Chapter 1
After a millennium, she stopped giggling… and started to laugh so hard Harry started to worry her appendix would fall out or something. If she had an appendix.
Harry was still very discombobulated about the situation. That was just the tip of the iceberg though. The girl wasn't exactly helping either. In Harry's eyes she was sad one minute and the next, she was shaking so hard with laughter at something that wasn't funny at all. Her black curls would bounce up and down as her shoulders shook. Once he stood up, he realized he was not that much taller than the mysterious girl. Once he had drawn to his full height, her laughing subsided so fast, like someone had spun the volume dial on low. She looked up at him and she suddenly backed up, almost tripping on an inconspicuous. An obvious gasp escaped her lips, sending a chill down his spine.
Harry found himself gasping as well. He didn't know who she was, but something about her, something rang a bell. Something that made him extremely nauseous. That is when he really did faint.
Meanwhile in Potions, Ron and Hermione were adding three pieces of diligently cut up frogs' legs; or so that was what they were supposed to be doing. Instead, as usual, Hermione was whispering under her breath, guiding Ron and helping him make the potion without blowing his cauldron up. Around the dungeon, various pops of potions in bubbling, heat up cauldrons vibrated off the stone walls.
Snape was pacing up and down the room. When he came near Ron and Hermione, he snapped, "Where is Potter. Is he ill? Or has he simply decided that that thick head of his cannot learn anything more?" Snickers from one side of the room floated up to Ron's ears, causing them to turn a slight red. He could only guess who would laugh at something like that.
Fortunately, they were saved by a sharp knock, knock on the door of the dungeon. Smirking, Snape, swirling his cloak, took large, swift steps to the door. When he opened it, Professor McGonagall, unmoving, said as if on cue, "Good day Professor. On orders of the Headmaster, I must inform you that Mr. Potter is not attending class today due to a sudden illness. Thank you." She ended, her mouth snapping shut into a thin line Strange, Hermione thought. "He seemed fine in Herbology though," Ron murmured to Hermione. Hermione had known Professor McGonagall long enough and well enough to tell that there was something she was keeping from Snap. Something about Harry.
Harry woke up two hours later to see an old face hovering above his. Dumbledore straightened , seeing that Harry was awake. He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So, may I ask the reason you were wandering the forbidden chamber on the fourth floor of the castle? Or were you so tired of mixing potions that you decided to get lost instead?" His smile faded slightly. "How did you get there?"
Harry told Dumbledore everything. Throughout his tale, Dumbledore made no sounds at all, though occasionally nodding, and stroking his never ending beard. When Harry finished, he asked for an explanation. Who was the mysterious girl? What was she? Why wasn't Snape storming into the hospital wing, where Harry was lying, demanding a reason why he had missed class today? Although Harry was glad he hadn't.