A/N: I am so sorry to everyone for not updating in a long time. With all of my class commitments, work and then finals I just have not had much time to relax period much less write. I will try to write as much as I can over the Christmas holidays to make up for it. Thanks to all of my great readers and reviewers who have stuck with me even though I am a horrible updater. As always I do not own either Harry Potter or Charmed…that goes to two very brilliant women. And now on with chapter 6.
Hogwarts – 7:30 a.m.
Paige awakened to unusual sounds that first morning at Hogwarts, for one thing she was used to waking up to an alarm or one of her sisters yelling at her to wake up saying there were demons attacking, here she was awakened by bells ringing, Paige found it odd that there were bells to wake her up, but figured it was all part of how they lived in the other side of magic…or maybe it was just here at this school that they did that. She didn't know when classes really started but figured that she had better get up and find out after all she should probably follow Harry around to his classes this first day. She still wasn't sure what she would all be doing here, for most charges you just came when you were called but already this was turning out to be a very unusual assignment.
Getting up she quickly took a shower and got dressed into one of her old business casual work clothes that she used to where when she worked for child services in San Francisco before she learned she was a witch. She didn't take anything with her when she left her room she didn't honestly think she would need anything but figured she could always come back if she did. Walking out of the portrait hall she saw students pouring out of the other portrait whole the one with the fat lady on it, the one that led to Gryffindor common room. She looked back at her ancestors portrait who just gave her an encouraging smile and a nod to tell her she was doing ok so far, or at least that's what Paige hopped she was saying. She noticed a red head coming out of the portrait and started to think he was Ron but he was a bit taller, then right after him came another red head who was identical…maybe they were siblings of Ron or at least knew where Harry was at the moment.
"Excuse me…" She said gaining there attention. The twins turned around and looked at each other with a grin and a knowing smile.
"Hello miss…how can we help you? The first one asked who had a look on his face that said pure mischief, his brother Paige was guessing his twin had the exact same look.
"We're the perfect guides; by the way I'm Fred." Fred said smiling taking one of her arms.
"And I'm George and we are happy to do anything to help a new student." George grinned taking her other arm.
"Yes, I can see that I'm Paige Halliwell, and I'm not a student, I'm Harry Potter's new whitelighter. You two wouldn't happen to know him by chance would you?" She asked with a small smile playing along with their game but wrangling her arms out of theirs and turning around to face them.
"Oh…so your Paige…of course we know Harry he's practically another brother to us…and trust me we have lots of brothers." Fred told her.
"Well then, do you happen to know where he is at this moment?" She asked them both."
"Why of course he's in the great hall having breakfast…would you like us to show you the way?" George said.
"As we told you, we're great guides." Fred said grinning ear to ear.
"Yes, thank you." Paige said finally able to get some help out of them, she had been to the great hall last night but didn't remember how to get back, she wondered what the teachers thought of these two. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Ron would you?"
"Why yes, how could you tell…our handsome looks, or our charm? Fred asked as the walked along the corridors.
"No…actually it was the hair." She informed them.
"The hair, always the hair," George said with a scowl, Fred agreed with him but their mood quickly changed back to what it had been before. "You'll probably meet Percy one of our older brothers who goes here…he's nothing like the rest of the family all dull and everything and he actually made something of himself." Fred told her.
"How so?" She asked starting to wonder just how many family members of theirs went here.
"Well…he's head boy…. Or bighead boy." George told her. "Well here we are the great hall, and there's Harry." He said pointing Harry out who was currently eating some breakfast.
"Thank you boys; it has been a pleasure meeting you both." Paige smiled as she walked off leaving the twins in dismay at her not falling for either of them. As she walked into the great hall she started to gain some attention by both the Hufflepuff table and the Slytherin table, obviously her run in with members of both houses had had encounters with her the day before. Of course the Slytherens knew more about her and what her abilities were, and the Hufflepuffs only knew that there was someone knew in the castle who was neither student nor teacher, which rarely ever happened. Then there were the Gryffindor who a lot of them knew who she was and what she was, and a few even knew why she was here. Of course that all had to do with the fact that her charge was in that house and had told his friends and his roommates; Dean, Neville, Seamus, and Ron who knew already. Everyone in the room was curious about her, the teachers included, who all were watching her actions with extreme interest at the head table instead of being interested in their breakfast.
"Hello Harry, how are you doing today?" Paige asked taking a seat at the table sitting next to Hermione and across from Ron and Harry.
"Oh…pretty good I guess, dreading potions later today." He said glumly.
"Oh really, why is that?" She asked.
"Because Professor Snape teaches that class and he hates me." He said getting a piece of toast. Paige nodded remembering her brief meeting with him yesterday, yes he didn't seem like the nicest person around, but he had to be a fair teacher to work here she thought.
"Oh I'm sure he doesn't hate you." Paige said getting some English pastries that she didn't know what they were called; she figured she would try something new while she was here.
"Trust us, he hates Harry, really he hates all Gryffindors." Ron told her. Paige just shook her head not believing them. "Just wait till you see."
"Are you following me around today, or what exactly will you be doing?" Harry asked now wondering what would be happening.
"Oh, I'm not exactly sure myself, I guess I'll follow you around today and see more of the school, normally you would just call me when you were in danger." Paige explained getting some fruit.
Ron looked at Harry, "You know with Professor Snape the way he is you might need some protection in class." Paige just smiled at this comment as they all started to eat breakfast. A few minutes later the sounds of hooting and flapping wings entered the great hall all at once in a huge rush. Paige looked up to the ceiling to see hundreds of birds coming in at one time and dropping everything from letters to packages on the table in front of the students. No one here seems surprised at this at all.
"Um, is this normal?" she asked finishing her breakfast.
"What the owls…yeah, it's our way of getting mail." Paige nodded remembering what Professor McGonagall had told her the night before and she made a note to write to her sisters sometime today. "We don't exactly get a post man out here and besides they would think our mail is quite odd." Harry said smiling knowing exactly what Paige was thinking since he had thought the same thing when he first saw the same sight his first year at Hogwarts.
"Very cool, I didn't know they all came down at once." Paige said as they got up from the table. They were interrupted from leaving however by Professor McGonagall who came up to Paige.
May I have a moment with you?" She asked crisply.
"Yes of course," Paige replied. Harry, Hermione and Ron got the idea that they should wait outside for her.
"I've been talking with Professor Dumbledore and we're not quite sure what you should do here other then protect Harry when he is in danger. Of course were all hoping that he won't be in danger. But I get the sense that Professor Dumbledore has warmed to the idea of having a Whitelighter here to protect everyone. No one knows what the future has in store for us all and it would be a good idea to have a Whitelighter around." Professor McGonagall stopped for a moment and sighed. "Back to my point we both feel that it would be a good idea if for a while you went around to all of Harry's classes and learned a bit more about this side of magic."
"I agree I was thinking of doing that just today, but if you have any other ideas on what you want me to be doing I'd be welcome to any suggestions." Paige said smiling happy to have a professor on her side.
"Good, well for now just follow Harry around get to know him and the other students especially in Gryffindor, and perhaps if teachers ask for your insight on how their particular subject is done on your side of magic give them some suggestions. Really we have no more of an idea of what to do with you then you do." McGonagall said smiling at her. Paige laughed.
"I'm sure I can make myself useful some how." She replied, the Professor said her good byes and Paige went off to join the threesome.
Once Paige joined Harry, Ron and Hermione they started to walk the long walk to the dungeons where Potions was taught. Hermione was telling Paige all about the class and what types of ingredients they used and what they were used for. Paige tried to log it all down in her memory comparing them to similar potions that she had used. Of course most of the potions that they made were to kill demons. As they finally entered the dungeon Paige could see it was dimly lit with potions ingredients to one wall and Professor Snape's desk was in the front of the room, the rest of the room was filled with desks which were almost full now as they arrived.
"Everyone sit down and be quiet." Professor Snape spoke up almost to the point of yelling. Everyone including Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly made it to their desks. "And just what are you doing here." He said addressing Paige as he got up and walked down the row of tables to meet her at the door barring the entrance to the dungeon.
"Professor McGonagall suggested that it would be a good idea if I followed Harry around for the first few days to learn more about this type of magic and to familiarize myself with all the teachers." Paige told him not letting herself be intimidated.
"I see…well I guess for now then you can stay, but if I see you helping even one of them I'm throwing you out." He said as he whipped around and went to the chalkboard to write down ingredients. Paige just slipped into a seat now seeing what Ron and Harry had been talking about, she would at least make sure in this class that he wasn't going to poison one of the students.
Halliwell Manor-1 a.m.
"But Leo what about if we need her here to fight demons." Piper said complaining, this fight had now lasted over an hour and both were tired and in their bedroom while Phoebe was sleeping in her room.
"Well then, I can go over and get her in that case when you need to do a vanquishing, otherwise she is to stay in England." Leo said firmly standing up to his wife.
"It's not the same Leo. We need her here. She's our sister and part of the Power of Three is to be together, were not supposed to be separated for long amounts of time." Piper countered back.
"I know, but in this case the Elders are making an exception to that, and they will try and have other witches in the area help out and take on lesser demons." He said trying to reason.
"What about caring for the boys and helping me with P3, we need her Leo she's family." Piper said re saying the point that she had been saying for most of the night.
"Listen she's not abandoning her family, she's not abandoning her witchly duties or her charmed ones, she's just taking a more active roll as a Whitelighter and this is a very special one in a lifetime assignment. Trust me, most of the Whitelighters wanted this assignment, you should be happy for Paige. Now can we please go to bed before one of the boys wakes us up again?" Leos said now to the point of pleading.
"Fine," Piper reluctantly agreed more about going to sleep because most likely Chris would wake up in an hour and want to be fed. She was still angry especially at the fact that they had no idea where Paige was or how they were going to survive as the Charmed Ones, but especially she was mad at the fact that Leo wasn't telling her all that he knew. Piper sighed turned over and eventually went to sleep mad, angry and wondering how her sister was doing.
A/N: Well that's chapter 6 almost all written in one night. I hope you all enjoyed it and I will try during the winter break to update once a week. Thanks for all of your support and understanding about my busy schedule. Thanks go to my beta reader Leonora, and now please review!