Chris Carter and 1013 Productions own the X-Files. JK Rowling, Warner Brothers and Scholastic own Harry Potter. All I own is this story line, every Harry Potter DVD and a complete collection of X-Files DVD's. I wish I owned Fox Mulder.

A/N This story is set anytime during Sorcerers Stone through Prisoner of Azkaban of HP (although it contains information in all the books) and after X-Files episode "Emily", but before "Requiem".

THE GROUNDS

HOGWARTS

Snape and Scully were walking around the outside perimeter of the castle in the warm afternoon sun--there was a building he wanted to show her that she hadn't seen before. They approached a little stone arch with a narrow stair, barely wide enough for one and a half adults or two first-years. They slowed down as they drew closer to the arch, and Snape allowed her to precede him up the stairs. When she had climbed to the first step, suddenly he touched her wrist and she turned around to face him. They were almost the same height like this.

"Have I been making myself clear regarding the threat we're all under from You Know Who? There's so much more I could show you if you had been born a witch. I could wish you had been--so you could understand all this better."

Scully raised an eyebrow at him before looking away. Almost, she could read a compliment into that statement, and she felt something like a sense of relief. She thought back to when she first met him, and she had been concerned that he wouldn't like to work with a woman. But she had learned since then that it was her muggleness he objected to, not her gender. She was pleased she had advanced this far in working with him--at least he had expressed a desire to help her learn about Voldemort.

"What is it you think I don't understand?" She asked.

"You seem to be learning the facts about everything that happened here. But it's not the same as having lived through it--it can never be the same."

"But why do you assume that I would have to live through it to understand? I'm here as an investigator. Do you expect your Aurors to experience first hand each case they investigate?"

"It's not the same."

"Why not? Because these things happened to your people and not mine? Have you considered that as an outsider I may bring a clearer perspective to the situation than the people who were involved?" She paused then. "But, Professor, if there's something you need to say to help me understand better, just say it."

Before Snape could answer, commotion broke out behind them on the lawn, and above them, on the flight of steps. From around the corner of the building, Scully saw the groundskeeper call out urgently, "Professor Snape, come quickly, you're needed" and take off.

Snape looked at Scully and muttered, "I have to--"

"I'm coming too."

But before they could follow the groundskeeper, Scully heard her name from above and peered up the steps. Mulder was gesturing frantically to her, "Come on, Scully--something's happened and Dumbledore wants us in his office."

"Go with your partner, Agent Scully. I'll handle this," Snape told her.

Scully ran up the stairs, reached the landing and started to follow Mulder, who had only waited long enough to see she had reached the landing. As he tuned the corner with Scully in pursuit, her hand seemed to brush against something silky and she suddenly she brought herself up short, turned, and looked. Nothing there--or was there the faintest little shimmer? She looked around on the floor of the terrace, found a stick, and approached the area where she'd felt the strange sensation, waving the stick gently in front of her. She took a couple slow steps forward. The stick made contact with something she couldn't see, and she heard a quiet, muffled voice. Scully reached out her hand and felt something like the most delicate, watery silk. She grabbed it in her hand, and gently pulled it towards her. In her hand it was silvery gray and fluid and she could see three students very clearly--the three students from the library.

Scully asked, "What were you doing with this?"

Harry looked upset. "We were--we weren't spying on you, honest. You just happened to be where we were." Hermione kicked him and looked sheepishly at Scully.

Mulder ran back and called, "Scully, come ON."

Scully handed the cloak back to the students. "You'd better head inside," she told them. "Something's happened, and your teachers will probably want to make sure everybody's accounted for."

She left with Mulder and they hurried to Dumbledore's office, where they were informed that there had been an attack. It was a student, and he would be okay, but he couldn't identify what had attacked him. It had been out of the blue and seemingly unprovoked and would have to be investigated.

Scully went to the hospital wing to see the victim, but his wound had been minor and Madame Pomfrey had already healed it. The student couldn't describe what had attacked him--no, he hadn't had a good look at it. Scully was frustrated at the lack of evidence for her to work with. She spoke to Madame Pomfrey aside.

"What did the wound look like?"

"Charred black, open to the underlying tissue. About this big." She gestured with her hands.

Scully nodded and frowned. "Madame Pomfrey, I'm afraid I'm not used to the way you fix wounds so quickly, but I need to ask you to do something. If this happens again and it won't endanger the victim, could you wait until after I do an examination before you do the healing? You see, I might be able to learn something about the attacker that way--by examining the wound."

"That's highly irregular, Agent Scully. I'll need to obtain approval from the Headmaster first."

"Thank you--I'd appreciate it."

A conference was held that evening. The other investigators had combed the area where the attack occurred, but they were unable to find the attacker. Dumbledore agreed that Scully would be the first person to examine the victims if possible. It was further decided that the students would not be allowed outside after dark, nor would they be allowed to roam the halls alone--they must have a buddy with them. Mulder and Scully were also urged to avoid roaming the castle alone. If the attacker were indeed You Know Who or one of his minions, muggle defenses against Dark Magic were pretty flimsy.

Scully and Mulder glanced at each other. Most of the cases in their career had involved suspects against which their defenses were flimsy. However, Dumbledore seemed anxious for their safety. Then she turned to look at Snape. He was looking at her intently.

As everybody was filing out of the conference room, Snape pulled her aside. "This is what I was talking about earlier. You haven't encountered anything like this before, and I also strongly urge you not to attempt to investigate this without one of us with you."

Scully agreed.