A/N #1: I previously posted this and other storied on the hpff site, however, it has been several years, since I have written/edited/reviewed my FanFiction and therefor I am going to start posting it here, after much editing and revamping. So if you see similar works under the user names Casey Granger or Janus Emma Lafey - just know that is formerly me.
A/N #2: This is an AU piece with the end game pairings of Neville/OOC, Harry/Ginny, and Ron/Hermione. Also a little Dumbledore/McGonagall hinting. Snape will be different also, and Voldemort will be well in the background (think pre-Goblet of Fire). I started writing this before the Order of the Phoenix came out - so Snape is teaching potions, Sirius is alive, and times will not be as dark.
DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowlings retains the right to the Harry Potter franchise. The plot, alterations to the HP universe and Heather Grey are all mine.
~HazardousWishes~HazardousWishes~
Heather Grey was dozing off in her AutoCADD class, bored to death. The heat from the computers surrounding her were making her drowsy, and the monotonous hum of the hard drives created a euphoric sense of endless work. The rest of her class, or at least most of them, where still taking their test which left Heather with nothing to do at the moment. Sitting there with her head in her hands, she thought of all the placed she would rather be or what else she would rather be doing.
'I wish I didn't have to go to school. I wish I could go somewhere else… somewhere fun and not boring'. Heather continued to think about this until she fell asleep, at her computer work station, and began to dream of a relaxing beach to sunbath on.
~SceneBreak~
Professor Snape's potions class with the 6th year students had just started and Ron had already lost Gryffindor 10 points. Snape was about to lecture the class on their general tardiness when there was a very audible pop and a girl dropped to the floor, face first. Before anyone could stop her with a levitation spell, the girl hit the floor with a smack and groaned loudly as she rolled over. The entire class looked at her with open mouths and the room was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. Snape was the first to recover, aiming his wand at the girl as she started round the room scared, her gaze resting finally on Snape.
"Who are you," he asked in a cold venomous voice, "and why are you here?" Shaking from head to toe, the girl got to her feet, mustered all her courage and met Snape's gaze.
"Heather Grey" was all she said. Snape looked even more severe now and asked her again why she was there. Heather passed for a moment then answered in a small voice, "and I don't know."
"Why not?!" Snape shouted at her, furious. This scared Heather more but she held her ground and did not drop her gaze. Hermione started to stand up to help her, but Ron and Harry quickly pulled her back down.
Heather finally answers, "Because I don't know where I am." To this answer, Snape did not know how to react.
"Fine then, until we find out where you come from" Snape said with a fire and cool voice, and then murmured a freezing charm to surround her with. Heather threw up her hands defensively in front of herself, not knowing what to expect, and shuts her eyes tightly, expecting the worst. After a moment or two she slowly opened her eyes and gasped at what she sees in front of her; Snape stood frozen in mid-spell. Quietly she creeps over to him and slowly waved a shaking hand in front of his face, to see if it would elicit a response at all. Backing away, Heather stood looking around the room. Most of the students had stood up by now and where looking from their motionless teacher to her with looks of horror and disbelief on their faces. It took Heather a second to realize that no one in the class had done this, she had!
"This is not possible, this is just a dream!" she said as she began to panic. Frantically she willed herself to wake up from this terrible, terrible dream. At that moment, the door to the class room opened and from behind her, a voice asked, "What is going on in here? What's happened?"
Unable to cope with the situation any longer, Heather Grey fainted.
~SceneBreak~
"She will be staying with us…"
"But Head Master, she is a Muggle…"
"No, I think not, only time will tell what she truly is."
"What about Snape, what did she do to him?"
The first voice chuckled softly and then said. "No, I don't think she meant to harm Bartholomew, what happened was pure instinct."
"But what about the other students, how will they take this?"
"Only time will tell, we mortals can only see what little has been given to us; it is not in our power to meddle in affairs which we have no right to interfere with."
Groggily Heather opened her eyes, and winced at the amount of light in the room. This not going to help my headache any! Heather thought sarcastically as she looked around the room. Two people stood a little ways from the bed she was laying in. Another person, she could not tell if it was a man or a woman at this distance, was working on something on the other side of the room. One of the two people near her turned and she that it was a middle-aged man; he smiled at her and walked over to were she lay.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" he asked softly.
"Alright, sir, just a little bit of a headache; what's going on?" Heather struggled to sit up and failed miserably.
The other person, a much older woman, stood at the foot of her bed. She looked severely at Heather and answered in a cold tone, "After you fainted one of the students helped carry you here."
Confusion was giving way the fear and anxiety, for as she took a closer look at her surroundings, nothing was quiet what it should have been. Above, instead of artificial lights or even gas lamps, hovered a large ball of light; which was the only way to describe it since it was free standing and look like nothing Heather had ever seen before.
"I have to be dreaming…" Heather muttered, more to herself then anyone else.
"I can heartily assure you, young lady, that this is no dream. Currently you are lying in our hospital ward and it seems that nothing the much is the matter with you, other then some slight bruises which are understandable, given the manner of you appearance." This response came from the older woman.
"Hospital ward? What is going on here and who are you people?" Heather was starting to get more uncomfortable being there by the second. Why am I getting the feeling she doesn't like me?
"My dear, this is a school of witch craft and wizardry. My name is Professor Dumbledore and this is Professor McGonagall." He motions to the woman at the foot of her bed. "However, how you got here is another story."
"What did you do to Severus?!" McGonagall asked angrily.
"Who, wait a minute, do you mean the guy who threatened me with the stick thingy? He just froze, I don't know why. Why are asking me? Your the wizards and witches people, that your job." Heather was very confused but mad at McGonagall for thinking she had done something to this Snape person; however, she did not mind if something had happened to him.
"Minerva, all this is new to her, until we can find out why she is here, Heather is allowed to stay her as a temporary student. Now all we need to do is privately sort her. Oh and she will be in need of a guide around the grounds and castle, could you find someone who wouldn't mind doing that?"
"Yes, Professor, I think Hermione Granger would be willing to help Heather around. Madam Pomfrey, is Heather well enough to leave?" McGonagall asked, addressing the woman on the other side of the room.
"Yes, I believe so, but if she exhibits any signs of fatigue or dizziness, she should return for further examination," she replied without out looking over her shoulder.
"Very well then, shall we go to my office and get you sorted into a House. Oh and you will be in need of a wand, I think we can find one for you."
Heather followed the adults out of the ward and through what appeared to be a very large castle. Things like electricity and air conditioning seemed not to exist, at least not like she was used to. The halls were very wide, with elaborate tapestries and portraits lining the walls.
You're not in Kansas anymore, Heather. This all has to be a dream, that's it. Just my over active imagination conjuring up a very elaborate daydream to keep my mind occupied, so that I didn't die of boredom back in class….only I wish I hadn't made it so real, that stone floor really hurt! Great, now I sound like an insane person; not only am I talking to myself but I am talking to myself in my own dream about the complexity of my imagination!
Sometime during the course of her mental tirade within her head, Professor Dumbledore had stopped in front of a large gargoyle statue. Turning to Professor McGonagall he asked, "Minerva, would you please go and get Hermione Granger and if Harry and Ron are with her, bring them too."
Nodding her grey head, McGonagall walked off back down the way they had come, rounded a corner, and was gone from sight.
"Come along, Heather. There is a lot for you to learn." Dumbledore whispered a phrase and the gargoyle moved!
Heather sprang back in suprise and looked wide eyed over at Dumbledore, who was chuckling softly with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.
Behind where it had stood, stairs began to move into place. Following Dumbledore, he led her up the stair to a door. Through the door was a large room filled with many odd and old things. Along the walls where portraits, some wake and watching her. By the desk, perched on a stand was the most beautiful bird Heather had ever seen or heard of. Suddenly the bird flew off and landed on Heather's shoulder, to her surprise.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Fawkes has taken a liking to you. Phoenix's are very selective in whom they call friends and that is what you have just become."
Heather gasped and looked over at the bird, the phoenix, alighted on her shoulder. "He's a phoenix?" she asked tentatively.
"Yes, now back to business, we need to sort you. Come over here my dear and sit down, it will not take long." Dumbledore walked over to a shelf and picked up a large pointy hat. Fawkes nuzzled his head against her neck affectionately then flew back over to his stand.
Heather sat down in the chair Dumbledore had specified. The door opened and in can three people followed by McGonagall, two boys and a girl. That must be the Hermione Granger person they where talking about earlier. Wonder who the other two are, and from the looks on their faces, they are wondering much the same thing.
"Children, have a seat. I will explain in a minute as soon as Heather has been sorted. Ready, Heather?"
Heather nodded her head and closed her eyes to calm herself, not knowing what to expect next. Dumbledore placed the Hat on her head. In her mind, she heard a little voice talking to her.
'Hello, Heather Grey. My, my, where to put you? You're very smart so I could put you in Ravenclaw but you are also very loyal and brave, maybe Gryffindor would be better,' the little voice said.
'What are you talking about?' Heather though. To her surprise, the Hat answered her.
'I am trying to sort you, will you please stop trying to block me out! Choices, choices. You are a strong one aren't you?'
'But I'm not doing anything! What do you mean strong?' Heather thought to the Hat, interested in the response.
'You're a very powerful witch and therefore I shall put you in…'
"Gryffindor!" The Hat shouted out opened her eyes and looked around the room. She saw that the two boys looked very happy at what the Hat had said.
"Ummm, what does it mean by I'm a powerful witch? And what is Gryffindor?" Heather looked at Dumbledore for answers. She wanted to know what was going on.
"Just that, that you're a powerful witch. Powerful enough to do wandless magic without thinking about it; that is what happened to Professor Snape, you 'froze' him. Don't worry, he is fine now."