A high, arched stone ceiling swam into view in Lila's vision, as well as three strangely familiar faces. Her whole body ached fiercely when she tried to sit up, but a plump woman pushed her back down.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" asked an old man with very long white hair and spectacles. Lila knew had seen him somewhere, but couldn't quite remember where. Her still hazy mind was fascinated by how his spectacles bounced on his nose as he spoke, but as the question penetrated to her brain, she made an attempt to pull her thoughts together.
"Um, better I guess." Wow, even her throat was sore. How many nerves did the human body contain? Well, however many it was, they all hurt. Focus, focus Lila ordered her wandering brain.
"Of course, most anything is better than being unconscious, yes?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Lila looked around. She was on a hospital bed with curtains drawn around it, but the high stone ceiling suggested she was not in a hospital. Through the space where the curtains joined, she could see a line of metal hospital beds parading down the floor right up to the stone wall. All of the other beds that she could see were empty. "Where am I?"
"Why, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Ministry of Magic asked that you be brought here when it was discovered you have certain—powers."
A tall, thin woman with hair pulled back in a tight bun, spoke. "They have asked that we train you here."
Suddenly a flood of memories swept through Lila's mind, and she pushed herself up in a panic. "No, I can't stay here," she said desperately. "It's not safe for any of you while I'm here."
The plump woman laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, child. This school contains many of the greatest magic-wielders in the country. No one, not even you-know-who, can get you here."
Along with the memories had come the names of the people surrounding her. Madame Pomfrey was the plump witch, and the other two were Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Mcgonagall. Aside from the obvious fact that none of this should be real, Lila was terribly afraid that their sense of security was false. "No, you don't understand. He doesn't use magic like you do. It's a different kind of power. It--"
"We have been informed," Dumbledore interrupted. "The Ministry, in all its fascinating ability to over-dramatize everything, has informed us of your plight. Special security measures have been put in place. This is not the first time we have dealt with your kind."
Her head whirling, Lila lay back on the thin hospital pillow. She really hoped they knew what they were talking about, because if not, the entire school was in terrible danger. But in her physical state, there was nothing she could do at the moment.
That, and she had to figure out how in the world Hogwarts could exist, when it was supposed to be a fantasy tale. Well, after all that had happened, she guessed anything was possible.