WELCOME AND NOT SO WELCOME
The man busied himself around the room. He moved in silence. He moved precisley. He moved in a way that communicated his relcutant tolerance to her presence.
Andi kept silent and tried to make herself as small as possible as she studied the room.
It was comfortably large, but taller than it was wide.
At right angles to the sofa on which she lay was a wall dominated by a grey-stone mantelpiece, quite plain except for two large scrolls either side of the opening. In the actual fireplace, which was wide enough to have housed a small sofa and probably tall enough for her to stand upright in, was a huge fire-basket which, Andi noted, was laid, ready to be lit.
To the left of the mantelpiece was a closed door.
The next wall along - the one opposite the sofa - housed a built-in dresser of very dark-red wood. It ran almost the length of the wall and up to the ceiling. The top half had many glazed doors, secured by old-fashioned brass catches, behind which stood what appeared to be jars of different coloured liquids, some with things suspended in them; and microscope-type instruments. The bottom half was made up of alchemy drawers, their labels framed in brass.
In the middle of the room was a long refectory table of dark wood; too long to command just two chairs which stood around it.
Apart from a set of scales, chopping board and a pile of leaves the man seemed to be working with, there stood a solitary bowl of green apples.
Even though it was quite cool in this room, she wondered what kind of man wore such suffocating clothes in the middle of a heat wave? The mandarin-style collar on his shirt stood high on his neck. The cuffs reached half way down the back of his hands.
Andi's eyes travelled to the long, slender fingers working deftly at chopping whatever it was on the board - good pianist's hands, she thought.
He looked up and caught her staring. He opened his mouth to say something when there came a soft knock at the door.
Just when Andi thought this day had had its fill of shocks, in walked their visitor.
An elderly man with the longest beard Andi had ever seen, equally long grey hair and half-moon spectacles balanced on his crooked nose, entered the room, bringing a tangible energy in with him. He was dressed in emerald green robes that swept the floor, and a green Chinese silk hat. Andi didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cower.
The two men acknowledged each other: ("I left headquarters as soon as I received your message...") and then the elderly man turned to her and beamed.
"Miss Carver," he said, taking a sprightly step towards her, his hand extended. "Albus Dumbledore. Welcome to Hogwarts!"
She shook the hand. It felt warm and smooth, and it made her feel for the first time since her arrival, safe.
He sat in front of her on a chair provided by the younger man and folded his hands in his lap.
"I imagine you are a little confused right now." he said, gently.
She nodded.
"Hmmm. Well, I shall try and explain things as best I can, but I do warn you - they may seem a little strange..."
He went on to explain about Hogwarts being a school for wizards. How the castle was charmed so that Muggles - non-magic people such as herself - only saw ruins, but that somehow she had managed to cross the boundary into the wizard world.
She stared at him, her eyes getting wider as the story progressed. This had to be the biggest set-up in the world, surely? What joker had gone to all this trouble?
"Yes, I realise it is hard to accept," he said, looking into her eyes. "Tell me, Miss Carver, have you had refreshments?"
"No, Headmaster,' answered the younger man. 'I have administered a draft of Opprimotium, which needed time to clear."
"Very well. Tea, Miss Carver?" He waved his hand across the surface of the table.
Andi gave a little scream as a tray with teapot, milk jug, sugar bowl and cups and saucers appeared out of thin air.
"One lump or two?"
"Just...just milk, thank you. How...how...?" The cup shook in its saucer as she held it. The tea was real! The tea was hot!
"You see, my dear, it is magic," he said, gently. "I am afraid this place will seem very strange to you. You will find many things you don't understand. Unfortunately, however, you will have to stay here for the foreseeable future until we can find a way of returning you home."
"Headmaster," cut in the younger man and Andi detected a distinct edge to his voice. "Miss Carver cannot possibly stay here. There is only the bare minimum of staff, the school is empty..."
"Exactly! The very place for her to stay; away from prying wizard eyes. I'm sure you will make an exemplary host, Severus."
The younger man's face darkened further still. "Heamaster," he said through clenched teeth. "May I have a word..." He glanced at Andi. "..outside?"
"Certainly."
The door closed, leaving Andi alone. She leaned back against the cushion, the tea cup in her lap.
"Toto," she said to herself. "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
She could hear the younger man's angry voice protesting; "...will cause all manner of problems...how do you expect me to...absolutely refuse to play nurse-maid..." drifting through the door.
There was a short pause and then the door opened.
"That is settled then," said Dumbledore, beaming as he walked back into the room. "Miss Carver, my colleague, Professor Severus Snape, will be delighted to be your host for the next few days."
Professor Severus Snape looked like thunder.
"Now, I must go," announced Dumbledore. "But I shall return in a few days to see how you are. I have suggested a room just along the corridor from here - I know how easy it can be to get lost, especially in a large castle such as this." His eyes twinkled as he looked at her, giving her the odd feeling he knew about her bad sense of direction. "Oh, and there is another room on the first floor which I believe may be of interest to you. I have drawn you a map..."
He handed her a thick piece of folded paper, smiled and left the room.