Harry opened his eyes the next morning as suddenly as if someone had poured ice water over his head. He sat up and the memory of his dream flooded over him at once. He remembered Fudge, Dumbledore, and Bellatrix, but who was that damned little girl? Harry knew he recognized her, but he couldn't figure out who she was. Dumbledore had called her his little Lee. Harry didn't know anyone named Lee except for Lee Jordan, and Harry knew it wasn't him. Harry jumped out of bed and threw his clothes on. He had to talk to Dumbledore. Harry knew that was the only way to get some answers. It was early morning, but Harry didn't feel remotely tired as he scrambled out of the portrait hole and made his way to Dumbledore's office. He reached the large, stone gargoyle, but he found himself at a loss for a password. He started naming various candies, but the gargoyle remained spitefully still.

"What are you doing, Mr. Potter?" a voice said.

Harry turned around and saw Gloria standing behind him.

"Er, I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore," he said, wondering what she was doing up so early.

"I'm afraid the Headmaster went to London for Kingsley Shacklebolt's memorial service and funeral. He will be back in a few days' time. I believe my Aunt Minerva has been left in charge while he is away," Gloria said, squinting as the sun rose and blasted through an open window at the end of the hall. "Well, I must be going, Harry. I'll see you in class later."

She hurried down the corridor with her robes billowing behind her. Harry watched her walk away thinking there might be something more going on with their new teacher besides good looks. He sighed and headed to the Great Hall to grab an early breakfast. He was the first person in the Great Hall, and it felt a little creepy. The staff table was empty, and not a single laughing student was at a house table. Harry knew his voice would echo through the elaborate hall if he were to shout something right now. He took a seat at the Gryffindor table and saw by his watch that breakfast would be popping up in five minutes. Right on time, the golden plates filled with all kinds of breakfast foods. Harry didn't really taste anything as he chewed because he was so lost in his thoughts. It was completely silent in the Great Hall, but Harry's ears perked up when he heard two voices whispering by the staff table.

"Are you being careful?" one witch said that Harry recognized as McGonagall senior.

"Yes, but I almost blew it in front of the Potter boy this morning. Just standing-," Gloria cut off as her and her aunt spotted Harry.

He gave them a weak smile. They both nodded politely and took their seats at the staff table. They looked down on him with questioning gazes, but not for long as students had begun to file into the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry glanced up once more at his newest teacher who looked a little pale, and he reminded himself to tell Ron and Hermione to keep an eye on their prettiest professor.

September passed quickly, and Harry never got a chance to speak to Dumbledore. He was so busy with classes, D.A. meetings, and Quidditch practices that he barely had time to breathe. Before he knew it, it was the morning of their first Hogsmeade visit. Past visits had lost their luster and many sixth years weren't going, but Ron was running low on Filibuster Fireworks with Fred and George gone, and Harry was craving some butterbeer.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked as they waited on the first floor staircase.

"I'm not sure. She's usually up before dawn studying," replied Harry.

"She's probably already at breakfast," Ron said as they entered the Great Hall.

The Hall's ceiling was delightfully cheery this morning with the giant mystical sun warming the room and a crisp breeze slightly blowing everyone's robes. They found a seat at the end of the Gryffindor table near the teachers and started filling their plates.

Harry was reaching for some sausage as Ron said, "Oh, there she is. Wait. Who is that with her?"

Harry raised his head and glanced in the direction that Ron was looking and dropped his sausage. The girl with Hermione looked remarkably like her. She had slightly bushy brown hair like her, same height and build as Hermione, and she was wearing second hand robes. She looked like your everyday witch, but Harry couldn't stop staring at her eyes. They were the most brilliant green he had ever seen. They shined all the way across the room, and Harry was hypnotized. It was like catching the gaze of a veela, but Harry didn't seem to lose himself. Those eyes made him feel extremely aware that his hair would not stay down. While Hermione's eyes were brown and seemed to analyze books and information, this girl's eyes seemed to analyze people. As Harry was thinking that, those intoxicating eyes settled on his. She stared straight into his eyes, which was odd because most people looked right at the scar, as if they wanted proof he was Harry Potter. All she needed to do was look in his eyes, and she turned to Hermione and asked her something. Hermione nodded and motioned for the girl to follow her. The girl and Hermione were headed straight for them, and Harry smoothed his hair down to no avail.

He met her eyes once more when they were halfway to them and something in his gut screamed, "She knows how you feel!"

Harry sucked in a great deal of breath and looked down quickly. Ron looked at him sideways and then glanced up as Hermione and the girl approached.

"Good morning, boys," Hermione said, "This is Amanda Mallason. She's a sixth year like us and has just transferred from Beauxbatons. The sorting hat placed her in Gryffindor, and Professor McGonagall asked me to show her around early this morning. Mandy, this is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."

Hermione sat down beside Ron and started to fill her plate, which left Amanda to sit next to Harry. As she sat down, Harry expected to hear a thick French accent, but to his delight she was American.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you both," she said as she shook first Ron's hand and then Harry's.

Harry felt as if the giant magical sun was inches from his face. She shook Harry's hand a little longer than Ron's and finally let go and started to fill her plate with food.

"Happy to have you in Gryffindor, Amanda," said Ron. "You got into the best house."

"Thank you, and you can call me Mandy. Everyone does." She smiled at them both, and Harry was sure his insides had melted. "I'm really happy to be here. Beauxbatons was never for me, and the orphanage I was at had to be run by Voldemort the way people acted there."

Hermione dropped her fork and Ron winced, while Harry just turned to look at her.

"Most people around here don't mention him as nonchalantly as I do," Harry said to her.

"I don't let things get to me. Nothing is frightening as people make it out to be if you just face it," she said, and Harry smiled at her.

"So you had to stay at an orphanage?" Hermione asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," she smiled as if she didn't mind being asked about it, but Harry saw a sadness that hadn't been there before flicker in those jewel-like green eyes, "My parents were the worst kind of Muggles you could come across. My father was in the Air Force for America, and we were stationed in France for ten years. When I got my letter to attend Beauxbatons, they absolutely forbad me to go. My father actually left the Air Force so we could move every month or so to escape from the barrage of owls. I missed my entire first year, but right before my second year Madame Maxime sought me out personally and tried to impress on my parents how important it was for me to go to a wizarding school. They agreed only under one condition, that I was to no longer be under their care. The decision was left up to me, and at the time I didn't realize I would never see my parents again. I went with Madame Maxime that day, and I haven't seen my parents in four years. Yet, now that I'm older, I realized I made the right decision because my parents never really cared for me if they couldn't accept me for what I truly was. I liked Beauxbatons, and doubled up on my classes to catch up with the other students."

Hermione smiled at her because she prided in herself and in others academic achievement.

"During the summers I would stay at a Muggle orphanage which treated the kids like vermin," Mandy continued. "I actually saw them beat children there. I can't believe they never hit me because I can be quite the smart mouth. While I was at Beauxbatons, I always seemed to want to learn more about Hogwarts. Especially in my fourth year during the Triwizard Tournament, I became obsessed. Madame Maxime would not allow me to attend because I was too young. Yet when I came back for my fifth year, she could tell I was not thriving like I could and she knew that I wanted to be somewhere else. She spoke to Dumbledore and here I am."

Harry felt a great rush of warmth for Madame Maxime at that moment. Mandy smiled slyly and looked down.

"Sorry," she said quietly and looked back up again. "I didn't mean to bore you with my whole life story."

"We're not bored," Harry said quickly looking at her and smiling.

Ron looked at him sideways again, but Harry didn't notice. Ron shook his head and spoke to Mandy.

"You're from America then?"

"Yep, but I don't ever want to go back. This castle feels more like my home then anyplace I've ever been."

Harry couldn't quit smiling.

As the four of them left the Great Hall, Harry heard the voice of his least favorite person.

"Well, hullo there scarhead. Who would this be?" Draco Malfoy said, with his usual evil grin on his pale, pointed face.

"Hello," Mandy said turning around and holding out her hand before Harry could tell her Draco wasn't the kind of person that shook hands. "I'm Amanda Mallason. You can call me Mandy."

"Oh," Draco drawled slowly, "I've heard of you. Why don't I just call you Mudblood?"

Harry thought he was going to use Avada Kedavra as he reached for his wand. Mandy put her hand on his arm as a signal for him to stop.

"Well, that's fine," she said coolly as she stepped forward to be right in Draco's face, "As long as I can call your father a murdering Death Eater."

Harry gaped at her but gave her a mental round of applause for being so bold.

"Are you scared, Mudblood?" Draco said nastily, not fazed at all.

Harry thought he was probably proud of his father for killing innocent people.

"Of you? No," she said quite calmly, "But you should be. Four against one isn't looking so good for you."

Just as she said that, Crabbe and Goyle stepped up on either side of Draco. To most people they looked fairly intimidating, but Mandy just smiled.

"Who are they?" she asked, "your bodyguards," and she burst out laughing.

She doubled over in giggles and didn't see Draco raise his wand.

Harry raised his to protect her, but before either Draco or Harry could get their spell out of their mouths, Mandy had straightened up, pulled out her wand and shouted, "Impedimenta!"

Draco was thrown back and landed hard on the floor down the hall. Harry, Ron, and Hermione's jaws dropped, and they stared at Mandy.

"Watch yourself there," she called at Draco who was slowly getting to his feet. "Um . . . Malfoy, is it? I didn't get your first name. Oh, it doesn't matter. I really don't want to know it anyway."

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle stalked off, and Mandy turned back to her audience. She blushed violently and looked down at the ground.

"Sorry. I get really angry when people call me a Mudblood," she looked at them and then said, "Besides, he was a little ass, wasn't he?"

They all laughed and walked out of the entrance hall to start the long journey to Hogsmeade.

"How did you know he was a Malfoy?" Hermione asked Mandy.

"I had the very bad luck of meeting Lucius Malfoy, and that little snot looked exactly like him." she answered.

Hermione nodded and started to talk to Ron about something they had learned in Transfiguration the previous day.

"Oh, Transfiguration is my favorite subject," Mandy said.

"Do you like Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry asked.

"It's only second to Transfiguration," she said.

Harry was thinking about asking her to join the D.A. when he heard her ask Ron what they did for fun around here.

"Well, Hermione studies," Ron said and ducked as Hermione tried to slap him. "And me and Harry are on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I'm keeper and he's-."

"Seeker," Mandy finished for him.

She blushed again and looked at the ground.

"How did you know that?" he asked, looking at her.

"Well, when I was learning all about Hogwarts, your name was mentioned. I also saw your name in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. I found your story fascinating. How you conquered Voldemort as a little baby, and how you conquered evils at Hogwarts as well. Then Fleur Delacour told me how you had been such a hero at the Triwizard Tournament, and I knew I had to meet you."

"Well, er, thanks," he replied.

"I know how you feel," she said quietly.

With this Harry stopped dead in his tracks and looked in her eyes, astonished that she knew what his gut had told him earlier in the Great Hall.

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"Well, you're like me with nowhere to go in the summer except back to the dreadful Muggle world. I can tell by just looking at you that you long to stay at school in the summer. I loathed my orphanage and my Muggle parents for not loving me enough to accept me, but that's a different life now. My parents are dead to me," she finished, with a note of bitterness in her voice.

With this remark Harry took in a great deal of breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned that. That was so rude of me. I just say things before I think," she said.

"It's okay. I get what you're saying, though," he said looking toward Ron and Hermione walking in together in the distance. "They don't know what it's like to be cut off from the wizarding world that I love so much for weeks at a time. I love them dearly, but they don't get it."

"That's why I had to meet you. I wanted to see if you could relate to me like no one else could," she said softly.

"Well, you can always relate to me, Mandy," Harry looked at her and smiled.

She smiled back at him, and they continued walking. As they chatted on about different things, Harry felt like everything bad had slipped away from him, and he had never been so happy.