When I broke the surface the castle was still dark but the birds were making a racket so I guessed it was about six. Soaking wet, I made my way back through the grounds and snuck inside the castle I had made it to the fourth floor before I ran into trouble in the shape of Peeves. Still dripping, I stared around the corner I had hidden behind to see him throwing something at a portrait of an elderly nurse who looked annoyed and was telling Peeves to stop in a voice that seemed far too low for her tiny size.

Crouching down I considered my options. There weren't many. I could either brazen it out and hope that Peeves a.) found me less interesting than terrorising some por nurse (unlikely) and b.) didn't yell for Filch because I was dripping all over the floor (even more unlikely.)

Another option was to wait until Peeves had gone, then head up to change but I decided against this for two reasons. Firstly, the longer I lingered here, the more likely I was to meet Filch or his mangy cat and add a detention to my problems, and secondly, I was freezing. Water may not seem cold to me but wind certainly does and water + wind = Chattering Teeth.

Mine to be precise.

Option three was to send off my little sailing ship to Lily and ask her to bring some dry clothes for me to change into in the girl's bathroom and option four was to send the boat off to Sirius and ask him to distract Peeves long enough for me to sneak by. Both of these options had the same fundament problem. It was six o clock in the morning.

I leant against the wall and rubbed my arms to get the blood going. I was wearing my shoes but, even though they were dry, my feet were wet and felt as though they were about to drop off. Thinking about my predicament wasn't going to help. None of my options looked particularly appealing so I decided to go with the lesser of two evils, barrel past Peeves and hope he didn't notice me. I took a deep breath and pushed myself off the wall with my elbows.

There was a soft grating noise and the wall that had been so obliging as to let me lean on it rolled back, much like the archway in Diagon Alley did. I glanced over my shoulder and gulped. Filch was hurrying up one of the staircases a few floors down, his dumb cat a few steps behind him.

Deciding that of the two, a cold, stone passageway seemed preferable to being on the receiving end of one of Filch's rants, I slipped into the stone passageway and it closed behind me, bricks sliding back into place as if an opening had never been there. I lit my wand and began to climb the stairs.

As I climbed I thought, not about a warm shower and dry clothes or about that days classes, but about what the Mer had told me. I doubled my pace. I needed to get to the Headmaster's office.

-0-

Twenty five minutes later I was sat in front of Professor Dumbledore's desk in dry clothes and with something like a calm expression on my face. He surveyed me as he paced the room, thinking.

"Sir," I said, breaking the silence. "What are we going to do?"

He sat down and put the tips of his fingers together. His bright blue eyes stared at me and I shifting uncomfortably. Even with his kindly smile and half moon spectacles I felt like he was x-raying me.

"I'm not sure." He said finally. "If what the Mer Chief told you is correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is attempting to take Hogwarts then all precautions must be taken to stop him."

"Sir," I paused, not wanting to sound impertinent but at the same time wanting an answer, "How do you know that the Mer Chief ton is telling the truth? I mean, how on earth could he know?"

"An ancient race, Arty, rarely reveals all of its secrets. But on this occasion I can shed some light on the subject. If you will follow me please."

I stood up, wandering what was going on. Dumbledore led me to a small alcove where a stone basin was stood. Strange runes were carved into the edge and behind it stood a glass cabinet filled with tiny vials containing...

"What are those, Sir?" I asked staring at the shifting matter. It looked like smoke yet seemed more solid too and was shifting as though it longed to be free.

"Ahh," He leant over the basin and opened the glass cabinet , tracing his long fingers over each tiny bottle before drawing one out and examining it. "These, are memories."

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Who's memory, Sir?"

"A young student by the name of Lynette Waters. She was slightly younger than you when she gave this memory to my predecessor but in many respects you and she are very similar. For example, both of you had the ability to breathe underwater."

I started. "What?" Someone like me? But that was impossible.

"Oh yes." Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly, "I was a new teacher at that point but Miss Waters confided in me and it was I who brought it to the attention of Professor Dippet. She was a remarkable young witch, very talented at transfiguration actually. Now Miss Di Angelo," He uncorked the vial and tipped the contents into the pensieve where it swirled like ink in water, "if you would care to step inside Miss Waters memory with me, I think you will find it most intuitive."

I took a deep breath then bowed my head over the memory and with a slight tug, like I was overbalancing, I fell headlong into sunlight.