I couldn't sleep. I kept looking at the pictures I now have of Bellatrix, and the pictures I have of Lily and James. Why do the pictures of Lily and James fill me with anger, while the picture of someone I just found fill me with joy? I can see how I resemble the Potters, but the other me looks like Bellatrix. I decided to go back to the mirror. 'I know the book said it can drive men mad, but I'm not a man. I'm a girl. If it drives women mad as well then the book would have used the word people.' I said to myself, a weak justification I know, but I didn't really care at the moment.

I made sure Pansy was asleep and crept out the door and made my way back to the third floor. I entered the room, but the mirror was gone. I slumped down against a wall and started to cry. I didn't hear the door open, or footsteps, but a voice said, "Tissue?"

I shot my head up. Standing in front of me was Professor Dumbledore, holding I white handkerchief out to me. I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and said "No thanks, I'm fine."

"Fine is a relative thing. You know you're not supposed to be in these corridors, or out of bed at this time of night. I haven't heard of any misdoings on your part from any of the professors or prefects, so the fact you're in this room right now makes me think you are not fine." His voice was gentle, and his words indicated wisdom and insight.

"Am I in trouble then?" I asked.

"No, no. You're not in trouble. I am concerned however. The mirror you came looking for, it shows neither truth nor wisdom. It can be quite dangerous, even more so to young minds like yours."

"Then why was it here? Why put something dangerous in a school for students to find?"

"We teach you magic, much of which could be dangerous. But part of growing up is learning how to mitigate that danger. That is why I had the mirror moved. I ask that you do not go looking for it again."

He turned and walked away. Before he reached the door I said, "Professor?" He stopped and turned back to me. "Do you know a woman named Bellatrix Black?"

I caught him off guard. His eyes betrayed him, showing deep regret for just a sliver of a moment. He turned back to the door and said, "That is a name for another time, Miss Potter." And with that he walked out the room and closed the door behind him.

I was reminded of what the sorting hat had said to me about powers at work, and a former student being involved. If Bellatrix Black is my mother, who is my father, and why does the world know me as being the daughter of Lily and James Potter? Since Dumbledore won't tell me anything, I'll ask Professor McGonagall, out of all of the teachers that have been here that long, she's the only one I feel I could ask. I sat alone in the empty room in contemplation for a few minutes before I made my way back to bed.

After transfiguration class I asked Professor McGonagall if I could speak with her privately.

"Of course, Miss Potter." After the last of the other students left, she closed the door. Turning back to me she asked, "So what can I do for you?"

"Well, I've had this recurring dream since as long as I can remember. One of the people in that dream I found looking through previous Hogwarts yearbooks… Bellatrix Black." Her face took a much more serious expression. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything about her."

"Firstly, Miss Potter, you are nothing like that mad woman, I can assure you that. Secondly, it would be highly suspect that you actually had Bellatrix playing a role in your dream. It's more likely that after you saw her picture you are trying to fit her into this dream you've been having."

"Even so, is there anything you can tell me about her? What made her so bad?" I asked.

"There are a lot of things you need not concern yourself with, and she is one of them. I will tell you that she was always a very bright student, but she was a very mean woman who enjoyed hurting other people. Now if you'll excuse me, Miss Potter, I need to prepare for my next class."

I could tell that she was upset, more upset than I've ever seen her. She was trying very hard to hide it, but I could see the pain of loss in her eyes. I decided to not push the topic any further. "Of course, thank you for your time Professor." I said, I left Professor McGonagall's room in a rush. I should have been paying attention to where I was going but I was angry and my mind was clouded with unanswered questions. I didn't see the person in front of me until after we had collided with enough force to knock us both down. It took me a moment to realize what had happened, I just ran into my least favorite teacher, Professor Quirrell, causing him to scatter the parchments he was carrying and half of the contents of my bag into the floor.

"I'm sorry Professor, my mind was elsewhere." I said as I started to gather up and sort out the scattered items.

"Q-q-quite alright, M-m-miss Potter." Professor Quirrell said as he stood up and dusted himself off. "N-n-no damage done. Is there a-a-anything you wish to t-talk about?"

"No not really. Not unless you know anything about a woman named Bellatrix Black." I said as I stood, holding out to him all of his previously scattered parchments. There was a certain air of annoyance and sarcasm in my tone and I mentally braced myself for a dressing down. 

Without saying anything to me at all he simply grabbed the stack of parchments from me and walked off in the direction he had been heading. When he was about five steps away he said, without turning around, "Have a good day, Miss Potter." 

My walk to the Great Hall was much more subdued. After running into Quirrell it seemed like my anxiousness after leaving McGonagall's class had gone and I was left with my thoughts. By the time I arrived in the Great Hall for lunch most everyone was already halfway through with theirs.

"There you are. We were about to form a search party." Pansy said as I sat down.

"I went to talk to Professor McGonagall about something, then literally ran into Quirrell on my way here."

"Ugh." Tracy shivered, then continued, "I can't stand that guy. He creeps me out."

"Yeah. There's something about him that I can't quite place my finger on." I replied, which got nods from both of them.