A/N: Secrets usually stand for a huge warning of a Mary Sue. But no, Simone isn't and never will be a Mary Sue. Yes she IS hiding something, but hey, one needs to have a plot to be able to write a story! Just trust me on this one: There is NO Mary Sue in this story! Except for Dumbledore, but he always was one :P (may he rest in peace)

Chapter Five - Old Men Like Mirrors

Simon whistled cheerfully, as he groomed his hair. Just a few more weeks, and he'd not only be rich, but powerful as well! How wonderful of Leroy to suggest this. Why had he not thought of this himself! This could bring him all that he wanted.

'Mr. Gibbon,' a voice that could be described as dark and sinister suddenly said.

Simon startled. His reflection had suddenly changed into that of an old man. The man had a large moustache, and tiny, beady eyes. His hair was long and grey.

'John,' Gibbon said breathlessly.

The man in the mirror was about to say something, as if to correct the guy in front of him, but thought the better of it.

'Hadn't expected to hear from you,' Gibbon said, forcing a smile. How he hated 'John'. The man had suddenly showed up in his mirror, about four or five years ago. Introducing himself as Gawain. He'd nearly sent Gibbon into a heart-attack. If Simon hadn't been trained in the ways of wizards, he would have signed himself up to the first psychiatric institute he came across. Good for him that he was one himself.

'I'm from another realm,' Gawain had said, his tone bored. 'It has come to my attention, that there are more connections from my world to your world.'

There had not been a whole lot more to explain. Later on, when Gawain found out about the Harry Potter books, he was strangely intrigued. He had asked Gibbon to give him some, but when they had tried, it had somehow failed. For some reason, it was impossible for the old wizard to step into their world. All he could do was enter his mirror from time to time, to bug Simon about the books. To find ways to get them to their world. Especially the last two of the series. Simon had given up on him after a while. When Gawain requested last time if Simon could not read the sixth book to him, Simon had graciously asked him to fuck off and tried to break his mirror to pieces. But no matter how hard he had pounded, the Mirror had not been willing to break. When he tried to take it off, it didn't budge.

He'd given up on it after a while, and considering that Gawain never returned again, he was convinced that somehow he had scared the old bastard off.

'I want the sixth book,' Gawain said. 'Now.'

'Don't be silly,' Simon said. 'There is no way. We tried it a dozen times.'

'I have found a new way that may possibly work.'

Simon sighed, crossed his arm and leant back against his bathroom wall. 'And what if I don't, I ask you? What do I care?'

'You are negotiating with wizards from my realm,' Gawain said. He wasn't happy, not happy at all. 'You are negotiating with those who are known as Death Eaters.'

'Yes, I am,' Simon said, grinning widely. 'Death Eaters who are a hell of a lot smarter than you are. About two managed to find their way here as well. The others are working hard in finding means of transportation, and they are progressing a lot more than you have in the past years.'

'Those Death Eaters will use the books for the wrong reasons,' Gawain said, frowning. 'They will try to change the future, they will…'

'Why do you want the books if you do not want to do the exact same thing?' Simon interrupted.

Gawain sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, to gather his thoughts and fight back the urge to scream at the annoying man in front of him. 'They will destroy my world. They will destroy my home. I will not allow such a thing to happen.'

'Well then, there is one way to solve it, isn't it, Johnny?' Simon said, grinning widely. 'You make me an offer I can't resist, you find a way to transfer the money, and you'll get all the books you bloody want.'

'How much time do I have?' Gawain asked.

'Oh, somewhere around one month and three weeks, a little more, perhaps. When we have the books in our possession, the bidding is closed.'

'I'll see you then,' Gawain said, and he disappeared.

Fucking asshole, Simon thought. See you then. No, no matter how much that man would offer him, he knew where the books would go. He'd almost settled the deal. Parson was most excited about it as well, although he didn't even know half the deal! That would not only give him money, but power as well. And he could change his world, for good.

Hermione giggled. Ron looked up from his breakfast, to his friend. 'What's so bloody funny?'

Hermione hid her head behind the book.

'Must be a good writer, then,' he said to Harry, who stared at the book with disgust. 'She's been laughing every five minutes.'

'It really is a very good book.' Hermione admitted, before she concentrated on The Philosopher's Stone again.

'I don't like it,' Harry said calmly. 'This entire trip shows how dangerous these books are! I think we should destroy them.'

'Destroy them?' Ron protested. 'What the Hell for? I don't mind them at all. And who knows if there's any risk at all. I know Dumbledore says that they might be bought by Death Eaters, but the chances are just as high that they get sold to Muggles and all will be well. Now, personally, I don't mind that there are books here about m… er… us.'

They were interrupted by a sleepy Simone, who joined their table. 'Good morning everyone,' She said, yawning loudly. She lit a cigarette, pushing her chair back a little so the others would not be bothered by the smoke. Still Hermione managed to find it a nuisance and waved her hands, as if to drive the smoke back. 'How has life been treating you?'

'My father would have a field day here,' Ron said, looking around. 'I've not seen a witch or wizard yet.'

'Yes, this is the most unmagical world you could ever imagine,' the girl agreed.

'You'd think, though,' Hermione said, 'That if this is just another realm, that there should be something such as witches and wizards here as well. Although this is obviously different, shouldn't it have all the same ingredients as ours?'

Simone inhaled deeply, and stared at the group for a while, who were all watching her intently. 'I have not met any,' she said calmly. 'I'd like to believe that our world could be like yours, but it isn't, and it never will.'

Dumbledore seemed to have woken up as well, and sat down by their table. Hermione placed her theory. The Headmaster seemed to think on it for a while. 'We could assume this, yes,' Dumbledore nodded. 'But as of yet, I have never found any prove that could sustain this theory.'

'Indeed,' Simone heartily agreed. 'No witches and wizards here. Just Muggles in this realm.'

She watched Rita Skeeter walk in.

England was coming into view, Dumbledore loudly called on his relief of finally having his feet on solid land again.

'Sir,' Hermione said quietly, 'I don't trust her.'

Simone was standing a few feet away, arguing with her grandmother over her cell, a device everyone in the room had been completely entranced with when they first saw it. 'Can I take one with me for my father?' Ron had asked. Simone'd said that he could, but she wasn't sure if they'd work in their Realm, because of networks. When she had to explain networks, she'd said that it didn't matter, just that the phone would be dead, so the cell would not be of any use.

'You don't?' Dumbledore asked, still not taking his eyes away from the promise of land, a couple of miles away.

'Me neither,' Harry agreed. 'I often get the feeling she's… hiding something.'

'Yeah, how she sometimes changes the subject, when we ask her questions,' Ron nodded.

Dumbledore sighed. 'I have been wondering about many things myself. Among those, her grandmother. She is very protective of her granddaughter. Also, that portals are linked to persons. Why her? Why not someone else?'

Hermione, Ron and Harry waited eagerly for the conclusion.

'The truth is, there could be many reasons. It could be simple. That we are too suspicious, marked by events that have happened in our own lives, that we are simply incapable of trust. We could also be very right. We could guess, and guess and guess some more, but in the end, we will never know for sure, until she trusts us enough to tell us. If it is any conciliation, I don't think her 'secret' will harm us in anyway.'

'But you know what it is, don't you,' Hermione pressed. 'You must!'

Dumbledore smiled, and stretched his arms. 'Almost ashore! I cannot wait. We will rest today and tomorrow we will start to make plans and try to locate Parson and his friends.'

Harry dumped his bag on the bed. He shared a room with Ron. Hermione was in the room next to them, with Rita Skeeter, much to her own pleasure. Dumbledore slept in an office downstairs and Simone was… well… he wasn't sure actually. When they had reached the coast, she'd said she knew some people nearby and that she had already contacted them, they were allowed to stay there as long as they liked.

'Close friends of mine,' she'd explained.

The owners of the house turned out to be two young people in their twenties. They werethe completeopposite from Simone. They seemed relaxed, calm and had a brilliant sense of humour. Unlike Simone, who seemed to be on edge 24/7 and other than the now and then How-Are-You-Doing and discussion about the Two Different Realms, kept her distance.

The three of them spoke in hushed voices for a while. Harry hadexpected them to scream and shout and be surprised about them being here, but like Simone had been the first time she had seen them, they weren't impressed at all. The three friends seemed to disagree about something, but finally they solved the issue and they were welcomed into the house.

One introduced himself as Rob, the other was a beautiful young woman with long brown hair called Lauren.

'I am honoured to meet you, professor,' Lauren'd said, smiling brightly.

After that they had showed them to their rooms, saying that they should rest for an hour, then dinner would be served and they could talk.

TBC