No one was quite sure where the girl came from. She just appeared one day, sitting cross-legged on a desk in the library. In one hand was a pen, flying across the pages of her notebook. The other held an old book, quickly shifting the pages along before grabbing another one. Some would say her efficiency was beautiful - in a horrifying way - as the pile of books grew and grew, encompassing the table on which she sat.
A week passed before she was joined by a second girl with a dazed expression. She carried a sketchbook along with a notebook. Her left hand recorded what the two mumbled while her right drew creatures that no one had seen before. Her blue eyes would shine whenever they met an onlookers, amusement meeting a gobsmacked expression as she continued her work.
The second girl was there only two days before a man stumbled in, raven hair an awful mess and emerald eyes unfocused. His muttering joined in, yet still only a low murmur was detectable from the trio. He didn't work as the girls did, instead he focused on returning books and making sure the other two ate. The librarians were amused to watch the pout that emerged on his face whenever the first girl, her brunette mane having grown wilder and wilder as the days passed, sent him to search for more books.
All were surprised when one day, none of them were there. The librarians searched but the trio were not looking for more books not had they changed spots. A folded piece of paper - no wait, that was parchment, and who on earth used that anymore? - rested on their former table and everyone was reluctant to move it. They did not know the strange teenagers but the three had become a part of their daily lives.
A month passed and the furniture changed. The head librarian was strolling around when she was surprised to see that instead of the desk there was four comfortable chairs with a small coffee table in the nook. A book rested on each of the seats. One was about quantum physics, two about fairytales and the final was a well recognised guide - 'Technology for Dummies'.
She grabbed her fellows around the building before returning to see the trio had returned with a looked slightly ill but they all stood up and greeted when the group arrived.
"Um, hi. I'm Ron and these are Hermione, Luna and Harry. Uh, I just wanted to say thanks for putting up with these guys - they aren't the sanest at the best of times -"
"Hey!" The so called Hermione called, Harry and Luna rolled their eyes.
"- but you didn't kick them out or anything despite their behaviour so, uh, yeah, thanks."
The head librarian was curious and asked a question they all wanted to know.
"What were you looking for?"
Hermione and Ron looked away but Luna answered.
"Well Harry and I wanted to look at Wrackspurts and their effects as well as necromancy but Hermione just wanted to look at how to find someone in a jiffy. Why 'accio' wouldn't work I have no idea."
The adults shrugged at the confused at the odd words.
"Sweetheart," Harry said, placing his hands on Luna's shoulders, "You need to remember that not everyone is interested in looking up how to resurrect hordes of Crumple Horned Snorkacks to prove a point about their existence. Like Ron said, though, thanks for dealing with us nut-jobs. I don't know when we'll be here again I don't know but hey, maybe Nev will when I tell him about your biology section."
Luna handed over the folded piece of parchment and the four left the building, never to be seen again.
It was a picture of four animals. A stag, a hare, an otter and a jack russell terrier. Oddly, each of them dissipated into a silvery smoke at the ends - tails, legs, horns and ears. It was signed 'Four of six who lived when others did not.'