Randal watched the proceedings with interest. At least he hadn't got in the middle this time. Although he was surprised that his sister hadn't got involved.

"Maybe you should get your friend under control too..." he mutters. He glowers at Arcadia and wanders over to where Kat, Morticia and Elia are.

"Hi girls." He flicks the hair from his face and smiles at them. He has turned back to the nice guy again.

"Morticia, so good to see your father let you come back to Hogwarts. I have missed that charming smile of yours. Are you girls heading for lunch? Can I escort you there?"

"Thanks, Randal." Morticia smiles at him. "Was hard enough to convince Papa, but Mom was very firm about it. I'm glad we weren't sent off to Durmstrang! Nathan was horrified of the cold, he dislikes Hogwarts already because it's so cool here compared to Beauxbatons."

She looks at the others. "Well, let's allow this gentleman to escort us then, okay?"

Elia nods, stuffing her tribble into her pocket and trying again to lift the heavy book, with some success. Staggering under the weight, she frowns. "When you see what sort of people went to Durmstrang... That girl! Maybe I'll stay here and finish my essay, I really can't take this book." She drops it to the table, where it makes a loud BANG! Her stomach growls, and she reconsiders. "I'm going to lunch."

Kat agrees. "Yes definitly lunch time. I'm starving. I can hardly have eaten anything yesterday, and I missed breakfast. Hey, Tish, did you hear that Marvo is ok. Apparently Nimue got an owl from him, as well as the highly censored one on the board. I got one too, but I haven't read it yet. Good that he is ok. And they aren't going to send him to Azkaban or anything." She grinned happily, knowing that Morticia had been concerned over Marvo when they last spoke.

"Lead on, Randal," she said.

Randal smiled. "I am quite content with so much female company." He opened the door as the three girls filed through. And then accompanied them to the great hall.

"I guess we will catch up with you later," he said to Kat and Elia at as they approach the tables. He leads Morticia to the Slytherin table and pulls out a chair for her.

As Morticia smiles at Randal and sits down, Nathan sniggers with his friends and makes a howling noise.

Randal ignores Nathan. He already knows better than to bite, whether he will continue to resist is a different matter...

He sits down in a chair next to Morticia. "So, Morticia, did you get one of these furry creatures?"

As he looks along the table he can see a number Tribbles trying to eat lunch. The house elves were running around looking flustered. Every so often an elf was running up to a table. Picking up a tribble and throwing it out of the great hall doorway.

"No, I was lucky enough to arrive AFTER they were given to you guys." She looks at the Tribbles and shakes her head. "How do you manage?"

"We don't," Katia announces, seating herself a few chairs away from Morticia and smiling sweetly. She pulls four or five tribbles from her bag, and tosses them after the retreating house-elves.

"Thank you, miss," one of them says, scooping the tribbles up. "We is finding them all now."

"Don't look so disappointed to see my speaking, Mademoiselle Lagrand. Just be grateful I didn't tell Madam Pomfrey what happened." Katia flutters her eyelashes and smiles at Nathan before serving herself some salad.

Randal looked at Katia, not smiled, not grimaced, just looked. "Yes, they are a nuisance. I'm surprised Hagrid ever gave them too us. He really can't have known anything about them. I'd have thought we'd

have been studying really magical creatures not these things."

"They do have a rather sweet addictive song, but more than that they can't be classed as anything other than vermin. Apparently there was a problem with them once before. The history books never said how the plague was dispelled or what happened to the remaining tribbles."

"Oh, you didn't tell her?" Morticia fakes a smile. "You mean you were sooo nice that you didn't tell everybody how mean you were to Professor Grimalkin and Niki? Thanks indeed, Katia, that was sweet!" She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"Anyway, don't forget these creatures are alive, so please kill them before you eat them. I heard that the hunting of innocent animals is quite important in Durmstrang as they wouldn't be able to survive otherwise."

"No, Morticia, I didn't tell her how you cast a spell on me, which could get you detention, *at least* and before you go talking about Durmstrang, I would take a look at what you're eating." Katia gestures to her own salad. "I don't eat meat."

Morticia sneers. "Detention for casting a silence-spell? I don't think so! No harm done at all, every first year can do the counter-spell. And no surprise at all that you stick to rabbit food after your time in Durmstrang."

Nathan, sitting only a few seats away, moans. "Oh, shut up already, Tish, will you? Nobody cares about your opinion! I apologise for my sister, Miss Dragonstone..."

Nathan smiles back at Katia, and when Morticia gives her little speech, he grins, rolls his eyes and helps himself to some more food, mouthing "nuisance" in Katia's direction. Then he looks around the hall and starts asking around whether anyone had seen Arcadia.

Katia snickers. "You don't know what happened to them? What do you think the house elves want them for?" She grins. "As for magical creatures, what do you expect from that half-breed oaf?" She smiles sweetly at Randal. "If that little Gryffindor friend of yours hadn't taken that book, I could have showed you some very interesting things about tribbles."

"Merci beaucoup," Katia says. (It's about the furthest extent of her French.) "Apology accepted. It's nice to know that at least *one* of you has manners..." She gives Nathan a dazzling smile, and sneers at Morticia.

Randal watched as Katia and Morticia exchanged snide remarks. He declined from answering Katia's earlier jibe at him, figuring that she was so busy arguing that she would forget about the Tribbles and his 'Gryffindor friend'.

He decided it was time to try changing the subject? "So anyone taking Astrology this afternoon?"

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

Kat had smiled as Randal had escorted Morticia to the Slytherin table. Then she made her way to the Ravenclaw table. There were few Ravenclaws here yet, Sarah had gone off with Fiona, and she hadn't seen Kali since CoMC.

She pulled out the letter from Marvo and read it. She laughed in a couple of places, and there seemed to be a happy air about her. As she finished it she turned to look at the Slytherin table, where Morticia was arguing with Katia and Randal looked like he was trying to stay out of it. 'Strange,' she thought. 'That he should say that.'

She folded it up and put it back in her pocket.

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

Andy blinked. He was in a bright room and a young girl was lying in the bed next to him. Madison! He remembered everything now. Katia and Niki. He had a headache. Again. He got up slowly. He was tiered. He was HUNGRY. With the approval of Madame Pomfrey and making sure Madison would be okay, he slowly headed to the Great Hall. Asriel seemed to have disappeared. He felt completely normal. He had no idea why.

He walked into the Hall and saw his friends. He said nothing. He was too embarrassed. He walked over to the Gryffindor table. Trying to keep himself invisible, he began to eat some bacon thinking about absolutely nothing except him and Madison.

Rising, Katia crosses the room towards Andy. "May I have a word?" she asks. When he gets up, she takes him to the side, and smiles. "I'd just like to apologise for my behaviour in the library..." she says, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling sweetly. "Well, until later, Asriel..."

"My dear Katia," whispered Andy in a voice unlike his own. "A love I have never known exists only for you from the bottom of my heart."

Andy paused. What was he saying? Katia was making him...think as if he were Asriel. He had no idea what was going on. And what made it worse was that the only thing he wanted to do was be with Katia.

Katia stops dead in her tracks, spinning around. "Asriel? Is that really you in there?" She sounds absolutely incredulous. In two large steps, she's back at his side. "I thought... I mean, I just..." For the first time, she seems to be struck dumb. "I was just trying to annoy Andy. I had no idea, Asriel! What's going on? You do remember me, don't you? I haven't seen you for eight years, after all..." Her voice trails off, and she just stares at him. "Why do you look like that?" she asks.

Madison awoke in the infirmary to find Andy gone. "He's gone to the Great Hall. You can go, too...you need some food in you," Madam Pomfrey said with a smile.

Madison headed to the Gryffindor table in the Hall, looking for Andy. She had to ask him about all this. Spotting him at the other end of the table, she headed over...then paused when she realised whom he was talking to.

*What he talking to HER for?* She shrugged. *Oh, well...either way, I gotta figure all this out...* She headed over, her expression carefully neutral. "Andy...sorry to interrupt..." she started, not looking at Katia. "Can I talk to you?"

"Yes," he said. "It is I. No more chatting let's get down to business."

Andy looked at Madison. Andy began to remember again. His friends, his life, Hogwarts! Asriel was gone. Madison brought him back to reality. Thank God. He slowly walked away from Katia and went over to talk to Madison. Whatever it was he made sure Katia couldn't hear.

"What would you like to talk to me about?" he asked even though he had a pretty good idea already.

Something wasn't right, Madison could feel it. "What I want to talk about?" She paused, not sure how to word her question. "Everything," she said finally. "All this stuff that's been happening...to me...you...and Asriel. What's he got to do with you? Last I saw of him, McGonagall was taking him away to the infirmary or something..." she trailed off. "Okay, I'm really confused and way too tired. What's really going on?" Her expression was no longer neutral, and she looked genuinely worried.

"You're confused," he said. "Asriel...is trapped a pendant. He was cursed by his father when he was reluctant to take up the "throne" of the Gtomik's. The "throne" being Volde...you know who's master servant."

When he said this a confused look came across Madison's face. A kind of look that said 'How do you know this?'

"When he comes into my body," he continued. "Some of his thoughts train into mine, and I figure out some things. But not a lot. He created me. He made me out of his own mind. That's how powerful he is. But I have a feeling he's not so powerful anymore. I can feel him weakening. He only becomes strong when he's reminded of his past. His friends, his father, his mother..."

He paused, "I have no mother...no father....no nothing. All I have is my friends...and Hogwarts..."

He said nothing more. Waiting for Madison to reply, he just stood there, speechless and about to cry.

Madison was taken aback. "He goes into your body...? So it was you that was calling for my help the other day..." Stood there and looked at him, not knowing what to say when he was finished. Finally, surprising even herself, she reached out and gave him a hug.

"Asriel or not, you'll always have friends here..." Madison took a step back and trailed off, blushing a bit. "So...what can we do about all this?"

Andy hugged her back. There was something in the affection that made him want to never let go. It's been the first hug he's had in years. He really appreciated what Madison had done for him. It made him, for the first time, appreciate life.

"No," he replied. "I don't think there's anything we can do. Not yet anyway... Which reminds me! I need to have a visit with Professor McGonagall. I'll go tomorrow. It's getting rather late."

Andy looked around to see that the Hall was getting rather empty. "I'd better get back to the common room," he said. "I have a letter to write. Bye Madison."

He started to walk. He felt lonely. Again. Then he turned around and looked at Madison. "Coming with?" he asked.

Madison watched him start to walk away, and began to feel a bit of the loneliness he was feeling as she looked around the nearly empty Great Hall, when he stopped and turned. "Coming with?"

Madison smiled. "Sure!"

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

Arcadia enters the hall, she has been busy changing her robe and trying to get rid of all the tribble fur. She glares at Randal and she passes and smiles at Nathan, taking a seat next to him

" Hiya, Glad you back, so what have I missed?"

As she its there is a 'squeak' and she jumps up, brushes a slightly flat looking tribble from her seat.

" These things are HORRIBLE! There must be some way to get rid of them. YOU!" She points at a House elf that seems to cower in fear at her words "Get this 'Things' away! and do something about them... NOW!" The House elf bows and grabbing the tribble runs off.

Nathan flashes her a warm smile. "Well, I'm glad to be back too... or would be if Hagrid hadn't decided it's fashionable to breed... these THINGS." He frowns as his eyes follow the house elf carrying the tribble. "But let's not allow these critters to spoil things for us, right? You look stunning, did I already tell you that?"

Katia returns to her seat, irritated in Andy's triumph over Asriel, in time to hear Nathan's last words to Arcadia. She pouts as she finishes her salad, then gets up to leave the table, "accidentally" jostling Arcadia. "I'm dreadfully sorry," she lies, and smiles at Nathan before starting to leave the great hall.

Nathan smiles at her before concentrating on Arcadia again. Obviously he feels very comfortable in the position of a man two women fight for...

Arcadia spins around but on seeing Katia just smiles. " Oh that's okay Katia, no problem.... Have you tried that perfume yet?"

She turns back to Nathan, " Stunning? Me? Oh I hardly even tried. But you can say it again if you like, then maybe one day I'll really 'stun' you" <wink>.

A House Elf scurrying past, arms full of Tribbles runs up to another, in the same state 'We's be having a meetings at midnight's' He whispers before running onwards.

Nathan just smiles at Arcadia. "You wouldn't need spells to stun anyone," he says with a wink. "Oh, by the way: how about Potions later on? I suppose you'd still appreciate my help, right? Tonight in the common room?"

Arcadia smiles, for she knew the one thing she didn't need help with was potions. " Oh of course, any help would be wonderful. Tonight's a date then " Pantalaimon shifts under Arcadia's seat and starts to pant.

A House Elf, seeing a Tribble about to leap from a bookshelf to the Slytherin table, makes a death defying leap, grabs the Tribble in mid-air and flies out of the door... followed by a small 'crashing' sound.

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

It had been a particularly good ride, Anders thought as he roared up the hill towards the castle. The bike had responded eagerly to the chance for a burst, and he had experienced the old exhilaration that driving at breakneck speed brought to his system. The adrenaline was flooding around his body and he could feel every sense tingling. It was a sensation like no other he had ever known.

Dropping his speed back, he rode into the castle grounds, parking the bike in the shed and patting it lovingly before going back inside, his crash helmet still on, but the visor up. He nodded to one or two of the students who stared at him as he walked by, and paused to sneeze several times as a house elf with an armful of tribbles hurried by. Curious, he turned to watch the elf as it disappeared into the kitchen with its load. He caught snatches of conversation that made no sense at all. The little guys seemed quite excited about something.

A need to defy Snape washed over him and he headed straight for lunch still dressed in his leathers. He pulled off his helmet and flapped irritably at his damp hair, which was plastered to his face. Full of confidence fired by his adrenaline rush, he walked into the Great Hall and sat down in his seat, putting his helmet on the floor. He sat back almost smugly in the chair and had to fight back the urge to put his booted feet up on the table.

He felt...good.

Snape glanced at Professor Grimalkin and sat down then continued to eat. Then what he had just seen registers and he stops, a fork half way to his mouth and he slowly turned his head to glare at Grimalkin.

Anders met Snape's glare with an unwavering coolness of his own. There was an unusual arrogance in his stance that sent sparks flying between the two teachers. But even in his effervescent mood, Anders could not outstare the Stare Champion of Hogwarts and lowered his gaze.

He felt like he'd scored a victory of sorts, though.

A house elf ran through the Great Hall, muttering, 'gotta catch 'em all' before disappearing again. Anders watched it curiously. There was DEFINITELY something going on there.

Nimue came into the Great Hall late as she had been assisting Hagrid with the tribbles and didn't like to run off. She couldn't help but notice at once the attention being generated by Professor Grimalkin and her immediate reaction was to cross as quickly as she could to the Gryffindor table, mumbling hello to a couple of her classmates and then to intently stare at her plate while eating.

Marcus stifled his laughter at the mini confrontation between Snape and Anders. It brought back memories of his own days at Hogwarts and the running battles with the Potions Master, who was unlikely to condone any violations in what he considered proper apparel.

He also noted his charge's discomfort and decided to 'rescue her'. Finishing his own meal he approached Nimue and took an empty seat beside her. "You have a free period this afternoon bright eyes? How about instead of locking yourself away with your dull old books, you come out with me? I haven't flown since the incident in the woods and it would be helpful if you could 'spot' for me make sure I don't get into trouble up there."