Disclaimer: I only own Liliana Grey and some of the plot. The rest belongs to J. K. Rowling. I am not making money off of this and have no intention of doing so. Just for fun. :-)

*Chapter Two *

"No, No, No... It's more or less a *hame hame*" said Hermione, trying her best to imitate their former teacher and headmistress, Professor Umbridge.

"No! I think it was like *a herm herm* right?" asked Harry, stifling a laugh.

"You're both wrong," said Ginny Weasley as she took a seat next to Harry, Hermione, and her older brother Ron. "If my memory serves me right, and I'm sure it does, it was... wait for it...*hem hem*" As Ginny spoke, Neville Longbottom who had been sitting nearby jumped. He looked around frantically but when Ginny waved at him he let out a feeble laugh.

"Er... Ron?" asked Ginny cautiously, turning her attention back to him. "What's the matter with you? The last time I did my Umbridge impression, you had pumpkin juice coming out of your nose!"

There was still no response.

"Ron? RON? Ronald Weasley!" screeched Ginny as Harry waved his hands in front of Ron's face.

"SHHHH..." whispered Ron swatting Harry's hands away.

"Don't you dare shush me," exclaimed Ginny indignantly as she put her hands on her hips in an imitation of her mother. She didn't get the response that she wanted however, because Ron had floated back to cloud nine. "Oh well. I've got go meet… some friends so we can... er... work on our Potions project," she said carefully. "I'll see you guys later..." and with that Ginny gathered her belongings and scampered off.

"See you," called Hermione to Ginny's retreating back.

"Yeah, see you Gin..." said Harry absentmindedly. He was busy trying to follow Ron's gaze across the Great Hall. Fortunately for he and Hermione, Ron began showing signs of life shortly after Ginny's departure.

"Isn't she gorgeous? She's got to be a veela," stated Ron dreamily.

"Ron... who are you talking about? And where is she sitting?" asked Hermione as though she was speaking to a five-year-old.

"Right in front of us... the one with the hair and the face and, and the hair..." he said slowly.

"Ron that's not very helpful… Care to be more specific?"

"Merlin, how can you two not see her? Ah! She's getting up now! I've never seen anyone pack her book bag quite like that before, it's so, so, so perfect!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Harry and Hermione in unison as they caught sight of the mystery girl.

She was sitting directly across from them at the Ravenclaw table next to Cho Chang. She seemed a plain Jane, nothing striking about her. Most noticeable though, were the dark circles under her eyes that were somewhat hidden by her long fringe. As they watched, she was muttering something to Cho and hastily shoving her books into her bag.

"Honestly Ron, what's so special about her?" demanded Hermione.

"Hermione's got a point... she's no Fleur..." added Harry.

"And Ron, she's definitely not a veela, her hair isn't even remotely blonde… and she's not pretty enough." Hermione grinned despite Ron's glare.

"Why haven't we seen her before?" he asked, coming back to Earth. "I would have noticed her…"

"I suppose," said Hermione shortly, "she's probably in Hufflepuff or something. No one ever really notices them."

By the time they had turned back to her, she had already managed her way to the place at the Gryffindor table where the trio sat. She cast a glance at Ron and he grinned. She looked to Harry and Hermione and stopped walking. She strode over to them and a weak smile graced her face.

"Ron is it?" she asked timidly.

"Yep. Ronald Weasley," he blushed. "But Ron is fine, how did you...?" she cut him off.

"Cho said that you might be able to help me... would you mind showing me where Dumbledore's office is?"

"Of course not..." he said, transfixed.

"Of course not meaning yes or no?" she asked, with a slight trace of concern in her voice.

"Who are you?" interjected Neville quietly. He had been sitting nearby and had apparently just taken notice of the girl's presence. Both Harry and Hermione took this opportunity to breath an audible sigh of relief. They had wanted to ask the same question, but at the same time didn't want to come across as offensive.

"Oh. Sorry," she smiled once again; "I'm Liliana... Grey," she added as an afterthought. "I'm really sorry but I'm a bit pressed for time and haven't enough for formal introductions... So would you mind?" she said, once again turning her attention to Ron.

"Oh. Well then, let's go..." he threw his books into his school bag and stood.

"What do you say we follow them?" proposed Harry, after the pair had disappeared through the doors.

"Feeling a bit adventurous are we?" she asked.

Harry nodded vigorously.

"Then let's," said Hermione, rivaling Harry's excitement as they stood to leave.

~*~*~*~

"They think they're all so bloody special," said Draco bitterly. He and his crony, Blaise Zabini had been watching the scene between the Dream Team and the new girl unfold over at the Gryffindor table. "Filthy mudblood scum..." he muttered.

"I agree," said Blaise gruffly.

"I know. That's your job," replied Draco plainly.

"When is she coming to Slytherin?"

"Do I look like I give a..." he was cut off by the unmistakable wail of Pansy Parkinson.

"OOOh... Draco! I know something you don't!" She was overly excited and visibly unperturbed by the face that Draco pulled at the mere sight of her. "Crabbe and Goyle got letters from their fathers earlier this morning..." she was obviously hoping that he would grab at the bait that she had just set. Unfortunately for her, Draco just continued to stare contemptuously at her. "Well..." she began, slightly abashed, " I have yours! Aren't you just itching to know what it's about?"

"Not really," he drawled, "but I am very interested to know how exactly you got your filthy little paws on my mail." With his last words he flashed her the coldest glare he could muster under the circumstances and snatched the letter away.

"It was sent to me. So it wouldn't be too suspicious," she took a seat on Blaise's lap and grinned devilishly. "Aren't you going to open it doll?"

"You disgust me Parkinson," he said loudly. "I'm leaving..."

"You want that peach?" asked Blaise, referring to the untouched fruit that sat peacefully on Draco's otherwise empty plate.

"Have it," he said, carefully folding his letter before tucking it into his cloak and striding away.

~*~*~*~

"This is it," said Ron as he and Liliana came to a stop in front of the gargoyles that guarded Dumbledore's office. "But how do you plan on getting in? I don't suppose you know the password?"

"Wait..." she said softly, "just watch." She positioned herself squarely in front of the larger of the two gargoyles and wiped her hands on her robes. She placed it gently behind its massive ear and slowly slid it down, following the curves of its ugly face. As she did this, Ron felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as if she had just touched his face instead of the gargoyle's. When her hand reached the gargoyle's chin, she stepped back expectantly and the gargoyle jumped forward to let them in.

Just as Harry and Hermione rounded the corner and the gargoyles came into view, they saw a flash of red hair disappearing up into the staircase. Before they could reach the statues however, the passageway had disappeared completely and the reality that they didn't know the password dawned.

"Hell..." said Hermione quietly. Harry shot her a very surprised look. "What?" she demanded.

"I haven't heard you swear...ever," he smiled playfully at her, "well... maybe not ever, but not recently."

"Oh come on Harry, do you or do you not want to find out what's going on?"

"Of course I do." He turned his attention back to the gargoyle, which he had noticed had a strange grin splayed across its stone face. "Er... gumballs, fizzing whiz-bees, Er... come on Hermione help me."

"But I don't know any good sweee-..." The smaller gargoyle interrupted her.

"Just go in. He's in a good mood," he said, indicating his larger counterpart, "but you lot best handle your business quickly and be out."

"Hurry up Harry!" shouted Hermione from inside the staircase. Harry had been staring at the gargoyle in shock after it spoke and hadn't noticed the appearance of the stairs.

"I'm coming..." he mumbled as he sprinted up the stairs.

*End of Second Chapter*