Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stunned as he did.
"How do you know about You-Know-Who?" Ron whispered.
"That is not important," she whispered urgently, "What is important, is that you promise me that you will never tell anyone what we've talked about here. Also, you must help me keep safe, or I may not even have a chance to help your world."
She stared at them with round eyes, pleading with their minds to understand. Harry had been in some odd situations since he started attending Hogwarts, but this had to be the strangest. He looked straight in to her eyes, something inside of him trusted her. He nodded slowly, and watched as Ron did the same.
She rose from her chair. "Then it's agreed," she said simply, "You will never speak of this conversation again. If you'll excuse me, I have to go finish my History of Magic essay."
And with that, she left.
Jessica entered her room, and shut the door. She was still unsure if she should have told them, but she decided it was probably the right thing to do. She had just opened her book, when there was a sharp knock on the door. Sighing, she went to answer it. However, upon reaching it, the door was flung open. Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, her lips the thinnest of lines. She fixed her beady eyes on Jessica and said, "I need you to come with me, right now."
Jessica backed up slowly. Something was wrong. Professor McGonagall had been kind to her since the first day she had arrived. And Jessica had done nothing wrong lately, so this couldn't be right.
Professor McGonagall advanced on her. "I said, come with me," she hissed. Jessica watched as an odd red gleam appeared in her eye.
Suddenly Jessica felt as though her scar was on fire. She screamed and clutched her neck. Harry and Ron, who were up in the boy's dormitory, came running in. Upon entering, Harry's scar felt as though it were about to explode. He also began screaming. Professor McGonagall spun around, and lifted her wand. Ron was ready for her though. "Impedimenta!" he bellowed. The person who looked like Professor McGonagall, stopped moving and fell over backward. Ron looked pleased with himself for the use of his clever stunning spell, but his smile faded quickly as Jessica dissolved in to tears. She sat sobbing on her bed, Ron hurried over to her. Harry walked slowly, drenched in a cold sweat, and collapsed on the bed next to her.
The real Professor McGonagall entered the room. Apparently she had been nearby, and had heard the screams. "What on Earth…" she began, but stopped dead at the sight of them. She saw herself lying unconscious on the floor, Jessica sitting huddled up sobbing, Harry sprawled out clutching his forehead, and Ron hovering awkwardly between them, unsure of which one to comfort first. She snapped her fingers, and ropes sprang up to bind the fake Professor McGonagall. She approached the bed and said quietly, "All three of you need to come with me." Ron helped Harry up, and Professor McGonagall helped Jessica. Looking very odd, they made their way to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey was rather distressed.
"I can't believe this. There isn't nearly enough security in this castle, especially after all that's happened with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Yes, these children may be in here for quite some time. Do you know what it was that attacked them?" she asked.
"Not yet, Poppy. But when we do determine it, we will let you know. I suspect that it was a Death Eater using a Polyjuice Potion, but I can't be sure until I've done a few tests," Professor McGonagall answered.
"Really, Minerva," Madame Pomfrey said in a undertone, "Why do you think they would attack this girl? I mean, everyone knows why they want Potter here, but from the way it seems, that thing was trying to get at Jessica, and Potter and Weasley came to the rescue."
Professor McGonagall shook her head and shrugged. The she turned to Ron. "That reminds me," she said simply, "You have shown a great amount of bravery. I award you twenty points for Gryffindor House." Turning back to Madame Pomfrey, she said, "If you'll excuse me. I must take the prisoner up to Dumbledore's office. I expect he'll want to have a look at it."
Jessica was watching them from her bed. She had been put in the bed farthest away from the door. When she leaned forward, she could just catch a glimpse of Harry's untidy hair. He was in the bed next to hers, but there was a curtain pulled out halfway between them. Jessica wished it hadn't been there, then she could have seen their faces while they were talking. Harry was awake, and at one point, he leaned back and put his finger to his lips to silence her.
They watched in silence as Professor McGonagall left, and when Madame Pomfrey turned to walk toward them, they quickly pretended to be ill. She broke up a huge chunk of chocolate and forced them to eat it. Jessica sat there, barely even nibbling her chocolate, and trying to think of a good reason why she would have been brought here. There must have been a reason, she thought.
After Madame Pomfrey had force fed them large amounts of chocolate and left two goblets of sleeping potion on the stand between their beds, she bustled off in to her office, muttering about not enough security. Jessica spit a piece of chocolate in her hand. She felt like exploding, and the only reason she had taken the chocolate was because Madame Pomfrey refused to leave, and Jessica wanted a word with Harry.
She looked over at his bed, and he sat up, pulling back the curtain.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" he asked quietly.
Jessica nodded. "Yes, I did," she answered in a whisper, "I could tell from the minute that thing entered the room, that it wasn't Professor McGonagall."
"You know, that was a good question," Harry said thoughtfully, "I mean, I know why they would want me dead, but why would they want you, Jessica? Do you think maybe they know something about what you told me and Ron?"
Jessica looked down at her hands. She had no idea why they would have wanted her. But somehow, she didn't want to admit this. "I don't know," she said softly, "but the more I think about it, the more confusing it becomes." She reached up and touched her neck. Suddenly, she looked very angry with herself and she dropped her hand quickly, looking away. "I should have listened to you," she said bitterly.
Harry wondered what she was talking about for a minute, and then it dawned on him what she was talking about. He realized that she had probably had the same dream.
"But what did that dream mean?" he asked.
She continued to stare off in to space, not wanting to face him yet. Finally she said quietly, "Think of it this way, Harry. You have a dream, or rather, a nightmare. And somehow, I am included in it. It involves strong feelings of dark evil, am I correct?" she turned to look, and watched as he nodded. Turning back to the wall, she continued, "Now, somehow or another I got this scar during that dream. I suppose you must have seen what was happening better than I. I'm guessing that the man standing in the shadows tried to kill me just before I woke up. Do you know why he didn't succeed?" she asked. Harry continued to stare at her, he hadn't the faintest idea why she had survived. "It's because," she continued, "I was between world's at the moment. After you pushed me, I stumbled backward and fell. The exact moment that the curse was fired, my head had already entered the conscious world. The curse hit me at an angle. It did not do what it was intended. Instead, I think it gave me some kind of…power. I know it sounds ridiculous," she said quickly looking at Harry, "but I think that because the curse didn't work, I was given a sensor of evil, just like you." A long pause followed this speech. Harry was trying to process this theory. It was absurd, and yet, it made sense.
Just then, Madame Pomfrey came back in to the room. She yelled at them for moving the curtain, and insisted that they drink their sleeping potion immediately. Jessica plugged her nose and drained the goblet. An impenetrable swell of drowsiness overcame her, and soon she felt herself drift off in to a deep dreamless sleep.
"How do you know about You-Know-Who?" Ron whispered.
"That is not important," she whispered urgently, "What is important, is that you promise me that you will never tell anyone what we've talked about here. Also, you must help me keep safe, or I may not even have a chance to help your world."
She stared at them with round eyes, pleading with their minds to understand. Harry had been in some odd situations since he started attending Hogwarts, but this had to be the strangest. He looked straight in to her eyes, something inside of him trusted her. He nodded slowly, and watched as Ron did the same.
She rose from her chair. "Then it's agreed," she said simply, "You will never speak of this conversation again. If you'll excuse me, I have to go finish my History of Magic essay."
And with that, she left.
Jessica entered her room, and shut the door. She was still unsure if she should have told them, but she decided it was probably the right thing to do. She had just opened her book, when there was a sharp knock on the door. Sighing, she went to answer it. However, upon reaching it, the door was flung open. Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway, her lips the thinnest of lines. She fixed her beady eyes on Jessica and said, "I need you to come with me, right now."
Jessica backed up slowly. Something was wrong. Professor McGonagall had been kind to her since the first day she had arrived. And Jessica had done nothing wrong lately, so this couldn't be right.
Professor McGonagall advanced on her. "I said, come with me," she hissed. Jessica watched as an odd red gleam appeared in her eye.
Suddenly Jessica felt as though her scar was on fire. She screamed and clutched her neck. Harry and Ron, who were up in the boy's dormitory, came running in. Upon entering, Harry's scar felt as though it were about to explode. He also began screaming. Professor McGonagall spun around, and lifted her wand. Ron was ready for her though. "Impedimenta!" he bellowed. The person who looked like Professor McGonagall, stopped moving and fell over backward. Ron looked pleased with himself for the use of his clever stunning spell, but his smile faded quickly as Jessica dissolved in to tears. She sat sobbing on her bed, Ron hurried over to her. Harry walked slowly, drenched in a cold sweat, and collapsed on the bed next to her.
The real Professor McGonagall entered the room. Apparently she had been nearby, and had heard the screams. "What on Earth…" she began, but stopped dead at the sight of them. She saw herself lying unconscious on the floor, Jessica sitting huddled up sobbing, Harry sprawled out clutching his forehead, and Ron hovering awkwardly between them, unsure of which one to comfort first. She snapped her fingers, and ropes sprang up to bind the fake Professor McGonagall. She approached the bed and said quietly, "All three of you need to come with me." Ron helped Harry up, and Professor McGonagall helped Jessica. Looking very odd, they made their way to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey was rather distressed.
"I can't believe this. There isn't nearly enough security in this castle, especially after all that's happened with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Yes, these children may be in here for quite some time. Do you know what it was that attacked them?" she asked.
"Not yet, Poppy. But when we do determine it, we will let you know. I suspect that it was a Death Eater using a Polyjuice Potion, but I can't be sure until I've done a few tests," Professor McGonagall answered.
"Really, Minerva," Madame Pomfrey said in a undertone, "Why do you think they would attack this girl? I mean, everyone knows why they want Potter here, but from the way it seems, that thing was trying to get at Jessica, and Potter and Weasley came to the rescue."
Professor McGonagall shook her head and shrugged. The she turned to Ron. "That reminds me," she said simply, "You have shown a great amount of bravery. I award you twenty points for Gryffindor House." Turning back to Madame Pomfrey, she said, "If you'll excuse me. I must take the prisoner up to Dumbledore's office. I expect he'll want to have a look at it."
Jessica was watching them from her bed. She had been put in the bed farthest away from the door. When she leaned forward, she could just catch a glimpse of Harry's untidy hair. He was in the bed next to hers, but there was a curtain pulled out halfway between them. Jessica wished it hadn't been there, then she could have seen their faces while they were talking. Harry was awake, and at one point, he leaned back and put his finger to his lips to silence her.
They watched in silence as Professor McGonagall left, and when Madame Pomfrey turned to walk toward them, they quickly pretended to be ill. She broke up a huge chunk of chocolate and forced them to eat it. Jessica sat there, barely even nibbling her chocolate, and trying to think of a good reason why she would have been brought here. There must have been a reason, she thought.
After Madame Pomfrey had force fed them large amounts of chocolate and left two goblets of sleeping potion on the stand between their beds, she bustled off in to her office, muttering about not enough security. Jessica spit a piece of chocolate in her hand. She felt like exploding, and the only reason she had taken the chocolate was because Madame Pomfrey refused to leave, and Jessica wanted a word with Harry.
She looked over at his bed, and he sat up, pulling back the curtain.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" he asked quietly.
Jessica nodded. "Yes, I did," she answered in a whisper, "I could tell from the minute that thing entered the room, that it wasn't Professor McGonagall."
"You know, that was a good question," Harry said thoughtfully, "I mean, I know why they would want me dead, but why would they want you, Jessica? Do you think maybe they know something about what you told me and Ron?"
Jessica looked down at her hands. She had no idea why they would have wanted her. But somehow, she didn't want to admit this. "I don't know," she said softly, "but the more I think about it, the more confusing it becomes." She reached up and touched her neck. Suddenly, she looked very angry with herself and she dropped her hand quickly, looking away. "I should have listened to you," she said bitterly.
Harry wondered what she was talking about for a minute, and then it dawned on him what she was talking about. He realized that she had probably had the same dream.
"But what did that dream mean?" he asked.
She continued to stare off in to space, not wanting to face him yet. Finally she said quietly, "Think of it this way, Harry. You have a dream, or rather, a nightmare. And somehow, I am included in it. It involves strong feelings of dark evil, am I correct?" she turned to look, and watched as he nodded. Turning back to the wall, she continued, "Now, somehow or another I got this scar during that dream. I suppose you must have seen what was happening better than I. I'm guessing that the man standing in the shadows tried to kill me just before I woke up. Do you know why he didn't succeed?" she asked. Harry continued to stare at her, he hadn't the faintest idea why she had survived. "It's because," she continued, "I was between world's at the moment. After you pushed me, I stumbled backward and fell. The exact moment that the curse was fired, my head had already entered the conscious world. The curse hit me at an angle. It did not do what it was intended. Instead, I think it gave me some kind of…power. I know it sounds ridiculous," she said quickly looking at Harry, "but I think that because the curse didn't work, I was given a sensor of evil, just like you." A long pause followed this speech. Harry was trying to process this theory. It was absurd, and yet, it made sense.
Just then, Madame Pomfrey came back in to the room. She yelled at them for moving the curtain, and insisted that they drink their sleeping potion immediately. Jessica plugged her nose and drained the goblet. An impenetrable swell of drowsiness overcame her, and soon she felt herself drift off in to a deep dreamless sleep.