May 18, 1991

Another term was drawing to a close at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A hint of summer scented the breeze with heather and wild roses. The breeze blew through the open windows of Professor Dumbledore's office, where he sat behind his desk. Across from him sat his Potions Master, Severus Snape. Dumbledore inhaled the breeze and sighed happily, which only increased Snape's irritation. This lovely season somewhere between spring and summer always stirred long buried memories, threatening to overwhelm him. He wished for it to pass, although truthfully, he wished all seasons to pass as each bore a reminder of her.

Snape frowned, trying to refocus on what the man across from him was saying. Something about rumors of someone trying to possibly steal the Sorcerer's Stone. But tonight, Lily's memory was floating particularly close to the surface and his focus.

He'd been thinking of her off and on all day. Why exactly, he wasn't sure. For a so-called master Occulmens, his thoughts were exceedingly undisciplined and ragged. He was glad the Dark Lord was no longer a threat, for a day like today would have been a deadly one, had his former master turned his formidable power at Legilmency upon his once trusted servant.

"Severus, have you heard a word I'm saying?" Dumbledore asked, trying to draw the younger man back into the conversation.

"My apologies, Headmaster," Snape offered quietly.

"Thinking of her?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"Why bother? She's long gone, thoughts don't bring a person back," growled Snape as he stood and began to pace. He glanced out the window and noticed a storm starting to roll in.

"Strange," he murmured. "The weather is changing quite rapidly." Dumbledore joined him at the window to observe the winds kicking up and the lightening in the distance. The thunder rumbled, and the older man frowned at the sudden change of the weather. No rain fell, but the electricity in the air was suddenly palpable.

"Something's coming," he said to Snape. Snape was about to comment, but out of the corner of his eye he saw something coming at them, and reacted instantaneously by throwing Dumbledore to the ground to avoid the lightning bolt that flew through the window. The room was light with an eerie purple light, temporarily blinding them both.

When the light faded, both men jumped to their feet, wands drawn. Sprawled in the middle of the room was a young woman. She was casually dressed in Muggle clothes, in jeans and an oversized tee shirt that said UVA Dance Marathon on it. She was barefoot and her hair was swept up in a messy bun, held in place by a clip that nearly blended in with her dark hair. She looked up at Snape and Dumbledore, with her eyes locking onto Snape's and making him gasp.

He'd never in his life seen eyes quite like hers. He supposed he could call them blue, but they were a very light shade of blue, with a much darker ring of navy separating the iris from the whites. They were expressive eyes, filled with emotions that fluttered through them so quickly that if you blinked you might miss one. The first was fear; she was clearly quite frightened, followed by confusion, recognition, and shock. He draw dropped and she looked as if she was witnessing something so utterly unbelievable and inconceivable, like perhaps Voldemort playing happily with Muggle children, or Hagrid dancing in a ballet.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "You're Severus Snape, aren't you?"

"And what business is that of yours?" Snape asked, pointing his wand at her in a threatening manner.

"Now Severus, where are your manners?" Dumbledore chided. The girl turned to him, looking equally surprised.

"Professor Dumbledore?" she gasped.

"Yes, but my dear, I am at a disadvantage. You know our names, but we do not know yours?"

"My name is Danielle Katz, and I think I can help you. But please, could you tell me what year it is?"

Dumbledore and Snape looked at each other, completely baffled by her question. But Dumbledore turned and answered her.

"It's 1991, May 18th to be exact. And how are you here to help?" he asked gently.

"Good. 1991 is good. I can help you because it's 1991. You see, I know everything important that is going to happen over the next seven years," she says.

"Are you a Seer?" Dumbledore questions her, though privately he doubts it because he cannot sense any magic within her.

"No. I'm not a witch, and I know I never will be," Danielle says softly.

"Then how can you claim to know what lies in the future?" Snape sneers at her.

"Because I read a series of books about your world, featuring a boy named Harry Potter, who I believe will start school here in the fall. I love those books, and I know them so well, I can help you prevent terrible things from happening," she explains.

Snape and Dumbledore exchange a confused look.

"Books about things that haven't happened yet?" he asks her in a low, quiet voice.

"Yes. You see, I'm not from your world."