Chapter Two
The Castle
I wake up very late the next morning and pack up. I leave the grounds and circle around the lake. There's no other way to go, other than swimming across. I shrug and begin swimming across. The water's cool and refreshing, since I haven't had a shower for days. Fish nibble at my bare toes, which is pretty frequently, since I had to take off my shoes. A serpent swims beneath me, and its slimy tail frequently brushes my legs. If Amelia was here, I think, she would have a nervous breakdown.
I reach the edge of the island by late afternoon. I decide to take a rest and eat, since the swim was pretty demanding. By the time I've eaten and woken up, it's clearly after eleven. I walk up the steep passage to the entrance of the castle. I reach the top at eleven thirty, and open up the large oak doors. A strange crest is nailed on the doors, one that I've never seen before. The doors creak open, and I step into the castle and close the doors behind me. I turn on my flashlight and begin to explore. I walk into a large room with four long tables, and one long table facing them. I leave that room and keep walking. I pass a few empty rooms, then come to a library. I walk in and take a look. I pull a random book off the shelf and read the front cover. Hogwarts, A History. Interesting. Maybe it's a castle around here. I keep searching. Transfiguration Today, Dangerous Witches and Wizards, and Charms, Spells and Jinxes, Oh My! Are among the few I pick out. What is this place? And who owns books like this? I put them back and keep looking around. I come to a tall tower, and realize the paintings here talk.
"Password?"
"Um… password? What's that for?" I ask the painting of the fat lady.
"Are you even a Gryffindor?" The painting asks.
"What's that?" I ask. The painting cackles, then starts screaming.
"A student's out of bed! A student's out of bed! A student's out of bed!" The painting screams.
"I'm sorry, did I offend you?" I ask the painting. She keeps screaming. My heart begins to beat quickly. Oh my goodness, what did I just do? I hear people running toward me. I turn blindly and look for a good hiding spot. Something floats over me and suddenly, I'm wet. I turn around and scream. A ghost, a real live, well not really, ghost floats in front of me. It throws something at me again, and I feel even wetter. Then I realize it's water balloons. A man in all black, comes from a different angle from where I hear the footsteps. I immediately shrink back.
"Why are you out of bed, young witch?"
"That's not really nice," I say, sounding like a little kid. "Who the hell are you, anyway? More importantly, where the hell am I?" I ask. The man in black comes forward and grabs me by my hair.
"What house are you in?" He growls.
"House?" I ask. He yanks on my hair harder. "Ow, ow ow!" I yell. "Yours may not hurt when someone pulls on it, but it hurts me!" I say angrily. Another splash, and I look up. The ghost laughs at me and throws another.
"ENOUGH!" A voice bellows in the hall. "Severus, you know the rules, put the girl down." I hadn't even realized I was hovering above the ground before he dropped me. I land hard on my right wrist and moan.
"That's gonna hurt in the morning. Oh, God." I moan and stand up. I hold my wrist close to my body. An old woman approaches me.
"Minerva, may I?" Severus asks, drawing a long stick from his pocket. He points it at me and words form in his mouth.
"Avada-"
"Severus! No! This is a student! We will not use an Unforgiveable on a student!" Severus puts the stick away and stares at me intently. I step back and run into the wall.
"Who the hell are you! Why are you here! Damn it, tell me!" I yell. Severus advances on me. I turn and run. I bolt past the rooms and down the steps. I find the library and run inside. I run in the shelves and look for a hiding spot. I come to a doorway with the word "Restricted" plastered on the sign and jump over it. I blindly run into the shelves and take cover. I lay on the little ledge and fall asleep there until someone's shaking me awake. But now I'm not in the library anymore. I guess I'm in the hospital wing, since everything's clad in white and looks clean. A small group crowds my bedside. My vision clears and I watch the woman, Minerva paces in front of my bed.
"Albus, where are you?" She moans and sits down in a chair by the table. Moments pass and the door creaks open. In walks an older man, well, very old, with half-moon spectacles and a long white beard and white hair. He has purple and green robes on, which practically hide his entire being.
"How is she?" He asks Minerva.
"Hasn't woken up yet." She replies. So they didn't see my wake. I sit up and stare at them.
"Ah, she wakes," the man, I guess Albus says. I squint at the man.
"Who are you?"
"Albus Dumbledore. Pleased to meet you."
"Okay," I say and raise my eyebrows. "Then where am I?"
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."