In Times of Trial

Chapter 2

"Where am I?"

She was quick, sod her. But oh, no! She wasn't getting off the hook that easily.

"Oi! You come running in here, wailing like a banshee, and expect me to answer questions for you? No. Doesn't work like that. Who are you?"

Judging by the blank stare on her face, Draco could tell she hadn't been expecting that.

"A banshee? What the hell is a banshee?"

Or maybe, she was just a moron.

"It's this thing that--Just answer the question! Who are you?"

"You answer mine first!"

Was that an American accent?

"I most certainly will not! I want to know who you are, and have every right to, seeing as how it's you that doesn't belong here." Hopefully, the scowl attached to this statement was enough to get his point across.

"Well... I asked first!"

Apparently not.

"Fine, a compromise. I ask a question, you ask a question."

"Fine."

"So who are you?"

"My name is--"

"Why Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

Perfect. Now Dumbledore was back. Damn, now he wouldn't get any answers.

"Well sir," Draco rose to face the Headmaster, "A Muggle girl happened upon our pleasant little school, and I needed to find out how and why."

"And why, Mr. Malfoy, did you not just give her to a professor to obliviate her and send her right back out?"

"Professor Snape told me to do it."

"So why did you not?"

Even behind Dumbledore's look of pure calm, Draco could read he was becoming frustrated. "Because," he started, "This!"

Draco pulled the girl roughly out of her chair. "Obliviate!" Again, the sparkling spell burst from his wand, hit the girl's midsection, and dropped to floor. A look of very deep contemplation crossed the Headmaster's face. "I didn't understand why it didn't work. Then, I found out about a certain giant snake chasing her to kill her." Draco put a strong emphasis on the words. Dumbledore caught on.

"I see," he said, stroking his beard, "And how long, Miss, have you been able to reflect Magic?" He asked as the girl muttered something else about glitter.

"To what?!" she exclaimed, terror written all over her face.

"Sir," Draco cut in, "She's a Muggle..."

As a response, the Headmaster just gave a small grunt.

"Look, all I wanna know is: what the HELL is going on?!" Clearly, she was very confused. And very American...

***

The old man stared at her. Hard. Tearing through her every wall that she had ever built up. Reading her everything. A light sparkled in his eye. He knew something...

"Please, Miss, feel free to sit and make yourself comfortable," He said as he crossed the room to sit behind the giant desk.

"Sir?" called pretty-boy, "Should I... Leave?"

"No, no, Draco. You may stay if you wish."

'Draco' resumed his old chair.

"Where am I?" Maybel started.

"You are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What happened? I was running one moment, then the next thing I know... All this appeared!"

"It's what we call a ward. It's to keep Muggles," he paused, realizing she had no idea what he was talking about, "Non-magic peoples, out. They're basic wards, one makes you remember something important that you need to do. One makes the castle look broken down. However, once in the castle, anyone can see the grounds for what they really are."

"So... What was all that about in front of the doors back there? With the... Um... Glitter...?"

"Glitter?"

"Yeah, coming out of his stick." She twitched her chin towards the boy.

"Ah. Well, that 'glitter' happens to be magic. And that 'stick' is a wand. Used to conduct magic." He looked amused. Arrogant geezer. "What he was trying to do, was erase your memory of this place so that he could send you out, and you would have no recollection of being here. It's what Wizard's do to keep our world hidden. To keep our world safe."

A long pause followed as Maybel took in the new information.

"So why didn't it work?" Draco's voice cut through the stilled air as paper cuts skin.

"That, Mr. Malfoy, I do not know."

***

Yes he did. He just wouldn't tell anyone until all was proven.

"And now, Miss, perhaps I may ask some questions?"

Finally some good stuff.

"Alright."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Maybe Semper."

"How old are you, Maybel?"

"I'm going to be 17 this upcoming January 13^th."

"Why did you come here, why were you running?"

"I..." She was hesitating. "I was running from this giant snake. It wanted to kill me. I thought I could hide in the rubble."

"Why did it want to kill you?"

"I don't know."

"Maybel, why do you think that Mr. Malfoy's spell didn't work?"

"I... Uh... I suppose because... Well I don't very well know!"

Definitely American.

"Maybel, in your past, has anything strange, anything weird, anything odd ever happened just because you willed it to?"

She hesitated more. "Yes."

"So why do you think Draco's spell did not work?"

"I didn't want it to."

"I think, Ms. Semper, that you possess the ability to perform magic. And I think, somehow we were uninformed, though how still puzzles me. Can you tell me about your background at all?"

"Well. When I was little, I lived in California. My mother died when I was young, my father, um, well, he couldn't take care of me. I was constantly moving from foster home to foster home until I ran away to England. I still don't know what I was hoping to find, but it was better than California."

"Ah. Also, perhaps you can tell me what injuries you have, now? No, no use in trying to hide this, Ms. Semper, I can see them. Draco, will you take the young lady down to the infirmary?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

Draco was shocked. Draco was stunned. What before seemed like such a stupid Muggle was in fact... A witch? Surely a Mudblood?!

* * *

Sitting on the bed, Maybel allowed a frazzled, and confused, looking nurse to prude about fixing her every scratch. Draco remained standing against a wall, scowling like the world was about to end.

Suddenly, the doors to the makeshift hospital opened. A tall, dark, brooding man with pale skin entered, accompanied by a rather dorky looking girl with hair that looked as though it had a mind of it's own. Maybel didn't like the look of this.

Brood-master exchanged a few words with the harried looking nurse, while the dork introduced herself.

"Hullo, Maybel. My name is Hermione Granger, Head Girl here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm here to answer any remaining questions that you may have about the magical world, while Professor Snape," She motioned to Sir Broods-A-Lot, "Does some blood tests."

She was FAR too perky for Maybel's liking. However, she still needed to know what was going on.

"Why does he need blood tests?" Maybel asked as Snape began setting up her arm to draw blood. Her hair seemed to fly in all directions...

"It's so we can see if you have Muggle blood. We hope to know so that we can tell if your parents were Muggles or Magical, or whatever else."

"Please, Miss," rang the dark voice of the man beside her, "Stop fidgeting. I'm only going to draw some blood. It's not like it will be all that painful... Especially compared to a sprained wrist."

"Sprained?" Draco cut in, "What the hell? What were you thinking, standing around without telling anyone about a SPRAINED wrist?" The boy seemed to care more about the fact that she could tolerate pain than anything else. At least, that's what his tone of voice sounded like. Or perhaps it was sarcasm? Was that sarcasm? So hard to tell with the accents...

"Oh hush!" Hermininny apparently didn't get along with Draco. Interesting. "Any other questions?"

"Yes," Maybel replied, trying not to look at the needle Snape was about to use, "When can I leave, when can I get out of here?" He really didn't look like he knew what he was doing...

"Um... You won't be." Came the reply.

"WHAT?!" Maybel jumped from her seat on the bed. The needle slipped, and stabbed her in entirely the wrong place in the arm. "CRAP!" She cried, and pulled it out. Effing world! Get rid of one pain, gain another!

"Will you hold still?" Snape chimed, grabbing Maybel's arm.

Was Draco snickering?

"Well... Headmaster Dumbledore says that... Well... Due to the circumstances... Of the giant snake... Who we aren't prepared to tell you about just yet... It will be safest to keep you here. You know, say you're a transfer student. Have you study magic... Become a full witch."

A full witch? Oh no... How was she going to tell them?

* * *

Hermione watched intently as the girl squirmed even further after being told the news. Snape continued to try and work with her.

"Miss Semper! If you do not stop wiggling about, then you will end up stabbed AGAIN, and it may not be on accident!"

"Look, I can't stay here! You don't understand! I don't know what's going on, but -OW!-" The needle struck home, "Gods that hurt!"

"Oh, isn't that nice? Claims to 'Sprain a wrist', but can't take a little needle?"

"Mr. Malfoy! Hold your tongue, or I shall go after you as well!"

The scene was becoming a little humorous, mused Hermione...

"Look, I don't know anything about magic! All I know, is that when I'm desperate... I guess it just happens! I don't have any materials, or prior knowledge or anything!"

"Don't worry. We've taken care of that. Because you were fortunate to come at the beginning of summer holiday, we'll use all of the holiday to teach you what you've missed in the past six years."

"WHAT?!" The word was becoming a little over used. "A few months, for six years? But! But!"

"According to Dumbledore, you already possess the talent. You'll just have to get used to the words and wand movements and all."

Snape pulled the needle from her arm. Instinctively, she rubbed the tender area with her free hand.

"But, I don't even have a wand."

"Which is why," so Snape had been listening, "Professor Mcgonagall will be escorting you to Diagon Alley tomorrow to buy you a wand, and any other materials you might need."

"Where?"

"A Wizard-shopping place."

"But I haven't any money..." My, how she did look forlorn at that point.

"Don't worry, Maybel. My friend Harry wants to pay for it all."

"Oh bloody hell!" Draco was up by the talking three in a heartbeat, "Bloody Potter always comes to save the bloody day! What is this hero complex he has?!"

"Well... He kind of has been fighting You-Know-Who since he was born. To most Wizards, that makes him a hero."

* * *

"Who?"

But before Maybel could get an answer, the rather large buttocks of a certain Nurse (who looked even more frazzled than before) was suddenly in the face of the young girl on the hospital bed.

"Never you mind that dear!" she called over her shoulder as she started to push the other three away. "Go!" she was saying, "You have your blood sample, you told her the news, now she needs her rest!"

The three obeyed the flustered nurse, and left Maybel sitting on her own.

"Now dear," clucked the nurse in a motherly manner, "You've had quite the day! Time for some rest!" She withdrew her own stick -wand- and said something inaudible to Maybel.

The green glitter hit her mid-chest, but this time it didn't hit the floor. Maybel was suddenly over come with exhaustion, and laid herself down to rest, where sleep overtook her before her head even hit the pillow.