Chapter 2
She was just on the verge of telling him her name when Dumbledore came round the corner, talking to a Professor that Azia couldn't place. Dumbledore looked directly at Harry and Azia, and it occurred to her (at the same time it occurred to Harry) that Dumbledore could see through the Invisibility Cloak. Azia turned and looked at Harry, who was watching Dumbledore intently.
"Good bye, Professor Vector." Dumbledore said as the professor walked away. He turned to the statue. "M&M." The gargoyle sprang to life, jumping aside to allow Dumbledore, Harry, and Azia in. "Hello, Harry. Who is this young lady with you?"
"Don't ask me." Harry said sheepishly. "She never told me."
Dumbledore looked puzzled as he walked into his office. Harry threw the cloak off.
"Professor Dumbledore, I need to talk to you."
"Alright. Harry, if you please." Dumbledore nodded towards the door. "I'll come get you when we are done." Harry looked hurt as he left the room, closing the door as he went.
"Professor, I'm Azia Connolly. I'm a muggle from the U.S."
"Continue." Said Dumbledore, in deep thought.
Azia explained about how she woke up in Harry's room. "And then I- well, I threatened him, but anyway I figured I should talk to you. Can you explain any of this to me?"
There was an awkward moment of silence. "Well, first, I'd like to know how you know so much about Hogwarts and such if you're a muggle- particularly a foreign muggle."
Azia had conveniently left out the fact that all of this was explained in a series of books. She figured he'd find out sometime, anyways.
"Just, well, take a look at this." She handed her battered copy of Harry Potter to him. "It's a popular book where I live.
Dumbledore looked at the book, his eyes widening. "I seem to be at a loss for words." He finally said, handing the book back to her after only reading several pages. "That does explain why you would know about Hogwarts, though. Am I correct in saying that you are not clear on how you got here?"
"I have no idea. That's why I came; I thought you would be able to help me. Do you know how I got here? And how to get back?" she added desperately.
"I don't have any answers for you. I will find out, as soon as possible. For the time being, it looks as if your only option is to stay at Hogwarts. I will explain your sudden to appearance to the staff, so you can feel free to join Mr. Potter in his classes. I hope you don't mind." He got that twinkle in his eyes that Azia had read about so many times before.
"Sweet. Um, what will I tell Harry and the other students, though?"
Dumbledore paused for a moment, thinking up an alibi that would trick the students well enough. "I sent you here. The school's students need more interaction with Muggles, and with people from different parts of the globe. I mistakenly sent you to Harry's room. But, Azia, don't tell Harry about anything else you know-let him explain things to you. What you have already told him you know was what I told you before you were sent here. And please," he added, "don't make any predictions."
"Thank you so much, Professor. I'll stick to that. I'll see you later."
"Good-bye."
She was just on the verge of telling him her name when Dumbledore came round the corner, talking to a Professor that Azia couldn't place. Dumbledore looked directly at Harry and Azia, and it occurred to her (at the same time it occurred to Harry) that Dumbledore could see through the Invisibility Cloak. Azia turned and looked at Harry, who was watching Dumbledore intently.
"Good bye, Professor Vector." Dumbledore said as the professor walked away. He turned to the statue. "M&M." The gargoyle sprang to life, jumping aside to allow Dumbledore, Harry, and Azia in. "Hello, Harry. Who is this young lady with you?"
"Don't ask me." Harry said sheepishly. "She never told me."
Dumbledore looked puzzled as he walked into his office. Harry threw the cloak off.
"Professor Dumbledore, I need to talk to you."
"Alright. Harry, if you please." Dumbledore nodded towards the door. "I'll come get you when we are done." Harry looked hurt as he left the room, closing the door as he went.
"Professor, I'm Azia Connolly. I'm a muggle from the U.S."
"Continue." Said Dumbledore, in deep thought.
Azia explained about how she woke up in Harry's room. "And then I- well, I threatened him, but anyway I figured I should talk to you. Can you explain any of this to me?"
There was an awkward moment of silence. "Well, first, I'd like to know how you know so much about Hogwarts and such if you're a muggle- particularly a foreign muggle."
Azia had conveniently left out the fact that all of this was explained in a series of books. She figured he'd find out sometime, anyways.
"Just, well, take a look at this." She handed her battered copy of Harry Potter to him. "It's a popular book where I live.
Dumbledore looked at the book, his eyes widening. "I seem to be at a loss for words." He finally said, handing the book back to her after only reading several pages. "That does explain why you would know about Hogwarts, though. Am I correct in saying that you are not clear on how you got here?"
"I have no idea. That's why I came; I thought you would be able to help me. Do you know how I got here? And how to get back?" she added desperately.
"I don't have any answers for you. I will find out, as soon as possible. For the time being, it looks as if your only option is to stay at Hogwarts. I will explain your sudden to appearance to the staff, so you can feel free to join Mr. Potter in his classes. I hope you don't mind." He got that twinkle in his eyes that Azia had read about so many times before.
"Sweet. Um, what will I tell Harry and the other students, though?"
Dumbledore paused for a moment, thinking up an alibi that would trick the students well enough. "I sent you here. The school's students need more interaction with Muggles, and with people from different parts of the globe. I mistakenly sent you to Harry's room. But, Azia, don't tell Harry about anything else you know-let him explain things to you. What you have already told him you know was what I told you before you were sent here. And please," he added, "don't make any predictions."
"Thank you so much, Professor. I'll stick to that. I'll see you later."
"Good-bye."