A/N: Sorry bout the long wait for this chapter, not like it matters, being as no one reviews anyways ::sniff::
Apparently, even a silencing charm was not enough to keep Ginny from babbling animatedly. Nikki figured that she assumed both she and Snape could read lips, because she was still moving them, just nothing was coming out. And of course this means that Snape had to take it all out on Nikki.
"Is your… peculiar friend always like this?"
Nikki wanted very much to retort but thought better of it, seeing as Snape's eyes held little blue flames in them. She settled for staring at the ground, watching her feet.
"Fizzing Whizbee," Snape said suddenly.
"Wha-" Nikki started but stopped when she saw a stone gargoyle suddenly become alive and leap to the side, revealing a stone staircase.
"Follow me," Snape snapped.
When they reached the top, Snape knocked on the door and it opened with a creak. As she stepped inside, Nikki saw that the room was filled with pictures of people, and the pictures were moving! This must be Dumbledore's office.
"Welcome Severus," said an elderly man with a long flowing beard who could only be Dumbledore. "And who are these two young ladies?"
"I'm Nikki Black sir."
Ginny moved her lips, but nothing came out.
"Oh, excuse me one moment professor," Snape said, leading Ginny out into the hallway. They returned a few moments later, Ginny smiling like she always did.
"I'm Ginny Jones, Professor."
"Well, perhaps one of you can tell me why you are here?" he said calmly.
"I can sir," Nikki said quickly, making sure Ginny didn't start blabbering. "You see, um, how can I explain this? I don't think we are from here. You see, I was at home when I saw the ground swirling, I mean, gosh this is hard to explain."
"Swirling ground, I understand, go on Ms. Black," Dumbledore said kindly.
So Nikki explained to the two wizards all about the storm and how she had fallen out her window into the ground.
"And, well next thing I knew I ended up here."
"Yeah! That was the same for me except I fell out the window cause I was dancing and I tripped on a t-shirt," Ginny piped in.
"And I'm not really sure why we're here and all," Nikki said quickly. "I mean, I don't think we're supposed to be here it's just…"
"Very well," Dumbledore said, standing up, "Now, what to do next."
"Professor, you can't actually believe this!" Snape snapped.
"Severus, we have no reason to believe that either of these girls are making their stories up. Surely you know that there is magic that is beyond our control. Perhaps these girls were caught up in it."
Snape looked as if he found it perfectly logical that their stories were made up, but didn't speak his mind.
"Now then, Ms. Black, Ms. Jones, where exactly do you live so that we can send you home?"
"Go home?" Ginny asked, "But I don't wanna go home!"
"Be quiet!" Snape said quickly.
Ginny's fear of being silenced again was enough to keep her quiet, so she resigned herself to glaring angrily at the vase of flowers on the table.
"Sir, I don't know if we can, I mean, I don't think it's all that simple," Nikki said hesitantly.
"Oh of course it's not. But I'm sure it's possible, why-" Dumbledore's words were cut short by a loud smashing sound. The vase that Ginny had been unleashing her wrath upon had shattered. She jerked her head up and tried to look innocent.
"What happened?" asked Snape.
"I-I-I-I-I-I" For once, Ginny was too shocked to speak.
"Ginny!" Nikki hissed, staring at her. While all three seemed very surprised, Dumbledore appeared quite calm.
"Well, you're witches then," he declared happily, picking up a dish of yellow candies and offering them to the girls. "Sherbet lemon?" Nikki shook her head politely but Ginny eagerly grabbed up one of the candies and stuffed it into her mouth. "Right, so back to the question at hand. Where are you from?" Dumbledore asked again, his eyes twinkling excitedly.
"Florida and California, sir," Nikki replied, ignoring an exclamation from Ginny ("These lemon drops have sherbet in the middle!").
"And when exactly did you leave your homes? We'll need to inform your parents that you are all right."
Nikki thought for a moment. "Probably about three in the morning on January 17th, sir."
Ginny nodded. "Yeah, 'cept it was five in the evening at my house." She grinned and whispered knowingly, "Time difference."
Dumbledore chuckled, but his voice was grave. "I'm afraid it appears as if you've done some time traveling, for it is the end of September here."
Nikki felt like her eyes were going to fall out, they were so wide. "Well then did we go forward or back?" she asked.
"Back," Ginny said seriously.
"How do you know?" Nikki questioned disbelievingly.
Ginny gave her an it's-so-obvious-why-don't-you-know look. "Because the other Ginny's still in school, 'member? And so are Ron and Hermione, apparently."
"And Harry."
"Harry who?"
Nikki rolled her eyes. "This may take a while."
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