My Office

Kiara blinked at the far away look in Miranda eyes "Umm are you alright?" she asked.

Quickly, Miranda broke from her reverie, nodding with a smile. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Kiara shrugged "Oh nothing, you looked a million miles away for a second that is all, anything on your mind?" she asked with small smile though she thought is was ironic she was asking the counselor if there was anything on there minds. Oh well wasn't like just because she was a counselor she couldn't say what was she mind to anyone else.

Miranda laughed at the irony of the situation being asked how she was instead of the other way around. "No, nothing in particular. Just...going through my to-do list, I suppose." she smiled reassuringly.

Kiara nodded "I see, well it is a pleasure meeting Miranda, you pick a wonderful time to join us" she said with a smile.

"Unless there is anything else you wanted to ask or say of course I will let you get familiarized with Hogwarts again. Was there anything else you wanted to bring up?"

"No, thank you. I'll just head out and get reaquainted. Have a good day, Kiara." Miranda nodded as she made her way out of the office.

(( A few Hours after Tav's tour, start the treasure hunt ^_^))

Kiara rushed in to she office and as quickly as she could sighed and filled out the ministry papers. Then she pulled out the clue.

"Hmm I wonder.."

With a wave of her hand she summoned a book and flpped through the pages.

Then she found what she was looking for and she smiled..

"Edwin..."

Then let her office in search of Edwin.

((Where ever Edwin is...))

((Sevastyan's reply letter to Kiara...^_^))


A letter navigated its way passed the gargoyles to Kiara's office and slipped under the door, hovering above the Headmistress's desk until the recipient reached for it.

The aura of magic around the envelope clearly indicated the correspondence was private. Upon the back was a scarlet wax seal with a large letter resembling a K stamped into it:



Upon the front was a word in Cyrillic, which could easily be readable with a simple translation spell:




((Will reveal contents when opened...))

Kiara stepped into her office, and spotted a letter on her desk cautously she picked it up hoping it wasn't another unhappy note form a ministry rep.

She sighed in releif and smiled with she saw the red "K" and the Russian spelling of her name. The privacy charms didn't go beyond her notice

"Sevastyan"

Siting down at her desk she opened to letter.

Just like Kiara's letter to Sevastyan, the Russian's voice spoke the contents of the letter: even mispronouncing the written 'w's. However, because of the privacy charms, only she could hear it:


"Kiara,

I am glad to hear that Professors DeLanquar and McKevin vould gladly assist us in our... upcoming project. Staff-vide vould be perfect, for the reasons you stated. I honestly think something small in terms of guests vould be more practical anyvay...

The assistance in setting this up is much appreciated! And yes, ve might as vell include Professor Addams. I just hope he can keep a secret..."

A string of laughter disturbed the natural flow of the letter.

"In regards to my shopping excursion, I believe I have found something suitable. Perhaps, ven the both of us are able, I could get your opinion on the item in qvestion?

And no vorries about the privacy charms – I am qvite used to them, as I'm sure you've noticed by now. Thank you for the care and effort – I doubt she vould read over my shoulder, but too much caution is better than not enough...

Vill talk and/or see you later.
Your friend,
Vastyan"

(( alright since Charles is in the side lines I will write the letter here and assme he read it... form where ever he is...))

Kiara bit her lip as she looked at the blank piece of paper, she was about to send her plan into motion.

She took her quill and started writing.

"
Mr. Charles Delanquar,

In echange for the saftey of Eglantine Delanquar, I offer you a more worth you while target.

How does the last remaining Riddle sound to you? If you want her, go to tot he Forbibben forest, in the clearing by the stump. ((Just assume he know what she means))

In echange for her, you must leave Eglantine Delanquar and the rest of her family alone..Meet me in the forset on Sunday at 6am

sighed
Kiara Riddle-Delanquar"

((Continued from Clearing in the Forbidden Forest))


As Morana galloped through the halls of Hogwarts, Sevastyan had to concentrate on making sure she didn't run over any of the earliest of the early birds or run into anything en route. At the same time, he had to make certain neither he or Kiara ran into any of the obstacles, too. It was quite a feat.

"Out of the vay, Mr. Blackvood!" Sevastyan called to the young Hufflepuff, who immediately darted out of the way of... two professors in midair as though sitting on, well, something... rushed by.

Sevastyan heaved a sigh of relief as he spotted the familiar gargoyle guard and commanded Morana to halt. The moment his mount came to a complete stop, the Russian slid easily off Morana's back and once again collected Kiara in his arms.

"If you can valk, I vill let you do so ven ve get in, alright?" he asked and navigated passed the statue and practically jogged up the revolving spiral staircase. A magical unlocking spell and a strong kneeing force plied to the door caused it to open, and they were inside.

Hopefully it wasn't too late...

Kiara nodded, to tired and sore to aruge about her walking.

Once they were in her office, Kiara sighed, almost there.

"Sevastyan I will need the pendant for this, you will get it back after I promise" she whispered.

"And at the moment I can stand... thank you"

"You already have it," Sevastyan replied quietly as he set Kiara into a standing position, though kept his hand at her shoulder if she needed something to steady her. With his other hand he gestured on his own chest at the pendant was around her neck. "I put it on you ven the reserve powver concentrated into a beam directed at you," he explained further.

"And if you need it, I vould rather you use it..." the Russian added, seeing now the very great risk Kiara had taken in giving him her pendant. Why... if he had been away on this day...

Sevastyan immediately shook that thought from his head.

Kiara shook her and slowly looked over to a tray that held saturns ashes.

"It is better you have it Sevastyan, If I have been wearing it at the time I would still be laying dieing in the forest with no way of getting back on time, The pendant will let me live but leaves me in a weakend state. I would not have survived long enough to get back to hogwarts my own. I would need help" she explained as she took the pendant in her hand and muttered a complicated incanteation.

The wings of the pheonix turned into two smalll viles and the head and body of the pheonix turned in to a small dagger.

Just then the troublesome Green glow appeared and Kiara had to grab the edge of her desk to keep her balaence. She was also biting her lip, to keep the painful scream inside her.

"If you insist..." Sevastyan offered, seeing the logic of her statement. However, that didn't prevent him from being any less of a worrywart. It seemed like all he could do for now was watch and wait... which he would do, of course.

The Russian was at Kiara's side the moment he noticed her balance waver, offering his arm as a further method of stability. "Vot can I do to help?" he asked, waiting for the glow to subside.

Kiara her head as the cursed magic waved and faded again. "Nothing more then what you are already doing....Thank you"

Then with Sevastyan arm for balance she moved within arms reach of her phoenixes ashes.

Taking the small dagger from her pendant she brought it to her hand and cut into her palm. Compared to the biting sting of the cursed magic running through her and eating her life force, she didn't even feel the small blade pierce her skin and draw blood. she let her blood pour on top of the ashes. Then she took the two veils and opened them as she began to whisper as old mostly forgotten spell in a nearly mostly forgotten language.

She tipped the veils upside down and emptied the contents in to the bloodied ashes. A single drop of clear liquid came out of both veils.

Then she took out her wand and pushed all her remaining energy into it just before she winced again as the emerald green curse glowed brightly around her. The light in her eyes fading once again.

And her world went black as she felt her self lose consciousness.

However the spell Kiara cast was still in effect and the blood covered ashes burst into blues flame. A phoenix thrill could be heard and form the ashes a baby blue and sliver phoenix could be seen.

The two veils floated up to the phoenix and the bird let a tear drop be placed in both.

The veils and the dagger reshaped them selves in to the pendant and it floated over to Sevastyan, obeying the wishes of it mistress. To be places in to hands of someone she trusted.

The normal Sapphire glow returned to Kiara, and it over took the emerald green with a vengeance. Forcing the lethal curse to of Kiara's system.

Sevastyan said nothing but nodded in reply, watching, waiting, and worrying about the time Kiara had left to finish this ritual of sorts. He visibly cringed at the cut made into the woman's hand, a cringe of sympathy pain. But it was mandatory apparently, so he did not prevent her from the task. A lot of old magic, and some newer magics, required blood. Though he'd never met a killing curse head on, the Russian was pretty sure that this new self-inflicted injury was like a little bee sting in comparison.

Curiosity had him as to what was in the phials, though he dared not interrupt. The incantation she spoke was not familiar to him. An emerald light returned at such an intensity that Sevastyan had to close his eyes against it. Just as the lids fully blocked out the light he noticed Kiara fall upon losing consciousness, and he blindly moved to catch her. With eyes closed against the light, he only vaguely noticed a bright blue against his lids. Sevastyan was more concerned about the downward direction Kiara was going, and the fact that he too was sinking in an attempt to steady her.

As phoenix song erupted from the direction of the pile of ashes, Sevastyan couldn't help but smile in thinking the job was mostly complete. At least, this particular task was almost complete. There was still the matter of the young girl whom he'd left to Amaranth, and these purgers. Gray eyes chanced a glance at the surrounds and noticed the phials floating of their own accord toward the phoenix. There was no mistaking what had been in said phials now: phoenix tears. Of course...

With a distinct awe from his place, kneeling at Kiara's side once again, Sevastyan watched the vials and dagger reshape themselves back into the pendant he'd been carrying with him. The Russian opened his hand to accept the pendant, by order of its owner. He was to be the keeper of another chance for Kiara to regain life if another such event occurred. In a feeling of a kind of deja vu, Sevastyan placed the pendant in his pocket and once again focused on Kiara.

"Headmistress..." he breathed, once again placing a hand at her shoulder. The blue glow he'd come to expect to see radiating from the woman was warring with the green, and winning. Not sure whether to cast a revival spell or wait for the other magics to run their course, Sevastyan decided to wait for just a moment and see how things would unfold first.

After a few seconds the waring of the two magics stopped, the killing curse faded and she was hole again. No longer in danger of dieing and the biting chill that had plugged her
earlier vanished as well as the intense pain she had felt since awaking after the curse hit.

Once her magic stabilized its self she received a bit if her energy back that allowed her to wake up.

"Headmistress..." she heard Sevastyan say.

She turned her head and opened her eyes which now held the fire she previously held before the hole dieing ordeal.

"You know you don't have to call me that. Kiara sounds so much better" she said with a smile as she rose to her feet. " I am alright now, I thank you for your help and I am sorry if I scared you half to death. But it could not be helped. Now I am sure you have questions.... ask away.." she said as she scooped the baby phoenix in to her hands. Gently cleaning it off as if her was its mother.

"Oh and who was that girl in the forest with you and Viper? I am curious about that" she said to Sevastyan.

'That's it... get up!' Sevastyan silently encouraged, noticing the usual fire of life in Kiara's blue eyes returned. At her response to being referred to as 'Headmistress' the Russian couldn't help but smile, half tempted to tell her he knew that but addressed her as such purposely to elicit a reply from her.

He scooted back and stood as she moved to stand, though kept a close eye on her just in case the magic faltered. By her words, that was no longer the case. It amazed him that Kiara bounced back from death's door so suddenly now that the phoenix was restored to life. It was almost as if the event in the forest hadn't happened.

"I am mostly just glad that you are all right now..." he offered, blinking as he tried to tried to think of a question and get his head around the chain of events. The gentleness with which Kiara handled the bird did not surprise him, but yet Sevastyan was still held in a sense of awe at the magic he'd just witnessed: a human being and a magical bird... both brought back from the recently dead.

At the question asked of him Sevastyan shook his head, the unkempt black hair swinging from side to side. "I am not sure... I left her in Amaranth's hands. But the girl seemed qvite young. I vould say late teens," he replied earnestly. "I too am curious: vy bring a teenage child on such a mission?"

But now, Sevastyan had a question Kiara could answer, "Vy are the purgers after Professor DeLanquar?"

Kiara smiled and nodded "Yes the restoration of the bond made me whole again and fight off the curse using a very old very powerful spell. It gives me some of my lost energy back. I will sleep good tonight still though" she said with a smile.

As she listened to what Sevastyan said about the girl, and she became increasingly curious as to who she was. She was one of the purgers from the forest? She had to be. Though she was shocked the girl was so young.

"I would like to meet the girl, I certianly hope Viper left her alive" she mumbled.

At Sevastyan's question she frowned "Why indeed... Her family was one of the followers of Voldemort during the war, thats why.. There is a crupted part of the ministry hireing and paying "Aurors" to hunt down and kill all family members of thoughs families. Eglantine was this group of purgers target... they were quite intent on having her.... " she said.

Sevastyan nodded at the explanation of the mechanics of what had happened. It explained quite a bit. He smiled slightly in response to her own facial expression. However, it fell at the mumbled comment. "I should think so: ve need names. The girl could give us information," he offered neutrally, not quite sure how to respond to that. Admittedly the Viper family apparently was not the most angelic... but neither was his. The Russian vaguely wondered if Kiara would have had the same sentiment if it had been Amaranth bringing her back here while he dealt with their captive, if she knew of even half of the dark deeds he'd done... and, at the time, had enjoyed doing...

Brows furrowed at the reason offered for the purger's - or purgers' - appearance. "And because you are... loosely related..." he trailed off, finding no reason to state the obvious. Kiara wasn't exactly proud of having Voldemort for a cousin, according to his discussions with her. Sevastyan couldn't really blame her. "... Vot of those that only followed the Dark Arts but not necessarily Voldemort?" he asked, not aware that the Viper family was strongly connected to the Dark Lord (but knew of the likely involvement in the Dark Arts) and equally concerned about his own kin. "Vould the purgers go after them as vell? Even if they are in another country?" One could almost see the color draining from his face.

Amaranth, Kiara, Professor DeLanquar... at least a dozen Kaminskis not including himself... It was almost as if the nightmare he'd had after the incident with Daniel Lestrange was nearing toward a reality he did not want to have happen. And so long as he had the power to, Sevastyan wouldn't allow it to happen.

There was a knock on the office door and it opened only moments after revealing a pale Eglantine and a rather concerned looking Ciaran.

"What did you do, Kiara?" she asked, levitating into the room. Ciaran said nothing but his eyes were already taking in a quick look for any evidence of harm done to his fiance.

Noticing the office door was already open, Viper slipped in. "Hey, Kiara, Sevastyan. Guess who the girl is...oh." Viper stopped in her speech abruptly as she noticed two other figures in the room. One of them being the Aunt, of said girl.

Nodding acknowledgement of the others in the room, Viper made her way to stand next to Sevastyan. Clearly an emotional conversation was brewing and Viper certainly did not want to be in the middle of it, opting for a spot in the sidelines.

Kiara shock her head at Sevastyan question, she could see why he woul be so worried with his history and Viper's most of all, she wouldn't be surpirsed if the witches name turned up on the list.

"I am not sure if you or your family would be under ministry watch, the purgers are bounty hunters they go after those they are asigned.... Viper may be on the list especaily with her involvment...."

She was interupted when Eglantine and Ciaran walked in, and at Eglantines question and Ciaran's concered inspective gaze she swallowed nervously. How had they found out?

Then she nodded slightly to Viper when her came in, and attempted to send a glance to Sevastyan as if to say "Please don't tell them.." however she wasn't sure if he got it or not.

"What do you mean?" she asked Eglantine as she attempted to hide the obviously self inflicted cut on her hand from Ciaran's gaze. Then she wondered to her self how she would explain her now baby Pheonix she now held in her arms.