The stranger nodded and walked towards an fairly deserted corner of the bookstore where two armchairs were pushed into a small nook. I followed, trying to ignore Mia's furious hisses:

"What are you doing? You can't just go walking off with some stranger! Are you crazy? Oh, wait, I forgot. You're Chandler. Of course you're crazy! Don't you realize he could kill you or worse -- "

"He said he wouldn't harm me, Mia. I'm just going to talk with him. If he turns out to be a creep, we'll run for it. If you don't want to come, don't come. If you do, chill!" I sat down in a fluffy armchair across from him, and a moment later Mia came to sit next to me. With a cough, he brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes and muttered something in a low voice. The bookcases flanking us suddenly shifted their masses and came together, like a gate, and blocked us from view. Mia gasped and scrambled behind my chair. Then he leaned back, and spoke.

"My name is Severus Snape. I have come to you, Chandler, because you are the only person who can help me. I heard you talking to your friend here about some dreams you've been having. Something about the world of Harry Potter, and Quidditch? Those weren't dreams. They were memories. Have you ever wondered why you so readily embraced those books and all that is in them? It's because you really belong in that world; you were once a part of it. You once lived there, in the wizarding world." Snape shifted and took a small, golden object from his pocket. "Do you know what this is?"

I leaned forward and saw a tiny hourglass glinting in the light. "Sure I do! It's a time-turner. But.... This has got to be a hoax. Where are the cameras? This is too surreal to be true."

Snape shook his head. "No, it is true. I know it is hard to believe. But 15 years ago you were a full-fledged witch in our world. You lost your memory after an accident with a time- turner... This time-turner, to be exact. It threw you back to a point of no return, destroyed most of your memory, and due to our laws we were forced to leave you here, in the Muggle world. You are a very important person, and I have come to bring you back to our world. To bring you home."

I blinked for a long time, my mind twisting and turning in every direction without any particular path. "What was I doing when I had this... Accident? Are you sure you have the right person?" I said softly, fingering the hourglass. I wanted to believe him, but even I wasn't that foolish. Taking a leaf out of Mia's book, I decided to get some proof. "Can you prove it? Can you prove that I'm really who you think I am?"

He stood up, and took a long brown stick out of his pocket and handed it to me: a wand. I took it gingerly, and he spoke again as I examined it. "You were on a mission to retrieve someone, but it backfired. That is your wand. Try to use it." I gawked at him. How could I use a wand? He has to be mad, barking mad. Or someone is playing a really dirty trick on me. I stood up and with a swish and a flick, I pointed the wand at a nearby book and said:

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

And the book moved. Startled, I dropped the wand with a squeak, and scrambled backwards to crouch next to Mia. Snape's mouth formed a wry smile. "You see? Your friend here couldn't do that." He stooped, and tossed the wand back to me. I warily whispered, "Accio book!" And in an instant "How to Spot the Signs of Insanity" came flying into my hands. This was too much for me. I sank into the chair with a bewildered glance at Mia, who was suddenly looking quite deranged.

"Mia?"

"You.... You.... Stay away from me! Both of you!" She was backing into a corner, and brandishing her cross necklace at me with a maniacal glint in her eyes. "This can't be happening.. I must be dreaming! That's right! This is only a dream! Hahahahaha!" She inched along the bookcases, shooting sidelong glances at Snape, who was silently convulsing with ill-repressed mirth.

"Mia, you're being very stupid right now, you know that, right?" I reached out to grab her hand, but she stabbed me with a pencil. Suddenly, Snape pointed his wand at her forehead and said almost lazily, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Mia slumped to the floor.

"Well, now that that's been taken care of... She was really starting to bother me. Do you believe me now, Chandler?" I sat in my chair, looking at Mia silently.

"This is so weird. It's right out of a movie! I'm being taken to Hogwarts by Severus Snape." I chortled and brushed my fingers over the cover of "How to Spot the Signs of Insanity". "I doubt this particular scene is in there, but you never know. Well, what the heck. Yeah, I believe you. So, you've found me. Now what? Do you suddenly turn into a bat and then take me to Hogwarts or something?"

"Hardly. I know this must be very odd for you, and I apologize. Now, we don't have much time to waste, and there's a time difference here... Hmm..." With a abrupt clap of his hands, his tourist attire disappeared and was replaced by his usual black robes. He looked considerably more comfortable and twice as insidious. He proffered his hand to me. "Come. We'll apparate there."

"You're the boss!" And with my taking of his hand, we were gone. It was the peculiar journey of my life. I felt as though my entire body was being transformed into air, and like a video on fast forward I saw myself flying over land and water and into the sun. Moments later, I found myself being thrown onto solid ground with great force. I rolled and felt my arms and legs splay outward. Wincing and rubbing my hands over minute cuts and abrasions, I looked up to see Snape standing quite unruffled beside me. He swept an arm outward to point at our new surrounds.

"Welcome to our world, Chandler. Welcome home."