A Final Chance

By: Shadowedhear89

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters.

Chapter Two: Welcome to Hogwarts

After a few moments of my admiring and assessing the school, Harry gently pulled me over to a huge man, and started talking to him. I was so absorbed with the school, and wondering how I was going to make it inside of it, that I didn't pay any attention to their conversation.

I'm not sure how long it was before Harry finally led me away, but most of the students weren't visible. I saw a group of carriages that were beginning to pull away, and Harry cursed under his breath and told me that we needed to run to catch them.

We ran, and just were able to jump into the last carriage. After a few seconds of catching my breath, I noticed that there was only one other person in the carriage, and it was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Draco! I'm sorry that we barged in on you. We almost missed the carriages and this is the last one," I explained to him.

"I noticed," he said, sounding slightly amused.

"Where are your friends?" I asked curiously. Although they seemed like idiots, they seemed pretty loyal to stay by his side.

"I sent them away. I wanted time to think things through. Obviously that's not going to work now," he said coldly, but I could see a glint in his eye that took the edge off of his remark.

"Well, it's not like we knew you were in here or that we had a choice," Harry said bitterly.

Draco's eyes turned cold as he turned his gaze to Harry. "You could have just walked."

Harry opened his mouth to retort but I cut him off. "Harry did you find out where I am supposed to be going?"

He glared at Draco for another moment or so, and then turned to me. "Hagrid said that you are to meet Professor McGonagall when we get to the school, and she is to take you to see Dumbledore."

"Thanks. I don't know what I would have done without you," I told him.

Draco smirked. "You could have just asked yourself. It's not hard, and it's not like you would have missed the big oaf."

"Hagrid is not an oaf," Harry growled.

"Would you guys just stop," I said. I was getting a big headache from coming closer to the school, and their bickering was doing nothing to help it.

"Well he started it," Harry said sounding childish.

"Very mature," Draco drawled and rolled his eyes. He seemed a bit subdued, and I began to worry about him

"Draco…" I started to ask, but suddenly if felt as if a wall fell on me. I felt a tremendous pressure on my body, and the world faded to black for a moment, before the pressure disappeared, but the darkness remained.

I started to panic, not understanding why it was so dark, when I heard Draco mutter, "Lumos," and the carriage lit up by the dim light of his wand. I was lying on the floor of the carriage, and he helped me up with his free hand. "The light went out when you fainted," he told me, looking at me intently.

I nodded at him, and closed my eyes, using my remaining strength to will the light back on. When I opened my eyes, the carriage was once again lit.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked from beside me.

"Yeah, I'm alright now I think." I turned to Draco, who was sitting opposite from me, those beautiful gray orbs studying me intently. "How many more wards are there?" I asked, noticing my voice was a bit hoarse.

"Wards?" Harry asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Magical shields. They are what prevent the school from being attacked. They stop the wizards from apparating in or out, and stop unfriendly spells from hitting the school, while making it undetectable. Most wizards can't even sense them when they are weakened like now for our entrance," Draco told Harry absently, without even his usual trace of arrogance. "It seems as if the rest of them are down, probably in your honor," he told me.

"Thank Merlin," I said, feeling exhausted already.

Draco brushed a few strands of my hair out of my face, and then held my hands. "Do you feel better now?" he asked softly.

"I suppose. I'm just exhausted, and dizzy."

"Here," he said taking what looked like to be a granola bar from his robes. "I know it tastes horrible, but it will make you less dizzy. I can't really do anything from the exhaustion though, that's from the school. They may have to just take you to the infirmary and give you something there."

"What is that?" Harry asked eyeing the bar suspiciously.

"If you must know Potter, it helps clear your head after head injuries, fainting, and stuff like that," Draco told him in a cold voice, his irritation evident.

I ate the bar, which was as horrible as he promised, but it did clear my head and make me feel better.

"Thanks Draco," I told him softly. He just nodded and kept watching me.

"What is going on here? Are you sick are something? Are you going to be okay?" Harry suddenly burst with questions.

I looked at Draco, Do you think I should tell him?

That's up to you. It's your powers, and your risk, he told me.

I nodded, and Draco told me verbally, "Hurry then, we are almost up to the school."

I turned so I could face Harry better. "Well I told you before that I had special powers and gifts. One of them is to be able to sense magic. Everything that is magical, or uses magic gives off a sort of aura. Basically it leaves traces, and I can sense them, feel them. Things that are small, or people, I don't notice too much because I am around them so much. I'd have to concentrate on them in order to sense them. With large concentrations however, it's different. It's like huge pressure waves on me, wearing me down, physically and mentally. Like the ward, it felt like having a brick wall dropped on me. The school is about the same, but slower as we approach it."

"So did this happen at your other schools?" Harry asked, though it did seem like he understood some of what I was telling him.

"No you dimwit," Draco snapped, losing his patience. "Every time magic is used traces are left behind. Hogwarts is one of the oldest schools, and while other schools are cleansed of the magical buildup, Hogwarts feeds off of it. On top of that you have the magical forest, the lake, the animals, and all of the spells and wards Dumbledore has all over the place. It's a huge concentration of magic. Why do you think it is so safe, merely because Dumbledore is here?"

Harry flushed. "Well how was I supposed to know that?" he replied angrily.

"Maybe you should look to your Mudblood friend and read a book," Draco retorted menacingly.

"Would you two stop bickering like kids? We are at the school," I told them as we finally came to a halt. "Draco you leave first. We don't need to be seen together the first night. Who knows who might be watching, and we don't need to start problems already."

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, traces of worry were in his voice. I couldn't help but smile. Under that cold exterior, he wasn't quite as bad as he appeared.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'll talk to you later, I promise."

He nodded and kissed me on the cheek, and then turned to leave, but suddenly turned back to Harry and me. "Potter, if you tell anyone about any of this, You-Know-Who, will be the least of your worries." Then he elegantly stepped out of the carriage.

Harry glared after him for a moment, "How can you be so sure that you can trust him?"

"Well I've known a side of him that you probably have never seen, he his bound to my by magic, and…" I can read his mind, I added telepathically.

I tried to stand up, by the world came out of focus, and I almost fell, but Harry caught me with amazing reflexes. The moment he touched me, I could sense his power, and it gave me a calming feeling, and helped give me strength. "Thanks, I owe you big time," I told him trying to laugh.

"I'm sure you'll make up to me," he said then began to blush furiously, "I mean you can teach me some of your tricks…I mean magic! You can show me some magic!" By the time he finished speaking, he was an amazing scarlet color.

I smiled weakly at him, "Its okay. No problem, I got the easier part of the deal." He seemed to relax some, and helped me out of the carriage.

As we walked up to the school, I felt the pressure become more and more intense. Harry noticed me struggling, and put his arm around me to lend me strength and guide me. Suddenly, I sensed his aura, which was so strong it was almost overwhelming in my current state. I was surprised I didn't notice his magical strength before, but then again my anxiousness did have my powers acting more than a little odd.

We finally made it to the entrance of the school, and were greeted by a very severe looking woman. "You must be Marlene," she said as we approached.

"Yes," I replied, trying to remain standing against the pressure.

"Professor McGonagall, we need to help her. The school is hurting her somehow," Harry told her, panting from supporting my weight for so long and trying to hurry.

"The Headmaster has instructed that you drink this, Marlene. It's supposed to help you," she told me, handing me a goblet.

I took it and drank heavily of the warm bitter liquid that was inside, desperate for something that would help me. Instantly, the pressure was gone, and my strength returned. In fact, I felt better than I did in a really long time. My head was very clear, and I saw everything with an amazingl new clarity. I could see the magical auras surrounding everything, but they appeared not to be effecting me at all. I turned to Professor McGonagall, "Thank you. You have no idea how much better I feel."

"Are you going to be alright now?" Harry asked letting me go.

"Yes, I feel great. Thank you for everything," I said and without thinking, gave him a hug. He stiffened for a moment, then relaxed and returned the gesture.

"You should really be getting to the Great Hall now, Harry," Professor McGonagall told him. "I must take Marlene to see the Headmaster, but I'm sure that you will be able to talk later." Then she turned and entered the school, motioning for me to follow her.

As we walked through the school, it seemed as if we made turn after turn and climbed stairs after stairs to my amazed mind. Of all of the schools I've gone to, none of them could ever compare to Hogwarts. The portraits gazed down upon me with interest, as if wondering who I was and what I was doing in their school. The statues that lined some of the halls were magnificent, and I could see some secret passages with the new sight the potion had gave me. The stair cases moved upon their own accord as walked by them, leading to even more corridors. It was the most beautiful and magical school I had even been in.

After what seemed like a long time, the professor stopped in front of a statue of a gargoyle. "Licorice wands," the professor said, and the gargoyle leapt aside, revealing a spiral staircase. "You may go right up. He is expecting you."

I stood there for a moment, nervous about having to meet with this mysterious headmaster. I had tried to find information on him, but surprisingly I found none. I had no idea what he was like or how to act around him. "Thank you Professor McGonagall," I said before taking a deep breath and starting for the steps.

"Oh, and Marlene," she said stopping me, "Just try to relax. And welcome to Hogwarts, we're glad you're here." I noticed a small glimmer in her eyes, before she turned and walked away.

I gathered my courage, and stepped onto the staircase. It began to move on its own, taking me up, until it stopped in front of a door. I knocked gently, and heard a soft male voice tell me to enter.

I opened the door and looked at the elderly wizard sitting at the desk. "Marlene, it's great to see you here."

"Uncle Albus!" I almost shouted in surprise. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" I ran over to him and hugged him.

He chuckled softly, his blue eyes sparkling as always behind his half moon spectacles. "I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

I felt my jaw drop from surprise. "Why didn't anyone ever tell me? It would have made things quite a bit easier."

"That's precisely why they didn't. I didn't want to make things easier for you, and I didn't want it to influence your decision of coming here."

I rolled my eyes. "Well this explains why you have always insisted that I come here. You just wanted to have me where you could have an eye on me, and so that I would be able to help out. Is this why I could never find any information about the headmaster in any of my books about Hogwarts?"

"Yes I'm afraid so. It took a lot of doing in order to keep that a secret from you. I had to take my name out of all of your books and newspaper articles, and you do have quite a bit of those."

I laughed. "I can't believe this Uncle Albus. Maybe now we will be able to spend some more time together without you always having to run off to work."

His eyes lost their sparkle for a moment. "Marlene, I'm afraid that it won't be that simple. You must never forget that I am the Headmaster and I have a duty here. I still have a lot of work to do, and the time of the final battle is drawing closer. You are here as a student, just like everyone else. I don't want you to go around thinking that you will have special privileges just because I've known you your whole life," he told me, his eyes regaining their glint.

I smiled, "Of course not, Professor Dumbledore, the same rules that apply to everyone else apply to me. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, we have other pressing matters to get to. First of all, there is a bit of a project that I would like for you to help me with."

I thought about it for a second, and then it dawned on me what he must be talking about. "It wouldn't happen to involve teaching a certain raven haired, green eyed, peer of mine would it?"

He chuckled, "I see you have figured out my devious plan. I happen to know that you two have already met, and seem to get along very well. If I'm not mistaken, he was your own Prince Charming."

I felt myself blush. I was about to ask him how he knew, but then thought better of it. All my life, Uncle Albus has been able know exactly what it was that I was doing, almost exactly as I was doing it.

"We must discuss that later. Now we must talk about your powers. As you know, you are more powerful than any other student here and well advanced in your magical abilities. I know you are most comfortable with wandless magic, but we are going to have to make sure you know your spells and how to use your wand."

"What is the point though?" I groaned. "If I can just basically make something happen by thinking about it, why do I need to know the spells?"

"Well what happens if some how you were unable to do wandless magic or just 'think' results? You would want to know your spells then, would you not?"

I sighed, "I suppose so. You are right, as always."

"As I was saying, your powers are still growing, and we must try and keep them secret as long as we can. I have taken the liberty of having a few potions made that will help you with controlling your powers." He pulled three potions of three different colors, red, blue and green, out of his robes, and set them on his desk. "The red one will help control your telepathy. I know that sometimes, you will enter other's minds without trying to do so, which can be very dangerous. It will not prevent you from using your power, but it will restrain it so you won't lose control.

"The blue one is to help prevent magical flares and dilute your other powers. Your will still be very powerful, but you won't be able to hurt anyone if they were to get out of control. I don't think that you would ever hurt anyone, but it is a precaution that we must take.

"The green one is to enable you to get used to the magic of the school. I know that it was overwhelming as you came up here, but this will prevent that once the one you were given at the door wears off. This is not as strong, and you will gradually get weaker and weaker ones until you no longer need them.

"I trust you to take these potions as needed, no more and no less. When you run out, you are to go to the ex-potions teacher Professor Snape, and no one else. Please don't make it a habit of asking him though if you can help it, he has many tasks at hand as well, and wouldn't be too happy to have you running to him every few days to brew extra potions."

I sat there silently absorbing everything he said. "Why would I go to the ex-potions teacher, instead of the current one?" I asked a bit confused.

"Professor Snape and I have an understanding. He is one of the best potions masters, but this year, some of his other talents are required," he answered in his way of never really answering the question.

"Do you understand everything that I have told you?" he asked. I nodded in response. "Good, and of course, if you have any questions…" you know how to find me, he finished in my mind. "I think we should head down to the Great Hall. I'm very hungry, and you have yet to get sorted." I nodded and followed him as he led the way through what hopefully was going to become my new home.