Thicker Than Blood

Harry Potter sighed deeply as he situated himself on the bed in his room at Number Four, Privet Drive in front of his piece of parchment. He tried to concentrate on his Transfiguration essay, but the events of the previous year and the situation with Voldemort weighed heavily on his mind. He had no idea what was happening. Hermione was spending her summer at the Burrow. The letters he received from his friends were filled with shallow conversation although he suspected this was to avoid a leak of information if the letters were intercepted. He had some glimpses as Hermione had sent a few articles from The Daily Prophet.
He was happy to see that Fudge had reluctantly accepted the "possibility" that Voldemort was gaining power. He was even more ecstatic to see Sirius had been cleared of any wrongdoing. Maybe, just maybe, Harry could live with him the following summer. He just hoped that even though the owl post was being watched it wouldn't stop him from receiving birthday cards. Today was July 30th, meaning he would be sixteen tomorrow.
He heard the doorbell ring and glanced at his wristwatch. It was half past five. He groaned. This probably meant they were having guests for cocktails and dinner and he would not be able to eat until after they left. His stomach was already rumbling. He was a bit curious as to who tonight's company was. He left his room and stopped at the top of the staircase. Uncle Vernon was opening the front door with Aunt Petunia and Dudley right behind him. "How can I help you?" Uncle Vernon asked in a brisk tone.

"Mr. Dursley, Mrs. Dursley. My name is Gina Demgard, I work for the Child Services Agency here in Britain and I have come to speak with a Mr. Harry Potter who is believed to be in your custody. Is this correct?" Gina's voice was smooth with an odd accent. Something of a mix between what he guessed was his own native accent and what he recognized from the Tri-Wizard Tournament as French.
"Oh, uh, yes," Uncle Vernon replied, in a more pleasant voice.

"Could I please speak with Mr. Potter?" asked Gina.
"Dudley, fetch your cousin," Aunt Petunia said in a slightly strained voice. "Miss Demgard, would you like a cup of tea?"

"Please," Harry heard Gina respond. He ran back to his bedroom and threw his schoolbooks under his bed as Dudley threw the door open.
"Come downstairs now," Dudley demanded. Harry followed him down the steps and entered the parlor. His eyes widened a bit. A young woman was seated on the couch. She looked very young to be a Child Services agent. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and matching long blazer with a light blue, collared shirt underneath. She had dark brown hair with lighter brown streaks mixed in that was gathered up on top her head. She rose when Harry entered the room and offered her hand to him.

"Harry?" He nodded in response. "My name is Gina Demgard. I'm in charge of your case for the Child Services Agency of Britain."

"Why have you come to see us today?" Petunia asked warily. Gina placed a placating hand on Petunia and she seemed to relax a bit.

"It's my orders to bring Harry back to our offices in London for the remainder of this summer and we will deliver him to the train station for school. Why don't you run up and gather your things?"
Harry began to panic slightly. He didn't mind the idea of the agency (how much worse than here could it possibly be?) but how he would get back to Hogwarts? And why hadn't anyone from the Muggle Ministry ever checked up on him before? Gina gave him a smile and he suddenly felt a wave of acceptance of the situation. Everything, he felt assured, would work out fine. He quickly worked at packing up his trunk and school things. He looked hesitantly at Hedwig. He wanted to bring her with him but could think of no feasible way to do this. He grabbed a scrap of paper and quickly scribbled out a message to Ron. He pried open the window and sent Hedwig off. This was definitely an odd day. Dudley gave Camille what he obviously thought was a flirtatious smile but it made Harry feel queasy. Gina thanked him, her smile faltering slightly. A few minutes later, Gina and Harry were driving along in the red sedan. Despite the uncertainty, he was smiling for the first time in months. It felt great to escape the Dursleys.
Gina glanced into the rearview mirror, checking for something. "Okay, it's all clear. First, I am changing into something a lot more comfortable," the girl announced. Than she looked down at herself and instantly, her clothes changed. She looked much more like a typical Muggle girl in a denim skirt and a white shirt with pink sleeves that came down to her elbows. She reached up, pulled out the hair clip, and allowed her long brown hair fell down her back.
The casual manner in which the girl performed her magic momentarily distracted Harry from Harry had never seen or heard of anyone doing magic without a wand except in highly emotional instances. Gina looked at him.

"Now, do not flip out," she said, placing a hand gently on his arm. Harry jerked away from her quickly.
"You, you, what, how did you do that?" Harry stuttered out a few words as he leaned as far against the car door as possible.
"Yes, but really I am not evil. Look, look," Camille reached across him and opened the glove box to pull out a piece of parchment. "This letter, Dumbledore sent it to me. See, that's his official seal. And he knows that I was retrieving you and he approved. Okay, 'knows' and 'approved' may be a bit strong phrasing. More like had the inkling that I would do this and didn't make a move to stop me. That's more accurate," Gina said. "I would also like to say that the guards you were supposed to have are not doing a very good job because I walked right out of there with you. Dumbledore should have Moody watching you."

"Moody is," Harry answered hesitantly. This was not putting him at ease but he really wasn't sure how he could escape the rather stupid situation he had put himself in. "So Dumbledore knows you, Gina?"
"Very well," she grinned. "And it's not Gina; it's Camille. Gina is a Child Services agent. Camille is a bit rebellious. You would never see Camille working for the government."

"How did you know that I-" Harry started to ask.
"I am brilliant," she said simply. "Your family put us behind. Thank Merlin, I had a little magic ready. Nothing drastic, just a little Relaxation Charm," she rather quickly spouted off. Harry blinked his eyes in confusion.
"We're on a tight schedule. See, there will be a happy reunion but it's going to be ruined in," she glanced at the dashboard clock, "Forty-five minutes when my dad shows up. Questions later. Now, have you ever ridden in a magical vehicle?"
"Yes, the Knight Bus," he answered.
"Brilliant," Camille said. She muttered a spell under her breath and suddenly the car was traveling at top speed. Harry watched as the scenery flew by until the automobile came to a screeching halt in front of...
"The Burrow?" asked Harry.
"Well, what do you know? I can still get here without a map or four-point spell or anything. Brilliant," Camille said. "Why don't you go ahead and run on in?"
Harry was extremely confused and immensely relieved that as reckless as he had been, he ended up somewhere familiar. He hoped that maybe one of the Weasleys could explain it or at least, they could possibly explain Camille. He raced up to the front door and burst in.
"What? Who's there?" said Molly Weasley, turning to him with her wand drawn. Oh my gracious! Harry!" She rushed to his side and gave him a hug.

Harry looked over her shoulder to see Bill, Ginny, and Hermione seated at the kitchen table. Hermione hopped to her feet and threw her arms around Harry as soon as Mrs. Weasley had released him. "What are you doing here?" Hermione cried.

"I'm - I'm not exactly sure," Harry confessed. "I think it's on Dumbledore's orders. I mean, that's what Gina kinda said. Well, not Gina. Her real-"
"Harry, are you feeling all right?" asked Ginny. "Who's Gina?"
"Hello!" called Camille's cheery voice sounded as she approached the door. "Weasleys, are you home?"
Bill and Mrs. Weasley exchanged curious looks and both rose from the table. Mrs. Weasley brought her hand to her mouth in shock. "Camille?" she asked as the girl merrily hugged Mrs. Weasley. Camille pulled back and gave her a grin.

"Awwwk!" Ginny screamed as she threw herself in Camille's arms.
"Oh my God, Gin. How much have you grown up? Very pretty," Camille said.
"Good god, Camille!" said Bill, hugging the girl as well with a huge smile. "I think that you have grown up rather nicely yourself."
She pulled back and looked him up and down with a smile before turning to Mrs. Weasley. "You let him get away with this hair, Molly?" Bill rolled his eyes at her.

"What's all the ruckus?" asked Fred entering the room, George behind him. He quickly answered his own question. "Cami girl! How the hell are you?" he asked, giving her a large hug.
"I'm excellent. Now, let me hug my favorite twin," she said with a sly grin, shaking from Fred's gripe and wrapping her arms around George's neck.

"Ha! I told you, Fred!"

"Where's Arthur?" she asked, glancing around.
"He's working," answered Molly. Her mood changed swiftly and her eyes narrowed at Camille. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Dumbledore said it's okay. We'll talk about it later when my dad undoubtedly shows up in a rage," she answered, dismissing the real question with the flip of her hand. She glanced around the room, looking to inquire about something else when her eyes fell on Hermione. "Hello. I'm Camille. And who might you be?" she asked warmly, holding out her hand.

"I'm Hermione Granger," she answered, cautiously taking her hand. A look of realization dawned on Camille's face.
"Oh." she said slowly, a smile crossing her face. "Yes, I've heard about you. It's excellent to meet you."

"You have?" Hermione asked.
"Really?" said Bill.
"Yes, because Ron writes me five times more often than any of you gits!" she said with a smile.
"Hey, I write at least... once a..." Bill trailed off.

"Year? Well, Ron writes often enough to keep me well informed about all of you," Camille said. "Of course, I always was his favorite. And the feeling is mutual. So, where is he?"
"Oh Merlin! Let me get him!" cried Ginny, racing up the stairs. "He'll be hysterical if he finds out you were here for more than five seconds without us calling him." Her clunking footsteps echoed off the walls and they heard her yelling, "Ron!"
"Oy, Cams, I daresay you're almost as good-looking as the two of us," George said, glancing her up and down.
"Who thought it possible?" she said with a playful grin.
"So you all know Camille?" Harry asked.
"Know Camille? Well, she's practically our - no she is our sister," Fred answered.
"Well, she doesn't think of all of us as brothers," George said with a smirk that Fred and Bill returned.
"Okay, that's enough," Molly said.

"Ugh, I forgot what wankers you all are," Camille groaned.
Hermione looked a little perturbed. "Why is that?" she started to ask when they were interrupted by clamoring down the stairs.
"Gin, what is so important that you have to rip my arm out of the socket?" Ron complained as his feet went from the bottom stair to the floor. He turned to see the family gathered in the kitchen and a smile broke out on his face. "Hey Harry! Glad to see you! What are you doing here? Mum said you wouldn't be here for at least two more weeks."

"Oh and here I am thinking I was your second favorite person in the world!" Camille said, faking a glare and crossing her arms across her chest.
Ron's eyes widened. "Camille!" His jaw dropped as she drew him into a huge hug that he eagerly returned. "What are you doing here?"
"When the hell did you get so tall? Are you trying to make me feel short? Is that the conspiracy? No more growing. Damn."

"Camille," said Mrs. Weasley. "I swear, your mouth." She shook her head disapprovingly but her voice did not have the usual harshness that was heard in her scolds. The tone was one of a resigned reminiscence.
"Molly?" a voice called. Arthur entered the house. "What are we all doing in the kitchen?" He stopped as he caught sight of the brunette girl in his midst. "Camille Anne Elizabeth, is that you?"
"Of course," she responded, breaking away from Ron, who's forearms she had been resting her hands on to give Arthur a hug.

"It's excellent to see you, dear," Arthur said.
"It's fabulous to see you all too," Camille responded with a smile.

"Your voice is different," Ron noted.
"It's the damn French," said Camille. "They have very effectively brainwashed me." So it was a French accent Harry had picked up
"Alright you lot, everyone out of my kitchen. I know that we'll have plenty more unexpected guests tonight and I need to finish up dinner," said Molly, shooing everyone out.
"I do tend to draw a crowd," Camille said, heading to the living room. "Harry, your luggage is by the door."
"I'll grab your stuff, Cam," volunteered Bill. "Where is it?"
"It's a - it's out in the car. I'm not a hundred percent sure I will be able to stay tonight," Camille answered. Ron shot her a curious and hurt look. "I'll explain soon."
As they all settled around the room, Arthur asked, "So, you were living in France then, Camille?"
" Amongst the Muggles as well!" she answered. "Very beautiful, lovely place to live. And a lovely temperate weather that I will miss dearly during the cold Hogwarts winters."
"You'll be at Hogwarts this year?" Ron asked happily.
"I do have one year left. It's why I'm back," she answered. She looked at Arthur and than quickly glanced at Harry. "Well, sort of."
Harry was about to ask "sort of" meant when they heard a quiet crack in the kitchen and a voice greet Molly.
"Hello there, Harry! Nice to see you," said Harry's godfather Sirius Black. He gave Harry an awkward, one-armed hug. "And where is my girl? I hear she has escaped."

"Sirius!" said Camille, jumping up from her seat next to Ron and threw arms around him. "How did you know we were here?"
"Just got an owl from Dumbledore. He said he figured you picked up the message and you would ditch your aunt before she even got the message. He also had an inkling that you might snatch up Harry."

"He knows me well," she confirmed. "Where's my father?"

"He'll be here soon, I'm sure. Ready to take you back to France himself," Sirius said.
"Yeah, that'll work well," she answered sarcastically.
"He's your dad, give him a break," Bill said.
"Yeah, let's move on to me rubbing it in that Sirius is innocent," Camille said. "I told all of you! And did anyone believe me?"
"I already apologized for that! Two years ago!" Ron argued.
The whoosh of a person apparating came from the kitchen and both Sirius and Camille exchanged nervous looks.

"He is going to kill you for not waiting for that owl," Sirius warned her.
"Yeah, well wait until he finds out what YOU kept from him!" hissed Camille.
"YOU kept it from him too!" Sirius shot back. Harry bit his lip to keep himself from laughing at the two of them arguing like children.

"Camille Anne Elizabeth!" yelled the voice of a usually timid man.
"Hi Daddy," squeaked Camille.
And there, in the doorway, was Remus Lupin.