November came with little action in the way of Dumbledore's niece. Harry saw her seldom in the halls or in the great hall, always talking to Dumbledore or one of the faculty. He'd only seen her talk to one student since her arrival, and Ernie MacMillen said she simply asked for a spare quill, which she returned with extra ink.
A week after the Thanksgiving Feast, from which Piper had been absent, Harry sat next to the window in his dorm room, watching the first snow fall. It covered the grounds quickly, accumulating over the hour he sat watching it. He sighed, his mind drifting from his school work to Quidditch to Piper Dumbledore, as it did every night.
Malfoy's words came to him, suggesting the Piper herself was a threat to him. How a relative of Dumbledore's could ever be an enemy was beyond him, though he had to admit he hadn't treated the headmaster very well since that messy encounter in his office last year.
Sirius came to mind, but Harry pushed it away. He didn't want to think about last year, or what he'd done. How he'd been the cause for Sirius's death...
He stopped mid-thought as a cloaked figured walked casually across the fresh snow. Harry pressed his forehead painfully into the glass window, trying to see their face. As if knowing he was there, the figured turned and lowered her hood, looking directly at Harry's window.
Piper stood in the snow, her hair blowing behind her in the wind. She smiled absently at him, then turned and walked on. Snow dotted her black cloak, though she left no footprints in the deepening snow.
In a flash, Harry was dressed and out of the dorms, barely able to pull his invisibility cloak over him as he burst into the hallway. The Fat Lady began to protest, but saw no one leave and hesitantly returned to her slumber.
Harry pushed the side door next to the kitchen open and instantly wished he'd worn a jacket or sweater. The night air was bitter cold and snow fell all around. He trudged around the castle, looking for any sight of the cloaked girl.
His footprints were obvious as he hurried through the snow, but he didn't notice as he searched for the girl. He turned a corner quickly, nearly slipping in his haste- and froze.
Piper stood at the edge of the dark forest, talking to what appeared to be a centaur. He stood several hands taller than she, his arms crossing his chest and his hooves fidgeting as he stood. Piper, on the other hand, stood perfectly still. Harry could just hear her voice over the wind, though he couldn't make out her words.
The centaur nodded once, then turned and ran back into the forests. Piper watched him go, then hurried along the forest line. Harry followed at a distance, his feet and hands becoming numb in the cold. Piper walked casually, leaving no footprints as she walked Harry started to contemplate this, but stopped as Piper looked over her shoulder directly at him.
She sighed and continued her path. Harry stood still for a moment, dumbfounded. Finally he hound his legs and hurried after her.
Piper walked causally towards Hagrid's cabin, knocked lighly, then was let in by the half-giant. Hagrid stared out into the snow and shouted blindly, "'arry? Where are ye?"
Harry removed the cloak as he stepped onto the stoop, startling Hagrid as he did so. "It's not nice sneakin' up on people, 'arry. Get inside here."
Harry complied, saw that Piper had knelt before the fire and was warming her hands. Her cheeks were pink from the cold and strand of hair had started to curl around her face. Harry thought she looked very pretty sitting there, though he cleared this from his mind as it filled with questions.
Piper beat him to it. "Why did you follow me, Mr. Potter? I've done nothing to you." Her eyes appeared to have tears on their brims, though she fought to hold them back. Harry stood, dumbfounded, unable to speak.
She sighed. "I don't get you," she said, looking up at Hagrid. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Rubeus."
"It's nothin', Miss Piper. You still won' yer tea?"
"Thanks anyway," she said, standing and pulling her hood back over her hair. She made to walk out of the cabin, when Harry finally retrieved his voice and senses.
"Why were you talking to the centaur?" he asked, stopping her at the door.
She turned slowly, eying him. "That's not your concern."
Harry didn't know what else to say. He'd been bursting with questions not ten minutes before, but now nothing came to him but the sheer irony of it.
Hagrid stepped in. "Miss Piper, stay a bit. It's too cold to be out and 'bout." He poured two extremely large cups full of steaming tea. "'Straight tea', as you say."
Piper smiled and walked back to the table, taking a seat and the cup. "Thanks, Hagrid." Harry noticed that her hands shook slightly as she sipped the warm liquid.
"Two sugars fo ye, 'arry." Hagrid smiled as he handed Harry his cup. "Now, the both of ye need ta be civil. Jest talkin' would do ye both good."
Harry looked at Piper, though the girl didn't look up from her tea. She blew the steam away casually, then sipped the dark liquid. She replaced the cup on the table, straightened her cloak. She said nothing.
Harry sighed. "Look, I don't even know you, and you seem to hate me."
Piper sighed. "I don't hate you." She sipped her tea again.
"Then why do you avoid me? I mean, you jumped onto the roof that last time I saw you outside of the Grand Hall." Harry watched her expression, but found his gaze moving to Hagrid as the giant choked.
"The roof?" he asked, wiping tea from the front of his shirt. "Piper, you know you're not..."
"I was scared, Mr. Rubeus," said Piper, softly. "I just wanted to get away, and up was the only..."
"But you're not supposed to use that spell!" Hagrid said, wiping his beard next. "It takes too much out of ye..."
"What spell?" asked Harry.
"It's not important. Look, Harry, I'm sorry I didn't go out of my way to introduce myself. I'm used to keeping to myself when I'm at Hogwarts."
"You've been here before?" Harry instantly felt idiotic after asking this.
Piper smiled. "Every summer since I was born." She refilled her tea cup.
Hagrid sighed, saying, "Piper, just tell him it all, will ye?" He sighed. "This whole business of keeping things from 'arry hasn't worked since he was eleven."
Piper looked confused, but realization filled her moments later. "Oh, yeah, I guess not."
Harry knew what Hagrid was referring to. Every time Dumbledore had insisted on keeping things from him, he'd discovered them on his own and gotten into a great deal of trouble in doing so.
Piper sighed, sipped her tea one last time before replacing the cup in the saucer. "Where do I begin."
"At the beginning, o'course!" said Hagrid, laughing. "Shush, Fang!" he added as the dog began to whimper.
Piper placed her cup in front of him, mumbled a few words, and the tea changed to a clear liquid. Fang eagerly drank it. She thought for a moment, then began, "Well, for starters, my name isn't Piper Dumbledore."
"Whoever said that it was?" asked Hagrid. "Is that what's goin' around?"
"We just assumed..."started Harry.
"Regardless, I'm Piper Miller. Albus Dumbledore is a friend of my parents who takes me in every summer. I could never say 'Dumbledore' when I was little, so he's just always been Uncle Albus."
"But your American."
"Born and raised. Mum's originally from Britain, and when I got my letter for a school in the states she told Dad I wasn't going anywhere but Hogwarts." She sighed. "That caused a fight, which caused a divorce, which is why I attend State's school during the school year and come to Hogwarts during the summer."
"That's explains a lot," mumbled Harry, and Piper smiled. "So, you spent your summers here at school, so that's how you know the teacher's so well."
"Indeed. When I wasn't studying I was exploring the castle. It's an amazing place."
"So how did you meet the merpeople?" asked Harry, running his finger over the rim of his cup. "In my experience they aren't very friendly."
"Neither are the centaurs, but they warm up to you after so many years." Piper sighed, sipped from a new cup of tea Hagrid made for her. "I'm very persistant."
She sighed. "I know the rumors that are going around school, about how I'm a spy for Voldemort and I'm out to get everyone." She smiled at Hagrid, who had jumped slightly at the name. "Sorry, Mr. Rubeus."
"Are they true?" Harry blurted out before he could help it.
Piper looked shocked at his question, but composed herself. "No, Mr. Potter, they are not. Regardless what Draco Malfoy likes to start, I'm completely on your side. I do what I can to help the Order and ..."
"You're a member of the Order?" asked Harry. "I though you had to be a certain age..."
"I never said I was a member. I help when I can." She pulled her long mane over her shoulder and began braiding the long strands.
"What do you do?" asked Harry.
Piper smiled. "Let's just say that my ability to make a quick exit is very helpful."
Harry started to press her on, but stopped when he saw her expression change in the firelight. She looked suddenly frail and scared, though her eyes still remained strong.
"Do you know what's being planned?" Harry asked, instantly feeling he'd overstepped his bounds.
She turned her eyes and met his, and she smiled faintly. "I'm sorry, Harry."
"For what?" asked Harry, dumbstruck.
Hagrid stepped in. "None of that, Piper. Finish yer tea be'fore it gits too cold."
Piper nodded, sipping at the tea again. "Anyway, I got myself into a 'bit of a spot,' as Uncle Albus described it. It was about the same time you went through that fiasco at the Ministry. I'd rather not discuss it."
Harry looked at the girl with new eyes, unsure what to make of her.