Chapter One

"Hi…" he said, looking at her curiously…

"Hi…" Amelia said still staring at the boy, before realizing what she was doing and broke the connection placing the book on her enormous pile. "Thanks for the help…" She looked around at the almost empty entrance hall, and realized she would definitely be late for the sorting…"Oh my god, I got to go, I need to give these books to my uncle…sorry…" She backed up to an open doorway, eyes never leaving the boy…"See you later…" she said slowly shutting the door, breaking eye contact.

Harry Potter stood there rooted to the spot, staring as the mysterious girl backed away; she shut the door, snapping him out of his daze… "HEY HARRY!" he heard the voice of his best friend Ron Weasley, call. He turned to see Ron and Hermione, standing by the entrance to the great hall. Their hands were laced since they had started going out in the middle of last year, after one particularly interesting argument over the correct way to kill a vampire when Ron had kissed Hermione to shut her up…they had been inseparable since then. "You coming mate!"

Harry nodded numbly before following them in and taking his usual seat at the Gryffindor table. The sorting had gone smoothly, ten students to Hufflepuff, ten to Ravenclaw, Eleven to Slytherin, and Eleven to Gryffindor. Everyone was expecting Professor McGonagall to take the sorting hat away, yet she didn't. Dumbledore stood now, clearing his throat to get the attention of the students. "I have an announcement to make before the sorting is finished. We have a new student who will be joining the 7th year. Her name is Amelia Matthews, you shall all treat her with respect." The students started to whisper among themselves about who this new stranger could be, when Dumbledore cleared his throat again, "She should be here…right…about…now…"

As he finished the double doors at the end of the teacher's table opened to reveal a girl around 5'6", straight brown hair falling slightly below her shoulders, blue eyes glancing nervously from behind thin gray wire rim glasses, around the hall filled with students; Harry immediately recognized her as the girl from the Entrance Hall. She was now bowing her head slightly and looking at the teachers.

"I'm late, aren't I?" She asked in her meek voice.

McGonagall smiled gently, something students didn't believe was possible, and walked over to her, "No you're right on time."

The girl smiled and followed her over to the three-legged stool. She sat down, ankles crosses, hands neatly folded on her lap as the sorting hat was placed on her head.

"Matthews," Amelia heard in side her head.

"Hat" she replied silently.

"Why don't I just put you in Gryffindor and get this over with?"

"Okay, but um…don't you have to look in my head to see where I belong?"

"Amelia, I have known you since you were born, as I have with just about every member of your family, believe me there is nothing in your head that would make me doubt that you belong in Gryffindor. Just remember: dormiens vita."

"What?" she asked, blushing slightly.

"Now that you mention it…I could always put you in Slytherin…"

"NO!" she thought loudly almost jumping out of her seat, but calmed when she heard the hat laughing at her inside her head.

"I'm just kidding…"

"You…"

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. Professor McGonagall took the hat off Amelia's head and she headed over to the Gryffindor table.

She walked down the long isle in between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, looking for an open place to sit, and she found one next to the boy from the hall.

"Hi," she said meekly to him, "Is it okay if I sit here? It doesn't look like there is room elsewhere."

"Sure," Harry nodded, scooting over slightly to make room. "You're the girl from the hall right? The one with the books?"

She nodded as she sat down next to him, "Yeah, I'm Amelia Matthews, you can call me Mia though."

The food appeared just then as Hermione opened her mouth to speak, "I'm Hermione Granger, Head Girl, and the boy over there stuffing his face is Ron Weasley."

She elbowed the red haired boy next to her, "Niph ta medd oh."

Hermione sighed, "And of course, you know Harry Potter."

"Who?" Mia asked shaking her head slightly.

"Me." Harry said.

Mia was about to speak when Hermione beat her to it, "You don't know who Harry Potter is?"

Mia shook her head, "Should I?"

"Well, Yeah!" Ron said after swallowing the food in his mouth, "I mean, he only defeated You-Know-Who…"

"No, I don't know, sorry…" Mia stated trying to figure out what they were talking about.

Harry sighed at their antics, "Lord Voldemort."

Mia looked confused for a moment before it dawned on her, this was the boy her Uncle had mentioned to her. "Oh, him…so you're Harry, my uncle mentioned you."

"Your uncle?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, he told me about how you defeated Lord Voldemort…" Hermione and Ron shuddered and Harry looked shocked that someone other than himself and Dumbledore had actually said his name…but then again she didn't know who Harry was at first.

"That was nice," Harry thought to himself, "Finally no one pining over me or chasing me or staring or pointing…"

"He also said that you um…" she thought for a moment, "found the sorcerer's stone, won the triwizard tournament, and helped free Sirius Black…" she paused, Hermione was frozen, Ron's fork was only half way to his face, while Harry's hands were clenched beneath the table. They knew what would come next; Sirius was a murderer who deserved to die… "That was a good move Harry, I don't think he should have gotten the Dementor's kiss, after all he is innocent." The group looked at her in shock, "What?" she asked, getting nervous. "Did I say something wrong…"

"What did you say?" Harry asked.

"That Sirius Black was innocent, isn't he?" she replied.

"Yes, but why do you think so?"

"Well, I spend my summers here in Hogwarts, catching up on what I missed during the school year, I have to go to a muggle school most of the time, and Professor Lupin always comes to teach me Defense against the Dark Arts, and he told me some stories about what Hogwarts was like when he was here with your father and mother, and Sirius. He told me that Sirius was your dad's best friend, so it never really fit that he would betray them to Voldemort…now Peter Pettigrew on the other hand, he was always a suspicious little character…" She looked at the group, only to see them staring at her. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

Harry was the first to snap out of his stupor, "No! No, you didn't, it's just not many people believe that Sirius is innocent…" his thoughts turned to the events of his fifth year…Sirius laughing…protecting him…falling through the veil…

"You um…didn't mention the Chamber of Secrets, did your uncle not mention it to you?" Hermione asked, seeing Harry's thoughts wander.

"Yes he did," Mia replied.

"Must be pretty awesome to know that Harry discovered the Chamber after fifty years, eh?" Ron questioned, chest swelling with pride at his friend.

"Well, I guess…but it wasn't after fifty years, more like ten…"

"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned.

"I was talking to Myrtle about her time here as a student once when I was seven, she told me about the chamber…so I went down into it and…"

"You couldn't have gone into the Chamber!" Ron shouted in disbelief.

"Why not?" Mia asked, truly not understanding where Ron was coming from.

"Well, Mia, the reason why you couldn't possibly be able to get into the Chamber is that a Parsel-mouth needs to open it…" Hermione stated as simply as she could.

"Yeah, and?"

Then it dawned on Harry, "You're a Parsel-mouth?"

Mia nodded, looking at their shocked faces, "Isn't everyone?" They shook their head, "Oh"

"Harry's a Parsel-mouth, and the only other one I know of is Voldemort…" Ron stated suspiciously.

Harry however actually gave a smile, for the first time in about a year, "Finally someone like me…" he thought

While Hermione and Ron's thoughts were more along the lines of "Who is this girl?"

Dumbledore stood, "And now it is time to retire to our rooms for a good night's sleep, just a few more words," He cleared his throat, "Diddle Gadney Rottem Poot!" And with that he headed out of the teacher's door, followed by the teachers.

The students rose, first years following the prefects; Mia rose too and headed out the doors with the golden trio. She stopped short just outside the Great Hall, "Oh, I need to pick up a book from my uncle, I'll meet you guys back at the common room."

She started to walk away when Hermione called after her, "Wait, don't you need the password?"

"No, the sorting hat told me it," Hermione looked skeptical. Mia sighed, "dormiens vita, right?"

Hermione nodded as Mia headed off. As soon as Mia turned the corner, Ron and Hermione rounded on Harry, "Stay away from her Harry…"

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Mia entered Dumbledore's office, to find him sitting at his desk waiting for her, "Stay away from Harry, Amelia…"

TBC…