The Wonderful Wizard of Awesome

Chapter 3: I Am Dumbledore; Who Are You?

Chapter 3: I Am Dumbledore, Who Are You?

Professor Dumbledore could not sleep a wink that night. Even with a century's worth of knowledge and experience under his belt, he had never expected to meet a wizard from another world altogether.

He gathered his lamp and made his way to the library. "Good evening, Argus. Good evening, Mrs. Norris," he greeted the notorious school caretaker and his cat. "Evenin', Headmaster," Mr. Filch replied in his usual gruff tone. "Off to the library again?"

"I am, Argus. I have a special case to work on, concerning one of my first-year students. She has a strong desire to return home." Mr. Filch grinned in a rather sly manner. "First year student couldn't keep her curiosity in check huh? Pity I wasn't there to catch her first."

"Oh, no, no, Argus. It's not like that. I spoke with her personally before the feast earlier this evening. She told me that she was homesick." Mr. Filch's grin melted, his expression of glee replaced with one of disappointment.

"Unfortunately it's not as simple as getting her back on the train to go home, there is much I must do to ensure she gets home safely. I'm afraid I cannot elaborate further as this is a rather sensitive issue. I hope you understand." Mr. Filch nodded slightly. "I won't keep you then, Headmaster. Enjoy your evenin'."

Dumbledore continued to the library. He immediately headed for the Restricted section. Surely, over the course of a millennium someone had some insight on how to contact other beings from another dimension. He meticulously went through each aisle and each shelf. Even with the culmination of countless generations' worth of arcane knowledge, if cross-dimensional communication was ever achieved, it no doubt had to be one of the most closely-guarded secrets of the wizarding world.

He made mental notes of possible volumes worth looking into, but they were few and far between. He knew in his heart that it was possible. He wouldn't let Jaina down. He couldn't. He would not discover the secret tonight, but he would discover it nonetheless.

The next day, Jaina and Hermione started their first day of classes. Their first class was Potions under Professor Snape. Jaina took an immediate disliking to Snape. "He's not as nice as Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall," she whispered to Hermione. Hermione nodded.

"Silence!" Snape growled toward the cluster of Gryffindors, including Jaina and Hermione. "I will personally assign seats starting tomorrow. Any further disruptions will result in 5 house points lost. And I am always extra keen to discover any Gryffindor offenders. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

A few mumbled uttering of "Yes, sir" or "Yes, Professor" came from the students. Snape rolled his eyes. "For Merlin's sake. Say it like you mean it." The students repeated themselves, more clearly this time. "That's better," Snape said with a look of mild satisfaction. He took a few methodical steps toward the group of Gryffindors.

"Ah, it's the new celebrity. Mister Potter, tell me. Do you, perchance, know the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?" Harry could only give Professor Snape a look of confusion. "I'm sorry sir. I'm not sure." Snape closed his eyes and nodded. "I thought not. A shame." Hermione raised her hand, but Snape completely ignored her. With a devilish smirk, he looked back at the Gryffindor students. "So fame isn't everything, is it, Mister Potter?" Harry could only shake his head, defeated. "For your information, young man, wolfsbane and monkshead are the same plant, which also goes by the term, aconite." He stepped back, eyeballing the entire class. "I suggest that you all copy that one down," he hissed.

Jaina glared at Snape. "Why were you so cold to Harry? That was a very unfair question and you knew it. It's not a crime to not know something, especially with this being the first day of class." Snape then turned his attention to Jaina. "You have some gall, young lady." His face hardened. His voice took a low, menacing tone, but still calm and controlled. "Maybe such insolence is tolerated in House Gryffindor, but I assure you, there will be no place for it in MY classroom." His pallid face flushed with color as he raised his voice. "Do you understand me?" Jaina's eyes filled with tears as she nodded.