Hello again! I know these first chapters are a bit boring, but I have to fit in all of the necessary information.

Disclaimer: I own none of it.

Chapter Two -- Questioning

"Sorry!" Hermione cried and she quickly got to her feet.

The boy – Lupin? – stood up slowly, rubbing his side.

She looked around. She was still in the library, in the exact corner of the Restricted Section that she . . . well, disappeared. She looked at Lupin. He was younger; he looked to be about her age, maybe older. His face was less lined, but he still had that tired look about him, though it was exceedingly lessened. There was also no trace of gray in his sandy colored hair. However, he was wearing Gryffindor robes.

"Hello," Lupin said cautiously. He eyed her strangely, and said, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for a book. This is a library, you know." She dodged the initial question; she was still looking for an answer to that as well. She set off down the row of books. She needed to know what was going on and there was no way she'd find out if she stayed in the Restricted Section.

She heard the footsteps of Lupin following behind her as she stepped into the main library. She tried to keep in her sharp cry upon seeing a drastically younger Madam Pince, and the library tables littered with students she had never seen before.

"I'm sure I've never seen you around here before," Lupin said to the strange girl. I would know if I had,he thought embarrassingly. It was odd, though, she was wearing Gryffindor robes. That was his house, and she definitely wasn't in it. "I'm Remus Lupin."

"It's really nice to meet you, but I've got to go," Hermione breathed, and she walked quickly to the exit.

"Wait! Where are you going?" he demanded, keeping pace next to her.

"Dumbledore!" It was the first thing that popped into her head, and now she was sure it was the correct place to go. As she stepped into the hallway, she saw it was decorated differently than before. Where was the pillar wrapped with holly, and the dangling icicles?

"Dumbledore? I have to see him too; maybe we could go up to—"

"No, it's fine. I'm okay." And with that, she set off quickly down the hall.

"Hold on, what's your name?" She heard him shouting behind her, and called out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Holly!"

She disappeared around a corner, and kept jogging down the familiar hallways, finally stopping next to a worn tapestry.

There was no way that this could have happened. How could it? But all the pieces fit together, even though it wasn't a logical conclusion! There was no other explanation except to say that she had fallen into the past!

But there was nothing to worry about, right? Dumbledore could help her. There was nothing he couldn't do.

After she took a deep breath, she set off for his office.

--

"Holly!" the girl called out to him. After a scolding from Madam Pince from yelling in the hallways ("How unlike you, Remus!"), he found he had nowhere left to go except Dumbledore's office. Maybe he would even run into Holly there.

"Fizzing Whizbees," he said when he reached the familiar gargoyles, and took the steps up to the large office.

"Ah, Mr. Lupin. I take it that you've made a decision?" Dumbledore asked him cheerfully when he opened the door.

"Yes, Professor. I'm going to stay here for the holidays. I don't want to burden my parents any more than I have to, what with the full moon approaching . . ." His voice wandered off.

"And the rest of the boys . . . ?"

Remus smiled. Dumbledore truly did know everything. "They'll be staying as well."

"Excellent. I'll –"

The door opened suddenly and Holly stumbled in.

"Sorry, Professor I –"

"No need to worry. My chat with Mr. Lupin is finished. You may come in."

Remus smiled at Holly as he walked out of Dumbledore's office. She smiled weakly back. He was greatly tempted to stay by the office door, and listen to see where this mysterious girl had come from, but he resisted the enticement and positioned himself in front of the gargoyles, waiting for her return.

--

Dumbledore was smiling when Hermione walked up to him, but his face was guarded. She explained the situation to him, placing in every detail that she could remember. He nodded when she was finished and was silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but I cannot think of a way to send you back to your own time. My best hope for you is to find and examine the book you were looking at when you came here. I'm sure that, if you were to discover a way to return, you would find yourself at the exact same time as you left, meaning that you would not be missed. But I'm sorry to say that there is a great probability that you will remain forever in this time."

"Oh," she said dejectedly. Then that was it. No more Ron and Harry, or Ginny and the Weasly's. She would never see her parents again! She had to find that book!

"Did you have anything with you?"

"What? Oh, yes, my bag . . ." But her bag wasn't on her shoulder when she reached out to touch it. "I must have left it in the library!"

"It is of the utmost importance that you recover your bag. People may not be ready to discover what their future holds. I'm sure that you will be able to make up a nice cover story for yourself. Have you told anyone your real name?"

"No, I go by Holly," she said softly.

"Excellent. Then Holly Granger it is! I'll have some things sent up to Gryffindor Tower, and Professor McGonagall arrange a schedule for you, though you won't be needing it for several days – it is Christmas time."

"Professor, if I may ask, what is today's date?"

"December 23, 1977."

--

Ah, the end of another chapter. I'll post the next one sometime soon, when I finish writing it. Suggestions, comments, etc are highly sought after. Please??