Jessica was silent as she was ushered out of the magnificent Great
Hall, and in to a small meeting room located to the left of the High Table.
The room in to which she was lead had wood paneling along the walls. A
large fireplace stood at the far end, and it was currently empty. Portraits
of sleeping women and men were hanging on the walls. Behind her, the rest
of the staff filed in and Dumbledore went around behind them to shut the
door.
"There now. Everybody's in. Ah, yes…almost forgot," he said. He then waved his wand carelessly at the fireplace, and a roaring fire erupted. One of the sleeping women snored and rolled over to the other side of the frame. "All right," he continued, "You have just demonstrated a great amount of knowledge of our world, and I have no doubt that you know more. Now, the real question is, how do you know it? Perhaps in explaining this, you can include what you know of the night when you arrived here." He looked down on her and she threw a glance over her shoulder.
"May I tell you the story in front of the staff?" she asked.
"Please do," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling, "Whether you tell them now, or I tell them later makes no difference. So I was just hoping to cut down my work."
"Ok, I'll tell you," she said quietly, "First of all, how I know so much about the castle. Where I come from there is a certain book series. Seven in all. They are called the Harry Potter books, and in them, they tell every detail of Harry's life. From the time when his parents were killed, to the end of his seventh year," there was a very tense silence, and she paused to let this information sink in. Then, clearing her throat, she continued, "Which means that I know everything there is to know about Harry Potter. I know what he thinks, how he feels, his loves, his hates, and everything in between. Somehow, in this world, I do not think this information will help me much. Although, this does also mean that I know everything that has happened the last four years while he was at Hogwarts. I would tell you these events, but I do not know how it will affect your world. I do not even know what my very being here will do. It may destroy everything we've ever known. In both worlds. Those books are also the reason that I ended up here. I was reading the fourth one right before I crashed in the Forbidden Forest. When I touched the book cover, I felt this jerk somewhere behind my belly button, and next thing I knew…I was here."
"A Portkey," Dumbledore said quietly.
There was silence for a long time, and then finally, someone spoke.
"Of course, she is lying," Snape said in a low hiss, "There is no was that her world could have an entire book series about the magical world. People would notice. They'd start to wonder. The may even question the existence of witches and wizards."
"Somehow, I do not see it that way," Dumbledore said in a tone close to a whisper, "I do not think she is lying, and I do think she has read about our world. I perceive no Dark intentions around her, and I agree with her decision not to discuss the previous year's events with us."
"Dumbledore, it is beyond me how you can believe such an outrageous story, but surely you have to sense some kind of Dark Magic about her?" Madame Hooch said incredulously.
"As I said before," Dumbledore replied, "I do not."
Jessica was very aware of all the eyes that were now boring in to her.
"And now," Dumbledore said, "We must decide who's house she may stay with during her time here."
No one moved. Finally, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, and said, "She may stay with the Gryffindors. I will conjure her a small room off of the common room. I would put her in the girl's dormitory, but it is already full."
"Thank you very much, Minerva," Dumbledore said, smiling at her.
"I only hope you know what you are doing, Dumbledore," she said simply. Then she turned to Jessica, "Come on," she said, "I will show you where you are going to be staying."
Jessica walked numbly after her, and she heard the door snap shut as she left, leaving the teachers to their very confused thoughts.
"There now. Everybody's in. Ah, yes…almost forgot," he said. He then waved his wand carelessly at the fireplace, and a roaring fire erupted. One of the sleeping women snored and rolled over to the other side of the frame. "All right," he continued, "You have just demonstrated a great amount of knowledge of our world, and I have no doubt that you know more. Now, the real question is, how do you know it? Perhaps in explaining this, you can include what you know of the night when you arrived here." He looked down on her and she threw a glance over her shoulder.
"May I tell you the story in front of the staff?" she asked.
"Please do," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling, "Whether you tell them now, or I tell them later makes no difference. So I was just hoping to cut down my work."
"Ok, I'll tell you," she said quietly, "First of all, how I know so much about the castle. Where I come from there is a certain book series. Seven in all. They are called the Harry Potter books, and in them, they tell every detail of Harry's life. From the time when his parents were killed, to the end of his seventh year," there was a very tense silence, and she paused to let this information sink in. Then, clearing her throat, she continued, "Which means that I know everything there is to know about Harry Potter. I know what he thinks, how he feels, his loves, his hates, and everything in between. Somehow, in this world, I do not think this information will help me much. Although, this does also mean that I know everything that has happened the last four years while he was at Hogwarts. I would tell you these events, but I do not know how it will affect your world. I do not even know what my very being here will do. It may destroy everything we've ever known. In both worlds. Those books are also the reason that I ended up here. I was reading the fourth one right before I crashed in the Forbidden Forest. When I touched the book cover, I felt this jerk somewhere behind my belly button, and next thing I knew…I was here."
"A Portkey," Dumbledore said quietly.
There was silence for a long time, and then finally, someone spoke.
"Of course, she is lying," Snape said in a low hiss, "There is no was that her world could have an entire book series about the magical world. People would notice. They'd start to wonder. The may even question the existence of witches and wizards."
"Somehow, I do not see it that way," Dumbledore said in a tone close to a whisper, "I do not think she is lying, and I do think she has read about our world. I perceive no Dark intentions around her, and I agree with her decision not to discuss the previous year's events with us."
"Dumbledore, it is beyond me how you can believe such an outrageous story, but surely you have to sense some kind of Dark Magic about her?" Madame Hooch said incredulously.
"As I said before," Dumbledore replied, "I do not."
Jessica was very aware of all the eyes that were now boring in to her.
"And now," Dumbledore said, "We must decide who's house she may stay with during her time here."
No one moved. Finally, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, and said, "She may stay with the Gryffindors. I will conjure her a small room off of the common room. I would put her in the girl's dormitory, but it is already full."
"Thank you very much, Minerva," Dumbledore said, smiling at her.
"I only hope you know what you are doing, Dumbledore," she said simply. Then she turned to Jessica, "Come on," she said, "I will show you where you are going to be staying."
Jessica walked numbly after her, and she heard the door snap shut as she left, leaving the teachers to their very confused thoughts.