A/N- Sorry about the delay... read the bottom for an explanation.

Disclaimer: The song lyrics in there are part of 'Stand Up' by Trapt, not me. While I'm at it, I still don't own Harry Potter. However, Blair dearest, sweet Celia, and mysterious Daemon along with Draeg and Death's Army are mine, so no touchy!

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A rainy night spread throughout the streets of London. Drops of diluted water and gray pollutants filled the dark, cloudy sky the color of twilight only a storm brings. Cool air sang to the pavement, as all people were safely inside their homes. Few cars whizzed by, people frantically running to and fro for petty reasons because they had to rush to live their short lives; only to spend so much time running about hurrying to live they forget what living is. Down one of these streets, climaxing an centroid of importance was a simple mansion called affectionately the Grimmuald Place. Its blackened walls were for no muggle eyes to see as the open windows left a ghost looking past from darkened corners. Only one window shone with any light, only one with a soul. Going to the old, elegant glass you could see that it led into a large, circular chamber. One long table of finished mahogany dominated the center with its many chairs. A fireplace growled victoriously at the rain outside, its clean iron of cobalt black caging the wicker flames. Only the walls of simple ivory, a new map of Europe and its twin of Britain, were witnesses to the small party that had gathered there.

Molly Weasley, red hair tied up in a tangled bun sat in one of the chairs. Next to her was a long, brown-haired and pale Nymphadora. Both of them were looking towards the people who had just entered the door, a washed-out Arthur Weasley and a calm, stoical Kingsley Shackelbolt.

§

"What do you mean, Fudge has been delayed?" The matriarch of the Weasley clan demanded.

"The Minister does not think that dealing with an insubordinate teacher is of the greatest importance now, with... Voldemort on the loose."

Everyone in the room steeled themselves for that word. The time for fear was washing away with the pattering rain.

"Arrogant man! What is he doing then? Certainly not anything of use." She continued to ramble with an angry flush on her face.

"Molly, dear..." Mr. Weasley tried to soothe her wearily.

Tonks broke in however. "Fudge is spineless. If Dumbledore cannot get rid of her, then he knows she is powerful. He's a cowering man." Her voice was older, but still rebellious.

Kingsley nodded in agreement. "Tonks is right. Still, not even Fudge can delay forever. He would loose face if word of this broke out to the parents."

"Yes," Arthur agreed grimly. "But how far does Kryeen have to go before Fudge intervenes?"

The silence that filled roused the light room of its old shadow. The taint of death and sorrow that followed its darkened corners, lifting from the half-bitten smiles of the Order of the Phoenix. Death, war, destruction, loss; they all were met in this building, and thought the strong did not show it, all people felt the same.

After a moment, Tonks rose. Her bird-like face set with steamy gold eyes that smoldered with resolve.

"We promised Harry that we would send someone to deal with Kryeen. The kid has been ripped from his parents and his godfather. He was training all summer with Remus..." Her voice faltered, but then she swallowed and continued. "And then at Hogwarts. Harry is fighting for us, for all of us. And we can't even get rid of some bitch.."

"Tonks!" Molly interjected surprised.

The girl didn't apologize.

"Who likes to cause trouble? So what if Fudge is being a coward! The Order has grown. We have over 200 now from Bell. I say it is time the Order of the Phoenix stops hiding. There are too many of us for Fudge to denounce, and if we do it right we can get to much favor with the people. They are scared and their Minister is sitting in a chair eating cocoa. There has never been a better time for us to reveal ourselves then by stopping a pyromaniac from burning down Hogwarts!"

The speech was followed by a pause, Nymphadora gaining her breath back. All eyes were fixated on her, amazed by the outburst. Their little Tonks, quirky, caring, clumsy; was no longer. Before them stood a startling young woman and powerful witch who may one day make a grand leader. Harry was not the only one to age ten in a year.

Finally Shackelbolt spoke, obvious respect in his tone. "Nymphadora I haven't heard an idea of such great sense from the start of the war."

"We would have to deal with politics though." The red-haired man sighed. "But it seems Fudge has put us in a tight spot. I agree as well."

"Well, then I'll go get Albus and Alastor to see what they think of all this. Then... we'll see." Mrs. Weasley walked out the door with a pale smile on her face.

In her dying echoes, Mr.Weasley followed out the door into the faint-lit hallway.

Tonks went to follow, her golden eyes held a mixture of surprise and grim delight, as she walked to the door.

The dark-skinned man stopped her for a moment. "You have proved yourself Nymphadora."

With a simple, yet so intricate thing as a smile the shifter replied. "I'm still Tonks."

She hit a chair on her way out the door.

§

The flames slid along the walls, lengthening the shadows springing from the room. The crowd around them called, yet no sound was heard. The air, starched, crackled angrily for blood to shed. The floor struck hard against the new intruder, begging for its masters whim. A friendly duel, just a small test.

What a waste of breath, thought Harry James Potter.

He was standing in the middle of the floor, black cloak churning at his heels. His wand was held tightly by one sweaty palm, pointing at the red-haired opposite. Raven-wing tresses fell across his green upon green eyes, covering the famous lightening bolt scar. His sun-kissed face was drawn as adrenaline lit his eyes and rose lips smoothed over with embroilment. A small pearl of sweat ran down his nose.

This room is so hot... And it seems smaller, are the walls shrinking in? Doubt conceived of fear began to stir in Harry's mind as he faced the tall form ahead of him, slinking up and down, every rippling muscle a form of beautiful power, immortal and untouchable. The-boy-who-lived shook his head, and the thoughts inside it scattered like raking leaves in the prairie long bygone.

Professor Blair Kryeen was smiling. A wide, broad smile on her dark crimson lips that would have been placed as ecstasy if not for the malignant gleam in her golden hawk-eyes. The shafted-tanned skin had not a drop of sweat on it, but perfection in its everything except for the long shallow mark across her prominent cheekbone. The scarlet to pale blonde hair twisted more, haloing her face in an illiterate wildness that captivated more then a boy among the crowd. The loose clothing aloud for flexibility, the robe long forgotten as she raced along her classroom. The redwood wand was almost alive with excitement, twitching below her still slender fingers, placed across her heart.

Or the hole where a heart should be. The last Potter thought silently.

This had gone far beyond student and teacher. This was a rock on the road to defeating Voldemort. This was a rock on fire, burning through everything. This, was a duel.

For the eternity of seconds the two faced each other, non-moving as erratic breaths puffed in the air.. one, two...

Then the spell broke with two syllables

"Be-gin,"

§

The blazing face of mother Luna watched the party far below. The silver glass and shadowed trees stood silent witness to the few racing before them. They were wolves, or would he wolves if not for the large size and strange movement as if they were almost unused to their own feet. Two of these large creatures chased a third, smaller one. It was clearly not a true wolf, as ribs showed a wrong bone structure through a raggedy gray pelt that seemed slate in this half-light. The eyes were showing white as the beast ran on, closely pursued. Sweat flecked from its jaw and the mad fear of a trapped animal give it speed. Yet the pursuers were stronger wolves. One of rough, toughed and torn black hair and the other of a sleek coat shining silver in the light, tipped with red. The grass bent under racing paws, eight following four only a snout behind. Through the night forest, across the fields littered with dead they ran. On, and on under the night. Closer and closer the pursuers came. Until, sister moon watched his fall to earth.

The head wolf gave a strangled yelp, its leg snapping with sick ease on a hidden branch. With a tumble, it fell. In the next moment its followers were upon it, red tongues licking the air of victory as a human look of spite filled their startling black eyes. With a growl, they lunged. And then there was blood.

§

And to think, Hermione used to say Quidditch was a waste of time. The thought darted into Harry as his well-trained Seeker reflexes saved him again from one of the red disarming spells. Without a glance, he shot his own back.

"Expelliamus!"

The racket of a glass shattering told him he had missed. Again.

Blair, in turn, leaped forward to lunge at the young player. Her long fingers barely brazed the nape of his neck, and the youth threw himself on the floor, allowing her to go flying another step.

Harry looked up, sporting a large scrape on his shoulder, which had taken the impact for him. Clenching his teeth against the nagging pain, and panting Harry looked up.

Kryeen was standing a few feet away, sweat rolling in perfectly-shaped beads down her hair and sunrise eyes were filled with fire branding in the clear. They both were still for a time, catching breath after that exertion of cat and mouse that had been going on for nearly fifteen minutes straight. Air pumped into her lungs, chest rising and falling in small beats, blood running hard through her open veins. With a strangled laugh she was at it again.

Harry rolled out of her way and jumped up as fast as he was able, just missing her booted foot. Round two, and she had it in for him.

"What's wrong, Harry dear, too used to having everything given to you?" Her Cajun voice taunted.

"Shove it!" He growled back angrily, moving his wand. "Conjunctivitis!"

The lithe sparkling flash of lights streamed straight at the Professor, who walked right through it.

"Face it famous boy-who-lived, you can't defeat me. You are nothing more that an egotistic prick who has been catered his entire life." Blair laughed, her eyes daring him, wanting him to contradict her.

Why don't you let me be ,

Harry felt his blood cannonade to the words, the smile, the eyes. He was no longer the last of the Potter, prophesied child. He was no longer a simple student with a nag for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was a sixteen-year old boy whose endocrine system was pumping with massive amounts of hormones. And he was really, really angry.

Leave me alone,

With a minute yell he sprinted forward towards her, wand drawn up high. The gears in his mind had been temporarily jammed as his mouth formed the word,

"Impedimenta!" Hot white light shot up from his wand.

The jet shot the red-head square in the head. Her eyes registered something and for barely a breath she was still, caught by the force-driving magic. Without wasting his time, Harry darted forward and swung a fist, cleanly hitting the older woman across the jaw, sending her reeling back a few feet. But she stayed on her feet.

Everyone had gone silent, with fear and awe.

Blair stood quivering, one hand touching the blood now dripping down her chin, crimson streams forming, splashing to the floor. She was no longer laughing, nor her eyes any longer light. The fire burning bright, it was of an ancient, unforgivable fury.

"You strike at a shadow Harry," She whispered saucily. "You may just hit a candle."

In a movement faster than the mortal eye can follow, her wand had formed a different spell. The boy-who-lived was hurled into the air, spinning around and landing with a painful crunch on top... of Hermione.

Fear rose like bile in his throat, but as he struggled off he heard her moan in pain, and at least knew she was alive.

You start a fire inside that I could never control,

Tossing her to Ron, the scar-faced celebrity wheeled around to come face to face with Miss Blair Kryeen.

You wanna see a reaction?

Something was burning in his mind. A singular, undeniable truth that was penetrating all else. She knew. Kryeen had known exactly how to get to him, known his most vulnerable spot was the ones he cared about. Knew that if she hurt them...

Come on and cut me down

You've gone as far as I'll go,

The fear was displaced by anger in a rushing typhoon.

Now you're crossing the line

And I am letting you know,

He took one step north, than another until he knew and saw nothing but her fiery form. She was staring deep into his disquieted seas of green, a hot power lingering within the golden orbs. A moment passed, followed by another. And this time, Harry broke it.

"VINDEX PAVIDUS!"

Well here's your reaction...

A great blue thing began to spindle from the tip of Harry's wand, coiling up and around in translucent dark blue braids streamed with green, periwinkle, and gray. The color of the sea. The item hardened into almost a rope, then began to clash angrily as the same substance formed sharp barbs of one hand-length. They began to almost freeze, so that the surface of the weapon was solid and chilled, but inside the swirling water and magic could be seen. It was a whip, a lash of water.

Stand up!

Blair eyed the new weapon between slitted lids, then gave a cry as she darted toward him, drawing a dagger from her belt as she went. It had been the one pressed to the boy's neck once, hot to the touch. Hilt of wrought gold and blade long, thin, broad, and a fair ivory color with blood red scar caressed upon it. The silent students still watching saw it flash in the firelight as the two charged.

I have had enough,

Harry's whip seemed to obey his mind rather than his inexperienced hand as it shot forward, snapping back to wrap around the teacher.

"What do you think now Blair?" He spat back, seeing blood drip down from her back as she struggled against the sharp barbs of water. Steam began to roll forth, obscuring their view.

"Give in now?" He asked, cooling down finally. It was time this was done.

Walk away before I finish what you started,

"NEVER!" She shrieked in an almost hysterical way, allowing the pointed barbs to cut through her forearm as she threw the dagger toward him.

Face to face I will put you in your place,

Harry ducked quickly, managing to avoid the full blow of the blade while it still clipped his shoulder. A warm patch grew under his cloak. Still, he gritted his teeth and with characteristic determination, focused on keeping the water whip tightly around Blair as she struggled against it.

End this game before I finish what you started,

Face to face everything will change.

Suddenly he felt a presence in his mind, like a sudden aura of heat that had appeared.

"Foolish Boy!" His DADA teacher's voice rang silkily in his mind.

"I could break the whip, but that would probably kill you and rob me of my fun, so why not do it this way... I would so like to see what is on famous Harry Potter's mind..."

You planted the seed,

"GET OUT!" Harry screamed, dropping the spell as he felt Blair searching past the wards in his mind. Lupin had worked so careful to help him build them up and she shredded them like cream.

Scenes passed before his unmaking eyes in a jumbled mess as he fell deep into his own memories. Drowning in the shadows of his past, until there was no sunlight ever again, he descended. Into the deepest part of himself he was thrown.

How my anger has grown
Got an feeling inside that I can't seem to control ,

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A/N- Next chapter is the climax. My sincerest APOLOGIES for the LONG wait! After the holidays were over I was faces with exams, and then a few really busy weekends out... When I finally got a chance to write my computer decided to tick me off by not working. This is not an excuse, but a reason and I hope you all know and understand the difference. Thanks for staying with me. Also, the story is shorter because some of the extra short chapters have been condensed. They are pretty much the same thing, so don't worry about re-reading however!