So after a kiss goodbye Marvo headed down the corridor, towards nowhere in particular.

Niki was coming the opposite direction, heading towards Professor Grimalkin's office. She had to talk to him...apologise for missing the exams, beg (on bended knee, if necessary) to be able to take them... And try not to mention her father, if she could.

Marvo spots Niki and gives a weak Smile.

"Hello Niki. How are things? Not seen you around much today. All going well with Exams?"

She hated lying. But what else could she do? What else was there to do? If he offered sympathy, she'd burst into tears again, and that would be humiliating. No, best to offer a brittle smile and a nod, and hurry past. She had to talk to Professor Grimalkin, had to explain why she hadn't come... "Exams are...well, exams," she said, and slipped past and hurried down the hallway.

She stopped and knocked outside the office door.

Marvo watched Niki pass and looked concerned. She did not seem herself.

He shrugged and continued toward to Great Hall.

As the corridors were deserted once outside the Great Hall doors Nimue did break into a run as she realised she had left her lucky quill in the girls' bathroom on the second floor.

She retrieved it and chose a short cut that would get her to Snape's office more quickly than the route she had taken. Thus, she passed by the DADA Office.

Seeing Niki tapping on the door she halted and caught her breath, "Niki, I think Professor Grimalkin may be having the evening off. He was going to Hogsmeade after classes this afternoon with Marcus and I haven't seen either of them return. Must run - can't be late."

"Oh, dear," Niki said sadly. She had wanted to get it over with, but that didn't seem to be an option now. She started on her way back to the Slytherin common room.

She passed Marvo a little further along the Hall, "No arguments, you should go and talk with Andy. I'll see you later."

With that she was away again.

Marvo wanted to at least say hello to Nimue, but she was gone before he could even open his mouth.

And Andy? Did that mean Dumbledore was foolish enough to have given 'it' a body and allow it to wander the school! He bet that Randal had a hand in it too! Didn't they see the danger of allowing a construct to move freely!

That would not do! He headed towards the Hall, a dark look on his face.

**********

Arcadia and Pan had been spending some time alone, possibly recovering from their ordeal, and possibly planning their revenge. But now they were walking down the corridor, looking as normal.

Oriana noticed how Piotr had ignored her. Playing hard to get? Well Oriana could certainly play back.

Sitting down at the Slytherin table finishing dinner, she wondered whatever happened to Arcadia...

Arcadia waltzed not the hall and without looking at anyone else sat down next to Oriana ignoring the brief protests of the 2nd year who was already sitting there.

"Hello Oriana. And how are we today?"

"I'm alright," she said. "How are you feeling?" *Arcadia being nice? To me? What's going on?* thought Oriana.

"I am fine now." Arcadia looked deeply into Oriana's eyes, "Especially now I have a 'friend ,'" She said this in a way that would make anyone shudder.

Oriana fake laughed. "Right..." she said, "friend. But I thought you hated me. I thought you hated everyone."

Arcadia smiled and started to butter some bead and spoke very matter of factly.

"Oh yes, I DO hate you, and everyone. But you're going to be my friend. You're going to be nice to me, do as I say and do what I say"

She turned and looked at Oriana, leaning forward to whisper, "I'm sure I don't have to explain the consequences if you don't"

She Smiled. "All clear now? Girlfriend?"

Oriana laughed. "You're joking," she said. "I would never ever do anything for you ever. How could you be so cruel? What did I ever to do you? And what things do you want me to do?"

Arcadia smiled and placed her hand on Oriana's. "Poor little girl. You don't seem to understand. It's not what you did its what you didn't do, and who you 'may' have done things with"

She squeezes Oriana's hand to the point of it hurting. "And what dose it matter what I may 'ask' you to do as a 'friend' does it? Because whatever it is, it won't be as bad as what I will do if you didn't"

She squeezes hard still and Oriana feels a light 'prick' on her hand. " Do you understand now my good, dear friend?"

Oriana stared into Arcadia's eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "I understand completely." She shuddered.

"Please don't hurt me," she said. "I'll do anything. Just don't put me or my friends in any harm."

She shuddered again. She was scared now. Very scared. She had heard the rumours about Arcadia.

How she was so horrible that she hurt and embarrassed people to no end, and in one case actually killed someone. How could Arcadia be so mean to someone that didn't even hurt them? She just didn't understand. What WOULD Arcadia do if Oriana didn't follow her instructions? She shuddered.

Arcadia removes her hand from Oriana's and smiles. On Oriana's hand is a tiny pinprick of blood.

"Well, that's okay then. Good to get things sorted out from the start." She moved in closer to Oriana and whispered, "Now, to 'prove' you friendship, I'd like to you give this to your... friend Magnus."

She hands Oriana a very small vial of a green liquid. " Just put it in food or drink, or just get it to touch his skin. Careful you don't spill any." Then Arcadia continued to butter some bread.

Oriana looked at the green liquid examining it. "What exactly is this?" she asked.

Arcadia gave Oriana a 'stern' look " Does it matter? Would you rather have it used on you? Feel free to taste it if you want"

She smiled, a rather evil smile, "Don't worry. if won't kill him" *That would be too easy* Arcadia thought to herself, " Now shoo. I have things to do"

Oriana stood up and walked away. "I'd like to put this in YOUR drink, Arcadia," she said quietly to herself. She walked off in search of Magnus.

Arcadia smiled as she left. Obviously She had forgotten how good Pan's hearing was. "Do you really think I'd give someone like you a potion I hadn't already taken the Antidote for?" She patted Pan on the head and continued buttering some bread.

*********

Some way into the meal, Piotr lost his perpetual slouch and slight sneer, sitting bolt upright. His mother glanced at him. "Is it time for your potion?" she whispered to him. He nodded and felt his robe pockets, bringing out the glass vial that had contained his potion.

It was empty.

Cursing roundly, he thrust the vial back into his pocket. "There is some back in the inn in Hogsmeade," he said, a slight hint of desperation sneaking into his voice. "I must have my potion."

"You can manage without it for an hour, boy," rumbled his father. Piotr stared across his mother, meeting the man's gaze with the usual clang of wills. His father had never agreed with his medicinal decisions anyway.

"I must have my potion," he repeated, a little urgently. "I MUST have my potion!"

"You can manage, Piotr, and that is final. Try a little self-control WITHOUT the aid of the potion. Consider it...a personality challenge."

The look of absolute, sheer hatred that the dark haired boy shot his father would have felled a lesser man, but Ivan Rachinov was not a lesser man. He was more than ready for his son's bitterness and anger. Indeed, he found himself taking more than a little satisfaction from the way the boy's forehead began to sweat. He glanced down at his wife's dinner plate. A slow, evil smile spread across his face.

"Here, boy," he said, nastily. "Have some of your mother's dinner. That plate of vegetable stew you called a meal can't possibly have filled you up." With that, he pushed Svetlana's steak towards his son who turned his head away.

"I do not...eat meat," said Piotr, pushing the plate back to his mother, who for once was looking angrily at her husband.

"Leave him, Ivan," she said. "Do not tease him for his different views."

"In our family," said Ivan, pounding the table loudly with his fist, "different views are not tolerated! You will learn to conform, Piotr and school will help with that. You will learn order. And discipline. And when you return home, your true schooling will begin."

Piotr got to his feet and stepped down from the table. "I will not stay in your presence," he said, disgust in his voice. "I despise and loathe all that you are and all that you stand for. Your son I may be, but I cannot change that. What I can change is being here with you." He dipped a mocking bow to his father. "Mother, I will return to the inn when I wish. Do not worry, I will be fine. For now I wish to be on my own."

And without another word, Piotr swept out of the Great Hall.

*************

Luis had watched the Headmaster continue to lead the party away, feeling oddly uncomfortable at the way the new girl's strange green eyes had bored into his own. As if she knew a secret. A secret about him.

No. No one knew about it.

He shrugged off the strangeness and turned back to the two girls by his table. Sarah and the gorgeous, pouty brunette he would bet his leather jacket had some kind of Veela blood in her.

"Now. Forgive my being absent-minded, ladies, but where were we?" He turned his full attention to the brunette and gave her one of his most charming smiles. The kind of smile only Latinos could pull off. "If you will allow me to start over, the name's Luis Verga. It is pleasure to meet someone like you from my old house. And I believe I don't have your name yet, Miss...?"

"Katia Drachenstein," she said, giving him a very sweet smile. "I am *very* pleased to meet you, Mr. Verga." She looked disparagingly at Sarah, who he was totally ignoring... Good. Finally, someone with taste.

"Mr. Verga was my father," he replied smoothly. "Call me Luis."

"Sarah and I were just starting dinner," he continued, winking at Sarah. "Why don't you join us? There aren't that many people here anymore, and I'm sure nobody will mind when I ask a lovely lady such as yourself to join a weary prodigal on his first supper home." He motioned to the space beside him.

Katia had eaten, but she would no more have declined this invitation than she would have dressed up as a chicken and played 'Auld Lang Syne' on the kazoo. "Thank you...Luis," she said, seating herself in the chair indicated and smoothing her robes.

*Lovely - supper with Katia the Vile* Sarah thought to herself. Still Luis was seated between them and he was a very attractive young man even if it was becoming obvious to Sarah that he favoured brunettes.

Katia seemed to hate the fact Sarah was there as well, so that made it worth staying. Katia might be lovely to look at but by no stretch of the imagination was she a girl you could have a laugh with.

Sarah noted that Jon Sinclair was looking over in their direction from the Gryffindor table but Sarah ignored him not wishing to be reminded of their very very brief friendship at Yule.

*********

Marvo enters the great hall and sees Andy talking with Shinrei. He does not look pleased, but rather than go over he just stands and watches.

Shinrei had watched Nimue Hawkwood leave the table and make a brief stop at the Ravenclaw table. She swallowed. Luis was there. With several other girls.

She turned back to the Gryffindor table.

"I am Shinrei Hikari of Clan Kossawa, Andy-san," she said to the blond boy that Nimue had been so affectionately addressing moments ago. Strange-looking boy. He looked like an angel, surrounded by a kind of light that lent his face an otherworldly glow. All he needed was a halo, to fit into to those Muggle pictures that represented angels.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. Have you been with this school for a long time? I confess I am rather new, having only arrived this weekend."

"Yes," he said. "I have been in Hogwarts since my first year. Lovely place this is. Makes me feel right at home. Do you enjoy staying at Hogwarts?"

Andy looks around the room and spots Marvo watching him like a hawk.

"If you'll excuse me," he said to Shinrei, "I have some important matters to take care of."

He walked slowly over to Marvo. "Well, if it isn't Marvo Thee Magnificent! Long time no see good friend."

Obviously, Andy was being very sarcastic.

Marvo looked deeply hurt by Andy's greeting. "Look, I know you can't help what you are, and I know you 'think' you are ... Real, but you're not. I... I'm sorry"

He turned away then turned back again. "You may think you've lost a friend... But I've found out my friend never even existed! I'll be watching you construct. Be careful"

With that he walked away form Andy.

"That's fine with me, Marvo," said Andy. "But think about this. YOU were the only one that I thought I could turn to in this kind of tough situation. You were my best friend. Now that you don't even trust me who am I supposed to turn to?"

"So thank you. Thank you for turning your back on me. Thank you for not believing in my. Thank you! For nothing..."

Marvo looked shock, and very upset.

"I..."

But he stopped himself, took a deep breath and left the Great Hall, heading for the Guest Tower where he was now staying.

He just couldn't cope with this at the moment. not after everything else that had been going on. He actually looked forward to seeing Mad Eye again. Maybe he could help him with this dilemma.

*************

Shinrei had been about to reply to Andy's question when he suddenly excused himself and walked up to speak with Marvo Ward.

She focused her attention back to her food and began to eat. She wished there was someone to talk to.

Maybe then she wouldn't feel so alone.

Seeing that Andy had left Shinrei alone, Jon excused himself from his Fifth Year friends and moved over to where Shinrei was seated.

He glanced over in direction of Ravenclaw table where it seemed that Luis was enjoying the attentions of Katia as well as Sarah Taverner. Both girls were in Jon's opinion rather 'fast' though he had to admit that in Sarah's case it was more the way in which she dressed and her rather sassy manner rather than any reputation. Though there was *that song* she'd serenaded the Slytherin boys with a few days previously.

"Shinrei, I am glad to see that you are feeling a little better. May I join you?"

Shinrei knew who it was before she turned to look at the owner of the kind voice that spoke behind her. Jon Sinclair. Always there when she needed someone.

She wondered, fleetingly, if he had the same kind of sensitivity towards her thoughts like Kanjou-sama did. But it couldn't be possible.

She turned and gave him a smile. "Of course, Sinclair-san. Thank you very much for your concern.

I feel much better now." She gestured to the spot beside her.

Jon sat down. "I was wondering what plans you had for the summer holidays? Will you be staying in England or returning to Japan?"

Shinrei felt a lump rise in her throat. She shook her head hesitantly, then shook it again, this time with more emphasis. She could not meet Jon's eyes. Instead, she looked at the half-empty plate before her, at the half-finished goblet of pumpkin juice.

"I...no. I have no idea." Gods...what was she to do? "I have asked the Headmaster to allow me to stay here in school but I believe that is not possible. Likewise, I have been very seriously advised not to return to Japan unless Kanjou-sama tells me to do so."

"Gods..." she murmured, more to herself than to Jon. What was she to do...really?

***********

Piotr wasn't 100% certain why he had felt the sudden urge to leave the Great Hall. Well, alright, maybe he WAS certain - but still. He had let his weakness show in front of his father, and that was always a bad thing.

Moving slowly along the corridor outside the Great Hall, Piotr seemed to blend remarkably well into the shadows of the corridor. Anyone who was paying close attention to him would have noticed that part of the reason for this was that his own shadow seemed vague and indistinct. Just another... advantage ...of his peculiarity.

The wave of dizziness washed over him again and he cursed loudly, a range of expletives escaping his lips. He should have thought ahead. He needed that potion more now. When he'd started taking it, he had only needed two, maybe three doses a day. Now, three years later, he needed it at least once an hour. Yes, he was effectively addicted. But it was a small price to pay.

Eventually, he find himself at a side door, where he let himself out into the warmth of the summer night and closed his eyes, feeling the kiss of the breeze on his pale skin. Slowly, the nausea and disorientation lessened, and he took a few calming breaths.

// I will remain out here for a while, // he determined. // Then I shall make my way back to Hogsmeade. //

It was, if nothing else, a plan.

He reached deep into the pocket of his overcoat and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Yes, he was only fifteen. Yes, Ivan had put his foot down regarding what he considered Piotr's bad habit, but that had made the boy still more determined to defy his father. He opened the packet and made a noise of disappointment. Empty.

Screwing the empty box into a ball, he thrust it back into his pocket moodily. Fine. So be it. The Gods of Perfect Timing were clearly not on his side today.

He stood in the fading darkness of the evening, his eyes fixed on a point somewhere on the grounds and let himself try to relax. The dizziness came and went, but it was no longer as intense as it had been inside.

"You ought to meet Sarah Taverner." A voice from behind him said quietly. "Addictions are no fun, are they?" Somehow, it did not seem as though it was a question. The person speaking, a tall boy with mussed blonde hair and glasses, was leaning against a pillar that had hardly seemed there a moment ago.

"Are you one of the many new students we seem to be getting?" He asked solemnly, without a smile. Smiles were rare for the boy, an almost unheard of thing. Normally he was grave and acted as though he was ten years older.

Jacob absently scratched an arm. "Stupid question, really. Of course you are. Have you been Sorted yet?"

"Sorted?" Piotr's baffled tone gave away his ignorance of the matter, but he was quite quick on the uptake. "Oh, you mean into a House. No, not yet. Hasn't been decided one way or the other if I'm coming here." His dark eyes flashed dangerously. "I want to, but it's up to my father now."

He sighed heavily and leaned up against the castle wall. "I just want to go home right now. Stupid that, isn't it? I've had enough for one day."

Jacob laughed, but the sound was cold and hollow. "You are going to let your father make your own decisions?"

He wants to go home, the boy said to himself. Home. Imagine wanting to be there. "Enough of what? Hogwarts in general?"

"My father has the final say-so where the purse strings are concerned," said Piotr, his eyes narrowing somewhat. "But he will agree to my attending Hogwarts."

He fixed Jacob with a look that spoke absolute volumes.

"I have to return to Hogsmeade now," he said, a strange sort of strain evident in his voice. "I am not feeling so well, and to stay here would not be a good move."

He treated Jacob to an old fashioned low bow. "I will be seeing you, I believe, next term."

And the mysterious young man disappeared into the encroaching shadows.

Jacob watched him go with solemn green eyes, but inside he was laughing as he had never laughed before. Purse strings? Hogsmeade? Oh, this boy was funny...his face showed no change of emotion, but he calmed down inwardly.

"Next term." He said quietly, politely, but it was to the darkness instead of the young man. He blinked once, twice, and then continued to lean against the pillar, thinking quietly to himself.

**********

During their time at the Great Hall, Yvette and Madison had their heads bent together. Just as desert was coming along, they headed out, but not without the French girl complaining the entire way about how she was still hungry.

As soon as the giant doors had swung shut, they began conversing again. Much whispering was heard, all jumbled together. Finally, Yvette drew back dramatically.

"We're not going to leave our Third Year without a big bang." She announced, a smile that looked somewhat evil creeping across her face. "And I know just the thing." Apparently, she was carrying on a topic they had recently spoken about.

"Great...should I be scared?" Madison gave a nervous smile. "It must be good, if you're almost willing to miss dessert over it. What's your plan?" She paused, then grinned. "If there's any chance of losing an arm or any other part of my anatomy, count me out..."

"Aw, then I've got to think it over..." Yvette teased. "Just kidding. Alright, here's the plan...don't tell..." She began whispering to her.