Hey guys. Something happened in my life very recently that is going to slow down the updating process, but I'm going to keep trying because I don't want to deprive you guys of what I promised you. Also, I probably won't be replying to reviews for awhile either. It just takes up so much energy that I do not have at the moment. But I want you all to know that you're amazing and I love you very much and THANK YOU for reading my story. You rock.

Check the reviews for references, because majority of the reviewers got them right.


Aria let herself sink into the cushion of the chair in the common room, staring intently at the fang she had received that very first day of school. She narrowed her eyes, focusing in particular on the "A" carved into it, as though she could stare straight through the lone letter directly into the fang, where an answer most likely lied.

Eventually, she got tired of staring. She was tempted to throw the fang across the room, but her temptation halted when she heard sounds behind her. Scrambling to her feet, Aria whipped around with her wand extended, held out in self-defense, but she immediately dropped it when she saw Caleb before her.

"Man, if I had a knut for every time this has happened this year…" Caleb started.

"Sorry," Aria said sheepishly, sinking back into her chair as she lowered her wand. "I'm a little on edge."

"Aren't we all," Caleb said understandingly as he walked over to the chair.

Aria sighed, her head in her hands, before looking up at him. "What are you doing down here?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd get a glass of milk," Caleb explained.

"From where?"

"The kitchen."

"Why are you going all the way down to the kitchen in the middle of the night?" Aria asked incredulously.

Caleb just shrugged. "I guess I just feel better when I'm closer to Hanna."

Aria froze, but then nodded her head in silent understanding. Caleb wanted nothing more than to be with Hanna, but under the circumstances it was difficult. If being close to her in distance helped ease him, then so be it.

Caleb ducked his head as he sat on the arm of the chair. "But that's kinda pointless now, isn't it?" he admitted. "The kitchen is flooded with house elves, after all."

Aria nodded, but when she looked up, Caleb was looking at her expectantly. She swatted him, hard. "I am not putting on a house elf costume to help you sneak into the kitchen!"

"Fine, forget I asked," Caleb said, putting his hands up in surrender. It wasn't his fault Aria's height came in handy when in these situations. "Anyway, why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep either," she confessed, sitting up in her chair and looking down at the fang on the table before her. "I kept thinking about… this thing."

"Well what's not to think about?" he said, reaching over the table and picking up the fang, examining it carefully. "What is 'A' anyway?"

Aria shook her head, claiming she didn't know, as she glanced at the fang as well. "Do you think if we figured out what it means, we could figure out who's behind this… and stop it?"

"Worth a shot," Caleb said, placing it back on the table so that the "A" was facing upward. He continued to stare at the "A", as fiercely and intensely as possible.

Aria furrowed her brow and looked up at him. "Sure, keep doing that," she said sarcastically. "It's worked so well for me."

Caleb groaned, smacking his hand on the table in frustration. "This is ridiculous!" he exclaimed. "You're smart, I'm smart, why can't we figure this out?"

"Because it's above our heads!" Aria shouted back as she stood up, starting to pace nervously. "At this rate, we'll never find out, you and Hanna will never get back together, and I'll never get Mike back!"

"We can't keep thinking like that!" Caleb croaked. "You'll get your brother back, and I'll get Hanna back. We just can't give up!"

"Well at this point, we might as well," Aria said hopelessly.

"Aria – "

"I'm serious! What's the point anymore? We've lost everything, and if we keep searching, I bet this person will find a way to just keep taking more."

"Aria – "

"WHAT?" she snapped, turning to him.

"Look!"

He was pointing at the fang, and Aria came running back over to where he was sitting.

The "A" was still intact, but it was… misshapen.

/\
/ \

"I must've triggered something when I smacked my hand on the table," Caleb said logically, holding his hand up and examining it carefully.

"It's all disconnected," Aria whispered, still looking at the fang, and Caleb nodded in agreement.

"It looks like a bunch of dashes. Does it mean anything to you?"

Aria shook her head. "Not to me… but it definitely means something."

After a minute, Aria sat back down in her chair, and after another minute, she pulled out her wand.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying something," she said softly, taking the tip of her wand and directing it at the "A". It lit up suddenly, and all of the dashes started scrambling around on the fang. They danced in squiggly patterns for several seconds, before slowing down to a complete stop in an arrangement of letters.

T D L

"T.D.L.?" Caleb voiced the letters out loud, seeing if they'd make more sense spoken. They didn't.

"Well, it's something," Aria said, defeated, before letting out a small yawn. "I'm beat. Let's just figure this all out in the morning."

Caleb nodded as he leaned over to wrap an arm around Aria in a side hug. She was caught off guard for a second, but she knew that there was nothing but platonic affection behind it. For one, the two of them were tired of feeling alone without their significant others, and they made surprisingly good company. And for another, he was working hard to protect Hanna and Aria and the rest of the girls, and she and the girls needed his help to end this.

They were all in this together. They were all a family now.

"G'nite," he said after pulling away, giving a small salute as he ascended up the stairs. Aria gave a small wave before looking back at the fang, and at the three letters engraved on it.

T D L.

T D L.

After repeating it to herself internally about 20 more times, Aria's head snapped up, her blood running cold.

T D L.

T. D. L.

The Dark Lord.


Side Note: Jesus. THAT is a reveal. First of all, someone check Bagilia to make sure she's breathing since her SHADY HACKER BOY reappeared. Second of all, Aria just figured out that the person behind the fangs has to do with The Dark Lord. Damn... Sound off in the reviews! And I'll try to be more chipper next time, I promise.

Also, I apologize about the "A". It looked way cooler in my word document... damn you FanFiction. Just imagine seven dashes making up the "A" if that'll help.