Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Jk Rowling. Doctor Who belongs to BBC.

"It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see. I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamt of." - Vincent Van Gogh (Vincent and the Doctor)

It was a recurring theme at the end of every start of term feast that the characters were always very tired and sleepy, so the Doctor and Donna had agreed to try and talk to the strange girl the next day. So when the time came for classes, the pair jubilantly entered the castle with an undeniable taste of excitement on their lips.

"We'll need to be careful." He commented to Donna. "This is the third book. The one with Sirius Black. The teachers won't take well to unidentified strangers."

She nodded her understanding.

"Doctor, these people..." She trailed off in confusion.

"They're hazy. Filler characters. We need to get to the main characters. Everything will get steadily clearer."

"Like up there." She pointed.

The main staircase and the floors above were noticeably more defined.

"Yes, that's right." The Doctor dropped his voice down to a hush as he observed. The bubble seemed to be growing; the haze was slowly lifting. In what felt to be no time, the Doctor and Donna could see everything in perfect vision.

They watched Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the fourth girl descend the magnificent marble staircase to breakfast.

"We need to find a way to get her away from the others," the Doctor commented.

"How should we go about that?" Donna asked in reply.

In answer, the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and pointed it at the girl's messenger bag. It split open, and books, quill and parchment tumbled out and landed at the base of the stairs.

"Blimey!" They heard her call in surprise. "I wonder how that happened."

"Do you want us to help you clear up?" Hermione called down to her as she sprinted for her books.

"No, it's ok. Save me some hotcakes, and make sure Percy doesn't drink all the coffee, will you?"

"Ok, see you in there." Harry responded as they inched around her.

The girl pulled out a white wand from her pocket and pointed it at her ripped bag.

"Reparo." She muttered. The bag seamlessly flew back together and she started piling her books back inside.

"I took that from the fourth book." The Doctor smiled. "It worked when Harry wanted to talk to Cho." Together, he and Donna made their way toward her.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted the girl. "We're here investigating the escape of Sirius Black." He flashed her the psychic paper.

"You're from the ministry?" She asked. "If you're investigating Black, what are the Dementors for?"

"Protection. Dementors are guards, not investigators." He responded.

The pair of them stood as the girl finished clearing her mess.

"We were hoping we could ask you a couple questions." The doctor continued.

"I don't know anything." She responded, a touch of insult hidden in her voice.

"I know. It's just standard procedure."

"Oh... Well, I guess so."

"Fantastic." The Doctor tucked away his psychic paper.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"What's that got to do with Sirius Black?"

"We need to document everyone that gives a statement." Donna chimed in.

"Lyra."

"Lyra?" The Doctor's eyes widened with excitement. "Like the constellation?"

"Yes. At the side of Draco, means a stringed instrument in Latin." She responded, taken aback by the Doctor's enthusiasm. "Lyra Lestrange."

"Oh, that's a brilliant name!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Oh, wait, did you say Lestrange?" He asked, his jubilance ending nearly as quickly as it came.

"Yes, but I'm surprised you didn't know that, coming from the ministry. Everyone knows my uncle Lucius. He raised me."

"Are you in Gryffindor house?"

"Yes, but what's that got do do with-" Lyra started.

"Mr Black was in Gryffindor house as well."

"Really? Are you implying that I know something? Because I don't." She responded adamantly. "I'm going to have breakfast now. Nice talking to you."

Before the Doctor could get another word in, she twirled on the balls of her feet and surged forward into the great hall.

"That went well." Donna joked.

"Yes." The Doctor replied. "It did. At least we know who she is."

"What next?"

"We go back to the grounds. I know what's relevant about this book. It's the book the Dementors show up in. I don't think it's coincidence we showed up on the same day they made an appearance."

They walked across the grounds in silence for a moment. Donna took the time to appreciate how beautiful the castle really was.

"Why did she get so defensive?" Donna finally implored, hoping to reach some understanding.

"Well, Lyra and Sirius are related. She didn't take it well when we mentioned that he was in the same house as her because she wants to be better than Black. She took the similarities in their stories as a slap in the face, like we were accusing her of aiding him. At this point in the story, they still think he was a bad guy."

"So, she's a good character, then?"

"I believe so. She's definitely a main character. She has a strong role in the story. I just can't figure out why she isn't in the book."

It really didn't take much time to reach the gates to the grounds. Donna kept blinking, adamant that she would never get used to the book haze. The farther from the castle they got, the murkier things seemed to get.

They inched closer to the gates to get a better look at the Dementor, and as they did so, a sense of hopelessness seemed to grip them both. The Doctor especially had a hard time fighting it. Terrible things began running through his head. Among others, the day he executed Gallifrey in the time war and the time he said goodbye to Rose were the moments that stood out to him the most. The pain he recalled was pressing. Both his hearts began palpitating. He had a hard time drawing breath.

Donna began backing up as the Dementor turned toward her. She couldn't see into its face, but she could still tell it was gazing into her very soul. She definitely felt it was a foreboding threat.

"Doctor!" She called out warningly. She turned toward the Doctor to see him slip to the ground, desperate for air. The Dementor began advancing, edging around the gate to get closer to them.

"Doctor!" Donna called again, panic searing through her. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and with immense difficulty, pointed it at the Dementor. It let out a horrible choking sound in response to the sonic blast. It grasped its throat, and with a terrifying croaklike rattle, it managed to screech out.

"You!" It called out as it pointed with its long, pale fingers. "You did this to us!"

It swooped down upon the Doctor with his right hand, and gripped Donna with the other. The Dementor's hands were getting progressively tighter. Donna cried out in pain, whilst the Doctor rummaged through his pockets for something to reverse the situation he found himself in. It would appear that he wasn't quick enough, however, as the two travelers disappeared from the Dementor's hands in a great burst of deep purple light.