"Who is it Elvin?" Haylie repeated, watching him carefully, never loosening her grip on her wand. He took a large step toward her and let go of his broomstick. It made a soft thump as it hit the ground. Haylie shuddered. It was early April so the midnight winds were still a bit chilly. She would have given anything to be in her warm bed at that moment, but she needed to know who Elvin planned to harm.

"Who do you think it is?" Elvin asked, obviously trying to anger Haylie. She felt determined not to let him get to her. Haylie knew she just had to go along with him.

"I don't know…Probably Harry," Haylie admitted, realizing just how obvious that answer was. Elvin smiled.

"Nope," Elvin said, taking another small step toward Haylie, "I'm not working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I'm in this for myself. I have my own personal reasons."

"What reasons?" Haylie asked, truly curios. She wanted to know what would make someone result to kidnapping children and planning to kill a fellow student. Elvin's smile faltered and he crossed his arms across his chest. He then looked away from Haylie and peered at their surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a deserted Hogsmeade roadway out front of the Silver store where, during the daytime, was busy with shopping wizards and witches. If Haylie wasn't so consumed if her conversation with Elvin, she would have wondered why no one had seen them or heard them yet, but she did nor. At the moment her whole world was Elvin and his plan.

"What reasons?" Haylie yelled at him, half hoping that her screaming would wake a Hogsmeade resident. No such luck.

"Don't yell at me girl," Elvin roared back, "I'll tell you when I'm good and ready."

"Well can you hurry up," Haylie snapped, glaring at him, "I need my sleep. We have Easter vacation in 2 days and I would like to make my train. After all, I should get back home just in time for some Buffy reruns. If I miss those, I will kill you."

"Don't joke with me Granger", Elvin hissed, glowering at Haylie.

"I'm not joking with you. The last episode I saw was the musical episode and Spike and Buffy kissed at the end. I need to know what happens after…"

"Stop being stupid!" Elvin yelled. He was starting to become restless now.

"I'm guessing you don't like Buffy the Vampire Slayer do you?" Haylie said, now truly joking with him, trying to get him to talk, "Or is it you just don't like the whole Spike/Buffy relationship? If that's the case then we might just have to have a little…"

"Stop talking to me about a stupid TV show! You're just trying to buy time!"

"So what if I am?" Haylie placed her fists on her waist and tilted her chin upward to let him know that she meant business. He repeated her action, also showing her that he wasn't playing. They stood there for a moment, glaring at each other. Haylie was the first to break the deafening silence.

"When you were hurt…in the first couple days of school…"Haylie paused and stared at her shoes, "Did you set it all up? Nobody really knocked you out…did they? It was all part of your plan."

"Yeah, of course," Elvin laughed, "I couldn't let you figure out that the cloaked figure was me. I needed you to stay completely in the dark." Haylie lifted her eyes to face him.

"That's why you sent me to go find that lullaby book out of your bed…you wanted to take all attention away from you," Haylie realized, shaking her head.

"Yeah," Elvin said as-a-matter-of-factly, "Back to my previous question….Who do you think I'm after?"

"Fine Elvin, "Haylie gave in, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to keep warm, "I'll play your little game…. Is it Damon?"

"He would be the obvious choice, wouldn't he? After all, I've hated him from the moment I saw him," Elvin grunted, his voice angry and coasting on hysterical. Haylie nodded slightly, agreeing with his statement. Both Damon and Elvin had simply loathed each other from the moment they laid eyes on one another. Interestingly though, Haylie never would have guessed Elvin would turn evil over Damon. It never occurred to her that someone so quiet and introverted could be plotting something as horrific as kidnapping two innocent children and tormenting someone else for months with threatening letters.

"What are you planning to do to this person you are after," Haylie bent her fingers in quotes then returned to her beginning stance. Elvin's eyes narrowed.

"What do you think?" Elvin snapped back, sounding angry but twisting his lips into a naughty smile. Haylie shook her head, a look f pure disgust on her face.

"Kill them," a male's voice came from behind the two first-years, beyond the trees. Both Elvin and Haylie darted their eyes toward the corner of the silver store, where a tall shadowy figure was emerging from the trees. Haylie focused her eyes, trying to see who it was, and smiled happily when she saw who it was.

"Ron! Are the kids okay?" Haylie shouted, unable to hide the relief from her voice. He gave her a half smile before turning to Elvin. Elvin stared him dead in the eye, leaving his facial expression perfectly neutral. The orange sun was beginning to rise beyond the forest, making the clouds above them a shimmering crimson. Although the sky seemed to set ablaze, the air still blew chills across Haylie's body, even tickling her tiny, hidden toes. She shivered and pulled her robes closer to her body, gazing at Ron and Elvin who seemed to be in some kind of staring contest, both refusing to steal a glance around them.

"Just tell us who you are planning on hurting and we'll make sure you get the help you need," Ron said sternly, his eyes still not leaving Elvins, "You do need help Elvin."

"Whatever Weasley," Elvin grunted, clearly brushing off Ron's suggestion, "You'll know soon enough. I just want to wait till everyone gets here," Elvin snapped his head in Haylie's direction, his eyes drifting to Haylie's Ringer Ring, " That way no one will be warned."

"You're a little too late for that Danebridge," Ron exclaimed smugly, "Harry probably has half of the Hogsmeade and Hogwarts guards on their way." Elvin moved his head up very slowly; not stopping till his gaze was perfectly set on Ron, his eyes flaming brilliantly. Elvin took a step forward, forcing Ron to take a step back. The tension grew and the wind ceased. It was as if Elvin had cast a spell, stopping the world from turning round. Haylie watched in horror as Elvin lifted his wand so slowly that she could see Ron's face change every inch it rose.

"Elvin…"Haylie let out a faint whisper, almost like a sigh. Elvin's head tilted back.

"That wasn't a very smart move Weasley," Elvin smiled, "Because now that I'm on a time constraint, I 'll just have to kill you right now."

"So it was Ron?" Haylie asked unbelievably, "All this time, he was the person you wanted to kill?"

"Why did it take you this long Danebridge?" Ron questioned, not losing one bit of his sense of humor, even in this dire situation, "Didn't have enough guts to finally off me?" Haylie stared at him in disbelief. Here Ron was talking to his possible killer as if it were all just a game. By the look in Elvin's eyes she knew it was not.

"What would be the fun in killing you right away?" Elvin prodded, "I like a bit of fun. It helps to let off some steam after a long day of classes and Potions homework. I don't care for Potions that much. I'm more of a Care for Magical Creatures guy myself"

"Right," Ron muttered, obviously seeing the irony in his statement.

"Leomentryio!" Elvin yelled, flying backwards and landing hard on the cold dirt road. Ron also soared through the air, skidding along the rocky trail pathway, sending small pebbles in every direction.

"What?" Elvin jumped to his feet, not understanding what had happened to him.

"I'm a wizard too you know," Ron spat, shaking the tiny bits of rock off his robes, "I do know defensive spells." Now, Elvin seemed angry and he thrust his hand forward, shooting another spell Ron's way. Ron dodged the spell by jumping into the bushes and emerging with his wand at ready.

"Sonyonzio!" Ron yelled, a yellow spark shooting from the tip of his wand. Once again, both boys flew opposite ways and both jumped up again, ready to fight. Haylie searching all around her, looking for her friends and half expecting them to arrive with a fleet of the Ministry's finest, but no one came. She bit her lip nervously as Elvin and Ron went at it, both appearing to know when the other would strike. Afraid for Haylie's life, she decided to stall.

"Stop this!" Haylie demanded, stomping her foot on the ground as hard as she could. Dust swirled around her feet as the two boys stopped solid and gawked at her, not believing she would actually command them to discontinue their battle.

"Just answer this question for me Elvin," Haylie sighed, tears swelling in her eyes, "Why do you want to kill Ron, who has been nothing but kind to you since you met him." Haylie watched as Elvin's chin start to tremble profusely. He jerked his face away from both Haylie and Ron so they could not see his face, twisted more now with pain then with anger.

"To get revenge for what the Weasleys have done to my family!" He suddenly cried out, his voice strong but shaky all at once. This abrupt response took Haylie aback. She didn't expect him to react so strongly. All of a sudden Haylie could hear footsteps in the distance. It sounded as if a group of people were running toward them at full speed, snapping branches, crunching leaves, and cutting through frozen air. Haylie watched as Haylie, Damon, Eileen, and Corinne emerged from the shadows, all red-cheeked, holding their wands firmly in their palms.

"Don't!" Haylie yelled to Damon who appeared to be casting a spell. He gave Haylie a questioning look before realizing she meant. Slowly, with a hint of hesitation, he lowered his wand, keeping his eyes on Haylie, waiting for a signal.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, his eyes wide, "Why would my parents kil your parents?"

"They were the ones to catch them. They were the ones who took them to Azkaban. They were the ones who got my mum and dad convicted!"

"For what?"

"For killing muggle-borns," Damon suddenly added, his eyes now off Haylie and onto Elvin, "His parents were members of the Muggle-Born Defeaters." Everyone peered over at Damon, whose face seemed to be stuck in a permanent expression, one of anger.

"How do you know?" Haylie asked, amazed at this revelation.

"His parents killed my father," Damon answered, his expression still not shifting. A soft weep erupted from Corinne, her head bowed and her hands covering her red eyes. Haylie herself began to tear up and she wiped her nose, whish was running from the cold morning weather. She now understood everything.

"He speaks the truth," Elvin admitted, now turning back to Ron, "Since I don't have anything more to say and Damon seems to be at a loss for words, I think I better kill Weasley now. After all, I never did like you anyway." Elvin and Ron once again held out their wands, set at ready for a fight, but Elvin decided to do something else first.

"Oh, by the way," Elvin said, gazing into the eyes of every single person standing before him, except for Corinne who was still weeping so hard that she could barely move, "I never liked any of you." Then he did the unthinkable. Elvin turned his wand toward Damon and screamed "Gavada Deradga", a spell meant to kill quickly, but painfully. The sky now seemed illuminated with all shades of ginger, rose, and scarlet, creating the illusion that the clouds were set ablaze by some force more powerful than even a wizard or witch could imagine.