I zoned out, thinking of ways to explain or how to get back to my world. Occasionally, McGonagall or Dumbledore would interrupt Harry's account of what happened to ask a question. Dumbledore didn't even glance at me the whole time Harry was talking. Finally, Dumbledore turned to me.
"May - I'm sorry, may I call you May?" I nodded, silent. "May, would you like to tell us your story now? How you got here, where you came from?" I nodded again and took a second to gather my thoughts.
"Okay, this is going to sound very weird, but please hear me out." I looked at Dumbledore and he looked back at me evenly. "All of this is actually happening in a book." I paused before continuing, but didn't lift my eyes to see their expressions. "I was reading this book after supper, and it was the part where you, Harry, entered the maze with Cedric. At really good parts in books, I like to lean in and um..." I trailed away, but took up the sentence again pretty quickly. It was more important for me to get home than leaving out details because they were embarrassing. "Well, I like the smell of books, so that's what I was doing, smelling the book, when the pages rippled and I guess I sort of... fell through the paper. I don't really understand it. But, um, that's what happened." I was still looking down at my hands. Silence. I looked up carefully and saw Dumbledore watching me with amusement. I couldn't tell if Harry believed me, and McGonagall looked disapproving.
The fear of earlier slid back into the pit of my stomach, tightening with every second. What if they didn't believe me? Worse, what if they couldn't help me?
"And that's how I knew what was about to happen before it did." I added, looking at Harry, because still nobody was talking. "And I'd like to go home." I said, more loudly now, turning towards Dumbledore. "Can you help?"
"Oh, yes, it's very simple, really." Dumbledore smiled pleasantly.
"It is?" I was surprised. I expected him to say there was nothing they could do, I'd have to stay here forever, he'd never heard of anything like this before. A surge of relief swept through me, untying my stomach from its knots.
"Of course!" McGonagall interrupted. I turned to her instead. Harry was looking as confused as I was. "There was a prophecy, a long time ago, that said someone like you would come. It didn't say when, but it did say you would save many lives. I was the one who heard it, when I was a little girl, and I've remembered it all these years; I had a feeling it would be important."
I looked across the table and caught Harry's eye, but looked away quickly, trying not to laugh. I had a feeling we were both thinking it was impossible that McGonagall had ever been a little girl.
"Of course, not all prophecies come true." Dumbledore acknowledged.
McGonagall nodded. "But why did you come at this time?"
"You mean, you don't have an idea?" I asked Dumbledore. "You always have an idea!" He shook his head, giving me a look.
"I do have an idea. However, you might be able to explain better than I, May."
"But, sir, what does she mean, 'you always have an idea'?" Harry, asked, looking back and forth between us.
"I'm afraid I am not yet willing to divulge information about that, Harry." Harry still looked confused, but let it go, and I understood that Dumbledore didn't want Harry to know yet; he knew everything but wanted it to stay between me and him. And, since I just prevented Voldemort from returning, Harry might not ever need to know the truth about that certain prophecy. This was so confusing. "Go ahead, May."
"Well, I..." I glanced at Dumbledore, then Harry, then back at Dumbledore, asking if it was okay for him to know the rest. Dumbledore nodded, smiling slightly.
"I just saved the life of Cedric Diggory and prevented Lord Voldemort from rising." I said it all in a rush and glanced at Harry.
"You what?" Harry and McGonagall both looked at me in surprise.
"I had to make a decision."
"What would have happened if you had let me take the Cup?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well, first of all, you would have taken more time to answer the sphinx's riddle, so you would have met up with Cedric and stunned the spider with both of your spells. Then, you would have argued over who should take the Cup and win, so you finally decided to take it together. But it was actually a Portkey, that's why it disappeared like that when you brushed it with your fingers. It would have taken you to the graveyard where Voldemort's father was buried and Wormtail would be there, carrying Voldemort. He would have killed Cedric, because they didn't need him, then he would have trapped you, taken your blood, and resurrected Voldemort. The loyal Death Eaters would have come then, and you would have been in a battle with Voldemort, where you would have won and taken the Cup and Cedric's body back here. Also, Dumbledore," I added, turning to Dumbledore; Harry sure wasn't about to say anything right now. "Professor Moody is actually Bartemius Crouch Jr. He's using Polyjuice Potion and has been for the whole year. He's been helping Voldemort. The real Moody is in the trunk in his office, bottom lock." Dumbledore was the only one who didn't seem surprised by all this information at once.
"Thank you, May. I, of course, had my suspicions." Dumbledore smiled at me, then at Harry. "Well, thank you both for clearing all this up. I think what you need now is some rest. I'm sure you know Miss Granger, May?" I nodded, feeling more comfortable now, and a bit sleepy, too.
Dumbledore nodded. "I thought so. Harry, why don't you lead May to the Gryffindor common room, where she can stay in Miss Granger's dormitory. Not that you don't know the way." He added, winking. Harry got up, said goodnight, and I followed suit. The door was almost closed when I remembered.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir?" I asked, poking my head back into the office to see him sipping his tea. He put down the cup with a clink and smiled at me.
"Yes, May?"
"Won't my parents notice I'm gone?"
"There's no need to be worried. Under these circumstances, no time at all passes in your world while you are here."
I smiled in relief and closed the door, walking with Harry, who had been waiting for me.
As I walked through the hallways of Hogwarts, I had a sudden realization. This is Hogwarts. I am standing in Hogwarts! I looked around me, noticing all the small details in the walls, the rugs, and the people walking past. My stomach filled with excitement. Hogwarts was so much prettier than I thought it would be! I looked out into the grounds through a window we passed, and even though it was dark, I could make out the unyielding gloom of the Forbidden Forest, the swishing branches of the Whomping Willow, the choppy waves of the lake (was that a giant tentacle?), and the warm glow through the windows of Hagrid's cabin. I couldn't wait to explore more tomorrow!
As I climbed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, I realized I forgot to ask Dumbledore what the plan was for getting me home. I would have to do that tomorrow, too.
I stepped into the common room and a hush fell over the place. While we were in Dumbledore's office, the rest of the school had had time to retreat to their common rooms for 'bed'. But really, they were probably all talking about me. I stood awkwardly beside Harry while everyone stared. Harry finally found Hermione and quickly explained who I was and what happened.
I followed her upstairs.
Mutters started up again as the girls' dormitory door shut behind us.
"Thanks for letting me stay in here tonight."
"Oh, it's no problem at all!" Hermione glanced at me, but tried to disguise it.
I knew everyone must be wondering exactly what I was doing here and how I got here, because I sure was. I had no idea how Hermione was acting pretty much normal about it all.
She turned around and started rummaging in the chest beside her bed. "I know I have an extra pair of pyjamas somewhere... oh, where did they go?"
"I've read all about you." I told her, hoping to start a friendly conversation.
"I know, I really must look this up tomorrow, it's so interesting!"
"What's your favourite book?" I asked, hoping it would be something I knew.
"I really couldn't choose. There are just too many!"
"Oh, come on, tell me one that you've read a thousand times. Just one."
Hermione pondered that for a moment, then hesitated. "Matilda by Roald Dahl." She finally answered.
"Hey, I read that!" I exclaimed excitedly. "Why is that your favourite?"
Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable, but told her story anyway. "I first read it when I was a little girl. I thought it would be completely brilliant to be able to move things with your eyes, so I started trying just that. I sat in my room for hours on end and just moved books on and off my bookshelf until I could do it without a thought. I finally showed my parents what I could do, and that's when we discovered that I was a witch."
I gazed at her in amazement. "Wow." I said. "That's a good reason."
Hermione laughed a little. She had given up looking for an extra pair of pyjamas and we were both sitting on her bed now. No one else had entered the dormitory for bed yet. Suddenly remembering something, Hermione sat up straight.
"Oh! I remember where I put them!" Hermione pulled a suitcase out from under the bed and tossed me a folded set of comfortable flannel pyjamas. "Put them on behind this, and then you can get some rest, you must be so tired." I nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"Thank you." I yawned.