Welcome to the third chapter! All Harry Potter characters are still owned by J K Rowling. Grace belongs to Grace, one of the authors of this fic, and Katie belongs to Katie, the other author. Tam belongs to herself, of course. The plot still belongs to Grace and Katie, and we're still dedicating this fic to Tam.
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Chapter Three – Dumbledore's Office
Tamara, Katie and Grace were bustled into Hogwarts castle as students went back inside after what had been a very close Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. By the time they had been swept along into the castle, the three girls had already received a few dozen suspicious stares from people. Then, quite suddenly, they found themselves in a nearly deserting Entrance Hall. Everyone had disappeared back into common rooms. Tam took a few steps forward, bumped into someone and tripped. Luckily, the other two managed to catch her and they all looked up to see who she had collided with. Looking down at them with a stern face was a tall boy with flaming red hair, freckles, horn-rimmed glasses and a silver badge pinned to his black school robes that read 'HB'- Head Boy.
"What do you think you're playing at?' he demanded, waving his hand at their clothes. "Where are your robes, and why haven't you gone back to your common rooms? I have half a mind to tell your head of house! Sneaking around the castle with absolutely no regard for school rules… It's people like you that give Hogwarts a bad name. Imagine what the delegations would think if they were to see you three like this- forget I said that, everyone will find out this evening, but I've given my word to McGonagall and Dumbledore not to tell anyone. They trust me, you see. I have to uphold my responsibility to them; it's part of the very important position of being Head Boy. Not many people would know. It takes a very reliable student to be in my place, as you three would be very well aware…"
He went on like this for a few more minutes until Katie interrupted him and said simply "You must be Percy."
"Well of course I am, who DOESN'T know. I am regarded as a very important person in the school community. You can always rely on me to-"
"We get it!" Tam said sharply.
"And we didn't mean to break any school rules…" Grace added. "We're not exactly from around here…"
Percy pushed his glasses back up his nose and peered down at them more closely. "I don't remember seeing your faces around school before…" he agreed. "Where do you live? The London area? Kent? Wales? Glasgow?"
"Err…Australia." Katie told him.
"Well this is a serious violation Hogwart's rules!" he exclaimed anxiously. "At least tell me you're witches."
Tam, Katie and Grace averted their gaze and looked nervously around the Hall. Percy smacked his forehead and groaned.
"You lot are in serious trouble. I'm afraid I'll have to take you to see Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Maybe you can explain to him how you even got inside the grounds because heaven knows I have no idea. Follow me."
They set off up the staircase that lead away from Entrance Hall and walked along many corridors until they got to a statue of a stone gargoyle.
"Pepper Imp." Percy said clearly, and the gargoyle sprang aside to reveal another set of stairs. They followed Percy up it, casting scared glances at each other, all of them very nervous.
"Here we are." Said Percy as they came to a halt outside a door. He raised a hand and knocked with a flourish, then quickly straightened his glasses and smoothed down his hair.
"Enter…" called an old and tired voice.
Dumbledore was in.
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Percy pushed open the door, which swung forward with a long, high-pitched creek. Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, which was piled high with scrolls of parchment. He glanced up and looked at the three girls and Percy through his half-moon spectacles. His face wore a worn out, tired expression which made Katie, Tam and Grace shuffle about guiltily.
Percy stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "Professor, I found these three muggles inside the castle. I think- "
"Thank you Percy, I will deal with this privately." Dumbledore cut in after he had taken off his glasses, polished them on his robes and placed them back on his nose hurriedly, staring at the strange trio. Percy sniffed indignantly and left the circular room, closing the door behind him as he descended down the staircase.
Dumbledore literally drew up three chairs with his wand, positioning them in front of his desk.
"Sit please." He said, and after they anxiously obeyed, he rested his elbows on the desktop and sighed heavily. "I can plainly see that you are unfamiliar with this environment, so it would help me greatly if you repeated your actions and whereabouts from the last few hours." He looked down at them, expecting someone to talk. When nobody did because all three of them were staring at the Hogwart's Headmaster with frozen faces, he cleared his throat and said "Tamara, if you wouldn't mind to do us the honours."
Tam snapped out if it. "How did you know my- "
"Ssshh!" Grace whispered. And then said in a low voice "This is Dumbledore, he knows all…"
Tam looked at the other two who responded with eager nods.
"Well, Mister Dumbledore, sir. I was going to see Katie and Grace at Katie's house…err, that's in Australia…but when I turned up, they were sitting in the middle of all these Harry Po- I mean, they were sitting in the middle of some books and they had apparently opened a portal, sir."
"A portal, Tamara?"
"Yes, Mister Professor Dumbledore sir. We had accidentally created a spell, you see." Grace explained.
"Would you please care to elaborate, Katharine?" Dumbledore asked, using Katie's full name.
"Well, we said 'Biforis Alohomora regnum'. It transported us here." Said Katie. Dumbledore nodded, recognising the words. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you become familiar with the 'Alohomora' charm?" he asked.
The three girls exchanged a nervous glance.
"Well, Mister Professor Sir…I study Latin…back home…and I'm also kinda…pagan…so I have witchcraft books at home…and it was just in one of them." Katie answered nervously.
"Do you know of any way to get back to your home again?" Dumbledore asked.
The three shook their heads.
"It was kinda…by accident and random that we ended up here…and I'm not sure what would happen if we tried to reverse it…" Grace replied.
Dumbledore leaned back into his chair and pressed his fingertips together thoughtfully.
"Well I suppose on those circumstances…it would be best if you three stayed here until we figure to a way get you three back home safely…" Dumbledore decided, keeping his eyes on the three girls to watch their reaction.
The three girls blinked in shock for a few seconds, then all spoke at once.
"Oh…my…god…are you serious!?!"
"How amazingly cool! This is going to be fantastic!"
"My dreams come true! Thankyou so much Mister Dumbledore Professor Sir!"
Dumbledore chuckled with a small smile. "You seem quite happy and comfortable to be staying here away from your home for what could be ages…any reasons why?" Dumbledore asked with an inquisitive glint in his eyes.
The three girls looked at each other sideways.
"Well…just look at all the history that's around here!" Tam exclaimed.
"And I love castles…I've always wanted to go to one!" Grace added.
"And I love everything about magick…this is like a dream! A whole school devoted to it…this is amazing!" Katie finished.
Dumbledore's very slight suspicion lifted and he smiled warmly.
"Well, it'd be better for you to join here as real students. Keep interfering reporters and their Quick Quotes Quills out of faces." Dumbledore spoke aloud thoughtfully once again.
"Could we possibly be allowed in the same house? Like, the blue and bronze one?" Grace asked hopefully.
"Or the silver and green?" Tam asked.
"Or even the gold and red?" Katie added.
Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid not. If you're going to be a student here, you need to follow all the school rules and rituals. One especially being the sorting into different houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You shall be chosen according to your characteristics and exactly how your minds work. So there is still a chance that you shall be sorted into the same house." Dumbledore said reassuringly.
Each of the three girls nodded with a happy smile, but each in their own minds were hoping for different houses. Tam for Slytherin to be closer to Draco, Katie for Gryffindor to be with Oliver and Grace for Ravenclaw because that was her favourite house, although they weren't about to let Dumbledore know they already knew heaps about the school.
"We'll fit you in tonight before dinner so you can be initiated in front of the school and other teachers." Dumbledore added. He saw their slightly nervous faces and chuckled once again. "Don't worry about it. It happens to everyone, so they know how it feels, it'll be over before you know it. And despite what rumours fly around here, you don't have to battle anything, and you won't get hurt in the process of 'proving yourself' to which house you're fit for."
The girls giggled as they got the joke more then Dumbledore knew, remembering what Ron's older brother's, the twins, had told Ron before he had been sorted.
"Percy!" Dumbledore suddenly called.
A slight noise was heard from behind the door. Percy, who had unknowingly crept back up the stairs, and had been eavesdropping, slowly opened the door, blushing as red as his hair.
"Would you kindly show these girls around the school grounds until it is time for everyone to assemble for dinner?" Dumbledore asked, a smile on his face as he watched Percy gather himself together again.
"Certainly, Professor." Percy replied, his freckles appearing redder because of the blush on his face. He gave a dignified sniff, turned on his heel and the four of them left Dumbledore alone in his office once more.
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So what so you think? Review/Flame away!
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Chapter Three – Dumbledore's Office
Tamara, Katie and Grace were bustled into Hogwarts castle as students went back inside after what had been a very close Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. By the time they had been swept along into the castle, the three girls had already received a few dozen suspicious stares from people. Then, quite suddenly, they found themselves in a nearly deserting Entrance Hall. Everyone had disappeared back into common rooms. Tam took a few steps forward, bumped into someone and tripped. Luckily, the other two managed to catch her and they all looked up to see who she had collided with. Looking down at them with a stern face was a tall boy with flaming red hair, freckles, horn-rimmed glasses and a silver badge pinned to his black school robes that read 'HB'- Head Boy.
"What do you think you're playing at?' he demanded, waving his hand at their clothes. "Where are your robes, and why haven't you gone back to your common rooms? I have half a mind to tell your head of house! Sneaking around the castle with absolutely no regard for school rules… It's people like you that give Hogwarts a bad name. Imagine what the delegations would think if they were to see you three like this- forget I said that, everyone will find out this evening, but I've given my word to McGonagall and Dumbledore not to tell anyone. They trust me, you see. I have to uphold my responsibility to them; it's part of the very important position of being Head Boy. Not many people would know. It takes a very reliable student to be in my place, as you three would be very well aware…"
He went on like this for a few more minutes until Katie interrupted him and said simply "You must be Percy."
"Well of course I am, who DOESN'T know. I am regarded as a very important person in the school community. You can always rely on me to-"
"We get it!" Tam said sharply.
"And we didn't mean to break any school rules…" Grace added. "We're not exactly from around here…"
Percy pushed his glasses back up his nose and peered down at them more closely. "I don't remember seeing your faces around school before…" he agreed. "Where do you live? The London area? Kent? Wales? Glasgow?"
"Err…Australia." Katie told him.
"Well this is a serious violation Hogwart's rules!" he exclaimed anxiously. "At least tell me you're witches."
Tam, Katie and Grace averted their gaze and looked nervously around the Hall. Percy smacked his forehead and groaned.
"You lot are in serious trouble. I'm afraid I'll have to take you to see Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Maybe you can explain to him how you even got inside the grounds because heaven knows I have no idea. Follow me."
They set off up the staircase that lead away from Entrance Hall and walked along many corridors until they got to a statue of a stone gargoyle.
"Pepper Imp." Percy said clearly, and the gargoyle sprang aside to reveal another set of stairs. They followed Percy up it, casting scared glances at each other, all of them very nervous.
"Here we are." Said Percy as they came to a halt outside a door. He raised a hand and knocked with a flourish, then quickly straightened his glasses and smoothed down his hair.
"Enter…" called an old and tired voice.
Dumbledore was in.
***********************************************
Percy pushed open the door, which swung forward with a long, high-pitched creek. Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, which was piled high with scrolls of parchment. He glanced up and looked at the three girls and Percy through his half-moon spectacles. His face wore a worn out, tired expression which made Katie, Tam and Grace shuffle about guiltily.
Percy stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "Professor, I found these three muggles inside the castle. I think- "
"Thank you Percy, I will deal with this privately." Dumbledore cut in after he had taken off his glasses, polished them on his robes and placed them back on his nose hurriedly, staring at the strange trio. Percy sniffed indignantly and left the circular room, closing the door behind him as he descended down the staircase.
Dumbledore literally drew up three chairs with his wand, positioning them in front of his desk.
"Sit please." He said, and after they anxiously obeyed, he rested his elbows on the desktop and sighed heavily. "I can plainly see that you are unfamiliar with this environment, so it would help me greatly if you repeated your actions and whereabouts from the last few hours." He looked down at them, expecting someone to talk. When nobody did because all three of them were staring at the Hogwart's Headmaster with frozen faces, he cleared his throat and said "Tamara, if you wouldn't mind to do us the honours."
Tam snapped out if it. "How did you know my- "
"Ssshh!" Grace whispered. And then said in a low voice "This is Dumbledore, he knows all…"
Tam looked at the other two who responded with eager nods.
"Well, Mister Dumbledore, sir. I was going to see Katie and Grace at Katie's house…err, that's in Australia…but when I turned up, they were sitting in the middle of all these Harry Po- I mean, they were sitting in the middle of some books and they had apparently opened a portal, sir."
"A portal, Tamara?"
"Yes, Mister Professor Dumbledore sir. We had accidentally created a spell, you see." Grace explained.
"Would you please care to elaborate, Katharine?" Dumbledore asked, using Katie's full name.
"Well, we said 'Biforis Alohomora regnum'. It transported us here." Said Katie. Dumbledore nodded, recognising the words. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you become familiar with the 'Alohomora' charm?" he asked.
The three girls exchanged a nervous glance.
"Well, Mister Professor Sir…I study Latin…back home…and I'm also kinda…pagan…so I have witchcraft books at home…and it was just in one of them." Katie answered nervously.
"Do you know of any way to get back to your home again?" Dumbledore asked.
The three shook their heads.
"It was kinda…by accident and random that we ended up here…and I'm not sure what would happen if we tried to reverse it…" Grace replied.
Dumbledore leaned back into his chair and pressed his fingertips together thoughtfully.
"Well I suppose on those circumstances…it would be best if you three stayed here until we figure to a way get you three back home safely…" Dumbledore decided, keeping his eyes on the three girls to watch their reaction.
The three girls blinked in shock for a few seconds, then all spoke at once.
"Oh…my…god…are you serious!?!"
"How amazingly cool! This is going to be fantastic!"
"My dreams come true! Thankyou so much Mister Dumbledore Professor Sir!"
Dumbledore chuckled with a small smile. "You seem quite happy and comfortable to be staying here away from your home for what could be ages…any reasons why?" Dumbledore asked with an inquisitive glint in his eyes.
The three girls looked at each other sideways.
"Well…just look at all the history that's around here!" Tam exclaimed.
"And I love castles…I've always wanted to go to one!" Grace added.
"And I love everything about magick…this is like a dream! A whole school devoted to it…this is amazing!" Katie finished.
Dumbledore's very slight suspicion lifted and he smiled warmly.
"Well, it'd be better for you to join here as real students. Keep interfering reporters and their Quick Quotes Quills out of faces." Dumbledore spoke aloud thoughtfully once again.
"Could we possibly be allowed in the same house? Like, the blue and bronze one?" Grace asked hopefully.
"Or the silver and green?" Tam asked.
"Or even the gold and red?" Katie added.
Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid not. If you're going to be a student here, you need to follow all the school rules and rituals. One especially being the sorting into different houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You shall be chosen according to your characteristics and exactly how your minds work. So there is still a chance that you shall be sorted into the same house." Dumbledore said reassuringly.
Each of the three girls nodded with a happy smile, but each in their own minds were hoping for different houses. Tam for Slytherin to be closer to Draco, Katie for Gryffindor to be with Oliver and Grace for Ravenclaw because that was her favourite house, although they weren't about to let Dumbledore know they already knew heaps about the school.
"We'll fit you in tonight before dinner so you can be initiated in front of the school and other teachers." Dumbledore added. He saw their slightly nervous faces and chuckled once again. "Don't worry about it. It happens to everyone, so they know how it feels, it'll be over before you know it. And despite what rumours fly around here, you don't have to battle anything, and you won't get hurt in the process of 'proving yourself' to which house you're fit for."
The girls giggled as they got the joke more then Dumbledore knew, remembering what Ron's older brother's, the twins, had told Ron before he had been sorted.
"Percy!" Dumbledore suddenly called.
A slight noise was heard from behind the door. Percy, who had unknowingly crept back up the stairs, and had been eavesdropping, slowly opened the door, blushing as red as his hair.
"Would you kindly show these girls around the school grounds until it is time for everyone to assemble for dinner?" Dumbledore asked, a smile on his face as he watched Percy gather himself together again.
"Certainly, Professor." Percy replied, his freckles appearing redder because of the blush on his face. He gave a dignified sniff, turned on his heel and the four of them left Dumbledore alone in his office once more.
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So what so you think? Review/Flame away!