Sark's Heart: Yeah… about the update soon thing… sorry! I will try better this summer.

Yaukira: Thanks!

TriGemini: Thanks!

Black Padfoot: There will still be lots of interaction between Harry and Arabella still. He is not out of the picture, his role has just changed. Thanks for the review!

Well, I am still alive, and I have reasons for not updated in almost a year, though I will not elaborate here. If you want details, ask in a review. That is, if anyone remembers me enough to review. LOL Anyhow, a lot has changed in the past year, and my original plan for this story was lost in the mists of time. However, I am not giving up and I have a new plan. I sincerely hope some of you will remember me and read and review. I think I can start updating regularly again, at least for the summer.

"Wake up, Dursley!" a voice screamed as a large weight landed on Arabella's legs.

"Stupid vampire," Arabella groaned as she threw her pillow at the direction the voice was coming from. She squinted her eyes to see Delectabla grinning evilly from above her. Gwen was poking her head around Arabella's curtains and grinning too. Eleanor was glaring at them from across the room and Alia was still dead asleep.

"Don't worry, you'll have a nice long nap in place of History of Magic," Gwen said, tugging on her friend's hand to try and get her out of bed. "A survey of Hogwarts students done in 1982 showed that History of Magic was the most boring class ever. It was unanimous."

"Gwen, we cannot sleep in class!" Arabella said, sitting up straight in horror. "How would we learn?"

"Arabella, please. Sleep during the lessons, read the textbook if you want to, and cram for the exam. What more do you need?" Gwen laughed at the horrified expression on her best friend's face and threw a pillow at her. "Come on, Bella, get dressed. I am hungry enough to eat Vladimir." She did not notice Arabella's glare as she grabbed a robe at random from her trunk and headed to the bathroom.


As it turned out, Gwen was correct. Arabella did not actually fall asleep during History of Magic, but she had to admit that it was tempting. Gwen fell asleep herself. Arabella sighed and made a mental note to tell Gwen she could not copy her notes. A glance at Chance showed that his head was bent over his parchment, but what he was writing, Arabella could not tell. She yawned and watched Delectabla play a game of MASH with Alia. At last, the dreadful class ended and they escaped. Arabella was jogging towards the door with Gwen when a voice made her stop.

"Ara," Chance said softly. Arabella told Gwen she would catch up, and turned back to her other friend. With an embarrassed grin, he shoved his notes towards her. Confused, Arabella looked at the pages full of Chance's neat script. In the margin was undoubtedly what he wanted her to see though. It was a small doodle of what she recognized as Chance and herself lying in the grass on the edge of the lake, reading something. Underneath it was written, "Will you skip lunch with me? I have a proposition."

"Go on to lunch now, children," Professor Binns' voice floated up from the front of the classroom. He was obviously used to students running out of the room as fast as they could go, and this was unusual to him.

"Why would you want to skip lunch?" Arabella asked, frowning at Chance. "And what about Gwen?"

"We can get food," Chance said. Arabella had a feeling that she was missing some important point Chance was trying to impart to her and shifted uncomfortably. "The point is not that we would be skipping lunch. I want to discuss something with you, in private. Without Gwen," he added before she could comment.

"Okay, whatever," said Arabella, giving him a small smile. She still did not understand, but she decided to overlook that for now. "I take it we are going to the lake?" Chance nodded.

"Really children, this is ridiculous," Professor Binns said, looking distinctly uncomfortable. He had never been put in such a position before and it felt odd to be kicking students out of his room.

"Sorry, Professor," Chance said. The two quickly gathered their books and left. They made a quick stop at Slytherin to drop their books off and headed outside, Chance still carrying one book. It was a heavy, old tome whose cover Arabella could not see. She shot Chance several curious glances, but he did not look at her. He did not even speak until they reached the far side of the lake. Arabella did not mind, as it was a pleasant temperature, and she had not explored the grounds much. At last though, they stopped and Chance sat down.

"Take a look," Chance said, handing Arabella the book. He stared across the lake, lost in some distant vision. Arabella looked at the text in her lap. In gold letters across the front was written, "Roland Slytherin: A View to Alchemy and Other Potions". Arabella shot a surprised glance at Chance, but he was still lost in his mind. She flipped through the pages, obviously written centuries ago by some wealthy scribe.

As shown by the title, the book's main focus was alchemy, though it was alchemy of a variety Arabella had never seen before. There were several complex math equations involved as well as the usual mixing of potions, of a very high level of math. Arabella could not immediately tell what their use was, but she could tell that if Chance was to do any of the projects in the book, it would be nearly impossible. He was only eleven, and even for one with more experience, these would take several months.

"So what do you think?" Chance asked. Arabella started; he had impeccable timing. He was gazing at her with a half smile.

"I think you are out of your mind if you plan on doing any of these," she stated flatly.

"Okay," Chance said, bowing his head. His voice was full of resignment and disappointment. "Somehow I thought you would be more open to a project like this. I mean, it is only that this could make a huge difference to the entire world, including your cousin, and it might change the entire course of history, but if you think it is too difficult, then I suppose…"

"Okay, stop," Arabella said with a grin, lifting his chin so she could see his hidden grin. "Fine, tell me what you have planned."

"Okay!" Chance said happily, proving that he was indeed manipulating her. "So have you thought much about world domination?"

"I thought you were explaining this to me," Arabella commented wryly, gesturing at the text.

"I am," Chance said, looking a bit annoyed. "Listen though- Voldemort will rise again. I am not being pessimistic. I have Seen it. However, there is a way to maybe insure that whoever wins, him or your cousin, we can manipulate the outcome to our advantage."

"Why would we want to do that?" Arabella protested, though she had to admit that Chance's excitement was contagious. She was beginning to warm up to this absurd plan of his. "I thought we both agreed to be neutral."

"Ara, there are some things everyone knows, and some things no one knows," Chance said very seriously. "Everyone knows, for example, that there will have to be a final confrontation between your cousin and Voldemort. However, no one knows that you will play a large role too, and not just as 'Harry's little cousin'. I do not know about you, but I like the idea of having some control in this world. I figured that I could have some say by-"

"You manipulative Slytherin!" Arabella cried in mock outrage, though she was grinning. "I ought to shove you into the lake!"

"Well, Slytherin is the house for those with ambition," Chance said with a guilty grin. "So are you in?"

"Okay," Arabella relented. "But no one else, not Gwen or Percy or our parents… no one, should know of this."

"I was hoping you would say that," Chance said. "First things first… we have to find a place to work in. You say your cousin knows where the Chamber of Secrets is?"


"Where were you two?" Gwen demanded as Arabella and Gwen hurried, late, into Double Defense Against the Dark Arts and into places beside her. "You said you would be right along, so I waited in the Entrance Hall forever, and you never came, so I barely had time to eat! What were you doing?"

"Never mind that," Chance said. "Are we late?"

"Yes, but Lupin is not here yet, so you are lucky this time. Now stop avoiding this issue. Why were you two gone?" Chance dropped his quill and ducked under the table. Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to Arabella, whose face took on a panicked expression. Luckily for her, Professor Lupin chose that moment to enter the classroom.

"Hello," he said, smiling at all of them. "I am Professor Lupin, as I am sure you all know if you were paying attention at the feast." Most of the students started guiltily, but Professor Lupin only smiled. "Now, as I was not left with a standard curriculum or even any material from Professor Lockhart, I have created a course based around learning of Dark creatures. Do all of you have a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?"

"Yes, Professor," most of the students responded.

"Good," he said, beaming at them. "We will be working our away alphabetically through it, thus starting with Acromantulas. I apologize that there will not be any practical lessons to start"- a few people laughed nervously- "but I will make as many as I can in the future. Who can tell me anything about Acromantulas?" Arabella's hand shot up. Harry had told her of his and Ron's little run-in with Aragog.

"Miss…?" Professor Lupin acknowledged her.

"Arabella Dursley," she said. "An Acromantula is a giant, talking spider. They like to eat humans and live in the Forbidden Forest. They can be outrun by a Muggle car though." Professor Lupin frowned.

"I do not know if there are any in the Forbidden Forest, Arabella, and I do not know what a car is, but the rest of your definition is correct. Five points to Slytherin. I am going to give you a few minutes now to read through the definition in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Do not worry- it is short." Having already read the book, Arabella propped her book up and turned to Gwen, who was looking at Arabella and Chance the way a shark looks at a minnow.

"Spill," she said simply.

"Well…," Chance began, "you know how I offered to crystal gaze for Ara?" The girl in question blushed as she saw where this was headed. Gwen, however, shook her head. Chance elaborated, "It sort of involved a certain Head Boy…" Understanding dawned in Gwen's eyes.

"Our little Bella is in looooove," she said, the shark grin intensifying. Arabella glared furiously at Chance, which looked back with a deceptively innocent look. Rolling her eyes, Arabella grabbed her book and proceeded to reread the passage on Runespoors, planning to buy one and set it on Chance at the earliest opportunity.