Reign O'er Me

---

Chapter 23 - Don't Look Away

I once heard you say
If I ever was down you would help me
Now my head's being chewed up;
You pretend that you don't see.

I've always been true,
And I still love you,
So don't look away.
There's a lot you can do
To get me away.
You've got to stay.
Don't look away,
Don't look away.

- Don't Look Away, The Who

---

The Portkey returned them to the center room of the hotel suite. Chris told Ron, who was still holding Ginny, to carry her to her bed; she would join them in a minute. Chris went directly to Snape, who was standing with two men Harry didn't recognize. They were wearing Muggle suits and holding wands; Harry reckoned that these were some of the Aurors Chris had mentioned.

Harry and Hermione followed Ron into the bedroom; Ron very gently lowered his sister onto the bed.

"I'm not fragile china, Ron," Ginny said, managing a grin through her clenched teeth as she settled on the bed.

"Maybe not, but we're not taking any chances," Harry said as he walked around the bed and sat carefully on the other side. He started to reach for Ginny's hand before remembering there was something wrong with her left arm; Chris had done something to immobilize it before they had used the Portkey. "How do you feel?"

"My left arm's numb, my right shoulder is burning and everything else feels like it's been hit by a dozen Bludgers. I'm tired... and a little hungry."

"We can do something about most of that," Chris said as she entered the room. Reaching the bedside, she uncorked a bottle and held it to Ginny's lips. "Drink this. We're going to have to get your arm back into its socket, and this will at least take the edge off. That flak jacket needs to come off, but I think it'll be easier if we do the arm first. Granger, would you see if there's a blanket in that closet?"

Hermione brought the blanket to Chris, who slipped it under and around Ginny's torso with the top edge just under her armpit. She directed Ron and Harry to hold the blanket on Ginny's right side and to hold it firmly while she moved to the other side of the bed and took Ginny's left arm and held it at almost a ninety-degree angle from her body. "Okay, hold the blanket tightly, guys. If it slips, we'll have to start over; and after seeing Ginny in action back there, I don't think either of you want that. Got a good grip?" Ron and Harry nodded. She gripped Ginny's arm above the elbow. "Okay, then, on three.... One..." and then pulled sharply back and guided the arm back into its socket.

"AAAARRGH!!!" Ginny spat out some words that Harry never imagined would be in her vocabulary, and then added, "Dammit, you said on three."

"Didn't want you fighting me," Chris said. "Still hurt?"

"It's sore."

"I'm going to help you move your arm across your chest. We'll go slow and easy; if you feel any more pain than you feel right now, tell me, okay?"

Ginny nodded, and Chris moved her arm up and slowly across her chest, checking several times with Ginny to see if she felt any pain. Chris lowered her arm back down and said, "Everything seems to be where it should be, but try not to move your arm around; we'll need to immobilize it in a bit. Let's get that flak jacket off."

With Harry's help, Chris eased Ginny out of the body armor. She examined the points where the bullets had struck the jacket and commented, "Nothing seems to have penetrated, though a couple of these came pretty close. It must have felt like you were caught between a hammer and an anvil... damn, you were hit three, no, four times in the back, too."

"I think that was the first time," Ginny replied. "It felt like a Bludger; it knocked me down, and that's when I dislocated my arm."

"And you dueled Lucius Malfoy like that," Hermione said.

"It wasn't like I had a lot of choice," Ginny replied.

"At any rate, the back of the jacket held up too," Chris announced. "I want to check your right arm and shoulder." Chris did something with her wand and moved it over Ginny's arm and shoulder. "Good, nothing broken." She muttered another spell, and ran the tip of her wand from Ginny's collar to the hem of her shirtsleeve; the fabric parted and Chris pulled it back, exposing Ginny's shoulder. "This is called 'just a flesh wound' in the trade. Nice clean entry and exit; should heal up pretty quickly with a little help." Chris again waved her wand, and the wounds closed, but remained an angry red. "By this time tomorrow you shouldn't feel anything but a little stiffness."

Next, Chris slit Ginny's shirt down the side and examined the areas where the bullets had slammed into the flak jacket. "No broken ribs; it pays to be young and flexible I guess. There's already some bruising showing, and you'll be all black and blue tomorrow. A good healer should be able to do something about that, but I'm not particularly good with the cosmetic stuff. If it gets uncomfortable..."

"Should you find yourself in pain," Snape said, entering the room, "I have prepared this. Drink one-fourth of this bottle, no more than once every six hours; it should provide several hours' relief, though it will make you drowsy. Potter, a word."

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said, as Harry rose and followed Snape from the room.

Snape led Harry to the center of the center room that was otherwise deserted. "Potter, your sister is somewhat... agitated. I..."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Your presence now would only agitate her further. I believe it would be advisable if she were given both a calming potion and a sleeping draught."

Harry nodded, though puzzled, and asked, "That makes sense. She hasn't had a very good introduction to the wizarding world. But... why ask me?"

"You are her only relative..." Snape's expression was carefully controlled. "And are... legally... adult."

"Whatever you think necessary, professor. I... I trust your judgment." Snape nodded and started to turn away, but Harry continued, "Professor?" Snape turned back toward him. Harry thought he saw a flicker of annoyance pass across his features, but only for an instant; the Potions Master's expression was again carefully controlled. Harry pressed on. "Professor, earlier tonight you and Sirius put aside your differences..."

"Until Jamie was safe..."

"Jamie is NOT safe," Harry said forcefully. "She won't be until Voldemort is dead. But I'd like to do the same thing. Put aside our differences for Jamie's sake. If my Mum picked you as her godfather... I don't want anything... interfering... with that." Harry held out his hand.

Snape looked at him for a long moment, and then extended his hand. They shook hands, briefly but firmly, and Harry said, "Thank you, Professor."

"Now, if you will excuse me, Potter, I must prepare those two potions."

"Certainly, sir."

Harry re-entered the bedroom as Chris was explaining something to Ron, "...good hotel has twenty-four-hour room service. Pick something from the late night menu."

"Late night?" Ron asked.

"Yes, it's about twenty to six; if you don't hurry, you'll be stuck ordering breakfast."

They passed the menu around and placed an order. While they waited, Hermione repaired Ginny's shirt and Chris left briefly and returned with a sling and a brace that she used to immobilize Ginny's arm. Chris had started to check Hermione's arm, which she said had minor cuts and a few splinters from the bullet that had shattered her wand, when Perenelle entered the room. "Is all well here? How is Ginny?"

Chris quickly described what she had found, and Perenelle nodded. "Bon. I must shortly return to a discussion with some of the American officials; Sirius and Charlie are being interviewed at the moment, and, Chris, they are quite impatient to talk with you as well."

"I've got another thirty or forty minutes here," Chris said. "We just placed an order with the kitchen..."

Perenelle laughed and said, "Say no more; I shall set their expectations accordingly. Harry, might I speak with you for a moment?"

Like Snape, she led him to the center room, but took a seat on one of the sofas and motioned for him to do likewise. "I am most proud of what you did a short time ago with Severus. I will confess that you surprised me almost as much as you did Professor Snape. I had feared it would take some time for the two of you..."

"Sirius is incredibly important to me. I couldn't deny Jamie an opportunity for something like that, and if my Mum and Dumbledore both trust him... do you have eyes in the back of your head, too, like Professor Dumbledore?"

Perenelle laughed, then smiled mischievously. "Ah, Harry, who do you think taught him? But what you did was well done indeed. I had intended to talk to you of this, and had hoped to persuade you that Severus needed to be part of Jamie's introduction to our world, and instead, you find an answer better than any I envisioned. But... something is troubling you."

Harry nodded. "You don't miss very much." Perenelle nodded encouragingly and Harry continued, "Maybe a little. I feel a little like I let everyone down; I promised Molly Weasley I'd take care of Ginny, and she's hurt pretty badly. And so are Bill and Professor Lupin... while I spent most of it hiding behind a cement wall and came out without as much as a scratch. And Lucius Malfoy... if I had used a stunner, he would have been captured too..."

Perenelle nodded slowly. "Harry... I want you to think over what Sirius said to you in his letter, and when we return to Grimmauld Place, I want you to read over Sirius' letter again, slowly and carefully. He put most of it much more eloquently than I can. And you did not hide behind a wall; you protected the two who were otherwise defenseless and found a refuge for them out of the line of fire. Is this not our purpose, to first defend our world and our people?

"And I saw what happened when Ginny was dueling Malfoy, how you rushed out without regard for your own safety, and when she faltered, you protected her and got her to safety. You fulfilled your promise to Molly, Harry. And as for Lucius Malfoy..." Perenelle sighed, "even hindsight, alas, is not always perfect. Had you chosen a stunning spell, as Malfoy would have no doubt expected, he might have blocked it and then you might have been faced with dueling him encumbered with Ginny in your arms. Perhaps Malfoy has lived to fight another day, but the important thing is that both you and Ginny are safe. As we have seen tonight, Harry, you have good instincts. I believe that they served you well, both with Severus and in the battle earlier. I can find no fault with your actions."

"Thank you. I just wish I could..." Harry's voice trailed off.

Perenelle nodded understandingly. "Now, I must return to the demands of officialdom. Enjoy your meal, and afterwards, you all need rest. You have been awake for over thirty hours, and weariness can cloud your perspective."

Harry nodded. "Are Bill and Professor Lupin going to be okay?"

"Yes, both are sleeping. And Severus and Joseph are attending to Jamie; no doubt she is fast asleep by now. Now, you are to have no cares other than Ginny for the next twenty-four hours. We are now well guarded and warded here. We will talk further when you wake."

They both stood; Perenelle left the suite and Harry returned to the bedroom. A few minutes later their room service order arrived. After eating, Chris left to find Perenelle and Hermione led a yawning Ron across the suite to the other room. Harry closed the door and then the curtains; it was getting rather bright outside. Ginny had pulled down the covers and moved to the other side of the bed; as he lay beside her she rolled carefully on her side and against him. "Can you get used to me on this side?" she asked. "It might be a few days before I can lie on my other shoulder."

"As long as you're with me, the details aren't important."

"I'm sorry I messed up."

"Messed up? What do you mean, Gin?"

"With Malfoy. If I'd..."

"Gin... you took on a dark wizard, one of Voldemort's top lieutenants, with one arm pulled out of its socket, and you held your own until you were knocked down by gunfire. You have nothing to be sorry for. You were wonderful." Harry laughed quietly for a moment. "You know, I was just on the other end of this conversation with Madam Flamel."

"What did she tell you?"

"Pretty much the same thing I told you. I told her I should have used a stunner on Malfoy, and he said that he might have blocked a stunner - and that trying to duel while carrying the most beautiful girl in the world might not have worked out too well - and that I needed to trust my instincts more. Though I'm still a bit worried about what your Mum will think when she sees you like this."

"I'm fine and in a few days will be no worse for wear. I've certainly hurt worse after Quidditch practice. How's your sister?"

Harry told her about his encounter with Snape. "Madam Flamel said she was asleep, so they must have given her the potions. She's got a lot to adjust to. And her first encounter with wizards wasn't very good."

"The first wizard she met was certainly a prat."

"Draco... any idea what happened to him?"

"Last I saw of him he was heading in the other direction as fast as he could. I don't think he took part in any of it. I think he was as surprised as we were."

"I wonder what he meant about 'all debts being paid'?"

"We'll probably have to find out from your sister. Sirius said there was some sort of fight."

"It still worries me." Harry frowned. "The whole thing worries me... now more that ever. Even Snape is asking me to make decisions about her. I'm not comfortable making decisions for me..."

"Well, that is MY job, you know. I'm supposed to be making your life easier."

"Okay, then, how do I deal with a sister?"

"Well... ask yourself what Ron would do. Then, most of the time, you'd do the exact opposite."

"How do I tell the difference?"

"Well... watch how Bill treats me. Ron can be smothering when he gets protective - especially when I don't want it. Bill... would usually let me go ahead, even when he knew I was wrong, and then he would be there to help me pick up the pieces."

"I think I'd rather just fight Voldemort."

"It won't be that bad... and I'll help. Speaking of fighting, Hermione and Ron seem to have buried the hatchet for the moment."

"I honestly hadn't noticed."

"Ron had a scare when they came back and we weren't here. Hermione said she thought he almost dropped the big one tonight, but then Snape came along and spoiled the moment." Ginny giggled.

"The big one?"

"The L-word, silly. The magic word you said to me back when we were staying on Privet Drive."

"So Ron's finally going to come clean?" Harry chuckled, remembering how Hermione had tugged Ron along. "Well, Hermione certainly didn't let him go back across to the other suite tonight."

Ginny grinned and then yawned. "Think she'll worm it out of him tonight, now that the moment's passed?"

"I'd say she has a good chance. But if she looks less than ecstatically happy when we wake up, we'd better run interference and keep him away from any cute hotel clerks; otherwise, it might be a really long trip home." Ginny yawned again, and Harry kissed her and said, "Let's get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you, too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Let them sleep," someone whispered. "The past few days..." and the voice faded and Harry heard the door softly closed. The room was now almost completely dark other than a dim light from the illuminated clock and a dim glow from around the curtains; he had apparently slept through the day and into the night. He could make out Ginny lying beside him, no longer on her side but on her back. From the sound of her breathing, she was still sleeping.

Harry gently disentangled his arm from under Ginny's hand and quietly slipped out of bed. Pulling his wand from under his pillow, he lit a dim light at its tip for a moment, long enough for him to locate the clothing he had discarded that morning. He slipped into his jeans and pulled his shirt over his head and slipped into the center room as quietly as he could manage.

"It's high time you were up and about, mate," Ron said. "We were beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep through the night." He and Hermione were sitting on one of the sofas; Perenelle was sitting at the table and was writing on a piece of parchment.

"I feel rested," Harry replied. "What time is it? How long did I sleep? How's Jamie?"

"Jamie is still asleep," Perenelle replied. "Like you and Ginny, we thought it best to allow her to sleep as long as possible."

"And it's about ten till eleven," Ron said. "Call it somewhere around seventeen-hour nap. You're lucky you got up now; ten more minutes and you'd be stuck ordering off the late night menu again."

"Ron has discovered the great Muggle contribution to civilization," Hermione said. "Room service."

Harry laughed as Ron handed him the menu. "I'd better order for Ginny, too." Harry was about to pick up the phone to place an order when he heard Ginny calling for him. "Ron, would you order these two for us," he said, pointing. Harry then started toward the bedroom.

"Harry," Perenelle said, "Should she wish, Ginny can take off the sling long enough to shower, but should be very careful with her arm and especially should not lift anything. Afterwards, she should continue to wear the sling, but it will not be necessary to strap down her arm as Chris did last night."

"Okay, and thanks." Harry entered the bedroom; Ginny was sitting on the side of the bed. "Hi there."

"Hi, yourself. I guess I slept a long time."

"We both did. I've only been up a few minutes. I just ordered some food. Want to grab a shower before it comes up?" Harry repeated Perenelle's instructions about the sling.

"I think I'd like that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny and Harry emerged from their room after half an hour. Their meal had just been delivered, and they joined Perenelle at the table. Ron and Hermione also took seats and they all chatted casually as they ate. Perenelle told them that she, Sirius, Charlie, Snape, and Chris had spent most of the day with the American authorities and that all of the others were asleep. Bill and Lupin had been up briefly, but were now sleeping again after Snape had administered a potion. As they finished, Perenelle said, "Harry, your sister awoke a few minutes ago. She has benefited from her rest, as well as a dollop of calming potion; however, as you might imagine, she has many questions and doubts. Are you ready to spend some time with her?"

"As ready as I'm going to be," he replied, shaking his head. "How do I even begin to explain to her how she ended up here, about our parents, and why we show up now after all these years? How do I tell her about our world, and that she's a witch?"

"How did Hagrid tell you?"

Harry smiled as he remembered his first encounter with the wizarding world, "He said, 'Harry, you're a wizard.'"

"You could do worse than to follow his example," Perenelle said. "From the little I have seen thus far of Jamie, she is both blunt and direct; I believe it would be best if you treated her in the same fashion; attempting to conceal or sugarcoat anything will not serve you well. I believe she has even less tolerance than you do for being treated as a champignon, a mushroom."

Harry nodded as Perenelle continued, "It would be best if you and Ginny started alone with her lest we overwhelm her. I shall remain close by, and later, perhaps, we will join you.

Harry nodded again; Ginny took his hand and squeezed. "Okay."

Ron and Hermione withdrew to the bedroom that she and Perenelle shared, and Ginny led Harry to one of the sofas. Perenelle left the room and returned a few moments later with Joe and Jamie. Perenelle guided Jamie to a chair and said, "We're going to give you a chance to get acquainted; should you need us, we will both be nearby." She and Joe left the room; a few moments later Harry heard the door open into her bedroom.

They stared at each other for almost a minute before Jamie quietly asked, "You... you said you're my brother?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "I'm your brother. My name is Harry Potter; I'm about a year and a half older than you."

"And you're my sister?" Jamie asked, turning toward Ginny.

"No... I'm Ginny. Harry and I are... well, together; it's a little hard to explain until you know more about us and our world."

"Your world?"

"The magical world. I'm a wizard, and Ginny is a witch. So were our parents. You're like us; you're a witch."

"That... that's what Joe said... But how can I be? I can't do anything like... like I saw..."

"Has anything ever happened that you couldn't explain?" Harry asked, "Especially when you were upset or angry? Something that nobody could explain?"

"A lot of times. That was why one ever wanted to keep me very long. Strange things always happened."

"We call that accidental magic, Jamie," Harry said.

"Jamie?"

"Sorry. Jamie was the name our parents gave you. I guess it's how I've thought of you since I found out about you a few days ago. Would you rather me call you Lena or something else?"

"I... I'm not sure. I guess you can call me Jamie for now. I may change my mind later, but if that's really my name... I never liked Lena... everyone always remarked how unusual it was."

"Okay." Harry tried to smile encouragingly. "Look, I know how hard it is to have all this thrust on you all at once. It happened to me too when I was eleven. I had no idea there even was a magical world, or that I was a wizard. And finding that out was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

"Are you just saying that?"

"No, he's telling you the truth," Ginny said. "Harry had a pretty tough time of it, too."

"Will you tell me about it?" Jamie asked.

Harry nodded as he gathered his thoughts. "Our parents were killed when I was a year old by a wizard. That attack is where our scars came from. I never even knew that you existed; I was found and taken to live with my mother' s sister, who hated the magical world and magic and everything about it." Harry told her about life with the Dursleys, of the cupboard under the stairs and how he had existed there until his eleventh birthday.

"Sounds like some the foster families I got stuck with, the ones that were only in it for the monthly check. At least I got moved around. Some of them weren't too bad."

"On my eleventh birthday, everything changed," Harry continued. He described the flood of letters that had driven the Dursleys to distraction, then the arrival of Hagrid, the trip to Diagon Alley, and then the trip to Hogwarts. Harry told her about meeting the Weasleys, who had become his adoptive family, and about Ron and Hermione, who had become his best friends. "It was really good finding out that there were other people like me, and that there was a place where I fit in and where I belonged."

Jamie sat thoughtfully for a few minutes before asking, "How did you find out about me?"

"I've... well, I've skipped over a lot of stuff in what I've just told you," Harry said. "I'm not holding back... it's just complicated. I told you that a wizard killed our parents; the reason he did that was because he was trying to kill me. He's tried several times since. One of his followers was captured, and he had found out about you, and he traded that information for... well, I guess protection. The wizard - his name is Voldemort - found out as well - and both of us started searching for you. No matter what, your life has been changed. As long as Voldemort exists, we're both stuck with having to be careful and look over our shoulders. What happened last night is a good example."

"What... what happens to me?" Jamie asked, shuddering.

"I hope you'll want to come home - and yes, it's your home - with us. And to Hogwarts."

"In England?"

"Yes, and Hogwarts is in Scotland."

Jamie shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment. "This... is just a little hard to... even think about. Won't I be out of place? I... don't know any magic... I don't even talk like you, and I don't know anything about England. And if you started Hogwarts at eleven... won't I be impossibly far behind? I've... not been to school much at all in the last few years."

"You won't be out of place," Ginny said. "You're family. There'll be some differences, but a lot of that will be the wizarding world instead of a different country. And you'll have as much - or as little - help as you want and need. And I don't think you'll have much trouble catching up at Hogwarts. There will be a lot of people who will want to help just because of who you are."

"What do you mean?"

"Your parents had a lot of friends, and so does Harry," Ginny replied.

Jamie closed her eyes again and then said, "There's such a lot to get used to... can you show me some magic?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged glances and he replied, "Sure."

There was a knock and Perenelle entered from her bedroom and asked, "Might we join you? Ron and Hermione are quite eager to meet you, Jamie."

Jamie, realizing they were all waiting for her, finally nodded.

Perenelle entered, followed by Ron and Hermione; they took seats and introduced themselves.

"Jamie asked to see some magic," Harry said. "Hermione, you're the best at transfiguration..."

"Hermione's the best witch in our year," Ron said with pride."

"...would you?" Harry said before remembering that Chris had been pulling splinters of Hermione's wand from her arm that morning, "Or I guess you can't..."

"I do have a wand that Chris loaned me," Hermione said. "It has the same type of core, though it feels a little different." She did several simple transfigurations while maintaining a running commentary; Jamie was enthralled. Harry then demonstrated summoning and banishing spells; Ron levitated Hermione and then offered to do the same to Jamie, who hesitantly accepted. Finally Ginny showed her several cosmetic and grooming spells.

"Do you have to use a wand to do magic?" Jamie asked.

"Most wizards need a wand to focus their magical energies," Perenelle replied. "Some wizards, either through raw power or experience are able to do some magic without a wand. Both Nicholas - my husband - and I are able to do many things without a wand. I suppose you might say that we are experienced. Both Harry and Ginny have demonstrated some wandless ability, though I am only aware that Ginny has manifested one spell - at least thus far. But it is considered an unusual skill, and the sign of a powerful witch or wizard."

"How long until, I, er, could learn to use a wand..."

"Would you like to try?" Hermione asked, glancing at Perenelle who nodded slightly. "If you just swish the wand, colored sparks should come out of the end. And it only works if you have some magical ability."

Jamie nodded, perhaps a little hesitantly, as she took the wand. She swished it experimentally; there were no colored sparks, but the glass covering two pictures hanging on the wall shattered into hundreds of pieces.

"It would seem your wand core and Jamie are not compatible," Perenelle observed as Hermione repaired the glass. "Harry, perhaps your wand would prove a better test."

Harry held out his wand to his sister who gingerly accepted it and gave it a halfhearted swish, holding it as far away from herself as possible. A golden glow surrounded the wand as a blaze of colored sparks flew from the end.

"I... I felt that," Jamie whispered.

"That proves it beyond any doubt," Hermione said, grinning. "You're a witch."

"And with quite a bit of potential," Perenelle added.

"Hey, Harry," Ron said. "I wonder if Jamie will be as good as you on a broom?"

"A broom?" Jamie asked, surprised.

Ron launched into a description of brooms, and before long he was talking enthusiastically about Quidditch, which led to a variety of other subjects - the four houses at Hogwarts, the house teams, and the Quidditch cup. When Ron began talking about the Chudley Cannons and Jamie's eyes began to glaze, Hermione interrupted, "I've had about all the Quidditch talk I can take. Jamie, you're still wearing what you had on last night. You and Ginny are about the same size; why don't we leave Ron to bore Harry with Quidditch and find something else for you to wear?"

"I had a backpack with a few things... I'm not sure what happened to it," Jamie said, suddenly looking concerned.

"That's no problem," Ginny said. "I brought a lot more than I needed. And once we're home, we can get you whatever you want. Cm'on."

Laughing, Ginny and Hermione led Jamie from the room.

Once the door to the bedroom closed, Harry asked, "How did I do?"

"Quite well," Perenelle replied. "But it will take some time for her to realize fully the scope of who she is and who you are, and perhaps longer still to accept it. On the surface she appeared open, and perhaps even eager at times, but there is a reserve deep within her that as of yet is untouched. She has been wounded so many times, and has been able to depend only on herself for so long that trust and reliance on anyone else will not come easily for her. But Ginny and Hermione have also done well in establishing their own connections with her and engaging in something as simple - and girlish - as sharing clothes. Your bond-mate and friends do you credit, Harry."

"I still want to see what she can do with a broom," Ron said. "If she's half the natural flier you are, Harry..."

The door to the suite opened, and Snape entered. He looked around, and then said, "I had hoped to find Miss Potter here."

"She and the girls are changing, Severus," Perenelle said. "The may be a few minutes, but they were return soon. Won't you join us?"

Snape hesitated, but walked to the sitting area and chose a chair. "Potter, Weasley."

"Professor."

"Professor."

"Perenelle, if I am not interrupting, perhaps I might use this time while we wait to some advantage?"

"Please, Severus, as you wish."

"Weasley, what are the active ingredients in the Blood-Replenishing Potion?"

"Professor?" Ron replied with a surprised expression.

"As I said on the trip here, if you and Potter intend to attempt NEWT potions, considerable revision is essential. I will not tolerate the two of you - or Miss Granger - slowing down my class. It would be foolish to waste this time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about an hour - a long, excruciating hour from Ron and Harry's point of view - before the three girls emerged. Ginny and Jamie were dressed identically in black jeans and black t-shirts sporting the Gryffindor mascot, and their hair had been styled in similar fashions. Ginny's clothing, particularly the jeans, were a much better and more flattering fit on Jamie. The remaining traces of Jamie's life on the streets and her recent flight had been erased. Harry smiled as he recognized the shirt Ginny had worn the day they had bonded, while Ron's reaction was more pronounced. "Wow!"

At the same time, Snape looked at Perenelle and whispered, "Sondered twines." Perenelle nodded slowly.

"With six brothers," Ginny said with smile, unaware of the exchange between the professors. "I've always wanted a sister, and now I have one." Jamie also appeared to be in good spirits.

When Hermione emerged, she had also been smiling as if pleased with their accomplishments, but her eyes narrowed and her smile faltered as she observed how Ron was watching Jamie and grinning at her. "We've got to get her on a broom, Harry," Ron said. "Soon. I've got a feeling we're looking at two star chasers."

"Perhaps a Slytherin chaser," Snape said. "Miss Potter has shown many of the finest traits of Slytherin House."

"And of Gryffindor, and perhaps the other houses too," Perenelle said. "I dare say the Sorting Hat will have an opinion as well."

"Hi, Uncle Severus," Jamie said.

"Good evening, Jamie," Snape replied, as the three remaining youths stared at him unbelieving, while Perenelle failed to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up. "The Priest suggested this was the appropriate form of address for my position, and so instructed Miss Potter," he added, perhaps a little stiffly. "Of course, the situation will be different at Hogwarts, but for the moment..."

"You will succeed, in spite of yourself, Severus," Perenelle said. "Though I am sure Hermione will be disappointed, perhaps it would be better to continue with the Potions review later. If Jamie is willing, I would like to hear her story."

The three girls had taken seats, Hermione rather pointedly sitting in a chair away from Ron; to her undisguised annoyance, Jamie sat down on the sofa beside Ron. Harry and Ginny exchanged a look, recalling their conversation earlier that morning. It looked as if nothing had happened between Ron and Hermione since they parted, and now the situation was deteriorating again. Ginny shrugged, and Harry shook his head; then he noticed that Perenelle was also watching the byplay closely.

"I'm not sure there's much of a story," Jamie said, looking toward an unoccupied part of the room. "The earliest things I can remember are being shuffled from one foster family to another 'Short Term Care Facility'. I don't think I ever stayed any one place more than a few months. Something would always happen. I guess maybe some of it was what Harry called accidental magic. And I didn't get along very well with other kids, and usually these foster homes, particularly the worst ones, had as many kids as they could get. And no matter what, after a day or two I always seemed to be the odd one out.

"When I was about ten, I was waiting to be picked up by the social worker and moved from one place to another, and I decided I just wasn't going go this time. I slipped out the door, and was actually on my own for about twelve hours before I got caught. I ran away two or three times after that; one time I made it for several days until I tried to hitch a ride with some do-gooder who turned me over to the cops. Then when I was twelve, I tried again, and this time had pretty good luck. I was old enough that it wasn't a big deal for me to be by myself, and I always kept low during school hours. I made it out of the state, and from then on it was easier. I got picked up a few times, but had gotten pretty good about giving them the slip - I think there may have been some accidental magic involved there, too.

"I was working my way towards Florida - it's warm there almost all the time, and there's a lot of kids, so I thought it would be an easy place to blend in and wouldn't be quite so hard in the winter. Sometimes it was pretty tough to find a place to stay at night; sometimes several of us would huddle under a bridge trying to keep warm.

"I knew about the Olympics, and thought this would be a good place to hang out for a few weeks. A lot of tourists, a lot of confusion - I thought it would be easy to get lost in the crowds, and maybe there would be some good pickings. Instead, the cops were trying to get rid of everyone like me.

"Then I got a bad cut on my ankle. I'd been hanging with some other kids near a place called Little Five Points, and early one morning, just about first light, the cops came, trying to round everyone up. I just grabbed some of my stuff, including my shoes, and ran - and got cut on something; it was a pretty clean slice, so it must have been glass or metal or something like that. I kept moving for the next few days, but I was feeling worse and worse. I finally lay down in a doorway, and that's where Joe found me. I guess you know the rest of it. Joe did some stuff to my ankle that got all the yellow crud out, and he was pretty cool. Then he told me that people were looking for me - and about the cop getting killed. I wasn't sure who I could trust... so I ran.

"I walked away from Joe's as fast as I could, hiding behind trees or bushes the best I could any time I heard a car coming. After a while I was about to cross a bridge when I saw a slow-moving train. I'd hopped trains a couple times before, so I thought I'd give it a shot; my leg was already starting to hurt again. I thought maybe this would get me out of Atlanta quickly, but no such luck. The train never moved any faster than it was going when I climbed on; and after running, my ankle really began to ache. And after a few hours, the train stopped. I got out, and heard people coming, so I walked away as fast as I could. When I came to a road, I started back towards the city. I knew if I could get to the downtown area, I could find the Interstate. And not too long after that, you caught up with me."

"How did you meet Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"There were three black dudes beating the crap out of him; one of them had a knife and had cut him," Jamie replied. Ron could be heard muttering something. "You know him and don't like him, do you?"

"He also goes to Hogwarts," Harry replied, watching Snape out of the corner of his eye. "His father is one of the wizards who follow Voldemort, the wizard who killed our parents. We're not friends."

"I had a stick, and I got the drop on them. I hate seeing anyone ganged up on like that. Anyway, I knocked the knife out of the guy's hand that had it, and they weren't ready to mix it up with me when I had the stick. I got this Draco up and moving, and he helped me when my ankle started to give out. He seemed to be okay."

"The only reason he was here was to help his father find you," Ron said.

"What did he say to you just before everything started?" Harry asked.

"He said that he was sorry, and that this was really for the best," Jamie replied.

"Malfoy said that?" Snape demanded.

"Yes," Jamie said. "I didn't know what he meant. I'm still not sure what he meant."

"How is your ankle now?" Perenelle asked, with a warning glance at Harry, Ron, and Snape. It clear that she was intentionally changing the subject.

"Much better. Uncle Severus did something last night as I was falling asleep, and I think it's fine now. No pain, no swelling; you can barely see where the cut was."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why did Mum make... him...Jamie's godfather?" Harry asked Sirius. They were standing on the balcony overlooking the city; the sky was beginning to lighten in the east. Earlier, they - mostly Perenelle and Snape - had questioned Jamie about her childhood; Jamie had also asked many questions about Hogwarts, the wizarding world and their experiences. Sirius had entered just as Jamie was asking Snape a question about his days as a Hogwarts student; but the Potions Master announced that he needed to dispense a potion to Bill Weasley and Lupin, and quickly left the room. Sirius had taken a seat and was introduced to Jamie, who seemed pleased when he told her how much she looked like her mother. Not long after, Ginny had led Jamie back to their bedroom to show her an example of traditional wizarding garb, and Harry had asked Sirius if they could talk for a few minutes. That also had the advantage of leaving Ron and Hermione alone with Perenelle to referee the fight that Hermione seemed to want to provoke.

"I'm not really sure, Harry. Things were pretty confusing then. There were daily attacks, the Death Eaters were growing bolder and bolder to the point they were almost operating openly, and your parents were in the thick of it. I know that something happened with Snape, and that your Mum was in the thick of it, but not a lot more than that. Dumbledore knows, but has refused to say anything about it - both then and now."

"From what you've said about Dad, I'm still a little surprised..."

"I am too... though James at twenty was quite a bit different from what he was at fifteen. And when your Mum wanted something, in the end she usually got it. Has Ginny not taught you that yet?" Sirius asked, grinning.

"Maybe a little... but 'Uncle Severus'?"

Sirius shook his head and sighed. "Is that what she's calling him? I reckon it's not easy on you - even though we've both agreed to a truce - yes, Perenelle told me. I don't know, Harry. I hope it's the right thing and we're not making another mistake."

"I'm not sure he wasn't better the other way. When he first came in, the girls had gone back to get Jamie a change of clothes; and he spent the next hour drilling Ron and me on potions."

"I don't think that was completely his idea, either. But Jamie and Ginny were really something, dressed like that. They could pass for twins. And I hope Jamie stays in Gryffindor colors."

"She's had too much exposure to Slytherin already. You saw how Malfoy..."

Sirius nodded. "But, no harm done."

"I'm not so sure," Harry said, and told him how Jamie had rescued Draco and about his whispered remarks. "I don't like the idea of any connection between them."

"The important thing is that she's here, and in another day or two at most you'll be on the way back home..."

"I'd wondered about that," Harry said. "I thought we would have left at once."

"If it had been up to me, we would have. But the local Aurors wanted a pound of flesh, and we've not quite wrapped it up with them yet. But I'll feel better when the lot of you are back at Grimmauld Place."

"That's twice you've said 'you' instead of 'we'"

"I... I may not go back with you."

"Are you going to level with me this time, Sirius? This is about Portland, isn't it? And it's not about anyone's birthday."

"Harry, I have some loose ends - my own loose ends - to clean up. Stuff that goes back to before Azkaban."

"Then let me go with you."

"Harry... I don't see how. There are too many unknowns; I don't know where it will lead next, or how long, or anything else. Jamie's going to need you, especially at first when you get back. And what I have to do, I've got a better chance of doing alone. I don't know if you've noticed, but you attract a lot of attention."

"You're still a target. Maybe even more so after it gets out what you did to Bellatrix. And we know that Lucius Malfoy and some of the others got away."

"We all do what we have to do. You did in coming here. Would you deny me that?"

"It's not the... Sirius, will you tell me?"

"There's someone I need to find... who was left in the lurch when I ended up in Azkaban. A lot of it - maybe all of it - was my fault. And I have to... know. Can I leave it at that?"

"I wish you wouldn't."

"Harry, we're here, in the open, and walls have ears... or who knows what else. When I went to the Ministry to talk to Peter, Malfoy had one of those blasted ears. The last thing I want to do is put them at risk. Again."

"At least don't go alone."

"I'd thought about asking Lupin to come along, but now..."

Harry nodded reluctantly. "Promise me this at least, that we'll talk again before you go."

"What are you thinking, Harry?"

"I'll tell you then. There's something I want to think about first."

"All right, we'll talk beforehand. I intend to see all of you safely on the way back home before I set off."

"What do you think of Jamie?"

"In some ways, you're opposites. You look a lot like your Dad, except you have your Mum's eyes. And Jamie's the reverse; she looks a lot like your Mum except in the face. Both of you got your facial features from James other than the eyes. She's has to be pretty smart to have made it on her own for as long as she did, but she's pretty scrawny. Molly will fix that in short order."

"If she doesn't fix me first after what happened to Ginny."

"He worries too much, Sirius," Ginny said as she walked out onto the balcony. "Like I've told him, I've been hurt worse playing Quidditch." She moved beside Harry and wrapped her good arm around him.

"Did I tell you that you were absolutely magnificent last night, Ginny?" Sirius asked.

"No, but thank you. I'm only sorry I didn't get that git."

"Where's Jamie?" Harry asked.

"Listening to Ron talk about flying, brooms, and Quidditch. That's why I came out here."

"I'm surprised Hermione didn't come with you," Sirius said.

"She wasn't in the room when we came back, and the door to the other bedroom was closed," Ginny replied. "Madam Flamel had moved to the table; she was talking to someone on her communicator; I think it was Professor McGonagall."

"Did I detect a chill in the air between Ron and Hermione?" Sirius asked.

"Maybe a little," Harry said. "I hope it'll blow over by tomorrow. It usually does."

"If so, it's the first chill I've felt since being here," Sirius said. "Let's go back inside. It's already starting to get hot."

They re-entered the suite. Jamie was sitting near Ron on one of the sofas, listening to him describe how Gryffindor had won the Quidditch cup during the last school year. Perenelle had just set her communicator down on the table, and Harry could see from her expression that something had happened. He walked toward the table, Ginny and Sirius following. "Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

"The Dementor-like attacks have continued and grown worse. Last night a whole village was almost completely wiped out. Minerva has asked that I attempt to get a message through to Brian; when the Confederation is in session, they are incommunicado except for official government channels."

"Why wouldn't Madam Bones contact Professor Dumbledore directly?" Ginny asked.

"These events have been used by our opponents to attack the administration," Perenelle explained. "Already, the Minister has been accused of being Dumbledore's puppet. Calling for his counsel through the official channels would only strengthen their position."

"Politics," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I thought we had put that one behind us."

"The Wizengamot was almost evenly divided," Perenelle said. "Any hint of weakness would only encourage further challenges and obstruction." As they watched, she took a piece of parchment from the table and swiftly wrote several lines. Perenelle then closed her eyes for several moments; as she opened them, Pymander appeared. Perenelle rolled the parchment and held it out to the phoenix, who took it in his beak. "Old friend, if you will, carry this to Nicholas as quickly as you may; but take care that it is done discreetly." The magnificent bird bobbed its head once, and disappeared in a flash of orange fire.

"That's what I call postal service," Chris said from the door. She had arrived just after Pymander appeared. "Certainly a step up from pigeons."

"Take care that Pymander does not hear a comment of that sort," Perenelle said with a smile. "Only a step up from pigeons? You might start finding them everywhere you turned, until you could discern the difference."

"Unfortunately, there's not much chance of that," Chris replied. "We need to do a final interview sometime soon so I can wrap up my paperwork; then I'll see you safely on your way back home... then I guess everything goes back to normal for all of us."

"I'm not sure what normal is," Harry said. "But I would like to talk to you first."

"Sure, kid, what's on your mind?" Chris asked as she followed him into the bedroom.

Harry closed the door behind him and turned toward Chris and asked, "You do - what you do - for hire?"

"Yeah. We call ourselves investigators, private detectives, and some other fancy titles; but when you get right down to it, I'm a mercenary. You got a problem that needs finesse or muscle, or maybe some of both, we're among the best."

"I don't mean your firm, I'm asking about you, individually."

"I'm here on this project, so I guess you can say I'm part of the available pool. It's not what I do most of the time; I usually only go into the field on stuff that's high profile - like you - or when a project has gotten messy. I spend most of my time doing training."

"What if I wanted you - specifically you - to take on a project?"

"I suppose that something could be worked out, though we have a lot of really good people. Hey, you're not trying to hire me away, are you, kid?" Chris asked teasingly.

"Is that a possibility?" Harry asked, his expression serious. "What would it take?"

"Slow down, Harry. Why don't you tell me what you have in mind?"

Harry recounted the conversation he had earlier with Sirius. "I don't want him going off alone, but I suppose he has a point when he says I attract a lot of attention and that I need to be there for Jamie at first. Sirius just took out one of Voldemort's chief lieutenants - one of his favorites by all accounts - he's going to need someone to watch his back. I lost him twice - once to Azkaban, and almost for good in the arch - and it's not going to happen again. Jon Howe - that's the lawyer who hired your firm - said both your firm and your team was the best. I want the best."

"The arch?" Chris asked.

Harry explained, filling in some of the gaps from the reports she had already read about events at the Ministry, and then describing how Sirius had been rescued.

As he talked, Chris sat down on the bed and at the end was shaking her head. "And you would have, wouldn't you? Gone through, if that were the only thing left?" Then, softly, "No one left behind." Chris sat thoughtfully for a moment and then asked, "What do you know about hiring someone, Harry?"

"Not very much. But Jon Howe or someone like him will know all the details. That's the least of the problems."

"It's expensive, Harry, to hire anybody. And I don't come anywhere near as cheap as most. We're not talking about change in a piggy bank."

"I know. And you know I have the means; you seem to have read everything the Prophet and the Quibbler have written, at least recently. I'm one of the largest account holders at Gringotts. I don't particularly care about the money; I do care about the safety of my family and my friends. I'd feel a lot better about Sirius if you were with him. Afterwards - you said you were a trainer - back there when we found Jamie, there were Muggles using guns. This isn't something we know much about; without that flak thing, Ginny might be dead. If Voldemort is going to use Muggles, we need to know how to defend ourselves - and how to fight back."

"What would Albus Dumbledore say if he knew what you were doing?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. "But he's no longer my guardian. This is what I want to do; it's my choice."

Chris looked at him steadily for over a minute before saying, "I need a little time to think this through, Harry. Congratulations, you've taken me totally by surprise, and that doesn't happen very often. Give me a few hours?"

"Sure, as long as you need."

Chris stood up and gave him another long look. "I'm going to slip out here," nodding toward the door into the hallway, "but I'll be back soon with an answer. Fair enough?"

"Fair enough. Thanks, Chris."

Harry returned to the center room as Chris left the suite. Ginny and Sirius looked at him with curiosity, but Harry didn't volunteer anything as he walked around the table and sat down across from Perenelle. "When are we heading home?"

"There are still a few loose ends to be tied up," Perenelle said, smiling. "I believe we shall conclude with the American officials later this afternoon. Both Chris and Severus are of the opinion that Lupin and Bill are able to travel; with luck, we may be able to depart later today. Unfortunately, it appears that our best option for returning home will be the same way we came. Any form of magical transportation is potentially risky, and using a Portkey has other issues. We should know for certain by noon."

"Is several hours in a small plane going to be risky?" Harry asked softly, nodding at Ron and the closed bedroom door.

"It may be," Perenelle replied. She was no longer smiling.

"It's going to be an awful long ride home," Ginny said, shaking her head. "And just yesterday it looked like they finally had it together."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi," Harry said as he entered the bedroom where Hermione had sequestered herself all day. Hermione was sitting at the desk, which was littered with wadded paper and scraps of parchment. She continued writing as if she had not heard Harry speak, just as she had not responded to his knock earlier. He moved closer and called again, "Hermione?"

Hermione jumped. "Oh, Harry! Sorry, you startled me..."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"It's okay, I needed to take a break anyway."

"Are you all right?"

"Harry, I've been working on the permutations of Arithmancy from the prophecy. We're pretty confident of the first part; it's where the numbers begin we're not sure. If we assume..."

"HARRY!!!" Chris shouted from the other room. Suddenly the whole building shook with a roar like thunder.

"In here!" Harry called as he pulled Hermione to her feet and started toward the center room.

Chris appeared in the door for a moment, then. "We have to get out of here! Now!" She turned and started back to the door with Ginny following her. Ron was half-leading, half dragging Jamie toward them. Harry and Hermione entered the center room just in time to see Chris slam the door as a thick swirl of smoke entered. "Dammit! We can't go that way." She cast a locking spell on the door, turned and ran her eyes over them. "Get into the body armor, now; Granger, lose that dress, stat. And get the brooms, the three Firebolts. Move!"

"Jamie... there's no flak..." Harry began.

"She can't fight; you can. Move it, Potter!"

They moved. Chris kept both eyes on the door and a hand on the arm of a trembling Jamie, who looked as if she were looking for someplace to run. A scant two minutes later, they had regrouped in the center room; Ron, Harry, and Ginny held their Firebolts. Ginny, no longer wearing the sling, handed her broom to Chris and stood next to Harry, but Chris had other ideas. "Harry, you're the best flyer and have the strongest shield spell; you take Jamie. Granger, you're with me. Ginny, take the third broom and be careful of your arm; your brother behind..."

"Again! But..." Ron started to object.

"You're such a crybaby, Ron." Hermione said.

Ron glared at her, broom forgotten. "Yeah, like Little Miss Perfect hasn't been sulking all..."

"Stow it!!! Both of you!" Chris demanded. "Only a fool fights in a burning house. Ginny's a seeker, so she's likely the better flyer, and you should have the better defensive skills, so you're tail-gunner. You and Granger watch our six, our backs. If you see anything, yell, and do what you can with your wands... and not to each other. Harry, you lead; Ginny and I'll trail a little behind and to each side and provide cover. We're going to fly out of here and dive hard, then level off about twenty feet or so from the ground- stay above the wires - and break hard right. We're making for a park that will a few blocks ahead and off to the left. There's a Auror group training there with some of their tech counterparts..."

"The others?" Harry asked as he situated Jamie on the broom behind him.

"They were all three floors below." The building shook again, and they could hear shouting somewhere nearby. Chris waved her wand and the door to the balcony slid back. "In the air, now!"

Harry kicked off, flew through the open door and over the rail, and dived as Chris had ordered, with the other two brooms close behind him. Leveling off as he neared the ground, Harry broke right and pushed the Firebolt to its top speed. As they sped past the hotel, Harry heard a thwacking noise behind him and was buffeted by a sudden and unexpected wind. As he craned his neck to look behind him, he heard Chris say, "Oh, shit!" A helicopter was pursuing them.

Chris suddenly yelled, "Jink left!" and Harry heard gunfire from behind them. Lowering his body to the broom, Harry swerved left and urged every bit of speed from the Firebolt, and also moved in an evasive pattern as if being followed by Bludgers. He would occasionally catch a glimpse of Chris and Ginny as they flew a similar pattern, but he dared not turn to look behind him. Jamie was almost crushing his rib cage.

They were now over the park. "Low and fast!" Chris called. "Straight ahead!"

Harry dropped down and wove among the trees; the helicopter was forced to stay above them, but the sporadic gunfire continued. As they raced through the lightly wooded area, Harry could see that they were approaching an open space; risking a glance back, he saw Chris point dead ahead.

As they cleared the last of the trees, Chris pulled even with Harry again and pointed, this time more to the left. Harry could see that there were many people and vehicles where Chris had pointed; he adjusted his course and continued to fly in a zigzag.

They had covered more than half the distance when Harry heard something swoosh beside him; there was a flash, and suddenly the broom was flying out from under him. He hit the ground hard and rolled, then shakily rose to his knees. Jamie was several feet to his right and had started to crawl towards him. Chris and Hermione were behind and to his left; they had been knocked off their broom as well. Chris was struggling to her feet; Hermione was sprawled flat and unmoving.

Ginny was still on her broom, but was braking and turning; Harry could hear shouts and the sound of motors starting from the group on the far side of the meadow. The helicopter had flared and was hovering just above the ground; two figures dressed in black jumped out. One was holding something that looked vaguely like a rifle but larger, a large bulb-like object protruding from its end. The other held a wand and was moving toward them... toward Jamie. Harry saw the rifle-like object pointed directly toward at them... and Chris was standing with the broken shard of a wand in her hand... they spread out, too far apart...

Harry scrambled forward as quickly as he could, trying to move at least even with Chris and Hermione ... but on his knees - he hadn't been quite able to pull himself erect. He was still too far back and they were spread too far apart when he saw a minute movement in the hand of the man holding the weapon. He shouted "PROTEGO!" and tried with all his might to extend his shield in both directions to project Chris, Hermione, and Jamie.

From that moment on, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Harry saw a flame and a plume of smoke appear behind the rifle-thing and something fly toward them at blinding speed and impact his shield somewhere between him and Chris... and it almost held. The blast was deflected away from Chris and Hermione, and none of it reached Jamie, but the shield must have been weakest in the middle around him. Harry was blown back a dozen feet.

Holding on to a thread of consciousness, Harry could hear weapons firing from behind them and could see spells impacting near the two figures from the helicopter. The one who had fired at them had dropped the weapon and was climbing back into the helicopter. The wizard had stopped his advance; Harry saw him point his wand toward Jamie. "Avada Kedavra!" and the green light streaked toward Jamie, who was still on her hands and knees. As he watched, helpless, an orange flame flared and a phoenix appeared. With a trilling note of victory, it interposed itself between Jamie and the killing curse and burst into flames. Ash and something small and round then fell to the ground.

Fawkes, Harry thought. Fawkes had saved the day again. The wizard was scrambling back into the helicopter even as it was taking off; Harry was vaguely aware of Chris standing over him and shouting; the last thing he remembered before everything went black was her pulling his wand from his unresisting hand.