Disclaimer: It's a fanfic

Disclaimer: It's a fanfic. I don't own anything. Except the plot, any amusing phrases of my own invention, and the few new characters I introduce, of course. Don't even bother suing me, all I own is this computer, which isn't even that great after all the crap I've done to it. It seems even in disclaimers I babble……

Thoughts from the Author: Oh god, I can't believe I've been reduced to this… writing harry potter fanfics. This is just degrading. For years I swore I wouldn't even read the fool books, and now I'm writing a fanfic of it. Oh well. You either accept yourself or go nuts. Although I think writing potterfics constitutes nuts. Just read it! And don't forget to use that helpful little box at the bottom to review… I'm not sure whether I want to keep working on this or not. But initially updates should come pretty quick. So if you like it keep checking in! And Reviewing! I'm shutting up now.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1: The Appearance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

"…and then the twitchy little ferret had the nerve to say to me-" Hermione stopped in the middle of her latest rant about Malfoy, a look of shock on her face as the Great Hall fell silent.

Ron and Harry, confused, turned around to see what she and everybody else was looking at.

Standing in the middle of the hall was the most beat up and bedraggled girl Harry had ever seen. She was also the most beautiful. She wobbled a moment, looking at the high table with dazed eyes, and if you were close enough you might have heard the faint "Help…" that escaped her lips before she fainted dead away.

Professor Snape was the first to come out of his shock. "Sylvia?!" He cried, much to everyone's confusion, and rushed to her. Dumbledore was close on his heels.

"This is-?" He asked the Snape in hushed tones.

Snape, who much to everyone's shock actually looked very concerned and even a bit frightened, nodded, not taking his eyes off the girl.

Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall, who was hovering at his shoulder, and told her to go to Madame Pomfrey and tell her they had a girl who looked beaten up and had fainted. She nodded and hurried off.

Snape, adding another shock to the poor students' already beaten systems, picked up the girl and followed at a slower pace talking to Dumbledore in hushed tones so none of the students heard.

Mere seconds after they had cleared the door the hall erupted into excited conference.

"Who's the girl?"

"Who'd have though Snape was that strong?"

"Better yet, who'd have thought Snape had those emotions?

"How's Snape know her?"

"How'd she get here? She's too young to apparate!"

"What do you think happened to her?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other silently, then as one got up. The invisibility cloak would come in handy, yet again.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

All right, what do ya think?? Huh?? Review!!! I don't care if you say it's a piece of tripe! Just review!