*grins sheepishly* Okay, I reeeeeally didn't mean to go so long without updating... really!  It's just that between writing 3 fanfiction stories, planning a 4th, (yes, I am crazy) and beginning the extensive task of beginning to write my own novels (the first of which can be found at fictionpress... and I'd appreciate it if people would check it out please! *plugplug* hehe) and all of the stuff I do that does not relate to writing... well, that doesn't leave much time.  Okay, enough of my blather though... you came here to read the story, not listen to me ramble.  ^-^

Disclaimer:  Kelly, Adele and crew don't belong to me.  They all have minds of their own, and do things on their own... I have no control.  All the canon character's are Ms. Rowling's (but at the moment I don't think she deserves them, if she's going to be so cruel and evil to certain canons!!! *bursts out sobbing*.....)

Oh, one more message from me before we commence... as I warned you in the last chapter, there is BLATENT self-insertion in this chapter... muah ha ha ha ha ha!  I normally frown upon such things, but ya know what?  It's fun, when you're doing it, so what the heck!  Heheh... I'm sorry if you don't like that, you can take it up with our complaints department.  ;oD   *points finger to Kelly, who is scowling heavily and sitting at a tiny desk and wearing a pin that says "Complaints Department Manager*

Kelly: *grumbling* ...and I don't even get paid for this...

Me: See why I knew she'd be good as the complaints person?  Because she's so good at doing it herself... heheh *evil grin*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry Potter and the Song of Deception

By Hollie

            "Kelly, have you seen my robes?" Ginny burst out of the girl's bathroom, tightly wrapped in a bathrobe, looking worried.  Kelly craned her neck around the room, then shook her head in response.  Ginny's eyes widened, and the towel that she had wrapped her bright red hair up in swayed dangerously as she began frantically searching herself.

            Somewhat distractedly, Kelly pulled on her own dress robes, a long midnight blue set that were unadorned and rather shapeless, but that she liked all the same.  Out of the corner of one eye, she watched Ginny rush about in search of her robes.  Under normal circumstances, she would have jumped up to help her friend, but tonight was no normal night, and Kelly had a lot more pressing things on her mind that missing robes. 

            "Ginny," Hermione opened the bathroom door a crack, sticking out her head and one arm, which held a small bundle of cloth.  "Is this yours?  I found it on the floor."

            The younger girl gave a squeal and rushed over, the precariously placed towel flying off her head as she grabbed her robes and gave Hermione an awkward (as the door was partially between them) hug. 

            "Thanks Hermione, I thought I'd lost them!" Ginny exclaimed.  Hermione gave her a quick smile and a nod, then disappeared back into the bathroom. 

            Kelly turned to a small bedside mirror she'd borrowed from Lavender and began to play around with her hair.  The red-blonde locks flopped aimlessly in her hands as she tried (unsuccessfully) to style them. Grunting her defeat, she let them hang loose by her face. 

            "Evil hair," she muttered darkly, as if it could hear her. 

            "Well... how do I look?"  Kelly picked up her head to see Ginny twirl and smile nervously at her.  Her dress robes were deep plum, a color that nicely set off her vibrant hair.  Kelly grinned up at her and said, "you'll be making heads turn tonight Gin."  Ginny blushed, a famous Weasley blush, and muttered something incomprehensible. 

            At that moment, the bathroom door swung open once again, and Hermione exited, clad in a lovely periwinkle-blue dress robe.  How she'd done it, Kelly had no idea, but it seemed she'd managed to tame her normally frizzy hair; it hung down her back, and some of the locks had been artfully curled. 

            "You look great, Hermione," Kelly said, taking a stab at friendliness; Hermione had dropped their faux friendship somewhat when she'd heard that Ron had asked Kelly to the ball. 

            "Is this the one you wore last year?" Ginny asked, fingering the gauzy material.  Hermione nodded, and made a slight frown.

            "It's the only one I have... I would've gotten a new one, if I had known we'd be having a ball,  I mean, it's so unlike the faculty to not warn us, to do this on such short noti---"

            "Well, I think you look amazing, both of you.  Those robes you have are splendid," Kelly interjected.  "And your hair is just awesome Herm."  Hermione's responding smile looked clearly forced. 

            "Say, Kelly... what are you going to do for your hair?" Ginny asked.

            The blonde shrugged.  "I was just gonna leave it as it is... It's truly evil hair, I can't do a thing with it."  Hermione's sniff of disdain was lost under Ginny's squeal of excitement as she rushed over. 

            "Oh, can I try and style it, please?  In the latest Teen Witch issue, they had these simply amazing styles, and I think you hair is just the right length for my favorite one..."  Ginny's brown eyes were glowing as she waited for Kelly's answer.

            "Well, um, I guess..."

            "Excellent!  I'll go get my stuff!"  With no more notice than that, Ginny raced off to her dorm, leaving Hermione and Kelly alone.  They stared at each other from across the room, and Kelly searched her mind for a conversational topic.

            "So..." 

            "Oh, that was bloody brilliant," she scolded herself.  "What a way to start a conversation!"  Hermione just raised an eyebrow, and not for the first time was Kelly reminded of Professor McGonagall, right down to the pursed lips.  They were spared any further attempts at discourse, however, as Lavender and Parvati, closely followed by Ginny, entered the room.

            "Ooh!" Lavender squeaked, "Hermione, is that your dress from last year?"

            "Yes," the girl replied dully. 

            "I like it, it's a classic," Parvati cut in, with a knowledgeable glace around the room.

            "I brought the stuff Kelly!" Ginny exclaimed, as she dumped an armful of hair products and a brightly colored magazine onto Kelly's four-poster.  Lavender and Parvati were on them in an instant, immediately pouring over Ginny's items. 

            "Oh, are you going to try one of the 'Trendy Teen Witch Tie-ups'?" Parvati asked as she skimmed through the magazine.

            "No I was going to go with 'Sassy Sorceress' Styles' number 13."

            Lavender squealed again.  "Ooh, the one with those pretty braids all tied on one side of her head?  That one is the best, but it looks so hard!"

            Ginny smiled proudly.  "I can do it," she replied confidently. 

            Kelly, meanwhile, had snatched up the Teen Witch magazine, and flipped through until she found the page the other three girls had been discussing.

            A young witch, probably about Ginny's age, smiled up at her.  Her face was covered in more make-up than was really necessary, and as Kelly watched her, she jauntily turned her head this way and that, showing off her tresses from all angles.

            Kelly had to admit, it was a very pretty hair style.  Tiny braids, each with a different colored ribbon woven in, started in the very front of her head and were all pulled back, forming a sort of crown, while the rest of her auburn hair flowed freely down her back.  As the witch turned, showing off the back, Kelly saw why the other girls thought this particular style was so complicated; at the place where all the braids met, they were looped, tied and crisscrossed, in an artsy but decidedly difficult pattern.

            "That'll take forever to do," Kelly thought with a sigh.  "So much for performing the Song before the ball.... I'll have to sneak off somewhere in the middle.  Ah well."

*~*~*~*

            In the boys' dormitories, Harry waited semi-patiently for Ron to emerge from the bathroom. 

            "Just another second mate, I'm almost done!"

            "Ron," Dean said with a laugh as he combed his hair, "you've been saying that for the past half hour!"  The other boys in the room chuckled and guffawed at Dean's comment. 

            "Well," Ron said huffily as he finally exited the bathroom, "I really meant it that time."  He carefully adjusted his dress robes, which, Harry noted with a smile, were a million times better than the monstrosity he had been forced to wear the previous year.  These robes were brand new, and a dark shade of gold, which matched his hair nicely.

            "You look like a true Gryffindor," Seamus joked, and Ron smiled lopsidedly. 

            "Early Christmas present from Fred and George," Ron explained as he smoothed out the sleeves, which ended nicely in red trim the exact shade as his hair.  "I dunno where they got the gold for it though..." 

            Harry pretended to fuss with a button on his emerald green robes.  He had never mentioned that he was the twins' benefactor, and he wasn't about to now.  It didn't seem to be a very pressing matter however, because a moment later Ron had changed the topic.

            "You guys all set yet?" (this was met by laughter once more) and then after the other boys had nodded, "let's go pick up the girls then!"

*~*~*~*

            Three quarters of an hour later, Hermione, Parvati, Lavender, Ginny and Kelly finally emerged into the common room where most of the Gryffindor boys were waiting impatiently. 

            "Man!" Seamus exclaimed as he saw them, "you took longer than Ron!"  Ron flicked a stray dungbomb Fred and George had left in the common room earlier in the sandy-haired boy's direction as a blush rose in his cheeks.  Seamus dodged it and smirked. 

            "Well," Parvati explained in her lofty voice, "we were doing our hair."  Lavender and Parvati twirled around to show off their overly-styled tresses, which they must've assumed would interest the fellows.  However, her comment was met by a chorus of groans and rolling of eyes.  Lavender and Parvati both scowled, and before an argument could erupt, Hermione swiftly intervened.

            "We really aught to be going you know, the ball will be starting soon, if it hasn't already."  Heads nodded around the room, and Kelly smiled at the fact that Hermione was as good at preventing arguments as she was at getting into them. 

*~*~*~*

            The Gryffindors walked into the Great Hall jovially a few minutes later.  Kelly had to admit, as she walked through the doors arm-in-arm with Ron, that the hall did look lovely, especially considering the fact that it was a spur of the moment event.  She smiled at Ginny, who looked fairly cheerful on the arm of a fourth-year Hufflepuff, though she did keep sneaking glances at Harry and Hermione, who had decided, as neither had gotten dates, to go together as friends. 

            "I hope things work out for her eventually," Kelly thought as she watched her red-headed friend. 

            "Oi, there's some free tables over there," Ron called to the rest of the group as he led Kelly over.  They sat at the cluster of tables, and were pleasantly surprised to find goblets of some aromatic punch and flagons of butterbeer awaiting them. 

            "Oh," Hermione spoke after a few minutes, "it looks like we missed the very beginning."  After receiving a few curious stares, she continued, "Professor Dumbledore always makes a speech before big events.  And there he is on the dance floor with Professor Sinastra."  Kelly follow her gaze, and indeed spotted the Headmaster prancing about with the professor of astronomy. 

            "Well, I s'pose we should get to dancing then," Seamus said cheerfully, just before he pulled Lavender out of her seat and led her to the floor.  Following suit, Dean, Ron, Harry and the 4th year Hufflepuff all pulled their dates to the floor. 

*~*~*~*

            An hour later, Harry's face was red and he was sweating under his heavy dress robes, but these had little effect at dampening his spirits.  Hermione turned out to be an excellent dance partner, and they'd been having a ball together.  Not that her frequent glances over at Ron and Kelly had escaped his notice, but he still knew that she was having as much fun as he. 

            "Oh Harry," she panted as the song ended and another, faster, one began.  "I think I need to sit this one out... I'm dead tired!"  He chuckled and nodded, and they weaved through the crowd over to the table where Ginny and her date sat talking animatedly.

            They plunked down on the chairs and gulped down a goblet of punch each. 

            "I must admit, they've done a nice job decorating this place on such short notice!  It looks simply lovely!" Harry followed Hermione's admiring gaze as their eyes swept around the Great Hall; the decorations were simple but fun, with enchanted multi-colored streamers twirling and spinning above their heads, and bright miniature fireworks popping higher up, to shower the dancers below in colorful fizzing lights. 

            Harry let his eyes wander through the crowd.  Not to far from them, Ron twirled Kelly round and round.  Ron was grinning broadly, as was Kelly, but somehow, Harry didn't think it was a smile that reached her eyes.  She seemed almost... what was the word?  Preoccupied?  Yes, perhaps that was it... but about what? 

            Running his fingers through his ever unruly black hair, Harry spotted a couple that was distinctly less welcome a sight than Ron and Kelly; Draco Malfoy and his date.  He crinkled his green eyes to get a better look at the girl.  She wasn't what one would call pretty, but she was most definitely several steps above Draco's last date, the pug-faced Pansy Parkinson.  Much as he hated to admit it, Draco and his date did look nice together, him with his pale hair and dark robes, her coloring the opposite.

            "Hey," Harry turned back to the table, "who's the girl dancing with Malfoy?"

            Looking in the direction he'd indicated, Ginny's nose instantly wrinkled in dislike.  "Oh.  Her.  That's Holly Dagliesh... she's a Slytherin in my year."  Ginny rolled her eyes as she watched Holly spin around in Draco's arms, dancing considerably closer than was necessary.  "Her father's some big shot at the ministry, or something, and she thinks she's so much better than the rest of us.  She's had her eye on Draco since the moment she walked into Hogwarts... longer, probably.  I think their fathers are friends, or..." she sent a meaningful glance at Harry and Hermione, "have some business ventures in common."              They didn't need to ask to know that she meant that she suspected that Mr. Dagliesh was a Death Eater.  And, looking back on his daughter, Harry wasn't surprised.  Her hair, eyes, (and probably heart as well, if her expression was of any indication) were all black as night and their was a wicked curl to her thin lips as she danced with Draco. 

            "But anyways," Ginny clearly intended to continue on her tirade, "the only things she cares about are money, Malfoy and herself.  She's an insufferable prat."  Harry couldn't help but think that Ginny was probably 100% accurate, especially as he watched Holly back into another dancer, a second year Hufflepuff, and instead of apologizing, sneered at the child and said something incredibly rude, that made her and Draco laugh coldly, while the white-faced Hufflepuff scampered off into the crowd. 

            "See what I mean?" Ginny muttered.  Her date, a sandy-haired Hufflepuff whose mud-brown eyes and round face gave him the doleful look of a basset-hound, nodded agreeably.

            "What's going to be worse is classes on Monday," he spoke slowly and his voice was flat.  "Now that she's been on a date with him, things'll just get worse."

            Despite the fact that he seemed nice enough and was clearly interested in Ginny, Harry couldn't fathom why the youngest Weaseley had agreed to attend the ball with Jakob Morren.  The few times Harry had passed him in the halls, or seen him at a meal or Quidditch match, he always seemed so gloomy.  Why the ever-cheerful, fiery Ginny had taken up with someone like him...  Immediately Harry scolded himself for thinking down on the younger boy.  It wasn't like it was his place to pass judgments on the boys Ginny fancied. 

            Harry was interrupted from his thoughts as Ron plunked down beside him, immediately gulping down a goblet full of butterbeer.  

            "Bloody hell, this is fun!  Hey Kel, want to go for a few more when you're..."  He blinked and looked around at the faces surrounding him; Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Jakob, and at the next table, Neville, who was staring fixedly at some point in the crowd and not paying the rest of the world any attention. 

            "Where'd Kelly get off to?" Ron asked, bemused. 

            "Wasn't she with you?" Hermione replied, and no one at the table failed to notice the tightness of her voice.

            "Naw, said she wanted to come over and catch her breath, and talk with you all for a while.  I wonder where she got off to."

            He didn't have to wonder long.  Not a moment later Ginny noticed the door to the Great Hall creak open just the scantest crack. 

            "Think that's her?" Harry asked.

            "Definitely," Hermione responded as she caught a flash of familiar midnight blue through the crowd and distinctive braided tresses. 

            "What's she up to, leaving already?" Ron was still very much confused.

            "Well," Hermione exchanged tentative glances with her two male friends, "we could all go for a casual stroll and see if we find out..."

            "Spying, Herm?" Ron grinned widely, white teeth flashing.  "We'll make a troublemaker of you yet!"  Her cheeks flushed and she muttered something incoherent but the corners of her lips curled ever so slightly into a smile.  Rising, Harry, Hermione and Ron excused themselves from the table (well, Hermione excused them while Harry and Ron stood there wondering what she was doing) and threaded their way through the dancing students (and professors; Dumbledore and Madame Sprout were doing a quite impressive tango near the centre of the mass) and left the Great Hall.

*~*~*~*

            Draco was getting bored.  He'd been dancing all night and having little fun at all.  While he was pleased to say that his date this year was most definitely more intelligent than his last had been (and thankfully she did not resemble any type of animal either), that didn't make her any more interesting.  She was just as clingy as Pansy had always been, but in some respects, even worse.  At least he'd always been able to escape Pansy during holidays; the Dagliesh's manor house was only in the next town over from his, and Draco just knew that he'd be getting visits over Christmas where Holly would "just happen to be flying by," or some other nonsense.

            Ah well.  He didn't mind the girl too much, for when she wasn't being a pest, she did come up with some witty things to say.  She had the same sense of humor he did; dark and slightly sadistic. 

            He looked down and her black eyes locked with his gray ones.

            "Having fun?" she murmured.

            "Mmm, yeah," he replied without even paying attention, for his thoughts were now centered elsewhere.   He watched the door to the Great Hall creak open.  Whoever was doing it moved very carefully, as if they didn't wish their actions to be noticed.  Draco's perceptive gray eyes got a glimpse of a midnight blue dress robe... now had he seen anyone in that shade robe?  He thought hard, concentrating on who he'd seen come through the doors earlier in the evening.  Then he remembered.

            "So, Banson, what are you up to now?"  His lip curled iniquitously as he watched the Potter trio slip out a minute after Kelly had. 

            "This might be worth some looking into," Draco thought with another smirk.  He detached himself from Holly with promises that he'd come back later.  She looked slightly miffed but perked right back up when he told her that if she was a good girl and stayed and told anyone that asked that he'd gone off to the lavatory or to get a drink or something while he was gone, then maybe they could arrange some sort of get-together during Christmas Holiday. 

            As soon as he'd gotten away, he began to push his way through the crowd.  He was almost at the doors when a very disturbing sight caught his eye; Adele, clad in plain but elegant dark green dress robes, dancing happily with none other than Neville Longbottom.

            Draco could barely believe his eyes, his cousin, dancing with a Gryffindor!  And Longbottom, at that!  Practically running over to where the two of them were dancing, Draco grabbed Adele's arm and pulled her roughly away from Neville. 

            "Stay away from my cousin, Longbottom," Draco snarled.  Still bent on following Banson and Potter, Draco kept his grip on Adele's arm firm as he half led, half dragged her the rest or the way to the doors. 

            When they were safely outside Adele struggled to break from his grasp. 

            "Let me go Draco!" she cried, uncharacteristically loud.  "Why did you do that?"  He turned and was surprised to find that she had tears springing up in her gray eyes.  "I was having fun with Neville.. he's really nice you know, if you'd just give him a chan---"

            "Listen Adele, I know that you're the soft one in the family, some have even gone as far to say the 'weak-link,'" Adele's chin quavered but she said nothing. "But you and I are going to be in enough trouble if we don't get that charm back before our fathers find out... and just imagine how outraged they'd be if they discovered that you'd been acting real friendly towards the Gryffindors... especially to one of the Longbottoms.  It wouldn't be good.  So before you start getting all mad at me, keep in mind that I am all you've got right now, and we are both dangerously close to getting Aveda Kedavraed and we cannot afford any more complications!"  He hadn't realized it, but as he'd ranted his voice had elevated.  The tears in Adele's eyes remained, but there was something else there, something Draco had never seen in his cousin; firm, unwavering resolution.

            "Fine," she snapped, an edge in her voice that seemed to surprise them both.  "But where are we going?"  For Draco had not been leading her to the Slytherin dungeon, as she had expected, but rather they now stood outside, on the front steps to Hogwarts.  Draco paused and looked around the grounds.

            "There," he muttered, pointing to a spot in the distance where three figures, all shadowy in the last traces of sunlight, crept across the grounds.

            Adele had no idea what was going on, but she followed her cousin resignedly as they began their own tromp across the lawn.

*~*~*~*

            Filly Black sat at the staff table, toying with the ring on her hand and watching people dance.  She'd received many offers to dance, from other professors and some of the more daring older male students, but she'd politely refused them all.  It wasn't that she didn't like dancing, more of that there was really only one person she wanted to dance with, and He most certainly wasn't at Hogwarts. 

            She looked down at her ring.  The miniature wolf that paced around inside of it looked up at her and gave her a wolfish grin, followed by a long howl.  She smiled fondly at the familiar dulcet tones; she'd been so pleased when He'd given her the ring, and never once had it parted from her finger. 

            "How I do miss you." 

            The sound of a firework popping above her head snapped her back to reality.  She looked up right as she saw the door to the Great Hall open, and from her position at the staff table, she recognized the two students immediately, the Malfoy boy and his cousin, Stason.  Filly frowned; long had she heard of the Malfoys, and their family-by-marriage, the Stasons.  Neither name brought a smile to any good wizard's lips.

            "They've got to be up to something," Filly thought.  "I'd better go after them."  Then she frowned again, but this time it wasn't because something was wrong.  "Imagine," she was now fighting back laughter, "me going out to prevent trouble!  Me, of all people!  Ha, if only the guys could see me now!"  The gales fought her restraints, and she couldn't help but chortle a little as she thought of all the times a teacher had chased after her for suspicion of rule-breaking when she'd attended school.  And now the tables were turned!

            Trying to repress the memories of old mischief, she chuckled herself through the crowd, unknowing that she was actually the ninth and last of a very odd train of people who had fled the doors to the Great Hall that evening. 

*~*~*~*

            Kelly wiped sweaty palms on her dress robes; she couldn't afford to slip or drop something, not tonight.  She reached into her shoe and withdrew a sort of pocket knife (which had been terrible to try and dance with, and she didn't even want to think about the kinds of bruises and blisters her poor foot probably had now) and set it carefully at her side. 

            Above her, Dante circled, flying lower and lower in his descent.  When great gold talons touched earth, Kelly brought her eyes up to meet his red ones.

            "Ready?" she whispered.  He nodded, and dropped the ragged bundle he had been carrying in his beak.  Kelly picked up the old rag doll gingerly, and pinned to its face an old torn photograph, a muggle one, the kind people take in small booths.  It was the face of a young girl, rosy cheeked, rid lipped and blonde haired.  Her eyes were brown-black and held depths that were unable to be captured by any muggle device.  Kelly and Dante both smiled, almost lovingly, down at the picture before Kelly reached for the knife.

            Dante held out his leg first.  With the silver blade, Kelly gouged a symbol into the gold-colored flesh.  He stamped his foot hard down on the doll between them, and when he lifted it, a triangle enclosed in a circle was printed in red blood on the doll's torso.

            Then it was Kelly's turn.  She carved the triangle and circle design into her palm of her left hand, barely wincing at the pain.  Like Dante, she also pressed her wounded epidermis to the strange rag doll. 

            And then they began to sing.

            The music they made was strange, eerie and otherworldly.  The notes were high and piercing from Kelly, and deep, resonating and harsh from Dante.  A third "voice" cried out with them, a clear alto, yet it came from no voice.  The song had no words recognizable in this world, yet all those who heard it knew it meant something.  But what? 

             Soon, Kelly's feet lifted from the ground.  She twisted and writhed in the air and Dante on the ground did the same.  The rag doll was bathed in white light, so blindingly bright that it was impossible to look at directly.  Lights flashed and thunder boomed in the cloudless sky.  Rain fell, but it was not rain.  It was red and bitter, and fell only on the tiny alcove on the edge of the Forbidden Forest on which bird, girl and the bodiless third voice had begun to sing.  It was blood.

            Hermione couldn't help herself, and she screamed.  What shocked her more, however, than the blood, was that she was not the only one who had uttered a cry. 

            It was as if the shouts of horror had vanished the ghastly sight before them.  Kelly dropped from her position five feet above the ground and both her and Dante stopped thrashing.  Slowly, ever carefully, their unknown watchers crept out from their various hiding spots to see what had become of their now unmoving forms.  Hermione's hands where white-knuckled as she held Ron's hand for support, and it looked like all the color had left him entirely; even his vivid hair seemed duller.  Harry approached carefully and cautiously, as did Draco Malfoy, who was supporting a nearly fainted Adele.  From the bush directly behind where Dante had stood, Ginny crept out, idly brushing dirt from her robes as she stared wide-eyed at the others.  Their came a whine from behind a tree, and moment later everyone was surprised to see Neville tumble out, shaking so much that he had to sit down.

            Last, but not least, came Filly Black.  She alone, to the wonder of many, looked neither horrified nor frightened, but rather she gazed down at Kelly and Dante with a sort of suppressed wonder. 

            For a moment, there was total silence in the alcove.  Then, gingerly, Dante began to move.  He managed to get up on his feet, then pointed a wing at Kelly.  She blinked several times, then also rose, dragging herself into a sitting position with her back facing away from the onlookers.  When he was sure she was alright, Dante turned his fierce gaze upon the group.

            "Do you have any idea," he asked severely, "what kind of damage you might have done?  Do you children know nothing?  Has no one ever told you that you never, under any circumstances, disrupt a person when they are performing a Song?"

            This sounded absurd to the children; why on earth couldn't you disrupt a singer?  Then it occurred to them that perhaps Dante was referring to a special type of song... a magical song... perhaps like the one they'd just witnessed.

            "Well, with all due respect sir," Filly addressed Dante carefully, but with the slightest hint of agitation in her voice, "Songs are not the type of thing we teach here at Hogwarts."

            "Obviously," Dante snapped back with contempt. 

            "Wait a sec," Harry interjected, overcoming his shock at the entire situation.  "what are these 'Songs' you're talking about?  What do they do?" 

            "It is enough for you to know that you should neve---"  He was cut off by a female voice, one that was both familiar and yet unfamiliar.

            "It's no use, Dante.  We might as well just tell them the truth."

            "Rachel, I don't think that this is a good idea..."

            "Rachel?  Who's Rachel?" Draco demanded.

            Kelly eased herself around to face them, but it was not entirely Kelly that they saw.  She had the same red-blonde hair, but it was shorter and looked like it had been cut hastily with a knife, yet there were no locks lying on the ground around her.  Her lips were still red and full, her eyes the same mischievous brown, but it was no 15 year old girl that sat before them. 

            The woman, probably in her early thirties, gazed sadly up at them, her pale skin (no longer with the girlish rosy cheeks) taunt, and Harry was reminded eerily of Sirius for a moment. 

            "I am." She told them in her voice that was Kelly's, but wasn't.  "My name is Rachel Banis, and for the past five years, I've been using a Song of Deception to mask my identity.  Now," she heaved a great sigh as she took in the varying degrees of shock on each of their faces. "I suppose I'd better start from the beginning..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Am I evil or what?  Heh heh heh, yes, that is where I stopped it!  Muah ha ha ha ha!  Okay, Now I'm off to find a hiding spot, so that I don't get attacked by angry reviewers...

Ah, but first I must do my thank you's....

Quiet One- *grins evily* I told you I was gonna be wicked with this one!  Hehehehe... Ah, but anyways, thank you forever and ever for absolutely everything!  From being such an awesome reviewer, to writing stories that never cease to keep me entertained, to being a pal I can just chat with, to reviewing my lil sis's work, even though you've never even read the book she's doing ff stories on!  You just totally rock... what more can I say?  ^-^  *gives Quiet One a cookie*  Ooo, and PLEASE don't let Lev teach Kelly swordplay.... please please please please please!!! *down on hands and knees begging*

Kelly: Stop being such a spoilsport...

Sarai Ice-Elf- Aw, you're gonna make me blush again.... ;o)  Anyways, I feel sooo honored that you read this fic without having read the books on which it is based... thank you!!  *sends Sarai a cookie*

T.H- Hehe, ya know, it was the funniest thing... just as I was typing the end, I got your request for an update!  Ah, what great timing you have... because now it could look like I got your review and just whipped up this chapter right away at your request... ;oD  Anyways... I had planned on rushing over to read the lastest chapter of MM (yaysies!!!) and that new ficlet (another big yay!) but myinternet connection is being a butt and refuses to give me access to any websites whatsoever, besides ones I'd clicked on before it went all funky on me... (so, I should be a little grateful, I suppose, for otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see the review page and know who was owed thanks and answer questions and whatnot... but I still wish it would show me your stories!!!)  Ah, but I digress... Um, well, in rereading your review, I have to say this--- you are remarkably perceptive!  In fact, I was a little amazed at how good you are at picking up things!  Yay for you!  *hands T.H a cookie*  hehe, everyone gets cookies today!  Because I have such amazing reviewers!  Yay!  Thank you!!!

FawkesnFlame and Mooney-  Hehe... how was that?  Hopefully some of my plans for Filly's involvement in this fic are beginning to show... I can promise you, now she's going to have a much bigger part!  Thanks soooo much for being so encouraging, and thanks even more for loaning Filly to me!  A cookie for you too!  *hands Liz a cookie, and a second one for Filly*  I hope you liked this chapter!

SilverElf- THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! *confetti showers down on you for being the 100th review*  thank you soooooo much!  I was practically jumping up and down, I was like "the 100th review! The 100th review!!!!!!" You now shall forever have my gratitude!  And here..  *hands SilverElf a huge pile of cookies*  Okay... ah, yes, the British phrases!  Yes, I always want my stories to be as true to their books as possible, which includes the dialect.  Of course, being an American teen, I'm not all that familiar with Brit slang.  I would absolutely love (and this goes for anyone) if people would share some of the phrases (and where they'd be used and such) so that I can use them!  I know bloody hell and starkers, and now nutters, thanks to you, but if anyone could tell me more, I'd be sooooo appreciative! 

Getting back to your thank you... THANK YOU AGAIN!!  :oD  I hope this chapter met your approval, and perhaps began to explain a few things.  ^-^

Nati Fire-Mage-  haha, it feels weird calling you that Nik.  Thanx for the review, glad ya liked it!  Hehe, yes, this /is/ the story that I was writing.  Now you finally get to read my "masterpiece".... ;o)  Aargh, you're never gonna stop with that name are you!  Gah.... fine, I'll just hafta call you Nikki-Icky.. *evil grin* remember that one?  Muah ha ha ha ha!  Anyways, you're welcome for the plug, you're worth it! Have you started writing more of it yet?  You've got reviews chicka, you've got fans!  ;oD  Happy writing/reading NikNik!

Okay.... hmm, I think that's everyone... deepest apologies if I missed someone!  Just let me know, and I'll give you a great big apology/thank you in the next chap! 

Oo, before I forget, I have a question(s) to pose before you all. 

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What do you think Kelly's (Rachel's) story is?  Where do you think she comes from/ is planning to do/ reason for coming to Hogwarts is?

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I'm really itching to know what the general opinion is, especially if any of you have figured it all out (or think you have! ;)   What you tell me will let me know whether or not I've done my job, and if the clues I've dropped were picked up and things like that.  So, I would very much appreciate if you could all just take a moment and answer those, thanks so much! 

Oh, and my self-insertion wasn't /that/ bad, was it?  I mean, the only thing I really have in common with the character (besides the Draco-obsession... *sigh*....) is our first name is the same, but I spelled hers differently!  And no, that is NOT my last name... it actually the phonetical (don't think that's a word... my sp check says it isn't... hmm...) spelling of the last name of a kid in my art class last year... kind of a bizarre choice, I know!  I thought it sounded "Slytherin-y" though.. hehe.  But anyways, I hope it wasn't too awful for you to read. 

Always,

~Hollie