Author's Note: IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ. This chapter came out so quickly because I'm going on holidays soon (I live on the other hemisphere, you see…) and I won't be able to post for two or three weeks. Some of the suggestions you made in your reviews haven't been considered not because I think that they were bad ideas, but because the plotline for this fanfic didn't allow for the to be put into action, but any recommendation that fits the plot will be gladly considered! Thank you all for reading my fanfic and if you could tell me where to read other Labyrinth/Harry Potter crossovers I would be very grateful. Enjoy this chapter and see you in two weeks!
Sarah averted her eyes from the changeling view of the window of the Hogwarts Express that zoomed over the many landscapes of England, a bright red engine leading the train smoothly. The compartment bounced a little, lulling her to a state between relaxation and sleep. Her wand rested in her left pocket, a fine, and rather strong twelve-and-a-half inches item made of ebony and with a phoenix feather as a magical core. It was a large wand, as people who dared talk to her had remarked whenever she pulled it out of her pocket. She was rather proud of her wand, the black wood always polished and very well preserved and she made sure it stayed that way. A satchel laid at her side, a few books and a copper telescope peeking out of it as well as the latest copy of the Daily Prophet, which she had thoroughly read before snorting, shaking her head at all the rubbish it said and all the denial that was written across it. She was curled up in her seat, which she occupied fully since no one had dared sit next to Ice-Queen Williams, as they all called her on Hogwarts. Because, if you were even a little bit odd at Hogwarts- odd for a wizard, that is- you got stuck with a nickname, most of then lately courtesy of Fred and George Weasley. They were in seventh years just as she was, and she was surprised they had managed to respect authority long enough to make it to their NEWTs, though, she reminded herself, they still had lots of time to flunk, should they wish it. She fancied school held little appeal to them anymore.
But it was of no use thinking what the Terrible Twins would do; they always caught people by surprise anyway. She shook her head and resumed her staring at the window, her long, silky, dark chestnut hair twisted into a long braid that almost reached her hips and resting over her left shoulder, trailing down her muggle clothes. She hadn't dressed in her black robes yet, but she wore dark clothes anyway: a pair of black breeches and a matching black shirt with silver strings embroiled into the collar, the hem and the cuffs. The darkness of her clothes and her hair made a striking contrast with the paleness of her skin and the silver of her eyes, which seemed to be like liquid, shimmering inside her irises. Her long, black glove was effectively concealed by the long sleeves of her shirt, but she had no problem with people seeing it anymore: if she was considered a freak, let it at least be a freak with style.
"Dean, I think I found an empty compartment!" the voice of Seamus Finnegan reached her ears as she saw the boy looking back as he entered the compartment, calling out for his friend. When he turned his head, though, the smile he had been sporting vanished from his face as his eyes came to rest in Sarah. His eyes widened and he took and involuntary step back, apologizing in a stammering voice. She said nothing, her noncommittal gaze boring in to his, making him gulp.
"Err... Dean?" he called out a second time "I was wrong... Err... let's look for an empty compartment elsewhere..."
And with those words he promptly fled from her presence. Sarah just sighed, not daring to imagine the cock-and-bull stories Fred and George had invented about her, though the real stories weren't nice either. She was a loner; she had been since the first day she stepped into Hogwarts. She remembered vaguely that very day. The excitement, the nervousness and the sense of finally being home. She had felt restless till she had caught sight of Professor McGonagall, the only familiar face in miles, and sensed the girl's inner distress. She had given her what Sarah considered an encouraging smile (which wasn't a usual smile considering the Transfiguration Teacher didn't smile much and never in front of students) as she had stepped forward to be sorted. The instant she had put on that old, tattered hat she had heard voices inside her head:
'Aw, an intelligent one, I see... Remarkably gifted, and yes, of a very fine mind indeed... Ravenclaw would accept you with open arms, and your intellect would certainly be welcomed there, but...' she remembered the hat had paused for dramatic purposes 'You have a brave spirit, a will of iron that would be lost there. Yes, you have come a long way, through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, though your mind won't reveal the circumstances in which your courage and spirit were tested. But in the whole it is enough to ensure me you are better off being a... GRYFFINDOR!'
She remembered stumbling to the Gryffindor table then, sitting quietly in a corner, trying hard not to attract anyone's attention but, as she reached to help herself with some pumpkin juice her sleeve rolled up a little, effectively leaving the crystal in her palm uncovered.
"That's cool" said someone near her.
"Yeah, a really impressive thing for a eleven-year-old to wear" added someone with the same voice.
Those had been the Weasley Twins, their faces always impish and looking as if they had jumped from the frying pan into the fire. She had learnt to tolerate them and, to some extent, to like them, for they were two of the few people that talked to her at all and in a friendly way, which was even rarer. They weren't scared by her, no matter how much she tried to, they simply wouldn't give in and she had had to accept they would molest her till she graduated from Hogwarts.
At least the teachers hadn't been as scared of her as the rest of the students. Professor McGonagall had been a constant support from day one, making little Sarah her personal assistant once she clearly saw no student was accepting her and slowly helping her gain the trust of the other faculty members. As a result she had gained certain privileges that she used wisely, such as the permission to wonder in the Halls of the castle late at night and to go into the forbidden forest sometimes. But apart from that Sarah Williams tried her damnest to keep a low profile, in hopes that her last year at Hogwarts would be an uneventful one. Fat chance, of course, with a past as Sarah's haunting every day.
However, there were things that she couldn't control, no matter how hard she tried. The dreams at night were an example. Flashes of images, like the ones of dancing in the arms of an immortal, plagued her sleeping moments, feeling her with some strange kind of long. And every night the ballroom was the same, though the style of the dress she wore had been changing as she had grown up. Now, at seventeen, she found herself wearing a spaghetti-strapped, deep black dress with- and she didn't miss the irony of it- tiny crystal shards all over the bodice and along the skirt. The bodice was like a normal dress, tight and form-fitting and the skirt fell to the floor freely, though there were no petticoats that gave it that bell-like shape, so it just trailed behind her in a small train. Her glove in the dream had a companion on her other arm and a heavy necklace made out of something that seemed like white gold twisted to form Celtic patterns along her neck, just like the bracelets that adorned her forearms and wrists.
"Are you still amongst us, Miss Williams?" a very British and low voice asked rather snidely as she snapped back to reality. Her silver eyes focused on the tall and brooding figure of Professor Snape and she ducked her head so as not to encounter his unpardonable black eyes.
"I'm sorry, professor. I was waiting for my Dominus potion to settle and I got lost in my thoughts" she replied politely, pointing at the emerald liquid inside the potion that was slowly turning into a colour that resembled liquid gold. The Potions Master held his tone in check, not wishing to insult his best student of the seventh year. He took pleasure in teaching gifted minds, but the fact that his behaviour towards her caused the other students to hate her with a passion just added to his enjoyment.
"Good work there, Williams" he said with an ironic smile. Sarah, knowing the resentful looks she was getting from her fellow Gryffindors and the snide Slytherins fought the urge to roll her eyes heavenwards. She thanked the professor for his unfortunate comment and sat back to wait for her potion to finish the colour-changing, knowing the hateful stares she was receiving and hating the smirk that they brought to the Potions Master's face.
'So much like his' she thought silently. It was unavoidable those kind of comparisons, he appeared to be in her mind almost every day.
"Who are you kidding, Williams?" she chided herself silently, a sardonic smile playing about her features "You think about almost every damn minute of your life"
And it was true. He was, after all, Fae perfection, a mythical being of unimaginable power, appeal and beauty. Fair, tall, lean and with eyes that could freeze the earth and warm the heart, the image of cruelty, grace and strength, and after being in the presence of such a man Sarah wondered if she would be able to settle for less and if she would be able to find someone who could measure up to him.
"Too bad he was just too petty, arrogant, self-absorbed and spiteful" she murmured, knowing that listing the bad qualities of the Goblin King was something that helped her be less drawn to him. However she felt it, that itchy feeling in her that she just couldn't scratch: that urge, that need to cross wits with that cunning head, to argue with him, contradict him, see him, be with him…
"No!!!" she hissed, her head clearing after that last dangerous thought. The bell rang at that moment, making her sigh in relief. She could escape her thoughts again, and be rid of the Goblin King till Morpheus claimed her in his arms. She quickly took a sample of her potion and labelled it before putting it down in Professor Snape's desk, noticing she had been the only one to truly finish the potion. She shrugged then, knowing that it would be Hell to pay from her classmates and she really did consider for a moment calling the Twins for help and pranks (they were always up to something anyway) but then she shook that idea off, it wouldn't do any good in the end.
She exited the dungeons and checked her schedule to see she had Transfiguration now. Spotting a mirror nearby and seeing that no one was around the girl walked to the glass surface and touched it with her right palm, were the crystal and the glove were. The crystal and the mirror both shimmered and suddenly the glass surface became liquid and Sarah passed her hand through it. Slowly she stepped into the mirror and came out through another one close to Professor McGonagall's class after ensuring no one was around.
"Mirror magic… How would I ever be able to make it to class in time without it?" she wondered aloud as a self-satisfied smirk appeared in her features. Knowing full well she was mimicking him awfully at that time she shook her head, wondering what everything seemed to come down to him in one way or another and then walked into the classroom. Everyone's eyes turned to the odd of the class and no one noticed what was plain to see: Sarah Williams had grown (twice in a lifetime) to become a thin, ethereal creature with long, chestnut hair that had the colour of the richest chocolate and deep eyes that had once been green but were now grey, almost liquid silver with long, thick eyelashes framing them. Her skin was pale always, for she never blushed, and her lips stood in direct contrast, a deep red colour. She had a kind of silent grace that tried to go through the world unnoticed, for she tried hard to keep a low profile. Sarah Williams, no matter how much she tried to deny it, was a natural. And she was damn good at hiding it. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and her figure covered by the large robes she wore. Most girls tried hard to arrange their robes so they would be more form-fitting and ergo more flattering but Sarah liked her flowing, oversized robes just as well. They had been a gift from the Matron of the Williams Family, Belladonna Williams, who had passed away three years ago, the only true gift she had ever received from a member of her family. That and the ring with the Williams Family Crest that she had inherited when the Great Bella had died were the only things she kept from her magical family.
Professor McGonagall entered, all severe with her square glasses and tight bun and started the class as soon as possible. The exercise of the day was to turn a dove into five doves, which was quite a complicated thing to do, to create many from just one thing. But soon enough Sarah Williams had doves flying everywhere, quite a nightmare really, with the constant cooing and flapping and all.
"Next time we'll try inanimate objects" Professor McGonagall said with a sigh as she made the doves disappear after the class had been dismissed "At least these time we didn't try with mice. Boy, that was something worth seeing!" she muttered to herself then. Sarah arched an eyebrow, remembering the wave of mice that had almost caught her in one of the staircases in her second year but said nothing.
"You decided were to spend all of your holidays this year, Miss Williams?" the teacher asked. Always proper, she called her by her last name, though once or twice she had actually stepped out of character and called her Sarah.
"It will have to be here" she said without making eye-contact "Karen still thinks me a very bad influence for my brother Toby and little Cathy. She says that, since either of them have developed so far no magical talent there is no need to put strange ideas into their heads. And besides, I could use the time to work the last kinks in my animagus transformation"
There was no feeling in her voice, just acceptance and… nothing. Her voice was always full of nothing. It worried some people to hear her, so flat and dispassionate, so damnable calm and collected. So serene… So lifeless.
She had been a matter of discussion for long in the teacher's Lounge. Loners weren't unusual, even in Hogwarts, but Sarah was another thing entirely. She never got angry, with all the teasing and the pranks that sometimes bordered the cruel or the dangerous. But it seemed also that those who dared go against the black-haired girl got hurt in some way or the other. In the dark of the night they would suffer accidents, they would be assaulted by horrible nightmares that caused insomnia or appear beaten and weary, swearing someone had tried to rip their heads off while sleeping or glasses or mirrors would explode in front of them, whenever they passed, never harming them but making other people stay as far away from them as possible for some time. Once one had dared call Sarah Williams a mudblood, even if it wasn't entirely true, and the kid had disappeared for an entire week. But there was no trace of magic in those incidents, so Sarah had never been blamed. And the kid had said nothing, as though too scared to accuse anyone or even speak about the place he had been for the past week. Some people had the inkling feeling the girl was a vassal of the Dark Lord, a dark witch. And she really did look the part. Many people had wondered how she had managed to go to Gryffindor instead of Slytherin and blamed it old in the senile hat.
"If you'll excuse me, Professor, I think it is time for dinner" Sarah said gently one she had finished cleaning the room with a wave or two of her wand. It was routine, for Professor McGonagall seemed always to be so focused in her work that she would forget to eat or even go to sleep some nights.
"You are quite right" the mentioned teacher said out loud, wrapping her tartan shawl around her shoulders "Let's go, I know how hungry can Gryffindors be so if you don't hurry there will be no food left when you arrive"
Both women smiled, aware of the rather close bond there was between them. Like a mother and a daughter, thing Sarah had never had before. A person who cared, who gave a damn, so to speak. She thought of Linda Williams, away in her ninth cloud of stardom and of Karen, scowling at her all the time and too preoccupied being a modern executive woman to pay attention to her stepdaughter. If only she had grown up within the wizardry world she wouldn't have turned out so eerie…
'If you had never met him… All would have been different. You would have been normal. Is that what you want?' a snidely voice whispered inside. Sarah huffed mentally, if that was even possible, but shuddered physically at the thought of a lifetime without ever seeing him, meeting him, knowing him…
"Miss Williams, come on. I thought you were the one dragging me to dinner" Professor McGonagall gently said, looking both at her student and then at the door. The girl shook her head, apologized and they both exited the room towards the Great Hall. The whispers followed her there, as a cloud of slithering noise that came from all around her, but she ignored it politely and sat down between Fred and George Weasley. A great dark brown owl with some copper and bronze colours, as well as some light-brown appeared flying above their heads. The golden eyes surveyed the scene before landing in his Mistress's shoulder. Sarah petted it softly, almost cooing. It was Oak, or as she called it Oaklyn, which was a kind of little oak. The twins thought that was some sweet irony.
"Hello, precious" she said softly, stroking the feathers of the animal, that hooted.
"Do you have to carry that monster of an owl all the time? He is loosing his feathers and he is loosing them all over my chicken and fries. If he has some kind of problem with me eating a fellow bird brother, then he should mind his own business" Fred complained loudly, making a face. Sarah glanced at him with her ever-present calm gaze and the boy shivered.
"Don't pull that 'calmer than the dead' look on me, Sarah" he snapped, but then grinned "Or we would be forced to give you another nickname, and this time we won't be so gentle, my dear"
Sarah bit back a small smile. She did enjoy the twin's bantering for it was free from all form of true evilness when directed to her. They were innocent in their comments, merely mischievous. Their eyes twinkled, and that was how she knew.
"I wonder if you'll manage to stay in Hogwarts long enough to do so" she replied "After all, with your Joke Shop on the making I would have thought you would fly from School as fast as your brooms could carry you"
George was the one to reply that they had decided to stick around and see if they managed to complete the year, just out of curiosity.
"After all, and contrary to what we have been preaching over the past six years, a School diploma never hurt anyone" he said, before thoughtfully adding "Unless, of course, we took care of it… Like we did with Percy's"
At the mention of that name the twins grew somewhat sombre, but they managed to chuckle for the sake of the memory of a prank well designed. Sarah felt sorry for the boys, but soon enough Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson appeared to cheer them up, kissing their cheeks and ruffling their hair in unison and dragging along a sour-looking Katie Bell, who obviously missed their former Quidditch captain a tad too much. Soon the conversation was diverted to the subject of Quidditch, a sport that Sarah enjoyed and took part in. She was one of Gryffindor's substitutes in the team, being a chaser and a beater, good, a little perhaps above the average, her agility making her stand out. She would have probably made it to the team had the Weasley brothers not been such a strong duo or if she hadn't been the main duellist of the Duellist Club, of course.
Lunch passed and then off to Herbology she was. Her Head Girl badge shone pinned in her black robes and she briefly recalled the hurtful remarks and new gossip that it had originated. She encountered Hermione Granger in the hall and the girl smiled brightly at her and waved, just as Ron and Harry did. The later seemed out of spirits, but she understood him.
"For all that's worth, Harry" she said as she passed the trio that she had watched over since they had set foot in Hogwarts years ago "I believe you. I've always have. I've seen enough to know you tell the truth" she grimaced then "Though I doubt that me believing your story is going to add any credibility to it, sorry"
The Boy Who Lived raised his green eyes at her and actually smiled a little bit, the action brightening his face completely.
"Thanks, Sarah. It means a lot"
The girl looked puzzled and touched at that. She hadn't realized how much those three had grown to care for her, just as the twins had. She smiled back, shocking the trio of friends a little and waved goodbye with her left arm, the un-gloved one, before running off to Herbology.
"Blimey, that bloody Fred was right" Ron commented lightly, trying not to sound awed "She does have quite a stunning smile"
"Yeah" agreed Harry "Strange that no one ever noticed besides the twins"
"What was the password again? I can't believe I've forgotten it! Knowing Albus, it is probably something like 'coffee candy' or 'raspberry popsicle' or…"
Just then the gargoyle guarding the way to the office of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore jumped to the side to admit the Deputy Headmistress into the long staircase. She smiled smugly almost, throwing the gargoyle a knowing look and then climbing the steps and knocking on the door softly. An equally faint, barely audible "come in" reached her ears. She stepped into the cosy room were Fawkes lay perched in his usual place, dozing off already. The old Headmasters and Headmistress greeted her from the portraits, or at least most of them. Some of them were old Slytherins and didn't like to interact to any Gryffindors except for Dumbledore himself. Phineas Nigellus, nevertheless, winked at her with a rakish smile and peered behind her, looking disappointed.
"Aw, isn't that pretty assistant of yours with you tonight? I so looked forward to talking to her" he drawled while pouting.
"Flirt with her, more likely" Minerva snapped back "I swear, Phineas, with her you are worse than the average teenage schoolboy!"
The man in the portrait just smiled once more and shrugged.
"She can hold a verbal fight with me. Quite an astonishing young lady. I wanted to see whether I could coax her out of her old robes…" he paused when the Scottish woman threw him a murderous and slightly scandalized look and then, quite innocently, completed the sentence "And into something more flattering. Honestly, Professor McGonagall, I had no idea you thought so little of me"
"Stop playing innocent, Phineas, if you please" the voice of the Headmaster of Hogwarts rang through the room, silencing the painting "And you, Minerva, please sit down. I'm intrigued by your reason to come here in the middle of the night, though I do appreciate the company" he paused to cast some spell on a kettle that immediately started whistling "I do not enjoy being by myself lately"
The Transfiguration teacher nodded in understanding and sat down gratefully in a chair but making sure she cast one last threatening look at the portrait of the late Slytherin Headmaster, who chose to ignore it politely.
"I came her to ask you if you knew about Hagrid" she said finally when a steaming cup of tea was placed between her fingers "I know that his assignment is supposed to take some time, but he should've come back by know"
The white-haired, long-bearded man nodded slowly, a slight sigh of tiredness escaping his lips before he could prevent it. He looked at the Deputy Headmistress with blue eyes exhausted, drained from all energy after so much fighting and resisting the Dark Arts that it made her heart heavy and clouded.
"Oh, Albus" she murmured, hating herself for once, when she had been young, letting a crush she had had on her once Transfiguration teacher develop into true love for a person that was her dearest friend and most respected co-worker. She reached for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly; smiling that special smile she reserved only for him, and then moved boldly to stroke one of his cheeks.
"I'm sorry I brought that up, I should have known it would upset you, but it shouldn't. The Order of the Phoenix is an amazing organization that you alone pulled off, recruiting people that have amazing skills and joined you willingly" she reminded him and Albus smiled all of a sudden.
"Yes, some of them were rather… surprising additions, wouldn't you say?" he said teasingly, his eyes loosing the tired look and acquiring a very becoming and familiar twinkle. Minerva understood immediately and nodded, a thoughtful look in her face.
"Yes, Miss Williams caught us by surprise, but after the events of last year and all we learnt from her, it shouldn't have surprised us" she said after a short pause "I'm quite proud of her, actually, watching over the trio unnoticed by everyone, knowing always exactly what was going on while the rest of the students remained oblivious. I wonder how she did it, but I won't push it out of her. And last year in the maze… had she not been there, we wouldn't have found Harry alive…"
Her voice broke at that point, not wanting to explore that thought and also remembering with gratitude that black-haired, silent little girl that had helped them no matter the consequences, but Albus filled in the silence for her.
"How is her training as an animagus going?" he asked casually. The Transfiguration Teacher practically glowed as she answered she had never seen such a gifted student.
"She'll manage to turn into her animal self in no time, I'm sure" she exclaimed efficiently, back into her teacher role "I've never tutored such a student who mastered the art of changing shape as fast as she did. I'm still a little bit curious about the animal she has decided to change into, but she won't tell me and it is none of my business, after all"
"Remember when she came to Grimmauld Place? Soaking wet and exhausted… She never told us how she got there so fast from her house, which I know is in the outskirts of London, but it would have been a mistake to ask, right?"
Professor McGonagall looked at the fire for a couple of seconds before nodding, lost in the remembrance of that short stay in the tattered house of the Black Family last summer and those first days at Hogwarts, were so much of Sarah Williams' character had been revealed…