Chapter 3

Albus Dumbledore was not having a good day.

It began when he had gone to escort Harriet, or Summer as she called herself, down to breakfast. He'd found the room he'd escorted her empty. And a day of searching the grounds had turned up nothing. Even Hogsmeade was a dead end, though a woman in a white cloak had been seen in the Three Broomsticks earlier that morning. However said woman had left hours before he'd shown up inquiring as to her location.

The elderly wizard couldn't even send Fawkes after the woman, as the two had never met.

So upon entering his office, he was surprised to find the woman he had spent the whole day trying to find sitting at his desk, reading one of his books.

"Miss Pot...I mean Miss Rose, I'm surprised to see you here," he greeted her. "And more than a little curious as to how it is you got into my office?"

The woman looked up from the book and gave the man a rather sardonic look. "It wasn't hard Professor, then again, infiltration of secure locations is just another day on the job for me."

Albus waited for a further explanation, when none was forthcoming, he inquired, "May I ask where it is you have been all day? You've had myself and many others rather worried for your safety."

The cloaked woman sighed, and set aside the book she'd been reading. "I was investigating the claims you and your colleagues had made to me last night. And while I've accepted that this world is not Remnant, and that witches and wizards actually exist, I am still unsure of the need for me to participate in this tournament you've told me of."

"So you accept the fact you are Harriet Potter?"

"I accept that there's a possibility," Summer explained. "You were right, when you said I was an orphan. While I have no proof, either way, it is possible that I could be Harriet Potter. But that doesn't concern me, at the moment anyway. All I care about right now, is returning home. As this world is not my home world, figuring out how to get back will no doubt take time and resources that would not be available to me outside of this school. More importantly, if I am Harriet Potter, and my life is tied to participation in the tournament, it seems I must compete, if only to survive long enough to get home."

"An understandable approach to situation," the Headmaster acknowledged. With a sigh, he sat down in the seat across from the young woman, who was sitting in his usual seat. "For what it is worth, I am sorry that you have been torn from your home. And I assure you that I will do all I can to help you return."

Summer was silent as she contemplated his words. "I...appreciate the sentiment. But I cannot accept your apology, not now anyway." She paused a moment. "The only reason I'm trusting you at all, is that I don't really have a choice at the moment. If you truly want my trust, you'll need to prove to me that you are worthy of more than a trust of necessity."

"I will not say I will not make mistakes in terms of dealing with you Miss Rose," Albus told her. "Our worlds, our ways, are different. And my own positions sometimes limit and restrict what I am allowed to do. But I will do my best to aid you however I can. With that said, I believe it would be prudent for you to learn how to perform magic. As of right now, you will be at a disadvantage against the challenges of the tournament. And while you are too old to be a student at Hogwarts, I believe I know a couple of people who would be willing to tutor you. If you accept of course?"

"I...suppose that would be a good idea. However what aid I would truly appreciate at the moment is a workshop, and access to the materials necessary to create...certain items."

"What kind of items?" Dumbledore asked.

Summer hesitated a moment before replying. "I would prefer to keep that to myself. Especially as I don't know that I'll actually be able to make what I desire. This world is...not as technologically advanced as my own. While I am confident I can make what I want, it's only if I have the proper tools, and I'm not sure they exist here."

"I do not know of a workshop you could have access to, however I shall see if I can't find one for you, or otherwise find a place where you could set one up."

Summer stood up from the desk. "Thank you Headmaster. If you don't mind, I've had a long day. I presume that I may have the same room you gave me last night?"

"For the duration of your stay with us, that room is yours to use my dear."

"In that case, have a pleasant evening Headmaster."

With that parting statement, the young woman walked out of his office. Leaving the Headmaster alone hos office with Fawkes and the Sorting Hat.

"An interesting woman," The Hat said from it's spot on the shelf. "I would greatly enjoy the chance to sort her."

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "Perhaps one day," he said, even as he rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

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Summer let out a deep sigh as she sat on the edge of the bed.

She'd once more secured the room of course. But despite the ease of the day, the revelations she'd discovered where...troubling.

The fact that this world most certainly wasn't Remnant was perhaps the most disturbing. She was just thankful for her semblance, it allowed her to follow the railroad to another city, an actual city. The railroad didn't actually go through said city, but it had been visible in the distance.

That city was...amazing, for lack of a better world. It was just as large as the four cities of Remnant, but based on what she'd discovered while in that city, it was rather small. That mankind could build bigger cities astounded her. Atlas, Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo where only able to be as big as they were thanks to their natural defenses. It gave her hope for the future of Remnant, but it wasn't relevant to her current situation beyond her own amazement.

What was relevant was the continuing lack of people without their aura's unlocked, and the fact that the people in the city were much more similar to those in her own world than those that were in the village next to the school.

But they were still different. There was no Dust, and when she'd offhandedly mentioned it, it was believed she was speaking of dirt.

Perhaps more importantly, the city had helped convince her that this all wasn't some giant hallucination created by Salem. She wasn't sure how the Queen of the Grimm could achieve such a feat, but she didn't put it past her. And what she was seeing was too...complete and complex, for lack of a better term, to be an illusion.

Luckily, she'd found a public library, and several hours in the building had left her with no doubts that she was in another world.

She needed allies in this world to survive, and she only had one, so far, that had shown any inclination to actually help her. So she'd raced back to the railway, following the tracks back to the village and the school.

It wasn't hard for her to figure out where the Headmaster's office was. Overhearing the password wasn't difficult either. She'd decided to wait until dinner to enter the office though, it would give her some time to examine the office, and perhaps get a feel for the elderly man.

When she did enter the office, it was to find a private library, many moving portraits (which freaked her out just a little bit), and many other knick-knacks. Honestly, what she found and saw pointed to an educated man, who kept a red bird of some kind, and collected odd things.

She couldn't be sure about that last bit however. If magic was real, it was reasonable to believe that these various knick-knacks had purposes she didn't understand. Rather than tempt fate, she had taken a book off of the shelves, the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. It was an...interesting read, at least before the Headmaster arrived.

Learning magic would indeed prove beneficial, even if she wasn't very good at it.

One thing she'd learned as a Huntress was that, even a small advantage could be effective, especially if you had a lot of small advantages.

So she'd agreed easily with the Headmaster when he suggested she learn magic. But she still wanted her spear, and she hoped that, whatever workshop she could gain access too, would have the tools she'd need to re-build Silver Thorn. Her knife was acceptable, so far, but she was sure that wouldn't last forever. Not to mention whatever magic here was capable of...The Maidens back on Remnant were certainly powerful, and if those that used magic here were anywhere near as powerful, she wasn't comfortable only having her knife, semblance, and silver eyes for defense...especially since it took very strong emotion for her to use her silver eyes.

Once more looking at the pictures of her her daughters in the locket around her neck, Summer settled down to get some rest.

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Sirius Black snarled loudly as he threw the board across the room.

"Calm down Padfoot," Remus Lupin said, trying to get his friend to calm down. "We knew the lead was a long shot."

Sirius' grey eyes flashed over to his friend. "That doesn't mean I can't be pissed off that it was yet another dead end," he growled, right before collapsing into a chair.

Remus Lupin sighed. "We will find her Sirius...We just need to keep trying."

"We've been trying for twelve years...at what point do we succeed?"

Remus didn't answer him.

Ever since he was first questioned about what he'd done to Harriet Potter, which had subsequently led to him being exonerated from the rather good frame job Peter Pettigrew, who had once been one of his, Remus, and James Potter's best friends, Sirius Black had dedicated his life in trying to track down his goddaughter.

Remus Lupin, had joined him, after apologies made by both men for believing the other had ever betrayed their small, yet tight-knit group of friends.

However in the twelve years the two men had been searching, even with the vast resources and fortune of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, they had found nothing. And while Remus had not been pleased at their lack of any real progress. It hurt him more to watch as year after year, failure after failure, Sirius Black lost more and more of the playfulness that had made Sirius...Sirius.

His best friend, his brother in all but blood, had gradually become more and more depressed as time had gone on. And there was nothing Remus seemed to be able to do to stop it.

Remus was just about to say something, when Sirius' house-elf, Mira (he'd gotten her after sacking the old elf Kreacher, which was fanatically loyal to Sirius' mother...in fact the old elf had keeled over dead after Sirius had presented him with clothes), entered the room. "Excuses me Masters Sirius and Remus...Long-bearded Headmaster is in fireplace wishings to speak with yous," she said. "Hes sayings it ises most urgent."

"Tell him to come through," Sirius instructed, somewhat offhandedly.

"Yes Master," the elf said, before leaving the room.

A few moments later, Mira was leading the two men's former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore was someone the two men had mixed feelings about, in part due to his actions in placing Harriet with the Dursley's, and essentially being the last person that had seen their honorary niece and goddaughter, respectively.

"Good evening Sirius, Remus," Albus greeted.

Before Remus could greet the elder wizard, Sirius rather tersely asked, "What do you want Headmaster?"

"Harriet is currently at Hogwarts..."

Both men were on their feet in an instant, questioning Albus.

"SILENCE!" Albus commanded, getting both men to quiet down. "This will take some explanation before I can take you to see her," he said. "Not to mention it is rather late, and I doubt your goddaughter wants to be disturbed at this hour."

Sirius shared a look with Remus, before turning back to the Headmaster. "Alright...I suppose we can wait until morning to see her."

"Thank you," The Headmaster commented. "No I believe I said I needed to give you an explanation. May I sit down, this will take some time?"

"Of course," Remus said, gesturing towards an empty seat.

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Sorry for the long wait. For various reasons this chapter was a pain in the butt to write. The biggest two reasons re that it took me a while to decide exactly what I wanted in this chapter. And then, three weeks ago, when I decided what I'd do, my mind was (and is still if I'm honest) on a High School DxD/Harry Potter idea. I haven't written a word yet, but my mind keeps drifting to that idea, distracting me from my attempts to write this chapter.

I hope you enjoyed. As always, Please Review, Check Out the Challenges in My Forums (Link on Profile), The Stories I up for Adoption Under the Title: Please Adopt Me!, and the Stories in my Community.