A/N: ( sheepish grin) I'm really really really really sorry? I will make this chapter really long, and have the next one out this weekend? Sound good? Don't hate me please! I love reviewers! If you still remember the story, please read and review and we can all be happy from now on. Thanks… :-D Jinglebellz

Chapter 21:

Harry could only glance helplessly around the room at Lenore, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. They all looked somewhat beyond shocked. Vega was sitting in the middle of everyone still, examining her nails. Harry exchanged glances with Hermione. They had to get out of here, as soon as possible.

"Stunners on three?" mouthed Hermione. Harry nodded, and slowly caught the attentions of everyone. "Ready?" asked Hermione silently. Everyone nodded. She began to count. And suddenly, just as they all began yelling "Stupefy," Vega waved her wand shortly, creating a shield effortlessly, forcing everyone to duck as their stunners came back at them.

"Holy crap," muttered Ron angrily as he hoisted himself from the floor.

"Never try to stun me," advised Vega. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Listen," he began desperately. "We won't be going back in time today, unless you know how to get us there," he said. "And we really need to get to our classes."

"More like you need to go tell Dumbledore about me," pouted Vega. "You know… I really want to visit Calli. I say we go! Where is she staying? Black Manor?"

"No…" said Harry, surprised. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, Potter. You're beginning to irk me terribly" She yawned loudly. "I know how we can get to the past, but it is so complicated. I will tell you where to start looking, shall I? The Chamber of Secrets holds more secrets than just Salazar's past, you know. It has the pasts of those connected with him as well. So begin there. I'll be back whenever you have found how to go back, because there are some drawbacks to being immortal. I can't touch the stupid- oh, never mind." She grinned in a Cheshire-cat-like way. "See you. I'm off to visit Calli." She then popped away without so much as a word.

"Wow," said Ginny, becoming the first to recover from the weird hint that was given.

"Is she schizophrenic?" asked Ron loudly.

"It certainly seems so," said Hermione. "I'll have to research Necromancy and immortality more in-depth. She's not fully immortal, because she could still be killed from sickness or a curse, but… and we can also ask Calli. Do you think we need to find a way to get her to know about Vega visiting? I wonder if Vega is dangerous?"

"She acts like it- whose side is she really on?" asked Lenore.

"Who bloody knows?" asked Harry bitterly. "But- remember what Snape said yesterday? About me being in charge of the Order- and us having to go back in time to help them so that they will help us, and Dumbledore's poisoning- and now Vega showing up- it all seems related, don't you think?"

"Yes, I completely agree," said Hermione, nodding slowly. "Maybe someone wanted all of this to happen- Dumbledore to be poisoned and Vega to come back and give us hints and leaving Voldemort and all… I am so confused! It is impossible to tell who is on who's side. Does there not seem to be a lot of middle ground?"

"There is," said Harry. "But all I know is that we need to speak with Professor McGonagall now."

"But shouldn't someone tell Snape?" asked Hermione cautiously. "I mean, Vega seemed rather anxious to meet him… hold on. Oh, no. Oh, no."

"What?" asked everyone immediately.

"Remember when we met her last year- or the time Harry heard Snape and Calli talking, and he told us about it?" Comprehension was beginning to dawn on Harry.

"A little," said Ginny, "but what has that got to do with anything?"

"Snape and Vega were boyfriend and girlfriend at Hogwarts."

"They were?" groaned Ron. "This is so complicated! Now we really don't know which sides people are on. And we never figured out why it was so important to tell Dumbledore that Vega was alive during that battle, did we?"

"No," sighed Hermione. "I feel as if this should all be a simple logic… but there's something missing!"

"No," said Ron sarcastically. Hermione rolled her eyes. Oh, great, thought Harry, annoyed. Here they go again, when they've only just made up.

"Okay- we need to go tell McGonagall. But I think it may be best if just Lenore and I go." Everyone nodded.

"And I'll go with Ron to tell Snape," said Hermione helpfully, causing Ron to scowl angrily.

"And I'll be late to class, without offering any explanation," said Ginny in a mock-cheerful voice. "You know, I'm tired of being left out. I'll never be one of you, will I? You've made room for Lenore, but there's nothing for me."

"Ginny," sighed Lenore. "They didn't make room for me. I'm not any more included than you are! I have my own set of best friends, too…"

"Whatever, Lenore," snarled Ginny, stalking out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Well that was lovely…" stated Ron. "Anyway, let's go- I have some feeling that this is pretty important."

"A feeling?" asked Lenore, eyebrows raised. "Okay. Right. Let's go." With that, Lenore and Harry set off to the Transfiguration classroom silently. They reached it to find the class working on a test assigned to the NEWT classes that day.

"Crap," whispered Lenore. "I forgot to study for that…" Harry ignored her and creaked open the door. The entire class looked up. Seamus began an 'ooh, I wonder what they've been doing,' but then someone else hissed at him.

"You sicko! They're cousins, for Merlin's sake…"

"Quiet!" said McGonagall sharply. She then looked to Harry and Lenore and they nodded at her. "Class, I will be back momentarily. No cheating, or else you will be given a Zero." She then walked briskly over to the door, following Harry. When they got outside and the door was closed, Harry began immediately.

"Professor, the connection between Lenore and I is gone, and the connection I have with Voldemort is gone too." McGonagall frowned.

"What are you going on about, Potter? And where are Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley- and what do you mean, it's gone?" In reply, Harry lifted up his bangs. McGonagall gasped.

"Oh, my… it's gone! If only Albus was here! What will we do? How- you just woke up, Potter, and it was like this? Your scar was gone?"

"Yeah… and something else. Lenore and I can't use our telepathy anymore, and I feel so… empty or something. Like a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders. But I don't really like it- it's so strange. And to make matters worse- you remember Vega, right?" McGonagall paled considerably.

"What about Vega? This doesn't sound good at all."

"Well…" began Lenore. "She popped into the room of Requirement when Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and I were talking. She was going on about wanting to kill You-Know-Who, and then killing Harry once he was gone. And also about seeing Calli and Snape again, and she wants to go into the—" Harry suddenly nudged Lenore, hard. For some reason he didn't want McGonagall knowing about their going into the past- he knew that somehow she would think it too dangerous or something ridiculous.

"Into the--?" supplied McGonagall.

"Into the- Room of Requirement again to see her," finished Harry lamely. "Oh, and we think she's schizophrenic, because she was talking about 'the voices.'"

"Was she?" asked McGonagall. "Oh, this is really getting out of hand."

"And she said something about Voldemort telling Bellatrix to come to Hogwarts and kill Malfoy." McGonagall quickly glanced into the classroom where Draco was taking his exam.

"This certainly is not going well," she sighed. "Please, I am going to send you two and some others to the Defense classroom for-"

"With Shoney?" groaned Harry. His professor looked at him disapprovingly. "You really are quite remarkably like your father," she said passively. She then turned her voice into a megaphone over the castle.

"Would the following people please report to Professor Shoney's classroom: Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Neville Longbottom. Also, would Professors Snape, Hagrid, and Shoney report to the same place. Everyone else please go straight to your Common Rooms when I ring the bell. Prefects and Heads, I am counting on you to keep your Houses under control. Staff that is not otherwise occupied please report to your Lockdown Station. Someone will be right with you. Thank you." She then muttered an incantation for a bell to ring, and students came piling from the classroom.

"Harry; Lenore- go to the Defense Classroom. I will be there shortly." Draco met up with them a moment later, and Lenore and Harry filled him in as much as possible.

"That is wicked," muttered Draco in astonishment after they finished. "So Auntie Bella is ordered to kill me? Ha. As if that could happen," he yawned. "And I wouldn't really worry about Vega- after all, she is crazy. She'll probably kill herself before trying to take over the government. I say that if you can use her to kill the Dark Lord, take advantage of it."

Harry nodded slowly. "But are you very keen, you might say, to time-travel with the girl? She's a psychopath."

"True, but that probably means that Either Calli or Amara were psychopaths as well."

"That's not a bit harsh?" asked a playful voice behind them. Harry whipped around, a wave of relief spreading over him.

"Calli!" he greeted. "It's great to see you again- did you see- did you hear--?"

"Well," she said darkly, "I've basically heard all you've told Malfoy. And, from the looks of things, it's bad. Yes, Vega and I both have…er… depressive disorders. She's schizophrenic, and I've had borderline mental illness, though I'm okay with anti-depressants."

"What?" demanded Harry, Lenore, and Draco incredulously. Calli grinned.

"Yes, it's true. It's because of how badly our genes ended up and the whole necromancy disorder, plus environmental factors… long story. But I was in the school, so I've decided to drop over here to see what was going on."

"Who else is here?" asked Harry.

"Tonks, Moody, the Weasleys, Evelyn, and Lupin- oh, and Bill and Fleur, and both babies, since they couldn't find baby-sitters." By this time, they had nearly reached the classroom.

"Do you know Shoney?" asked Harry curiously. Calli nodded.

"Yes, I believe I do. Odd bloke- I knew his parents' younger brothers and sisters. The whole bunch are weird. But what I don't like is how he seems so fake. But I don't know; Dumbledore trusts him…" Harry could have sworn he heard a hint of bitterness in her voice as they opened the classroom door.

A/N: Sorry it's short. The next one, I PROMISE, will be out by Sunday night. Please review, so that the next chapter will be longer and better:-D

Again, I apologize for the delay it took to get this out.

Review!