She hovered and watched nervously as Phoebe 'blacked out'. There really was no going back now.

Kris floated over to Marcella. "You still want to go first?" she asked, not really expecting her to say no. "You'll have to instruct Phoebe what to do because she's in a trance. Have her trace the purple potion in the form of an alpha and omega on her forehead with the birtch twig. Then, she'll need to do the same on the item you brough which belongs to you, but make sure you incant, 'Leithian feir mân' nine times while she does this last step," Kris quickly explained. "Then, she should dab a little of that brown potion she just drank onto the symbols on the item. Finally, she should trace the alpha and omega through your spirit form. After she's done that... I'm not sure what will happen but, the potion will be activated and you will somehow regain your body... assuming all goes well."

Looking a bit nervous, she leaned in as if to hug Marcella and whispered, "Good Luck. I'll see you on the other side."

Spots moved over to where Marcella and Airlia were speaking, he was listening to the final instructions the Potions Master was giving the young ghost although he wasn't sure why. He seemed to be memorizing the whole sequence as if he ever needed to know what to do. He also watched with the others as the Herbology Professor remained in her trance waiting for the ritual to continue.

"Good luck Marcella," he said encouragingly.

Hovering over Phoebe, who was now in a trance, she nodded in response to both Airlia and Spots words and opened her mouth to speak, no words coming out.

You can do this...she told herself, feeling she'd may aswell be sweating bucket loads what with the amount of nerves and anxiety she had coursing through her body.

Clenching her fists, she focused on all she'd lost and all she'd gain.

"Phoebe, take the birch twig, dip it into the purple potion and tarce the forms of alpha and omega onto your own forehead."

She watched as Marcella faltered and then, regained her voice. Then, Phoebe rather mechanically did as Marcella had instructed. It was rather eerie the way her eyes seemed so totally devoid of any logic or life as she became a puppet of the potion and the spirit's bidding. Kris nodded as the first step was complete and, not wanting to interrupt, for fear that a misplaced word or deed might break the spell, she merely pressed Marcella onward with her thoughts.

Breathing a sigh of relief as the teacher obeyed her unsure commands, she turned and briefly smiled at Airlia who was watching her less than a stones throw away.

Knowing this was it, she summoned the picture of her mother and father, the only picture of them she had. Bartholomew and Lillian Riddle, looking so happy, so young and carefree. Now her mother were dead and her father lost, having gone missing. Maybe the death of his wife had driven him mad, all she knew was that he'd gone and she refused to believe he would abandon her.

The picture as precious as ever, she allowed it to fall into Phoebe's hands, her most treasured posession.

"Trace the same symbols, alpha and omega, on the picture, Phoebe. Use the same birch twig and the same purple potion."

She watched as the robotic woman proceeded to do what she had been asked and, feeling as if a heavy weight was holding her down, she summoned all her strength and uttered,

"Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ..."

If she had breath to hold, she would be holding it now. Just one more step... Of course, she wasn't just concerned about the safety of everyone, as a former Ravenclaw, it was in her nature to constantly be in the pursuit of knowledge and she was more than just curious to see how, exactly, this potion would work. Studying the proceedings through two looking glasses, one as a member of the proceedings and one as an academic, Kris remained still, taking in everything that happened to Phoebe and Marcella.

"Phoebe, take the birch twig, dip it into the brown potion which you took and draw over the alpha and omega upon the photograph i gave you."

She watched her obey and before she could put the twig back down Marcella instructed, "Draw the symbols through me with that twig."

Eyes wide, she wretched as she watched her do so, expecting to feel pain, although she wasn't quite sure how that would be at all possible.

Then, as she looked down upon herself, she found holes, great chunks of her transparent being disappearing. Feeling slightly paniced, she looked up as pieces of her ghostly form faded away. A tugging sensation pulled at her insides and she felt herself sinking, vanishing, being pulled into something else, into Phoebe's 'shell'. Nausea overcame her as her soul came into direct contact with a human body for the first time in years. Despite the fact she as herself had no insides, she felt her prescence intruding on Phoebe's internal organs, the discomfort Phoenix felt also being able to be felt by Marcella.

Just when she though the aching couldn't get any worse it stopped, she blinked and saw a light blinding her eyes. Was this the veil or the light of life. All was still, she couldn't hear a thing that was going on on the outside.

Kris watched as the rest of the ritual was carried out and Marcella's form began to fade until she disappeared entirely. She watched, anxiously, as Phoebe's body began to twitch and thrash about. Her hands went to her mouth in worry but, Phoebe soon stilled and out of her mouth came a small, bright, white light which drifted over to the picture Marcella had had Phoebe mark. As the light collided with the picture, a solid, human form appeared.

Slowly she felt herself rising until she opened her eyes to find herself stod on the photograph of her parents. Overjoyed, she stumbled over her own feet as she tried to get off and picked ti up with her bare hands. Unused to the new feeling ability to hold things, the photograph fell from her grip onto the floor and she tripped up on her feet as she tried to walk. On her back, fatigued, she decided it was far more comfortable on the floor. Her eyes felt heavy, she wanted to sleep so desparately but inside she wanted to run, jump, dance, sing, hug someone, just do anything remotely human.

It worked! Kris smiled as she saw Marcella standing in the flesh, alive once again. Phoebe lay on the floor, still entranced but, Kris hurried over to Marcella. "How do you feel? Are you alright?" she asked before looking to Nurse Lotus. "Perhaps you should get her to the hospital wing, Lotus."

"That sounds like a very good idea." she said, nodding, feeling very dizzy, her head spinning she fell to the floor once more, huffing and puffing. "As lazy as this sounds, can someone levitate me? Even though i have the power to walk, I really don`t have the energy to try."

Kobus watched as Marcella was the first of the ghosts to pass through Phoebe back into the world of the living. He was somewhat relieved to see that everything had worked so far. He knew that if even one part of the potion was brewed incorrectly, or if one phrase of the incantation was not said, the results could be fatal to all parties involved.

He rushed over to Marcella to catch her before she fell to the floor.

"Welcome back..." he said with a half grin. He quickly conjured a chair for her to sit in before she was ushered off to the Hospital Wing.

"There now...sit here until you get your balance back."

Kobus then looked over to Phoebe. Seeing her in this state made him feel like someone was cutting his heart out with a spoon! He knew that he could not be the one taking the potion but would have given anything....even his magic...to take her place right now.

"Quickly now...we must continue! No one knows how long the host can stay in this state before the effects are irreversible!"

Kris watched as the Headmaster took care of Marcella. "Yes, the Headmaster is correct, we must hurry; we don't want to keep Phoebe in this position any longer than is absolutely necessary. Professor Lainey, Anjelica," she corrected herself, no need to be formal in this type of situation. "Are you ready? You know what to do?"

Anjelica had watched the eager, small witch with intense concentration, catching every word..catching every movement. Her eyes, held wide for what seemed like hours, didn't blink until Riddle had reappeared, color back in her cheeks, and a smile on her face.

Lainey had never been particularly fond of the young witch, but she wanted nothing more than to squeeze her new body, and let her know how happy she was for her. She watched, almost in a stupor as she was ushered off to the Hospital Wing. It wasn't until Professor Ailia called out her name, that she regained her sense.."Oh...of course..," she said, her voice staggering as much as her hands were.

Determined, now more than ever, she floated forward and tried not to think too hard about what was about to happen, and just what she needed to get done. Saying the words slowly, she whispered, "Phoebe, take the birch twig, dip it into the purple potion and tarce the forms of alpha and omega onto your own forehead." Anjelica watched amazed, as once again the body of Phoebe took motion, doing just as she had commanded her to do..

Kobus watched as Phoebe's body did as it was comanded. His mind began to race, thinking of ways to speed the process up a bit. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion for him and he did not like it one bit!

As he watched, he got an odd feeling...or rather felt an odd presence. This made him extremely nervous and his entire body tightened.

"Good Googly Moogly!" he whispered

Anjelica was creeped out by the way her body jerked, and moved slowly. She started moving the process on faster, for Phoebe's sake. From deep within her robes, she pulled out her Official Ministry Auror Badge. Lainey had had it on her when she was killed, and it had stayed with her ever since. She dropped the cherished item into Phoebe's hands and proceeded.

"Trace the same symbols, alpha and omega, on the picture, Phoebe. Use the same birch twig and the same purple potion."

Anjelica was distracted momentarily by the whisper from the Headmaster. She let her anxious eyes fall upon him, seeing the concern boiling inside him. Pressing on quickly she repeated the incantation, "Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ..."

Professor Airlia kept a silent vigil as the second ghost stepped forth and began the ritual. She was becoming more anxious as the moments passes; something was stirring in the air and the Headmaster had most certainly felt it, too. As Anjelica whithdrew a badge from within her robes, Kris thought how amazing it was that ghosts would still posssess items from when they were alive. She had abandoned all of her physical possessions after Severus died but, luckily, one thing had remained, one thing which she could never bear to part with...

Anjelica knew what was about to come. This was the last step... tears welled up in her eyes as she started the last of the incantations, " "Phoebe, take the birch twig, dip it into the brown potion which you took and draw over the alpha and omega upon the badge I gave you."

She closed her eyes tight, and let the silvery tears escape down her ghostly cheeks, then whispered, ""Draw the symbols through me with that twig."

Opening her eyes slowly, she watched as Phoebe did just as she had told her and waved the twig in an orderly manner through her body. Anjelica wanted to yell out as her transparent body started to wither away. Her body began to shrink and fade. Sickness and a wave of dizzyness engulfed her as her body became one with Phoebe's. Inside, she could feel all the energy within, and Phoebe's struggle...Her body ached, Phoeobe ached, and all was dead silent.

The next thing Anjelica knew, she was lying on the floor, gasping desperately for air...and the light of the room blinding her..

Two down... She was the only one that remained... Anjelica didn't look good, she wasn't recovering quite as quickly as Marcella had done. Not caring to think of what that might mean for her, Kris floated over. "Anjelica... Anjelica are you alright?" she asked, looking up at the spectators. "She can't breathe properly... She needs help," she said, hoping it would be the last time she cursed not being able to do something because of her lack of a body.

After what seemed like an eternity, Anjelica managed a cough..then a series of coughs, and finally a breath. She blinked her bright blue eyes a few time, letting them readjust and took a few deep, labored breaths. The fuzzy form of Airlia came into view, and she managed a weak, but genuine smile. "Bumpy ride..," she said trying raise her self to a sitting position. She could feel the floor, the cold floor. The room was icy cold to her, with her fresh blood taking it's time to course through her body. For the first time in what seemed like centuries, she felt the tickle of goose bumps pop up on her skin. She loved it..

Knowing that the Potions Professor was well older than herself, she didn't envy what she would go through in a few moments. "I...wish you the best, Kris.., just keep pushing through and we'll be waiting on the other side..,"she said as optimistically as she could.

Spots continued to watch as his former ghosts left him and became whole again. The Potion seemed to be working as planned but with each transformation, Professor Phoneix looked more and more weak. The most trying times for Spots came as the figures of alhpa and omega were drwon into each ghost and their hazy outlines were erased from thin air. As much as it was needed for them to be reborn, it symbolized the death of their ghostness.


As Professor Lainey rematerialized on the floor, Spots felt a prescence that was more than just the anxiety of what was going on in the room. It appeared that the Headmaster was aware of something being out of place as well as he mumbled something. Hopefully Professor Airlia could finish before anything happened.

Nadia passed by the door and throw a note under the door of the Spirit Main Room, then retreated.

The note worked its magic and immediately opened itself on its own, stading plain on view of the professors, it said with shaky handwriting:


Nadia took again the red feather from her hat and made it into Sedna - "To hte Minitry, this one, use the back Owlery window (The note said "Voldimotist has entered the castle, we need help") Blast it, they weren't the only ones, and it no longer it looked like a good idea.

Kris nodded and looked to Phoebe and knew that this was her last chance to change her mind. But, after all the work she had put in and all her fight to make this happen, there was no way she would be backing down. Suddenly, a slip of paper appeared below the door with those ominous words. If she were whole, she could help fight this evil menance and if she were going to be whole, she needed to do this: NOW!

She hovered before Phoebe and ordered her to make the symbols of the alpha and omega with the purple potion on her forehead. Then, Kris gestured for Hubert to come over. He carefully removed a green velvet jewelry box from a pocket in his uniform and opened it. Silver tears welled in Kris' eyes as she beheld the ring which she had worn, faithfully awaiting the day that she and Severus... Shaking the thoughts from her head she looked back at Phoebe. "Now, trace the symbols of alpha and omega with the purple potion on the birch twig onto the ring," she said, her voice only wavering slightly. "Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ... Leithian feir mân ..."

After she removed Marcella from the room to the hospital wing, Livinia rushed over to help the newly formed being that is Professor Lainey.
"How do you feel?" She asked knowing what a rediculous question it was.
"Here lets get you out of here and into a bed."
Pulling a wheelchair from the corner of the room, Livinia helped the Professor up into it and glanced nervously about as she began to wheel from the room casting her eyes away from the note.