"Harry, have you tried the gillyweed Neville suggested yet?" Alice asked when we returned to the Common Room.

"No, not yet," Harry admitted,."I've been too busy. I'll try it at some point."

"That's not good enough Harry," Hermione said butting in. "This could save your life. If gillyweed doesn't last as long as you need it to, you could drown."

"Sheesh, Hermione," he said."A bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"Don't change the subject!" Hermione snapped.

"I still think turning him into a shark would be best," I interjected.

They both turned to me. "Stay out of this!"

"I was just saying, turning him into a shark would be less risky, and cooler," I muttered, but they were too busy arguing to listen.

"I'm sorry I said anything," Alice said.

"It was going to happen sooner or later," I said with a shrug as we both sat down on a sofa that looked away from where Harry and Hermione were now shouting at each other.

"I like the shark idea," Alice said with a small smile.

"So do I," I said wistfully. "I've never had a reason to turn someone into a shark. I might turn Clarisse into a shark just so I can say I've done it."

Alice burst out laughing. "I can just imagine what the look would be on her face, or at least what it would be if she still would have a face. I think I messed up something in that sentence, somewhere," she said as she scratched her ear.

I shrugged. "Don't look at me, English is my second language."

"I don't think that counts," she said with a smile.

I smiled. "Well…" We were interrupted by the Mrs O'Leary, who announced her presence by putting a cold nose on the back of my leg from where she lay under the sofa. (What she was doing under there I have no idea). The sudden sensation made me jump in my seat and squeak, which made Alice start giggling again. I looked under the sofa. "Did you have to do that?"

Mrs O'Leary yapped before scampering out from under the sofa. She stood facing me, her tail wagging and her tongue hanging out of her mouth. She looked like she was expecting me to throw a ball for her. "We can't go for a walk girl, it's too late." She barked and spun around once. "No, you will have to wait for the morning."

I'm pretty sure she frowned, I'm not entirely certain if dogs can frown, but that's what it looked like Mrs O'Leary was doing. She turned to Alice and barked. Alice smiled at her. "Sorry, but it's dark outside now. In the morning."

Mrs O'Leary vanished into the shadows and then reappeared. "I suppose we could shadow travel somewhere," I said turning to Alice, "but it's late and…" Mrs O'Leary reared onto her hind legs and put her forepaws onto my legs and stared into my eyes. I sighed. I could not say no to those puppy dog eyes. "Fine, we'll have a quick walk." She barked happily. I turned to Alice. "Sorry, seems I'm walking the dog."

"I'll come with you," she said as she jumped up.

"Wait here a second," I said as I walked off to our room and grabbed Mrs O'Leary's lead and dog whistle before returning. "All set."

"Let's go then."

We walked passed the Fat Lady, who frowned at us as we passed. "You two better not be out too long, curfew is in just over an hour," she said.

"We won't be late," I said.

We walked through the halls and out into the grounds. We soon found a thicket of trees that was big enough for Mrs O'Leary to grow to full size without being seen. I unclipped the shrinking charm from her collar and she quickly grew to full size with a sound that I assume was a dog sigh of relief. We clambered on to her like a horse (she was certainly more than large enough to be one) and Mrs O'Leary charged at the trees. Moments before we would have hit we slipped into a different place.

I had never shadow travelled before, so I kept my eyes shut and held my breath, just in case. What I did notice was that it was bitterly cold and that we were going so fast that my face felt like it was going to peel off. After a few seconds in the shadow world we emerged somewhere warmer than where we left, and it was sunny, I could see the light through my eyelids. I opened my eyes. We were standing in a field of grass that was swaying gently in the faint breeze. The sun was just lowering towards the horizon. To guess, it looked like there was about six or seven hours difference in time.

"Where are we?" I asked as I looked around. There was just grass as far as I could see and the occasional cluster of bushes or small trees.

"I have no idea," Alice said. "Hopefully not Idaho. Maybe Kentucky or somewhere in the mid-West?"

"We could be in South America," I suggested.

"Nah, it's too cold for that, it's summer there right now," she said with a smile.

"Not in the southernmost part," I replied.

I reattached the shrinking charm to Mrs O'Leary's collar, causing her to shrink back to beagle size. "Let's go." Mrs O'Leary took off running. She started running in circles around us, yapping and barking happily.

"She's so cute," Alice squealed happily. She grabbed my hand and we started walking in a direction at random.

We wander through the vast expanse of nothing but grass for ages. "We really are in the back end of nowhere," Alice said, marvelling at the sky, which was a deep and almost perfect sheet of blue, broken only by the yellow disk of the sun and a few little fluffy clouds.

"You don't think we'll run into any monsters do you?" I asked. "Because I'm pretty sure we're in North America somewhere."

"Don't be so paranoid, we're only going to be here a little while, just long enough to wear out Mrs O'Leary. Although…" She grabbed the back of my head, spun me round and kissed me full on the lips, deeply, passionately. Eventually our lips parted, we were both breathless. "We can have some more alone time." She kissed me again, even more passionately.

"Third time today," I remarked happily.

"I can never get enough alone time with you," she replied, taking my hand in hers.

Mrs O'Leary chose to ruin the moment by pressing her nose against the back of my legs and barking impatiently. "I think she's reminding her that we're here for her, not us," Alice remarked.

We wandered through the meadow for a good half hour before finally finding the other side, all along the way throwing sticks made of the Mist for Mrs O'Leary to chase.

"Well, it's the US," I commented, the red wood barn we had found seemed rather dilapidated, probably not touched in decades, there was a weathered sign outside advertising eggs for sale but I somehow doubted I there were any left.

Alice left my side and walked over to where Mrs O'Leary was sniffing at the edge of the barn, "you found something girl?"

Mrs O'Leary began pawing at the ground, "please don't be monsters," I grumbled as I readied a sword and began surveying the gently shifting grasses.

"Did you have to jinx it Janet?" Alice asked.

Finally Mrs O'Leary gave a happy yelp and raised her head to reveal that she had dug up a bone.

We both laughed at the hellhound who was now chewing away on the bone, "we're far too paranoid," Alice commented.

"Keeps a demi-god alive," I replied as I returned my sword to bracelet form.

"Demi-god?!" A harsh voice yelled.

"Well, bother," I sighed as I spun to face the person behind me.

There was a very elderly native american woman wearing a cloak made of feathers, "haven't had one of you lot round here for many years."

"We're just walking our dog," I replied with my nicest smile.

"How?" She looked behind us, "we're miles from anywhere."

"How do you know what we are?" I asked, clumsily trying to change the direction of the conversation.

She gave a curious smile, "I'm very old, I know many things. I also know if you're still here in the next few hours the Skin-Walkers will get you."

Oh joy, my favourite kind of wizards. "Won't they get you too?"

She gave a dry laugh, "I'm just an old and weak mortal, I'm not worth their while, but you are young and powerful, you would be worth a great deal to them."

I nodded, "thanks for the warning, we'll leave now."

She nodded slowly and smiled, "that's a good idea dear."

I turned back to Alice and Mrs O'Leary, who seemed to have noticed the conversation, when I turned back the woman was gone. "Old and weak mortal my ass," I muttered.

"We should get back," I called.

Alice nodded, "it's probably dinner time."