Chapter 4- Discoveries (part 2)
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school into the Great Hall took their seats at the Gryffindor table. They sat chatting with the other Gryffindors for a few minutes before Professor McGonagall walked in carrying an old three legged stool, and a dilapidated looking wizard hat. She was followed by the scared and timid first years. As the line of first dwindled down Harry realized that Dumbledore still wasn't at seat. The sorting finished and the feast began and still there was no Dumbledore. Dumbledore arrived just as the plates were being cleared.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore began. "I should like to state the few start of term notices. Remember that the forbidden forest is forbidden to ALL students."
At this Dumbledore gave Harry, Fred, and George a look of teasing but Harry noticed that Dumbledore looked somehow older and tired.
"We have yet another new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year and she is Professor Fireroza. Also we have an exchange student from America joining us this year and I expect you all to show her much respect. She will be joining us tomorrow evening."
Dumbledore paused here with a look of concentration coming across his ancient face
"Oh yes…the prefects. Some of you may have noticed by now that there are no prefects only the head boy and girl, which are Mr. Andy Magillian of Ravenclaw and Ms. Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor."
There was another pause as the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables erupted in cheers for their fellow house members.
"The reason for no prefects is because I felt the need to up the number of prefects for each house to three. First up Gryffindor, the prefects are Hermione Grange, Harry Potter, and Ronald Weasley."
Dumbledore went on to announce the other house prefects but Harry didn't hear who they were between the cheering at Gryffindor table and the shock of being made a prefect. When the announcement of the prefects was over Dumbledore applauded them and sent them off to bed. Harry and Hermione noticed that once he was done speaking to the school Dumbledore disappeared from the hall again.
"That's weird." Hermione thought aloud.
"What that both you and I are prefects?" Ron sarcastically joked
"No…Dumbledore. He arrived just in time to give the announcements and leaves as soon as they are over." Hermione observed.
"Well remember he had to talk to Olivia…" Ron began.
"But for that long?"
"Maybe he's working on a new mission or something. I mean he did look a little more tired than he normally dose." Harry offered changing the subject from Olivia for he got the feeling that Hermione didn't like Olivia that much.
"Yea… maybe." Hermione replied dejectedly.
* * *
Lee followed Professor Mcgonagall solemnly. Her time was up before it had even had a chance to start. She knew she would eventually be found out but she didn't think it would be this soon. Lee broke away from her thoughts just in time to stop herself from running into Professor Mcgonagall. They were standing in front of the stone gargoyle that was the entrance to the steps to Dumbledore's office.
"Fawks"
Lee heard professor Mcgonagall mutter as quietly as possible before turning to Lee.
"Dumbledore will see you now Ms. Stanton, just go up the steps and knock before entering."
With that Professor Mcgonagall left heading back to the great hall. Lee sadly climbed the stairs dreading what was coming. She was slightly surprised to see that Professor Dumbledore was standing at the door waiting for her but she guessed that he didn't want her running around the school.
"Ms. Stanton I believe we have a lot to talk about." Dumbledore announced as he showed Lee into his office. "Have a seat and lets get this started."
"Professor before we begin I must tell you about my real identity…" Lee began.
"Ms. Stanton it has already come to my attention that you are a muggle…"
"No professor I mean my name. My real name is Lee Mulberry. I made up the name Olivia Stanton when Harry asked for my name."
"Why did you do so?"
"I felt that I needed to protect myself and my family and I felt that I could not do that when I kept my muggle name."
"Why did you feel you had to change it? What makes you think you have to protect yourself and your family?" Dumbledore asked with great interest.
"That information will come in due time professor but first I think it's important for you to know just how I came to be in your office. I must beg you though not to give away my true identity to anyone not even the other teachers for everyone's safety. I already know that Mcgonagall knows I'm a muggle but the others mustn't know."
Dumbledore was a little taken aback with the girl's authority in her voice but he did not say anything. Something about this girl struck him as powerful, and familiar all at once but he did not know what.
"I assure you I will not tell the others, and yes I would like to know how did you come to us?" Dumbledore responded after his thoughtful hesitation.
"It's all by chance actually that I found it at all I mean I was basing my search on the assumption that what the books said was reality, not something most people would do. Now it really began to get to me when I had read the books for the sixth time right before leaving for London. I began to question everything about the books and the chance of them being true. I was still a little doubtful until I found out that I was staying with the Dursley's…"
"Wait…How do you know about the Dursley's?"
"The books of course they cover a little bit of Harry's stay with them along with his school year here at Hogwarts." Lee explained nonchalantly.
"What books are you referring to?…You are American are you not?"
"Yes I'm American I come from Pennsylvania and the books I'm referring to are the Harry Potter series there are currently only four because the fifth is being finished I believe."
"May I see one of these books?" Dumbledore asked a little shocked at this discovery.
"Sure." Lee held up her hand and muttered 'Accio books' and a few seconds later Dumbledore's office door opened to allow the summoned books entrance to the room. Dumbledore looked up at the sound of the door opening and was even more shocked to see that Lee had not only summoned the books to her like an experienced witch but that she did it without a wand! "Here you go Professor." Lee stated as she handed Dumbledore her four very used Harry Potter books.
"Did you just summon these books without a wand?" Dumbledore asked baffled by both the concept and sight of her doing it and at the books he now held in his hands.
"Yes I did…shall I continue with my explanation of how I got here?" Lee inquired.
"Yes…go ahead."
Lee continued to tell Dumbledore everything she had told Harry, Hermione, and Ron earlier on in the train compartment. Dumbledore had many questions for Lee but kept quite while she told her whole story from beginning to end.
"…And that's when Professor McGonagall came and whisked me away to your office." Lee finished.
"So you got into Diagon alley without a wand?" Dumbledore asked just to be sure that he had heard right.
"Yes I just tapped each of the bricks with my right pointer finger."
"Is your right hand also your wand hand?"
"Um…yea it is. Why?"
"Just a thought. So you're a muggle who can get into Diagon alley without a wand, summoned four books from the loading dock without a wand is there anything else you can do?"
"well…there is this one thing…but…"
"I will not think anything different of you Ms. Mulberry because of whatever it is that you can do." Dumbledore assured.
"Right" Lee thought as she studied Dumbledore's aging face.
"I…I can sometimes read minds."
"And when did you discover this little talent?"
"Four years ago."
"What happened four years ago?"
"I meet my best friend…We call ourselves twins because we have so much in common, not looks wise but personality wise."
"Ah…I see." Dumbledore sat in deep thought until he looked at the clock and realized that he needed to make announcements at the feast. "If you'll excuse me for a few minutes Ms. Mulberry I need to go to the great hall and make my announcements. I'll leave you to your thoughts and some food and will be back soon. Please stay here and do not touch anything."
With that Dumbledore left the room and a table filled with food appeared in front of Lee who had just realized that she was starving.
* * *
As Lee was finishing her chocolate cake Dumbledore entered the room somehow looking more tired then before.
"Ah I see you are done well shall we continue with our little meeting."
Dumbledore gave a swish of his wand and the table and the rest of the food disappeared from sight. Dumbledore then conjured himself a chair that sat across from Lee's.
"Ms. Mulberry after listening to your story and hearing of all that you can do for a muggle I've decided to let you stay and join the fifth year class under the disguise of a transfer student. From here on out you will be referred to as Ms. Olivia Stanton, and to make up for you lack of certain knowledge it will be explained that your previous school concentrated mostly upon muggle studies."
Lee just sat there stunned she was sure that Dumbledore would erase her memory and send her back home in a flash. She just sat there wanting to scream with joy but she found that she suddenly had no voice. Dumbledore just smiled at her and she could see the familiar, friendly twinkle in his eyes that she had read about.
"Th…thank you sooooo much…you don't know how much this means to me!" Lee finally exclaimed. But suddenly Lee's expression changed as she remembered that she had no books and belonged to no house. "Professor I don't have any books and I missed the sorting…"
"Tomorrow you will not attend classes and your books are already ordered. You will be sorted tomorrow night at the feast, for tonight you will be in one of the unused perfect rooms. Now if you'll follow me I'll lead you down to the bottom of the stairs where Professor McGonagall will lead you to your room, for I have business to attend to."
Lee followed Dumbledore down and out of the passage to his office where McGonagall stood waiting.
"Good night Ms. Stanton sleep well and I will see you tomorrow."
Dumbledore waited until McGonagall and Olivia were out of sight before heading back into his office. He immediately threw some powder into the fire and yelled 'Fudge'. The flames roared a brilliant green and seconds later Cornelius Fudge's face was in his fire.
"You rang Albus."
"Fudge we need to do some global mind remodification and soon."
Fudge stared at Albus for a few seconds before responding. "What for Albus?"
"There has been someone writing about Harry and Hogwarts and everything that has happened the past four years. I have copies of the books loaned to me by a new transfer student that found her way her because of them. The muggles have access to these books Cornelius and if any of them try anything they could upset our whole balance."
"Can you send me the books and I'll get right on it."
"Sure."
Dumbledore copied the books and sent them through the floo network to Fudge. He only hoped that Fudge would do something before it was to late.