As Night Falls (Third Book in the Things Not Seen Series) *Completed*

Chapter 8

Christina ran into the Great Hall and plopped down into an empty seat at the Slytherin table. The chair next to her was soon occupied by Aria who rushed to her side examining her hands in horror. Her eyes lingered to the bloodstained cloth on Christina's shirt and back to where Christina had ripped back her shirt sleeve to reveal the dark mark.

"Christina?! What happened?"

"It's Harry."

"What about Harry? He did this to you?"

"No Aria. But what he has done may be far worse than this."

"Christina stop talking nonsense. Tell me what happened."

"I was walking downstairs to join you here and I heard yelling coming from the lavoratory. I walked in and Draco and Harry were there. Draco was or at least, he appeared to be dead. It was Harry. He knows Aria. He knows and that's bad news for us."

"What does he know Christina?"

"The book he was carrying that after potions. I remember why it looked so farmiliar. The Half Blood Prince.... he knows. He knows that it's..."

"He knows? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. The spell he used was very clear. He knows and that's one thing I know for sure. Anyway, Snape came in, he saw me with them. He knows that I understand what happened. I don't know what to do. I'm his best student but that won't get me out of this Aria. I need your help but if you do, it's gonna cost you."

"What's it gonna cost me?"

Christina was silent so Aria spoke louder. "What do you want from me Christina?! You know I can't figure this out on my own."

"I'm sorry Aria but this time you have to."

Christina turned to the staff table and looked into the cold eyes of Severus Snape then turned back to her sister and began once again,

"I need to get out of here. This place is giving me a headache. You have to do this Aria. We're counting on you."

Without another word, Christina stood and exited the hall just as she had entered it. She ran back up to her dorm room and kicked the door open. Pansy jumped up with a startled look and stared at Christina with an icy glare. Christina sat down on her bed and grabbed the box under her bed. She slid it out and rifled through it until she came to a picture of Aria. She searched on her desk and pulled out her quill and a piece of parchment.

She dipped her quill in deep red ink and wrote gently on the paper: She's in.

She fastened the picture of Aria to the piece of parchment and rolled it up. She whistled for Bear but he didn't come. She whistled once again this time in a higher pitch and a large gray eagle owl. Christina assumed that Draco wouldn't mind if she borrowed his owl. She tied the parchment and picture to his leg and sent him out the window watching closely as he flew off into the light of the harvest moon.

The light flickered off and Christina burrowed up in her bed. She pulled the comforter up around her arms and closed her eyes.

"Lumos Maxima," Pansy whispered and once again the room was filled with light.

Christina's eyes flickered open again and she looked over at Pansy.

"Turn them off," she said with a stern voice.

"It's not even bedtime."

"Tonight it is. Turn them off. You could use some beauty sleep."

Pansy rolled her eyes and put the light out once more. Christina curled up and went to sleep dreaming freely as she drifted off.

Aria walked up the tall marble staircases to her room. She opened the door slowly and looked in at Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil who were studying on their side of the room.

"Hey guys. Sorry to interrupt. I got back up late from dinner. Christina finally showed up and we needed to talk about something."

"It's fine we were getting ready to go to the library anyway. See you in a bit," Lavender said quietly as she exited the room with Parvati on her tail.

Aria crossed the room and sat down on her bed and opened her Divination book. The class was learning palmistry again which Aria seemed to have no interest in. She started the first 3 sentences of her essay but lost focus and pushed it off to the side. Titan, Aria's phoenix, fluttered around in his cage and beat his wings against the long metal bars.

"Oh Titan. Don't get all fussy," she said as she crossed over to let him out of his cage.

Titan didn't move. He only made a quiet cooing sound and burst into flames. There was nothing but ash left at the bottom of the cage. Aria smiled and brushed away some of the debris to find a small red bird sitting beneath it.

"Beautiful creatures phoenixes."

Aria jumped back, her heart beating rapidly. She turned to the corner of the room where she saw plain and clear Bellatrix examining a framed picture of Aria, Christina, and Anastasia.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Don't worry I'm not here to bring you back to Azkaban or anything. I simply want to make a deal with you."

"I don't want your deal. Get out before I call in the Ministry."

"There's no need for that Aria. I only want you to see reason."

"No. Get out now!" Aria grappled for something on her desk. She rummaged through the drawers trying to keep it concealed and came upon her knife which she held before her.

"Alright then. If this is the way you want it. But just know that you brought this upon yourself."

Bellatrix vanished into thin air and in her place stood a tall dark figure. Aria dropped the knife and backed into her desk. The figure approached and was only a foot away from her when she dropped to the floor. It was a dementor. Aria let out a small scream just before the pain silenced her.

Christina was walking down the corridor after waking from a nightmare and walked down in the direction of the scream tracing it to Aria's dorm. She burst in and saw the dementor standing on the other side of the room. She turned to the other side and saw Aria rocking back and forth on the ground. The dementor fled from the room and Christina charged in after Aria.

She laid her hand on Aria's shoulder and she jumped back. Aria was shuddering and her gaze met Christina's. "Oh it's just you. Christina...."

"What is it Aria?"

"It's so cold."

"Aria...."

"Wait. It's Signus. He needs you Christina."

"Aria, Signus has been dead for 5 years."

"Oh...I know," she shuddered.

"Aria, you do remember don't you?"

"Of course I do. It's late we should probably get to bed. Good night," she said as she pushed her gently out of the doorway.