Mission Accepted

Yoda looked at her and said, "The task given you now know, complete it yet you must." The girl returned the look and smiled.

"I know what I have to do." Her eyes were bright when she smiled. She got up from her levitating chair in the council room and turned to walk out the door.

"Accompanying you no one is. Careful you must be. War brewing there is." Yoda's smile had faded, and he was looking at her with a caring expression on his face. "Fail, you must not," he warned softly. The girl's smile had also disappeared.

"I know," she whispered.

The cafeteria was bustling with noise as a boy and girl walked to a table and sat down, their trays laden with food. The boy looked at her sadly, knowing that he wouldn't be seeing her for a while. "Ami," he said, "are you sure you're going alone?"

She looked at him sternly. "Of course I'm going alone, Obi-Wan. I don't need you and Qui-Gon around me on missions."

"Right Ami...you're a Jedi Master now. It's hard to get used to."

"Obi-Wan!" she shouted cheerfully. "I've been a Master for two years!"

"I know...it's just you're so young, and, well, because you're my friend, I guess I forget that you're so powerful." He looked down at his plate and started picking at his food.

"That's okay. I forgive you, Obi-Wan. I'm kind of nervous myself." She started eating some of her lunch. "Qui-Gon came to see me earlier."

"Really?"

"Yeah...he wished me luck. He also wanted to know why you've been acting weird lately."

Obi-Wan looked slightly uncomfortable at this. "Well," he squirmed, "I guess it's because you're going off alone for so long, and I'm afraid I won't see you again."

Amy laughed. "I've been going on missions alone for about six years now! And I haven't seen you since I was eleven."

"I know...maybe it's just because I just got to see you again. That's all. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too...but hey...there's going to be a dance...I'll invite you, okay?" Ami looked at him hopefully, wanting her friend to feel a little better about her leaving.

"Will there? You mean I'll get to see you on Earth?" She nodded. "You promise me that?" He held out his hand, palm facing her. She placed her hand on his and squeezed it.

"I promise."

The transport was empty when Ami got on. She explored all of the different areas and compartments, knowing all of the exits. It was a routine she had down perfectly, having had to do it ever since she became a Jedi's apprentice at eight. Being the youngest Padawan ever, she had learned right from the start all of the good safety checks to do in new places. As she sat down onto a couch next to a window, she pulled out a communicator and turned it on. "Mace?" she asked.

The communicator buzzed for a second, but then Mace Windu's voice rang out loud and clear. "Yes, Master Ami?"

"I'm ready for take-off."

"Are you sure you want to go through this?"

"Of course I'm sure. It's just Earth."

"But you haven't been to Earth in a while. Will you be fine going alone? I can send someone to accompany you–"

"I'll be fine. I'm not the galaxy's most powerful being for nothing," she grimaced.

Mace hesitated a bit before he spoke next. "Okay. Your pilot is on his way down now. Good luck, Master Ami. May the Force be with you." He switched off and Ami leaned back. She stared out the window, not even noticing when the transport revved up and took off.

Why am I so nervous about this, she asked herself, when I know that I've been to Earth before? She sighed and closed her eyes. She knew the answer. She didn't want to leave the rest of the galaxy; more importantly, she didn't want to leave her friends.

The ride over was very uneventful. The transport landed on the outskirts of some large city. Ami thanked her pilot, got all of her things together, and left. She walked out into the open air, breathing in the fresh summer scents, and started making her way to the train station. The city was so large; yet it was still so much smaller and not as technologically advanced as Coruscant. She sighed softly and made her way up the main street. She passed a few people doing daily chores, but no one bothered her. No one stopped her because she was wearing a tee-shirt and cropped pants, even though it was raining out. But she couldn't understand why people kept running away from the rain and carrying umbrellas. The rain wasn't nearly as bad as it was on other planets. But of course, no one here knew that. Even after reading all she could about Earth, she knew there was lots of things she didn't know. Being born on this planet didn't make one fluent in it's culture. So obviously they weren't about to understand how hard rain gets in Bandomeer or Coruscant.

Finally she made her way to the train station. It was ten o'clock, but Ami knew the train didn't leave until eleven. So she boarded the train slowly, knowing how accepting this mission limited her freedom. But thinking back to the Jedi Council meeting, she knew that she was the only one to take the job. She was the only one with magic, and therefore the only one accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

As the minutes crept by, the train slowly started to fill with students anxious to get back to school, a feeling Ami had shared when she went to the Jedi Temple. Except there, school was always in session. But Ami never found a reason to not want to go back.

She had picked a compartment halfway down the train, hoping that she picked the right one. She wanted to be in the same compartment as the people she had read about in the Harry Potter books, but if she wasn't in the same compartment, then she wasn't. Ami just hoped the luck of the Jedi was with her.

She didn't have to wait long to find out. A tall boy with bright red hair and freckles opened the door and put his luggage up onto the rack. He suddenly looked at Ami curiously and frowned. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know you were in here." He turned to the two people who walked in after him: a medium sized boy with messy hair and bright green eyes and a shorter girl with bushy brown hair. They looked just like the characters described in the books. She had picked correctly!

"Let's find another compartment," the boy who looked like Ron said to the others as he hastily took down his trunk. Ami jumped up and helped lower his trunk.

"No–that's okay. You can stay in here, if you like...it's big enough for all of us." She looked from one to the other, and noticed that the black-haired boy shrugged.

"It's fine with me." So he put his luggage onto the rack and helped the girl with hers and Ami helped the red head. Then they all left the compartment, Ami knew, to say good-bye to family. She sat down slowly and looked out the window. She heard the whistle blow, and the train started moving. The three finally returned again, and were talking about something that had happened before they entered. Ami ignored their conversation until the girl, Hermione, shushed the boys. They could hear someone's loud voice floating through the open door across the corridor.

"...Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the Headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore–the man's such a mudblood-lover–and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do..."

The bushy-haired girl tiptoed to the door and shut it softly, blocking out the snobby voice. "So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she asked angrily. She looked at the other two, and then noticed Ami, who hadn't said a word since they first came in. "Excuse me?" the girl asked, and Ami turned to look at her. She raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

For the first time they saw her smile. It lit up her whole face, and she didn't look nearly as sad or upset about being on the train. "You don't know how good it is to hear that. Practically everywhere I go people know who I am. It's such a relief to hear that. I'm Ami." She held out a hand for the rest to shake. In turn, they all introduced themselves.

"Hermione," said the girl.

"Ron," answered the red head.

"I'm Harry. And I know exactly how you feel. Everyone knows me around here...it gets very annoying, doesn't it?" He smiled as he shook her hand.

"I've never heard of you," Ami fibbed, "and I guess I'm not surprised that you haven't heard of me...I'm not from around here."

"You don't sound like it. Where are you from? America?" Hermione asked.

Ami hesitated before nodding. "Yeah, but that doesn't stop people from knowing who I am. In fact..."

"Yes?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Oh...it's nothing. Just some title I've been given. That's all." She turned slightly red and looked away.

"What's your title? Come on, we won't tell others," Harry said, grinning.

"No...you wouldn't get them. I should stop talking." She reached into the small bag below her feet and took out a book. Realizing she wanted to be alone for awhile, the others continued their conversation.

Lots of people showed up to visit, and all of them asked about Ami. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't have a lot of information, they couldn't say much about Ami. Ami could've told them herself, as she had known they were coming in and out, wondering who she was, but she didn't feel all that comfortable with the people she only knew from her books, so she tried to make it seem as if she were oblivious to it all. That was until Malfoy came in.

Ami had noticed him standing at the doorway listening to the conversation with his two cronies. Malfoy reminded her instantly of someone she knew...but she just couldn't place it.

After talking for a minute or so he finally noticed Ami sitting in a corner of the compartment. "So who's this?" he cackled, glad that there would be someone else for him to tease.

"You remind me of someone I know..." Ami said softly.

"I'm sorry...did I ask you?" he responded.

"Actually, you were talking to me. Let's see...who was it?" She looked at him carefully, trying to remember someone she had once met. But all she could think about was that he was Draco. She had read about him so much in the Harry Potter books that it seemed that she had just thought of him, and no one else. But there had to have been someone different!

"I asked you for your name, not who I looked like to you. Unless that person is important?"

"But you don't just look like him...the insults, the threatening...the hair..." Malfoy put a hand to his hair defensively. "I've got it! Bruck!"

"What? Who is that?" he asked scathingly.

"Oh," Ami said softly, "no one you'd know."

"Then why did you even tell me? It's not as if I care. And you never answered my question: Who are you?" He was definitely frustrated with Ami, and his face was reddening with anger.

"I'm Ami. Not that you would care." She smiled defiantly at him and cocked her head. "Would you?"

Malfoy took a deep breath and turned to the others. "So...are you going to enter?" They all looked at him, confused.

"What are you talking about?" Ron snapped.

"Are you going to enter?" he repeated. Confirming that they didn't know he started grinning happily. "I hear there's money involved...you could get some decent robes for once," he sniggered, glancing at the maroon dress robes Ron had on top of his owl cage. "And how about you, Potter? You like having all of the glory...I suppose you'll just have to enter...your head might explode if you didn't."

"Get on with what your saying, Malfoy, or get out," Hermione said.

Malfoy started to laugh. "Don't tell me they didn't tell you. I mean, really. Your father works at the ministry! I guess they just didn't tell him...he must be too junior...they must not talk about anything important in front of him." He laughed again and was on his way out when Ami spoke up.

"Of course they told him...in fact Malfoy, they tell him more things than they tell your father."

Malfoy turned around. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled from behind him. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. And you know what? I bet you're not going to be even able to enter," Ami went on.

Malfoy looked at her shocked, stunned that anyone would challenge him. "And how would you know?" he asked, his cheeks starting to get pink in anger. "You haven't even been here before."

"So what? That doesn't matter...if only you knew who I was. You'd understand then. I guess you're not important enough to know me though. Figures. I wouldn't have expected you to know me anyways." She shrugged and nodded him out of the room. Malfoy was definitely mad at her now, and he left the room muttering curses, his ears red.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen Malfoy so mad at someone he didn't know," Ron said admiringly. Ami just shrugged and was about to pick up her book when Hermione asked her a question.

"Erm...Ami? What are you doing here at Hogwarts? And why are you our age?" she asked timidly.

Ami looked at her for a moment to decide how much to tell her. "Well, four years ago I was accepted into Hogwarts, but I was too busy with other things at the moment to go to school. I had already learned a lot of magic, so it wasn't necessary for me to go...but I ran out of things I could learn alone, so I decided to come to school. And that's why I'm here."

She could tell that Ron bought her story, but she knew that Harry and Hermione weren't as convinced. Harry asked her a question next. "So how old are you?"

"I turned fourteen in August."

"And why were you so busy?"

"Well, I had other things. It's...it's hard to explain right now. Maybe when you get to know me better I'll tell you. Or you'll figure it out on your own. You're all very bright." She left it at that and turned back to her book, knowing that they would all spend a long time wondering about her. And she smiled.