Okay, this is my first fanfic, so I hope everybody likes it! (Please review!) And I really don't know what year it takes place in so guess.

Disclaimer: I own diddly!!!! End of story.

Chapter 1

Harry raced down the hallway. He was late for Transfiguration. McGonagall would be furious, and he would have to listen to Hermione lecture about the importance of education all through lunch. He grimaced and ran faster; it was all he could do.

And a few moments later he stopped short so he wouldn't run into a small man standing in front of him. He hadn't noticed the man, hadn't seen him at all, and if he had kept running any longer he would ran into him. The man smiled up at him. He wore grimy robes and they were becoming threadbare, showing the sparse frame underneath. Harry stared at him in surprise. "Uh, excuse me," he said. "Were you looking for Professor Dumbledore's office? It's in that direction, on the.on the.." Harry trailed off for the man was still looking up at him.

There were a few moments silence. "No, actually," said the man in a dialect Harry couldn't place. "I came to see you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Your name. I need to know your name."

"What? Why, do you-"

"I must find out your name, young master. My.employer inquires."

"But everyone knows my name. What do you-?"

"Your name. TELL ME!" The tiny man took a menacing step forward, reaching into his robes.

"Harry!" Harry shouted. "My name is Harry Potter," he said.

"Ah." The man drew in a long breath. There was a look of something like relief on his face. "Thank you, Harry Potter. I'm grateful that I did not have to do something.drastic." He smiled and Harry thought it looked like the smile of a wolf.

"What is it you-" Harry began, but a loud yowl interrupted from his feet. He looked and found Mrs. Norris' red eyes glaring up at him. She let out another loud mew.

Harry looked up and got another shock. The man had disappeared without Harry even hearing him go. He stood staring for another second, then remembered the cat beside him and ran flat out down the corridor.

He made it to the Transfiguration room in record time, but he could see from the clock that he was seven minutes late. "I'm sorry Professor. I met someone in the corridor who...who was trying to find Dumbledore's office," he explained.

Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows, but said only, "Five points from Gryffindor. Take your seat please, Potter."

Harry sat down beside Ron who also looked at him with raised eyebrows. Later, mouthed Harry. He turned to face to the lesson.

***

The three of them sat down on the benches of the Great Hall. Lunch, delicious, welcome lunch appeared on their plates, and the trio ate quickly and hungrily. "So," said Ron through a mouthful of food, "what made you so late for Transfiguration? Who wanted to see Dumbledore?"

"No one," said Harry quietly. When the other two looked at him he described his odd experience.

"Disappeared?" said Ron, food forgotten.

"Disappeared?" Hermione echoed. "But that's-"

"Impossible. You can't apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds. I know. I have no idea where he went. I should have seen him in the corridor even if he left quickly. And I didn't want to hang around looking with Filch coming after me."

"Why'd he want to know your name, I wonder?" said Ron. "Maybe he's some shady dark wizard working for You-Know-Who. Cursed you when you weren't looking. Maybe that's why he wanted to know your name. Make sure he was cursing you and not some other student."

"I suppose so," said Harry doubtfully.

"Oh, really," said Hermione sarcastically. "He managed to curse Harry in about two seconds without Harry even noticing? Besides we'd be able to tell if Harry was cursed. If it didn't kill him straight off or make him ill, he'd at least be acting strangely."

"I dunno," said Ron gnawing at his food. "My dad's come across some pretty unusual curses at the Ministry. Like this one old lady who cursed her husband in September and he died in June. Just because he gave her a rose on their anniversary in September, and she hated them."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, somehow I don't think that's what happened to Harry. But I do think he might have been some sort of dark wizard."

"So what do we do?" asked Harry.

"Wait and see what happens I guess."

***** A/N: Um, I know that was kind of a stupid ending, but, um.I'll fix it in the next chapter okay? :)