She looked around again, more confused than ever. “What’s going on?” she breathed.

“We’re on the train to Hogwarts,” the girl said matter-of-factly.

“A train to where?” Ann’s heart slowed down slightly.

“Hogwarts. School.” The first boy said. 

Ann’s recent hysteria faded away as incredulity dawned, “I’m, uh…going to get some air.”

Ann almost flinched when he looked at her. There was something odd in his eyes; they did not look simultaneously suspicious and bored like they normally did. He almost looked impressed.

“I want the truth” His voice had a hard edge.

Ann wanted to scream ‘you can’t handle the truth,’ but she settled for, “I don’t think you’ll believe me.”

“I might surprise you.”

“Okay, so what about tribes in Africa?  There is a tribe there that speaks in clicks, you know like this,” Ann tried to imitate the clicking sounds they make.  Severus stared at her as though she had grown a third eye.  “How do they say the spells in their language?”

Everything about his restlessness and irritation described in the books came flooding back when she gripped his hand in greeting. She smiled, but knew the smile looked forced. The knowledge this man would be dead in less than a year rose foremost in her thoughts.

"Is this just a natural evolution of humans, like how people are getting taller, or is this a mutation, like in X Men? Or maybe, there are two different breeds of humans, magical and non-magical. And if that is true, it would revolutionize the science community.” Ann threw her hands up in the air with excitement. She beamed broadly and her heart raced, as it often did when she talked about scientific developments.