Chapter 1
Strange things had been happening to Mirri for as long as she could remember. So it came as no surprise (almost) when heading through the library doors to check out some books one summer afternoon, she opened the door to find herself facing, not the library, but somewhere else entirely.
"Where am I?" Mirri was standing in a great open stone lobby with two great double doors to her right. "Might as well find out." She pushed the doors open and found herself facing the embodiment of her imagination-Great Hall of Hogwarts, a fictional place. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were staring at her as she walked forward to crazily accurate table of teachers in front. Okay, she thought, I'll just go up to the front and ask them how I got here.
The strange thing was, Mirri was getting a little nervous. She had gotten used to weird things happening, but this, this was downright scary. Her imagination had never been this realistic before.
As she approached the staff table, Professor Dumbledore stood. "Welcome! We are glad you came to join us!"
Mirri stared at the professor; he was too real. "Have you been expecting me? Because I certainly didn't know that I was coming…and another few things: 1) you are fictional characters in a book I read, so you can't be real, 2) If I'm going to play along, then you should know that I'm a muggle, 3) how were you expecting me in the first place?!" Mirri was beyond scared now, and when she beyond that, she started to yell. Oh God, I hope I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming.
Dumbledore smiled behind his half-moon glasses. "All in good time, my dear. You will spend some time with us here and your belongings are stationed in the Gryffindor Tower. For now you will have dinner with us; we were just starting." He clapped his hands and dinner appeared on the four great tables. He gestured for a student at the Gryffindor table who hurried up. "Remus, this young lady is in your charge. Show her around tomorrow. After dinner, help her to the tower and let her stay with you. Don't let her get into trouble." He turned to Mirri who was staring at Remus with her confused mind only thinking, he's hot. "Stay with Remus, Ms. Libra, and he will help you. Go ahead and eat now."
Remus led Mirri to where he was eating with his friends without a word before starting to give introductions. But when he pointed to a boy with messy black hair and glasses, Mirri spoke first, "James Potter-I know," she said. The four boys looked at her strangely. She pretended not to notice, pointed at the second boy with dark brown hair (and quite handsome), and said, "Sirius Black," another boy with mouse brown hair, "Peter Pettigrew," and then pointed to her tall, dirty-blonde, gold-eyed, gorgeous guide, "Remus Lupin, I know. I told Dumbledore that all of you were book characters, remember?" She paused before saying, "I'm Mirri Libra. Don't just stare at me, go ahead and eat. I'm not hungry."
Mirri sat down beside James and stared around her. The Great Hall looked exactly like she imagined, almost scarily so. Allowing her gaze to fall on the people around her, she searched for two individuals who she found at the Slytherin table-Severus Snape-who, surprisingly was staring right back at her. Mirri smiled, Snape had always been on of her favorite characters. Snape blushed slightly, scowled, and looked away. Mirri moved on, found the second person and smiled again; Lily Evans was very pretty. James and Lily would make a great couple.
Mirri jumped at the tap on her shoulder. Someone was asking her a question. "Pardon?"
"I asked, 'where you were from?' Dumbledore has never held up dinner for anything. You must be special." The question was from Sirius; he had finished eating and was staring at her.
"Well," Mirri started with an intense stare back at Sirius. Her gaze unnerved him and he looked away. "I'm from the United States. You, like I said, are book characters in a famous book series called-" she stopped when she caught Dumbledore's eye at the teacher's table. He smiled at her and shook his head. "I'm rambling. I guess I'm tired. I think I'm ready to go to bed. It was nice meeting all of you."
Mirri stood up and headed towards the door but stopped when she heard footsteps behind her. The four boys were following her, which was just as well, because she had no idea how to get to Gryffindor Tower. "Sorry. You don't have to escort me; I'm sure I can find my own way."
"You're in my charge," said Remus, already leading the way up the stairs "besides, you're interesting. We have many questions so you might as well allow us to follow you."
He led the way to Gryffindor Tower and gave the password-"Hippogriff feathers"-before stepping into the common room. Mirri gasped with delight at recreation of her dreams and walked over to the fire to curl in one of the couches. Sirius, James, and Peter sat in the armchairs around her while Remus sat at the other end of the couch.
"So," James drawled (he apparently didn't like her very much), "how is it that an American (a muggle, no less!) came to Hogwarts (a magic school), got placed in Gryffindor (the best house for magical students), and has to be led around by the prefect to be waited on every hand and foot like some unwanted princess?"
Oh, Mirri thought glaring at James, he is going to make my stay very difficult. The others gave uneasy glances James' way. "Well, don't ask me," she with just as much ice, "I never asked to be here. And I never asked to be led around. So, if you'll excuse me, this apparent muggle-princess is going to bed." And with that, Mirri got up and stalked up the stairs to her room without a backward glance.
"Great job, Prongs," Remus groaned as the four boys headed toward their room, "that was a great way to make her feel welcome in the group. She hasn't done anything wrong and you immediately antagonize her."
"'In the group'?" asked Peter, "Since when did we let others into this little organization? We don't know anything about her and yet she knows all about us. Besides, she's a muggle. She said so herself."
"Well, I have to look after her, so she has to hang out with us; and-"
"I can tell that already you have a thing for her, Moony. That's all you ever mention- 'She's in my charge'- 'I have to look after her'," Sirius laughed.
"Padfoot's right," James replied, smirking. "And you defend her, though there is no reason to."
"I agree," Peter said.
"I do not," Remus replied defensively, "I'm just following Dumbledore's orders. So, shut up and go to sleep." Remus closed his four-poster's curtains to the sound of his friend's chuckles and murmurs of "Defensive, much?"
Mirri closed the door to her bedroom and sank to the floor in a weary heap. Struggling to keep her tears at bay, she glanced around at her single room and idly wondered why she hadn't been placed with the other fifth year girls. In front of her four-poster bed was a trunk. She slowly got up and opened it to find uniforms (with Gryffindor insignia), regular clothes, books for classes, and other necessities. She looked up to catch sight of her occupied bedside table with…a wand. Dashing forward, she carefully picked it up and felt a shiver run down her spine. I wonder- "Lumos," she said under her breath with half-hopes that it would work.
To her shock, the wand lit up with a greenish glow. "Nox," she said. I can do magic here, she thought excitedly. "Oh my God!"
Then she noticed a letter leaning against the lamp. She opened it up to find a note:
You are here for a reason for which I am unable to understand.
For now, everything has been provided for.
Do not be alarmed and don't worry. You will have the ability to do magic as well.
We will do what we can to get you back to the future.
In the meantime, Stay with Remus.
Professor Dumbledore
Well, thought Mirri, this is certainly different. Yawning, she got her pajamas on and slowly got in bed. Maybe a little sleep will help me, she thought, yawning. And maybe she would wake up to find this all just a dream. She fell asleep thinking that maybe this wouldn't be so bad to be stuck here.