CHAPTER FIVE: Shocking News

Ron and Hermoine sat across from Harry inside the Gryffindor Common Room with their mouths hanging open. Harry just told them the most bizarre thing that happened earlier at the library.

"Harry, are you sure about this?" Hermoine asked after she has overcome her initial shock at the news.

"I couldn't believe it myself either, Hermoine." Harry reassured his best friend.

"Are you serious?" Ron still looked very much shocked after hearing the news, "You read Mystyk's mind?"

"Seems like it." Harry nodded.

"But how?" Hermoine questioned, "Harry, how could that have happened? You guys haven't gone that far ahead yet in Divinations, have you?"

"I think so. I mean, we have touched it at one point or the other, but I just couldn't seem to get it together. Seems like I don't have the Inner Eye for paranormal stuff." Harry frowned, slumping against one of the big, dark leather couches by the fireplace.

"So you are not that familiar with the basics of mind-reading?" she frowned.

"Nope."

She took a deep breath and slumped deeper into the big couch she was occupying. This is one puzzle even she couldn't figure out.

~*~

"Professor, mind if I ask you something that is not related to any of these subjects we're discussing right now?" Mystyk asked Professor Dumbledore the next day for her History of Magic Grade 3 class.

"Certainly, Ms. Rydel. What seems to be bothering you?" Dumbledore put down the eagle-feather quill and turned his full attention to his young student.

Mystyk took a deep breath to calm her nerves. All day yesterday and all night she couldn't stop thinking about that weird incident in the library between her and a fifth-year Gryffindor student, Harry.

"Well you see professor, yesterday afternoon while I was busy studying alone in the library, a boy named Harry approached me and sat down at my table." she began, chewing on her bottom lip as she nervously twirled the feathered end of her quill over and over her finger.

"Go on." Professor Dumbledore prodded.

Mystyk took another deep breath and continued, "Well, he is a nice boy and we were just sitting across from each other discussing something when suddenly he read my thoughts. He looked as shocked as I was when he mentioned something about what I just thought about."

"I see." Professor Dumbledore nodded.

"I know it shouldn't really bother me much, but according to Harry this has never happened to him before. I mean, he said he hasn't read or even heard someone else's thoughts before." Mystyk met the elder Headmaster's gaze and sighed, "I thought you said I'm the only student here at Hogwarts that has psychic abilities. If so, Professor, how did Harry read my mind?"

"Good question, Ms. Rydel. A very good question indeed."