Author's Note: This might be a long story...but I have too many ideas of what to write. It's just a matter of organizing everything. Severus won't be making an appearance until the third chapter, so hold tight. And if you have any headcanons about Severus that you might like to see incorporated in the future, I'm open to considering them.

The late evening sky rumbled. It was the night of a new moon, and Sybill Trelawney was awake in her high North tower, staring at a tarot spread. She craned her neck and looked outside at the skyline as the wind shook the trees. She turned over the last card, and it was the tower in an upright position. A flash of lightning lit up the room casting long shadows across the table.

Trelawney drew in a sharp breath, her spidery fingers grazing the card's surface, "Curious... Hogwarts seems to be in for a sudden change. I wonder if the Headmaster is prepared." A very light drizzle started to paint across the windows. Trelawney got up, drew the red jacquard curtains shut, and knelt down next to the fireplace. She poked her head in the flames.

– – – – –

Alex felt dizzy, the pit of darkness she was in was making her break out in sweat. Her whole body felt numb and cold. She could just barely make out small shadowy things flying around in the darkness. She felt whatever footing she had give way suddenly. She lost balance, and fell. Her brown eyes snapped opened.

She felt cold mud against her cheek, and twigs and leaves beneath her bare legs. A light rain already fogged up her glasses. The rain explained away why she felt so cold and wet in her dream...but being outside was another story. Did I sleep walk out here? I haven't done that since I was seven, she thought.

Alex pushed herself up and looked around. She was on the edge of some forest and could make out a light from a small distant lodging. She blinked, and swallowed. A small wind came through the trees and there was a far distant rumble of thunder that echoed across the landscape. Her hairs stood on the back of her neck. The house looked very familiar. Alex hoped in some twisted way that she was still dreaming. But when she looked a little bit beyond, there stood a massive structure that filled the horizon...and it was very much a castle.

She walked slowly but with as wide of strides her short legs could take her. The ground felt spongey and the wet grass tickled against her feet. Alex tried her best to avoid the big puddles of mud as she walked towards the light. The weather, the forest, everything felt too real. Alex's headache and nausea, also felt too real. And the barking she heard coming from the hut, way too real. "Oh my god, please no..." she whispered.

Once at the entrance to the half-giant's hut, Alex threw her hands up and swatted away a couple moths that flew near her face. She peeked behind her arms to see if it was finally safe, and under her breath muttered, "Fuck me." She knocked three times on the heavy door. More barking, and what could be made out as "Down Fang," could be heard through the walls. The wind and rain was starting to take effect and made Alex shiver.

Hagrid was shocked. His black eyes bulged and his jaw was slack. Fang came running up from behind, and started sniffing Alex all over curiously. "Hello Ha–," Alex caught herself, Maybe saying his name would not be a good idea right now, she thought. She coughed and spoke a little louder, "I need to speak with Dumbledore."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Hagrid looked around outside confused, then shook his head. "Right! Come in miss you're drenched!"

Alex didn't move, "Um, no...no thank you. It's urgent, please."

"Then take this," Hagrid turned and grabbed a dark brown blanket off his floor. Alex took it, and wrapped it over her head like a shawl, it smelled like wet Fang.

– – – – –

The walk was a little awkward. Fang tagged along and kept sniffing Alex and licking at her hands and legs. Hagrid attempted conversation.

"I came from the forest," Alex said.

"You must have walked quite a ways..." but he stopped talking after he noticed Alex's bare and scratched feet.

"Ummm, by the way my name is Alex. Sorry I didn't first mention it." Alex stretched her neck and looked up at him in the eyes, and gave a half-smile. Hagrid was tall. Alex knew even if she was twice her height, she'd still be at least a foot shorter than him.

"Rubeus Hagrid. But you can call me Hagrid. I'm the game keeper of Hogwarts castle." Alex nodded. I know that already, she thought.

– – – – –

The castle's front doors were still taller than Hagrid, and when they walked through Alex felt even smaller. The fire burning in the torches all along the main entryway were bright. The size of the flames felt intimidating, adding to the overall power that the enchanted castle exuded.

Standing in front of the bronze hippogriff statue, Hagrid told the boarhound dog to sit. "Are you ready?" he asked. Alex nodded in affirmation. Hagrid cleared his throat and said, "Chocolate frog." A loud scraping of stone revealed the moving stair case. "After you Alex," he said.

Alex walked up the spiral staircase. She noticed the fine feather detail of the wings to the bronze hippogriff statue, and how the eyes of the creature looked slightly threatening. Alex waited outside the Headmaster's double doors for Hagrid to join her. Hagrid knocked twice on the office doors. They opened up slowly on their own.

Alex looked everywhere when she stepped inside. There were small magical objects all around Dumbledore's office. The little round table in the antechamber had a rotating tower that made a clicking noise. In the glass cabinets against the walls, no two magical instruments looked alike, and they moved as well. Small hands swayed back and forth, and spherical objects rotated in tiny circles. Through all the soft ticking Alex could also hear a few faint snores, the portraits hanging on the walls were sleeping.

Dumbledore turned away from a bookcase on the second floor. True to his description, Alex thought. Albus Dumbledore had a majestic beard that trailed all the way down to his waist, and half moon spectacles that rested on his crooked nose. He wore an elegant set of lavender dress robes with silver trim. Underneath he wore a long sleeve silver grey gown, with silver buttons lined up along the sleeves. The old wizard's face lit up in surprise and he glided down the small staircase. "This young miss has come to see you Dumbledore," Hagrid looked between Dumbledore and Alex, "Says it's urgent."

"Thank you Hagrid. Our late night visitor is safe thanks to you. You may leave us," said Dumbledore. Hagrid gave a half bow and left. The door thudded shut.

Alex heard someone loudly scoff behind her. "Honestly, Dumbledore why are you entertaining this little beggar girl at this hour? Send her home..." Alex turned around to see Phineas Nigellus Black, she rolled her eyes. Of course it was him, she thought. "Look at how dirty she is," Phineas glared.

"Now, now, Phineas. I'll have none of that. Mind your manners," Dumbledore waved his hand in reproach. He sat down behind his desk. "Have a seat dear," Dumbledore drew out his wand and conjured a chintz armchair out of thin air. Alex's stomach dropped. Any small hope that everyone around her was cosplaying, and that the environment around her was just some replica that a creepy obsessed Harry Potter fan created left her mind completely.

Alex sat down on the arm chair, she noticed it was patterned with different colored carnations. She let her shawl slip to her shoulders, wiped her glasses clean from the inside of the blanket and put them back on. "Am I dreaming?" Alex asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid not. You're American?" Dumbledore tilted his head. Alex nodded in affirmation. Her eyes noticed a small gold clock ticking on his desk, it was 11 p.m.

"Are we dreaming? Or caught in some type of illusion?"

"No...no. I don't think that is the case. Do you feel like you're dreaming?"

Anxiety started to set in Alex, "I'm not supposed to be here."

"I think you're very much meant to be here...at least that is what a wise seer has just informed me," Dumbledore said a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Alex looked at him confused, "Dumbledore, if this is truly Hogwarts...then I'm not supposed to be here. I am a threat and a liability...this is all wrong...me sitting here," she gestured dramatically to herself, "is not, should not...be possible."

"You look out of sorts...Um, your name?"

"Alex," she said.

"Well, I beg your pardon Alex. But you look worse for wear. Maybe this long journey of yours has stirred some–" Alex cut him off.

"Listen Dumbledore, stop being polite. Go ahead and ask me why I'm here. Go ahead and accuse me of trespassing onto the castle grounds. Go ahead and tell me I'm insane already!" Alex took a deep breath.

"Alright...Alex why are you here?" Dumbledore folded his hands, and rested his chin on them as he leaned forward.

"I don't know. One minute I was asleep and dreaming, and the next I'm in the Forbidden Forest? Dumbledore...none of this is real," she threw her hands above her head panning them around his office. "I'm not from this world...or universe...or whatever. This right here is all fiction. A book. Someone's imagination. Ink on a page..." Alex folded her arms. "Yet here you are. Doing magic," she shook her head in disbelief.

"You say this is all fiction or a book? What do you know?" Dumbledore placed his hands on the edge of the desk.

"I know almost everything. I know your plans on defeating Voldemort– wait, what's the date?" Why didn't I ask that sooner? she thought.

"Thursday, August the 18th."

"And the year?" she asked quickly.

"The year is 1988. Why?"

"I'll get back to it... I know that your plans on defeating Voldemort are by destroying his horcruxes. I know about Harry and how you're keeping him 'protected' at the Dursleys. I know how you're using a former Death Eater as a spy for information... I know about your brother Aberforth and what really happened to your sister Ariana–"

"Okay!" Dumbledore raised a hand to stop Alex. "Alex, Alex, that's enough now. This is all quite...You seem to know a lot of sensitive information," he squinted his eyes skeptically.

"You can read my mind if you'd like. I know you're a Legilimens. I know you are skilled at such a thing." Alex looked at Dumbledore, interested if he would take her up on her offer.

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed a little more, "You already look like you've gone through enough tonight. I would hate to drain you of even more energy. But I could do a brief scan...I suppose...May I?"

"All I need to do is maintain eye contact, correct?"

Dumbledore nodded, "That's correct."

"Fine."

While Dumbledore shifted through the layers of memories and thoughts, Alex could feel a dull pounding in her head. The back of her throat felt dry as she concentrated on bringing forward some of the most important pieces of information. There was a moment that Dumbledore caught a glimpse of her feelings for the Hogwarts potions master, and she cursed at herself for not keeping that under lock better. It felt like ages, but when Dumbledore was finally finished she groaned in pain. Her head suddenly felt weightless and her stomach queasy.

"This is all very intriguing...Alex it seems you have slight doubts or holes in your memories?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes...Well, it's a lot of information. Some details don't stick as clear in my mind. I don't have a pensieve to keep my thoughts safe and organized."

Dumbledore half-smiled, "No I suppose you don't. Alex, you have given me a lot to think about," he stood up and sighed. "But more importantly, I can't have you sit here any longer all cold, spattered with mud and cuts. You're still shaken up. I think a night's rest for both of us will give us a fresh perspective on where to go from here." There was a small pop, and a tiny house elf appeared. Dumbledore bent down into the elf's ear and whispered something. And in the next second, the creature was gone. "Now, I'll lead you to my guest chambers."

Alex stood up, "Guest chambers? Let me guess, so you can keep a very close eye on me?"

Dumbledore laughed, "Oh no, don't worry."

Alex looked at him skeptically. He put one hand on her back and guided Alex to the spot right before the staircase started that led up to the balcony. He tapped his wand on the first bookcase, it swung forward to reveal a small hallway. Dumbledore and Alex walked through it, and it eventually opened up to a small bedroom and attached bathroom.

Up against the right wall Alex saw a large four poster canopy bed with maroon velvet curtains. To the left of the bed, a small square nightstand with a lamp. On the left wall she noticed a fireplace, directly across from the bed. In front of the fireplace was a low brown coffee table and brown leather armchair. In the corner, to the right of the fireplace, was a dark walnut wood writing desk and matching chair. The back wall, which was in front of her, had a window that took up half of it. The window was covered up by gold taffeta curtains. Lastly, there was a tall dark brown armoire was to the right of Alex, just before the entrance to the bathroom.

"I'll have a house elf bring a clean night gown for you," Dumbledore pointed his wand at the fireplace and a fire started. "And there's a bath already drawn up for you in there," he pointed to the bathroom. "If you need me for anything, just knock on the wall we entered three times. It will open up back to my office. I'll come and get you in the morning so we can continue our discussion over breakfast. I think that is all," he turned around, "Good night, Alex."

"Wait!" Dumbledore turned back, "Dumbledore. Please, whatever you do, do not contact any of the staff and tell them that I'm here. Not yet." Though I'm not sure if Hagrid will say anything, she thought.

He looked intrigued, "And why would I do that? Who is it you really don't want me to speak to?" Dumbledore smiled.

"Oh please, don't pretend that you didn't learn who..." Alex sighed heavily and looked down then whispered, "Do not contact Severus." She then shifted her gaze and stared Dumbledore hard in the eye.

"You have my word, I will not be contacting any of the staff," he nodded and left.

– – – – –

I can't believe Dumbledore wished me good night. How weird is it to have a bedtime story character tuck you in? Alex thought, sinking lower into the tub. The bath smelled of vanilla, and it felt wonderful on her sore muscles. The soft candle light mixed with the hot steam, almost made Alex fall asleep in the tub.

When she got out, she saw a set of pajamas on top of one of white pillows. It looked just like the ones she saw Harry wear during his first year. They were blue and white striped cotton pajamas. She picked up the long sleeve top, the label near the collar had "A. Comstock" written on it. These must have belonged to a past student at one point, she thought. She dropped her white towel on the arm chair and slipped into the pajamas. The top and pants were a size too big, but she didn't care. She got into bed, pulling up the maroon down comforter past her chin, and turned on her side. Once her head hit the pillow, Alex was immediately greeted with sleep.