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Blaise and Hermione sat in the office of Headmaster Dokoft's in Fascino Quas. They had been there for at least half an hour and so far none of the teachers had managed to track down their daughter.

"I told you this was a bad idea Blaise, she should've stayed with us, at Hogwarts, she would have been fine there," Hermione hissed to him as the headmaster left the office.

"How do you know that?" Blaise said back, his tone harsh; "She was fine when we were here a few weeks ago,"

He stood up and stopped at the window, running a hand through his hair.

"But if you hadn't agreed with her-" Hermione began.

"So this is my fault?" Blaise exploded and turned to face Hermione, "it's my fault I ended up in hospital? It's my fault she left?"

Hermione looked at him in shock, neither of them had ever raised their voices to each other. She looked away and didn't say anything.

"Hermione, I'm sorry," Blaise, said sitting back down, he put his face in his hands, "I'm just worried about her,"

She nodded in reply, but didn't speak.

A soft knock came from the door and Charlie entered the office alone.

"Charlie, what are you doing here?" Blaise asked slightly confused.

"I, um, know where Alex is," He said slowly, looking at them, "Georgie told me to come get you,"

Blaise nodded toward the boy and he began to leave the office. He waited for Hermione to stand, before following her, without saying a word.

They followed the teenage boy down many corridors and up two flights of stairs, until finally they came to a teenage boy and girl, waiting at a door. Kimmie smiled weakly at them, but neither her nor Brian spoke. As Charlie opened the door to the roof, Blaise took hold of Hermione's hand squeezed it tightly.

Hermione and Blaise walked out into the dark courtyard, finally finding their daughter sitting silently between the twins. As they approached them, Georgie turned and stood, allowing Blaise and Hermione to speak to Alex. Logan however did not leave, but not because Alex told him to stay, as she didn't speak, but because he didn't want to leave.

The sun shone brightly, the green practice pitch glimmered from the morning dew as Riley stepped on to it with his team. Taking a breath he mounted his broom and followed his coaches instructions of flying twenty laps of the pitch, and although he had one of the fastest brooms on the market, due to the size of the pitch, he knew it would take time.

He let his other teammates speed up ahead of him, letting his own thoughts engulf his mind. Back in England, it was still night, and he couldn't help but wonder if Draco and Sam and Nicole were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, while the teacher were telling them to go to sleep. His thoughts soon moved on to Alex, much like they did during most of lessons. He was constantly wondering how she was doing back in America, and while he had had the urge to write to her many times, every time he picked up his quill the words wouldn't come. Sometimes he wondered if it was because he didn't know what to say, or if he was scared she wouldn't respond, so instead he left it.

"Oy, Potter," One of his team mates, Dougie called out to him, "Some of the guys were thinking about going into the city tomorrow, you interested?"

The boy asked as he flew alongside him. Dougie was in the same year as riley, but had started at the WQA the year before, coming from Australia.

"Um, Maybe," Riley replied, before speeding up, getting lost in his thoughts again.

He was still lost in thoughts, that he didn't even notice when a large brown owl began circling the pitch, finally swooping toward him. He noticed it just in time and quickly swerved his broom out of the way so he didn't hit it. Coming to halt to watch the owl circle around him, Riley waited until the bird landed on his shoulder.

Finally he realised that it was a Hogwarts owl, one of it's fastest, and it had a small piece of parchment tied to it's leg. He quickly untied and landed softly on the ground as the coach blew the whistle, signalling the laps were over.

Unfolding the note, Riley recognised Draco's untidy scrawl along the paper, although he didn't get he chance to read it, when Dougie and s few other guys landed along side of him.

"Who owled ya, Potter?" one of the guys said loudly to him, "Next time tell them to send an owl that's not on a war mission,"

Riley didn't say anything, but picked up his broom and headed toward the change rooms.

Once in the rooms, he sat in front his locker and took the note from Draco out again.

Potter –you need to tell us what's going on with Alex now. We know you know so you need to tell us. It's urgent – Draco.

"So it was your girlfriend?" the same guy from before, Nick, said loudly as the other guys came into the room, "that why you wanted to read it in private?"

"No," Riley finally said, "I don't have a girlfriend"

"Then whose that red head in the picture in your locker," Dougie pointed out stupidly.

"A red head hey? Gee you children would be ugly with bright orange hair," Nick joked.

"That's my cousin actually," Riley said hotly taking his training cloak off and opening his locker, mistake number one.

"And the brunette?" Nick asked, grabbing the picture off the door.

"That's…just… Nicole's friend Alex," Riley replied, swallowing hard.

"Alex, hey? I wouldn't mind a piece of that," he passed the picture to one of the other guys who laughed, "Wait don't tell me, Potter, the blonde guy with them, he's with you,"

Riley rolled his eyes, but ignored the comment, searching his locker for a piece of parchment and a quill. Finally as he found some, Dougie handed the picture back to him, and saw what he was writing.

Guys,

I don't know what's going on with Alex. I haven't talked to her since she decided to leave. – Riley.

"Why did she leave?" Dougie asked him interested, although obviously unaware of who she was and what happened.

"Who?" Riley asked, hoping he sounded confused.

"That girl, Alex?" Dougie pushed, "you wrote that you hadn't talked to her since before she left. Why did she leave?"

"I don't know," Riley, answered honestly, "she never told me…"

"Then why do your friends think you know?" Dougie continued, although Riley wasn't listening anymore. He grabbed the photo that Dougie was still holding and stuffed in his locker before closing it and quickly exited it, heading toward the owlry.

When he got there, he took the note out he had written to Draco and picked up the quill that was kept in the owlry.

Ripping the top part of the parchment off. He re wrote the letter.

Dear Alex,

I'm sorry. I really am, I never meant for things to turn out like this. I hope your okay. I miss you, I miss talking to you. Please write back.

From Riley

After finding the closest WQA owl, he tied the letter on to it's leg and watched it fly off into the distance.

As soon as Alex saw her parents, a fresh wave of tears came. Hermione too cried, as Blaise hugged their daughter tightly, who even had tears in eyes, seeing his daughter in such a fragile state.

"I'm sorry," Alex sobbed as Blaise finally let her go, and let Hermione take over.

"You have nothing to apologise about," Hermione told her, kissing her head lightly as she took her in her arms. She felt Blaise's hand on her arm.

"She thinks it her fault," Logan told Blaise quietly, "but that's all she's said, she won't let us help or tell us what's going on"

Blaise nodded, but turned back to Hermione and Alex.

"We should take her inside," Blaise said softly, as Hermione finally let her go.

The four moved silently back inside the building, finding the four other teenagers still waiting near the door. Charlie was holding Georgie who appeared to be crying aswell, as Kimmie and Brian were sitting against the wall in silence. They stood as Logan, who was in front came into the building, followed by Hermione and Blaise who were each holding their daughters hand.

"I think you kids should go to bed," Blaise told them quietly, and they nodded, but watched as they took Alex back down to the head masters office. This time Logan left them alone.

Dumbledore, Professor Dokoft, Hermione, Blaise and Alex were now all sitting in the office. The adults were all waiting for an explanation of Alex of why she told them she was handling it, when clearly she wasn't.

"I don't know what happened alright?" Alex told them, hoping she sounded confident, "I'm fine, you can go back to Hogwarts,"

"Alex, please, were just trying to help you," Dumbledore spoke up.

"Well, I'm fine," She told them, Hermione squeezed her hand.

"Alex you can't tell us your fine, your friends are obviously worried about, why do you think were here?" Blaise spoke calmly, confused as to why she was acting this way.

"Well, they should just stop trying to find out what's wrong, it's my problem not their's," Alex told him.

"This isn't your fault," Hermione spoke quietly, for the first time since they had come back inside, "you don't need to blame yourself,"

Alex didn't say anything, instead choosing to look at her hands.

"Alex, dear, if you can't cope, you just need to tell us," The blonde Headmaster spoke to her, "I don't want to see one of my students fall to pieces because of the actions of someone she can't control…"

"Perhaps it would be best-" Dumbledore began.

"If I hadn't of made you go back this wouldn't of happened," Alex spoke quietly, "we wouldn't be in danger,"

Hermione's grip tightened.

"Alex, I didn't just go back because of you…" Hermione told her.

"Besides there is no guarantee this wasn't going to happen here," Dumbledore interrupted, "this isn't your fault Alex."

She nodded as if hearing it for the first time, and felt her father's hand close around her other one.

"Now I know your parents both want you to come back to Hogwarts tonight, but I think it may be easier if you stay here," Dumbledore told her, ignoring Hermione's glare, "but, on one condition, that each night you come and see Professor Dokoft and tell her if anything, or anyone is stressing you out."

"I think that it may also be a good idea to let your friends be aware of the situation," Professor Dokoft interrupted.

Dumbledore nodded in agreement, "if your still not dealing with things by the time your house visits Hogwarts in three weeks, then we have agreed that it would be best if you stayed at the castle,"

Alex nodded in agreement.

Nicole sat restlessly in the armchair in the headmaster's office. Ginny watched over them and she couldn't help but get the feeling that she was being analysed as a niece, turning her attention to her friends, she tried to stifle a yawn, only to find that Sam had drifted off against Draco shoulder, but the boy was still staring intently at both the fireplace and the open window next to it, waiting for a reply from either.

Sunlight was slowly coming into the office, indicating that it was finally morning in England. Yet the three teenagers hadn't even gone to bed yet, although both Ginny and Harry had made many attempts at it.

Finally the fireplace was filled green flames and Dumbledore stepped back into Hogwarts. A look of slight amusement crossed his blue eyes as he found the three teenagers and Ginny Potter sitting, waiting for him in his office.

"Well, I suppose your waiting to hear about Alex?" Dumbledore said in a hushed tone, seeing Sam asleep.

Nicole didn't say anything, but looked at Draco who was looking at the headmaster with a look of concern. Dumbledore did not continue and only sat at his desk and picked up a piece of paper.

"Well Professor? Is she okay?" Ginny finally broke the silence.

"Indeed she is. Hermione and Blaise are staying there until this evening, but at this stage, Alex will not be returning to Hogwarts," Dumbledore told them.

Nicole let out a breath of relief, she didn't know she had been holding, as Sam moved in her sleep, whacking Draco in the ribs, who in turn gasped in pain, waking the girl up.

"As for you three," Dumbledore continued standing up from his desk, "I expect you may be receiving an owl shortly from Miss Granger, but now I want you to catch up on the sleep you have so kindly missed, I will inform your teachers,"

The two girls made their way toward the door, and Draco closed the open window.

"Oh, and Mr. Malfoy, I believe Mr. Potter has not replied to your owl, try not bother him during the morning, it's when he has practice," Dumbledore said as the door closed.

Harry Potter walked briskly down the fourth floor corridor, carefully avoiding any students wishing to talk to him. Following the flash of red hair in front of him, it almost felt like the 'old' days to him as he followed his wife into the great hall for lunch.

He was met with a smile as he sat next to her and picked up a sandwich. But before either of them could talk to each other, a loud noise at the entrance of the hall, the one they had just walked through, distracted them.

Jumping to his feet, Harry ran to the doors, as screaming students fled to the back of the room. With his wand forward, Harry was met with an alarming sight. A pale, almost glowing, Ben Walker was standing in the middle of the doorway, a first year student in his grasp, his wand out.

Ron stood on the other side of the door way with Snape and Lavender Brown, as Ginny joined Harry, while Jess and some of the other teachers were moving students back.

An invisible shield seemed to be preventing any of the teachers moving closer to the man.

But before anything could be done and ear splitting scream from Walker, whose eyes were a pale blue, almost white, as he fell to the floor, letting the go of the small first year and letting the shield down.

"Ron," Harry yelled as he moved forward, "Grab MacKenzie, everybody else stay back,"

With his wand still in the ready position and his eyes glued firmly on the professor who was lying face down on the stone, Harry kicked the wand away from the still body, before kneeling next to him. Carefully he checked the mans pulse.

"Harry," his name came faintly from the mans lips.

Unsure of what to do, Harry turned the over so they were face to face, keeping his wand aimed at the man.

"Harry," He said again. His eyes were back to normal now and the glowing had gone.

"You have to stop him," His voice was raspy and Harry flinched as he grabbed his cloak.

"Who?" Harry asked loudly, as the teacher's eye closed.

"Lavender," Harry yelled urgently, looking up as Ben's grasp on his robes loosened, "Wake him up,"

The witch moved forward her wand out.

"His breathing's only faint, Harry, he's in a coma," Lavender said as a pale blue light came out from her wand.

"Take him to the hospital wing," Dumbledore's voice now joined the teachers m muffled conversations, "Harry to my office,"

"But he just attacked a student," Ron protested.

"Take Mr. MacKenzie to the hospital wing too," Dumbledore told him, before e striding out of the great hall.

Harry stood and picked up the wand lying next to him on the floor, before following Dumbledore up to his office.

Alex closed her hand around the silver doorknob, she could hear muffled voices on the inside of the room. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, and forced herself to enter the room.

The talking stopped suddenly, as she entered, she didn't look at any of them, although she knew they were looking at her.

"Lex," Brian's cheerful voice came from the other side of the room, "I was just showing Charlie here the proper way to play the drums."

Alex finally looked at them, she knew what they were doing, but she had already decided she wasn't going to forget it.

"Your sitting on the couch with Kimmie," Alex said pointedly.

"Well, yeah, but I was verbally telling him how to do it," Brian continued.

"He's sitting on the floor, and is holding an apple," Alex replied, and leant against the nearest wall.

"That's the beauty of it, he has to im-"

"Brian…" Logan snapped and Brian glared at him.

"Are your parents still here?" Charlie attempted to change the topic.

Alex shook her head gently, "they left awhile ago."

"Oh," came a reply.

"An owl dropped this off for you," Georgie said suddenly and handed her a piece of parchment.

Alex looked at it but didn't open it, instead stuffing it in her pocket. Taking a deep breath Alex closed her eyes, preparing herself.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted," She finally said opening her eyes back up, "it was immature and I was only thinking about myself, but-"

"Lex, you don't have to explain," Logan cut in.

"You all wanted to now, so know your going to find out," Alex looked at him.

Nobody spoke.

"At Hogwarts, my mum began to get these weird letters and her room was trashed. The letters were insulting her bloodline and threatened us. Then Me and Riley were attacked walking back to the Gryffindor tower." She paused for a moment, trying to remember what happened next.

"The letters were still getting sent to my Mum, even though she moved rooms, and then one night, when Kimmie and Charlie were at Hogwarts my Dad got attacked and ended up in the hospital wing. That was when I snapped I guess, I was moved out of the tower and I lost control, I felt like I had nobody, so I came back here, where I though I would be safe."

"What about Riley?" Kimmie questioned, "he would have done anything for you,"

"Like give up any future he could have had in Quidditch?" Alex asked, moving around the room, "that was part of the reason I had to come back, he was going to give up his dreams just to help me, I couldn't let him do anything he'd regret,"

Nobody spoke.

"Look I don't want you to look down at me or to give me any special treatment, I only told you because Dumbledore and Dokoft said it might help me," Alex told them and walked toward the door.

"Alexandria Granger don't you dare leave this room," Georgie's voice filled the room, causing Alex to face her. She was standing in the middle of the room and had her hands on her hips.

"Not once would we look down on you because of this," Georgie told her, "considering you've lasted this long you must either be a good liar or the determination of not letting something get in your way has come out, and we both know the first thing isn't true. In fact I'm goddamn proud of you for not coming back earlier, like I know I would've. So you can just sit your butt down on this couch and reply to Riley like has asked you too,"

"What?" Alex asked confused by the last bit.

"You see, what Georgie means is that were proud of you for staying strong," Brian put in.

"I heard that bit," Alex said, "but I haven't got any mail from Riley…"

Georgie turned pink.

"Well… the thing is…it wasn't addressed…"Georgie stuttered.

"She opened your mail," Logan and Charlie supplied the words at the same time.

Finally Alex realised what they were talking about and put her hand in her pocket, the cool parchment slightly crumpled.

Nicole moved in her bed as a tapping came from across the room. Waking suddenly she quickly jumped out her bed, finding Sam already at the window. The owl zoomed in and flew slowly around the girl's dormitory, before landing on Nicole's shoulder.

"Is it from Alex?" Sam asked before she even had the chance to untie the letter.

"I don't know," Nicole murmured, "Maybe we should wait for Draco…"

"Like he would have waited for us, just open it," Sam replied, sitting back down on her bed.

Nicole sat next to her and carefully unsealed the envelope.

Nikki,

I know I didn't reply to your last letter, but I was just wondering if you had heard anything.

Riley

"It's from Riley," Nicole sighed and put the letter down and laid back on the bed.

Sam didn't say anything, and flopped down on the bed next to Nicole.

"Nik," She finally said.

"Yeah?" The red head replied.

"Well…. I was thinking…what if we just wrote to Logan?"

"I thought about that too, but I don't know, he might think I'm just writing to him to get information about Alex since I haven't replied to any of his other letters." Nicole responded sitting back up.

"You really think he'd think that?" Sam said holding Riley's letter above her face, "besides you wouldn't just have to put your name on it, I could even write it,"

Nicole thought about it for a minute. She knew Logan would probably understand, but something inside of her told her she wasn't quite ready to talk to him again after ignoring him for weeks.

"If we don't hear anything, you can send one after dinner," Nicole finally old her, before climbing back into her own bed, leaving Sam to reply to Riley.

"Professor, I think that it would be a good idea to keep Hermione and Blaise at Fascino Quas for a couple of days, until we know who Walker was talking about," Harry told Dumbledore as he sat in his office.

"It's too late, their already back in their rooms," Dumbledore told him shaking his head, "I had just left them when it started,"

"But this could be the person who is attacking Hermione," Harry protested, "Walker, he said I had to stop him…"

"And who do you think him is Harry?" Dumbledore said, "Ben Walker gave no vital clues or information about who was controlling him, but what I can tell you was that he was being controlled. I should have seen it earlier, but I didn't, and now he might be lost."

"I don't think you are understanding the situation Professor," Harry tried again, "if it this person is capable of controlling a fully qualified wizard, then there's no saying what he might be able to do to Hermione, he's already attacked Blaise once…"

"Harry, there's not evidence that it is the same person. Hermione and Blaise have had a hard enough time already, there's no need to alert them of the situation as yet, just stay close to them," Dumbledore continued.

"But…" Harry protested again.

"But nothing, they are not to be told," Dumbledore told him, making it final.

"We can't lose her again," Harry shouted, "is that what you want? For Hermione to be gone?"

"Harry, please, calm down, Neither Hermione or Blaise are going anywhere, I have made sure of that. Now will you please go to the hospital wing and see if Professor Walker has woke yet, perhaps you might be able to get some information off of him," Dumbledore dismissed him.

Harry left the office in silence, and Dumbledore sighed, looking down at the piece of parchment in front of him. He knew that Hermione and Blaise were far from the end.

Dear Nicole,

Well, this isn't exactly the type of letter you say hey, how are you? Is it?

Um… I guess there's only really two things I want to say that really matter at the moment. First of all thank you for telling my parents, it was definitely the right thing to do and I would have done it if I were you.

The second thing is I'm sorry for dragging you and the others back into the mess. I wouldn't exactly say I'm fine now, but I'm getting there and you guys have helped me more than you'll know. I want so desperately to tell you what's going on, but I'm scared you're going to get hurt because you're there, so for that, again, I am sorry.

Love always Alex

Alex watched the owl from the window in the practice room, as it became a tiny speck in the distance. Turning back to her friends, she found that it was just her, Georgie and Charlie left in the room.

Sitting back down t the small desk, Alex picked up the silver pen that Riley had given her and turned it over in her hand, waiting for the words to come to her as the other two continued to do what ever it was they were doing. The room was in complete silence.

"Alex, just write down the first things that comes to mind," Georgie finally said to her, looking up from her book."

"I can't if my mind is blank," Alex responded.

"Come off it," Georgie told her, "it can't be that hard to think of what you want to say to him,"

"It isn't really," Alex admitted.

"Then write already," Georgie told her.

"Something's aren't that simple," Charlie interrupted, not even looking up from his paper.

"What?" Georgie questioned him hotly.

"Sometimes, what you really want to say, or write in Alex's case, never come out as easily as they form inside here," Charlie replied motioning to his head.

"Oh," Georgie responded.

Meanwhile, Alex had finally put pen to paper.

Riley,

Sometimes things don't ever work out the way we planned, and I know your sorry but your apology won't be accepted by me because you don't really have anything to be sorry about. I made the decision to leave so technically I should be saying sorry to you. I'm sorry. There I said it. Well I'm guessing Draco probably wrote to you, causing you to write to me, because Georgie and everyone else all swear it wasn't them. Anyway I'm going to be okay, which is a positive. I'm sure you were lying anyway when you said you missed talking to me (you have to admit I'm pretty sarcastic about everything), but if you want me to I guess I could write every now and then, if I'm not too busy.

Alex

Georgie and Charlie were still talking about the same thing as Alex tied the letter to the other owl that was perched on the window. Finally once that owl had become a tiny speck, she turned back to the now silent room, to find only Charlie.

"You want me to walk you back to your dorm?" Charlie asked her standing up.

"You know what, that would probably be great, I bet I could even coax Georgie back out to come talk to you," Alex smiled at him.

Switching the light off and following him out of the practice room, Alex knew that she didn't lie to Nicole or Riley, she was going to be okay.

He watched them carefully, form the corner of the room, hidden beneath his stolen invisibility cloak. They were asleep on the couch together, and from behind one door he could hear the voices of t and Ginny Potter talking about Dumbledore.

Ignoring them, he stepped forward slowly, ensuring the cloak was still covering him completely. Carefully he pulled a pair of muggle twiser's from his pocket, along with an empty glass vial.

The potter's door opened slightly and the invisible man froze, but it was shut almost immediately, no one leaving the room. The man took a step toward the sleeping forms of Blaise and Hermione, his breathing becoming louder and ragged.

Carefully, he took a few strands of Blaise's black curls, quickly enclosing them inside the glass vial. This time the potter's door opene, and Ginny stormed out and though the secret portrait hole into he corridor, providing the perfect escape.

Turning in the opposite direction of the red head, the man headed deep within the silent walls of the school, where on the soft thump of his invisible footsteps could be heard.

A/N: okay so I know you guys had to wait a while for this but I got stuck half way through and then I had school and stuff so I am sorry…any way good news! Sunday is my 17th birthday and as a present from me to you I will hopefully get the next chapter up late Friday night or ASAP on Sunday (unfortunately I won't be able to get up Saturday because I'm having ppl over and it's the AFL grand final...go swans...)

Anyway please review and tell me what you think…

Luv emgurl