Everyone stared as the doors burst open, and a lone figure stepped inside. The girl was bruised and battered beyond belief, the color of her clothes and hair barely recognizable. Blood and gashes were visible on her arms and where clothes torn and as she walked past each table murmurs broke out. There was pain in how she carried her self but the look of determination was glowing in her eyes.

The girl didn't talk as she walked to where Albus Dumbledore was seated. Everyone kept quiet, as the girl and their headmaster talked in hushed tones. They watched as the mysterious girl pulled something from her pocket, but not enough for them to see what it was. Dumbledore was obviously shocked by what he had seen, it was written on his face. The students watched in shock as the headmaster transfigured another chair and offered it to the girl. The head table went back to eating as if nothing had happened and it was just a regular day.



"Who do you think she is?" Ron Weasley asked Harry Potter who was still staring at the girl who sat beside Dumbledore.

"She's cant be a threat, or else the headmaster wouldn't let her stay here, would he?" came the worried voice of Hermione Granger.

"It's Dumbledore," Ron said as if it was reason enough.

"Yeah, I guess so," Hermione said, starting to eat once again. Ron followed her lead and started on his food once more. But neither one noticed that Harry hadn't said anything, and that he was still staring at the girl.



"Draco, did you see that girl?" Gregory Goyle as his housemate, before starting on his dinner.

"Of course I did, Greg, anyone who didn't had to have been asleep," came the sarcastic reply of Draco Malfoy, who was staring across the room at something or another.

"Why do you think the she's here?" Vincent Crabbe said around a mouthful of a dinner roll.

"I believe that she has something our headmaster wants," Draco said looking to the head table, and then back towards the Gryffindor table, namely Harry Potter.