A/N: Wow, sorry it's been so long, I know it was less time than my last post but it was a semi-cliffy so it adds to the update withdrawl. Maybe I should just shut up and get on with the show... Maybe the hat will be 'Getting Away With Murder!'

Ha ha ha...Papa Roach...gotta love the bastards

Perdon mi Francais.

Chapter 21: Suspended Animation

"Ow! Damn it!" She held her fingers to her temples, where the pain was centred. "I didn't lie to you!" She spun around, hands glowing, ready to shred the hat into a thousand pieces, but stopped, something was seriously wrong. Right in front of her face, was a large, beautiful, red and gold bird, only half materialized and wrapped in flames, her uncle's phoenix, she knew that. Only problem was, it was stuck in midair, not moving a centimetre. One of her hands stopped glowing and she reached out to touch the bird, but didn't make contact with it.

She spun around to the desk Dumbledore was seated at, but he wasn't moving either. Now she was confused, and a little nervous as well. What could be happening? And why wasn't she stuck like the rest of them.

"You should really take better care of things this old," Said a voice behind her. She turned around again and, looking past the burning phoenix, she saw a man, looking to be only about in his forties, bending over to pick up the old and patched sorting hat, "You can't be certain how much longer they'll be around."

Alana stared at him, what did he think he was doing? She certainly found no reason to trust the man and kept her hands on guard, ready to spell his ass right out of the country if she needed to.

"Who on earth are you?" Alana asked indignantly, moving a little closer to an open window, just in case she needed a quick escape. "And what did you do to him?"

"Who, Albus? He'll be fine." The man shrugged his shoulders and continued dusting off the hat. "So will the rest of them."

"The rest of who?" She cocked her head to the side in exaggerated confusion. The man simply stepped to the side and motioned to the closed door behind him. The lock unlatched and it swung open, revealing Professors McGonagall and Snape, who seemed to be deep in an unpleasant conversation taking in the look on Snape's face, but then again it could be considered an improvement.

"Who are you and what did you do?" Alana demanded. She could handle Albus being stuck, but if this stranger involved people not accustomed to things like this, she would have to take the offensive.

"I think the more appropriate question would be what did I do to you." The man said slyly. He was really getting on her nerves. He grinned mischievously as he put the sorting hat on his head, it was a perfect fit.

"Enough with the cryptic answers." Alana snapped. "Who are you, what did you do, and do you realize that your hat is a big fashion faux pas?"

"Alright, alright. Just put down the fiery hands, it's not judgement day." The man crossed the room and sat in the chair previously occupied by Alana and set a grave look on his face. "They're frozen, sort of. I think muggles call it 'suspended animation'. But they only think of it as a scientific theory. They don't know when they're stuck, unless they have the gift I suppose."

Alana was still on guard, her hands were still up and still flaming and she was casting protection spells left and right so that the Professors wouldn't get hurt and so that the man couldn't leave the office. Now all she had to do is figure out how to unfreeze everyone.

Fat Chance.

"I didn't stick you because I have to have a little talk with you, my dear." He stood up and began wandering around the office, something Alana knew all to well to be a distraction tactic. "I couldn't very well come when everyone was up and about. I think I would frighten most of the better educated persons."

"And why is that?" Alana asked. She may have been suspicious, but she was also very curious.

"Because I've been dead for quite a few hundred years." The man let out a sharp laugh that was unsettling at first but calming after hearing it for a moment. "I think even Albus would be afraid, and you know what a calm person he is."

"Yes I do know that. But I think you should tell me how you're here if you've been dead for so long."

"In due time child, in due time. I think we need to have a little 'heart-to-heart' first. Well, 'heart to shrivelled walnut' is more fitting. My heart hasn't resembled an actual human heart for god only knows how long." The man chuckled again and motioned for Alana to have a seat next to him. "I don't bite you know."

"I don't tend to have conversations with dead things. I usually send them where they belong, back to death." Alana said steely. Two gleaming daggers materialized in her hands and she whipped them at the man's chest, planning to nail him directly in the heart and lung.

Only they didn't hit him. In fact, they slid right through his flesh, leaving no marks, and headed straight towards Dumbledore's head.

"No!" Alana shouted, flinging her arms up into the air. The daggers stopped less than an inch from contact. During the instant it took for the weapons to fly, the man materialized his own sword and changed positions from in front of the desk to directly in front of Alana.

"I can play that game too you know." He snarled, holding the point of the sword to her throat. "I only came to talk and you make an attempt on my would be life. I don't take threats well my dear." His face was inches from hers and she could feel the strange aura his spirit flesh contained. It was like a ghost's skin mixed with the earthy materials used to make a gollum. "Now I think you'd be best off sitting down and closing your mouth. You will hear what I have to say whether you like it or not." He stepped back and gave her a piercing look. He wasn't a threat unless she was, in fact, he was a man much like her uncle, kind and patient until a dangerous situation arose. If she had paid attention in the first place, she would have realized that.

Alana sighed, realizing she had no choice. She bent down an picked up the silver sword from the ground and studied it. It was set with remarkable rubies the size of eggs and she was struck with a sudden epiphany. Her eyes darted to a glass case set on one of the numerous sets of shelves in the office, and it was empty, moments before it had a similar weapon settled in it. She whipped the sword in her hand over to the other side and lo and behold a simple inscription graced the hilt:

Godric Gryffindor

"You've got to be kidding me." Alana mumbled faintly. She sat down just like she was told, but more out of faintness than actual obedience.

"Now listen carefully, I don't have a lot of time. This is an extremely temporary spell and thanks to your inability to trust anyone, I have even less time than I planned."

"Well I'm sorry but I've been raised not to trust if something funny is going on and maybe it's just me but stopping time is a little fishy. Not to mention your complete refusal to give me your name."

"Godric Gryffindor."

"Yeah, got that already." She waved the sword in front of her.

"Yes, well, I spelled it to materialize to me whenever I need it. It obviously still works when I'm dead." He settled himself in the other chair placed in front of Dumbledore's desk and took a deep breath. What he was about to explain was very important and he had to be concise considering his time restriction.

"Listen carefully Alana." He said. Alana didn't even bother to ask how he knew her name. "Things in this world are changing drastically. Tom Riddle, I think you may know him as Voldemort, is back and has more power than he did when he was defeated by Harry Potter. The night he came back, when he used Potter's blood to restore his body, he stole a special trait from Potter he was never meant to have. Thankfully the trait is not active in either person, so for now, there's nothing too serious to worry about. But you see, the find is being held by the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries, and Voldemort knows it. He got a hold of the information regarding it and is trying to find someone who can actually get past the multiple protections guarding the...let's call it a treasure. He's already tried by himself and was seriously injured, but no one on the good side of this war knows that. He tried some dark creatures from this world, the wizarding world that is, as well as some dead creatures from your world."

"What!" Alana shouted, jumping up from her chair. "How could that happen? They don't exist here! He's just like the rest of the wizards, only more thick headed! Why on earth would he have any sort of idea that they're real? How coul-"

"Hush already, let me explain." Gryffindor said calmly, but with a slight edge to his voice. "Voldemort may not be the most open minded person, but he's heard the legends of necromancers and unfortunately they are the kind of creatures he uses to wreak havoc on the world, so naturally he hunted down any possibility found more than one. He has already used multiple necromancers of varying power, all of them perished."

"Well, he may not be the brightest bulb in the bunch but he's done my family a bit of a favour if he offed a few necro-nancies." Alana huffed.

"He realized they wouldn't work though, so he's moved on to hunting Taestai."

"Oh no, that pansy has another thing coming if he thinks he's coming after my family." Alana growled maliciously.

"Yes, I figured as much. I need you to warn your family about this and have them on the lookout for any and all wizards near your home or the village. They should question any of them they find, but not show any signs that they are anything more than the city's local ruffians. If they find any wizards with a skull mark on the upper inside of their left arm, kill them. They aren't innocent, they kill innocence."

"That won't be a problem, especially after I tell them what those things did to Maggie." She tried to hide the pain in her voice, but it came out anyways.

"Good. But there's another thing I need to talk to you about."

"Go ahead, shoot."

"I need your help keeping an eye out for Potter. He's got a lot of people after him and some of them are already inside the school. Make sure he doesn't get hurt."

"I think Harry can take care of himself well enough, sir."

"No. You need to protect each other, as well as...what were their names?... Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. All of you stick together and stay on guard. If they say anything about continuing the D.A., make sure they do it."

"What's the D.A.?"

"I can't tell you everything. Just do as I'm telling you. Try to teach them physical combat. Magic can't do everything when your life is in danger. I'm proof of that. And I think you should go to the nurse after the world is back to normal, you're looking a little pale." Gryffindor smiled and rested his hand over Alana's. "I know this doesn't make any sense, but trust me, it will save you all a lot of trouble in the end. Oh yes, and make sure Harry tells you about his parents and godfather. I think you can help him deal with the loss. See you around." He smiled and his gollum skin melted away, leaving his spirit standing in the middle of the room. His eyes lit up and he actually looked happy and content, unlike most ghosts you see around. He waved goodbye and faded away, leaving Alana sitting in the big office with her statuesque professors.

I wonder if this will wear off soon...

A/N: Will it? Or will she be stuck as the only animate person in the entire...well, not world, that would be too complex for even a ghost to do...maybe the entirety of Hogwarts grounds / surrounding Hogsmeade area? Yeah? No...? Yeah, that'll do...