So, with the exception of one person, you all left the nicest reviews, even if you're all probably furious with me for doing that to Mike! So THANK YOU! Now to answer them:

Guest: Um, I don't have any idea what you're talking about considering I don't write my own reviews. First of all, when would I find the time to write 80+ reviews for myself? And second of all, that's just unclassy, and the fact that you'd assume that of me just proves you don't know anything about me. But thanks for reading!
TotalCowGirl: Yeah, poor Mike is right :( thanks again for reading!
Goldenheart11: That pesky Myrtle, always getting into trouble! And I know, I love Mike! And you're right, they're the only two siblings on the show that have a healthy relationship. I love how protective they are of each other, it's so adorable. And aww, poor Lucas! Maybe that's why he left the show: all the haters scared him off! Anyway, thanks for the kind review, as always :)
LAs: Mike is quite adorable, but as of now he is far from okay :( and you'll see in this chapter how it affects Aria. Let's just say, she is far from happy about it. And I never said it wasn't a Basilisk fang, I just said that it might not be! You never know with this story, it could be anything! ;) You just have to keep reading to find out. And wow, thanks so much! Well, if it's your favorite, looks like I have to try harder to meet your expectations! o.0
Ava B: Mikey :( I love when the Liars have scenes together, too! I think they're stronger as a group, and they have this hilariously dysfunctional dynamic that is so fun to write for. And yes, I LOVE both! Thank you so much for the recommendation!
Titanium Wolf: Not a problem! And man, you just found a way to make my story sound 10x better than it actually is. Thank you so much! And thank your brother for me, too :)
Sgdp1261: Indeed, baby Montgomery has bit the dust :( I love his relationship with Aria as well. Don't worry, there's going to be a chapter coming up with a really sweet moment between Aria and Mike (I mean, it's slightly one sided, but it's still nice) and you'll see EVERYTHING Aria is feeling in this next chapter. And yes, now the Liars can really get their Nancy Drew on! Starting next chapter, the Liars are gonna really get into gear, they're taking the sleuthing up to 11. And haha, Myrtle is dramatic and annoying and overall entertaining, how could I not include her? Thanks again for the review :)
NorthernSteelGirl: Thank you! Well, I would take that suggestion into account, but I've already written the whole thing so I can't really. And plus, Hermione works for the Ministry of Magic right now in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and everyone already knows who she is. She, Harry, and Ron are famous! Also, my first chapter was in the point of view of the Dark Lord. Go take a look :)
PrettyWitchyVamp: Thank you! And dude, I love Ezria, so keep the questions coming! Okay, so when the girls were first years, the seventh years were kinda... how do I put this nicely... assholes. Especially to muggleborns, regardless of year. But Ezra always showed kindness toward Aria, from the few encounters they had while they were in school together, and Aria has never forgotten that. Before he got a teaching job, he had a few jobs at Hogsmeade, working in pubs, and he and Aria would always see each other and talk. As time went on, they realized how much they had in common, and grew to fall in love. They started dating when she was a fifth year, writing letters back and forth to each other, until he wrote the fateful letter that he got a job at Hogwarts. Ever since then, they've dated in secret. Good enough back story for ya? And I hate when the Liars fight as well, but in this chapter Hanna definitely regrets all of that after seeing Mike. And you know what? As much as I wanted Voldemort gone as well, I liked his character. Especially in the sixth book, where we learn more about him. He was so complex and interesting. All of Rowling's characters are! And I've especially loved Mike this season. In season 2, Aria was seeking to protect him, and now he's seeking to protect her. I love it! And yes, it helps that he's an active member of the Ezria Fan Club with Spencer and Caleb. What position do you think he'd be? Treasurer? Secretary? VP?
ShadowsOnTheMoon: Good to have you back, mate! And you will, I believe in you! You love the show as much as I do, so you definitely have it in you! And well, I think it's no secret that Lucas definitely has feelings for Hanna. As for them getting involved, you'll just have to see how it pans out. And... well... I guess you're gonna end up not being pleased then... just kidding. OR AM I?! Now for your next review: I don't hate you at all! In fact, I like you quite a lot! Smashing hearts is an unfortunate consequence of being a writer, but you'll find out eventually that this had to happen. And I thought it seemed very PLL-like, considering 90% of their screen time on the show has been spent in the bathroom. Thanks again for your reviews!
WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Wow, thank you so much! It's so good to know that all my work is paying off to the point that it kicks ass :) and well, looks like you're gonna find out what happens next sooner rather than later, because here's the next chapter coming your way!

Alright, next chapter. As far as I can tell, a lot of my reviewers are hardcore Ezria fans (based on the number of pleads and requests for a chapter/scene with them together), so I'm here to deliver them on a silver platter to you all. Ezra is here to save the day ladies and gents! Anyway, as I always say, enjoy this chapter, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I'm almost at 100 reviews, and it'd be amazing if you all could get me there by this next chapter!


Everyone began murmuring different things all at once. What happened to Mike? And why? What was he doing that could've led to this consequence.

"Oh, no," McGonagall whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. "It can't be happening again."

Aria felt her breath catch in her throat. No. Mike couldn't be hurt. He had to be okay. Could what had happened to Mike have something to do with the fangs she and the girls were receiving? Was all of this her fault?

"Aria," Spencer said worriedly, and Aria blinked, suddenly transported out of her own thoughts and back into reality. She looked up at Spencer, who was looking down at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked.

Aria opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. She watched as McGonagall walked over to Mike, kneeled down, and pressed two fingers down on his wrist. After a few seconds, she let out a relieved sigh. "He still has a pulse."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, but Aria was still tense. That still meant Mike was at least paralyzed. And paralyzed still meant that he was in harms way, and that wasn't even remotely okay with her.

Just as everyone was getting used to the sight of Mike, still as a statue, on the ground, Madame Pomfrey shoved her way through the crowd, looking as frazzled as ever. She came up to McGonagall, and the two exchanged a hurriedly whispered conversation that no one could quite pick up on. Once they were finished, Pomfrey walked away from McGonagall, somehow now looking even more frazzled, and held up her hand in the air to snap her fingers briskly. At once, a band of house elves came, hustling through the mob of people, parting quickly to avoid getting hurt, as they dragged a gurney behind them. Aria winced, turning away as the elves lifted Mike onto the gurney together, dragging him away.

"Alright, everyone," McGonagall said tiredly. "Back to class."

Everyone started heading in the direction of their classes, but the girls stopped short when McGonagall called for their attention. "Not you four."

They turned around to see the Headmistress looking incredibly distressed, but she tried to pull herself together and contort her face more into one of concern. "Miss Montgomery."

"Yes, Professor?" Aria asked weakly.

"As you might have guessed, your brother will be taken to the Infirmary. If you would wish to see him, I'll allow you to take some time away from your class to visit with him," McGonagall said caringly.

Aria smiled up at her appreciatively. "Thank you, Professor. I think I'll do that."

McGonagall gave her a warm smile before starting to walk away, but then she stopped short, turning around again. "I assure you, we will find out who is responsible for this."

With that, she headed in the other direction, and the other three girls turned to Aria.

"You know you never answered my question," Spencer said, placing a hand on Aria's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"What Myrtle said in the bathroom," Aria squeaked. "Wha... what if the two are connected? Is someone after Mike in the same way that they're after us?"

"Slow down," Emily said calmly. "We don't even know if someone is really after us."

Aria closed her eyes, letting a tear escape them as she angrily clenched her shaking fists. "When I find out who did this to him - "

"We'll find out later, okay?" Emily said reassuringly. "Don't worry about that now. Just go see Mike."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Hanna asked, her voice dripping with worry. All of her anger at Aria from earlier had totally vanished, replaced with complete sorrow for her friend.

Aria nodded her head, but then she felt another hand on her shoulder. It was a bigger, more masculine hand that clearly didn't belong to any of the other girls. She looked up, and found herself staring into the soft blue eyes of Ezra.

"Is it okay if I take her?" he asked the girls hopefully, his face filled with concern and sadness.

The girls looked to Aria for confirmation, and she slowly nodded her head, saying that it was okay. With a longing "feel better" hug and an optimistic hand squeeze from each of them, the girls were off. Aria watched them walk down the hall, their figures getting gradually smaller until shrinking out of sight, before she turned to Ezra.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea for us to be seen like this," she whispered unsurely, ignoring his attempt at checking up on her.

He just subtly shook his head before nudging her in the direction of the Infirmary. "Relax, okay?" he said softly. "The staff will understand that you're shaken up. They won't want you going there on your own."

Aria just nodded her head as she walked beside him. "To answer your question..." She then bit her lip. "I don't really have an answer to your question."

He smiled at this, flashing a charming, genuine grin that showed off all of his perfect teeth. "So... you're answering my question by not answering my question?"

Aria managed to crack a tiny smile at this. "I'm serious, though," she said, shaking herself out of her trance. "I... I promised my parents I would keep an eye on him, and I already screwed up."

"You did not screw up - "

"Then why is he being dragged into the Infirmary by a bunch of house elves?" she snapped. "Oh wait, that's right, it's because he can't drag himself there because he's paralyzed." She let out a shaky breath before putting her hand up to her forehead and groaning. "I'm a terrible sister."

"Breathe, Aria," Ezra said calmly, stopping now that they were in front of the Infirmary and pivoting himself so that he was facing Aria. He tilted her chin upward so that she was facing him. "You are not a terrible sister, you're doing the best you can. And he'll be fine. Pomfrey will nurse him back to health, and whatever happened to him will be in the past. Okay?"

Aria bit her lip nervously, before nodding her head. "Okay."

Ezra looked over, and saw that no one was nearby. He snuck a kiss on Aria's forehead. "I'm here for you. Remember that."

"I know," Aria mumbled.

Ezra looked down shyly then. "I know this is gonna be hard for you, but..." He then looked up, his blue eyes meeting her hazel ones. "You'll talk to me if you need me, right?"

"Of course I will," she said warmly, smiling up at him as she gave his hand a squeeze. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"You owe me for skipping out on our annual date," he whispered jokingly, causing Aria's jaw to drop in mock appall.

"I was helping Spencer with something!" she whispered back, causing him to giggle softly. In the morning before class, she had snuck off to his classroom, hoping no one would catch on to the fact that she didn't even take History of Magic anymore, and told him that they would have to reschedule. He had been understanding, just as he always was. Even so, she couldn't be happier than she was now to have him here with her.

"I know," he said playfully, giving her a small grin. "Go see your brother."

Aria nodded her head, then stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking into the Infirmary. Ezra stared after her, mesmerized by the way her long brown hair fell perfectly down the frame of her back as she walked away from him, how gorgeous she looked in her robes, and he would give anything for her to turn around so he could gaze into her beautiful doe eyes once more. But once she walked in, she was out of sight. Ezra sighed before walking away, wishing more than ever that he could do something else to make her feel better.


Side Note: Well, Ezria fans? Did I deliver? ;) There's your dose of Ezria that you've been waiting so patiently for, and I assure you that there is MORE to come! Alright, now for the bad news: this is gonna be my last update for a few days. Remember that trip I told you guys about? I was supposed to go on Sunday, but due to weather complications it got postponed to today. So I'm giving you guys one more chapter before I take off :) so, until we meet again (around Thursday/Friday, I believe), be sure to keep up your reviewing/following/favoriting streak that you've been doing such a good job with!