A Matter of Force

Part 45

The End of Anna Potter.

OooOOooOO

"Weather's horrible," grumbled Oliver Wood as he looked outside.

"Won't matter," replied Harry. The team was all sitting together for breakfast.

"He's right Oliver," replied Alicia.

Wood wasn't eating and looked sullen and worried.

"I can do it," said Harry with a firmness in his tone. He knew it was Oliver's last year, and his last chance at the cup. He also knew that his captain would feel a lot better about the season once they got past Slytherin and his sister.

The team went out to the pitch and were all soaked by the time they made it to the locker room. None of them seemed to mind much as they all knew they'd be out in the thick of it for the match. It was a nasty thunderstorm, and the crack and boom of the storm shook the stands.

Despite that pretty much the whole school had shown up for the match. It wasn't something to be missed considering the two best broom riders in the whole school would be out on the field competing for the Snitch. Everyone was tense and the weather was not enough to keep them away. The stands were dry thanks to an enchantment, but everyone was soaking wet by the time they made it out there. The wind was strong enough that umbrellas did little good even if they weren't blown away by the gusts.

Wood tried to give his speech before the match, but came up blank. He swallowed a couple of times and looked at them all with wide eyes. The whole team was struggling against the wind as they strolled out onto the field. Slytherin looked no better off and Marcus Flint glared at the opposing captain. Neither one offered the other a hand and Madam Hooch ignored it and blew on her whistle.

Harry and Anna both rose into the air opposite each other. Each had a hard and serious look in their eyes and neither spoke. They wouldn't have heard each other in the torrent anyway. Both stayed above the match as it began and looked down at the buzzing about below. The Snitch was released and they both moved immediately.

Lightning crashed as the pair shot through the match. There was no flitting about between them. They were going at it as if they were racing around the pitch at top speed. The Bludgers swerved away from them despite Slytherin aiming them right at them at every opportunity as they blasted through the match.

They twisted over and under each other as they passed through the match and their teammates. Both teams were playing a rough game. There were a few uncalled fouls on both sides. Even Madam Hooch's eyes had difficulty seeing through the torrent and flashes of lightning.

Anna and Harry ignored all of this though. They followed the tiny ball despite the fact that neither could see it with their eyes. It was fast and agile, but the two teens stayed on it and were no more than a foot apart at any point. Neither encroached on the other and they shot beneath the stands as the ball ducked under the seats and into the supports. The twins weaved through the large wooden beams that held the frame of the seats together with ease, but the golden ball kept them at bay by curving through the heavy wood to keep just out of reach. It was as if it knew that they could sense it and was using its environment to keep them off.

"Isn't it cheating to manipulate the ball that way?" asked Harry as he realized that was what was going on.

"It would be if I was making it easier for me to catch. What are you complaining about?" replied his sister. They were shielded from the torrent and able to speak as they tore after the Snitch under the cover of the bleachers.

"I'm not," he smirked and narrowed his eyes as he focused on it and dodged around another of the heavy oak beams. "Still, I hope you don't think I'm seriously going to let you keep doing this until Draco puts enough points up that I won't be able to catch it." He waved his hand at her.

Anna was a little surprised as the front end of her broom was jolted a bit. She was aiming right at one of the support beams and forced to correct herself. "What? N...no." Her eyes went wide as she realized what had happened. He had spoken to her and broken her concentration by giving her broom a push and it was enough to allow the ball to break free of her control.

Harry pulled up and kicked off the top end of the bleachers and over onto the field. The Snitch had passed between the opening between the seats and the footwells. He dove down only a few inches over the heads of the spectators and snatched it out of the air.

Anna came over the top of the bleachers just in time to witness this. She had a rather slack jawed expression as she sat there in the rain and looked on as he held it up to show it to her with a grin on his face. "Sorry, not this year, Anna."

She got a rather unusual look in here eyes and cracked a rather unpleasant looking grin. "No, I suppose not."

Her brother went down to where his own team was cheering and landed amongst them.

Anna growled and balled up her fist as she looked over at where her own team was gathering. They were all scowling at her. Snape was with them and didn't look any happier.

She landed next to the teacher and he opened his mouth.

"If know anyone else who has any hope of beating my brother, feel free to replace me," she hissed as she scowled at him.

"Watch your tone, Potter," he growled. He kept it at that and the team started slogging off towards the locker room in the torrential downpour.

Gryffindor was doing the same, but looked much more cheerful.

Draco Malfoy hung back and narrowed his eyes at her. He didn't look angry, but no one noticed. "Oh, shit," he muttered to himself under his breath.

OooOOooOO

Snape scowled as he stood in the doorway to the locker rooms. He had his arms crossed, and his team was looking tired and displeased as they moved by him into the room. She was silent and had a firm scowl on her face. "You failed."

"I noticed," she hissed in reply. The girl didn't look at him and pushed the door open to the locker room as she brushed past. He followed her inside looking very displeased. There was a separate room for the female team members to change and shower, but there was always a team meeting after the matches that was held in the boys side. Draco gave a snort as he walked in after her. He was hanging back and didn't look like he wanted to speak.

Snape narrowed his eyes at that. He knew the boy didn't like her and it seemed unusual that he wouldn't say anything.

"Nice job, Potter," grumbled one of his fellow chasers.

Draco sucked in a quick breath and looked at the boy with his lips growing tight.

The redhead stood in the middle of the locker room. Most of the team was looking at her with frowns and it was obvious she would be taking the blame. She didn't look sad or sorry. Her fists were balled up and they stood around her in a group. Snape was by the doorway looking on, and none of them would dare try anything while he was there. The teacher spoke up and looked at her. "Anything to say, Potter?"

She had her eyes turned down and her fists became white knuckled as she clenched them even harder. "Heh. He beat me. I didn't think he had become so strong." He beat her in training sometimes, but she never lost when it counted. Not once had she allowed it. "I never expected..." Her voice wavered a little. "I will make him pay!" she snarled as she glared up at her teammates. She raised her hands and screamed in anger. "That weak little jerk actually beat me! I don't fucking believe it!"

The team and the teacher jumped as every locker in the room burst open. The contents of each metal bin shooting out as if fired from an air cannon. The metal was crushed as the huge metal lockers bent and twisted creating jagged looking hunks of metal not dissimilar from a wrecked car. Energy crackled across the surfaces of the destroyed bins as the boys all moved towards the showers and away from the remains of the lockers that had once housed their belongings.

Anna gasped and relaxed. Draco and Snape were the only ones who didn't back away. The teacher was far enough away that he wasn't affected, and Draco simply stood with his arms crossed and ignored it.

"Potter!" Snarled the teacher as he took a step forward. "You've damaged Hogwarts property! This won't be tolerated! I..."

"Don't touch her," Draco put his arm on the teacher's shoulder. The man looked annoyed, but the boy didn't let him go and held him back gently. Malfoy looked at the redhead. "I suggest you stop this little tantrum. You're just going to make it worse."

Anna nodded and took controlled breaths for a moment. The lockers bent back into shape, and the team's belongings all flew back into their proper storage bins. She relaxed and her shoulders slumped. "Yes. You're right of course." She looked at him with a smirk on her face. Her eyes had changed. He'd seen it in fleeting glimpses before, but the yellow and orange irises had a dark rage burning in them despite the rest of her face seeming cheerful.

The boy got wide eyed and took a step back as he released the teacher. "Y-yeah." Snape narrowed his eyes at it but remained silent and looked towards the girl again. The man noticed that Malfoy had gone a little pale. The other students were all calm and looking on from just outside the showers in a huddled group. None of them looked particularly afraid, but they weren't getting any closer to the redhead than they had to be.

Michale Cretus narrowed his eyes and whispered under his breath. "Did you fucking see that? What in Merlin's name was that?"

"Shut up," growled Flint. He looked towards Snape, and was as eager as the rest of the team for the meeting to be over. She would go to her own side of the locker rooms and they could change in peace when it was.

"I've seen enough." Snape looked around and inspected the lockers. Despite the shape they'd been put in by her little outburst they seemed no worse than before. "Get changed and go about your business. I'm sure you all know I'm not pleased. You should all know what to expect." The team would be running itself into the ground during practice and taking extra time on the field until he was satisfied. That would take quite a while, especially with a loss to Gryffindor. The man turned and left the room.

Anna frowned at him and followed after sending a wave of relief through the team.

"What the hell was that?" growled one of the chasers. "Did you see that? She destroyed these things, and they look..." He knocked the door to his locker as if to be sure it was really intact.

Draco frowned at him. The feeling of hostility towards the girl wasn't gone, but there was no way anyone in the room was going to bother her over the loss after that. "I don't like it. I've never seen her do anything like that before."

Flint gave a snort. "Aren't you the same? What with that wand and all?"

The blond boy glanced over at him. "I don't think you realize just how much danger we were just in. She blew her top."

Michale narrowed his eyes and shoved Draco's shoulder. "Come off it. That brat was just showing off."

The youngest chaser pushed his hand off. "If you say so. I don't recommend bothering her for a while." He'd seen those eyes before, and it gave him a chill. "I'm not going anywhere near her if I can help it until she gets that look out of her eyes."

Cretus shook his head. "I suppose I can't argue. I'll be glad when the Dark Lord gets rid of them for us. I doubt anyone else will manage to get rid of that little tart."

Flint chuckled at that. "Finally figured that out did you? I certainly won't be bothered with it. I owe her enough to leave her alone, but I don't like her any more than you do either. I'm also not dumb enough to try anything. You're lucky she's been so easy on you. I think it's only because you're on the team."

Michale scowled at that, but simply tossed a towel over his shoulder and moved towards the showers.

OooOOooOO

Draco Malfoy froze after he walked out of the locker room. He was usually the last to leave as he took a bit of time to meditate after matches on one of the benches in the locker area. As soon as he took three steps out of the door he went rigid. His head cocked back a little. "Potter. Wasn't expecting to find you here." He turned his gaze forward again. He hadn't seen her but he knew she was right behind him leaning against the wall. "You should be more careful. Professor Snape wasn't pleased, and I don't mean losing tha..."

"The time for caution is over." The girl was right behind him and he could no longer speak. He was gasping but not choking. "Don't call me 'Potter' again." She grabbed him by his throat and pushed him against the wall. Her orange and yellow eyes had not faded away as they usually did. She lifted him up by his neck against the bricks and looked into his eyes. Her expression was calm and her tone even. "My name, is Darth Vader. Annabelle Potter, does not exist anymore. She has been destroyed just as I told you she would be." She gave him a most unpleasant looking grin. "Everything is going as I have foreseen it."

He could speak and wasn't choking. He was far from comfortable, but most of his weight was being put on his collar bone and shoulders rather than his neck. "Whatever you say, Master."

"I wasn't expecting him to be so strong this soon. Our plans are moving forward ahead of schedule." She let him slide down the wall and turned away from him.

The boy nodded once. His lips were pressed together and he was starting to form a cold sweat. His hands were shaking and he put them behind his back and clenched them together to steady them. "What do you need me to do?"

She seemed to regard him for a moment and cocked her head. Her hand came up and brushed off his shoulder. "I'll inform you when the time comes. Be ready. We cannot delay any longer. Harry Potter must be destroyed before he can become any more powerful. Our time has come, my young apprentice."

He hung his head. He should have been happy to hear that. "Yes, Master." His terror was overshadowing any pleasure he might have taken from that news.

She turned away and walked off leaving him leaning against the wall. "You'd better be prepared. Don't expect to remain here when this is finished." A cruel smirk formed on her face. It would be interesting to train him and pit him against Rage and see which one would end up her apprentice. She was hoping that it would remain a mystery which one would actually end up at her side in the end.

Draco looked on as she left. After she was out of sight, he slumped down on his rear, clutched his shoulders, and sobbed as he rubbed at his arms and shivered.

OooOOooOO

Anna Potter stood in the shadows outside of Gryffindor's painting. It was a long break between classes, and he was standing in front of the common area talking to his friends. Hermione looked skeptical, and Ron was grinning and talking as much with his body as his mouth. Harry was clearly amused and enjoying himself.

She simply glared at him with a scowl on her face from the shadows. He had no idea she was nearby. "There you are. It's a shame I can't keep you. My new toy will just have to do." She cocked her head. "Malfoy."

He stepped out of the shadows behind her and moved up to behind her on her right side. "Yes, Master?"

"Harry Potter must not survive the year. It is almost complete, only one piece remains. Unfortunate he wasn't viable, pathetic creature."

"I always knew he was soft," muttered the blond boy.

"Don't be stupid. Harry turned out superbly. I was talking about that idiot Voldemort. He's already undone himself though he does not know it. There is a powerful rival for me now." She narrowed her eyes at him and frowned a bit. "I cannot reach her now, but I must destroy her. She is truly dangerous."

Malfoy looked confused. "What?"

"I trained him when I trained my brother. The connection he has with my brother through the scar gave him an understanding of the Force. Though, he is pitiful at wielding it. It gave him the ability to become a powerful Sith, but not enough of the knowledge he needed. It came to him in spurts and flashes, Harry was trained properly. The one I speak of endures. She is becoming very strong. She has an unusually potent natural ability, or something else that made her connection to the Force grow very quickly."

"Rage," growled Malfoy under his breath.

Anna smirked at that. "Don't be silly. She is a rival for you. She couldn't touch me as I am now. I would destroy her with impunity. I might, but it may be best to let you have her. It will be dangerous enough to be useful in honing your skills."

"Why train him? It would be much easier to destroy him now if you had not." The boy frowned. "You told me you've always known he had to be killed."

The look she was giving him faded as he added the last part. "To give him a fighting chance. He is my brother after all. It must be done, but...even I had a heart once."

Malfoy nodded and still didn't seem to understand. He realized it was probably a bad idea to run his mouth. She was like she was in the dreams now. Her voice was cold and hard, but barely a whisper. Her eyes a reddish orange in color, and a small frown on her face. Her gaze was a steady and maddening glare.

The truth was he'd only been attacked by 'Freddy' two times in his dreams. The third time he dreamed of his tormentor he introduced himself as Darth Vader and his training began. Eventually it revealed itself as the redhead before him, but she never seemed aware of it when she was awake. That had changed recently and she appeared aware in small flashes that faded away. This time was different, this time it wasn't going away.

"It's time to go. Soon it will begin." The girl turned away and started walking towards the Slytherin dorms.

"I could..." started Malfoy.

"Don't even suggest it. I warn you. You are nothing to Harry Potter. He would destroy you, and you would be nothing to me but wasted effort and disappointment. Stay away from him." She started walking again. "I trained him for several years. Don't take my command lightly, or I won't have to bother with punishing you myself at the least."

Draco hung his head and glanced back at the Potter boy. "Yes, Master."

"Come on, there is nothing more of interest here." Anna cocked her head. "Don't mess with the Granger girl. She's probably going to be with my brother in the evenings. The Weasley boy as well. They'll likely use their dreams as a meeting ground. She's also observant enough to be dangerous. She's likely to remember things others might not even under duress."

"I'm to hunt in Gryffindor tonight?" he asked as he nodded. "I'm not afraid of them."

She paused in her stroll and hissed at him. "I'm not going to have you taking needless risks. My brother may not be fooled by Freddy. I've been avoiding him and his friends deliberately. He's too connected to us, and it's best if he doesn't know what is going on yet. It will make him easier to trap if he's not expecting it."

Malfoy nodded. "I think that he is but he just doesn't want to say it."

The girl glared at the floor. "You may be right about that. He's getting suspicious of me. I must act soon but we are not ready yet. It will be done before the holiday. In order to end this he has to die. I'm of no mind to drag it out any further than I have too."

Draco scowled at that. "Forgive me, Master, but..."

"No. I will do what I must." She put up her hand and glared at him. He sputtered for a moment and fell to his knees with his face becoming red as his breathing stopped as her patience with him finally wore out. "I do not enjoy the thought of killing my own brother. I have no illusions that it must not be done. If I do not destroy him, he will destroy me." The Slytherin boy coughed and gasped as she released him. "Get to class. I don't want to be seen around you yet."

He nodded and staggered away. She was more patient with him than she was in the dreams, but probably only because of the proximity to her brother. He shivered and a look of horror crossed his features. The horrible nightmares had come to life. That thing was really there in Hogwarts now. Anna as he had known her was gone, nothing but a mask for it to hide behind. He was its right hand and that terrified him. He hated that thing, beyond anything else in the world he hated it. He wanted to destroy it, end it for good. Unfortunately, he was also aware that was exactly what it wanted from him. "Someday, Potter. I will destroy you."

Anna strolled down an empty hall with a cruel smirk on her face. "I hope you survive long enough to try at least once." He couldn't hear her, but she knew a little chill had run down his spine as she said it.

OooOOooOO

In the evening a few nights later, two cloaked figures stood in an empty hallway on the top floor of Hogwarts. One dropped a vial of thick green liquid onto the floor and a cloud of thick green gas began to flow from the puddle on the floor and spread across the ground. The pair was above the vapors and kept their heads held low as they stood and watched it spread. "The house heads will be contained for about four hours. It will take at least that long for Professor Snape to brew up the counter for the barriers. I wouldn't count on it taking him very long in figuring out what it is. Dumbledore may be able to brew the counter as well, but he may have to wait for Snape. His talent is in charms, and there are no charms or incantations that will break the barrier. It's a trap with only one solution."

The other figure snorted. "I see. So, the time has come." Draco lifted his eyes to glare at her. "I know my role. It feels good to finally strike."

"You will learn patience. When we are finished here we won't be remaining at Hogwarts. I'm hoping you're at least smart enough to realize that." Anna scowled back at him. He was upset, and had wanted to kill Harry himself. It was something of a personal goal to prove he was better by doing it himself. "We will see about eliminating Voldemort. After my brother is dead we will leave immediately. Once the pathetic creature is destroyed we'll be disappearing for a time. You're not strong enough to be of much use yet, and it will take time for us to gain the strength to destroy the Ministry."

Draco's face remained stern. "Yes, master." He didn't dare voice his objection to that. It wasn't something he wanted to do, but it had become abundantly obvious since the girl lost her match against her brother that he had no choice in the matter.

"Repeat your orders. I want to be sure you don't screw this up. We'll only have one shot at it. My brother won't be effected by this potion. I was able to use one of his hairs to make its effects ignore him." Anna looked away from him and snarled with a barely held back rage. "It also won't work on anyone older than a fourth year and even a few fourth years will be immune depending on their age. It took me a month to brew this up."

"I'm to keep the students busy and make sure they are running about and in chaos. I am not to kill anyone at any time. Only your brother is to die." He hung his head. "Master, I'm confused by this. We're both committing murder by doing this to begin with. What do we care if there are one or two more?" Draco stepped back as she turned her head to look at him.

Anna considered it for a moment. He didn't seem to be trying to get out of what he'd been told to do. "Yes. I have an excuse for Harry's death. One the Ministry will be unable to ignore. We'll be able to use that to defend ourselves in litigation. It won't get us off, but it will lighten our sentence considerably. A few years in Azkaban will be good for the two of us. We'll both be much stronger when we are released. The wizards will be crushed, and we will begin to show these pitiful fools what true power is. They will all kneel before us. We will evade the Ministry for a time, and turn ourselves over when I think we should. We have a few loose ends to tie up before we can allow that to happen. You wouldn't last long in that place as you are now, but you're not too far off." She arched her eyebrow as she appraised him for a moment.

Malfoy looked even more confused and had lost a bit of color. "Excuse?"

"Don't expect me to explain much to you, Apprentice. Sith become strong by surviving their training. If you cannot adapt you will be destroyed. That is, if I don't tire of your questions first." She scowled back at him and began to walk forward through the green mist.

The boy nodded and bent down on his knees. He breathed in deeply taking in the vapors from the concoction and slumped down on the floor. The young Malfoy had a cruel looking grin on his face as his eyes began to close. "Heh. I've been looking forward to this."

OooOOooOO

Harry Potter sat up and gasped. There was an unusual haze in the room and an odd smell. He wasn't having any trouble breathing and rubbed at his eyes a bit. "Huh? I sense a disturbance..." He put his legs over the edge of the bed and frowned. He couldn't see his feet because some sort of thick green vapor was covering the floor. It didn't hurt his feet and swirled about. "What the?" He put on his glasses and looked around. The beds nearby were empty. "Something is going on?"

His frown deepened as he noticed Ron's bed was empty as well. "I don't sense they are in danger, but..." He was confused and stood up. His wand floated over to his hand and he walked down the stairs. Whatever the green gas was, it was magical in nature. It was flowing up the stairs and from the main common area.

"Potter!" called a familiar voice. Percy Weasley was flicking his wand and tossing a stunning spell into the chest of a second year girl. "Stupify!" She took a staggering step back but continued towards him. There were about eight older students there with him being herded against the wall by the younger students. They managed to shove the underclassmen back a few inches and little more. Whatever it was that was done to them was also shielding them from charms and made them difficult to move with physical force.

"What is this? What's wrong with them?" grumbled Oliver Wood. There was a group of older students standing in the corner of the room. They were surrounded by younger students who were groaning and walking about with their arms up.

"It's like they're zombies," growled a dark haired fifth year girl. "Oi! Harry! A little help here!"

"More like sleepwalking," grumbled Fred.

"He's right, they aren't undead," agreed George. "Hey, it is Harry!"

The Boy Who Lived strolled through a few younger students milling about the middle of the room and they ignored him. They were boxing in the older students, but weren't doing anymore than keeping them contained. "What's going on here? What's happened to them?"

"We're not sure. Most of the older students are stuck upstairs. They're blocking off the stairwell as well. We managed to get by before they blocked the way completely, but now we're stuck here. They won't let us by and we can't get around them. Nothing we've tried has worked." Percy looked frustrated. "They've been shielded somehow against charms and incantations."

"That's really odd," commented Harry as he realized he wasn't being obstructed. He walked around a second year girl with blond hair and pigtails and looked her up and down. He almost jumped out of his skin and backed away as she screamed in what looked like complete terror and put her arms up as if to shield herself. She was thrown off her feet by seemingly nothing and ended up writhing about in the green mist.

Harry went over to her side and looked confused and horrified. She was in horrible pain and very frightened. "What is this?"

"Damn, another one," growled Oliver.

"We've seen two others go down like that," said George.

Fred gave a nod. "I think we've heard a few screams in the hallway as well, but we can't be sure. Not everyone is accounted for."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Hey, anyone else notice they aren't bothering Harry?"

A fifth year girl with short cut blond hair gave a nod. "He's right."

"I'm a bit confused," muttered the youngest boy awake. The girl had calmed and was sleeping peacefully again. She stood up and resumed wandering about like a zombie. "Anyone have any idea what is going on here?"

"Afraid not," said Percy. "It's disturbing, but I don't think anyone has been hurt."

Oliver looked a bit panicked. "This is very weird, even for Hogwarts."

Harry looked at his wand. "I think it's deliberate as well. Someone planned this."

"Why isn't he like the rest of them though? These are all younger students. I've not seen anyone yet who isn't a fourth year or older who is still awake," said sixth year boy Harry hadn't really met before. He had blue eyes, brown hair, and was a bit on the hefty side.

"I'm pretty sure there's nothing I can do to get you out of there. If you haven't been able to stun them, I doubt I can do much." Harry seemed to ignore him but took note of that. "This is probably another stupid trap for me."

Percy frowned at him. "Great. Potter, stay put. This is bad enough."

The boy shook his head. "I'm going to see if I can find Professor McGonagall, or Professor Dumbledore. They're ignoring me."

"This is probably meant to get you on your own," said Percy with a firm scowl.

"I know," replied the boy simply. "Still, I'm not so sure we can just wait this out. We don't know what's going on."

"I'll stun you," growled Percy.

"He's right, Harry." Oliver was worried as well, and not just because of his hopes for the Quidditch team that year either.

"Sorry, but I think it's best that I try and find a teacher since they seem to be ignoring me. If this is a trap, then I could be putting all of you in danger by staying here. Anyone strong enough to do something like this..." Harry started towards the exit.

"If you walk out that door it's twenty points, Potter!" warned the eldest Weasley.

"Hey! Come on now!" cried Fred and George together.

Harry gave a small sigh. "I'm afraid I'm willing to accept that."

"Don't you dare! Stupefy!" cried Percy as he pointed his wand at the boy.

Harry's lightsaber came on and the older boy took his own spell in the chest and stiffened up. "Sorry, Percy."

"Harry! Harry, get back here!" cried Oliver. The short haired blonde girl tapped Percy's forehead to release him from the spell.

OooOOooOO

Harry's breath was harsh as he walked into the Great Hall. He hadn't been able to reach any of the faculty. They were all just a stuck as the older students by the zombified sleepwalking students that filled the halls. He probably could have managed to get past them with a bit of effort, but they were obviously creating a clear path for him to follow. He jogged through the halls and scowled as he realized that they were directing him to the Great Hall.

The doors closed behind him but he paid it no attention. He walked between the house tables towards the front of the room where the faculty sat. "Anna."

She was sitting on the far left side of the raised platform with her back to the wall and her leg hanging over the stage. She had her head hung low and her hair was hanging from a hood that covered all but her jaw. The girl had a mad grin on her face as she sang. "Sweet dreams are made of these. Who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas, everybody's looking for something." She stood up and dusted herself off as she turned to face him. "Some of them want to use you, some of them want to be used by you." Her lightsaber came to life in her grip. "Some of them want to abuse you, some of them want to be abused."

"Anna, what are you doing? What is this? What in Merlin's name is going on here?" said the boy with a frown on his face. "What happened to you?"

"The Force is with you, Harry Potter, but you are not a Jedi yet." She looked up at him with her orange irises without raising her head all the way. It was the most menacing he'd ever seen her look.

"Anna! Stop this! Do you have any idea..." started the boy as his temper rose.

"Of course I do, and stop calling me Anna. You know who I am." The corners of her lips turned up as she kept her glare steady. "That name, no longer has any meaning to me."

He ignited his blade and held it up in a defensive posture. "That's a lie and you know it."

She spread her feet and took up an offensive stance. "You will be destroyed. There is no other option."

"What are you talking about? What about that future we both wanted?" His fear surged up inside him.

The girl snorted. "There is no future where we both survive." She jumped forward. "I will not be denied mine by such pitiful attachments. A lesson I have learned well."

Harry raised his weapon and defended himself. She pushed against his weapon and snarled at him with a rage he'd never seen from her before. Hatred and anger were pouring off of her in waves. It was almost as much pressure as her weapon. He shoved back and she landed a short distance back. "Don't do this. Let's talk about this. What you're doing is crazy, Anna. There is no good end to this."

"Yes. Trying to stall me by talking? Hoping someone else will arrive to provide help? Dumbledore perhaps?" She wagged her finger from side to side. "Really, Harry. Don't forget who taught you about negotiation. I'm afraid this conversation is moving up to aggressive negotiation."

The boy narrowed his eyes. "This doesn't make sense, Anna. This is a bad position for you and you know it. Killing me at Hogwarts? Do you realize what will happen if you do something like that?"

She narrowed her eyes a little. "Oh. You mean the Ministry? I'm afraid I've got that end covered. You see, I've been planning this for a while now. You beating me at Quidditch just bumped my time table a little."

"What do you mean?" he looked confused and upset. "You did this because you're mad you lost at Quidditch?"

She swung her hips and moved a little closer. "Well, I was a little upset about my loss. Anger is useful to me after all. I do know patience though, and I may have given you a bit too much. When I lost that match I realized just how strong you have become. I cannot wait any longer. I must destroy you now, or I may never have another opportunity to do it."

"Why would you want to?" he looked shocked. "Anna, you don't have to do this. Stop it."

"Don't play stupid with me. Don't think I didn't realize you knew that it would end this way. I know what you've been feeling. I know why you've closed off and retreated to your dreams as of late. You knew this was coming. You saw all the signs and ignored them. Now, you'll pay the price." She twisted her weapon between her hands and it split into two light sabers. Both of them activated and she snarled at him. "No help is coming. The students are keeping the faculty distracted. The whole school is wandering about the school in a living dream, and keeping the adults contained. They won't hurt anyone, nor will they be harmed themselves. I do realize that the Ministry won't be so forgiving of that. Killing you? No, that they will forgive. You see, I know something you don't. I know how that sick leech Voldemort learned of the Force. He learned it from you." She pointed one of her weapons at him.

"I can't let you do this, Anna. I have to stop you." He pulled out his own lightsaber and held it upright in a defensive stance.

"I already know that, Padawan. It is already too late," she replied simply. "If you don't destroy me, then you will be destroyed." She charged him again without a hint of hesitation.

The boy hacked at her weapon and they slashed in close proximity for a short time, each blocking the other. He pushed off a forceful strike and landed on top of his own house table. He looked down at her and kept his eyes on her as she hopped up with him outside of his weapon range. "Learned your lesson about trying to take the high ground have you?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You could say that."

He nodded once and lifted his weapon upright. "I see. This is how it's going to be then."

Anna's stare hardened and her mouth opened a little. Her lips turned up again into a cruel smile. "I didn't expect you to let go so easily. I commend you, but it will not change the outcome. I will destroy you just as I have foreseen."

The boy had calmed himself and his breath became even. His eyes glazed over a bit and a tear fell down his cheek. "I don't intend to die. I will stop you."

The redhead nodded. "Good. Come Padawan. It's time you learned the difference between a Jedi student and a Sith Lord." She raised her hand and electric energy shot from her fingers.

Harry flipped out of the way and landed a few seats back. He parried the remains of her attack with his weapon and set himself again. The pair rushed towards each other and ended up colliding on the center of the table.

OooOOooOO

Freddy Kruger loomed over the students of Hogwarts. He stood on top of a pile of wrecked cars. A large junk yard with a red haze to the sky was the dreamscape before them. The group was wide eyed with terror. He raised his claw and spread his fingers. "Heh. You think it matters that you've managed to find me? Think that working together will help you?" He glared at them and put his leg up on the roof of the car he was standing on, resting his forearm across it as he tipped back his hat. "You don't seem to understand. This isn't your dream anymore. It's my Nightmare. You can't hurt me, and you'll all die. I'll just keep picking you off one by one. We'll make a night of it, it'll be fun."

There were about forty students gathered around, and more joined with each passing moment as he spoke out to the crowd.

He gave them a dark looking grin. "Well, that's everyone that's left anyway." The student crowd backed away from his perch a little. There were soft muffled screams coming from inside most of the cars. Wide eyed expressions of shock and cries of shock and horror echoed through the group of students as they looked on. Inside the vehicles were other students of their age group. Each one was bleeding and in agony as they beat against the dirty cracked windows. All at once they seemed to jerk back into the darkness of the empty cars and vanish reaching towards their fellow students and pleading for help. Freddy reared his head back and laughed as waves of terror filled the air from the horrified students. Many of them were in tears.

"Hey, asshole," said a lone voice from near the front of the crowd. "Why don't you come down here and say that to my face? It's easy to talk big from up there."

The thing looked down and saw a hat just like his cocked up to peer at him. Ron Weasley had his eyes narrowed and a scowl on his face.

"Ron! No!" gasped Hermione as her eyes went wide. She gripped his arm. "He's a demon, remember?"

The boy cocked his eyebrow and looked at her. "So what?"

She let his arm go and took a step back looking shocked as she realized he meant that.

"Well, Weasley. Got something to say?" asked the intimidating figure that loomed over him. The thing had jumped down about fifteen feet and landed right in front of him. Freddy wasn't a huge grown up, but he was much bigger than Ron.

"Not really." Ron lifted his arm and started firing into Freddy's chest with a pair of handguns with a scowl on his face.

The thing chuckled as it recovered from being backed into the wall of cars. The students had backed away from the scene and were giving it a lot of clearance. "Weren't you listening? You can't win. I'm a demon."

The redhead nodded and pointed his weapons again. "Yes. I know." He opened fire again and kept shooting. Freddy jerked and grunted in irritation, he lifted his hand and bullets bounced off his palm. Ron lowered his weapon and scowled. "I'm not afraid of you. You're not very impressive really. I've been to Hell and I've seen worse. I'm a bit of a demon hunter you see." He cocked his arm back and slugged the thing right across his jaw.

Freddy snarled and slashed at him, but Ron grabbed his arm and twisted it into an arm lock. He grabbed the base of the glove and ripped it off before twisting it around and stabbing the thing in the belly. The monster vanished and left the group standing alone in the junkyard.

There was a silence to the crowd as everyone looked at Ron with wide eyes. All the students were a bit pale, and most of them were in a small state of shock. He tipped his hat back and looked around. "We might as well just stand here. Wandering about won't do any good. It's a dream, so walking is kind of a waste of time. I doubt that killed him, but he's not happy."

"How did you do that?" mumbled Hermione as she backed away from him a little and put her finger up. She looked a bit numb.

Ron shrugged. "I've got him figured out. You can only hurt him if you're not afraid of him. Nasty bastard can still get you even then." He noticed a nick on his hand he'd gotten from the glove. "It's not as easy for him to do if you're not afraid of him. I think it weakens his power. Your fear makes it stronger." He looked over and frowned. "Isn't that right, Malfoy?"

Freddy was standing on top of another stack of cars with a scowl on his face. "You think it matters now? You're all going to stay right here for the rest of the night."

Hermione gasped. "Draco? You...you prick! You'll be expelled for this."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. That's part of her plan."

That got a confused reaction from most of the crowd.

Freddy stretched his arms and appeared to pop his back. "All you lot need to know is this. For tonight, you're all my personal toys. When you wake up tomorrow morning Harry Potter will be dead, and I'll be gone. Well out of your reach."

Ron and Hermione were both in shock. Neither one understood what was going on completely. "Someone is trying to kill Harry...again?" Hermione looked a little weary. "I suppose he'll be all right, but still. This worries me."

The redhead nodded. "Hey. I'll put up with this for the night if it means Draco will be gone forever starting tomorrow." He looked thoughtful. "Wonder who it is? He said 'she'."

"I'm not sure. I don't think any of the female teachers would kill Harry." Hermione seemed confused as well. "Maybe that, 'Rage' character he told us about."

Ron looked thoughtful. "He said she was pretty strong, and she hates him and his sister a whole lot."

Draco looked a bit irate. "It's Anna you idiots." Freddy had vanished. He was dressed in his school robes and had a slender metal object in his hand.

One of the Slytherin forth year boys got an angry look on his face. "Draco? You're doing this? You little bastard, when I wake up I'm going to..."

His head came off in a flash of red light and his body fell to the dirt. It was clawing at the ground without a head as it was dragged into one of the cars. "Every one of you I take makes me stronger." The bulk of the students backed away. Ron pushed Hermione behind him and tipped his hat back as he regarded the boy with a stern frown. "You just don't get it do you? Harry Potter is no longer her student. I am his replacement. I am her apprentice. All of this is her design. Darth Vader will destroy Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, and bring order to this galaxy."

Ron promptly shot him. Draco fell flat on his back and a cloud of dust was kicked up. The redhead just nodded. "I guess I'm just gonna have to kick your ass until you let us wake up then. He's the one keeping us here I'll bet. We make him uncomfortable enough and he'll let us go."

Draco kicked himself up and his lightsaber came on. "That won't be as easy as you make it sound, Weasley."

The boy cocked his eyebrow. "Not really. You see there are forty of us, and one of you. In case you haven't noticed yet, they aren't as nervous as they used to be."

The blond snarled as he looked around. A lot of the students were looking more angry than afraid and several were cracking their knuckles. "I see." His features calmed and he readied his weapon.

Ron shot him in the hand. The weapon clattered to the dust and the next thing the blond boy saw was a fist. "This is a dream. I've seen what Harry and Anna can do, but in this place I can do it too." He slugged the boy in his gut and sent him staggering back.

"Get him!" cried one of the nearby students. There was a battle cry from the rest as they rushed around the unfortunate blond.

OooOOooOO

Anna and Harry Potter were standing on the Slytherin table and hacking at each other as they moved back and forth across the surface. The table was cleared and they both spun in a display of speed and power. Anna was pounding against her brother's weapon. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before.

Harry jumped back and gasped. "You've gotten stronger." He was used to her using her speed and agility to keep him off balance. She'd never been able to overpower him before.

"Yes," she replied simply as she jumped at him with both weapons coming down in a heavy blow. He dashed to the side and hacked at her side, but it was blocked. She hadn't landed and was tossed through the window and onto the grounds outside. The glass had broken before she impacted it.

She landed lightly on the grass and frowned at him with her weapons in a tight grip. The air was being sucked out of the Great Hall and her brother was thrown off the top of the table and rolled across the ground about ten feet away from her.

He staggered to his feet and gasped for breath while holding his weapon in a defensive posture. "Come and get me then." He turned and ran into a side door of the school.

Anna looked on and strolled after him in a casual walk. "Very well."

OooOOooOO

"What happened? Where are we?" said Hermione as she clutched at her head.

Ron Weasley was standing next to her. They were standing in a hallway in the middle of the school. The redhead blinked as he looked at what was in his grip. He was holding Draco Malfoy by his shirt with his arm cocked back in a punch. "Huh?" He seemed to realize it all at once and gave the blond boy a sock across his jaw before dropping him. "I'm...I think we're near Professor Binns class." There were no other students around them at the time and the green haze on the floor was starting to clear up.

"Awful boy!" snapped Hermione as she kicked Draco in the ribs. He hadn't woken up and looked to be a bit uncomfortable.

"Hey, you hear that?" asked Ron as he cocked his head. "That sounds..."

Hermione gasped and got wide eyed. "Harry!" His wand made a very distinctive sound, and there were angry sounding flashes and pops ahead of them.

"Come on!" cried Ron as he seemed to realize the same thing.

OooOOooOO

Harry Potter frowned as he neared the top of a long stairwell. He needed to figure out what was wrong with his sister. He wasn't so sure he could take her alone if he couldn't either. He knew Dumbledore and the other House Heads were alive in the school somewhere, but they were stuck where they were for some reason. He needed to try and hold out until he had help to deal with her. She was much more powerful than she had ever been in the past. "Damn."

She was standing at the top of the stairs and frowning at him. "Going somewhere?" she asked him as her weapons came to life.

Harry set himself and frowned. He put up his weapon in front of himself. "Just trying to clear my head for a moment. Shall we continue?"

"Yes, lets do that," said his sister as she narrowed her eyes. She charged him and they clashed again on the stairs.

The boy was beaten relentlessly by her weapons as she spun and hacked at him with incredible force. She seemed immovable. He was able to defend himself, but his attack was limited.

The redhead backed off and gasped a little. "You've grown stronger than I imagined. A shame."

"Yes, it is," he replied as he realized she was getting a bit winded and he had at least a momentary advantage. He charged and attacked. Her weapons kept up with his and defended her from his strikes, but she was driven back.

After a moment they reached the top of the stairs and a long hallway. Anna jumped back into it and glared at him with a rage and anger in her eyes like he'd never seen. The boy felt a sadness on seeing it unlike any he'd ever felt. "Anna, please. Don't do this."

"It's too late," she replied simply.

"You know that's not true! Remember what happened before!" he cried at her with tears in his eyes.

"I cannot escape my destiny any more than you. You must be...destroyed." Her face hardened after a moment of sadness crossed her features. She stepped back and lowered her weapons.

Harry was ready for it though. The busts, vases, tables, and a suit of armor flew off of the sides of the hall and tossed themselves at him. He dodged and hacked his way through them without taking a hit. "That's not going to work, Anna!"

The girl backed through a door that lead to the outside and stepped onto a long stone bridge. It had a few craters inside of it and bits of rubble still littered across it. One of the balconies was half destroyed. It was the same bridge where her battle with Dracula had taken place.

Harry followed after her. He knew he couldn't escape. The door closed behind him and he readied his weapon.

"Don't worry. I'll destroy Voldemort when I'm finished with you," she said as she readied her weapons. "I'll let your friends live in peace as long as they don't try to avenge you."

Harry looked at the weapon in his hand. "You know that they would."

She gave a nod. "Unfortunately. I will give them the opportunity to let it go though."

"I can't let you do that." He glared at her and his grip loosened.

"Because you fear losing them?" she asked as she turned to face him with her side and held one of her weapons over her head and the other in front of her.

"No. It's because I know what you would do if I don't end this now," he replied simply. "I do not fear returning to the Force. I know they would be strong and give you quite a bit of trouble before they joined me. Not so horrible a fate."

Her stance relaxed a little. "I see. So be it, Jedi." She charged him.

The pair met in the center of the bridge and the loose debris fell off the edges and into the courtyard below as they impacted. The pair pounded and beat on the beams of light that they used to defend and attack with. Neither gave any ground and both were relentless and moved at impossible speed.

"Harry!" cried a familiar voice from behind them. Hermione ran out onto the bridge a little ways and Ron grabbed her arm to hold her back and away.

The boy ignored them. Anna tried to take advantage of what she thought would be a momentary lapse of concentration by him.

He turned and sidestepped her hacking strike and put his shoulder into her chest.

They both went still. Anna's weapons shut down and she leaned into him, grabbing him in a hug. "You..."

"Anna, I'm sorry." Her brother had his eyes closed and was in tears.

"Good job, Harry. I'm sorry. Forgive me," she whispered.

"Harry! No!" screamed Ron as he released the girl's arm and stepped towards him.

Hermione staggered forward looking horrified at what was in front of her. "No! No! Harry!"

The boy realized he felt numb and slumped down to his knees as his sister fell onto her back from his arms and died before she hit the ground. Her eyes were open and a tear fell down her cheek. It took him a moment to realize she had two wounds in her chest.

He looked down at his shirt and saw the red wound in the middle of his chest. His sister had stabbed him through the back after she had grabbed onto him. "I..." He looked up at his friends and fell onto his side as the world faded out of existence.

He heard the cries of his friends and felt one of them touch his shoulder before it all just vanished.

OooOOooOO

Harry Potter was on his back on a wooden floor. The sky overhead was pitch black with not a single star. There was light from a nearby lamppost and it flickered with several others. He groaned and sat up. "Oh. Where am I?" He looked around and scratched his head. "King's Cross?"

"No. This is the place between life and death," commented a familiar voice.

The boy jumped to his feet and spun around.

Anakin Skywalker was standing behind him. He looked as he did during the Clone Wars and smiled at the boy. "You did well, my Padwan."

"Anna?" he muttered in confusion. "Life and Death?" He looked confused and gasped. "You...you killed me? You brat!"

The man scowled at him. "Knock it off. It won't do any good to get upset about it now." She looked over and frowned. Sitting on a nearby bench was a crying baby. It was dirty and sickly looking and was sniffling quietly.

"Huh?" Her brother took notice of it and felt a surge of emotion. Anger, hatred, rage, he was pretty upset about being dead. He pushed it back and shook his head. "What? We...killed each other."

His sister turned to face him, looking as he knew her again. "Yes. You were the last Horcrux. Your scar specifically. To destroy him you had to die."

He gasped and looked at her with wide eyes. "What?" His eyes fell to the ground. "Then that prophecy was talking about you? You died too though...so..."

The redhead shook her head. "No, it speaks of you. I've become aware of something else. Something I must deal with. I shall not remain at your side long."

He looked annoyed but seemed to calm himself. "How? We're dead. Neither of us is going anywhere anymore."

She shook her head. "We have not yet returned to the Force."

"How are we going to get back then?" Harry cocked his eyebrow. "Last time I heard about dying it was made pretty clear that there's not really a way out of this, Anna. We stabbed each other through the heart and that's not just going to get better!" He was obviously still upset with her over his recent death. "You could have just told me about the Horcrux you know. I'm sure we..."

"Killing you was the only way to be rid of it. I knew I couldn't keep you from the start. It was a shame really. I didn't expect both of us to end up here, but it's a blessing in disguise. A silver lining I suppose." She glanced at him and gave a small sigh. She looked over at the child. "Unfortunate that I cannot leave him here as well."

"Huh?" Harry was confused and it lessened the effects of his temper. He had his arms crossed and didn't look very pleased with her. "What do you mean? Silver lining? Why can't you leave 'him' here?" He knew exactly what she meant by 'him'.

"Unlike Voldemort 'he' is not a foreign entity. He will always be a part of me. I cannot be rid of him any more than you could be rid of your own shadow. It may be hidden but it is always there." She sat down on the bench and flickered for a moment.

Harry gasped and looked on as a dark figure appeared seated where she was. He was clothed in black, electronics were present on his chest, and a dark helmet and mask covered his face. He looked cautious but the figure looked weary more than angry. "What difference does it make now? We're dead. How exactly do you plan on getting out of this anyway? There isn't really a way to fix it." He looked over his shoulder and frowned at the girl.

The dark figure vanished, leaving his sister seated on the bench this time. She seemed to cheer up. "Didn't think that dream was so literal. You of all people should know that death is not all powerful. It can be undone, though it's not usually recommended." She sighed and stood up dusting off her knees. "We've got no choice but to try. Voldemort isn't finished yet, and I cannot ignore what lies hidden in the darkness. There are dark times ahead for us both, but not so much that we should just give up on living now." Anna lifted her nose up and called into the air with her fists balled up at her side. "We challenge Death to a Rock off!"

Harry's face fell. "What? Are you joking? A rock off? Really?" He seemed a bit miffed at the idea. He paused as he realized he felt cold, and a tall cloaked figure appeared before them.

The specter pulled back his hood, revealing a bald head and white skin with an unpleasant looking grin on his face. He spoke in a thick Norwegian accent. "Very well. I accept."

The redhead glared at the being before them and Harry moved up to her side as she spoke to him. "If we win, you must take that pathetic piece of Voldemort to wherever it is he belongs, and you must also return us to life."

"If I win..." started Death.

"Then your souls are mine!" A ball of flames appeared before them and a red skinned demon glared at them.

Harry gasped. "That's..."

"Yes, as in that dream," replied his sister with a nod.

The boy looked confused and seemed to relax all at once. "This isn't going as I expected."

Anna was very peaceful and had a serious expression on her face. She looked at the demon and death without fear and straightened her posture. "Fine. No rematches. One song each, the best one wins. You can go first."

The Demon laughed and a guitar appeared in its claws. Several minor demons appeared around it and Death played bass on a large cello. The band belted out an uber hard metal song with amazing chord work. It was a supernatural force of music, extremely complex and difficult. It was masterfully played.

Anna and Harry stood and looked on. The boy looked at his sister. "That was something."

The redhead smiled and nodded. "You already know what to play, don't you?"

He frowned at her. "We're not supposed to..."

"...play it in concert or make a recording. Do you really think they'll be mad at us for using it to save our souls and give ourselves the chance to finish our own destiny?" finished his sister as guitars appeared on their shoulders.

Harry cocked his head and nodded. "Ah. I suppose you have a point. It's fun to play We might not get the chance again for a while."

"Isn't it though?" said the girl.

Anna and Harry Potter played the best song in the world. The demon snarled at them. "Be you angels?"

The twins smirked at him and continued to play. "Nay, we are but men, Rock!" Then went into their solo trance and Death hung his head. The demon and his band vanished in flames leaving them alone with the specter of death.

The tall pale hooded figure waved his hand and spoke with spite in his voice after they finished playing. "Come on then."

Harry glanced over his shoulder and noticed the baby was now gone. Nothing but wisps of smoke and a few glowing embers remained where it had been. "I see."

Anna looked over her shoulder and frowned at her brother. "Come on. Death is busy, and we don't want to be gone too long."

He looked up at her and nodded. "Right."

OooOOooOO

He saw white and his ears were ringing. A moment of fumbling and jerking about later and Harry Potter found himself looking on as Madam Pomphrey screamed bloody murder. McGonagal slumped to the floor in a dead faint, and Dumbledore stood looking on with his jaw hanging. "Merlin! It...cannot be!"

"Ouch," grumbled Anna as she kicked her legs over the side of her bed and hung her head. "Coming back from the dead is a bit unpleasant." She and her brother both looked a bit stiff.

Harry glanced back at her and frowned. "I hope you're over that."

She looked weary and gave a nod. "You've won. I now know I cannot remain a Sith." She lifted her eyes up to look at him. "Don't look at me that way. It was our destiny. You had to be destroyed. It was the only way."

He frowned at her. "You planned this."

"I knew I would face you one day, but what you faced was not an act," her eyes grew firm but remained clear. "I fell, again. A fool who was blind to my own weakness. My fear...consumed me." She shuddered and clutched at her arms. She sobbed. "All this, and I have learned nothing. Just as before, I walked into the darkness freely."

The boy looked saddened. "Anna...you."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I'm afraid I'm going to need an explanation for all this."

Anna nodded and hopped to her feet. She was looking better and seemed to loosen up a little. "Very well. Harry, come here."

"Huh?" he looked confused and stood up. "What is it? Shouldn't we just tell them?"

She took her wand from her robes and looked at it with a frown on her face. It fell apart and the crystal inside shattered as it hit the floor with the various parts of the weapon. She put her hand on her brother's shoulder and looked at him with a most serious expression. "Give me your lightsaber."

He looked reluctant, but something in her tone got to him. He took it from his side and handed it to her. "What are you doing? We've got to explain this."

She nodded. "Yes. I know. Kneel."

"Huh?" he cocked his head and glanced back at the confused teachers. Snape was standing behind it all, still not quite recovered from the shock of seeing the pair sit up. They both had holes burned into their chests and were quite dead. He had examined them both quite closely, and a bit of color was just starting to return to his face. The man had been silent, but had a lost look on his face up to that point.

"Just do it," she replied as she smiled at him in a genuine way. It confused him even more he'd not seen such a look from her in a long time. There was no anger or fear in her, only pride and a somber sort of joy and relief. He didn't feel threatened at all but seemed a bit reluctant and confused.

"Anna, are you all right? That was something, maybe you should..." She pushed on his shoulder and he fell to one knee.

"Shush," she replied as she stepped back and ignited the weapon in her hand. The blue blade hummed and she touched his shoulders with the tip. "Harry Potter, I confer unto you the rank of Jedi Knight. There is nothing more I can teach you. Your trials have been met, and your training under my guidance is now finished." She shut the weapon down and turned the hilt towards him. "Rise now, Jedi."

The boy took his weapon and scratched his head. "Um...what?"

"The time for us to part ways has come. I could not create a better trial for you than what has happened here. Goodbye, Harry." She turned towards Dumbledore and walked up to him. "I suppose we must have a talk then. Where is Malfoy?"

The old man gave a serious looking nod. "Yes. He has been taken into custody. We found him in the hall surrounded by some rather irate students. He is fortunate that a few of the prefects kept the others at bay so that he could be brought to the faculty. Though he did not escape without a few minor injuries. It was discovered he was posing as that monster and invading people's dreams. I'm afraid there will be a price payed here. This is no small matter."

The girl nodded as Snape walked up beside her. "Potter, you're in serious trouble." There was surprisingly little heat to his tone as he said it. He looked very somber, but also calm to a point that was unusual for him.

She glanced at him and felt her gut twist a little. It wasn't fear, but she knew she'd betrayed him as well. "I know. Malfoy is not to blame for this. I was the one who taught him how to do that, and I obviously brewed that sleeping potion. I am the true monster here. This was all my design and he is nothing more than my apprentice."

Dumbledore and Snape both paused and looked down at her.

"I'm very much aware of what this means for me." She stopped and kept her head low.

"You can expect to be confined and isolated. You are no longer free here, Potter," commented Snape with a snarl in his tone.

"Yes, I know," she responded as she followed them.

OooOOooOO

"You know this cannot go unpunished," Dumbledore had a grave frown on his face. It had been three hours since she had woken from the dead.

"We've got no choice in the matter," said Snape as he looked out the window with his arms crossed.

"Yes. I'm afraid once word of this spreads there is nothing we can do. It is already too late to bother with even an attempt to contain this matter," agreed the Headmaster.

Malfoy was scowling with his arms crossed as he glared at the redhead beside him. "A fine mess you've gotten us into."

"I am aware of that," she responded simply. "We are to be expelled."

The old man sat down and stroked his beard. "I'm afraid so."

"And taken into custody," responded a new voice. Rufus Scrigmour appeared in front of the fireplace and scowled at the girl. "Anna Potter, you are under arrest." Three Aurors appeared at his side through the flue system.

"On what charge?" asked a quiet and hissing voice. A short creature with a long nose and a sharp toothed grin appeared at the man's side. He had a briefcase, a powdered wig, and business suit on and looked up at the intimidating man.

"She has broken several laws. Attacking the minds of her fellow students, disrupting the entire school, and she no longer has the right to carry a wand." The man puffed out his chest.

"Since when is giving people nightmares a criminal offense? I'll wager you are guilty of that yourself, Auror. I've read the report. Disrupting classes is also not a criminal offense, and only the school has authority to punish that. She's committed no crimes, broken no wizarding law. You have nothing to charge her with. Whatever Hogwarts chooses to do will be enough, as she has only broken their rules and guidelines. The Ministry has no jurisdiction here. Touch her, and I'll rake you across the coals in litigation. I really hope you do." The Goblin lawyer leered at the man and turned away. He glanced back at his redheaded client. "I'll be in touch, call me if the situation changes."

She gave him a nod and looked at Scrimgour. The man was livid, but had lost a lot of his steam. Dumbledore sighed and nodded. "I'm afraid, Rufus, that he is correct. She has broken no wizarding laws here. It amounts to nothing more than a vicious prank, and Hogwarts alone has the authority to decide on her punishment. She will be expelled along with Mr. Malfoy."

"What?" snapped the blond boy with wide eyes as he started to stand up.

Anna jerked him down to his seat again. "Sit down and shut up."

He worked his jaw and looked at her in shock. "Expelled? Your plan failed. What do we do now?"

"That's right, and if you think I'm just letting you go you can forget it," she replied simply. She had a strange calm to her tone now. It was a little unnerving. "You are still my student. Unless you think you can have a go of it alone? How long do you really think you'll last, Malfoy?"

"I..." He hung his head and growled. "What are you doing? Do something."

Scrimgour grinned at him. "There's nothing she can do. Not going to be buying or talking her way out of it this time I'm afraid. Now, I'll be needing yer wand, miss. You aren't permitted to carry one as a minor unless you are attending wizarding school." He leered at her. "You may submit the proper paperwork to retrieve it once you've enrolled in another Academy. I'd suggest just buying another anyway as it will likely take several months to process."

"It was destroyed," said Dumbledore simply. "I have several witnesses that will testify to this, including myself."

Snape nodded. "Yes. She destroyed it for some reason when she woke up."

Anna looked up at him. "Malfoy, hand over your weapon."

"What?" gasped the boy. "I..."

She glared at him and frowned. "Do it. You do not need that weapon anymore."

He looked reluctant and pulled out his wand. "Yes...master." He was seething as he handed it over to the head Auror.

"If there is nothing else you have no business here. I gave people nightmares and you've got no case." She looked up at him and smirked. "We'll be meeting again, don't worry."

The overbearing man nodded. "Count on it." He turned and left.

Dumbledore stood up with his hands behind his back. "You will be returning home, the both of you. Neither one of you may return to Hogwarts. You will never be students here again. Any requests for enrollment will be denied."

Anna gave a simple nod. Draco looked mortified. "My father..." His face got dark. It wasn't like there was much the old man could do to him. Still, his family would be far from pleased, especially considering his company.

The redhead looked at him. "We'll be traveling to Wales. I've made arrangements there already. I expected to destroy him, and I had already made plans for after our expulsion. I failed, but my plans do not need to go to waste."

The old man narrowed his eyes at her. "Tell me what went on here. You thought you could get away with murdering your own brother here at Hogwarts?"

The girl gave a sad and almost wistful smile. "Harry Potter was the final Horcrux. I knew I would kill him one day. I've always known. I've pushed it away, tried to deny it, but the fear finally took me. I fell to the dark side, gave into my rage, and tried to destroy him. It was our destiny to destroy each other."

Dumbledore's frown deepened. "I see."

Snape frowned at that. "He's not dead."

"I noticed," replied the girl simply.

"You do realize this is no small matter. If you're traveling to Wales, I expect you'll be looking into Magecraft. It's different than wizarding in many ways. It's a life of servitude and hardship. You will be expected to use your gifts for the benefit of all mankind, but cannot reveal magic to the Muggles. It is thankless and difficult work, and you'll be contracted to do it for quite some time I'm afraid. If you were to graduate, you would be a member of the Mage's Guild, and you will be expected to act as such at all times until you have completed your term of service."

Anna gave him a genuine looking smile. "Yes. I'm very aware of that. It will be...surprisingly familiar to an old Jedi."

That caught both Snape and Dumbledore off guard. Each of them gave her an odd stare and settled back a bit. "I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean," commented Dumbledore after a long silence.

"Draco and I are going to pledge our service to the Mage's Guild. I have come to realize that my part in this fight is finished. I have done all I can to help my brother destroy him, and I cannot follow a personal vendetta, nor can I protect him. I must let him go. It is time." She hung her head a little as she said this. "I cannot remain here. It is time for me to part ways with Hogwarts and my brother. Draco will become my new Padawan." She glanced at him. "He doesn't have a choice in the matter. If I were to leave him on his own he'd either get himself killed, or become as dangerous as I was. I do hope you understand this at least. Once someone can take control of the Force it cannot be undone. Well, it can, but it takes a very long time, and several rather powerful Jedi. I'm afraid I have neither one on hand, yet."

Draco snorted. "Are you joking? Do you really think that I..."

"I'm not asking you. I said you are my student, and I am not letting you go. If you do not come with me you will be on your own. The Sith would see you destroyed, and my Brother and I will always be beyond you." The girl looked only half interested. "Your father won't be difficult to convince. He's aware of what his Master will do if you remain with your family. You've not been very secretive about what you really think of that pathetic meat puppet he's become. You're not safe there and you run your mouth too freely for him to think so."

The blond boy glared at her and hung his head. "Yes...master."

"Good," she responded. "I'll be seeing you soon enough."

Snape looked angry and had his arms crossed. "Potter, I don't think you understand the gravity of..."

"I am very well aware of what is happening. Must I really explain it? I have known I would not remain here for quite some time now. My leaving Hogwarts was inevitable, axiomatic. It is a facet of my destiny I could not change." She glanced at him and smirked. "You're a good man, one who realizes that he once was not. You've taken steps to correct it, but you feel it is your duty to not show it. I've come to admire and respect you in some ways. He will return. There is no preventing it, and you will think you should return to his side and do your duty to those you have sworn loyalty to. Don't go to him or he will read you as easily as I just have, and you will be killed instantly. At a distance you have some protection. Draw near to him, and he will know the real you in an instant and strike you down. Do not take my warning lightly, Professor, I do wish to see you again someday. You are no longer useful as a spy. Find other ways to make yourself useful."

The man's jaw was hanging and he had gone very pale. "Wh-what?"

Draco was looking up at him with wide eyes and a hanging jaw. "What are you babbling about? Professor Snape? Are you stupid?"

She glared at him. "You keep your mouth shut. Don't take me lightly on this."

Both adults gave a bit of a start as the boy went still and silent as he settled in his seat. "It had better be bloody worth it, Potter."

The girl smirked at him in a not so nice way. "Think you'll ever beat him without me? Come now Draco, it's not just fear that's keeping you in line. I'm not stupid."

The boy flushed and closed up tightly with his arms crossed. "Shut it, Potter. We're in it enough already."

Snape turned to the window to scowl at the grounds. "I'm not so sure I like the sound of this."

The old man nodded. "Indeed. Potter, you seem to have had all this planned. I'm not sure how much of it, but you had a hand in guiding these events to a certain conclusion. I'd like to know what that is."

Anna seemed to think on that and smiled at him with her eyes squinted a little. "Well, I am Salazar's Heir. I knew we'd never really see eye to eye. To put it simply, I'm going to change the world forever. The Force may be a mystical energy by nature, but it is not what you call magic. The Wizarding world has no claim to it, or the use of its power. I have no intention of handing it over, and intend to stake my claim to institutionalizing its use. I intend to start a new order, one that the Ministry of Magic and the Wizarding world have no say in. We are not using the same power, and you have no claim in dictating how we use it. We can handle that for ourselves. We have no intention of hiding from the world as the Wizards do, nor do we intend to drag Wizarding into the world with us."

Dumbledore stood up and narrowed his eyes at the scene. "I warn you. The Ministry will be keeping an eye on you. If what you say is true I'm afraid I cannot guarantee your safety. The Ministry will not take such a thing sitting down."

The girl smiled at him. "I am grateful, and I understand this must be done. I'm also not stupid. I have no intention of breaking any rules and falling into the hands of the Minsitry before the time is right. I assure you that I'll be irritating Scrimgour for quite some time in the future."

The old man leaned forward a little and seemed very serious. "You are treading a dangerous path. You speak of an offense that could well mean your execution."

Anna nodded. "It is one I must walk. I cannot prepare for what I must face here. Harry will be fine and his training is complete. I, on the other hand, have only begun ours." She glanced at Malfoy and gave him a smile unlike he'd seen directed at him from her before. "I have become aware of a threat beyond Voldemort. I must be ready for the next challenge, a darkness of his making that is beyond even him. She waits in the darkness, strong already, and growing more so with each passing day."

"Quit looking at me that way! It's disgusting!" he snapped.

"She?" growled Snape as he looked interested.

"I see only a shadow," responded the redhead. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "It cannot be ignored, and grows more clouded with time. The dark side is very strong with this one. I am not ready for it, but I must be when the time comes."

"Heh. Maybe I should join her then?" commented Draco.

Anna smirked at him. "She has already chosen another. You would only be used and destroyed."

He scowled at her and turned his head away.

"I see. Wales?" Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh.

"It suits its purpose," she replied simply. "I have not wasted my time here, but it is not my destiny to remain."

Snape snorted. "Destiny. A fine excuse."

Mrs. Warwick had entered the room during the conversation and was standing silently in the corner up to that point. "Then, I shall see you there when you arrive. Tell me one thing. Why did you do this?"

"Fear, anger, jealousy, take your pick. I am guilty of them all," she replied simply.

"Jealousy?" muttered Dumbledore.

"Of my brother of course, there are lots of reasons, but the big one is that I wanted to kill 'You Know Who' myself. It is ironic that my original motivation was to protect him from it. I see that is not my path now. It was never meant to be." She frowned and looked up at her divination tutor. "It was my destiny, and I could not escape it no matter how hard I tried." She hung her head. "I'll miss it here, but the Force has shown me the path I must walk."

Malfoy was getting upset. "What? That's all you've got to say?"

Mrs. Warwick gave a firm nod. "It is enough I suppose. I shall see you in Wales. I'm aware of where you'll be attending, and you can expect to see me there. We will continue our work there." She was very firm and wasn't really asking. She scowled at her student. "Expelled. Your parents will be beside themselves. I'm terribly disappointed, but your gift is too strong to go unchecked. I cannot abandon you. Though I would if the situation concerning your gifts was not so dour." The woman was not happy, but seemed to understand what she was saying on some level as well. More than the others in the room, but not so much as to forgive what she'd done either.

"What am I supposed to tell my parents?" growled Malfoy.

Anna looked at him and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm kind of wondering that myself." She looked at the adults. "It seems we'll have a bit of time to think about it. I imagine this involves a bit of paperwork."

"Not as much as you think," replied a familiar and stern voice from behind her.

Anna turned and cringed. "Oh. Hello, Mom."

Lucius Malfoy was beside her with a scowl of his own directed at her. "What have you done to my son?"

"Father, let her be. This was my doing," Malfoy didn't speak up for her sake, but rather his father's. He wanted the man to shut up and get him out of there. "I did it willingly."

The man turned his eyes on him. "Don't think I don't know that you're terrified of that girl. She made you do this. I know it."

Lily scowled at him for his remarks, but looked towards her daughter and didn't speak up. "Well, Anna. Care to explain this to us? I'm not so sure I should be angry with him for saying those things."

The girl swallowed and worked her mouth. "Um. Well. I know I killed Harry, but it's not like he stayed dead..."

"Did you do something to this boy?" she repeated the question in a simpler format.

"Well, yes. He's sort of my apprentice. I've been teaching him how to use his power, but we sort of got off on a bad trend..." She was very nervous and didn't look the woman in the eyes.

"A bad trend you say?" growled the woman. "You've been expelled from Hogwarts. I'd say it's a bit more than that."

The faculty were all keeping their distance and sitting around the edges of the room.

"Yes. Do tell," growled Lucius.

The girl gave a heavy sigh. "We gave the school bad dreams...and um...I plotted to kill my brother. Malfoy hates him, and well...I sort of forced him to be my apprentice. We made the students sleep walk to distract the faculty and put them into a dream world...where we um...tortured them. I used that to get Harry on his own, and we killed each other. Then some other stuff happened and we're not dead anymore."

"Why did you kill your brother? Wha? You and Harry get on famously! What were you thinking?" His mother was confused and on the edge of rage.

Anna looked at her. "Because, when he survived 'You Know Who's' curse, he became the final horcrux. Our enemy has no more left, and he has become vulnerable." She smirked for a moment as her expression became rather dark. Her face calmed and she looked a little downcast. "He cannot create another without at least one in place. He's died once already, and there isn't really anything left he can use as an anchor. Though he may still return he is but an empty shell. Don't think that means he is not still both powerful and dangerous. Harry will destroy him, but do not think it will happen without hardship. The way has been opened, and dark times draw near before that moment happens."

Lucius Malfoy went as white as a ghost. "What did you say?" He looked confused and surprised.

Dumbledore was wide eyed and standing at his desk. Snape had much the same reaction as Lucius. Mrs. Warwick let a small gasp escape her lips.

Lily looked around the room and seemed a bit confused. "What? What does that mean?"

"So, you destroyed your brother so that the prophecy could be completed. I cannot condone such an act, but I suppose that is as noble a reason as..." started Dumbledore.

Anna hung her head and balled up her fist. "No. I wanted to destroy him, and eliminate Voldemort myself. I had no such noble intentions. I was weak, and my fear took me as it did before. I became what I once was, and I cannot walk that path again. It is as dangerous for me to remain here as it would be for you to keep me. Leaving this place is not unexpected."

"What do you mean?" said her mother in confusion.

Dumbledore stood up. "I see. You do not know then."

"Know what?" said Lily as she glanced at him.

The girl looked up at her with a sad expression. "In my past life, I was not a very nice person. It was pretty bad."

"How bad?" asked her mother as she narrowed her eyes.

"I'm so not going there," replied her daughter with wide eyes.

Lily straightened up and brushed her hands off on her skirt. "I see."

"What the hell is that brat anyway?" snarled Lucius as he pointed at her. "I for one would very much like to hear what sort of person she 'used' to be."

Anna looked at Draco and frowned. The boy just nodded at her. Wherever it was she was going, he was tagging along for the ride. He had no illusions of trying to get out of it. It was too dangerous without her, but he wasn't so sure staying with her wasn't even more dangerous. He was going to have to calm his father down and talk him into it. He didn't think he'd have much trouble considering what he'd done to the man in the past. "Father, shut it. I hate to say this, but you're in over your head. She's not to be toyed with, and I'm not finished with her yet."

Lily narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Is that some kind of threat?"

He smirked at her with a dark look in his eyes. "No. I'm still her apprentice."

"Have you gone mad?" cried Lucius. "I won't stand for this! She's done enough damage! You are forbidden!"

Anna hung back and looked at the scene from her mother's grip. She'd moved a bit to close and the woman had the back of her neck in a somewhat uncomfortable grip. She said nothing and turned her eyes away.

Draco stood up. "I suppose this is goodbye to Hogwarts then. Just take me home. I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. I'm not giving up this kind of power and I don't care how much you don't like it. I'm going to finish this no matter what you say." He glanced at her. "Nothing to say, Master?"

"Like you have any choice in the matter," she replied simply. Her neck pinched painfully.

"Anna! You stop that this instant! Leave that boy alone!" cried her mother as she pulled her up to her side by the back of her neck.

She looked up at her mother and frowned. "If I do that he will die. I have as little choice in the matter as he does. He must be trained. It's too late for him to turn back. His life depends on it."

Lucius bowed his back. "So, it seems your daughter likes threats as well."

Malfoy frowned at him. "Didn't I tell you to shut up? She's talking about the others. There are more like us and I'm not strong enough to fight them alone. I'd only be killed, and they will kill us both if they can. With her, I can learn to fight them. There's nothing you can do but get in the way and die. Though, I doubt you'd go that far considering." He glared at the man. "You know what she's capable of. You've seen it yourself. Don't push this."

Lily took note of that and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lucius scowled at his son. "Watch yourself, boy."

"Yes. I have met one such person. I'm afraid in that regard he speaks the truth. It was not a pleasant meeting," said Dumbledore as walked around his desk and leaned against the edge. He looked at the children. "I do wish the both of you luck. Though I cannot change my decision, I cannot say that I do not have hope. Godspeed, the both of you."

"It's time for us to go," said Lily as she turned towards the fireplace. "You can expect your father to give you a good chewing out, and I'm far from finished with you myself young lady."

Anna decided silence was best and was tugged by her mother into position as she gripped a portkey in her hand from her pocket and apparated them both away.

The elder Malfoy took his son by his arm roughly. "We'll discuss this at home. I'd like to know what it is you plan to do after this. You seem to know quite a bit about that. That redheaded scab has been filling your head with ..."

Malfoy glared at his father from his grip with a smile on his face. It wasn't a pleasant look by any stretch. "Just take us home. I'll try to talk slow enough for you to understand what I told you earlier. I've got no choice but to follow her, and you can't do anything to stop it."

The pair vanished from the office leaving the faculty standing around the room.

"That worries me," commented Snape. "It seems unlike Lucius Malfoy to take such cheek from his son. I'm not entirely comfortable with what I just saw."

Mrs. Warwick nodded at that. "I'll be keeping an eye on that situation myself. I'll be collecting my things now as I've no reason to remain at Hogwarts. I will meet her in Wales and continue what I have started here."

Dumbledore was stroking his beard. "Severus, my old friend. I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree. However, there is little any of us can do. They are now beyond the scope of our influence."

Snape nodded and crossed his arms. "That may have been her plan from the start. I've little doubt Draco will remain her student."

The old man gave a sigh. "Perhaps it will do them both some good?"

"I worry more about what it could mean for the rest of us. You do realize just how powerful those two have become? The two of them managed to create a dreamworld and possess every student in the school at once. I'm sure there was a potion involved as well as this mysterious power, but that doesn't change what she and her rather surprising accomplice managed to pull off under our noses. I would also remind that barrier she managed to trap the House Heads in was no small matter. We would have been trapped for quite some time if I hadn't been able to brew up the counter. I doubt it was coincidental that the counter was a potion that took four hours to brew properly." Snape turned away and his cloak fluttered as he exited the room. Mrs. Warwick followed just after him.

Dumbledore rubbed at his temples and folded his hands on his desk. His face went rather vacant and he spoke out loud to himself. "Nor do I think it was coincidence that all the ingredients and equipment needed were on hand. I have a feeling I know what she intends to do. I do wish her the best of luck in finding her way." All he could do was hope and keep an eye on the situation. He was relieved that Mrs. Warwick would be following her. She was an old friend, and would gladly keep him informed about the pair. Anna in particular.

OooOOooOO

Harry Potter frowned as he looked out the window of Gryfindor Tower. He was resting against the sill and had his arm draped across one knee. No one bothered him, but Ron gave him a reassuring shake on his shoulder as he passed by. Anna was gone and out of his reach. It was kind of annoying as it had just gotten to the point where it might have been a lot more fun to be around her. It was a little depressing having her gone.

The boy wasn't really as upset as everyone seemed to think he was. It had gone rather well in his opinion. A lot of the students were understandably angry at her, as well as most of the teaching staff. They viewed it as justice that had been served. There was a wave of relief over Slytherin, though none of them would likely admit it. Everybody seemed to think he was the hero, and that he was upset with what had happened between them. That wasn't the case.

It did bother him that she'd killed him of course. However, considering she had also gotten him out of it he could be forgiving. He furrowed his brow and scowled. "Hmm. I'm not her student anymore so she can't get back at me that way. She's sneaky enough to have timed it this way on purpose." He had a feeling she knew she would eventually be leaving Hogwarts before she graduated. She'd hinted at it before but he didn't make the connection till after the fact.

The boy pushed off the window and headed towards the stairs to the dorms. "Well, that's just more time to plan then."

Hermione walked up and her face fell a little. "Huh? Are you all right? You're plotting revenge aren't you? I mean, sure she killed you, but she is your sister. I'm not saying don't get back at her, just don't get arrested, all right?"

He got a little wide eyed and opened his mouth. After a moment he closed it and looked thoughtful. "Well, actually I am plotting revenge. She turned me into a Togruta girl. I'm grateful for it on some level, but my professional pride won't stand for me putting up with it without some sort of payback." He narrowed his eyes.

The girl was thoroughly confused by this, considering she'd killed him it was odd that he'd suggest that the most grievous offense she'd committed was his dream form. She frowned at him as she realized he looked a little amused. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

He gave her a good natured grin. "That's a first."

She swatted his arm and seemed to think he was using humor to hide his feelings. "Quit being a jerk. It must be awful. Your own sister tried to kill you."

"I'm not really mad at her for killing me. It turns out that when 'You Know Who' failed to kill me he turned my scar into a Horcrux. It gave him some sort of psychic connection to me or something and made him stronger." He sighed and looked annoyed. "Anyway, the only way to get rid of it was for me to die. In other words, I had to die at least once to destroy 'You Know Who'. Otherwise the Horcrux in my scar would keep him from dying."

The girl worked her mouth open and closed. "Wait, what?" She scowled at him and shook her finger. "Don't you try and turn what that brat did into a good thing. She's perfectly awful. I don't like her." She looked confused again. "What's a Horcrux anyway?"

Harry nodded and ignored her last question. "Yes. I can understand that. Look, she got better and saved me in the end. It was because of her that we came back to life. In an odd way, this almost seemed planned. I don't think Darth Vader was the only one thinking about the future."

"You have completely lost me. I'm talking about your sister," she hung her head and drooped her arms a bit.

"Oh. So am I." He nodded and seemed cheerful. It was a little fun to tease her that way. He didn't want to overdo it. "Look. I know it's going to sound weird, but I'm not that mad at her. I'd rather be able to keep an eye on her, but I know her well enough to know she'll be all right. I'm not very worried about her to be honest. I..." He looked thoughtful. "I still believe in her. Despite everything. She has always come through in the end. Now if I can just get her to do it to begin with. I'm hoping she'll figure that out on her own. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's her plan."

She looked quite done with the subject. "You are so strange."

He shrugged and yawned. "Sorry. I'm going to get some sleep. We'll have the morning off, but afternoon classes will still be on. We've got Double Potions with Slytherin tomorrow afternoon."

That did little to help her mood. "Great."

OooOOooOO

Anna Potter was in her room, the door was closed and no sound was coming from inside. She'd not gotten to say goodbye to her brother or her friends. The two adults had berated and scolded her for the better part of two hours once they'd brought her home.

James was sitting on the couch running his hands through his hair. "Well, at least we know she'll be all right. It's not like she'll need to find work."

Lily scowled at him, but refrained from scolding him. He was trying to look at the bright side, and he was right about it. "I don't believe this. Expelled. She tortured the other students with some sort of...I don't know." She hung her head and looked at a large pile of angry letters from other parents from the school. "What happened? I never expected something like this." She started to cry and simply glared forward looking confused. "That blank stare she kept giving while we scolded her. It was like she couldn't even hear us." The girl had no reaction to her scolding at all. She seemed to just shut down and stood in silence without looking at either one of them.

Her father shook his wife by the shoulder and didn't know what to say. She'd answered them both when asked to respond. It was a quiet monotone voice and limited to short simple answers. "I don't know what to make of her. Why would she do something like this? I don't understand."

The girl's mother stood up, marched up to her daughter's bedroom door and pushed it open. "Why? Why did you do this?"

She was simply sitting cross legged in the middle of the room with her eyes closed. "I couldn't let it go. It was more important than you think." She opened her eyes and stood up to look at the woman. "Maybe you never will, but I cannot remain so near to him. I had to let him go, and it almost destroyed me." She cocked her head a little and frowned. "There is no explanation I can give for this that will satisfy you. I am sorry, but I cannot undo what I have done. I'm afraid I have nothing to say. It would be fruitless and lead only to frustration for both of us if I tried to explain further."

She looked confused and her face contorted. "This is about some boy?" She didn't look pleased.

"Your son. For a long time I have cared for him, raised him, and taught him. I couldn't let go, and it is time for us to part ways for a time. I could not change this." She seemed very calm and almost emotionless.

"So you killed him?!" cried her mother.

The girl looked up at her with the maddening calm she'd had since they had returned her home. "Yes. It was the only way to free us. Me from my fear, and him from his curse. I could no longer deny that he was ready."

The red haired woman looked frustrated. "What the hell does that mean, Annabelle?"

She sat back down and closed her eyes. "Only that sometimes Destiny cannot be changed. It does not matter how hard you try to fight it, or how badly you wish it would."

Her mother decided she'd had enough and slammed the door in her wake. Anna gave a heavy sigh and went back to her meditation. After a moment of restless sitting, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her tarot deck. On the top of the deck was death. The girl's eyes closed and she stood up and walked over to her dresser. She took a chain with a small cheap charm off of her neck and looked at it. It was the one Cedric had gotten her as a gift. She placed the chain and charm into her palm and put it inside a small jewelry box before carefully closing the lid. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to open it again. A tear ran down her face as she walked back and sat down in the middle of the floor to meditate again.

OooOOooOO

Harry Potter had an odd look on his face as he walked out of Honeydukes Sweets in Hogsmead. He paused outside the door to the shop and looked at the bag in his hand with one of his eyebrows arched.

Ron noticed it first. "What's up? Did you forget something?" Parvati was on his arm with a lollipop in her mouth. She looked interested, but not enough to speak up.

Hermione shrugged and grinned. "Well, we're still here and we've got plenty of time."

Neville, Margaret, Pansy, and Melvin were all behind them with smaller bags of their own. Margaret ignored the scene and called a bunny over. It consumed the children's bags and followed behind them looking pleased and alert to a disturbing level.

Harry shook his head and handed the bag over to the creature. It swallowed it whole with a great amount of vigor. "I've not forgotten anything."

Pansy cocked her eyebrow. "You've got an odd look on your face. What is it?"

The boy chuckled and scratched the back of his head with a blush on his face. "I just realized that I've just bought a bag of sweets to bring back to my son."

Hermione's face fell a little. "Huh?"

Harry blushed a bit more and looked down. "It's a bit strange. Not bad or anything, but I hadn't thought about it that way until now."

Parvati's expression mirrored Hermione's. "It should be a bit strange, you're fourteen."

The brunette girl nodded in agreement. "Yes. Exactly what I was thinking."

"I noticed," grumbled Harry as he shrank back a little.

Ron noticed the two girl's expressions sour a little. "You should stop talking now."

Margaret nodded. "It's good advice."

Harry composed himself and gave a small sigh. "Sorry, but you did ask."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and gave a short nod. "Fair enough."

Parvati wasn't that interested to begin with and was siding with her friend on the matter. She turned her nose up a little and moved off with Ron. The group followed after them.

"Now what?" asked Neville as his nerves started to calm a little. He had backed away from the scene rather quickly with Melvin.

The dark haired boy shrugged. He hadn't hung out with Neville before, but he seemed a decent enough fellow. He was a little weak kneed, but Harry seemed to have a high opinion of him. "Not sure. We've got the run of the place though."

The Boy Who Lived grinned back at them both. "Come on then. I'm sure we'll find something to do until we have to go back."

With that the group wandered into the street chatting and laughing together as they moved through the Wizarding town seemingly without a care in the world.

OooOOooOO

TBC...

Yes, Anna is going away for a bit.