~*T*~

Taylor dropped the smooth ocean rock on Binns' desk, and started chanting.

Lisa sprinkled salt, gathered under the full moon, first in a circle around the stone, then to form runes around it.

Amy reached into the circle, finger-painting more runes, onto the rock and onto Binns' desktop, in fresh-gathered virgin's blood.

Binns, wailing, clawing at the floor, is dragged, feet first, into the classroom. He grabbed the doorframe, holding there for a moment.

Taylor continued to chant, Lisa joining in. Amy sprinkled salt on Binns' fingers, and he was pulled into the room, his feet vanishing into the smooth, dark stone, his fingers clutched over the edge of the desk. Amy sprinkled more salt on his fingers, and he vanished into the rock.

~*i*~

"Tom," Taylor greeted, catching Quirrell's attention.

"What did you say?"

"Marvolo," Amy said, from behind and to Quirrell's left.

"Riddle," Lisa finished, behind and to his left.

Quirrell's gaze darted about his classroom, everyone else had gone minutes ago, the door was shut.

"How do you know that name, Potter?" he asked.

Taylor held out her wand by the tip, handle upward, about shoulder height, and dropped it.

It got nearly to the floor before leaping back into her hand, the handle slapping gently to her palm.

"The question, Tom, is which god went to the moon, but did not land?"

Quirrell stilled, put his hands flat on the table, "and what is the answer?"

"Apollo 13, of course."

"What did they not say?" Quirrell prompted.

"Houston, we have a problem."

"The next question," Amy said, "is what did the king of beasts say to the mouse?"

"Really?" Quirrell asked, "He was that careless?"

"He totally was. They were all a waste of time, so we got rid of them."

"What did the mouse say to the king of beasts?"

"Nothing, he just let out a little wine."

"What do you have planned for me?"

"We transfer you to this nice pet rock, and Luna can carry you around."

"How is that better than Quirrell?"

"The rock won't degrade, and Quirrell may be useful in the future. If things go as we expect, you will merge with Luna, before too long, and no one will be able to find you. You, like us, will be safe."

"What of conquering Britain?"

"It can wait. A little patience, a little more planning, choosing a less dangerous, more subtle path to power, and we can rule the entire world, not just this little backwater," Lisa said.

"If we are patient and careful, we can rule not only the world, but travel to the stars."

"Let me see this rock."

Lisa pulled the fist-sized dark green nephrite from her pocket, "We owl-ordered this when we realized," she said, and put it on the table in front of him.

Amy put down a vial, "The blood of seven virgins," she said, "All Gryffindors. We thought you'd be appreciative."

"And sea salt, harvested under a full moon," Taylor set down another vial.

"You have what we need," Quirrell took a deep breath, "Let us begin."

~*i*~

Quirrell was amazed to still be alive.

Lisa was cuddling Tom-the-Jade, enjoying his confused, panicked, dawning understanding, "Resistance is futile," she whispered to him lovingly, "You are mine."

Amy and Taylor each had an arm about Lisa, and waved to Quirrell, "We'll see you next class."

"Next class," Quirrell agreed, once more stroking the short hair growing on his head.

~*i*~

Taylor held Binns' rock while Amy painted the runes onto the statue of Magical Brethren. Lisa hung the banner.

The runes painted, but still wet, Taylor touched the rock to them, and began to chant. She pulled the rock away, and Binns was dragged out of it, flailing, distraught. Taylor Vanished the blood.

The girls teleported out while Binns floated in circles, unable to escape his tie to the statue.

~*i*~

"Thus are the enemies of Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort, punished."

The banner, and Binns' distraught ghostly form, greeted the morning shift.

~*i*~

"Whatever was done to him? I can't free him from the statue. The Unspeakables said that they should be able to get him free, in a few decades," Dumbledore continued, "Bathilda," he noted confused looks from a couple places around the staff table, "Bathilda Bagshot, has agreed to teach the rest of this term, but we will need a new history teacher for next year."

"Beyond that," Snape said, worry in his voice, "The Dark Lord was inside Hogwarts, abducted a professor, and used his real name to claim responsibility. This is unprecedented."

"Tom Riddle applied for the position of Dark Arts professor, back in the day, so I wonder if he's intending to change his tactics? Killing his way to power did not work out well for him, so he may have decided on a new course of action."

"But what?" Dumbledore asked softly.

McGonnagal glanced around the table, "Anything else for this week?"

A few "No"s and several shaken heads answer.

"Then I'll see you all next Friday."

~*i*~

"Miss Lovegood, could you stay back?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Lisa stopped, looked at her, then waved Taylor and Amy on.

"We'll wait outside," Taylor said.

"Thank you."

Once the door was closed, "Yes?"

"I've noticed you talking to your rock a lot."

Lisa nodded, "Yes, he's a new pet, so he hasn't tamed down much yet."

"Oh?"

"Yes, he's a very angry rock, and a bit ashamed, and scared. So I need to love him and squeeze him and call him Tom."

"Oh."

"He had a bit of a crush on you, when he was a student," Lisa tells her, "But he doesn't understand feelings very well now, and it was even worse then. Could you give him a kiss, please?"

McGonagall smiled, "If you'd like."

"Thank you, he'd appreciate it, even though it'll scare him," Lisa held out Tom-the-Jade.

McGonagall cupped her hands around Lisa's, and bent down. She planted a quick kiss on the rock, and shivered, tears glimmering in her eyes.

"He is really angry."

"He didn't get enough love as a child. He thinks he didn't get any, but certainly not enough."

"No, I don't think he did."

~*T*~