Uh oh.
Harry stood with Ginny at the edge of the gathering, listening to an extremely dull old man, who was surely on the verge of becoming a ghost himself, talk about the way Aurors used to be much more effective in 'the old days'. Harry could only assume the old days referred to around 1650.
He was just about to deliver a line he'd been working on for the last fifteen minutes, about how changing times required changing methods, such as for example, people who had lived far too long should eventually take the trouble to die, at some point, when he saw something. Or someone.
There was a girl - a young woman, really - standing not too far away near one of the exit doors. Her costume seemed to be robes that might have been in fashion around thirty years ago. Her red hair was slightly out of place, and she looked... not lost, exactly, but confused and perhaps a little angry.
"I'll... be right back," he said to Ginny, abandoning his half-finished drink on a passing tray and making his way over. By the time he got there, however, the woman had ducked through the door towards the Atrium. Harry kept going. He wasn't sure what it was about her, only that she seemed... familiar... and he felt the strong urge to talk to her.
The Atrium was empty. Except for her. He walked up to her, apparently without her noticing. "Excuse me," he said carefully. "Are you all right?"
He was just about to deliver a line he'd been working on for the last fifteen minutes, about how changing times required changing methods, such as for example, people who had lived far too long should eventually take the trouble to die, at some point, when he saw something. Or someone.
There was a girl - a young woman, really - standing not too far away near one of the exit doors. Her costume seemed to be robes that might have been in fashion around thirty years ago. Her red hair was slightly out of place, and she looked... not lost, exactly, but confused and perhaps a little angry.
"I'll... be right back," he said to Ginny, abandoning his half-finished drink on a passing tray and making his way over. By the time he got there, however, the woman had ducked through the door towards the Atrium. Harry kept going. He wasn't sure what it was about her, only that she seemed... familiar... and he felt the strong urge to talk to her.
The Atrium was empty. Except for her. He walked up to her, apparently without her noticing. "Excuse me," he said carefully. "Are you all right?"