"Sure, why not?" Mikan beamed at Dumbledore. Dumbledore stood up from his seat and walked towards the door. Mikan tilted her head in confusion.

"Where are you going, uhh--- Professor?" she let her feet make contact with the cold floor. Dumbledore twisted his body as he calmly said his reply.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness. I was just going to talk with someone who is outside the door." A small smile appeared in his lips. Mikan's lips formed a perfect circle as she understood what he meant.

"You're not going to go away, right?" she was now walking barefooted. Dumbledore turned his heels facing her.

"I suggest you go back to your bed and have a rest. You are pretty wounded. I promise I'll be there as soon as I have finished talking with a certain someone." He smiled again as he tried to convince her. He was hoping she'd go back to sleep. Lucky for him, she did and positioned her head on the pillow comfortably. He slipped outside the room silently and faced his visitor.

He cleared his throat and asked, "What can I do for you, Pete?"

Mikan's POV

"Mikan! Over here, my dear. Follow my voice amidst the darkness and you'll find me. . Come on. Oh no. Mikan, faster! Find me! Mikan! Oh no." I groped around me, blinded by the darkness surrounding me.

"Mom! Where are you? Where? Mom! Answer me!" Mom! Her voice! Where is she?! Oh no. I know this is not just a normal dream.

"Mom! Answer me! Mom! Where are you? Please answer me!" I walked and walked not knowing where my feet would lead me to. I'd risk my life just to see my mom again. Oh no. just where is she?! Mom. After a few minutes of fruitless walking, I finally found a light coming from a not-properly-closed door. I walked nearer to it, confused whether I quicken my pace or slow it down. I chose the former one but made sure my steps were silent. As soon as I was a couple of feet away from it, I heard mom's voice. Unconsciously, I slowed my pace as if I was a spy, not that I'm not, listening to a private transaction. All I heard were brisk conversations. It was a woman's voice for sure. She was speaking as if she was talking to the king as a mere slave. Isn't mom supposed to be here?

"My lord, Why---"

"Silence! How many times do I have to explain this? She will be---" this time, it was a man's voice speaking. Power, authority and menace were clear in his voice. Where's my mom?

"But my Lord, she might be---"

"Are you being rebellious? Do you not want my power?"

"I do not mean that, my lord. It is just that--"

"Then be silent."

The woman obeyed and silence ensued between them. My blood was boiling. Where. Is. My. Mom? Isn't she supposed to be here? The only place I found in the midst of the darkness? After what felt like years, I heard another voice, rebellious and rude unlike the previous woman.

"Why am I here? Let me free!" At last! My mom is indeed here. My hand was itching to reach for the door knob. Just as my fingers were mere millimeters away from the bronze handle, the same male voice bellowed.

"Silence, woman!" How dare he call my mom, a mere woman? And with a tone of disgust too! The nerve. "You are only an instrument to get me to my goals so do as I say!" oh just an instrument, huh? I couldn't take this anymore! I opened the door and it creaked loudly. I expected the 'lord' and the 'servant' to whip their heads towards me but nothing; neither of them turned their heads towards the door but my mom, who gasped at the sight of me.

"what do you think you are doing?" she mouthed as she saw me walking over to the 'lord 'who was sitting on a big business-like chair, the back facing me. I smiled at her to convince her that I'm going to make it. She stared nervously but nodded nonetheless.

"Be careful, Mikan." She smiled timidly which I responded with a nod. I was about to turn the chair when a giant serpent raised its head towards my direction. Not now. The giant serpent hissed something to the 'lord' as if it was conveying a message. I scowled ridiculously. As if someone can talk to snakes!

"There is an intruder, Nagini says." The 'lord' said then Nagini, as he called her, hissed again.

"And it is a girl who is invisible, you say." He laughed maniacally.

"Nothing, no one can escape from Lord Voldemort." The chair turned around for me to see an utterly ugly… creature. What the heck is he? Like a crossover of a serpent and a human! No wonder he can talk to snakes. He raised a stick then muttered,

"Avada ----"

"Dodge!" heeding my mother's words, I went out of the range of the green light. What was that? I sped to my mom looking for comfort. She did comfort me with reassuring words.

"I'm going to free you from this place. I promise." I hugged her as few tears made their way down my cheeks.

"I promise mom and I will never break it." I faced the snake and stuck out my tongue. Who cares if this… thing can see me? I smiled at my mom as I wiped the tears away. I'm going to keep my promise, even if it means risking my life.

End of Mikan's POV

Mikan awoke from her dream. No. that was not just a dream, but nonetheless a dream. Ah, troublesome. Anyway back to the story. She hopped out of her bed and went out of the room. She walked around the school searching for Dumbledore. After about an hour, she faced a gargoyle statue.

"Hey, gargoyle. Do you know where Professor Dumbledore is? I'll give you a box of howalons.--- sigh--am I getting crazy or ---waa! The gargoyle is moving! What the---" she stood up from her lethal position and pointed at the gargoyle statue.

"It--- the statue is moving! Oh wait. There's a staircase revealed! Hmm… I wonder where it leads to. Maybe I should go up. Maybe not. What's there to lose if I go up, right? hmm… so I guess I could go up. Ah! Stop thinking about that Mikan!" she scolded herself as she went up the steps of the said staircase.

"Ah!" she pointed through the open door and to the old man sitting on his chair. "Professor! Is this your office?" Dumbledore looked up and smiled warmly.

"I didn't know you knew the password, Mikan. Come in, come in." He pointed at the chair in front of his table. Mikan nodded sheepishly and obeyed him. She stared at the red (?) bird turning into ashes. She gasped as she pointed at the said bird.

"Pro—professor! The b—bird! It turned to ashes!" Dumbledore just smiled at her amazement.

"It is a phoenix, my pet, Fawkes." Mikan gasped again in surprise as she saw a baby phoenix rising from the ashes.

"It's reborn!" Dumbledore nodded. He stood up then got a dirty black sorcerer's hat.

"Mikan, this is the sorting hat which will determine which house you'll be in. how old are you?" Dumbledore sat again and placed the hat on his messed up table.

"I just turned twelve, sire."

"I see, and then you will be in second year this coming school year. You are going to be sorted today, is that fine with you?" Mikan nodded as Dumbledore put the hat on her head, reaching past her ears.

Okay, that's all for now! Obviously, the next chapter will contain the sorting. Well, let me thank angelvan 105,Shayurae, HanatsukiHime, foxtrotelly and xXH3ARTXx for reviewing the first chapter! Thanks a lot! btw, tell me if i misspelled your name or what. Please review, everyone! And I was just thinking in which book this is happening, can you help me out? Please! If nobody answers me then I think I'll proceed with what I'm thinking. Thanks for reading this author's note!

And btw, the disclaimer in the first chapter serves for the whole fic. Thanks again. =)