Clark was terrified. Even with the smile on the old man's face, Clark
did not want to have anything to do with him. "He saw me," he thought.
"That man saw the whole fight! What am I supposed to tell him?!"
Without realizing it, Clark had backed himself up until he reached the brick wall of the building, and the man was still advancing on Clark. Then he spoke.
"Dear boy, you needn't be afraid," he said with a strange calm and comfort in his voice. Clark found himself relaxing slightly, but he still kept his guard up. The man chuckled. "I don't know what spells you used to help you out there, young man, but I must say that I am quite impressed!"
Clark stopped moving. "SPELLS????" he thought. "Great. Just great. Some whacko just saw me fight off those muggers, and get shot! What on Earth - or should I say Krypton - am I supposed to do?"
Another soft laugh. "It's okay, I have used magic to help me out with muggles on occasion as well," he said.
Clark was thoroughly confused. "Magic?? Muggles??" he wondered to himself. Deciding he should play along, he said, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
Just then the man stuck his hand out towards Clark. "Oh, how rude of me! My name is Albus Dumbledore."
Clark took his hand slowly. "Clark Kent."
"You're not from London, are you, Clark?" Dumbledore asked.
Smiling slightly, he said, "No, I live in the U.S., in Kansas."
"Hmm, interesting place for a young wizard, I must say!"
"Um.... yeah...." Clark was starting to get freaked out with this man's talk of magic and wizards, but, being Clark, he was also extremely curious as to whether the man was mentally stable or not. He knew that magic couldn't exist, could it? Then he reminded himself that he was an alien, after all!
"Why don't you come back to the school for the night, I'm sure the professors would love to meet you! But first," he said, noticing Clark's bare chest, "You should run back to your hotel and fetch a new shirt."
Clark nodded slowly, and started to walk past the man. As he rounded the corner, he jumped into Clark time and was through the hotel's backdoor and up to his room in less than three seconds. Shutting the door behind him, he walked to the bed and sat down. "What am I supposed to do? I know that it probably would be best to try and forget about this, I mean what is that old guy going to do? I shouldn't go back," he said firmly to himself. He sat there for another minute, staring at the floor. With a groan he stood up, went to the dresser and grabbed a new shirt. "When are you ever gonna learn, Clark?" he asked himself and headed out the door.
Dumbledore stood in the same alley, waiting for the mystery boy to come back. He knew Clark would return, he noticed how intrigued the boy had been. He continued to think to himself when Clark rounded the corner. Smiling, Dumbldore was approached by Clark.
"Ready?" asked the wizard.
"Um, yeah..."
"Good! Let's see here...." Clark watched in confusion as the man looked around on the ground, his eyes settling on and old beer can. Reaching down, he picked it up. Seeing Clark eying him strangely, he explained, "Portkey. We can use it to reach Hogwarts, because, as I'm sure you know, it is not possible to apparate there."
Then, surprising Clark even more, the man pulled a thin wooden stick with an elaborately carved handle out of his robe pocket. As he watched, Dumbledore tapped the can and muttered something under his breath.
"Okay, all set." Dumbledore held the can out to Clark, motioning for him to place his hand on it. Clark slowly reached out to touch it. As soon as his skin made contact, Clark felt as though he had been shoved off his feet and was spinning through the air. Giving Dumbledore a wide-eyed glance, to which the man smiled, he noticed that everything around him had become a blur. It reminded him of when he was speeding at his absolute fastest, only he could tell that his feet were not on the ground. Suddenly, and with a resounding THUD, Clark's feet hit stone. Not being one to get knocked over easily, he remained standing, but was wobbling badly.
Clark took in his surroundings. He was in some sort of castle, with a very high ceiling that looked as if it opened into the night sky. He could see the stars and the moon, and a few small wisps of clouds.
Dumbledore followed Clark's gaze, and said, "The ceiling is enchanted to look like the sky outside. Beautiful, isn't it?"
Clark barely heard him, he was too busy staring at the stars. He was snapped out of his trance by the large doors to the great hall opening.
"Professor?" asked a female voice. An older lady peeked her head around the door. She was not very tall, but she had stern, sharp features that told Clark she had much authority. She turned her gaze to Clark, looking him up and down once. "I see we've got a visitor. I'm Minerva McGonagal, pleasure to meet you."
"Clark....I'm Clark Kent."
She smiled and turned to Dumbledore. "So where did you meet Mr. Kent?"
Clark hoped he wasn't going to tell her what he did, he really didn't need another person to know about him right now.
"I noticed him fending off a few robbers in an alley, and thought I'd commend him for his work. He clearly knows a lot about magic, he didn't even use his wand!" Dumbledore explained.
McGonagal smiled, "Quite the wizard, eh? I'm impressed, you look so young!"
Clark smiled uneasily.
Assuming Clark was being so quiet because he was tired, Dumbledore offered him a room. Clark accepted, and followed Dumbledore and McGonagal through a maze of corridors until they stopped in front of a picture of a fat lady.
Turning to Clark, Dumbledore said, "I'll have you stay in the Gryffindor House tonight, Professor McGonagal is the head of the house."
Clark nodded. Just then, the lady in the picture, who previously had her eyes shut, started moving! She looked at Dumbledore, and asked, "Password?"
"Serande Montetus."
The picture swung open, revealing a small doorway to a large round room with a fireplace and big comfy chairs. Stepping into the room, Clark could see two staircases, spiraling up in opposite directions. Because it was so late, the room was empty.
"All the students are in bed upstairs. I think that there is an extra bed in one of the boys dormitories, I'll take you up," said Dumbledore.
Clark followed him up the left staircase. They reached the top and Clark saw several closed doors in the small hallway they were in. Dumbledore led him the the last door on the left and opened it slowly. Though it was dark in the room, Clark could see perfectly. He saw that there were five beds in the room, four of which had boys sleeping in them. On the walls by the head of the beds were posters of different things, most of which, to Clark's surprise, were of something called Quidditch, and showed one or more people flying around on broomsticks. The strangest thing was that the people really were flying around, as if the poster was alive. At the foot of hte beds were large trunks, all of which were closed, but they all had robes draped over them. Dumbledore motioned to the empty bed and said he would come back early in the morning so the other boys wouldn't be confused about the stranger. Clark nodded and Dumbledore walked out of the room, shutting it behind him. Clark walked silently over to the bed and climbed under the covers. He was soon fast asleep.
Clark woke with a start as he heard several boy's voices yelling loudly.
Without realizing it, Clark had backed himself up until he reached the brick wall of the building, and the man was still advancing on Clark. Then he spoke.
"Dear boy, you needn't be afraid," he said with a strange calm and comfort in his voice. Clark found himself relaxing slightly, but he still kept his guard up. The man chuckled. "I don't know what spells you used to help you out there, young man, but I must say that I am quite impressed!"
Clark stopped moving. "SPELLS????" he thought. "Great. Just great. Some whacko just saw me fight off those muggers, and get shot! What on Earth - or should I say Krypton - am I supposed to do?"
Another soft laugh. "It's okay, I have used magic to help me out with muggles on occasion as well," he said.
Clark was thoroughly confused. "Magic?? Muggles??" he wondered to himself. Deciding he should play along, he said, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
Just then the man stuck his hand out towards Clark. "Oh, how rude of me! My name is Albus Dumbledore."
Clark took his hand slowly. "Clark Kent."
"You're not from London, are you, Clark?" Dumbledore asked.
Smiling slightly, he said, "No, I live in the U.S., in Kansas."
"Hmm, interesting place for a young wizard, I must say!"
"Um.... yeah...." Clark was starting to get freaked out with this man's talk of magic and wizards, but, being Clark, he was also extremely curious as to whether the man was mentally stable or not. He knew that magic couldn't exist, could it? Then he reminded himself that he was an alien, after all!
"Why don't you come back to the school for the night, I'm sure the professors would love to meet you! But first," he said, noticing Clark's bare chest, "You should run back to your hotel and fetch a new shirt."
Clark nodded slowly, and started to walk past the man. As he rounded the corner, he jumped into Clark time and was through the hotel's backdoor and up to his room in less than three seconds. Shutting the door behind him, he walked to the bed and sat down. "What am I supposed to do? I know that it probably would be best to try and forget about this, I mean what is that old guy going to do? I shouldn't go back," he said firmly to himself. He sat there for another minute, staring at the floor. With a groan he stood up, went to the dresser and grabbed a new shirt. "When are you ever gonna learn, Clark?" he asked himself and headed out the door.
Dumbledore stood in the same alley, waiting for the mystery boy to come back. He knew Clark would return, he noticed how intrigued the boy had been. He continued to think to himself when Clark rounded the corner. Smiling, Dumbldore was approached by Clark.
"Ready?" asked the wizard.
"Um, yeah..."
"Good! Let's see here...." Clark watched in confusion as the man looked around on the ground, his eyes settling on and old beer can. Reaching down, he picked it up. Seeing Clark eying him strangely, he explained, "Portkey. We can use it to reach Hogwarts, because, as I'm sure you know, it is not possible to apparate there."
Then, surprising Clark even more, the man pulled a thin wooden stick with an elaborately carved handle out of his robe pocket. As he watched, Dumbledore tapped the can and muttered something under his breath.
"Okay, all set." Dumbledore held the can out to Clark, motioning for him to place his hand on it. Clark slowly reached out to touch it. As soon as his skin made contact, Clark felt as though he had been shoved off his feet and was spinning through the air. Giving Dumbledore a wide-eyed glance, to which the man smiled, he noticed that everything around him had become a blur. It reminded him of when he was speeding at his absolute fastest, only he could tell that his feet were not on the ground. Suddenly, and with a resounding THUD, Clark's feet hit stone. Not being one to get knocked over easily, he remained standing, but was wobbling badly.
Clark took in his surroundings. He was in some sort of castle, with a very high ceiling that looked as if it opened into the night sky. He could see the stars and the moon, and a few small wisps of clouds.
Dumbledore followed Clark's gaze, and said, "The ceiling is enchanted to look like the sky outside. Beautiful, isn't it?"
Clark barely heard him, he was too busy staring at the stars. He was snapped out of his trance by the large doors to the great hall opening.
"Professor?" asked a female voice. An older lady peeked her head around the door. She was not very tall, but she had stern, sharp features that told Clark she had much authority. She turned her gaze to Clark, looking him up and down once. "I see we've got a visitor. I'm Minerva McGonagal, pleasure to meet you."
"Clark....I'm Clark Kent."
She smiled and turned to Dumbledore. "So where did you meet Mr. Kent?"
Clark hoped he wasn't going to tell her what he did, he really didn't need another person to know about him right now.
"I noticed him fending off a few robbers in an alley, and thought I'd commend him for his work. He clearly knows a lot about magic, he didn't even use his wand!" Dumbledore explained.
McGonagal smiled, "Quite the wizard, eh? I'm impressed, you look so young!"
Clark smiled uneasily.
Assuming Clark was being so quiet because he was tired, Dumbledore offered him a room. Clark accepted, and followed Dumbledore and McGonagal through a maze of corridors until they stopped in front of a picture of a fat lady.
Turning to Clark, Dumbledore said, "I'll have you stay in the Gryffindor House tonight, Professor McGonagal is the head of the house."
Clark nodded. Just then, the lady in the picture, who previously had her eyes shut, started moving! She looked at Dumbledore, and asked, "Password?"
"Serande Montetus."
The picture swung open, revealing a small doorway to a large round room with a fireplace and big comfy chairs. Stepping into the room, Clark could see two staircases, spiraling up in opposite directions. Because it was so late, the room was empty.
"All the students are in bed upstairs. I think that there is an extra bed in one of the boys dormitories, I'll take you up," said Dumbledore.
Clark followed him up the left staircase. They reached the top and Clark saw several closed doors in the small hallway they were in. Dumbledore led him the the last door on the left and opened it slowly. Though it was dark in the room, Clark could see perfectly. He saw that there were five beds in the room, four of which had boys sleeping in them. On the walls by the head of the beds were posters of different things, most of which, to Clark's surprise, were of something called Quidditch, and showed one or more people flying around on broomsticks. The strangest thing was that the people really were flying around, as if the poster was alive. At the foot of hte beds were large trunks, all of which were closed, but they all had robes draped over them. Dumbledore motioned to the empty bed and said he would come back early in the morning so the other boys wouldn't be confused about the stranger. Clark nodded and Dumbledore walked out of the room, shutting it behind him. Clark walked silently over to the bed and climbed under the covers. He was soon fast asleep.
Clark woke with a start as he heard several boy's voices yelling loudly.