AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am so glad that I am getting further and further each day; ya'll, I can't stress enough how amazing it is for me to see in my email that someone has favorited, followed or reviewed me and my work. It is like the best feeling in the world. Anyways, enough of the sappy shit, I do apologize for the rather crude joke last chapter about Tina the yak; that was just showing you how twisted this roller coaster is gonna possibly go.

Also, to those of you with a few questions about Johann Frost, basically the run down is that his mother was impregnated by a vampire and he bears both Faery and Vampire blood. Which, in turn, causes him to be a day-walking vampire that can also manipulate Faery magick, which usually focuses on a particular element of some kind. Jack Frost, Johann's grandfather, is the ruler of the Winter Court, and thus has control over ice, snow and wind, which therefor means that Johann has these same powers as well as the strength and speed of a vampire. Unfortunately, he will still need blood to survive and is also going to be called "halfer" by a lot of the more puritanical people in the Demi Monde; yeah, there's that bullshit, too. Anyways, if anyone has questions, please feel free to ask in a review or message. I have no problems with either.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own or have any stake in the Harry Potter franchise and all associated medias therein. All credit for the canon story goes to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Studios respectively; any original ideas within this story are purely creative freedom of expression within all legal limits. This is only fanfiction.

Hogwarts Castle

Severus Snape's Private Quarters

For the past few months, Severus had noticed that there'd been something off about Dumbledore and his actions; there wasn't the usual careful machinations of a man at a chessboard. No, these were pale transparencies that mimicked Dumbledore's careful and meticulous manner. Oh, sure, there was the still flamboyant dress and often "senile grandfather type" displayed to the students almost perfectly, but...since the disappearance of a certain pair of traitors to the supposed "Chosen One," things had been rather foreboding. The Tournament seemed to be almost demonstrative of petty arguments between the school's leaders; however, amidst all this, whispers spoken among the students who were in the know about certain matters in the Demi Monde and about other certain activities regarding Voldemort, or "Marvolo Riddle" as he was becoming known to the public. Most of the people who knew about what was truly happening behind the scenes were either trying to decide whether to return to their ancestral home, or should they remain in the Wizarding World to see what happens next.

One thing was certainly clear to the half-demon; no matter what, there was definitely going to be a huge conflict to come. One didn't have to be a Seer to know the signs of war were brewing within the air itself. The potions master didn't know whether a certain adolescent demon would take part in the fight or not, but all Severus could hope was that August decided to stay out of it all and remain with his family within the Demi Monde. However, the half-demon couldn't help but admit that in all likelihood there was going to be Hell on the warpath, and its name is August Virgil Allionde-Rosen. What made things all the more complicated was that of all the students to actually seem more aware of things besides the Slytherins who had family within the ranks of Voldemort's Death Eaters were the Weasleys...well, at least the part of the family who hadn't betrayed August. Everyone once in a while, either Miss Weasley or the twins were in his office demanding that there be answers given to explain where Ron and Hermione had gone.

This was something that Severus himself wanted to know, as the timing behind the two disappearing along with Dumbledore's death was too coincidental for comfort; either they had left when it became clear that they wouldn't have anyone backing them up or they were gone for another reason. Unfortunately, without any proof of this, Severus was severely limited in the way of plotting a course of action; at least, that's what was what he firmly believed until a slight flaring of pain on the arm where his Mark was. Deciding to see what was so urgent he needed to be summoned while at the same time thanking that there wasn't any classes for the rest of the day, Severus immediately made his way to the floo and tossed in some powder while saying clearly "Malfoy Manor." Stepping through the crackling green fire, Severus walked into the parlor to see that Marvolo was seated across from Lucius, Narcissa and a few other Inner Circle members. Standing from her seat, Lady Malfoy walked over and greeted the Potions Master cordially.

"Severus, so glad you were able to join us; we were just about to have tea and discuss what we should do now that Dumbledore has decided to, for lack of a better term, flown the coop." Snickering, Bellatrix Lestrange could barely hide her slight mad glee at the phrase coming from her sister before glancing over at the "Dark" Lord and noticed the barely perceptible quirking of his lips. "Narcissa, really; I would have preferred to say that he has decided to reveal his true colors but, sadly, that's not likely at this point in time. No, he's waiting." After the dark haired man was seated and given a cup of tea, the impromptu meeting took place with the usual reports: most of the magical creatures who were willing to work alongside them for the betterment of their fellows, a few reports of individuals willing to openly side with Marvolo Riddle in politics. It wasn't until they reached the point in the meeting about August and his neutrality did a few questioning murmurs ripple through the assembled group.

As Marvolo raised his hand requesting silence, his voice was calm and patient as he said "I know many of you know that August used to be referred to as Harry James Potter, but after certain...truths have been revealed, I decided the best course of action was to request a meeting with him. After explaining both sides of the story and reaching an understanding, it has been decided that I will not pursue him and he shall, in turn, stay out of our way. He has no wish to see his friends and loved ones hurt, and I agreed to his terms. However, I will not allow anyone who serves this cause take this to mean that I am showing weakness." Looking around carefully and meeting each person's eyes evenly, his voice brooked no room for argument. "He is a very powerful and ancient breed of creature now, and we have reached a certain level of cordiality. I will not have any of you destroy that out of a misguided notion that it will please me; I made many mistakes during my madness and now believe it best to leave him be. The best way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed is to keep from starting another war that would very well lead to everyone's death in this room."

Silence met this statement, as each person took the time to process this information carefully before Bellatrix voiced her thoughts. "Does this mean that we shall instead focus on trying to correct the mistakes in our past and focus on trying to keep the peace while you raise influence within the Ministry?" Marvolo met his second favorite lieutenant's eyes and nodded. "While I do enjoy a little mayhem, we are to keep things careful and methodical; no slip ups and no outright murder. Now, if we happen to need a few key persons to suffer...accidents, then that's neither here nor there. But we can't afford to resort to the guerrilla tactics of our past, lest we undo what we hope to accomplish. Remember, it isn't just for purebloods we are acting; we are doing all this to guarantee a better future for all those gifted with magic, be they witch, wizard, or creature." Everyone nodded solemnly, all eyes on their leader who had shown that perhaps, just maybe, the best things to do were to act subtly and not as if they were terrorists.

"Now, I do believe Severus has a report for us on the events of the Triwizard Tournament, and I for one would like to know why it is that Dumbledore's disappearance has caused little more than a few questions. After all, no one could possibly have been fooled by the golem he left behind."

Meanwhile, within the Cult of Kaos

"Again, pet. This time, with more anger."

Ron could swear he was being driven to the point of breaking; he could feel all of his muscles screaming as the redhead lifted his new weapon, a special longsword that was forged from a dragon's spine that could absorb and redirect magical energy. Raising it, Ron swung out and struck against Yuan's own saber, trying to land a hit against the smaller of the two. After another few attempts, the redhead panted with exertion, unable to raise the sword anymore. For the past few months he'd been training day and night to master the art of swordsmanship while using his own magical core to channel powerful spells. It was exhausting, and quite frankly the ginger wondered if it was all worth it.

However, any thoughts were wiped away when Yuan's hand met the back of his neck and caressed softly, massaging as a potent healing spell pulled away the pain and sensitivity in his own wounds. "You are doing much better now, my pet; before, you could barely lift that sword. Now, however, you can meet me strike for strike and I must say, for a human, that's impressive." It was true, and the Azulean wasn't known for giving false praise...actually, he never praised anyone who didn't deserve his attention. But something in this human kept pulling at the jaded demon's heart. Shaking his head, he had to harden his eyes before saying "You've earned rest for the night, and I can honestly say that you need a bath after the past two days. So go to my private bathing room and make sure that all traces of your sweat are gone." Ron scampered off to comply, hoping to please the demon enough to gain an extra helping of the strange food he'd been eating lately. As the human walked down the darkened hallway, Yuan turned to find Eridna standing there with a mocking grin on her face.

"Awww, how cute; you're getting attached to your pet. I think that's so sweet." The blue skinned demon could barely suppress the rolling of his eyes at the Shadow Elf's antics, refusing to rise to the bait. Why it was the Cult found her and her twisted experiments to be necessary, Yuan would never understand but refused to ever voice his opinions about it. "Such a pity his mind is lacking that certain spark that would truly make him an exceptional find...unlike my newest experimental project." Dagger like nails tapped her chin delicately, she seemed to be lost in thought before striding forward, her hips swaying seductively before she leaned against the smaller demon, bodies flush as her gauzy robes barely covered her grayish skin. "If you're only keeping the wizard around for enjoyment, you only had to ask and my chambers are always open to you...just like Zael." Yuan couldn't help but gag mentally at the thought of the Djinn and Shadow Elf naked, turning around and walking towards his chambers, mentally wishing that he could just murder the whore behind him.

Instead, the Azulean called over his shoulders "Find your own playthings, and leave me to my own devices, Eridna. I truly do not give two flying fucks about you." Chuckling, the Shadow Elf merely returned to her rooms to find Hermione still in the same position she'd left her in: bound with her eyes covered by a thick, gauzy black cloth and dressed in sheer robes. "I take it you know everything that the Azulean knows?" Nodding, the witch spoke in a raspy voice "He knows that there is a way into the Academy...the Dragon's Gate. However, the Gate is never in the same place twice, nor does it lead to the exact same destination within the Academy grounds." Eridna hissed, grabbing a hold of a bottle of honeyed wine and giving it to the witch; the wine itself was harmless to demons and other non-humans, but it was almost similar to opium for wizards and witches. "Drink, girl, and relax; you have earned it. Now, I'm going to make it so that when you've finished that bottle, I can begin the rituals to make you a Lich." It was true, Eridna fully planned to make the human girl a lich, but she first had to make sure that she bent the girl's spirit to her will. Thankfully, the wine took care of that as the particular grapes involved were psychedelic and blocked a portion of logical thinking.

Hermione gladly drank the wine, having been thirsty for more of it after been given the wine for three days now, and chugged it quickly. Soon, the effects of the opiate-like liquid took place and Hermione was laying on her back, completely unaware of the real world as her mind danced within itself; it was nice, but something nagged at the edges of her consciousness, something she needed to know. She'd been feeling that every time she drank the wine, ever since she first grabbed a glass of wine that had been left for her by Eridna; the Shadow Elf grinned smugly before taking a ritual dagger from within her robes and plunged it into the witch's chest, reciting the forbidden spells. After a moment, everything was still until a blast of magic pooled into a nearby purple gemstone that glowed with a brilliant light before fading after a moment; Hermione's body laid still on the stone ground before, after a few moments, her body jerked up and she gasped, a rattling sound that resembled a dying animal.

Eridna stared down at her newest protege proudly before turning her back and going to retrieve a slinky robe that bore patterns of eldritch symbols and artistry. No sooner had her back been turned did a pale fist punch through her torso, gripping her heart, blackish blood dripping down as the hand gently caressed the heart; Hermione had stood behind her former mentor/torturer and waited patiently for the moment to take control of herself. "I know now what you wanted from me, and I am sad to say I should have seen it sooner. You wanted to have a puppet to control legions of the undead so that you would have your own personal army to have be part of the Cult. Well, sadly for you, I don't think that's going to work out as you calculated; had you been more thorough in the reading of liches, you would know that nothing can truly take over the mind of a lich unless you possess their phylactery, the object that houses their soul in a physical form so that the body can maintain autonomy without worry of death." Pulling the heart back through Eridna's body, the Shadow Elf dropped to the floor with a squelching thud before Hermione took off the blindfold around her eyes. Instead of their usual brown color, they were now a luminous purple that glowed with power as she studied the heart in her hand, carefully maneuvering it over and over in her hand before ripping a chunk off with her teeth.

The moment she did this, all of her human features became sharper, more elf-like yet not truly the form of a full-blooded Elf. Removing the tattered clothes around her now supple and enticing figure, she donned the robes that Eridna had picked for her and felt at ease in the black robes. "It's a pity you had to die so that my body could take on this more perfect form, but sacrifice is needed for power. Now, I do believe the Cult needs a more...flexible mind to help with their plans. After all, you trained me well enough to handle pain, but my mind was the true key to obtaining what I wanted: knowledge, power, and wealth. Now that my body can withstand the ages, I think I should reintroduce myself to a certain trio..." Walking through the walkways and arches that led to the atrium where Zael and Albus stood, talking about something involving a Seer, the Djinn was the first to notice her and yelled "What is this?! Where is Eridna? And why do you look like a half-breed?!" The fiery creature stood to his full height, while Albus couldn't help but take in the appearance of the former witch and smirked.

"She finally did it; she made a lich and failed to control you, didn't she?" Nodding, her bare feet padded softly on the stone as her ghostly-white hands trailed along the smooth surface of the stones. "She discovered that I had a particular talent she wanted to control, a Reader, and that she would soon be able to have an army of undead to control...sadly, she miscalculated." Running a bloody hand through her hair, Hermione sighed in a mock-pitying manner and said "Honestly, I wouldn't have killed her had she not been so determined to control me. Liches do not answer to any authority except the ones they choose...and it seems you're in need of someone to take Eridna's place now." Zael's rumbling growl of a laugh filled the room, his eyes blazing with interest as he said "Well then, it seems that you have covered your bases...but tell me, what's to stop me from finding your phylactery and shattering it in my fist?" Smirking, she strode forward to the Djinn and said simply "Because I can do what she couldn't: raise the dead, control them, and make sure that your army is never ending." Albus looked over the Lich and smirked, eyeing her body with interest before finding his throat squeezed by her pale hand and lifted off the ground; she made a sound of disapproval in the back of her throat before saying to the immortal wizard "Do not think for one moment that I will let you touch me...I am my own master, and I will submit to no man. And from now on, Hermione Granger is dead; call me...Aradia."

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN~! There you have it boys and girls! Hermione Granger has died and risen as a Lich; at first I hadn't planned on having Eridna be murdered by Hermione, but then I figured...what the hell. Now, she will have power over Necromancy, Blood Magick, Mind Magick, and possibly even a few more esoteric arts of the arcane. Now, some of you are probably wondering what is going to happen to Ron from this point on, and how this will all tie in to the Academy and August. And what about Celeste? Well...you'll just have to keep reading to find out, now won't you? Please remember to like and review any time!