Disclaimer: I have not gained control of Harry Potter in the past week... but the little verse in Italics is mine. If you feel the strange compulsion to use it... which besides being a little strange, just give me some credit please! Ok, after that little ramble it's on with the story!

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I used to feel that I was too strong to kneel,

Here by your side.

I used to think I was too dead to sink,

Down farther into this coffin

Why have you proven me wrong—

When I was better left to wander wrongly along?

Draeg Darkling appeared suddenly from the falling cascades of night. His black cloak swirled around his high boots. Smooth vinyl pants of the same black shade were tied to his waist with a silver in-crested cord and a constricting shirt of Egyptian silk showed off a trimmed chest. Over-top it however, was silver-metal armor, a band around his neck, a plate around his abdomen, one above each shoulder. Blair recognized it as the immortals famed blood armor, forged by his own hands with the blood of the most powerful men in the country, his own branch of death's magic, and a sheet of iron from the crusades. It created a metal that was impossible to break, and though heavy it was flexible like rubber, bending easy with the vampire's movements. Of course, it had failed its master once, for their had used to be another piece, a strong sheet that folded around his sides to cover Draeg's back entirely.

But that damn woman, the same that stood here before him now, had broken it with the same weapon she now had in her hand.

With a snarl, the death-dealer of the night unsheathed his great sword with hands bound by rawhide over silk gloves. His entire outfit was vain—fine pants, soft undershirt, expensive gloves—but meaningful, armor to shield, boots to hold balance, rawhide to protect from any jarring to his grip. In essence, it was him.

The lord of vampire's pulled out the sword death had helped forged—the same metal, with Draeg's own lord infusing upon it his desire to kill, desire to take life, and poured upon it the blood of a saint, giving it a darkness like no other. For to kill innocence for any sake, is to commit a soul into the shadows of their own conscience.

There was her opponent, Draeg Darkling.

And she was Blair Kryeen, dressed with a red cloak hanging over her form. A loose ivory shirt of simple design with khaki-colored pants loose around her slender legs and held to her waist by a strong cord of crimson-color. Her black boots peered out from under the paler pants, and only two metal bands adorned her form—one on each wrist, going along the forearm from the bendable metal gold, and forged with a fallen star's ashes in the fire of a dying phoenix. In her hand the deadly knouter—a thick-lined whip overlaid with cylinders of sharp metal, the same as in her hands, and protruding with sharper barbed points at times, ending in a spike. The cruel weapon of old torture, used by kings far off in the east. Twenty lashes could kill a man.

Fire and Night.

Shadow and Light.

The age old story, except that no one this time was fighting for what was right. Only for what is.

§

Blair, Ally... Ally , Blair... none of it made sense. How could she... could Blair really have been the amazing, caring person that Daemon claimed? Yes, some of her qualities did match—both woman were stubborn, powerful, beautiful. But understanding? And his teacher, the professor who had lashed out so many times... the one who fought both sides in this rising war... in love?

Harry Potter's thoughts jumbled in his sleepless mind. He had been lying in his comfortable four-poster Gryffindor room for over two hours. The students had been dismissed right after Daemon's story had been told... though Harry didn't know what to make it. He trusted the phoenix didn't he? But the red-haired boy was also... well, human. And humans lie, that the scarred celebrity had learned the hard way. The black-haired prodigy turned in his bed, again slipping on his wide-rimmed glasses to see the red, blurred letters of the little alarm clock.

2:32a.m... it was mocking him.

No sleep tonight. Potter knew, swinging his legs over the bed, careful not to wake up anyone else. The prophesied child rubbed his sore neck as he withdrew the invisibility cloak from it's safe home in tucked in his drawer. It would be a good night for a little stroll around his true home. The green-eyed teen glanced at his best friend through the famed glasses, smiling as he saw the snoring red-head. It wasn't fair to wake him from his sleep. So Harry Potter slipped the cloak over his head and left the safety of the common room through a very grouchy Fat Lady.

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Celia Magnatine ran a hand through her silky autumn-brown hair. Speaking of autumn... it's almost over... winter will be here soon. The porcelain-faced witch was walking through the halls of the school. Her blue silk cloak wrapped tighter around her frame to bid off the cold. It of course, had been provided for her by her caretaker... Draco Malfoy. The seer's thoughts drifted back to the wizard who had brought her here. 16, coldly handsome, rich, well-connected... he had everything going for him. Except his father. Celia shook her had in a small gesture, thinking of the fate of her current owner. It is a pity that he must follow that man's footsteps so surely. Love the Dark Lord, hate Harry Potter...

Harry Potter, the name echoed within her mind. How Draco hated him, hated him with a passion near obsession. She understood thought. Malfoy—a pureblood, with celestial beauty, Slytherin, seeking attention, in complete love with his parents, proud in every way, pushed to exceed despite his own nature. Potter—a mudblood with his non-magical grandparents, granted an earthy beauty, Gryffindor, hating attention, never knowing his parents, far from confident in his own ability to fulfill his duties, pushing himself to succeed was in his very nature.

They are the moon and the sun, no wonder they despise each other—they can never understand each other. Was there a way to bridge the gap between the sun and the moon, a reflection so vastly different that it was almost impossible to see one within the other. Yet, there still was that link—the fact that the moon was a reflection of the sun. Perhaps one day they would reach past their differences for a common goal. What though? What brings the sun and the moon together? Celia looked out the dark window. It wasn't in her nature to break the rules of the girl that sheltered her, and this was her first. She knew is she was caught she would be in trouble. But Magnatine had needed this, needed the peace to simply look out this wide window into the night. As a small breeze swept through the seer's long locks, a sudden thought occurred to her.

The sky

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The death eater meeting was suddenly not about the death eaters. They had all become spectators to the two battling immortals, except that a ring was impossible, the way the two fought so bitterly. More than half had already left, cursing that their night had been ruined so boldly and whispering apologies to their lord. Voldemort watched the duel through cruel crimson eyes, a sadistic smile playing on his lips.

Two of them...

The winner would be the stronger, so the Dark Lord felt no need to intervene. That would only help the weaker, and the weak needed to die, to stop their disease from spreading over the world. He was enjoying this quite a bit—this was a true display of wild power. No, these creatures were something more...

§

Baine took the blunt of Draeg's attack head-one, allowing the sword to plow through her left shoulder as she punched him hard in the chin, snapping a bone that would have killed any human. When they came apart, panting and on opposite sides, both were bleeding. Red and blue.

The vampire smiled, his canines making the simple act much more sinister. His vivid, glowing eyes glittered down the length of his sword, where the deep crimson of his opponent's blood decorated the blade.

"I see you still bleed red. How pathetic Aduru. It's been years and you still have a mortal part."

Kryeen grinned maliciously, her eyes screening like a hunter and its prey. She was every part a killer then, brandishing her knouter with blood pattering across her shoulder, unnoticed.

"I have such mortal blood then why not take a bite leech?" She jeered back, pulling her hair to expose her neck. "Oh wait... shall we recall the last time you did that?"

Darkling snarled at the insult, charging again with blade in hand, his speed intensified. "I shall cut that neck off you!"

As he hurtled toward her, Blair twisted her weapon with expert precision. It came alive under her touch, striking like a serpent at the pale figure. She lashed out straight, coming to align with her attacker before twisting her hand so that the faithful knouter swung quickly around the immortal, barbs sinking into the pale skin, drawing his deep, starless blue blood and constricting the vicious onslaught to a stop.

"You seem to end up caught in my whip a lot Draeg. Tell me, does your cold soul desire the embrace of it?

"Stop calling my slave name, Aduru." The Atrum Venator spat, glowering from his bind. "Unless you can no longer speak the sacred language?"

At this, she began to laugh. A cruel, tormenting cackle that rose to the night air. "The sacred language? Since when did demons become saints and hell become heaven? Your simple-mindedness is amusing to no end. But can I still utter the dead language, you ask? Well, then let me answer."

Pulling her knouter toward her, she brought the barbs deeper into his flesh as she cried a phrase no words can capture well, so a poor one will have to do.

"Burn,"

Flames wrapped from her hand, crawling up the outstretched weapon and bursting onto her victim.

"Die leech!" The fire immortal smirked.

But from the flames, a dark circle was forming, small and then growing until it combusted into shock waves of pure, inky darkness, extinguishing the fire.

"Is that the best you can do Aduru, hm!" Draeg Darkling was standing there, the whip around him slack as his entire formed blazed black. With a swift hand, and beautiful words, he sent a streak of the shadows at her. It was difficult to see, only a shade darker then the night sky itself. Eposis's golden eyes narrowed and she poised to leap away, only to find herself held.

"What the fuck?" She hissed, seeing the two shades behind her, their ethereal hands gripping her shoulders, long, hungry nails digging into the skin. She could have torn away easily—if only she had realized them a moment sooner. But then the night magic of the immortal opponent had stuck her.

Blair felt it, swallowing her, drowning her to extinguish the flame in her soul, suffocating it away. It would be so easy, so easy to give in. The pain was sharp, constricting. But the one thing Professor Blair Kryeen hated more than anything else was a cage. And it was this cage of darkness that had been sent to her, but even as she was going down the woman once called Ally called up the flames in her heart, called up the torch in her soul and spattered her own determination around as gasoline. She would burn, she would burn it away.

"I will not lay down and die!" She cried, feeling the heedless power wrap around her, her own creation lighting off.

Draeg's smirk faded when out night's clutch, a shot rang, followed by a large shot of fire, burning through it all.

He shielded his sensitive red eyes to the sudden light, a deadly mistake. The next breath the vampire missed was in the air, sent flying by a powerful, flaming kick. And there stood that hated woman, eyes dilated, fire licking against her skin, blood pouring freely along her body.

"I'll rip you to pieces!" The gold-eyed immortal cried, brandishing her knouter once again.

Darkling recognized the possessive, starving look on her face. Nothing mattered to his opponent now except killing him. Nothing would bring her down, she would walk into death itself to have his throat. Now was not the time to fight the Aduru Eposis, she was too mindless to continue this. She would end him. But the vampire lord was no fool. He took refuge from her twisting whiplash by jumping around, then he drew a handful of samurai stars from a pouch on his waist. Sharp, poisoned, and enchanted the Atrum Venator threw them with deadly accuracy. All six, two in her chest, two in each leg. Even then, Blair only slowed. Never once did she halt.

"I have been sent from Death to warn you Aduru Eposis!" Draeg Darkling fulfilled his careful duty. "He will allow you to dawdle with these mortals for a little longer, but do not enter this war! You are his, and will always be—do not try to escape!"

"Shut the hell up! I will not be owned!" The enraged immortal hissed back, swinging her knouter again, ready to slice his body apart.

But the sun was tipping over the sky, and as the first rays hit the results of the battle—a bruised earth overturned and burnt to shreds, and a bleeding woman... alone.

§

Harry had not brought his watch with him, so he had no essence of how long he had been walking, kept up in his own thoughts. Funny, it was walking that brought me

to the Mirror of Erised in my first year, allowed me to discover how the snake was getting into the school in my second year, found Sirius in my third, got me through the maze in my fourth, and also... resulted in the death of my godfather just last year.

The brunette paused, allowing Filtch to meander past him while he held his breath under the safety of his cloak.

"It'll be my first Christmas without him this year." The wizard whispered to himself when he was sure the caretaker was gone. Okay, he hadn't seen him much in his fourth year ...but Sirius had still been there. Shaking his head, the tragic hero walked along again, his thoughts reverting back to his current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Finally, his character popped out and the scarred teen halted firmly.

"That is it! I am going to talk to her right now!" He muttered, spinning on his heel toward to DADA room. And if she tries to kill you, what then? A Hermione-sounding voice asked him naggingly. I'll think of that if it happens. Hopefully, she'll be in a good mood...

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Celia had no idea how long she had stood by the window, contemplating Daemon's words, her funder, the chosen child... But when she saw a faint rim of orange light form a thin line over the horizon in the gray of the morning, she knew she had to get back.

"Have I really spent that long here?" She chided herself with a light smile.

But suddenly a torch next to her sizzled out into darkness, and the seer froze. Her third sense was already tingling her mind, warning her from the coming danger. It took a few moments for the witch to recognize that aura...

"Slytherin's Guardian!"

§

Blair Kryeen slipped through the window of her fourth story window, thankful for the castle's Victorian style with the wide, open cuts for windows. She had no desire to confront either the gigantic gamekeeper or the headmaster this night. She stood on the floor, sensing that Daemon was flying off in the early morning. He would come back for her first class, but it would give her time to get the blood off her. It wasn't that it bothered her really—but it was that he of course, would want to know what happened. That would mean telling him about Draeg...

"Fucking leech!" She hissed between clenched teeth, throwing her robe out of the way.

But if he truly had been sent by death itself...

The immortal teacher shook her head, suddenly pausing. She was sensing something...

"It's that damn serpent again. What is it doing out again?" Kryeen wondered to herself until another aura reacher her keen otherworld senses. "Idiot! What is she doing out?"

§

Harry never made it to the classroom. He was stopped ¾ of the way with the scene of Celia Magnatine sprinting away from a very angry Slytherin guardian, hissing it's toxins.

Before he could even think, the boy had drawn his wand. "Lumios!"

The light flickered brightly, and he was rewarded with an angry hiss from the snake-woman.

The girl stopped running, her pale cheeks flushed as she looked around for the source of her salvation. The hated-loved celebrity did not dare call out to her, but he watched as those blue eyes fixed on him, nodded and smiled, before removing themselves.

"Who daressssss dissssssturb my hunt?" The creature challenged, her pale eyes searched him out in the dark. "I ssssssensssssse human..."

It's like Mrs. Norse—she can smell me! Harry cursed, waiting for the monster to slowly approach, head swaying nakedly. It was coming closer, and then...

"Impedimentum!" The green-eyed wizard cried, sending a streak of red dead at the guardian.

"Celia ru—" He was about to command when he felt her cold, pale hand grasp his and pull.

With a faint blush on his cheeks, the boy-who-lived needed no second warning as the two sped off. Faint checks of conversation went on between the two.

"Why didn't you get it like last time?"

Her face was still calm, a bit grimmer than usual if anything. But she still seemed level-headed, clear as they jolted through the castle as quietly as possible to loose their pursuer. The girl reached in her pocket with her free hand, and pulled out a snapped shaft.

"Slytherin's guardian went for my arm and snapped my wand."

Harry's eyes trailed down the hand she was holding, and saw blood dripping down the palm.

"It got you?" Potter's natural protectiveness coming over.

"We can't worry about that now—I'm alive aren't I?" She replied, piercing his flesh with her deep, lightless blue orbs.

The seeker couldn't argue with that, but he had a quesy feeling, thinking back to how close the Basilisk had come to killing him... that green liquid coming off her teeth was certainly not for health-benefit. But, she was running quite fast now, so it couldn't be that bad.

The two turned a bend and came face to face with a nearly maddened humanoid. Her bare chest gleamed grotesquely in the darkness.

"Filthy children! Thisssss issssss my father'sssss sssssschool! I am hisssss one, hissss only true heir! All otherssssss mussssst die!"

The boy-who-lived didn't wait for her to continue as he yelled his spell. "Impe—"

The sealed beast would not allow for that trick again. Her green coils shifted as she struck with incredible speed, going straight for his neck. It would have surely killed him there, and this story would be rewritten if he had not been holding Celia's hand. And clear-headed Magnatine gave a strong yank, making the Gryffindor stumble backwards and out of harms way.

"Thanks." Harry said, his eyes darkening as he saw her grimace in pain.

This must end now! The girl's life depended on it.

The hero inside of Potter reared its head as he saw the snake woman's extended neck, hanging in the air for a bare moment after her missed attack. One moment... thank the fates for Quidditch reflexes.

"Sectumsempra!" The seeker didn't even think about what he was doing as the spell did its vicious work on the horrible monster's neck.

It hissed in agony, and blood spattered everywhere, burning like acid.

The James-look-a-like gave a small cry through clenched teeth as flecks of it burnt through his skin. He didn't let himself dwell upon it though. Britain's hero glanced around through slitted eyes. The great monster snake lay dead, her neck severed in many places as foul blood burnt through upholstery. He then looked at the Slytherin, she was kneeling, gripping her bleeding hand tightly. Still, as though she had felt his gaze through the long locks of hair Celia looked up.

"Are you alright?"

Harry shrugged with a bitter smile. "I'm not the one poisoned. Come on, let's get you to Madam Pomp—"

"POTTER!" An oily, triumphant, and angry voice called from the hall.

What was it with everyone interrupting him tonight?

Snape stormed down to them, an ominous presense.

Let me fight the snake again. Potter thought angrily. He did not have the time to deal with the prickish professor now.

"What is going on? Miss Magnatine—what have you two been doing?" Although his voice was filled with false anger, Snape was gloating.

"Severus what is it..." Thank the fates, it was McGonogall.

Before the potions teacher could reply, the green-eyed teen spoke at a rapid pace.

"Professor it was the guardian, Celia has been poisoned!"

Both eyes lingered on the new girl, not uttering a single word even though her slight form was now shaking, eyes focused.

"And what were you both doing out here? It is far too early in the morning for student's to be running about." The greasy-haired man continued.

"Severus please, Potter help me assist Miss Magnatine up to the Health Wing."

The boy-who-lived bended down so that the seer could loop a hand around his shoulder. They both had the smallest blush.

"I'm sorry." She apologized softly between hard-drawn breaths.

"For what?" The male brunette asked, bewildered.

"She's apologizing for being poisoned, for being a burden." A familiarly spiced voice rang through the halls, her click of boots along the cold tile.

"Blair," Snape snarled like the word would poison him.

"Shut up bat." The DADA professor replied without turning or laughing.

Her gold eyes spread over the sprawled out scene. A faint ring of surprise registered on her face, and her gaze fell upon the two youngest figures. Whatever she had been thinking though, she did not speak it.

"Put her down Harry. She'll die by the time you reach the Hospital Wing and even if you did, there is nothing Poppy can do to help her." Blair's tone was serious.

"And what do you know of such things, professor?" The Gryffindor house leader asked with a certain amount of disdain in her voice. "Poppy is a very good, educated healer..."

Harry had already done as she asked. There was no joke, no jest or taunt in her face as the firecracker of a woman had spoke.

"That may be so, but there is no antidote for the guardian's toxin. It is unique to her."

"Then what do you propose we do, since it was you who let the creature in?" Severus snapped, angry at her last comment.

Blair however, continued ignoring him with a simple, "I told you to shut up bat, perhaps I'll make it clearer for you. Go shove yourself off a cliff."

"Professor!" Minerva voiced her disapproval.

"Celia, your arm." Kryeen was kneeling down.

The pale girl was really shaking now, her hands clenched against the pain and the blue eyes were somehow not nearly as focused.

Wiping the blood off, the immortal studied the twin bite-marks. "Idiot, what the hell were you doing?"

Magnatine gave a small little laugh. "I am sorry."

"It doesn't matter. I'll have to burn though the toxins—it'll hurt I'll tell you now. It's that or die, probably painful too." She quickly assessed the situation.

Harry really wanted to slap her now. Sure she was helping, but almost in the most... unhelpful way. The blue-eyed witch seemed unaffected though as she gave a tiny, pained laugh.

"I think I choose the burning, if you please."

"Fine, then shut up idiot." The Aduru wrapped her slender fingers around the tender bite-mark, making the beautiful teen look away in pain.

"Your hurting her!" Now the underage wizard had to speak up.

"And there's acid burning through your chest, shut up."

Angrily, he relented... she was right.

Kryeen focused her golden eyes on the bite marks, and her pupils dilated ever so slightly. The arm holding the girl suddenly burnt bright orange, shooting the light through her hand, into her fingertips and erupting to color the victim.

The boy-who-lived had no idea how she kept without screaming. But for nearly two minutes, the orange power seemed to literally be entering the Slytherin 6th year, burning out the poison and causing her intense agony. And finally, the light reached it's end and faded out, and the immortal released her.

For nearly a full minute, the witch gathered herself, eyes wide with pain, hair shielding most of her face as ragged breaths beat her chest up and down. Finally, she looked up to the now standing teacher.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Ally? Harry wondered to himself.

All four eyes watched her turn her back and begin walking away. "I still have a use for you, Celia. Do try not to get yourself killed... Oh, and Harry,"

The said person looked up.

"I would like to speak with you privately after-class tomorrow."

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A/N: Wow! It was hard getting this chapter done within a week! But I did promise it, so... Anyways, please leave me a review for my efforts—I'd love it.

Next time: Voldemort's book is revealed and Harry begins to find the one called Ally...