Broken Fate

Chapter Nineteen ~ Trouble in London

Jamie was seated on the couch in the Weasley living room, scribbling out the most recent Charms homework that Bill had delivered to her from Dumbledore. She still occasionally wished she could be at Hogwarts, but she was quite pleased with the current arrangement. She loved the Weasleys, and she was delighted to get to know them all, and Bill had quickly taken a special place in her heart. He was a patient teacher, and he could always make her laugh.

Jamie glanced over at Molly, who was sitting on the floor, scribbling on a blank piece of paper with a box of crayons that Mr. Weasley had brought home for her two days earlier. Molly had colored numerous pictures since she got a hold of the crayons, and had taken to coloring different objects, but mostly, her depictions of people. Sometimes it was difficult to figure out which of the Weasleys she had drawn, but Jamie was quickly learning how to distinguish who the object of Molly's colorings was. One thing that had stuck out in Jamie's mind was that Molly not only drew what was in front of her, but that which she remembered. She had turned out several stick-figure drawings of Will, and at least one of Shay. She had yet to put herself in any of her drawings.

Jamie returned to her Charms paper, tapping her quill thoughtfully against her chin. Describe the effects of the Bubble-Head Charm, and the wand movement required to perform it correctly. She dipped her quill in the ink and began writing out her answer when she was interrupted by a sudden loud crack--the familiar sound of someone Apparating.

She heard Mrs. Weasley give a startled gasp, and was halfway to her feet, wand in her hand, when she recognized Bill's voice. Relaxing, Jamie sank back onto the couch, still clutching her wand. It didn't matter that she had been at the Weasleys' for over a month; she had lived too long in fear and in hiding. The longer she knew the Weasleys, the more she feared an attack on them. She didn't want to lose any of them--not even Fred and George, despite the way they loved to tease her.

Jamie listened to Bill and Mrs. Weasley talk in low, urgent tones. Something happened, Jamie thought. She set aside her Charms paper and stood up, hoping she could ask what, but before she had the chance, the voices from the kitchen silenced, and Bill walked through the door, into the living room. "Hi, Jamie." He looked tired, but managed a crooked grin. The grin widened, and he chuckled. "You have ink on your nose."

Making a face, Jamie rubbed the end of her nose. Bill bent down in front of Molly. "Hey, there, ladybug. What are you drawing?"

Molly glanced up, giving Bill a solemn look, and leaned back so Bill could see her picture. "You're doing a great job, Molly," Bill said. Molly only looked at him again, and then went back to her coloring.

"What happened?" Jamie asked in a low voice. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Bill sat beside her on the couch. "Yes," he sighed. "You-Know-Who staged an attack at the Quidditch League's first match of the year. It was between Scotland and France. As far as the authorities can tell, over nine hundred people were killed. There are twenty survivors--most of them Quidditch team members."

Jamie's jaw dropped. "What?" Nine hundred people?

"I take that to mean you didn't know it would happen."

"Of course I didn't--no! It didn't happen! It..." Upset, Jamie twisted her fingers together.

"Hey. It's all right; I wasn't accusing you of anything," Bill said gently. "I know you've already changed things in this time. I just want you to know that if there's something bad you think is going to happen, you can tell us."

"I know," Jamie said quietly. "And you know I have, and I will." She had certainly told Bill about the way he had died--two years from the present date--in hopes that if the specific events leading up to his death still took place--unlikely--he would be able to prevent it. There was another event that she couldn't specifically tell him about, without breaking a promise to Shay. She didn't know if it would still happen, but just in case, she had told him that on January 3, 1997--just two months from now--he and Fleur Delacour needed to be somewhere safe and away from London all day.

"Why?"

"Because on that day, you and Fleur were captured by Death Eaters. You both escaped, but the Death Eaters learned some things that made it very difficult on a lot of people. Voldemort discovered some information that he would be much, much better off not knowing."

Bill had studied Jamie thoughtfully, but nodded and agreed to her request. Jamie still thought about it, and the possible consequences it could have. Fleur was a complicated issue, and she wasn't sure what the consequences would be if some things happened, or didn't happen. She decided the best way to handle her would be the way she was handling everything else--a day at a time, and taking things as they came. She hadn't told the Weasleys the full story of her future; she figured the less people who knew, the better, and it had been hard enough telling her parents about it. She knew there were things she said sometimes that surprised the Weasleys, or gave them hints as to some of the things that had happened, but she often didn't realize it would have this effect until after she said it.

"Where was the stadium that was attacked?" Jamie asked.

"In France." Bill ran a hand across his face. "Fleur's parents...they were at the game. They went to a match every time the League played there."

It took a moment for the impact of these words to hit Jamie, and then she gasped. "They're...dead?"

"Yes. Fleur's little sister Gabrielle wasn't there, fortunately. She was sick at home. She's coming to live with Fleur. She's ten, which means she'll probably attend Hogwarts next year, since Fleur isn't planning on moving back to France."

Jamie blinked. Fleur lived in a flat in the same building as Bill, which was convenient, as the two had become quite an item. But this meant that Gabrielle Delacour would be staying in London... "When will she get here?"

"I'm going with Fleur to pick her up this afternoon," Bill replied.

Jamie bit her lower lip. None of the Weasleys' knew that Gabrielle was Shay's mother--they only knew Neville was his father. What would Shay say, if he knew his mother was going to be in London?

Molly interrupted Jamie's thoughts when she slid the piece of paper she had been coloring onto Jamie's lap. Jamie picked it up and looked down at it, smiling. "Molly...this is beautiful. Is it Bill and me?" Molly had drawn a two stick figures--one with long red hair and one with black hair. The figure with red hair was wearing a long earring. The long hair and earring was the only way Jamie could distinguish Molly's drawings of Bill from the drawings of the rest of the Weasley family.

Molly simply stared at Jamie for a minute, and then turned and sat back down on the floor, picking up another crayon. Jamie tucked Molly's drawing under her Charms homework.

"Anyway, I have to get going. I'll come back later, though." Bill stood up and ruffled Jamie's hair. He waved at Molly. "See you later, ladybug," he said, and promptly Disapparated.

Jamie quickly grabbed a blank sheet of parchment and began a letter to Shay. He should know what was going on with Gabrielle. When the letter was dry, she rolled it up and went to find Cupid, the owl that Bill and Charlie had given her for her birthday. "You need an owl. Errol's getting dangerous to use. You need something a bit more...reliable," Charlie had told her.

"Besides," Bill put in, "You're blood family, regardless to the strange circumstances. Uncles are supposed to spoil their nieces, and from what I've surmised, most of us were dead in your future, which means you missed out on a lot of spoiling."

"And," Charlie added, chuckling, "You know that the next time we see Ginny, she's going to ask how we've been treating you."

She had come to love each of her uncles. Her relationship with Fred and George was a bit unusual, but she had a lot of fun with them. She really didn't mind Fred and George's antics that much. If she did, she would have told them she was seriously miserable, and to stop. As it was, it had become more of a game between Fred and George and Jamie. They tried to find sneaky ways to slip bits of their Skiving Snackboxes to her, or to test other interesting curses when she was around, and she tried to find sneakier ways of outwitting them. It helped sharpen her mind in more ways than one, and it had the added effect of making her truly feel initiated into the Weasley family.

Smiling in remembrance, Jamie tied the letter to Cupid's leg, and said, "Shay, please." She let the tawny owl out the window and watched it fly off over the trees. She then went back downstairs to work on her schoolwork. When she sat down, Molly handed her another picture, this one her version of Will and Shay. She had drawn Jamie in the middle of them.

Jamie frowned as she looked atthe picture. "Molly...are you wondering about Will and Shay? Are you trying to ask me when we're going to see them again?"

Of course, Molly didn't answer, simply turning back to he coloring, but Jamie looked at the picture with mixed interest and excitement. What if Molly was finally trying to 'speak,' in a way? Would drawing pictures begin to bring out some of what might be locked inside of her?

~*~

Hermione trudged down the stairs at three o'clock on Sunday morning. She hadn't been able to sleep very well, and she suspected that perhaps she wasn't the only one. Will had been more quiet than usual, and very withdrawn since the news of the Quidditch disaster in France. She hadn't been able to get him alone all day, and when the common room started clearing out for the evening, he had disappeared from Gryffindor Tower.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw him sitting in one of the armchairs, knees tucked up against his chest, and his chin resting on his knees. He looked more like a lost little kid than anything, and her heart went out to him. "Will?"

Will looked over at her, seemingly unsurprised to see her. "Hi," he said quietly.

Hermione ran a hand through her disheveled hair and tucked her bathrobe more tightly around her. She walked over and sat down on a chair beside him. "I thought I might find you down here. Are you all right?"

Will didn't meet her eye. He swallowed and shook his head.

Hermione laid a hand on his arm. "Will?" When he still didn't answer, she said quietly, "This has to be pretty hard on you, but it's not your fault that the Death Eaters destroyed that Quidditch stadium." They had learned that Tonks' father had not been refereeing this match; in fact, Professor McGonagall had told them that Tonks' parents had been in a safe place since September. Since Voldemort found out Tonks had betrayed him, Hermione had realized. They were guessing the Howler was sent to goad Tonks, to make a threat to those she loved.

Will gave an odd choking noise. "I..." he swallowed. "Voldemort seemed to be taunting her. Like, 'look what I can do. Just wait till it's your father.' If I had just gone to Dumbledore before I broke those spells in the Gourl, Tonks' wouldn't have been found out by Voldemort...and the Death Eaters wouldn't have attacked the stadium..."

"You don't know that." Hermione slid off of the chair and knelt in front of Will's chair, taking his hands in hers. "Will, listen. You said that Tonks disappeared at the same time Dumbledore died, right?"

Will nodded miserably.

"Then it stands to reason that Voldemort did find out that Tonks had betrayed him, and it had nothing to do with the Gourl, since the spells in it weren't broken until later." Hermione squeezed his hands, and Will ventured a look at her. "It was Voldemort's decision to do this, not yours. And you have no idea what--or who--has been saved because you came back. Tonks is still here, Dumbledore's still alive...you have no idea what's going to happen with them. You might end up saving thousands and thousands of lives because of the things you've done. The evils that Voldemort does--for whatever reasons--are not your burden to carry."

"I...I know that in a way, you're right. But I did cause it through the decisions I made. I always knew the dangers of changing to future...I talked about it numerous times with Shay and James...but..."

"Reality hits home hard," Hermione said sympathetically.

Will nodded. "I caused it. I know that it didn't happen in the original timeline. That makes it my responsibility, even if it's not my fault. And Dumbledore hasn't died yet, but what if he still does? Then we'll only have made things worse..."

"I don't know, Will," Hermione said quietly. "I don't know what will happen. I can't promise you that things won't turn out the same way, or be worse. But I can hope, and so can you. And we can continue to hunt for information, we can continue to keep our eyes open. You can't give up."

"I know...I know, but I want to. There are so many families hurting tonight because of what happened today...did you know Angelina Johnson was supposed to be at the match? She decided to come here instead, for Hogwarts' first Quidditch game."

Hermione knew he had only met Angelina yesterday. She was very thankful that Angelina, at least, had been spared the fate of those at the Quidditch stadium in France. "So many people are suffering..." Will's voice broke, and tears spilled down his cheeks.

Hermione did the only thing she could think to do; she stood up and put her arms around him.

"I'm so tired...and I'm so scared. I don't know what to do, Mum. I don't know what to do anymore. I just want all of this to be over." Hermione was startled by the 'Mum,' but Will didn't seem to notice he had said it. It sounded more natural to her than she had expected. There had been times when he had almost slipped, starting to call her 'Mum' or Ron 'Dad,' but he had always caught himself before the word came all the way out of his mouth.

"I know. And it's hard," Hermione said. She she stepped back, placing her hands on Will's shoulders. "I told you that you were going to crack under all of these things you're carrying on your shoulders," she said, her voice half-affectionate, and half-stern.

Will let out a strangled laugh. "My mum used to use that tone on me all the time." He wiped his face with his hand. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You need to let your emotions out sometimes."

"Don't tell Da--Ron about it, please?"

It still struck Hermione as odd that Will often showed traces of wanting Ron's approval, when Ron himself still had so much insecurity and immaturity. "I won't."

"Sorry for calling you Mum...it just..." Will trailed off wistfully.

"Oh, Will, it's perfectly all right." Hermione sat back in her chair. "Now stop apologizing." She paused and studied him sympathetically. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Will managed a shaky smile. "No. You've done more than enough...thank you."

Hermione smiled in return. "You're welcome."

~*~

Jamie kept an eye out for anything else unusual over the next couple of weeks. The wizarding world was on high alert as clean-up efforts at the stadium in France continued. Jamie kept expecting something else horrible to happen, but everything remained quiet. Too quiet, Jamie decided. Voldemort has to have something else up his sleeve... What is he planning?

Shay sent Cupid back with a brief reply. If they had anything to say that was important, or related to the future, they used a code that they had developed a long time ago, in case the letters were ever intercepted. Thanks for telling me about the Delacours. Keep me updated. There's something you should know; I don't know if Will's told you yet, but I found out that Draco Malfoy is acting the spy for Voldemort. I'll be keeping tabs on him and what conversations he has.

Jamie was not terribly surprised at the news. It was the kind of thing she would have expected from Draco.

Shay also told her about the Howler that Tonks had received. Will wrote the same thing, but added the news that two first year Gryffindor students had parents in the hopsital because of the attack. Fortunately, Will wrote, their parents are getting better...they should be out of the hospital in a week or so.

November continued into December, and things still remained superficially passive. Oh, there were still reports in the news about the occasional witch or wizard disappearing, but nothing major happened. Shay had been keeping her up-to-date on Draco's situation as best he could. Draco is still at it, but he doesn't seem to know very much. I haven't heard anything of interest so far.On December fifth, Jamie sent Shay a package for his seventeenth birthday. Enclosed was a new invention of Fred's and George's. They called it Blast-Binding Bubblegum. The advertisement on it was: Do you have a teacher who annoys you? Would you like to make a mess somewhere? Just chew Blast-Binding Bubblegum and stick it under your desk! Blast-Binding Bubblegum will is endowed with a Permanent Sticking Charm for long-lasting effectiveness.

Jamie had asked where the 'Blast' part of the name came from, and Fred and George had chuckled.

"Well, if anyone tries to charm the gum off of anything, it explodes. Ah, don't worry...it just shoots gum all over the room and causes an even bigger mess."

"Of course, then the Permanent Sticking Charm is set to wear off. Otherwise we might get sued if people couldn't get the gum off of their face."

Mid-December, Ginny sent Jamie a long letter, telling her they had finally played their first Quidditch match against Slytherin. It was fantastic, Ginny wrote. It lasted for four hours, and we lost a player after the first hour. Andrew Kirke took a bludger to the stomach. Ouch. The game ended when Harry caught the Snitch. We beat Slytherin by twenty points. Malfoy was livid. Jamie could almost see the grin on Ginny's face at those words.

On the Thursday two days before Christmas holidays at Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley called Jamie into the kitchen. "I just thought I would let you know, dear. We've invited everyone to the Burrow for Christmas. Percy will be here, so you'll finally get to meet him. He's just been so out of touch. When you came to stay with us, I was at least able to talk face-to-face with Bill, Charlie, and the twins. I need to tell him in person, but Percy hasn't returned my calls," she said sadly.

Fred and George had given a very different reason that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hadn't told Percy, but somehow, that didn't surprise Jamie.

Mrs. Weasley brightened. "Well, at least he'll be here for Christmas," she said in satisfaction. "And of course, we've invited Will and your friend Shay to come over Christmas break, and Harry and Hermione will be here as well."

Jamie was elated at the news. It would be so great to see Will and Shay in person. Letters were all well and good, but they didn't come close in comparison. She was also excited about the prospect of getting to know her parents a little better, and hoped that the months of exchanging letters with Ginny, and giving Harry time to adjust to the situation, would have alleviated the awkwardness that had been there during their first meeting.

Later that same day, Bill showed up at the Burrow and talked privately with his mother for a few minutes. Then he tracked Jamie down. "Come on," he said, tossing her the coat the Weasleys had given her.

Jamie looked at the coat in her hands, confused. "Come where?"

"I'm taking you Christmas shopping. I have to get something for my siblings, not to mention Fleur--it wouldn't do at all if Christmas gets here and I don't have something for my girlfriend on our first Christmas together, would it? And Mum gave me a list of items she needs in Diagon Alley. It would help to have an extra pair of arms. It would also help to have someone who's female along, as I don't like shopping, and haven't a clue what to get Fleur." Bill said, grinning.

"But...I can't," Jamie said, confused. "And besides, I'm afraid I don't have much experience...shopping."

"If it's your looks you're worried about, I've got it covered. Dumbledore agreed I could take you out a bit. Come on. I'm not the oldest of a houseful of mischief-makers without knowing a few tricks."

"All right," Jamie said uncertainly. "What about Molly?" She couldn't just leave her...

"She's helping Mum make Christmas cookies. She'll be all right." Bill studied Jamie for a moment, and then said, "Hold still." He took out his wand and touched it to the top of her head. "Convertus," he muttered. Jamie felt a tingle run through her scalp, and saw the strand of hair that was hanging in front of her face turn from black to light brown. The color changed from the top down to the end, as if someone had poured paint over her head. "Close your eyes." Jamie obeyed, and felt Bill's wand touch each of her eyes in turn. "Open them." Bill nodded in satisfaction. "There. It'll only last for about twelve hours, and you can't perform the disguise again for a week, or your hair'll turn blue for a month. Go look in the mirror. And get your shoes."

Jamie cautiously moved to the mirror in the hallway and looked into it, surprised at her own reflection. While she still had a mixture of her parents' facial features, she now had light brown hair and pale blue eyes. The distinguishing traits that marked her as Harry Potter's daughter had been erased. It was a little disconcerting.

"That color looks marvelous on you, dear, but your hair could use a good combing," the mirror told her.

Jamie ignored it and went to get her shoes. She returned to the living room, hopping on one foot to pull on her left shoe.

"Ready then? Have you traveled by floo powder before?" Bill asked.

"Um...yes. Are you sure about this?"

"Positive. It doesn't do anyone any good being cooped up in a house for months on end. Come on." Bill grabbed Jamie's arm and pulled her over to the fireplace. He grabbed the pot of floo powder off of the mantel and offered it to Jamie. "You first. We'll go to the Leaky Cauldron, since the fireplace exit for Diagon Alley tends to be busier."

Jamie took a handful and threw it into the fireplace. Green flames burst into existence, and she stepped into it. "The Leaky Cauldron," she said clearly. She suddenly experienced the dizzying, rushing sensation of flying past numerous grates. She popped out in the side of a pub. It looked familiar, but it wasn't until she straightened and looked around that she recognized it as the Leaky Cauldron. None of the customers paid her any attention; apparently, they were quite used to people arriving from the fireplace.

Bill arrived a moment later and grinned. "Come on." He led her out the back, saying a cheery, "Morning, Tom!" to the bartender as he passed.

It was snowing outside, but there was a path of footprints leading right to the brick wall in back. Bill tapped his wand on several of the bricks, and the gateway to Diagon Alley opened. He stepped through, with Jamie half a pace behind him. She stopped and stared in wonder at the sight in front of her. Dozens of witches and wizards were doing Christmas shopping, carrying packages and bags, with the occasional person holding a cage with some animal or another inside. All of the buildings were clean and orderly. It was so alive...so completely opposite of the terror-ridden place in the future. She was suddenly very glad that Bill had decided to bring her. Seeing this was more than worth it. It lightened her heart and, more than anything, gave her hope. There was still hope that it wouldn't fall into ruin; there was still hope that the future could be saved.

They walked for a while, and Jamie's toes were just getting numb from the cold when Bill stopped in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "Hungry?"

Jamie nodded.

"Let's grab something to eat, then." Bill turned to go inside.

"Ice cream? In December? While it's snowing?" Jamie asked doubtfully.

Bill held the door open for Jamie. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I think I left it back with my unfrozen toes," Jamie said dryly.

Bill laughed and followed her inside. "Florean sells more than just ice cream. He has a wonderful winter menu that'll thaw you out--toes and all."

"Bill..." Jamie hesitated. "I don't have any money," she said quietly.

"I've got it covered," Bill told her, patting her arm. "Why don't you grab a seat, and I'll order us some food?" He nodded at an empty table.

Jamie nodded, and dropped back to the table. She felt bad, not being able to pay the Weasleys for anything...they kept insisting that she was family, but she still wished she contribute money in some way.

Bill came back with the food. He was right; it was hot and delicious. They hadn't been eating for more than five minutes when a voice exclaimed, "Bill!"

Jamie looked up and almost choked on her food. Standing behind Bill was a stunning woman who could only be Fleur Delacour. At her side was a smaller girl, equally as beautiful. Oh. My... She realized she was gaping, and quickly looked down at her plate to compose herself. When she looked back up, she saw the Fleur was staring at her with a mixture of confusion and hostility.

"Fleur!" Bill grinned. "Gabrielle! I would like you to meet Jamie. She's the relative from out of town that I told you is staying with my family. She's a Weasley on her mother's side." He winked at Jamie.

Jamie managed a smile at the Delacours. Fleur visibly relaxed. "Oh! 'ello! I 'ave 'eard so much about you. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Fleur glanced down at Gabrielle. "Dis bonjour."

'Say hello,' Jamie translated silently. She smiled at Gabrielle. "Bonjour, je suis très content faire vos connaissance. Voulez vous vous asseoir avec nous?" 'Hello, I am very pleased to meet you. Would you like to sit with us?'

Gabrielle's face brightened, and she looked up at Fleur. Fleur tilted her head. "You did not tell me she speaks French," she told Bill reprovingly.

"I didn't realize that she did," Bill laughed.

Jamie wasn't about to mention that since she had lived off and on with Gabrielle when she was little, and with Shay her entire life, knowing French had been a necessity. She simply smiled. "Would you like to sit down with us?" she repeated in English. She wasn't sure Gabrielle spoke English at this point, though during the time Jamie had known her, she had spoken with only a trace of a French accent.

Fleur nodded at Gabrielle, and Gabrielle grinned at Jamie. "We would love to join you," she said in heavily-accented English.

"I am going to order food," Fleur said. "I promised Gabrielle ice cream. I'll be back in a moment."

The thought of ice cream made Jamie shiver, and she looked at Gabrielle. "You're brave, if you can eat ice cream at this time of the year." She couldn't get over the fact that Shay's mother was sitting right in front of her--she was such a little girl!--but she was glad that she seemed to be able to converse somewhat normally.

Gabrielle giggled. "I could eat ice cream anytime," she said, a grin on her face.

Shay's grin... "Do you like London?" she asked Gabrielle.

The girl shrugged. "I...miss my 'ome." A shadow crossed her face, and Jamie felt bad about bringing it up. Stupid, Jamie! It hasn't even been two months since her parents died. Fortunately, Fleur returned with the food then--ice cream for Gabrielle, and a hot drink for herself. Gabrielle brightened considerably and dug into the ice cream with relish. "Ze ice cream is ze best part," she confided to Jamie, mouth full.

Jamie burst out laughing, then clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just...you reminded me of someone..." It was easy to see where Shay got his love of food--and especially sweets--from.

Bill and Fleur were engaged in a quiet conversation, and Jamie studied the two of them for a minute. Fleur's cheeks were flushed in pleasure, and Bill was grinning. She recalled their fates in her time, and her throat closed up.

"She is 'opeless," Gabrielle sighed, shaking her head at Fleur.

Jamie raised her eyebrows. "Hopeless?"

"Zat is what my muzzer always said about Fleur and boys, anyway," Gabrielle confided.

Jamie choked back a laugh. "What do you think of Bill?" she whispered.

Gabrielle grinned. "I like 'im. 'e likes to do zings wiz me." She shoved a huge bite of ice cream into her mouth and mumbled something Jamie couldn't understand.

Fleur looked over sharply. "Gabrielle! It is rude to talk wiz your mouz full!"

Gabrielle swallowed and made a face at Fleur.

"Will you be joining us on our shopping trip?" Jamie asked, saving Gabrielle from a lecture.

"I am afraid not. I am scheduled to work zis afternoon, and must take Gabrielle 'ome first."

Gabrielle sighed and told Jamie, "I 'ave to stay wiz ze next-door neighbor while Fleur works."

"Madame Carlton is a good woman," Fleur said reprovingly. She had a half-distressed look on her face.

Gabrielle looked up at Fleur with a slight frown on her face, laying a hand on Fleur's arm. "Yes. She is," Gabrielle agreed.

"Actually, if Jamie doesn't mind, Gabrielle can just come with us. I was going to watch her later tonight anyway," Bill offered, tweaking Gabrielle's nose.

Gabrielle looked hopefully at Jamie and Fleur. Jamie shrugged. "That's fine with me."

"You're certain?" Fleur asked.

"Of course," Bill replied. "What time to you get off work?"

"At eight."

"Then why don't we come pick you up when you're done, and Jamie and I will escort you and Gabrielle home."

Fleur nodded. "All right." Gabrielle beamed. "I must be going. Jamie, it was a pleasure to meet you. I'll see you tonight, ma cherie." Fleur gave Gabrielle a kiss on the top of her head. She turned to kiss Bill fully on the lips, and Gabrielle wrinkled her nose, rolling her eyes at Jamie. "Au revoir!" Fleur Delacour exited the ice cream parlor.

Jamie's disguise was supposed to wear off at about midnight, so that gave them plenty of time.

Gabrielle bounced excitedly in her seat. "Zank you for letting me stay wiz you," she told Bill gratefully. She scraped her bowl with her spoon and shoved the last bite of ice cream into her mouth, swallowing with relish.

"No problem. Besides, now we have another conspirator to help find a present for Fleur," Bill said.

Gabrielle grinned. "I know just ze zing."

Jamie had the time of her life shopping with Bill and Gabrielle. They spent hours scouring the shops in Diagon Alley, picking up things for all of the Weasley children. Gabrielle delighted in pulling Bill all over the place, exclaiming over everything. Bill also had Jamie help him pick out gifts for Will and Shay. "Mum said to," he told her, when she protested the money aspect of it. "And you know the kind of fit she'll throw if I don't get exactly what she wanted."

Jamie did indeed. She had been witness to Mrs. Weasley's wrath, and she didn't wish it on anyone, least of all Bill.

The sky was starting to darken when Jamie finally met the last of her uncles. They ran into Percy Weasley outside an apothecary. "Perce! Fancy seeing you here." Bill clapped Percy on the shoulder.

Percy looked very startled to see Bill. "Bill! What are you doing here?"

Bill lifted up the numerous bags in his arms. "Shopping," he said. "For Mum, mostly."

Percy turned to face Jamie and Gabrielle. "You're the little Delacour girl, aren't you?"

Gabrielle jutted her chin out. "I'm Gabrielle."

Percy's gaze shifted to Jamie. "And you are?"

Jamie exchanged glances with Bill. "Well," Bill said, pulling Percy aside, out of Gabrielle's hearing range. "Mum's been trying to get a hold of you to introduce you to Jamie. Jamie, Percy."

Percy extended a cordial hand. "Jamie," he said. "I'm pleased to meet you."

Jamie took his hand and shook it. "Likewise," she said quietly, studying him. He didn't seem nearly as easy-going as any of the rest of her uncles.

Percy turned his attention on Bill. "I know Mum has been wanting to talk to me; I've been getting her messages," Percy said stiffly.

But he didn't see fit to return his mother's messages? Jamie really wasn't sure she particularly liked Percy, but she knew she should give him a fair chance. He was her uncle, after all.

"You should go see her," Bill said seriously. "She can give you the details, but I will tell you that this is Jamie, and she's a relative of Harry's."

"Harry? But he has only Muggle relatives," Percy said, shooting Jamie a startled look.

"She's also," Bill said, "a relative of ours."

Percy stared at Bill.

"If you want to know anything else, you'll have to go see Mum," Bill said firmly.

"Yes...I think I'll do that," Percy said slowly. "I needed to talk to her about Christmas, anyway." He nodded at the three of them, then walked away.

Bill sighed and watched him go. "He's so caught up in his own world, he sometimes doesn't stop to think about what's going on outside of it. Come on. We still have a couple of hours to kill before Fleur gets off work."

They continued browsing through Diagon Alley, and when it neared eight o'clock, they headed over to Gringotts to wait for Fleur. She joined them shortly, looking rather harried. "Zose goblins are so bad-tempered zis evening!" she exclaimed, shooting a look over her shoulder as they walked down the steps. "Zere was a mistake in one of ze accounts, and you know how zey get wiz any errors."

"That I do," Bill said taking Fleur's hand in his. "How do you want to go home? I don't have any floo powder, and Gabrielle can't Apparate. Is walking all right? It'll give Jamie a chance to see London a bit. She hasn't had the chance to yet."

"Walking is fine," Fleur said. "Ze flats are not zat far away."

And so the four of them headed back through Diagon Alley, and out the Leaky Cauldron, which was now packed with witches and wizards. When they stepped out of the pub, they were on a normal London street. "The flat is this way," Bill said, motioning Jamie to the right.

"There it is." Bill pointed to a building a block ahead. Two steps later, a tingle shot down Jamie's back, and she stopped. She had the sudden uncanny feeling that she was being watched, and she had learned long ago to trust her instincts on matters like these. She carefully scanned the surrounding area. There weren't many people out and about, but everyone she saw was bustling along.

"Bill--" it was all Jamie got out. The next second, she saw a bolt of red light zooming straight toward Bill. She threw herself at him, knocking him off balance enough that the Stunning spell zoomed right by him. The next second, she had her wand out and was aiming it in the direction of the attack. "Lumos solem!" she cried.

A brilliant flash of light shot out of her wand, illuminating the dark London street. Jamie glimpsed Muggles turning to gape, but they didn't hold her attention. The figures in black hoods gripping wands did. Jamie counted seven of them. Fear struck her heart. Death Eaters. What are they doing here? Why are they attacking us?

The light slowly faded, but now she knew where the enemy was. "Fleur! Jamie! Get Gabrielle and get out of here!" Bill told them.

Jamie turned to Gabrielle. There was a way she could get Gabrielle out, and then she, Fleur, and Bill could Disapparate. Before she could do so, she was busy defending herself as the Death Eaters swept forward, shooting curses at her. "Protego prolongus!" she cried. If any good came out of her time-traveling, it was that some of the spells she knew had been developed in the fight against Death Eaters in the future. She had access to several spells that they didn't, like the Extended Shield spell she had just implemented. Had she been in the future, the Death Eaters might have found a way past it, but these particular Death Eaters weren't that advanced yet. The shield would hold for about thirty seconds, and that gave her the advantage.

She felt the curses slide past her shield, and she used her free hand to shove Gabrielle directly behind her, against the building at her back. I have to get her out, but I can't move while the Extended Shield spell is in effect. She couldn't move Gabrielle in front of her, and if she turned to Gabrielle, the shield would stay in front of her, exposing her back. Of course, when the shield faded, she would be exposed anyway. Frustration overwhelmed her. There had to be a way out of this.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Bill and Fleur had their wands out, and were standing side by side, backs pressed against the wall of the building. They were both dueling fiercely with five of the Death Eaters, and the other two Death Eaters were focused on Jamie. "Crucio!" one of them yelled. He didn't realize that her shield was still intact, and the curse simply slid off again.

"Expelliarmus!" Jamie shouted, and one of the Death Eater's wands sailed out of his hand. "Accio wand!" It flew into her grip, and Jamie promptly broke it in half over her knee, letting the pieces drop to the ground at her feet.

She had to get Fleur and Gabrielle out of here. They could not be captured, under any circumstances. She wanted to get Bill away, too, but she knew there was no chance he would Disapparate. He would stay to make sure she was safe, and the only reason Fleur was staying right now was to protect Gabrielle. There was only one thing she could do. She aimed her wand at Fleur. "Deplacio Hogsmeade!" she said it quietly, hoping that the Death Eaters wouldn't hear. She didn't need them learning any spells from the future.

There was a gust of wind, and Fleur vanished. Bill and the Death Eaters froze in surprise for an instant, giving Jamie time to point her wand at Bill. "Deplacio Hogsmeade!" Another wind, and Bill disappeared.

"FLEUR!" Gabrielle screamed, not realizing what had happened. "FLEUR!" she jumped out from behind Jamie, unwittingly stepping away from Jamie's shield.

No! Jamie pointed her wand at the girl. "Deplacio Hogsmeade!" There was a third rush of wind, and Gabrielle vanished.

"Petrificus totalus!" one of the Death Eaters cried.

The Extended Shield spell had faded, and Jamie didn't have time to cast it again. Her arms and legs snapped together, and she dropped her wand. She tried to Disapparate, but one of the Death Eaters must have cast an Anti-Disapparation jinx, because she stayed where she was. She wanted to scream in frustration, but couldn't get her mouth to move.

The Death Eaters closed around her, and she fought back the fear threatening to overwhelm her. She had gotten Fleur and Gabrielle away, and that was the most important thing, but what were the Death Eaters going to do with her? Would they kill her, or would they try to torture her, thinking she might have information they could use? She had much more information than they could possibly guess.

One of the Death Eaters pointed his wand at her, and Jamie braced herself for the worst. "We were supposed to bring Bill Weasley in," he said. "But maybe she's a part of it. She might know something."

"We might as well bring her with us and question her, and we'd best hurry. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is sure to have been alerted, and will be here soon."

Sirens could already be heard in the backround--Muggle police, Jamie guessed, unless the Department of Magical Law Enforcement used sirens in this time--and Jamie was aware of Muggles yelling and screaming.

"Fine, put her under the Imperius Curse and let's get out of here."

"Imperio!"

The next moment, Jamie's mind blanked, and she felt...happy. She was vaguely aware of the Death Eaters around her, and that she could move again. An instant later, something rose in the back of her mind. Fight it, you idiot! If there was one thing that she and Will had been forced to practice for years, it was throwing off the Imperius Curse. Shay didn't need to worry about learning it, and had teased her nonstop when they were little, because she had a hard time learning to beat the Curse, until Aunt Hermione told him very sternly that it wasn't a laughing matter. He had thought it was greatly funny to see her flapping her arms and running around like a chicken before she was able to learn to throw off the Curse. (Her Uncle Ron had a weird sense of humor sometimes.)

That memory brought back her years of training, and ignoring the false sense of peace and comfort, she pushed against the bonds that held her mind captive. She snapped back to reality, and saw that she had fought it off so quickly that the Death Eaters hadn't even had time to move. One of them was holding her wand, and before they could react, she snatched it and pointed it at herself.

One of the Death Eaters pointed his own wand at her and shouted something at the same time she cried desperately, "Deplacio Hogsmeade!" Something struck her at the exact moment she was suddenly caught up in a rush of wind. With the violence that came with Displacement, she was ripped away from the London street.