his belt none of them had noticed until now.

"Finished," he whispered.

"Not yet," Astarael murmured in reply.

"HARRY! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" Sirius crushed him in a bear hug and nearly deafened Harry's left ear.

"Hello, I'm glad to see you, too, Sirius," Harry wheezed with whatever remaining air he had.

"Look I hate to break up this little reunion," Astarael interrupted, not sounding sorry at all, "But Hogwarts will be receiving some unwelcome visitors, oh" she looked at a purple muggle digital watch "right about now' suddenly the foundations shuddered "and we should really get going."

Dmbledore, who had been passively sucking a lemon drop with Fawkes on the bottom step, snapped out of his reverie. Ginny gave a little squeak and toppled off her perch on Leo. Snape jerked and clutched the Deathmark on his arm.

"Come on then," Hagrid roared "Questions later! Let's go show some Deatheaters what Hogwarts is made of!"



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They all made their way as quickly as possible to the Great Hall. It seemed like forever but it only took a few minutes. Dumbledore nodded in approval. The bodies of several goblins and Red Caps outside the Hogwarts doors were proof to the skill of the Hogwarts students. Hagrid's jaw dropped the entire grounds was covered in a wild mass of enemy soldiers. The sky was filled with vampires, banshees, and Deatheaters on brooms. Astarael whistled softly, impressed. Voldie darling really knew how to show force. But he's not the only one, she thought with an inward snicker. She turned to Leo, who had followed them.

"Leo, you think you could invite a couple of our, mmmmm... friends to a party?" She gave him a secret wink. After standing to attention (or trying to anyway) Leo darted off along the wall onto the grounds. Snape gave her a confused look. Astarael grinned at him,

"You'll see." McGonagal rushed over.

"Dumbledore we can't-Harry! Who is she? And What..." Dumbledore grinned.

"Later, Minerva. Snape, Hagrid, please take positions. Sirius, Lupin, the Weasley twins are up in the astronomy tower, please lend them a hand. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley please help the students." Everyone cast a last look at Harry and Astarael before hurrying to do as they were asked. Then Hermione screamed.

"LOOKOUT!" A huge troll stormed towards them, several Deatheaters behind it using it as a shield as they shot of curses. Ron gropes for his wand but...

SSHHHOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!........ A sudden explosion of light passed him like the energy from a beam laser before completely annihilating the oncoming foe, wiping them away from the face of the earth like just so much dust. A huge scar was burned into the ground, the soil there still smoking... Ron slowly turned to gape at Astarael. Her hand was raised rigidly out in front of her. Her palm still glowing. She shook it vigorously and twisted to relive herself from the kinks in her spine. She strode passed him onto the grounds. The strangest light enveloped her eyes.

"Thanks for the warm up boys! Now let's get cracking!" She crowed. Lightening flashed around her fingers as if they were toys and all of her attention was on the army.

"Wait!" Hermione cried. The woman paused. "You're a chaos mage, too? How can you do that?!"

A chuckle answered her.

"Just wait till you see what I taught your friend Harry to do!" Ginny, Ron, and Hermione spun around; Harry was nowhere to be found.

"He went that way," Astarael pointed off towards the Forbidden Forest. She suddenly rose up into the air and shot towards the lake, calling after them, "Be careful!"

"Without a broom," Ginny gaped, staring up at her.

"Come on," Ron murmured, "We're not letting Harry run off again!"

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Harry skimmed unnoticed across the ground. He was invisible, flying low above the grass. Get to him, he thought, I have to get to Voldemorte. He knew that as long as His teacher was back at Hogwarts his friends were more than safe. But Voldemorte... He had to stop him before he arrived at the battleground. He is not going to hurt any more people! I'm not going to lose any more people that are important to me! Determined, the boy, now a young man, followed the snake's slight tug in his mind. This would be the last time he faced his parents' murderer.

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They had nearly made it to the edge of the forbidden forest. Hermione's idea to summon Harry invisibility cloak from where ever it had been was an excellent idea. Ginny was panting. Finally they were there.

"Now what," Hermione asked, peering anxiously through the tree limbs.

"Uuumm..." To be quite honest Ron had no clue. There was no sign of Harry anywhere. A twig snapped behind them.

"Petrificus Totalis!" Ginny gasped out hitting the Deatheater squarely in the face.

"Inflamera, expelliarmus!" Hermione quickly gathered her wits. Ron dispatched a few more with jinxes... And turned to find himself face-to-pincers with an acromantula...