Chapter 3 Title: The Introduction

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, anyone who knows me and has read the 5th book knows I would never write anything like that.

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Harry woke up the next morning and for a split-second found himself surprised to be at Hogwarts. Slowly he dressed in his robes and went down to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione was already awake. She was sitting in a chair reading a giant leather bound book.

"Good morning." Harry said causing her to jump.

"Oh hello Harry, I was going to come and wake you in a bit-Why are you wearing your robes?" she asked turning around. She was dressed in baggy jeans and a t-shirt.

"Aren't we supposed to?" he replied goggling at her. He had never seen her in muggle clothing before.

"Now really Harry, term hasn't started yet, there is no need that I see." she told him shutting her book.

Harry walked back up to his trunk and pulled on some clothes he had gotten from a neighbor of the Dursley's who happened to be a Squibb. He came back down, and he and Hermione walked to the Great Hall for breakfast. When they got there, Lupin and Tonks were already seated. Lupin was as always in his robes, as was Tonks, however she had changed her hair to a spiky style and it was bright blue.

"Good morning Tonks, Professor Lupin." Harry and Hermione said together.

"Good morning." replied Lupin.

"Have some breakfast." Tonks insisted pushing a plate full of sausages, toasts, and eggs over to them.

They ate in silence, except for the giggles from Tonks and Hermione. Tonks had been changing her hair to different lengths, styles, and colors all throughout their meal. Lupin however, was casting glances at Harry as though wishing to tell him something. Harry pretended not to notice and was quite relieved when Hermione finally got up.

"Harry shall we go for a walk on the grounds then?" she suggested.

"Sure." said Harry getting up to join her.

"Have fun." Tonks told them and cast a look over to Lupin.

"O-oh yes we'll see you later I'm sure." he said.

Once Harry and Hermione had said their good byes they took off to the courtyard and sat for a bit talking about Ron and wondering how Fred and George were doing with their new joke shop. Next they went to the Quidditch field, and Harry explained some of the plays that Wood had come up with before he left. After they had covered most of the estate, they were at a loss of what to do.

"Do you want to go see Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"If you think he's home." replied Harry.

So the two set off in silence towards Hagrid's. It was on the other side of the grounds so once they got there, both were very out of breath. Harry and Hermione sat down on his front steps to catch their breath before getting up and knocking. Fang began barking viciously from the inside. They could hear heavy footsteps coming towards the door. Hagrid opened the door and at first only saw Hermione.

"Oh hello Hermione. I thought you went to get Harry." he said ushering her inside.

"She did, Hagrid." said Harry coming inside from behind Hermione. Hagrid pulled him into a rib-crushing, one-armed hug.

"It's good ter' see you Harry! Did you just get in this morning'?"

"Last night, and it's good to see you too Hagrid." Harry replied.

Hermione had already put on some tea and the three were enjoying catching up, when an owl came in through the window carrying a letter.

"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed.

Hagrid took the letter from her and read it. Harry and Hermione looked at him curiously.

"Well we'll have to say good bye for tonight there Harry. Dumbledore is wantin' to see you in his office."

"I had forgotten he wanted to meet me. Sorry. Good night Hagrid." said Harry.

Harry and Hermione began their walk up to the castle. Hermione who was always a little nervous about walking past the Forbidden Forest, kept shooting glances into the trees when suddenly, she stopped and grabbed Harry's arm.

"Harry did you see that?"

"See what?" he asked her peering into the forest.

"It was some sort of animal. Black, and it had gleaming eyes. Almost like a cat." she added the cat part quickly as she knew otherwise she would be describing the great dog that Sirius was able to transform to.

"I don't see any-" Harry stopped abruptly…he had seen it, "Run."

The two of them ran off toward the school. When they finally got to the doors, and inside the Great Hall they sat down.

"What was that?" asked Harry.

"I don't know! It kind of looked like a panther or a jaguar though didn't it?" Hermione replied.

"What did?"

Harry wheeled around, Lupin was standing right behind them.

"What happened to you two?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing." Harry insisted.

"Well Harry, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you." said Lupin guiding Harry towards the headmaster's office.

"Is Tonks around?" Hermione asked.

"In the Ravenclaw dormitories, you don't need a password." said Lupin smiling as Hermione set off.

Lupin left Harry standing just inside Dumbledore's office. Harry could tell that he was alone so he went over to Fawkes's perch and began stroking the Phoenix absent mindedly when Albus appeared.

"Fawkes has taken quite a liking to you, Harry." said Dumbledore, causing a startled Harry to spin around, "Do sit down, won't you?"

"Err-What did you want to see me for Professor?" Harry questioned sitting across from Dumbledore.

"Harry, I would like you to know that we have a new student at Hogwarts this year. Not a first year, but a sixth year like yourself." he began quietly.

"Where did they go to school before coming here?" Harry asked.

"Hogwarts." Dumbledore replied as though it were the most obvious thing.

"But-"

"You see Harry, like yourself, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley I have a somewhat different bond with her, than I have the rest of the students. She lives in the castle, year round. And has private lessons in all of her classes. You see, her parents as well as the rest of her family were killed, like yours, during the reign of Voldermort and by him. She was left in the care of a family friend, her Godfather, for about a year until certain circumstances put her in a home that was far to dangerous for an infant, or for anyone, so at last she was brought to me."

"But where does she live, if not in any of the dormitories? And why did you bring me to meet her?" Harry pressed, very confused.

Dumbledore continued,

"Harry, I will undoubtedly show you where she lives, or lived I should say now. Do to recent events she has chosen to be sorted into a house, and continue her classes with everyone else in her year. As for why you need to meet her, I cannot explain that at this time. Either she or I will explain it in the future, just not now. Tell me Harry, have you ever noticed, though my office seems to be the closest it can be to outside, there are no windows on that side by the bookcase?"

Harry looked around very confused. Dumbledore went over to the bookcase, took out his wand, muttered a spell and to Harry's great surprise the bookshelf leapt aside revealing a doorway. Dumbledore walked in and motioned for Harry to join him. Inside the tiny doorway was a statue…of a panther. As Dumbledore touched it with his wand and muttered the same spell it to moved aside and Albus opened the door behind it. He walked through and Harry followed him. He gasped as he realized that they had walked into what seemed like a mansion. Harry, trying to calculate the size came to the realization that you could've parked the Dursley's entire house just in the front room. The floors were a diamond pattern of alternating silver and royal blue. Everything seemed trimmed with silver, the furniture, the rug underneath a sliver trimmed marble table, even the handrail of the great spiral staircase he saw before him was silver.

"Wait here, please." said Dumbledore as he began to climb the staircase.

Harry noticed that before he went upstairs he had taken a picture that was sitting on the marble table with him. He didn't get a clear view of who the picture was but kept an eye on Dumbledore as he turned to a hallway just at the top of the stairs that had two doors, one at either end. One seemed to be perhaps a linen closet as is was very small and unfinished, but the other, the one Dumbledore had turned to was a great white door that like everything else had a silver frame and a silver door handle. Harry watched as he saw Dumbledore knock on the door, as it opened he couldn't see the other person. Dumbledore handed whoever it was the picture, and heard him say to them what sounded like 'he's here'. Albus came back down the stairs and stood with Harry.

"Are you coming?" Dumbledore asked kindly laughing to the door he had just come out of.

Another person came out of the room. She jolted when she saw Harry and questioningly whispered something that sounded to Harry like 'James'. She was obviously Harry's age, wearing jeans, a black sleeveless shirt, and white sandals. Harry noticed straight away that she was very beautiful. She had hair that fell just past her shoulders, and in different lighting teased you to guess whether it was auburn, red, or golden blonde, her eyes were just as blue as Harry's were green, and Harry noticed that her nails were done up just the way the rich girls at Dudley's old school had, white tips and the rest was natural, though a polish over them to make them shine. There was something oddly familiar about her, whether it was her mannerism, just the way she carried herself, or her looks Harry couldn't decide. Dumbledore walked away from Harry as she reached the floor they were on and walked over to her.

"Harry, I would like you to meet, Abigail James."