From New Perspectives

Classes began too soon for Harry and Ron. Hermione had returned the previous night before and had been yammering on about several books she gotten for the holiday. Harry decided not to tell her about the Invisibility Cloak, not yet at least. They were currently walking towards Transfiguration when they ran into Irlynn.

"Hi Irlynn," Harry greeted. She looked up as if startled from thought.

"Oh…hi Harry. How was your Christmas?" she replied.

"It was good, thanks. I got presents this year," Harry said.

"What about you?" he added.

"It was…decent. Got some good gifts," she answered before continuing on her way.

"She seems distracted," Hermione commented.

Ron just rolled his eyes at her comment. She seemed even more snobby than before the holidays. The trio reached Transfiguration and took their seats. Professor McGonagall walked in and gave them all a smile.

"I trust you all had a good holiday," she asked. Most of the class nodded their heads. With that she began her lesson. Harry stared down at his notes, trying to make out what he'd just written. For some reason he couldn't focus on the lesson. His mind kept drifting to Gringotts, about what had really happened there. He felt as if it was something he should get involved with.

"Harry," Ron said, nudging his friend in the gut. Harry looked over at the redhead.

"Class is over, come on. We're going to be late for History of Magic," he added.

"Binns won't miss us," Harry muttered. Not far away, Irlynn was packing parchment into her bag, her mind also occupied with more important things than Charms homework. She was trying to figure out if she should try to find her birth mother. She knew it would make things complicated at home but didn't she have a right to know her mother? She was so consumed by her thoughts she nearly walked into Draco Malfoy.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood," he snapped. Irlynn looked at him, anger rising within her. She let her books fall to the floor before pulling out her wand. In one fluid motion she had leveled it at his chest.

"Don't call me that!" she shouted, drawing the attention of a few other students and Professor Flitwick.

"What is going on here?" the diminutive wizard asked, looking up at the two students.

"He called me a Mudblood," Irlynn answered, stowing her wand for fear of using it and getting in trouble.

"She walked into me," Draco protested. Flitwick shook his head.

"That does not mean you may call her inappropriate names, Mr. Malfoy. Ten points from Slytherin," Flitwick replied. Draco let out a grumbled but stalked off, Crabbe and Goyle hot on his heels.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Flitwick asked as he helped Irlynn with her books.

"Yes. Thank you Professor," she answered and hurried on her way. He shook his head before scurrying back to his classroom.

The rest of the day passed by and the trio headed back to the Common Room. They found a spot in the corner near the fireplace and pulled out their books. Ron muttered to himself about hating potions while Hermione immersed herself in her Charms textbook. Harry stared down at the parchment on the table in front of him. He should be doing his Transfiguration homework but he just couldn't shake that feeling that he needed to talk to Hagrid or Dumbledore.

"Hermione?" he asked.

"Humm?" she replied, not looking up from her book.

"What was the Transfiguration homework?" Harry mumbled.

"Didn't you write it down?" she grumbled. He just shook his head. She set her book down and rummaged through her bag, finally finding her notes from class and handing them to him.

"Thanks," he said and copied the assignment down. Even if his mind wanted to wander in other directions, he knew he needed to get the assignment done. McGonagall wasn't above giving detention to her own students. So he spent the next hour struggling through the essay. About the time he finished, Hermione stood up and gathered her things.

"I'm going to turn in. Have a good night," she said.

"Night," both Harry and Ron muttered.

"Are you going to tell her about the Cloak?" Ron hissed so as not to arouse notice from the other students sitting nearby.

"I don't know. Maybe. I uh…I have to go to the library," Harry answered and grabbed his bag from the floor. As quickly as he could he headed out of the Common Room and in the direction of the Entrance Hall. He was going to find Hagrid and try again to get information.

Harry didn't have to go far. He heard the half-giant's booming voice just down a corridor to his left. He stopped at the juncture and took a deep breath. He heard another familiar voice, the Headmaster. It sounded as though they were arguing about something.

"Headmaster, I swear it's safe," Hagrid said.

"I do not doubt your sincerity, Hagrid. However I believe it necessary to provide…additional protection," Dumbledore explained.

"No one can get by Fluffy. There isn't anyone here who knows how but me," Hagrid protested.

"I am going to ask a few of the Professors to help us, Hagrid. Now please, this will be the end of this," Dumbledore said forcefully. Harry heard Hagrid try and protest again but footsteps silenced him. Harry realized about two seconds before the Headmaster appeared that he was coming that direction. He managed too take a couple steps back before the tall wizard appeared.

"Good evening, Harry," he greeted as if nothing had happened.

"G-good evening, Headmaster," Harry replied. He wasn't about to ask the Headmaster what he and Hagrid had been arguing about. He knew it wasn't polite to eavesdrop.

"Where are you going at this late hour?" the man asked.

"Oh…uh back to my Common Room from the library," Harry lied.

"How strange," Dumbledore muttered.

"Strange, Sir?" Harry asked.

"Well my boy…you see the library is in the exact opposite direction you appear to be travelling in…as is your Common Room," the Headmaster answered with a wink.

"Right," Harry mumbled and turned around. He moved as quickly as his legs would carry him back to the Tower. He hurriedly gave the password and ran up the stairs to the first year boys' dorm. He tossed his schoolbag on the top of his trunk and went searching for nightclothes. He set his glasses on the night table and climbed under the covers.

He tried to will his mind to sleep but he couldn't stop from thinking about what Hagrid had said. What was Fluffy? And how did someone get past it? And what other defenses was Dumbledore thinking about? All of these questions buzzed around in Harry mind for several more hours before pure exhaustion finally won out.

In the library, Irlynn sat sequestered in a corner out of sight. She had been there since dinner and had lost track of time. Several documents and folders of paperwork sat before her. Her parents had allowed her to take copies of all the adoption records with her just in case she wanted to try and find her mother. She let out a slow breath as she reached for her birth certificate. She traced the signature of her mother's name with the tip of her index finger.

"Time to get to work," she sighed and began to try and organize all of the information.

She never knew adoption involved so much paperwork. She opened the first folder and tried to read through it. Her attempt failed. It was written in legal terms that she couldn't even begin to decipher. Instead, she began looking through it, trying to find words or names that would help her in her pursuit. By the end of the night she hadn't found much of interest in the first folder. She jolted in her seat when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Madam Pince standing over her.

"It's after hours dear. You best get back to your Common Room," the librarian said.

"Thank you. Sorry I stayed so late," Irlynn apologized and gathered her things.

"No need to apologize. But best be heading on your way. Don't want you to get in trouble," Madam Pince answered. Irlynn nodded and without another word, she walked out of the library and back towards the Ravenclaw Common Room. Madam Pince watched the girl go and shook her head, heading to bed herself.

Irlynn reached the Common Room without being caught out of bed and slipped through the entrance. The Common Room was eerily quiet as she climbed the stairs to the girls' dorm. She set her things next to the foot of her bed and climbed beneath the covers. She didn't even bother to change into her nightclothes. She was too tired to care. As her subconscious rapidly took over, she couldn't help but think that there had a faster and easier way of finding out the important information in the adoption records without having to ask her parents.