Searching for a Savior

A Rose By Any Other

Remus

I didn't know where I was going; I just knew that I needed to get out of there.

I didn't want to break down in front of Julianne.

She was what I'd been searching for all along. She'd been in my car since I'd gotten to Canada and I hadn't even realised it.

No wonder my instincts had been dormant since August.

She had been distracting me after all.

We had hoped it wouldn't be a person. We'd hoped it would be a beast, or even an animal. Anything but a person. I'm not sure why we did, but we did.

But there was no doubt. I'd known as soon as I'd seen the rough phoenix shape in the freckles on her ribcage. Why hadn't I noticed it before? I'd seen the freckles, but never the shape they formed.

At a meeting for the Professors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in July, Professor Trelawny had suddenly gone rigid and started speaking in a harsh voice. Albus Dumbledore, who had witnessed one of her prophecies before, the one that had named Harry as the Dark Lord's equal, had sat forward quickly. Her prediction hadn't been long, and she hadn't remembered a word after.

"In the great white north the Saviour dwells...The phoenix flies with the sun...United over the sign of Christ. Together with the Dark Lord's equal...They will have the power...To defeat the Dark Lord. In the great white north..."

There had really been no doubt what country she'd meant. Nobody had ever heard of any other country besides Canada being called the Great White North. Dumbledore had pulled me aside as soon as everyone else had left. He'd asked me to find the Saviour. He said that it sounded like it could be either person or beast.

I had wasted so much time. If I'd actually paid attention to my instincts, Percy probably wouldn't have died.

But why Julianne? Because of her fascination with magic? She wasn't a witch; she'd never shown magical abilities.

I stopped dead in my tracks. That wasn't true at all.

She'd found my wand after I'd rescued her from Noah. After I'd placed the Memory Charm on her. After I had thought that my Memory Charm, which are usually very strong, hadn't worked. When she'd picked up my wand, it had shot red and gold sparks from the end. Just like Harry's had when he'd gotten his wand. Wands didn't usually do anything when a Muggle picked them up. But I had seen it with my own eyes.

Not to mention she could see the Leaky Cauldron.

Sirius had told me over and over that he didn't trust her. He said that he knew there was something about her that he couldn't place his finger on. He said he got a very strong magical vibe from her.

She couldn't know about it though. There was no way.

I sat on a cold park bench and shivered. I could feel dampness on my face. I had started to cry without realising it. I hated that I was crying but I knew that finding out the truth about Julianne meant taking her back to England.

It could mean asking her to sacrifice her life in order to save the entire wizarding world.

She was the Saviour.

I buried my face in my hands, partly to try to control the tears and partly to keep my face from freezing. I wanted to stand there and shout at God. He had given me an angel and now he was ripping her away from me.

Finally, something in my life had been going well. I should have known not to trust it.

I didn't know how long I sat there. I didn't look up as people passed, didn't remove my hands from my face.

"Remus?"

I lifted my head and found Julianne standing uncertainly in front of me. She had also been crying, I could tell. I could see the necklace Sirius had given her glittering against her throat. The unicorn necklace that he had charmed with a Protector Charm. He may not have trusted her completely, but he knew how I felt about her and wanted to keep her safe. How futile would that turn out to be?

"What is going on, Remus?" she asked. She dropped to her knees in the snow and took my cold hands in hers. She looked up at me. "Please tell me." Then she frowned and took the cloak that I'd gotten for her off her shoulders and flung it over my shoulders. "You're freezing. Please, let's go inside and you can tell me. I don't want you to get even sicker."

The full moon had been the night before. Even with the Wolfsbane Potion, the transformation wasn't easy, but with Julianne around, it had been easier to recover. She had a calming effect on me. And I was probably going to ask her to die.

I started to cry again. Julianne blinked rapidly as she helped me to my feet and led me back inside.

She made me have some more of the soup to warm up. It tasted like sand going down my throat. Then she sat beside me and wrapped her arms around me.

"Please tell me what's wrong, Remus."

"We have to go back to England," I told her, not looking directly at her, watching her slightly out of the corner of my eye. She stared at me. I could see excitement flare briefly in her eyes. I looked up at her. "You don't want to, trust me. It's not a good thing that we have to go back to England."

I sighed and stood. I pulled my wallet out of my pocket.

"We have to go now, so please get your things together. I'm going to go pay for the room."

She nodded and I was relieved that she didn't ask more questions right then.

I left the room and hurried down to the lobby. I told the man that I needed to go that I had an emergency. I gave him the Muggle credit card that Dumbledore had given me when he'd sent me on the quest.

Why did she have to be so amazing?

I didn't look at the man at the desk because I didn't want for him to know that I was about to cry again. I signed the slip then went back to our room.

Julianne had packed everything by the time I got back. I picked up the telephone and called Arthur.

"Hello?" It was Molly. She sounded worried. I realised that it was after midnight there.

"Molly," I said and then stopped. I couldn't say it.

"Remus? Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did something happen? Oh, God, did Bill's Wolfsbane turn out to be bad again? Did you bite someone? Did you bite Julianne?"

I shook my head, knowing very well that Molly couldn't see me.

"No," I said, forcing myself to stay calm. "We're coming to England, Molly."

"Coming to England? Why?"

"I found it, Molly." I paused. "I'll be there in five minutes and then we'll be there in ten. I thought I would telephone ahead and let you know."

Molly and I said goodbye. I turned to find Julianne watching me.

"What have you found?" she asked quietly.

"Let's go to the truck, Jules."

There was too much luggage for me to carry it all myself, so Julianne picked up her own bags and we headed down to the truck. We drove to a nearby field that was completely deserted. Julianne looked around nervously.

"Why are we here?"

"Because what I'm going to do can't be seen."

She stared at me, fear evident in her pale blue eyes. She backed away from me until she hit the door of the truck, her hand coming up defensively. As usual when she did that, I felt a strange desire to back away.

"No, Jules, I'm not going to hurt you." I laughed as I climbed out of the truck and went to get all our things together. No, I wasn't going to hurt her. Not directly, anyway. "Stay in the truck, I will be back for you in less than five minutes."

I picked everything up in my arms and Disapparated.

"You found it?" Arthur demanded as soon as I reappeared in their living room. "What is it?"

I looked at him and swallowed. "It's Julianne."

He gaped at me. I set the luggage and Julianne's boxes down, then Apparated back to the truck. Julianne was still sitting there, completely frozen in surprise.

"How did you do that?" she demanded. She pulled away from me when I tried to take her hand.

"Please, Jules, we have to go."

She stood her ground and looked at me defiantly. "Not until you tell me how you did that!" She went still, her eyes thoughtful. "That's how we got away from Noah, isn't it? That's why I don't remember a plane ride."

I nodded, but didn't speak.

"Why don't I remember?" She was angry, I knew, and it wouldn't do any good to lie to her. Not now. Not anymore.

"Let's get to Molly and Arthur's house. Then I will explain everything," I said quietly. "Please, Julianne."

She glared at me for a moment and then nodded. I held my arms out to her. She stepped into them and I Disapparated.

Molly and Arthur were waiting for us when we reached the Burrow. Molly's face was tear streaked. I watched Julianne stare around a house that looked completely different from the last time she'd been there.

At Christmas, Arthur, Bill and Charlie had painstakingly gone around the house and bewitched everything magical to look like Muggle artefacts to Julianne's eyes. Even Buckbeak, the Hippogriff. Julianne had seen a horse grazing in the back. The rest of us could still see what everything truly was, but Julianne could not. Like the clock in the kitchen. The rest of us saw the clock with nine hands and a name on each hand. Julianne had seen a beautiful old grandfather clock.

She stopped looking around and stared at the three of us.

"Magic."

It was one word, but it told me that she'd figured it out.

"You're a witch," she said calmly, looking at Molly. "And you two are wizards."

We all nodded silently. Julianne started to pace slowly.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" She stopped. A puzzled frown flitted across her face. "Wait a minute, I knew before. When you shot the red light at Noah."
I stared at her. I'd never known somebody to be able to break through their own Memory Charm before.

She stared at me. "Then you took me to the hotel and healed me. You called me a Muggle and you somehow erased my memory."

Molly and Arthur were now staring at Julianne.

"She broke through her own Memory Charm," Molly whispered, her face shocked. Arthur said nothing, just continued to stare.

"So then everyone here at Christmas was magical?" Julianne was looking at me expectantly.

"Yes," I answered softly. "The school I teach at is called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, Ron and Hermione are in their last year there and Ginny is in her sixth year." I paused and took a deep breath. "There's something else about me that you don't know."

Julianne didn't say anything, just sat down in the armchair. She continued to look at me expectantly. I glanced at Molly and Arthur before continuing.

"She doesn't need to know, Remus," Molly said quietly. Arthur nodded in agreement.

"Know what?" Julianne demanded.

I took another deep breath, knowing that in a moment I was going to reveal my deepest, darkest secret to a woman that I had fallen deeply in love with. And I was going to either watch her look at me like I was crazy or see her eyes darken in fear.

"When I was a child, I was bitten by a werewolf," I said calmly, looking straight into her eyes. She didn't even blink. "Since then, every month at the full moon, I turn into a werewolf. In the last few years they've come out with something called the Wolfsbane Potion, and it makes me safe. I'm able to curl up as a harmless wolf. I still take precautions, however, in the event that I get a bad potion. That's where I was last night, and why I have been disappearing for minutes at a time in the week preceding the full moon."

Still she showed no emotion in her eyes or on her face. It was like she hadn't even heard me.

"Jules?"

She shook her head and looked down at the floor.

"I knew already."

"What?" I asked, sure that I hadn't heard what I thought I'd heard.

"I figured that out. I...I guess I didn't want to believe it, but a part of me already knew." She looked back up at me. "In November when you disappeared...I sat and I looked out at the full moon, and it dawned on me that you'd been sick during the full moon the two months before as well. And then I remembered Harry getting all riled up when I made that comment about werewolves being evil." She paused and shook her head. "I wondered at the time why he was so...passionate about it. It just made sense."

It was my turn to stare at her in bewilderment. "Why did you never say anything?"

She laughed. "How do you ask somebody if they're a werewolf? People already think I'm crazy because my most valued possessions are my stuffed and ceramic unicorns. Because I used to want a unicorn as a pet. They think I'm crazy because I am in a daze half the time, wanting to be off on some magical adventure. Because I used to pray that magic was real, that it existed."

Molly laughed sadly. "It exists. It's very real." She pulled out her wand. "Orchideous!"

A bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip. Julianne gasped and her eyes lit up.

"You know what else is real?" Molly asked. "Unicorns."

Julianne looked like all her dreams were coming true. It nearly broke my heart.

"We should get to bed," I said quietly. "We have to go to Hogwarts in the morning."

"I think you should go now," Arthur said quietly. It was the first time he'd spoken since I'd told him about Julianne. "Dumbledore is already worried."

I laughed. "There is no way I'm Apparating into Hogsmeade tonight. I'm exhausted. The full moon was last night. It was bad enough Apparating across the ocean four times."

"What is Apparating?" Julianne asked.

"What we did to get here," I said to her. "That's Apparating. Actually you were Piggybacked because I Apparated you as well as myself. That's how Harry and Hermione got to Canada in August. It's how I got here in August as well, and how I've been getting here to take the Wolfsbane Potion before the full moon. It's leaving one place and appearing almost instantly in another."

"That cracking noise."

I nodded.

"You came all the way here for the Potion?" she whispered. I nodded again.

"I'm safe here, and I trust the person making it for me. I've been going to a place in Canada for the transformation though. Arthur found it for me."

I stood and held out my hand for Julianne. This time she didn't shrink away from me. This time, she took my hand.

*

We left very early, even though we hadn't gone to bed until very late. Remus kept looking at me as though he was going to lose me. I wanted to reassure him that it wouldn't happen.

When he'd jumped up and left me, I'd stared at the door for probably a good five minutes, I was so shocked. Surely my scars and freckles weren't so hideous as to cause that sort of reaction. His arms and torso were covered in tiny little scars. But when he didn't come back for an hour, I went to look for him. It had broken my heart when I'd seen him sitting on the bench, crying his heart out.

When he'd taken me to the field, I had no idea what it was for. I didn't really think I was in any danger, because I'd been alone with him for so long, but it had been a gut reaction to try to put as much space between myself and him.

And then I'd found out that he was a wizard. And I had remembered everything that had happened in September with Noah. All three of them had stared at me in shock when I'd blurted that out.

I didn't know what to think when Remus had informed me that he was a werewolf. I'd known it already, really. A part of me had known. I felt relieved that he felt he could trust me with that information and it didn't change the way I felt about him in the slightest.

And now, we'd left the Burrow, and were on our way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to speak with a man named Albus Dumbledore. Molly had lent me a set of Ginny's robes to wear so I wouldn't stick out.

Remus wrapped me in his arms and looked sadly at me. He pulled my cloak a bit tighter around my shoulders before he Disapparated.

We reappeared in a lovely tavern. The beautiful lady at the bar called out a greeting to Remus as he made for the door.

"Nice to see you too, Rosmerta," Remus called back, smiling at her.

I wanted nothing more to stay there and look around the tavern, but Remus wanted to get to the school. I gasped as we walked out into the street. I knew I wouldn't find a Sears here! I could see a store called Gladrags Wizard Wear. Across the street was what appeared to be a candy store called Honeydukes. Just up the street was a store called Zonko's Joke Shop. A tiny post office stood next to it and, amazingly, every few seconds, an owl would swoop out a window and fly into the distance.

"Where on earth are we?" I asked.

"Hogsmeade," Remus answered, taking my hand and leading me up the street. I twisted left and right, trying to see everything. At the other end of the street stood an enormous old house, it's windows boarded up. "This is the only wizarding establishment in Britain. There are no Muggles here."

Muggles, Remus had explained, meant people who weren't wizards. People who weren't magical. People like me.

We walked away from the boarded up house and left the town. I gasped as a magnificent castle came into view.

"Can you see the castle?" Remus asked softly.

"Of course I can see the castle," I answered, glancing at him. "Why wouldn't I be able to?"

"Because it's bewitched so Muggles can't see it properly." He didn't look at me.

"Oh. Okay."

We went through the gates which were flanked by winged boars. I stared around as we walked up the road to the castle. There was a small hut just beyond the gate that looked like it hadn't been used in a while. A stones throw away from the front door of the hut was a large, dark forest. I shivered just looking at it.

I continued to gaze around as we walked toward the castle. Ancient trees lined the walk. I stopped as we passed a field of some sort. There were six golden hoops suspended above it, one at either side. There were stands all around it.

"Is that for soccer?"

Remus shook his head. "No, Quidditch."

"Oh," I said, having no idea what Quidditch was.

We reached the front steps to the castle and ascended them quickly. Remus took a deep breath as he led me through the doors.

I could hear voices to my left. I glanced that way and saw at least a thousand students sitting around four long tables. At the head of the room was a long table where I assumed the teachers sat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Remus said softly. I gasped as a little man in an orange bow tie came swooping down the staircase. It was a ghost!

He stopped at the sight of Remus and I and his face broke into a malicious smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but-

"Silencio,"

Remus snarled, his wand pointed at the ghost. The ghost glared at him, blew a silent raspberry and zipped in the opposite direction. "Peeves," he told me, catching my shocked look. "He's a poltergeist."

"A poltergeist?" I repeated weakly.

"Yes."

Remus took my hand again and turned toward the doors to the left. I stopped in my tracks.

"We're going in there?"

"Yes, we have to let Professor Dumbledore know we're here."

"But...but I don't want to go in there in front of everyone!"

Remus chuckled at me. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "You look younger than you are, they'll think you're a student." He let go of my hand. "Maybe I shouldn't hold your hand."

"Then I really won't be able to go in there!" I felt something akin to panic start to snake through my veins.

He smiled at me and took my hand again. I moved closer to his side, so the fact that our hands were joined was hidden by our robes. Then we made for the doors.

The doors were open, so not a lot of people noticed as we entered. I saw Harry, Hermione and the two Weasleys sitting at the far left table. Even in a crowd of students like this, they were instantly recognisable by the two with the vivid red hair. They were sitting together and chatting while they ate. Hermione was looking down at a book and Harry was laughing at something one of the other two had said. They didn't notice as we entered.

I drew a deep breath. So far so good.

"Oh look," said a bored, drawling voice. "The werewolf is back."

I turned to glare in the direction of the voice. I noticed a tall, very thin, very pale boy whose face reminded me forcefully of a rat. He had glittering grey eyes and stared back at me insolently. Remus ignored him, and the boy turned to speak to the boy next to him. He kept sending glances my way.

Remus gave my hand a squeeze. I realised that I'd been hanging on very tight, and eased up a bit.

I turned to face the front, deciding that was safer than looking around. There were several empty seats at the teachers table. I saw Sirius sitting at the table, next to a tiny little wizard who was speaking to a witch with square glasses. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun and my first impression of her was to never get on her bad side. She glanced up as we approached.

"Remus," she said softly. She stared at me, shock etched in her features. Remus stopped in front of her. Sirius glanced our way and then did a double take. He smiled at me. I swallowed nervously and tried to smile back.

"I need to speak with Albus," Remus said quietly to the witch. "I've found what I was searching for."

I glanced at Sirius, to see if he knew what Remus meant. His face went stark white.

"No," he said quietly. "You can't mean-"

"Please, Minerva," Remus implored urgently, ignoring Sirius. "I need the password."

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys standing behind me. Hermione enveloped me in a warm hug.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, his eyes dancing. He glanced up at the witch named Minerva, who had just stood abruptly. Sirius stood as well.

"You stay here, Professor Black," Minerva said sternly. Sirius ignored her and came around the table. Minerva's mouth thinned, but she said nothing. She stopped in front of me and held out her hand.

"I am Professor Minerva McGonagall. You may call me Minerva. You must be Julianne?"

I took her hand. "I am. It's nice to meet you."

"And you. Please follow me."

She led the way down the row between the tables, Remus and I following, Harry, Hermione, Sirius, Ron and Ginny behind us. Our presence had been noticed by more students and they were staring our way curiously. I heard several people call hello to 'Professor Lupin'.

Minerva led the way out of the dining room and up a staircase. She came to a halt in front of a large stone gargoyle.

"Wizard Wheezes," she said. I gasped as the gargoyle came to life and hopped aside to reveal a moving stone staircase. Minerva stepped onto the bottom step and we all followed.

"Breath, Jules," Remus whispered. I took a deep breath as the staircase came to a halt in front of a beautiful polished oak door with a brass door knocker. I jumped as somebody took my other hand. I looked up and saw Harry. He didn't look at me, but gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

Minerva knocked once and the door opened. We filed inside the office and I couldn't help looking around. There were portraits of men and women all around the office, tables full of whirring spindles and globes, the biggest telescope I'd ever seen...and perched beside the desk was a large bird with stunning red and gold plumage. I knew in an instant that I was seeing a real live phoenix.

Standing next to the desk was an ancient man. He had a very long beard and very long hair, both of which were tucked into his belt. He wore a long violet cloak that was covered with golden moons and stars. He had a long nose that was crooked, as though it had been broken more than once. He peered at us over half moon glasses.

"I have found what I'm searching for, Albus," Remus said. His voice shook slightly and his hand gripped mine painfully. Albus Dumbledore's eyes flickered on to me briefly and the slightest look of surprise came over his face.

Harry was also gripping my hand painfully. He stared at Remus.

"Not Jules." He looked at me, then at Albus Dumbledore. "He can't mean Jules."

What were they talking about? Why was it so bad that I was what he was looking for?

"She has all the markings." Remus turned to me and smiled reassuringly. "May I show him?"

I gaped at him. Show this complete stranger when I'd never even shown Remus?

I noticed Sirius, Harry and Ron all turn their backs, giving me some privacy. I sighed.

"It's alright, you can look too if you want. I, apparently, have no dignity left." I parted the robe, pulling it to the side slightly, showing the patch of freckles on my ribcage.

"The phoenix," Remus said, pointing. I turned and he showed my scar. "Flying with the sun."

"What about the sign of Christ?" Minerva asked. I stared at her. Remus smiled thinly.

"It's somewhere that doesn't need to be bared in front of strangers and teenage boys."

I heard Sirius cough. I glared at him and he grinned sheepishly at me.

"Of course," Albus said softly, finally speaking. "Of course; why didn't I realise it before? Another."

Remus glanced at me. I looked back at him and shrugged.

Albus looked at me. He smiled kindly.

"I am Albus Dumbledore. Call me Albus. Or Dumbledore. Or Professor Dumbledore. Whichever you prefer. What is your name?"

"Julianne Wallace," I answered. He looked at me, those blue eyes seeming to see deep into my soul.

"What is your full given name?"

I stared at him. I glanced at Remus apologetically.

"Alexis Anastasia Julianne Wallace."

"Wow," Sirius said quietly. "That's a name."

"Of course," Albus breathed again.

"Will you please explain?" Remus burst out angrily. I stared at him in surprise. So did Sirius.

"Moony, be still."

Remus rounded on Sirius. "Padfoot, she's the Saviour! I want to know what happens now."

Saviour?

Albus sat down at his desk and looked up at Remus, his eyes sad.

"She's not only the Saviour, Remus."

Remus turned back to Albus, his eyes wild.

"What else is she? What more can she be?"

Albus looked at me, but spoke to Remus.

"She is the daughter of Kellie Potter. James Potter's sister."

Everyone in the room stared at Albus.

"Sister?" Sirius and Remus repeated as one.

"But...that would make her my cousin," Harry said, staring at me.

Albus nodded.

"Her mother was your father's sister," he said again. "This means that there are now two descendants of Godric Gryffindor."

"You told me last year that I am the last."

"You are. Alexis is older than you. She is the heir of Godric Gryffindor. You two are the last remaining descendants of that bloodline. If you look at your family tree closer, Harry, you will see Alexis listed on there. She will have a birth date and a death date."

Harry stared at me. I started to laugh. I couldn't help myself.

"I think you have the wrong person," I said between giggles. "My mother and my father dumped me at my grandmother's house when I was a baby."
"They told everyone that you had died," Albus said quietly, nodding in agreement. "They did it to keep you safe."

I laughed harder. "They didn't. They did it because they didn't want me."

"She would have gotten a letter for school, and especially this school would have known if she were the heir of Godric Gryffindor," Sirius pointed out.

"She's not a witch, Dumbledore," Remus said quietly. Albus turned to Remus.

"I assure you she is." He turned to Sirius. "And a powerful one, I'm willing to wager. Did you not say that you got a very strong magical vibe from her?"

Sirius nodded, mouthing wordlessly.

"Did you not say that she was fascinated with magic?" Albus asked Remus.

"She is, but-"

"Where is the unicorn?"

Albus didn't look at anybody in particular when he said this. I stared at him.

"Unicorn?" Minerva asked. She appeared confused. Albus turned slowly to me, his blue eyes blazing. He seemed again to be looking into my soul.

"You know of what I speak."

Slowly I pulled the tiny pink unicorn with the golden horn and golden hooves out of the pocket of the robes that Molly had lent me. I leaned forward and set it on the desk. I had been carrying it ever since I'd gotten it back. I had always carried it with me before. It reminded me of my grandmother. It made me feel safe.

Albus picked it up carefully and examined it, his crooked nose right against it.

"Another Protector Charm?" Remus stepped forward to look at the unicorn as well.

"It appears to be." Albus set the unicorn on the desk and pointed his wand at it. I gasped and moved toward him, my hand up. He paused and stared at me, his eyes full of wonder.

"My grandmother gave that to me," I protested. "It was the first one she gave me. Please don't do anything to it."

Albus continued to look at me in wonder. I dropped my hand, pleading with my eyes. He nodded.

"We won't harm it." He pointed his wand at the unicorn again. I didn't want to watch. "Finite Tutela."

I gasped as the unicorn slowly changed colours. The pink seemed to drain out of it; it changed slowly from pink to silver to white. I had to sit down when it tossed its head and reared on its hind legs.

"I'm losing my mind."

I heard a burst of sardonic laughter to my left. I looked up for the source of the laugh.

"She's brilliant, Dumbledore. Truly."

I stared at the picture that was speaking to Albus. Then everything went black.

*

Remus

I moved forward when Julianne fainted, shooting a glare in the direction of Phineas Nigellus. I felt Sirius' hand on my shoulder.

"Leave her for now, Moony." He turned to glare at his great-great-grandfather as well. "You shut it."

I turned back to Dumbledore.

"How did you know?" I demanded. "How did you know who she was?"
He didn't answer me, just continued to gaze in wonder at Julianne.

"All this time...she's been in hiding. She had no idea who...or what...she is." Dumbledore turned sombre eyes on the rest of us. "And yet she is probably the most powerful witch the world has ever seen."
"What?" Harry demanded. "How? If her mother is my dad's sister, then where is her mother?"

"Kellie Potter and Alexander Wallace are dead; murdered by Lord Voldemort. Just after the death of their daughter, their only child, Alexis Alexandra Julianne Wallace. I knew her as soon as she walked in. She looks extraordinarily like her mother, much like you look like James, Harry. They must have left Alexis with Alexander's mother. I spoke to her after Kellie and Alexander died, just before she up and moved to Canada." Dumbledore smiled. "I should have realised. They told me that the baby had died in her sleep."

Oh, Jules,

I thought sadly. She didn't even know.

"Was her father a wizard?" Sirius asked quietly.

Dumbledore nodded. "A very powerful one. Just as her mother was very powerful. Kellie never came to Hogwarts, she chose to go to Beauxbatons because she wanted to learn different languages as well as magic. Kellie was nearly as talented as James was."

Something clicked in my mind. That didn't make sense.

"But Sirius and I both spent summers at the Potters," I protested. "There was never a sister. James never mentioned her."

"Well, no he wouldn't have. Kellie was several years older than James, and had been out of school for a few years by the time James was old enough to even come to Hogwarts. Kellie and James were never close at all."

"How do you know she's so powerful?" Sirius asked Dumbledore. He glanced at Julianne.

That same look of wonder spread across Dumbledore's face. He smiled broadly.

"When she held up her hand, I had this very powerful urge to back away," he explained. "I couldn't move; I could just look at her." He paused, contemplating Julianne. "She has no need of a wand."

I gaped at Dumbledore.

"But how will she be able to control her magic?"

Dumbledore smiled again. "The same way you control yours. Simply by focusing on it."

I stared at Julianne. She was starting to stir slightly.

"How do we defeat Voldemort?"

I turned to Harry. His face was pale and set. He didn't look anywhere but at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm not sure."