Disclaimer: Not mine
Disclaimer: Not mine.
"You can relax now, Mar, Harry's not in here."
I looked to Ron Weasley, who had arrived just before I left with Harry for Slughorn's private meeting (I hadn't thought I'd get invited but I had been handed the letter to attended so I knew where I was supposed to go). Hermione Granger sat next to him, smiling at me as Ginny conversed with Neville and Luna had actually set down the Quibbler.
Indeed the all looked a bit lax . . . even Hermione had loosened her tie. But I had yet to figure out any of what was going on.
Supposedly my name was Marlow Chance (that much I had figured out at the Slughorn meeting), I was incredibly good friends with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all the rest of them since the first year (judging on how familiar and friendly they all were to me), I was a bookworm (no surprise there, I guess), I hardly ever talked (judged on the fact that no one said asked me what was wrong when I didn't say a word), and based on a picture I found in my pocket, Fred (George?) Weasley and I were very, very close (we were kissing; I kind of hope it's Fred).
And I was also starting to realize that people fell seriously out of character whenever Harry wasn't around (I guess because the narrative is with him). For example, Ron was reading a very interesting book titled The Outer World, small glasses perched on the tip of his nose, Hermione was not doing homework or reading Hogwarts, A History, and Neville seemed extremely bold, leaving the cabin to flirt with Hannah Abbot. Looking out of my cabin window, I saw students of all houses chatting and laughing as if they weren't technically supposed to be enemies.
Of course, it was an exciting experience to find out that you're inside your favorite book but at the same time it's also very frightening.
How was I going to get back?
"Marlow are you alright?" Hermione asked, suddenly.
Trying to stick to my 'character', I smiled and nodded, not sure how to tell a fictional character that I wasn't a fictional character.
"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. "You're usually more talkative during the breaks?"
"I am?" I said, correcting my mistake. "Sorry . . . I guess I've just got a lot on my mind."
This was going to be harder than I thought. How did Marlow Chance talk and act? Was she funny and loud during the 'breaks'? Was she smart? Who was Marlow Chance? I had never even heard Aunt J. mention this fourth character.
"Did you and Fred have a fight?"
Well, at least that explains what twin I was dating. "No . . . or at least I don't think we did. . . . . Did we have something to fight about?"
Ginny, Hermione, and Luna looked at each other before laughing.
"Are you kidding?" Luna said. She definitely didn't seem as Loony as she did in character. "you and Fred never fight! It would have been more surprising if you had said you guys had had a fight."
I wondered briefly when the train came to a stop, if Fred and I were dating in the book or in the breaks.
But I wondered more who would be able to answer all my questions.
"Miss Chance." I turned to see Professor McGonagall, of all people, beckoning for me.
We had been on our way up to the dormitories after the Opening Feast (Harry having shown up after being paralyzed on the train by Draco Malfoy; though technically, I don't suppose I should have been able to know that) and so of course, this probably not happening regularly, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked on with confused expressions.
Professor McGonagall wore her strict personage until we got around the corner away from everyone. And then a large smile appeared on her face. It was uncharacteristically scary. "It is a pleasure to have you back, Marlow."
"Back?" I asked.
She shook her head, still smiling. "Don't worry your head, dear. Albus will explain everything to you."
I followed her in silence, confused. Back? What did back mean?
We approached the gargoyle statue and McGonagall muttered the password (Pumpkin Pasties). She turned to me as the gargoyle hopped aside. "All will be clear soon," she said gesturing for me to go up.
Giving her a quick nod of my head, I ascended the stairs slowly at first before moving to a faster pace, determined to get the answers I was looking for. I knocked, no, pounded on the door.
"Come in," came a voice from inside.
I pushed open the door.
Albus Dumbledore sat at his large desk, writing with his quill. His long hair looked at lot more silver than I ever would have imagined and his eyes bluer. He looked up, a smile on his face. "Come in and sit, my dear."
It was nice to see that at least someone was the same as how they were described in the books.
I did as I was told, sitting down in the chair across from his desk. He continued to smile, setting down his quill. "It is indeed a joy to have you back, Marlow."
By now, I was tired and scared. I just wanted to know what was going on. "Where am I?"
Dumbledore stood. "At this moment? You are in my office in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the book? We are in the space of time that exists and doesn't exist. The Void."
"The what?" I said.
"You see for readers such as yourself, there is always a space in time where the characters do not exist. From the Opening Feast to the next morning, from one day to a fortnight later, or maybe even from one year to the next – the space between Chapters and page breaks. . . . It is in this that time technically exists for the characters. You know that something had to have happen between point A and point B, meaning that that space exists and yet, it does not exist because it isn't written for you to read. It is then that you have the Void."
"So when the next chapter says 'Two weeks later' –?"
"Two weeks for us, a page flip for you, Marlow."
It was so crazy that it actually kind of made sense. But – "But I'm not Marlow Chance. I'm Mackenzie Charles."
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "Mackenzie Charles does not exist. There is and will only ever be Marlow Chance."
"I – I don't understand," I murmured. "How can you say that I don't exist?"
"A few years ago when Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first being written, Ms. Rowling brought four very important characters to life. Harry Potter, himself, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and you, Marlow Chase. Marlow Chase, a girl from a very old wizarding family, is a pureblood, cool, calm, and collected. She hardly ever says a word but when she does it is a mouthful. She loves books, she is smart, creative, and talented, and stops most of the fights that her friends always tend to have but she never takes sides. She isn't perfect, since most of us aren't, but she does her best which is all anyone can expect of her."
A shiver ran up and down my spine as I listened to Dumbledore describe me, Mackenzie. Or at least, that was how my mother, aunt, and friends always described me.
He continued. "Around the same time, it was found that Ms. Rowling's sister was unable to bear children. It was then that the Ms. Rowling thought that if she could wish for any kind of niece or nephew, they would've been like you. . . . And then you appeared, this little eleven year old girl with no home. Checking back we found that you had just disappeared from the book all together, explaining why no one in the Outer World has ever heard of Marlow Chase. But you existed, a very, very powerful witch . . . and we knew and Ms. Rowling knew one day that you would return back to the book and right that which was wronged."
"But – how do you know all this?" I asked, still unbelieving.
"I know only what Ms. Rowling has want for me to know."
"But –" I stood to my feet, angry now and terrified. "None of this makes sense! I remember everything about my life from the time I turned four! If what you're saying is true, than I shouldn't know anything!"
"Do you really remember everything, Marlow?"
"Of course I –" I stopped, searching my memory. But I didn't remember anything. . . . All my memories were gone. . . .
But I could see a little girl and a woman, my aunt outside of my house. . . .
And everything after that moment I remembered too, but not before. . . .
Dumbledore looked on sadly. "Any memories left over are only those that you were told to remember. Soon, you will be able to remember your adventures with Harry and your friends from your first year until now."
"How is that possible? If what you say is true, I was in the – Outer World during the whole first five books."
"Even as we speak, things are being written to accommodate your re-entrance. And things in the Outer World are being erased to accommodate your exit."
I sat back down in my chair, shocked to silence. "I'm – fictional. . . ."
"You are. But you are still everything that your aunt wished for you to be and I am sure she is very proud."
This was all too surreal. I was so confused but at the same time . . . it made so much sense. It explained why I felt so out of place in the Outer World. "But I'm not sure how to act in here."
"You act exactly the same way you do. Nothing has changed about you except your name. . . . But you must be careful, my dear. Your knowledge of the books still exists and many will try to use that against us because they do not agree with the book's outcome. Take caution to the winds. . . . You may go now. . . . Take this Void to think things over."
I stood from the chair and walked out in a stone shock silence.
What a wonderful birthday this has been?
A/N: I hope I didn't confuse you too much. Just write me if you have questions. Thanks for everything.
