"Ice mice," Amethyst said when they reached Dumbledore's office.
Immediately the door began to move.
"You got the password on your first try!" Harry gasped. "How did you know?"
"I don't know. I just knew. You know?"
And after that strange remark, they stepped into Dumbledore's office.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said. "How may I be of help?"
"This is Amethyst," Harry said. "She ... er, she ..."
He stopped talking. For the first time, he realized how ridiculous this all was. How stupid to be asking Dumbledore to admit a random girl to Hogwarts! And Harry couldn't even tell Dumbledore where she came from. Was he supposed to say he had found her in a closet? Maybe she was even a spy for Voldemort.
"I'm not a spy for Voldemort," Amethyst said. "Professor Dumbledore, I am Amethyst Serenity Leithian Silverhill. I'm here because the greatest dream of my life has been to attend Hogwarts. Do you think you could find a way to admit poor, little me?"
"Of course!" Dumbledore said. "We have been waiting for you."
Amethyst beamed and squeezed out two dainty tears of joy. Harry held her hand in a way that was part friendly, part romantic.
"You'll be a sixth year, of course," Dumbledore continued, peering intently at Amethyst. He seemed to be able to tell everything he needed to know about her just by looking at her. "You have the talent to be a seventh year, but I think it would be better if you were with students your own age. You'll have to be sorted. But we can't do that until breakfast tomorrow, so the whole school can see. And we'll have to find somewhere else for you to sleep tonight. I think the Room of Requirement will do quite well."
Dumbledore sighed and smiled in that strange, knowing way of his. Harry got the impression that Dumbledore knew exactly who Amethyst was and why she was here. Harry also had to wonder why Amethyst left out Darksphere when she told Dumbledore her name.
"We'd better go," Harry said, trying not to let his curiosity overwhelm him. "I'll show you to the Room of Requirement so you can get your beauty sleep ... er, I mean sleep. Just regular sleep. It's not like, you know, you need beauty sleep or anything. Because you already are ... beautiful, that is, not asleep."
Amethyst giggled. And the sound was like ... Well, if all the stars twinkling in the sky made a noise, her laugh would be that noise.
When they got to the Room of Requirement, Amethyst walked in front of the door and concentrated. Harry waited and found himself wondering what images she was concentrating on. What would Amethyst's bedroom look like? He was fascinated by the thought.
Amethyst stopped walking and opened the door. "Oh, it's perfect!" she exclaimed. "Come in and look, Harry."
Harry had never seen any girl's bedroom before. He supposed they must be pink with lots of ruffles and bows everywhere. So he was surprised when he stepped into the Room of Requirement, which was now suited to Amethyst's tastes.
"You got the password on your first try!" Harry gasped. "How did you know?"
"I don't know. I just knew. You know?"
And after that strange remark, they stepped into Dumbledore's office.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said. "How may I be of help?"
"This is Amethyst," Harry said. "She ... er, she ..."
He stopped talking. For the first time, he realized how ridiculous this all was. How stupid to be asking Dumbledore to admit a random girl to Hogwarts! And Harry couldn't even tell Dumbledore where she came from. Was he supposed to say he had found her in a closet? Maybe she was even a spy for Voldemort.
"I'm not a spy for Voldemort," Amethyst said. "Professor Dumbledore, I am Amethyst Serenity Leithian Silverhill. I'm here because the greatest dream of my life has been to attend Hogwarts. Do you think you could find a way to admit poor, little me?"
"Of course!" Dumbledore said. "We have been waiting for you."
Amethyst beamed and squeezed out two dainty tears of joy. Harry held her hand in a way that was part friendly, part romantic.
"You'll be a sixth year, of course," Dumbledore continued, peering intently at Amethyst. He seemed to be able to tell everything he needed to know about her just by looking at her. "You have the talent to be a seventh year, but I think it would be better if you were with students your own age. You'll have to be sorted. But we can't do that until breakfast tomorrow, so the whole school can see. And we'll have to find somewhere else for you to sleep tonight. I think the Room of Requirement will do quite well."
Dumbledore sighed and smiled in that strange, knowing way of his. Harry got the impression that Dumbledore knew exactly who Amethyst was and why she was here. Harry also had to wonder why Amethyst left out Darksphere when she told Dumbledore her name.
"We'd better go," Harry said, trying not to let his curiosity overwhelm him. "I'll show you to the Room of Requirement so you can get your beauty sleep ... er, I mean sleep. Just regular sleep. It's not like, you know, you need beauty sleep or anything. Because you already are ... beautiful, that is, not asleep."
Amethyst giggled. And the sound was like ... Well, if all the stars twinkling in the sky made a noise, her laugh would be that noise.
When they got to the Room of Requirement, Amethyst walked in front of the door and concentrated. Harry waited and found himself wondering what images she was concentrating on. What would Amethyst's bedroom look like? He was fascinated by the thought.
Amethyst stopped walking and opened the door. "Oh, it's perfect!" she exclaimed. "Come in and look, Harry."
Harry had never seen any girl's bedroom before. He supposed they must be pink with lots of ruffles and bows everywhere. So he was surprised when he stepped into the Room of Requirement, which was now suited to Amethyst's tastes.