Someone knocked the door. Dumbledore asked that person to come in, and it opened to admit Sukina and Shuura. Shuura closed the door behind him. As they stood there to report the progress of the students, Sukina's body went rigid. Beams of black light appeared from her back, like angelic wings, but they were shot out to attack the teachers gathered.

Naoko stood up and met her sister's attack. Beams of white light shot out from her back, meeting and holding the black light from harming anyone else. Sibyll Trelawney, Flitwick and Snape were pierced straight through, while the rest were held away. Naoko's voice was cold.

"What do you want?" she asked.

We come from a land far away. We want to go home, the eerie, dislocated voice said from Sukina's mouth.

"Why attack my sister and me?"

Your ancestor put the curse on us. We were sworn to give her aid, but we were frightened. We ran away. She will not let us rest until we have fulfilled our debt. Your sister said that because it was your ancestor, you should be the one to release us, not her.

"What curse?"

Arielle once sought our help to fight the Mind-Killer. We agreed, but on the day we were to fight the beast we ran away. The Mind-Killer was too powerful for us. Arielle cursed us when she found out that a child of her friend had been taken by us as insurance that the Mind-Killer would not harm us, should they fail.

"I see. And what would you do to be released?" Naoko lapsed into archaic speech.

Help and protect you. We know where the beast lives and where its master commands.

"Would you run away again?" Naoko used the old word to denote a betrayal that would never end.

No.

"Then let these people go," she said, and time began to move again. The exchange had taken less than a second.

Sukina slumped, and was helped to a chair by Sprouts. Dumbledore asked her gently about the condition of the students. No one seemed to have realised that an exchange had taken place.     

"They're fine. They won't be used in that way again. However, I could not find the trigger in their minds. They'll be fine for classes tomorrow," she said.

"Very well then. I shall report this to Fudge. I trust that all that was said and done here will not leave these walls," it was more of a statement than a question.

"Is there a way to ensure that the creature will not come back here?" McGoonagall asked.

"Hiei is making sure of that. Naoko's sentinels are patrolling the grounds. The creature, if it does come back, will not be able to get past our defences," Kurama assured her.

"And if it does, we'll have the clue we need to whom released that beast," Naoko whispered.