Disclaimer: All characters, places, things, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling except Amy Debman, who is mine. I do not claim anything besides Amy.
A/N: All right, peoples. Don't think you've never thought about what it would be like to go to Hogwarts. Well, this is my idea of something that could happen. An ordinary, every day Muggle ends up flying from the U.S. of A. straight to Hogwarts via Portkey. And that is only the beginning. (Please excuse my lack of knowledge on how British people talk. All of the characters in this talk like I do.)
Note form ML. - OK yeah being English I thought I'd add a little note to that. - the whole whatever lifts your skirt. - no one says that, we all say whatever gives you kicks. - well at least me and my friends do. well, I am sure it would be difficult for Americans to get the entire english (british) language down. God knows I can't get the american.- apart from that random stuff this story is GREAT. read read read.
Michele
Chapter 1
It's amazing how something that can seem so bad. No, so AWFUL, can turn out to be so good. It took a long time to turn out the right way, but it did, like it always does. Well, you're a little in the dark, so I'd better start at the beginning. The beginning... so long ago...
I had gotten my first ever detention for being tardy to class a few times. Knowing this would ruin my parents' image of me as their perfect little angel, I had to come up with an excuse. A good one at that. I decided to take a little walk to collect my thoughts. Of course, after walking around my small town for half an hour, the best thing I could come up with was that my locker was faulty. That wasn't entirely untrue, either. Still, I knew my parents would see right through it.
I was about to give up on my brainstorming when something on my right, in an alley, caught my eye. I turned around quickly and didn't see anything moving. However, about twenty feet in front of me there was a fair sized book. I walked over, curiously, and picked it up to examine the cover more closely. All of a sudden I was being whisked off to... somewhere. I landed with a big thud outside of some big iron gates. It took me a few minutes to just clear my head to the point where I could comprehend what was happening around me.
BOOM! A thunderstorm. Just my luck. Not only had I been carried away from home, but I had landed someplace dark in the middle of a thunderstorm! Just a little thing you have to know about me. I am terrified of lightning. I have been most of my life. BOOM! That's all it took for me to start heading up the lane. I figured there must be some kind of shelter up there. You don't put gates in the middle of no where.
It must have taken a whole hour for me to get within sight of that building. It was a castle. It was slightly scary looking, but anything was better than the storm, which was getting progressively worse and worse. After another fifteen minutes I was on the steps, right by the door.
Condemned. That's what the sign said, stamped clearly on the front doors. I about had a stroke. How much bad luck could a girl have in a day. Or was it night now? Well, after another terrifying clap of thunder, I was inside the castle as fast as lightning. (No pun intended.)
I shook the water out of my long, black hair and looked around where I was. There were torches lighting up the HUGE entrance hall. There was a beautiful marble staircase at the end of it and a delicately carved pair of oak doors that I had just come through. I closed them carefully and stood in awe of the room I had stumbled into. This building was not condemned. On the contrary, it was in very good condition... and it was being used.
"A student out of bed? It's eleven o'clock! Half an hour past curfew! And in these times! Don't you know it's dangerous to be out of your common room alone? Your hair is wet. You've been outside! You stupid girl! Who are you, anyway?" an old man yelled, walking in from a hallway I had missed before.
"I'm Amy. Amy Debman. I... who are you?" I asked.
"A first year. You don't know who I am and you've been here for six months? I think you need to see the Headmaster. I see expulsion in your future!" the man said, leading me up the marble staircase. I didn't put up any fight. Maybe the Headmaster would talk some sense. The other man obviously was a little dilusional.
We reached a stone gargoyle after about ten minutes. The man said, "Sugar quill!" and the gargoyle came to life, jumping to the side and revealing a hole in the wall with a moving staircase leading up. The man stepped on and I followed him after eyeing the statue carefully.
"I've never seen anything like it." I said to myself.
"Most people never see Professor Dumbledore's office." Filch said airily.
"Dumbledore?" I asked. The doors opened to reveal an old man sitting behind a big desk, smiling. He had moon-shaped spectacles and was wearing a pointy hat. There was someone else in the room, carrying on about something.
"can't just ignore the facts! He's innocent!" he was yelling.
I just shook my head and looked around. "You are all crazy."
"I see we have a guest. I don't believe I've seen you here before, young lady." the old man said kindly.
"She said her name was Amy Debman. I've never seen her before but she was outside after curfew, alone." the man I had first met said.
"Thank you, Mr. Filch. I'll handle it from here." the man behind the desk said. Filch left me alone with the headmaster and the boy, who had just turned around to look.
I immeadiately started laughing. "Amazing! You look just like I always thought Harry Potter would!"
Dumbledore smiled. "I see you know Harry, then. I'm Professor Dumbledore."
I stopped laughing. "That's not possible. You don't exist."
"I don't exist?"
"No. You're just fictional characters. In the books. I mean, I've read about..." I sat down in a chair next to the boy. "I'm dreaming."
"Do normal people ever come here?" Harry asked Dumbledore.
"Occasionally. Amy, where are you from?"
"Missouri. About an hour from Saint Louis." I answered automatically.
"That's in the United States, isn't it?" Harry asked.
I looked at him and nodded before looking away again. "I'm not here though, I'm still there. In bed, asleep, dreaming."
"I assure you that you are wide awake. How did you get here?"
"I picked up a book. It... took me outside of some big gates and I walked up the lane. I know the sign said condemned but there was a storm and I hate lightning. I-"
"A condemned sign?" Harry asked Dumbledore. "That's not possible."
"I agree. This isn't possible." I said, nodding.
Dumbledore smiled. "I never thought fear could break those charms, but it is a possibility. Amy, do you know what magic is?"
"Everyone knows what magic is." I said.
"Yes, but does magic exist."
"No."
"She's a Muggle!" Harry exclaimed.
"Of course I'm a Muggle. Isn't everyone?" I said.
"You know what a Muggle is?" Dumbledore asked.
"Someone without magic in their blood. But magic doesn't... exist. Hogwarts doesn't exist. Harry..." I stopped.
"Serpentalius!" Dumbledore exclaimed, pointing a stick between Harry and me. A long, black snake slid out of it and raised up it's head, looking straight at me.
I screamed. Not only am I scared of lightning, but I'm also afraid of snakes. I started to cover my head but Harry opened his mouth and... hissed. It was one of the strangest things I had ever seen, even to this day. However, the snake drew back and slithered up onto the ground. Dumbledore waved the stick and it disappeared.
"If I'm not dreaming-"
"Which you aren't." Dumbledore said.
"Then I really am at Hogwarts. I am really at HOGWARTS!" I exclaimed.
Chapter Two
"Now that we have that all straightened out, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"I... I have absolutely no idea. Professor Dumbledore, what am I doing here?"
Professor Dumbledore had been eyeing me carefully since he found ourt I was a Muggle. He thought for a few more seconds before shaking his head slowly. "I don't know either. However, you must be tired. Harry, will you take her up to Gryffindor tower? She can stay there for tonight, with Hermione."
"Sure." Harry said, slowly getting up. "We can talk later?"
"Absolutely." Dumbledore said, nodding solemnly.
"OK. Come on, then." Harry said, opening the door and waiting for me to walk through.
I went without another word. The staircase was moving in the opposite direction now. Harry and I rode down in silence, not even looking at each other. As soon as we were out in the hall Harry ended that silence. "Books?"
"Seven. One for each year. Of course, only four are actually out."
"Four books..." Harry said to himself.
"Seven. This is your..."
"Sixth year. I guess you're a little behind."
"I think that's a fair assumption. So, what exactly has happened in the last year? In fact, what year is it?"
"It's 1996." Harry said, looking at me like I was completely off my rocker.
"1996? That can't be! It was 2002, like, an hour ago!" I said, stopping suddenly.
Harry stopped and faced me. "2002?"
"Yes."
"Then you've come back in time." he said calmly, starting to walk again.
I watched him for a few seconds before laughing. "You said that like you were saying that the sky is cloudy today. All right. I've come back six years in time. No biggie. That would make me about... ten. Great."
"Ten? That means you're sixteen now."
"Does it, or am I ten?"
"You don't look ten to me, so I'm assuming that you are sixteen and that there is a ten year old you in America, somewhere." Harry said, sighing.
"I think I need to get more sleep. Maybe I need to wake up. I'm still not sure yet."
"I assure you that you will fall asleep and wake up here tomorrow morning." Harry said emotionlessly.
"Is there something wrong?"
"No, why?"
"You just seem... I don't know. You don't seem like anything."
"Thanks a lot!" Harry said, laughing.
"No, I mean... I know that there's got to be something wrong."
"That's the problem." Harry mumbled.
"I don't understand."
"How much you know is a problem. Four books. A lot happened... I thought a lot of things in four years."
"Nothing incredibly incriminating or anything. Plus, most of the things that happened people know anyway."
Harry shook his head. "Everyone has secrets. I just lost that."
"No. I won't tell anyone things that would be embarrassing or would get you into trouble. Or anyone in trouble for that matter." I said calmly.
Harry looked at me suspisiously. "Why?"
I laughed. "What good would it do me? I don't want to make enemies here. It's probably not very wise, considering the fact that you have a wand and I have nothing."
"You're not going to tell?"
"I don't even know all of it is true. I mean, it's pretty... weird. You do have the scar, but what does that prove, right?"
"Voldemort killed my parents when I was a year old. Tried to kill me, but I survived, leaving the scar." Harry said.
I looked at him and nodded. "That part was right then. In your first year Quirrel..."
Harry nodded. "Yep. Voldemort was on the back of his head."
"Second year, Chamber of Secrets? Third year you met Sirius and fourth year was the Triwizard Tournament."
"That's right too."
I raised my eyebrows slightly. "Quite a life."
"Yeah. Quite a life." Harry said a little spitefully.
I decided to leave that alone. I didn't know Harry well enough to comment. Or at least, he didn't know me well enough.
We walked the rest of the way to the common room in silence, just looking ahead. Well, I was looking all over the hallways, trying to see as much as I could. After reading the books I had pictures of what I thought Hogwarts looked like. I was completely off. After imagining a damp, dreary castle, I was surprised to see it in excellent condition. Everything was dry, smooth rock walls, good lighting, and everything was so CLEAN!
"Chicken wings." Harry said once we reached the Fat Lady's portrait. Talk about big! The painting was probably about ten feet tall, dwarfing Harry and I. The portrait swung open and revealed a comfortable room, mainly with red furniture in it.
Most of the people turned to see who was coming in. A lot turned back around to continue with homework and gossip, but a red haired boy and brown haired girl came over quickly. I couldn't help but smile, seeing some of my favorite people out of the books for the first time.
"Who's she?" Ron asked immeadiately.
I laughed. "Thanks a lot."
"Sorry. Who's she?" Ron asked again, but nicer this time.
"Amy De... De... something."
"Debman." I finished for him. I extended my hand and Ron shook it carefully.
"We still don't really know who she is, Harry." Hermione said quietly, shaking my hand as well.
"She's from the United States. She just kind of came. A Muggle."
Ron and Hermione both seemed to wake up a little more. "A Muggle?" Ron repeated.
"How did she get in?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, I am a Muggle and I got in through the front door." I said. I smiled when they looked at me. "Sorry for the sarcasim, but you're talking about me in the third person and I'm standing right here. I don't know how I got in or why I'm here."
Hermione looked at me carefully. "Why'd you come here with Harry?"
"Dumbledore told her to. I was in his office when she arrived." Harry explained.
"You trust her?" Ron asked. Hermione hit him. "What?"
"She's standing right there!" she said, glaring at him.
"Sorry." he mumbled, rubbing his arm where she had hit him.
"I understand. I wouldn't trust me either if I were you." I said.
That's basically how the rest of the night went. I met a lot of the Gryffindors and had a good time doing so, but there was that sense that they didn't really trust me. The next morning Professor Dumbledore pulled Harry and I into the hallway during breakfast and said that he wanted me to stay at Hogwarts until he had some idea what was going on and asked Harry if I could hang around with him and his group.
"Sure. Hermione would like another girl to hang around with, I'm sure." Harry said.
"Shouldn't you ask Hermione and Ron this?" I asked.
"They won't care."
"Ask anyway, please. I'll stay out here so they tell you the truth. I want to talk to Professor Dumbledore anyway." I said. I smiled and Harry nodded and walked back into the Great Hall.
"Is something wrong? You don't like Harry or Ron or Hermione?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, that's not it. I don't think they really like me, but that's not what I want to talk to you about. You know I'm from the year 2002, right?"
"Yes, I figured that out."
"Well, why would someone want me to come back in time? If it was only important for me to come to Hogwarts then why bother with the six year time change? If I'm here because of something else... someone else... That's the only reason I would come to this year, Professor Dumbledore."
Dumbledore actually smiled, ginually. "I've thought about that as well. You believe that the reason you are here has something to do with Harry?"
"Harry maybe. Maybe someone else like you. I'm not sure of the exact reason. Of course, if I'm right... Harry seems like the most likely reason. Right?"
"I'm afraid so. However, I don't think Harry has thought of that yet. Until we're sure what's going on, I see no reason why you shouldn't stay with the Gryffindors... more specifically Harry and his friends. That's what you wanted to know, right?"
"Yes. Thank you Professor."
"Thank you, Amy. You must be hungry. What do you say we go back into the Great Hall?"
"Sounds good. Of course, I'm more tired than anything. I didn't sleep very well last night. Too much to think about added to it being too early to sleep anyway... Let's just say I spent a long time staring up at the ceiling."
Dumbledore chuckled. "That is understandable. My lady?" He held his elbow out for me to take hold of.
"My lord." I laughed and rested my hand inside of his arm. We walked into the Great Hall and then went our separate ways.
Chapter 3
It's understandable that the whole school was watching my every move. Let's face it. I was an outsider. A Muggle in a wizarding school. A school that was supposed to be Muggle proof. Yes, every student took it upon themselves to be a security guard for their building and all of the professors took it upon themselves to be a bodyguard for all of their students. The first week was very unnerving.
Professor Dumbledore decided that it would do no harm to let me go to classes with Harry. After all, I was being exposed to magic just by being there. Why not let me actually see some? My personal favorite was Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was the most interesting by far. The professor was a wizard... Professor Giragow. He was a young man... about twenty two to twenty five, I think. And he had a rare trait found in Hogwarts' DADA teachers. He was funny. No, he was hilarious! Not to mention the fact that he actually taught his students.
Professor Snape was not as bad as the Harry Potter made him out to be. Not quite as bad. He was still a major pain in my butt. It's not like I expected the Head of Slytherin to love me or anything but I wasn't quite prepared for the strong dislike that was directed at me by the tall, pale man in his mid-thirties.
The Slytherins hated me and made that well known. Especially Draco Malfoy... big surprise. I think his problem was that I was Harry Potter's friend. He ridiculed me as much as Hermione. Of course, Harry still got more grief, which I can't honestly say I wasn't grateful for.
The Ravenclaws were facinated. Half of the house was spending their free time trying to figure out how I had defied the Muggle Proof Charms. Everytime I was walking down the hallway one of them would ask me some question that had to do with their theory. Ron thought it was hilarious. Hermione thought it was pointless.
The Hufflepuffs were indifferent. I was there and that's all that really counted to them. They were all very kind. By the Hufflepuffs I was immediately accepted. Yes... Hufflepuffs were very high up on my Good List.
So, now you know how the rest of the school was taking my sudden appearance. All that's left is the Gryffindors. The Gryffindors... are very protective of their own kind so to speak. The Gyrffindors are by no means stupid. It didn't take them very long to have the same thought that I had expressed to Professor Dumbledore my second day at Hogwarts. The Gryffindors knew that Harry was the reason I was there and they were pretty sure that that was NOT a good thing. The house didn't hate me. No. There's no word to say how that house felt about me at the time. Just think of how the FBI views the person that's number one on their Ten Most Wanted List. That's how Gryffindor viewed me.
I honestly think the only people who actually liked me at Hogwarts that first week were Professor Dumbledore and Professor Giragow. That's why I went down to Giragow's office Friday night, exactly one week after arriving at Hogwarts.
"It's open." Gigarow said after I knocked on his office door.
I opened the door and stepped inside. "Can I talk to you, Professor?"
"Sure. Shut the door after yourself."
I did as he said and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. "I hate it here."
"No small talk?"
"I don't really feel like small talk. That's all anyone will say to me. It's a pretty day. The castle seems a little brighter today. I'm tired of small talk."
Gigarow smiled. "I understand."
"I doubt it. Everyone likes you."
"Not when I first came to Hogwarts. It was my sixth year and I was American. Everyone thought I was a spy." he explained.
"That's stupid. The Britain and America are allies."
"In the Muggle world, that's the way it's been for years and years. In the wizarding world, the United States and Britain fight off and on. It's been that way since America became the United States. Right now they're allies. So in that way, you're lucky."
"Why do the two countries fight?"
"Different points of view. Britain is traditional. America is not. If two people were like that, would they get along?"
"No."
"Anyway, after about a month everyone forgot that I was originally from the U.S. of A. and accepted me as one of them. I'm not going to say that first month was easy but it ended eventually."
"You were just from another country. Eventually you adopted their accent and their ways and... Abra Kadabra! One British wizard! I'm a Muggle. I will never be like them."
Gigarow smiled again. "I know it seems that way. Change their minds. Show the school that Muggles are just like wizards... only different. Make it exciting for them. Muggles have some pretty cool inventions. Share the wealth."
"I'm willing to guess at least half of this school knows about the Muggle inventions because either one or both of their parents are Muggles. It's not the fact that I AM a Muggle that's the problem. It's the fact that I should not be here that gets them."
"Then show them that you can be just like them without using magic."
I looked at him carefully. "I was hoping you could help me sneak out."
"Sorry, that would go against direct orders from the Big Cheese."
"Dumbledore?"
"No, Snape. Like I would take orders from Snape. Ha! Yes, Dumbledore! Amy, I guess someone should tell you that you might be in danger."
I laughed. "You don't know when to quit, do you?"
"Excuse me?"
"You like to make people laugh, even when they don't want to. Of course, that's probably the best time to make someone laugh, but still."
"No, I'm serious, Amy. Professor Dumbledore said that you thought that you were here because of someone else. You're probably right about that, but maybe by bringing you back in time it would be easier to get you."
I stopped laughing. "I never thought about that. Why would someone want to get me? I'm just a Muggle. Before last week I never knew magic existed."
The professor shrugged. "Nobody knows."
"I think I'm going to go back up to the common room. I'll see you tomorrow." I stood up.
"Are you OK?"
"No. I'm hated and I might be in danger. I think it would be safe to say I am not OK."
"Not everyone hates you. I think you're OK."
"Yeah. If you can get the other thousand people in this building to agree, I'll thank you. Good night, Professor."
"Good night, Amy."
I walked out of his office and walked slowly up to the common room. I met Harry in the hallway halfway. "What are you doing down here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"Don't bother. I'm going back upstairs. I just wanted to talk to Professor Gigarow."
"Why him?"
"Well, I didn't want to bother Professor Dumbledore."
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
I looked at him. "Do I really need to answer that?"
Harry smiled a little. "Hogwarts isn't what you expected it to be?"
"No. Hogwarts is not what I expected it to be. It's not even close." I snapped.
"What were you expecting?" Harry asked. He sounded sincere enough.
I sighed. "Fiction. When something's not real, it can be perfect. If I would have thought that Hogwarts was real... then this might be close."
"You forgot there were people in this building. Not characters." Harry said, nodding.
"I always wanted to come here and see everyone."
"You've changed your mind?"
I laughed a little. "To put it bluntly."
"People will get used to you being here. Trust me. I know what it's like to be watched all of the time. Remember my first year? Eventually the people here stopped watching. I was here and it really didn't matter anymore."
I nodded slowly. "Muggles aren't bad, Harry. Your aunt and uncle and cousin aren't like most of us. If they were, your books would never have done as well as the have... will... whatever."
"I know."
"You know but you don't seem to believe it. There's a difference."
"I believe that!" He laughed. "I know you aren't like my family, Amy."
"That's a start. What's the password? Oh! No! Can I say it? I've always wanted to open up the portrait!" Obviously, we were at the Fat Lady's portrait.
Harry laughed. He whispered it in my ear.
"Sticky longstockings?" I asked.
"Hey, I've been making up passwords for about one hundred years. You got any better ones?" the Fat Lady asked, opening anyway.
Harry and I walked in without answering.
"I'm going upstairs. Remember, you've only been here a week. You can't expect everyone to just accept you. Give them a little time, OK?"
I nodded and smiled. "Thanks. G'night."
"Night." Harry walked towards the boys' dormitories. I watched him until he shut the door behind him before walking upstairs to go to bed myself.
Chapter 4
Harry was right. Hermione and Ron were the first to get used to me being there. Actually, Hermione and I were becoming good friends. I think she was happy to have a girl to talk to. It's pretty obvious she wasn't thrilled with sharing a room with Lavender and Parvati. Ron started treating me like I had been there as long as they had, which is really all I wanted.
Next to get used to me were the Gryffindors. Of course, now we're up to me being at Hogwarts for a month. In that month I basically just went to classes, observed everything going on, browsed the library while my three new friends did their homework, and just hung out. I was actually happy.
Hey, do you want to go for a walk?" Harry asked one night.
"Where?"
"Just around the school."
"Did you ask Hermione and Ron?" I asked.
"They have homework to finish up still." Harry said.
"I'll go. I know this sounds stupid, but I kind of want to see the Owlery."
"The Owlery?" Harry asked.
"Yeah! I've been here a month and I've never even seen the Owlery. Willing to show me it?" I asked, smiling now.
"Hey, whatever blows your skirt up." Harry said. Noticing my strange look he said, "Or... whatever floats your boat."
"Oh. OK, then. Let's go!" I lead the way out of the common room and into the hallway and waited a few seconds for a Harry. "So, what's the occasion for a walk?"
"Just need to clear my head."
"Don't you usually do that alone?" I asked.
"Well, I guess I just wanted to get out of that common room. Away from the crowd. I thought you looked like you could use that too."
"I guess. Hey, thanks."
"For getting you away from the crowd?"
"No, for telling me that everyone would get used to me. It's been awhile, but you did tell me that."
"I know. No problem. I'm glad you came. People have just ignored me for a month!"
I laughed. "You really don't like everyone's attention, do you?"
"No. It gets old pretty quickly. You should know."
"Maybe to some extent. You know what, this place is really growing on me. I see new things everyday, most of which I never knew existed until one month ago. I love to watch magic. It still boggles my mind."
"It still boggles my mind, too, and I 've been around it for six years. When you came here, you knew something about it and the people. For me, it was like walking into a dark room you've never even imagined and when you get there, you find out all of the things inside have known you were coming all along. Not the best analogy, but it's getting kind of late."
"No, I know what you mean. I don't think there is much of an analogy you could use."
"We're almost to the Owlery."
"Good. I have a question for you. Are stories like... oh, Merlin, King Arthur and the Round Table, the Sword in the Stone, are they true?"
"Those are, yes."
"Hum. What about Disney stories, like The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast?"
"There may be some truth to them. I'm not really sure. Honestly, I kind of doubt they're true."
"Why?"
"Because they're fairy tales. The people live happily ever after in them."
"Is that so bad?"
"No, but it is too good. Things aren't like that in the real world. Things don't just straighten themselves out."
"I'm sure they have before, Harry. Look at all of the times you've gotten away from Voldemort. We'ren't those things just straightening themselves out?"
"No. Something saved me all of those times. My mum the first two, Fawkes and the Sorting Hat the next, then my parents again and finally Dumbledore coming at the right time. I've just been really, really lucky. Sometime, my luck will have to run out."
"One thing I have learned here is that nothing HAS to happen. Nothing has to because with magic, nothing really IS. When you say Wingardium leviosa, the thing you're pointing at flies up. nothing really causes it, so does that thing HAVE to fly upwards? No."
"That's magic. This is luck we're talking about."
"There's no such thing. That's just what humans call it for lack of a better word." "Do you have a better word for it?"
"Am I human?"
"I'm not so sure about that sometimes."
I laughed. "No, I don't have a better word for it. Let's just call it... miracles."
Harry shrugged. "Sometimes I think that's what they are."
"And you're right. This is the Owlery?" We had just walked into a large room with windows that were open to the elements outside. Owls were flying in and out at their leisure and others were sitting around, hooting and sleeping. Overall, it was a very, very, simple room.
"What were you expecting?" Harry asked.
"This. Still, imagining something and seeing something are two very different things."
"That's the truth."
Harry and I talked for a while in the Owlery and then made our way back to Gryffindor tower and were back before curfew. Ron and Hermione walked over to meet us.
"Hey, we've been looking for you." Hermione said.
"I told you we were going for a walk." Harry said.
"Uh... I don't remember that." Ron said.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Hermione said.
"You forgot?" I asked. "Both of you forgot?"
"Just one of those days." Harry said. "I'm going up to bed. See ya." He walked away quickly, Ron close behind.
"That was weird." I mumbled.
"Oh, we'll both see a lot weirder than that." Hermione said, smiling. "I'm tired, too."
"Yeah, long day." I shook my head, looking back at the door going to the boys' dormitories.
Chapter 5
It was another week before anything else eventful happened. I mainly just went to classes with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and browsed through the library while they were doing their homework. I looked up the thing on the Disney movies and Harry was right. They're only fiction. I did, however, check out a few books on Merlin and King Arthur. I made sure to point out to Harry that that ended pretty well.
Saturday night Harry walked over. "I need to get away from the crowd again. Want to come?"
"Yeah. Will Hermione and Ron remember you telling them we're leaving this time?" I asked.
He nodded. "I made sure they were listening to me this time."
We walked a while in silence. It didn't bother me any. I enjoyed looking at all of the paintings. When I was alone, outside of the library, I would talk to them. They have a lot to say, as we all would if we had been hanging on the walls of a school for a thousand years, as some of them had.
"Hogwarts is still growing on you?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. The people here are growing on me too."
"All of us?"
"Most of the people here are growing on me. I'll admit there are a fair amount I don't really like."
"Malfoy and Company?"
"Those are some of them."
"I'm going to miss this place after school is all over. I do every year."
"You go live with the Dursleys. I would miss Snape if I had to go live with them."
"No, you wouldn't. Trust me."
I laughed. "Professor Gigarow seems like a pretty good person."
"I'm waiting to see what his secret is. Let's face it, every Defense teacher has something wrong with them."
"Maybe he'll be an exception."
"You two seem to get along well."
"We're both American. We have something in common."
"Maybe."
"Hey, he was the only one who would talk to me for a while."
"Sorry about that."
"I'm over it."
"Amy, do you ever wish you could just fit in?"
"Doesn't everyone?"
"I think most people do fit in."
"I think most people just pretend to. Then there are others who try to pretend, but there's just too much to cover up."
"We're those kind of people."
"Afraid so. Do you ever wish you could be someone completely different?"
"On a regular basis. You do too?"
"Sometimes. I like my life, but sometimes I think another one would be more interesting or more uninteresting."
"You're the first Muggle here in God knows how long. That's pretty interesting."
"That's why I wish I had a less interesting life sometimes."
"I think I'm ready to go back to the common room."
"OK." I turned around and we started walking back. "I always wanted to go into outer space." I said after a few minutes.
"What?"
"Outer space. Way far away from Earth. I thought, if I'm as far away from home as you can possibly get, all of the things I don't like about our planet will be as far away as I am."
"That sounds right."
"Except then I realized that the planet isn't the problem. It's the people. So wherever people go, the same problems that I'm trying to escape will follow me, because I'm human."
"That sounds right, too. What brought that up?"
"We were talking about living a different life. There are other ways to change lives than to change bodies."
"Maybe someday we'll get some of our friends together and fly deep into space. Then we'll be able to test your theory."
I smiled. "Can magic get us there? Will it still work away from Earth?"
Harry shrugged. "Another good experiment."
We went the rest of the way to the Fat Lady in silence again. "Oh! Can I say the password?" I asked.
Harry laughed. "I could have guessed you'd say that!"
"Is it the same?" I asked.
Harry shook his head and leaned close to me. He whispered in my ear. "I love you."
"I lo-" I stopped repeating what he said and turned to him. "I'm dreaming again, aren't I? Don't you just hate it when you know you're dreaming? It ruins the whole thing, although you can usually remember it better. Of course, then you can control the dream too."
"You're rambling, Amy."
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"I... you can't. We're different. I'm a Muggle and you are a very, very famous wizard."
"It doesn't matter."
"It does."
"Why? I don't care if you're a Muggle. You hate me because I'm a wizard, don't you?"
I smiled. "No. I loooo... Oh my God. I looo... can't say it!"
"Why?"
"Because things are about to get really, really complicated."
"Aren't they already?"
"So why press our luck?"
The Fat Lady opened. Ron was standing at the door. "Why are you just standing there? It's curfew."
"Right." I walked in, Harry close behind me.
Hermione walked up. "Another walk, huh?"
"I told you that." Harry said, but I noticed him blush this time.
"Why don't I remember it again?" Ron asked, looking confused.
I felt Harry put a hand on my waist. I gulped, suddenly very self concious around the three of some of my best friends.
"Did I miss something?" Ron asked, noticing his hand.
"Yes." Harry said. That's when he kissed me, in front of everyone.
Chapter 6
The rest of that night was spent trying to explain to Ron that it didn't come from no where. Hermione spent the night laughing at unexpected times and then helping us explain to Ron that it did not come from no where. Finally, though, they went to bed.
"Not a bad response from everyone, thought, right?" Harry asked.
I smiled. "No. Not bad."
"The whole school knows."
"It's those paintings. I'm telling you, it is a conspiracy!"
"I know." Harry laughed. "Are you ready for a day of questions from three fourths of the school and pure torture from the rest?"
"I'm a Muggle, Harry. The Slytherins don't like me and have been torturing me since I got here."
"It'll get worse."
"I don't care. It doesn't really matter what they think."
"What will Professor Dumbledore say?" Harry asked, sitting down.
I sat down next to him and held his hand. "Dumbledore knows everything. He had to have seen it coming."
"Yeah, you're right."
"You don't think he'd approve."
"I'm not sure."
"I'd be lying to you if I said what he thought doesn't matter. If anything, it matters to me."
"I know, Amy. I won't worry about it, though. You're right. Dumbledore has seen it coming."
I kissed Harry on the cheek and stood up. "I think
I'll need a good night's sleep to prepare myself for unlimited questions and unbarable torture." I smiled to show that I was only kidding.
"Good night, Amy."
"Good night. Just in case when I wake up, none of this has happened, I just need to say that I'll wish it did."
Harry smiled. "I promise that you will go to bed and wake up and everything will have happened."
"Then I'm going to hurry up and fall asleep so I can wake up again." I rushed to my dormitory and fell asleep as fast as I could. Of course, I would not recommend doing that, because trying to fall asleep quickly just results in lying in bed, staring at the canopy to your bed.
But I did wake up the next morning. I got dressed as quickly as I could and flew down the stairs. Hermione was sitting in front of the fire intently. I walked over and sat down next to her.
"Something is wrong, isn't it?" I asked softly.
"Hum? Oh, no, I'm all right."
"No you aren't. I could tell by the way you were looking through the fire."
"I'm fine." Hermione snapped.
I nodded and waited a few minutes before going on. "If you like Harry I'll just step-"
"Harry?" Hermione laughed a little. "No, it's nothing like that. I'm glad you feel the same way about him that he feels about you. Harry's never had much luck with people. I think Ron and I have been the only people he's ever really been able to count on. Before you came, I mean."
I nodded. "Do you want to talk?"
"No, I'm fine. Really. Just a little down in the dumps. I'm starting to get Spring fever, I guess."
"But it's May." I said, smiling.
Hermione shrugged and smiled. "Good point."
"There's only two more months left of school." I said.
"Yeah. Professor Dumbledore told me you were definately staying the whole term, by the way."
"I'm glad. I'm going to have to leave though, eventually."
"Probably." Hermione agreed, looking back into the fire.
"One more person to leave." I muttered to myself. Suddenly my great mood from the night before was dripping away.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Where's Harry?" I asked, standing up quickly.
"I... he said something about Hedwig. The Owlery maybe?" Hermione said, seeing the worry in my face. "Is everything OK?"
I shook my head. "I'll talk to you later." I practically ran all of the way to the Owlery. Hermione was right. He was standing, looking out of of the huge windows.
I walked up behind him. "I need to talk to you."
He turned and smiled. "I sent a letter to Sirius."
"About... everything?" I asked.
"He said to tell him everything."
"I have a feeling that Sirius isn't going to be thrilled, Harry."
"I know he won't be. It doesn't matter. He'll get over it when he meets you. What's up?"
"I'm a Muggle."
Harry laughed. "We've been over this. Twice, I think."
"I know. Harry, eventually I'm going to have to leave. I'm going to have to leave you and go home. Go back to America."
Harry frowned a little. "I've thought of that."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "So many people have left you." I whispered.
He turned around again. "I've already thought about it."
"Harry, so have I. What would they do to a Muggle who had seen so much magic... I know too much for them, Harry. To them, I'm a threat."
"I'm not following you."
"They'll erase my memory, Harry. I won't remember you."
Harry spun around quickly. "Dumbledore wouldn't let them."
"Professor Dumbledore can't rule the world, Harry. The Ministry will intervene. There are so many ignorant fools in power in that building... Harry, too many people have hurt you. Why would you want to... you know what's inevitably going to happen. Why get close?"
Harry put his hand on my cheek. "I'll figure something out." he whispered.
I shook my head slowly. "You can't rule the world either." I whispered back.
"I don't have to. Professor Dumbledore and Hermione will help. Ron too. You can help, too. There are so many books in that library. There has to be something on fighting a Memory Charm."
"You don't mind?"
"Mind what?"
"I mean, you're OK with us still. You're still willing to... I think we need to add some words to the English language. Either that or I need to expand my vocabulary, because I can just not say what I want to say."
Harry smiled. "I'm not going to let the Ministry get in my way. I said I loved you and I meant it. Amy,
I want to make this all work out. I have to."
I nodded. "Then I'll help make it all work out. We have a while to figure this one out. At least two months. Until then, we've got some other things to worry about."
"Like what?"
"Well, Professor Dumbledore is walking up behind us and he doesn't exactly look happy."
Chapter 7
"Professor Dumbledore, I realize that you might not approve of me dating Amy, but I can't go back in time or change how I feel. I honestly don't see what the big deal is but-"
"Mr. Potter, I am in no position to tell you who or who you may not date." Professor Dumbledore said.
Harry blinked. "Isn't that why you're here?"
"No, I need to send an owl."
Harry smiled a little and I started laughing. Soon Harry was joining in. "We're sorry, Professor. We thought you were going to tell us why we're making a mistake and so forth."
"No, I had no intention of doing so. I've seen it coming." Dumbledore said, starting to smile.
"I told you." I muttered to Harry.
"I'll talk to you about it later, if you'd like." Dumbledore said.
I shrugged. "Sure."
"In the mean time, I need to be doing a little business and I believe you two are going to miss breakfast." Dumbledore said, smiling fully now.
We nodded and rushed off, slowing down when we were out of earshot.
"Something's up." Harry said.
"Yeah. Still, he was smiling after talking to us, so maybe it's just a minor problem."
"No such thing nowadays. Dumbledore was pissed off. He's just covering up."
"Harry, I honestly do not feel like worrying about it today. Do you?"
"No. You're right. Hey, we can start researching the memory thing. It is a Sunday and there wasn't very much homework over the weekend."
I nodded. "We'll have to recruit Ron and Hermione."
That's what we did during breakfast. After the two of them got over their anger of what might happen, they agreed to help as much as they could. We spent all day pining over those books. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
"Unbelieveable." Ron said, slamming his shut.
"I thought it would definately be in a book." Hermione agreed, still running through the index in hers.
"It isn't all in books. Maybe we're just going to have to bring it up." I said, searching a shelf for more books. "Professor Dumbledore will probably know."
"Here's something!" Hermione said loudly. She flipped to a page quickly and started reading out loud. "The Momory Charm can be blocked with one incantation."
"That's out. I can't do magic." I said, turning back to the shelf.
"It's done by someone else." she said, reading on. "But it's dangerous. If it's not done right, then it could wipe out your entire memory. Plus, it's illegal. If we got caught, we'd be in big, big trouble."
"Anything else, then?" I asked.
Hermione read on and looked up apologetically. "Only torture, Amy. And most of the time that ends up killing the person."
I wiped my eyes. "I think I'm leaning towards the illegal spell right now. I'm kind of tired of looking for things today, though. Ready to throw in the towel for a little while?"
"Yes!" Ron said, jumping up. "I mean, it's not that I don't care. It's just that I really hate doing this and for some reason we always end up here, trying to figure something like this out."
"I understand. At least Malfoy didn't find us." I said.
"Wrong again." someone sneered.
"Spoke to soon." I muttered.
"So, if it isn't Muggle Potter herself." Draco said. His two thugs laughed stupidly.
"Just go away." Ron said, rubbing his head.
"I don't think so, Weasel. I heard something about an illegal spell. What are we working on now?"
"If it were any of your business, I'd tell you, Malfoy. Unfortunately for you, it isn't." I said. I turned and saw that the books were off of the table and sighed in relief. One little bit of luck.
"Maybe Professor Snape would enjoy hearing about it."
"Maybe you should just go tell him." I challenged, motioning the direction to the door.
Draco sneered and walked away, mumbling to himself.
"That was too easy." Hermione said uneasily.
"Maybe he's having a bad day." Ron said.
"I wouldn't count on it. Still, there's nothing we can do now. Let's just go back to Gryffindor tower." Harry said.
The four of us spent a few hours talking. Mainly just about Hogwarts in general. A little about Professor Dumbledore that morning. A little about the memory research. A little about life in general. Ron and Hermione decided to go to bed early, leaving Harry and I sitting alone.
"It's a little akward around them, isn't it?" Harry asked.
"Not really. I haven't known them as long as you have, though."
"I guess I'm not used to this relationship thing."
"There's not much to get used to. Not that I'm an expert. Still, I'm pretty sure it's different every time. I'd like to think so, at least."
"I'd like to think so, too."
"Then that's what we'll do. Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you believe in God?"
Harry was silent for a few minutes. "I honestly don't know. Maybe there's a God out there."
"I've always believed in God. I still do, I guess."
"But what?" Harry prompted.
"I guess I'm just a little confused why he wouldn't want people to do magic."
"Maybe it would threaten his power."
I shook my head. "I don't think so. It doesn't matter now, though. Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"What would you ask God if you only had one question?"
"Assuming that God existed... I think I'd ask him why everything that's happened in my life had to happen."
I nodded. "I think I'd ask why I've been so lucky. I mean, that's what I'd ask right now."
"That seems like a good question too. Do you think we'll get to ask our one question?"
"Maybe someday. Harry?"
"Um hum?"
"How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"
Harry laughed. "Hum. Let's find out. One. Two. Three. Crunch. Three."
I laughed too. "Why do I love you?"
"That's nice."
"No, seriously. I wonder why people love each other. Why do we have to get attached?"
"That's just how people are, I guess. It's what makes us human."
"I'm glad. I think we'd be missing out if we didn't."
"Yeah."
I walked upstairs after kissing him good night. This time I had no problems falling asleep right away.
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