Title: The Well of Shadows
Author name: Ruskbyte

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Sorry about the terrible delay, but the entire neighbourhood had its power cut for an entire week. And to top it all off, just as the power got reconnected, some dumbass went and hijacked the phone line for a couple of days! Quite frustrating as you might imagine. But it's finally out and I apologise again for the wait. Unfortunately I have a gala coming up this weekend, so I will also be a bit late getting chapter fourteen out.


***
Chapter Thirteen
~ Developments ~


Harry Potter was hot. Very hot indeed. Orange and yellow flames were dancing up his robes, which he had just set alight while pacing too close to his office's fire. This was the cue for panicked slapping of the fire and a volley of choice swearwords that could curdle fresh milk. Finally putting the minor blaze out, he removed the charred garment and mournfully observed, "Well, that's the end of this robe."

"That's what happens when you don't look where you're pacing," Ginny laughed.

"Oh, put a sock in it," he told her, waving his hand over the scorched robe and instantly repairing the fire damage.

One of Ginny's elegant auburn eyebrows curved upwards. Sitting at his desk, which was almost lost under mounds of parchment and piles of books, Ginny set the manuscript she was reading down and looked at him. "My, you're in a bit of a snit today."

Harry sighed and tossed his robes over the back of a nearby chair. "Sorry, Gin. It's just that I'm getting a little frustrated with this. It's nearly three months and we've covered so little ground. At this rate we'll never be ready to disperse the Well when the time comes."

"We knew this wouldn't be fast and easy, Harry," she told him. Harry sank into the chair opposite her, not looking very happy. Ginny must have read his expression better than he thought, since she stood and came around the desk to stand by him. She knelt down next to him and took his hands in both of hers.

~There's more to it than just our lack of progress~ she ventured silently. Harry looked into her bright brown eyes and reluctantly nodded confirmation of her suspicion. When he didn't say anything, she quietly prompted, "What is it?"

Sighing deeply he answered, "Term's ending in a week. Christmas holidays."

Ginny immediately understood. "Hermione."

Harry dropped his face into his hands and ran them through his hand, bringing them up slamming them against the armrests of his chair. His frustration was palpable, as was his exhaustion. It had been nearly three months since he and Ginny had learned that Hermione's parents planned to withdraw her from Hogwarts. At the end of the term, the beginning of the holidays, she would be returning home and possibly not returning.

"Dammit!" he swore, hitting his thigh with a fist. "I've tried everything and nothing works! I've sent letters, over a dozen, trying to explain things to them. They're not even bothering to reply any more! They think I'm just some child-"

"You are just a child, Harry," Ginny gently interrupted. "We all are."

"No, we're not!" he pressed. "I'm not a child! I'm Hermione's friend! And Hermione's not a child either. She's a witch, the best damn witch I've ever known."

Ginny smiled playfully. "Including me?"

He did not rise to the tease, preferring to glower instead. "Don't try and twist my words, Gin. You know what I mean."

"I know," she admitted. "It's just that you need to calm down."

*He is calm. More or less.*

*Quite true. You can tell by the fact that he's not floating.*

Oh, shut up you lot, he growled.

"Her parents are almost as obstinate as she is," Harry said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "They refuse to believe that removing Hermione from Hogwarts will cause her greater injury than if she were to stay. I admit I don't know much about her life outside of school, I've never been to her home, but I don't think she has many friends. If any. The people she's attached to in life are here, at Hogwarts, and if she leaves she will be all alone."

Ginny stood and, to Harry's amusement, began to pace. "Have you considered visiting them? We could Apparate to their home tonight - try convince them in person. We could take Hermione with us. She could argue her case to her folks and we could support her."

Before Harry could contemplate this idea, Hermione burst into the office. She had a large book in her grasp, supported mainly by her stronger left arm, and a rushed yet triumphant air about her. She didn't bother greeting either of them, instead she hurried over to the desk. With a clumsy sweep of her right arm she cleared one cluttered corner of the desktop, sending a dozen books and several tall stacks of parchment tumbling to the floor.

"Hey!" protested Harry, rising to his feet.

"Don't worry, this is worth it," Hermione said, thumping the book she was holding onto the cleared space. She turned and grinned at the two of them. "I think I've found it."

"What?" Ginny's strode over to the desk, from where she had halting in her pacing by the fireplace and looked at the book Hermione had brought in. Harry, somewhat more sedately joined the two witches by the desk.

Hermione was beaming in that triumphant way she had after finally unearthing whatever secrets she had been searching for. Nicolas Flamel. Polyjuice Potion. Summoning Charms. All those things she had sought out over the years to help in their adventures.

She always comes through in the end, he thought. Doesn't she?

~Of course she does~ replied Ginny. ~She's Hermione.~

Together, with Hermione standing behind them, Harry and Ginny leaned over and looked at the book. It was old, as most books in the Hogwarts library were, and seemed to have been the survivor of numerous fires, floods, wars and uncountable grubby hands. Its title was emblazoned on its tattered leather cover in letters of peeling copper (long since turned green).

Hogwarts' Grounds
A Magical Energies Study
by Calvin Hobbes

Harry grinned, knowing that this was it, and shared a victorious grin with Ginny. She too seemed to sense that they had finally made the breakthrough that they had been searching for. He gripped her hand in his and squeezed it tightly, paging through the book with his other hand.

It's here, he thought. It's all here. All of it. Everything we need.

~With this we can be done mapping the location by New Years~ agreed Ginny.

Releasing Ginny's hand and flipping the book closed, Harry turned and enveloped Hermione in a rib-crunching hug. She squealed with surprise, as well as delight, when he lifted her off her feet and began spinning her around in his arms.

"You did it, Hermione! You did it!"

***

"Indeed," interrupted a voice from the doorway. "Might I enquire as to what exactly Miss Granger has succeeded in doing?"

Ginny turned away from the desk, slightly surprised that Dumbledore had managed to sneak up on them. He was standing just inside the door, his silver hair and beard glowing in the firelight. He was smiling in that mysterious, yet grandfatherly, manner which suited him so very well. He was holding a letter, written on what looked like Muggle paper, in one hand.

Harry answered his question. "She's found a book detailing the arrangements of the various wards protecting the castle. It's still too early to say for sure, we've only just glanced over the book, but it seems to have everything we need."

"Ah, yes," Dumbledore nodded. "I recall granting permission for you and her to search through the Restricted Section of the library. It is good to hear that your search has finally borne fruit."

"Took me long enough," Hermione muttered.

"Perhaps, but that delay may well work in our favour, might it not?" Dumbledore asked, looking to Harry and Ginny.

Ginny exchanged an apprehensive look with Harry and replied, "Unfortunately it doesn't create anything in the way of an advantage. The foci are still growing, so having the details of the castle's wards is only going to help us in that we'll be able to set them up immediately after they're completely formed."

Harry nodded and returned to his seat. "Other than that, the only advantage we have at the moment is that Malfoy doesn't know that we can potentially disperse the Well."

"Potentially?" repeated Dumbledore, not looking reassured by the word.

Ginny rounded the desk and settled on Harry's lap. His arms snaked around her waist and help her to him as he tried to explain. "Albus, would you believe it possible to start an avalanche with a single pebble? One tiny grain of sand, in the right place, at the right time..."

Dumbledore, finding a chair to sit in, nodded. "I would accept the concept as an axiom. The smallest of actions can have far reaching and life altering results. I have seen many examples of such during my life."

Knowing where Harry was going with his metaphor, Ginny asked, "Then would you believe it's possible for a single pebble to stop an avalanche?"

"It would not be easy," the venerable wizard admitted, but nodded his head. His bright blue eyes watched Ginny and Harry closely from over the tops of his spectacles. "You would have to place the pebble in the right place, at the right time. As you would need to do in order to start it."

"Then you see our problem," Harry said. "Draco Malfoy is now like an avalanche. With the power of the Well as his disposal, he is all but unstoppable. Anything that gets in his way will be crushed by sheer force. Stopping him will require performing the exact right action, in the exact right place and at the exact right time."

Ginny bobbed her head in agreement. "Dispersing the Well involves a great deal of chance. We have to lure Draco into the trap, catch him by surprise, or it will fail."

"That is why we have to be so careful during the design of it," Harry continued. "Everything has to be absolutely perfect. If one of the foci is out of position by even a fraction of an inch, well, Malfoy will be the least of our worries."

"What d'you mean?" asked Hermione, who had also found a seat.

"Imagine, if you can, a total, instantaneous magical course reversal," replied Harry.

Hermione paled slightly. "Isn't that what happened in the auditorium? At the start of term when Malfoy teleported out of the school?"

Ginny nodded. "Only a few million times more powerful. Basically everything within a five mile radius will be completely disassociated."

*That's putting it mildly.*

*Shut up.*

"So what brings you down here, Albus?" asked Harry. "Besides checking on our progress?"

Dumbledore held up the sheet of paper in his hand. He waved it about and said, "I come bearing good news and... disturbing news."

Behind her Harry dropped his head onto her shoulder. Ginny felt much the same as he obviously did. There had been very little good news over the past few weeks and more often than not it was accompanied by bad news. Disturbing news was no doubt a new euphemism of Dumbledore's forewarning the coming of what was no doubt exceptionally bad news.

"Can we have the good news first?" asked Harry, voice slightly muffled.

"I was planning to explain in that order," agreed Dumbledore.

Harry lifted his head and squeezed his arms around Ginny's waist. She returned the action by squeezing his arms and leaning back against him. Very much to Ginny's surprise however, Dumbledore did not hand the sheet of Muggle-made paper to either her or Harry. Instead, he turned in his seat and offered it to Hermione.

With a puzzled expression Hermione reached out with her good arm and plucked the letter from Dumbledore's hand. She looked to Harry and Ginny before starting to read, but neither of them could offer anything more than an equally puzzled shrug.

What d'you think it is? Ginny asked, as Hermione unfolded the letter.

~Beats me~ replied Harry. ~Must have something to do with Hermione though.~

Ginny felt a flutter of excitement. You don't think...

Her thought trailed off as Hermione began to read. "Dear Professor Dumbledore," she began. She cleared her throat and looked nervously at the waiting headmaster. Dumbledore gave a nod for her to continue and so she resumed, "We have, after careful deliberation, decided to comply with the recommendations made by yourself and your staff. Consequently we will grant permission for our daughter, Hermione, to remain at Hogwarts--"

Harry's office promptly exploded into a cacophony of noise as the three teenagers present began to cheer and whoop and scream and yell themselves hoarse. Dumbledore remained in his seat, his eyes twinkling merrily, as Harry and Ginny literally jumped over the desk and enveloped Hermione in an overjoyed embrace.

The trio were jumping around and making ecstatic cries for long minutes, not really paying much attention to what they were doing. They were far more concerned with simply expression the utter sense of relief and exultation that had swept over them.

Finally, at Hermione's insistence, they settled down and finished reading the letter. Hermione resumed her place in the chair beside Dumbledore. Harry and Ginny stood behind her and read the letter over her shoulders. Ginny felt that her grin would split her face in two if it were to get any broader, which it was doing as they scrolled down the letter.

"I think you should pay particular attention," mentioned Dumbledore, "to the part that mentions the visit they were paid by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape this Wednesday."

"Snape? Professor Snape talked my parents into letting me stay?" Hermione's disbelief could only be matched by Ginny's. Even Harry seemed dumbfounded and read that line of the letter several times, just to confirm what his eyes were seeing.

"I could kiss him," muttered Ginny, aware that if she did her brothers would no doubt completely disown her. "I don't care if he is a slimy git, I just might kiss him for this."

Dumbledore chuckled a bit and shook his head. "That would probably be a bad idea, Virginia," he told her. Then his expression turned serious as did his voice. "Especially as Severus did no such thing. Nor did Minerva for that matter."

Ginny blinked. Harry blinked.

"What?" they chorused, Hermione echoing them a moment later.

Dumbledore slipped his half-moon spectacles from his crooked nose and began to polish them with a vibrantly orange handkerchief. The colour momentarily caused Ginny's mind to wander to Ron, who was still lying comatose in the Hospital Wing. Doubtless Harry and Hermione's thoughts also strayed to their friend, and in Hermione's case boyfriend, but Dumbledore appeared not to notice.

Returning his glasses to their place on his nose, he explained, "Miss Granger's parents inform me that they were visited by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape in the early evening of this week Wednesday. Three days ago. I wrote to them and they place the time as being between six and nine o'clock that evening, during which their visitors were successful in convincing them that it would be best to allow their daughter to remain here, at Hogwarts."

"So what's the problem?" asked Ginny, a tad impatiently.

"There is a weekly staff meeting every Wednesday at that time, for the heads of the four houses," Dumbledore revealed. His brow furrowed as he stroked his silvery moustache with a finger. "Both Minerva and Severus were in attendance and could not possibly have been present at the Granger residence. They were with me the entire time."

"But, then who..." Hermione trailed off, obviously at a loss.

Dumbledore shook his head, "I'm afraid we do not know. I had Mundungus Fletcher and Arabella Figg stop by the house yesterday, but they could not detect any magic that might reveal the identities of the impostors."

Harry was gripping Ginny's shoulder firmly. "But why? I mean, why would anyone want to keep Hermione at Hogwarts? Besides us I mean?"

"That, I'm afraid, I do not know."

"Well, I for one am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth," announced Hermione, folding the letter and handing it back to Dumbledore. She was wearing the expression Ginny recognised as the one she normally wore when having staunchly made up her mind about something.

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Right. It may be a mystery, but I don't see that we should concern ourselves unduly with it. After all, it couldn't have been Death Eaters or anyone that wants to hurt Hermione."

"How do you come to this conclusion, Virginia?" asked Dumbledore.

Harry answered for her, "If anybody was planning to abduct or attack Hermione, their best bet would be off Hogwarts grounds, Albus, you know that. Despite Malfoy's destruction of the PFT auditorium, this castle is still the safest place in the wizarding world."

Dumbledore nodded his agreement. "Perfectly sound, yes, but the question is, why?"

"We may never know," replied Hermione.

***

"You rang, Albus?"

Dumbledore looked up from the report he was reading. Remus and Sirius had finished the work he had assigned them in Paris and were now making their way to Dublin. Unfortunately their news was not heartening as they confirmed Dumbledore's fear that Voldemort was in the process of recruiting the vampire nation to his cause. He put this and other worries aside for the m-moment as this year's Defence Against the Dark Arts professors, Gregory and Hilary Proteus, stepped into his office.

"I presume you have heard of Miss Granger's good fortune?" he asked as the couple settled down opposite him.

"Of course we have," grinned Gregory, "you told about it less than an hour ago."

Dumbledore could not help but chuckle at the young man's cheerful demeanour. He pushed the report he had been reading to one side and shifted comfortably in his plush chair. "Am I correct in assuming the two of you had something to do with it?"

Her hazel eyes were sparkling merrily as Hilary denied it, "Of course we didn't. It was Minerva and Snape."

Gregory laughed and draped an arm around his wife's shoulders. He widened his eyes in mock wonder and said, "The only way we could've been involved was, say... Polyjuice Potion?"

"Drinking a piece of Snape. Ugh, can you imagine the taste?" replied Hilary, grimacing at the thought.

"Don't have to."

"It's been three days."

Gregory shuddered theatrically, "All the grease in his hair made the aftertaste cling to me."

Sensing that he would not be receiving any outright confirmation of his suspicions, though their banter had already done so, Dumbledore decided to turn back to the reason he had summoned the two professors. "Very well. Perhaps we could move onto the reason I called you here?"

Picking up his wand Dumbledore summoned a case from one of the many shelves encircling the office. It was a wooden case topped with glass, similar to those used for display of precious artefacts, and about the size of a small Muggle suitcase. It drifted from its place alongside his Pensieve and came to rest on his desk, in front of the seated couple.

"Do you perchance recognise this?" he asked.

Gregory leaned forward and studied the artefact displayed inside the case. For an instant Dumbledore thought he saw a glimmer of recognition, but it was gone as quickly as it had formed. Gregory shrugged and said, "I'll admit it does look familiar."

Hilary, who had also looked into the case, rolled her eyes. "Of course it does," she said with a sigh, settling back into her chair. "After all, how many nine thousand year old prophecies predicting the death of the Boy-Who-Lived could there possibly be?"

"Thought it looked familiar," admitted Gregory, reaching out to hold one of Hilary's hands. Dumbledore noticed that she gave him a gentle, reassuring, squeeze.

"Then it is an accurate translation?" he asked, lifting up a scroll of parchment that he had set aside earlier. It was the complete translation Fleur Delacour had made of the stone tablet sitting before them.

"From what I remember, yes," admitted Hilary, although neither she nor her husband made to take the translation from Dumbledore's proffered hand. She turned to Gregory and asked, "What do you think, lover?"

Gregory shifted uncomfortably for a few moments. He looked over the stone tablet again and, to Dumbledore's surprise, appeared to actually read the ancient script. He shrugged and said in a nonchalant voice, "Still very bad poetry."

Dumbledore frowned, not pleased by the indifferent manner in which the two professors were acting. And they were acting he knew, since the prophecy involved them to a great degree. He looked from one to the other and asked, "Is there no way to avoid its fulfilment?"

"It's a Sumerian prophecy," said Gregory, shaking his head. "You have as much chance of avoiding it as Snape has as chance of winning a popularity contest."

"I see the years have not dulled your dislike for Severus," observed Dumbledore, a small grin curling his lips.

Hilary groaned and looked imploringly up to the heavens, "If anything he's gotten worse."

Now Dumbledore had to chuckle, "Which no doubt explains why you so delight in tormenting him at every chance."

"We have to," explained Gregory. He grinned boyishly, "We already have."

"Strangely enough that almost makes sense," admitted Dumbledore. He returned his attention to the translation he was holding and settled it on top of the case containing the original tablet. His brow furrowed slightly in a frown as he asked the question that had been worrying him since Fleur had finished her initial translation. "Are you certain nothing can be done about this?"

With a sigh Gregory rose to his feet, Hilary right beside him and holding his hand. They shared a look for a moment and shook their heads sadly before Gregory answered wearily, "Harry is going to die - and there's nothing you can do to prevent it."


TBC...

Orion - Truly sorry about the delay. And I will be finding a proper title for "screen test" before long. Any suggestions?

PravatiPatil - Who said anything about them using something as mundane as a Time Turner?

Ginny1946 - Harry's not the only one they're messing with now.

kensai - Thank you.

Caroline - Ron will be waking up sometime soon I think.

kitch - Good guess.

Nosgoroth - Bread and Circuses is a reference to ancient Rome. The emperors used this idea to control the masses; keep them fed and keep them entertained.

I'm currently under attack by Alquamor, Merusa, Temporary Insanity and yourself. Since I appear to be fighting a war on four fronts I certainly can't have any objections to having Lone Wolf join the fray. The more the merrier, after all.

Now, I believe I was about to be vaporised by the aliens from Independence Day...
_____

"Targeting beams active!" screamed a panicking stormtrooper, as the ninety or so City Killers locked their blinding beams of blue energy on the already heavily damaged Cliffie Star. "Energy build up! They're preparing to fire!!"

"Calm yourself, private," said Ruskbyte, watching the main screen with interest as the alien vessels each charged their main weapon in preparation to fire. He smirked, "If I'm not very much mistaken these pathetic aliens will shortly be at our mercy."

The stormtrooper looked at his superior officer as he if were mad and asked, "Sir?"

Ruskbyte's smirk grew broader and he explained, "This particular alien species is only capable of making a successful attack during the month of July. As it is currently December, we have nothing to worry about."

"They're firing!" announced the trooper manning the sensor station.

The ninety or so beams of energy lancing towards the Cliffie Star were only an instant away when they abruptly ceased to exist. The massive alien saucers seemed to pause uncertainly, the swarms of alien fighters surrounding them were shifting about uncertainly.

Ruskbyte smiled wickedly and pulled a cigar from the inner recesses of his uniform. Biting down on one end he nonchalantly lit the other. After a few experimental puffs he drawled in a manner not unlike Draco Malfoy, "I don't hear no fat lady."

His wicked grin turned truly evil as he spun on a heel and barked, "Let us demonstrate to these rebels the capabilities of this fully armed and operational battlestation! Fire at will, commander!"

***

Nosgoroth watched with mounting horror as the Independence Day aliens floundered helplessly in space, sitting ducks for the awakening Cliffie Star. Thin beams of green light gathered in its focusing crater and suddenly one of the City Killers exploded into a cloud of glowing white fragments.

"That blast came from the Cliffie Star!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "That thing's operation!"

"Sir," interupted Beta, "A large number of ships are emerging from hyperspace directly astern."

Nosgoroth spun to face Beta and asked urgently, "What kind of ships?"

Beta looked up from his console and said, almost apologetically, "It would appear to be the Imperial Fleet, led by the Executor."

Nosgoroth turned back to the DementorSlayer's main viewscreen and watched as hundreds of the triangular ships appeared all throughout the Yavin system. There were Imperial star destroyers, Victory star destroyers, Interdictor star destroyers and several incredibly large Super star destroyers.

A second City Killer exploded as the Cliffie Star fired again. This time the blast engulfed two other City Killer's which were destroyed alongside it in subsidiary explosions. Nogoroth felt a leaden weight settle in his stomach as scores of Tie fighters appeared on screen, having just launched from their star destroyers. The Imperial fighters fell upon the alien fighters like a wave as the Interdictors began to surround the City Killer fleet, cutting off their escape.

"The alien mothership is under fire. Their communications network has been overridden by a primitive 20th century computer virus," reported Beta monotonously. As he was speaking the bridge lights and consoles began to flicker and dim. Beta observed, "Apparently the virus has spread to our own systems. Primary power is offline. Our weapons and shields are no longer functioning. We are operating on reserve power only.

Nogoroth turned away from the viewscreen, now obscured under a layer of static and what looked like a Jolly Roger, unable to watch as the alien mothership disappeared in a wash of brilliant light, shockwaves and debris.

"Yo-ho-ho!" declared the animated skull.

***

Washuu - You can never have too much vodka.

didihoulio - Evil, riots and attacks will be coming up shortly. Some time next week, with a bit of luck.

Butler - I'm losing my touch on the cliffies am I? Well, just wait for chapter fourteen. I think you'll find that I've been keeping some cliffies in reserve.

BloodRedSword - I am considering it, but right now I've got quite a bit on my plate. Maybe in a few years I'll make a proper attempt.

Queen of the Jungle - Oliver! Oliver! Never before has a boy asked for more!

Mistri - Thanks.

Arianne - I've come up with a way to resurrect Harry that has some potential, but it still needs a bit of refinement. I'll worry about it more when the time comes.

Lady Knight of Kennan - You'll have to forgive the characters for not figuring it out, but they're a bit preoccuppied at the moment.

ffnetjoel - Harry and Ginny are getting suspicious of their new professors too.

Professor Weasley - Would you believe I have that planned sometime in the twenty seventh chapter of the seventh year story?

Lana Riddle - Thank you.

Mona - Ron should be waking up in time for Christmas.

Krista of StarTress - Och aye, thae it is lass.

sk8reagle - I don't doubt that he will be.

Songbreeze Swifteye - Mostly I read fantasy, sci-fi and horror. Aside from LotR I haven't read any of the books you mention. I'll keep an eye out for them.

may - Something fishy indeed. You'll be seeing later that Gregory and Hilary have been talking to more than just the house-elves.

P-chan - Could you imagine Moira and Angus having an arguement?

Merusa - Well, at least you're not coming after me with an entire army yet. Though I'm sure that will be coming later...
_____

Commander Merusa, first female general of the Giy federation, pulled out her wand and cried, "Expelliarmus!"

Nothing happened.

"Really," drawled a bored voice, "is that any way to greet your guest?"

Merusa's eyes narrowed as she tucked her wand away and reclaimed her katana. She kept close watch on the shadowy figure standing in her doorway. "An uninvited guest."

A silvery eyebrow arched up high, "Perhaps. But I'm sure that if you would pause long enough to forget this foolish posturing of yours, you would see that I have come here unarmed."

"You hardly need a weapon," Merusa countered, not relaxing her vigil.

"True," admitted her opponent. His lips curled into a tight smile as he decided to try another method and asked, "but that is hardly any reason to be so... adversarial. I have not as yet made any move against you or your federation."

Merusa wagged her katana back an forth, "'Yet' being the opperative word."

"Perhaps. I am, however, willing to make a deal...

***

kateydidnt - The clues aren't saying anything. You have to read them first! Bad joke, I know.

freelancer3473 - Thanks, I wanted to get away from the formula where the Order is a group assembled by Dumbledore or the like.

~Mary~ - Harry and Ginny are planning to keep their telepathy between themselves. Maybe Ron and Hermione will be let in on it, but not any time soon.

Lucky Angel - Not really. The snippet from chapter 10 that I left as a teaser at the end of OotP was originally planned for the third or fourth chapter of WoS. But I decided to be evil, naturally, and push it back a bit.

Confuzzler - I'm considering maybe writing a ficlet about how Harry and Blaise came to reach the understanding that they have.

Kyle L - Sorry. Delayed. Power. Phone. Sorry. ;p

Cygnus Crux - Hey, if you can use time travel to save Harry and Ginny, I can use time travel to have them - oops! Almost said too much there. I've been spending too much time with Hagrid.

kylesmom - Um... maybe. I've still got to flip the coin.

Hermione HP - Nothing stupid about it. Dead on, actually.

Eris, Queen of the Shadows - Moira's accent? It just comes naturally. I write it first in plain English, then I work it over until it sounds how I want it to.

ME - The next great battle will be coming in a couple of chapters.

Rogue15 - Fortunately he got over it. Or will get over it.

GShans - Glad you enjoyed it.

pamela-potter-24 - The actions is coming soon and so is Ron.

Ginny1946 - Sorry for the delay in updating.

Khatt - You should be getting a second appearance in chapter 16 too.

Margot - It shouldn't leave you scarred for life. Perversly warped maybe, but not scarred. :)

Lone Wolf - Parents tend to get a tad protective of their children, so they're probably not really thinking about all that. They just wanted Hermione out of harm's way as they see it.

Sakura Le - I think everyone wishes Quidditch was real at one point.

ElvishNature - I think Blaise's ambition is what got her in Slytherin.

Nerdvana - Well... all hell's about to break loose, starting with Christmas.

LittleA - Unfortunately I'm going to be keeping the R-rated stuff to a minimum.

ShortNSweet - Something like that.

Angelis - Er... I hope that was a good growl.

Illiamwa - No problem.

Jagdverband 44 - Thanks. I try, but inevitably somethings slip by that I don't notice until two or three weeks later when I'm looking back.

ER - She is an interesting character, isn't she?

Raine Lionheart - Ides of March was the title of the chapters because it was set on the 15th of March, when Julius Caesar was assassinated. And Shades of Vallambrosa is a reference to Dante's Paradise Lost.

Briar Rose - Guess I'll have to kill someone else then.

Blue Roses - Moira and Blaise are more entertaining than I thought they'd be when I first started writing their characters.

WolfMoon - Ah, maths... my personal favourite. Note the sarcasm. I managed to get out of answering questions in class one year by tell my teacher, when he asked, "Who cares?" He wasn't all that happy with me.

Ruefus - Big battle in chapter 15 and another in chapters 20, 21 and 22.

FaLL4mGrace - I have to worry if you consider battery dreams normal. Of course, I suppose that depends on what the batteries are doing... hmmm.

Coventina - Sounds fun.

Legolas Lover - Soon will unfortunately only be about ten chapters from now.

sherae - I will certainly try.

Temporary Insanity - I seem to be under attack from all sides these days. Oh well, bring it on!
_____

Nobody could truly blame those less than brave souls who turned tail and flee in terror at the sight of Ruskbyte's unholy army. Men considered by their peers to be brave and strong of heart and will cowered before the multitude ranks of enemy warriors that emerged from the cloaking spell.

Imps, Orcs, skeletons and zombies comprised the bulk of the lower ranks. They were array across the landscape in row upon row that stretched from horizon to horizon. The sun gleamed off their raised spears, swords, axes and banners.

Flocks of crows, ravens and bats circled above them, their cries harsh and dissonant as they swept through the air. A terrible buzzing rent the air as giant swarms of flies, hornets and locusts rose from the ground. These swarms were so great that they could easily be mistaken for black clouds from a distance.

Furthur into the ranks of the dark army were bestial Aries, who served as archers. Platoons of great winged stone gargoyles were accompanied by squads of savage trolls and mountain giants. Filling the gaps of their ranks were the scarse, but undeniably viscious, cannibal tribes from the Black Isle, accompanied by hordes of raiders, pirates and mercenaries.

Acromantula nests were scattered about the battle field, the giant spiders all waiting patiently and watching with their many eyes. Massive scorpions, equal in size to the Acromantula, were also milling about, their pincers snapping menacingly as their sting tipped tails quivered in anticipation.

On an elevated hill far from the front of the dark army were groups of black mages, each cowled in shadow robes that absorbed all light. Surrounding them, brought forth by the mages' will, were elemental creatures. Water spouts twisted and writhed, tornadoes rumbled as they circled the hill, fire demons blazed and crackled ominously and the huge, hulking forms of earth golems lumbered back and forth. All waiting to be sent into battle.

Circling the hill at great height, so that they appear as little more than children's toys, were dragons, chimaeras and rocs. These massive and deadly flying creatures roared their eagerness to swoop down upon their foes. They were hungry.

At the top of this low hill sat ten figure, upon black horses. Nine of these were the legendary ring-wraiths, who had somehow been brought under Ruskbyte's power.

Ruskbyte himself sat with him, his horse a magnificent war horse that was half again as large as the witch-kings' steads.

"Let us begin," he intoned.

***

Bob - Probably not, but fortunately it is still a ways in a future.

The Millennium One - I can't let Gryffindor lose to Slytherin. Any house but Slytherin. I'm actually thinking of letting Ravenclaw win the Quidditch Cup this year, since this is going to be Cho's last year at Hogwarts.

MegumiFuu - Nope. Gregory's dislike of the colour red will only be explained during the seventh year story.

Da-xia Nariko - There will be a few more light-hearted chapters, particularly at the end of the story.

LaminaCourt - I think Moira's accent is half of her appeal.

Honey666 - The short stories at the end are my replies to a series of attacks I have been subjected to. Check out Nosgoroth's interseries war for a blow by blow account.

random letters - Not Lily and James.

Geor-sama - Blaise will be introducing her own sacrificial lamb (so to speak) during the Christmas Ball in the next chapter. Prize (I don't know what) to the lucky person who manages to guess who her date for the evening is.

Sparks - I just managed to keep Hermione at Hogwarts, so I hope my god status is safe for the moment. Until the next chapter that is.

Alquamor - Quite a discertion on Tolkien. Maybe you should write a paper on it and publish. But do not think that it will be so easy for you.
___

"Ew!!" exclaimed the aged man, waving his hand in front of his face. "Morning breath!"

Alquamor, understandably offended, took several stumbling steps back as the old man pushed himself up onto his feet. He glared menacingly down at the nundu and wagged his finger at her until she returned to her human form.

"Who ever said that I am a lesser Istar!?" he bellowed, clearing suffering from the traditional foul temper of a not-a-morning person who has been deprived of his coffee.

"Um..." was Alquamor's highly intellegent answer.

"Young people these days!" continued the old man, waving his arms in the air. "No respect for your elders! Why in my day we would never have been so-"

The old man continued on this vein for several hours, somehow managing to lecture a befuddled Alquamor for that entire length of time without taking a breath. The poor girl was beginning to sway unsteadily on her feet as the old man continued without pause, having now reached the part he liked best - family values.

Oh sweet mercy, just kill me now, she groaned as he started pacing about, still waving his hands as he continued to lecture.

***

anastacy - Hopefully. But I imagine there'll be a lot of "I knew it!" as well.

Eleana23 - I neither confirm or deny. I should have been a politician.

ninerings - I make it up to them in the end!

Bucky - If I can't torture the ferret I guess I'll be moving on to either Snape or our favourite ostrich.

songhamdragon - The Order sticks around for the rest of the person's life.

Arizosa - The buildup for the first big fight is in the next chapter.

RoseFyre - Where did I mention this? I couldn't find any reference to Moira as a fourth year. If you mean the fact that she's attending PFT, that's because the class as been opened to third-years, which is mentioned during the start of term feast. If this isn't it, let me know so I can fix it.

The Red Dragons Order - Hell indeed.

Esmeralda - They don't win all the matches, just the ones against Slytherin.

jedifanatic - Moira's first PFT class will prove interesting, especially as it will also be Ginny's first time teaching the class.