Half of the fire around the camp are already extinguished but the smoke is still thick, quite thick that they needed all of their wands for visibility.
The chill of the evening wrapped around the group making all of them shiver. People are now trailing back to their camps, they seem calmer now, but some of them still have their shock evident on their faces.
Wizards with colorful robes she had seen back in St. Mungo's, rushed left and right to aid people who were hurt in the tragedy. The security is tighter than ever, ministry workers are now cautiously and anxiously checking everyone in hopes of catching suspicious people and those who disrupted the was peaceful night.
"Are you two alright?" said Jamie.
"We're alright, mate, just a bit shaken up." said Ron sounding terrified, "Next time, let's have a rope around us or something."
"I'm sorry, Jamie." says Hermione apologetically, "If only I didn't... If I didn't..."
"It's okay, Hermione. It's not your fault, nobody got hurt." Says Jamie and entwines her arm along with Hermione and Ron's, All she can now do is to be thankful that both of her friends are safe.
"I'm glad I found you three instantly. I won't be able to handle it if I lose you all in just one night." Said Mr. Weasley.
"How about Fred, George, and Ginny, dad?" Ron says worriedly, "We lost them too at the crowd."
"They are now back on the tent safely. Charlie found them first." Mr. Weasley says, sounding thankful and worried too at the same time.
As Jamie thinks about it, the thought of losing your own family in such big events truly frightens her. She remembers only the sight of countless people trying to hold on to their relatives and fully determined not to lose them in dark.
Jamie looked up to the sky; the skull with the snake had already disappeared, no more bodies are being levitated in the air, and the dark hooded figures are long gone. But what they left on their wake is something that people won't just be able to forget.
When they reached the tent, a sense of relief washed all of them. The three of Ron's older brothers have tattered shirts and bleeding profusely from helping the ministry, while Fred, George, and Ginny are all sitting quietly and huddled together.
"Did you get them, dad?" Bill broke the silence.
"Unfortunately, No," Mr. Weasley says and sat down on the nearest kitchen table.
"What is that thing they conjured, dad, the mark?" Ron questions and the memory of eerie green snake slithering in the skies made Jamie shudder. "Why did everyone panicked?"
"That is You-know-who's dark mark and it hasn't been seen and conjured since thirteen years ago... You can only imagine the horror of it... Some will think that you-know-who is back." Mr. Weasley says, "It made people panic more when it was conjured by one of them who is undoubtedly you-know-who's followers, they are called Death Eaters. They are only conjuring the mark every time they murder or for a message... but funnily, some of them disapparated after they saw it, they were down on numbers instantly."
Death Eater? Isn't that what Sirius had called Malfoy's father? Jamie thought to herself.
"They disapparated?" Ron says loudly, "Shouldn't they be pleased that You-know-who is back? Considering that they worked for him in the past?"
"Ron, what was left of the past Death eaters are the only ones who struggled on working their way out of Azkaban." Bill says, "Of course, they will be scared that You-know-who is back, the amount of damage and consequences from it are immeasurable and have a greater impact on their daily lives that was down on the mud back then."
"One of them conjured it and some of them disapparated on the top of that," Hermione muttered, "Wasn't it saying something? Surely, they planned this horrifying act of theirs for tonight, but it sounds like conjuring the dark mark isn't one of it."
"It's where we are baffled the most if it is to be a message to the other death eaters for a reunion. But, in the meantime, it surely has a purpose with their following actions." Mr. Weasley says, "The Ministry is uncertain if it is still the old band. We don't have any evidence to prove it is them, it's only a matter of time to be confirmed that it is still them this time and no one else."
"What about those who are being levitated?" Jamie says, "What happened to them?"
"Those are the muggles," Charlie says hesitatingly, "It's... a part of the Death Eaters specialty to mass murder and torture muggles with their views on the purity of being a Pureblood. They always think their views are above the muggles and no one else is."
Jamie glanced worriedly over Hermione and became more aware of how dangerous it was to her friend, she is very thankful that Ron kept Hermione out of their way and managed to be away from them. Hermione will always be the number one brilliant witch for her, muggle or not, nothing can change Jamie's mind.
"I can only tell you this, but Death Eaters are the only ones who know how to conjure the Dark Mark, I'd say I'm surprised if the one who conjured it hadn't been a death eater once." Said Mr. Weasley and sighed, "It's very late... We need all the rest we can get, before leaving here and get the earliest portkey out of here, I'm sure your Mother is alerted by now."
Everyone nodded and Mr. Weasley helped Bill, Charlie, and Percy to treat their wounds faster. Jamie noticed that Percy has not said a single thing since they went here. Everyone except Ron, Hermione, and Jamie. The three of them still warping their heads what just have happened.
"I found Malfoy in the forest." Jamie was the first one to spoke, "He's alone in the woods and nobody is with him, not even his parents. He looked like he's the first one in there."
"No wonder why he looked like Dementors had sucked his soul tonight, he knew what will happen." Ron grimly says, "I bet you galleons that his parents are with the Death Eaters, sick bastards. I hope dad will catch them on it one day, and it will wipe Malfoy's smirk."
"I'm sure that the Ministry will," Hermione says with a disgusted look, "It's a bit unfortunate that they did not manage to unmask some of them."
"I asked where his parents are, he looked a bit horrified, but he did not answer my question." Jamie continued. She won't forget how Malfoy's smirk dropped in her question, "Sirius and I once went to St. Mungo's, and Malfoy is with his father in there. Things got messy and I remembered Sirius calling Malfoy's father Death Eater, it made him walk away."
"It's true then!" Said Ron, "Those slimy gits!"
"You think Malfoy knew everything about this?" Hermione questioned.
"Maybe," Jamie says, "He's always around with his father every time, isn't he?"
"I don't know..." Hermione says, "He's a bit too young if you ask me. Surely, the death eaters won't let a fourteen-year-old be in their plans."
"Yeah, no." Jamie says, "Whatever Malfoy will be up to, we will be the first one to know."
Hermione's right of course. Malfoy's a bit too mouthy every time he talks, but Jamie knows Malfoy is not stupid. After all these years, Jamie has known that Malfoy has a way to know everything, especially when he is a Slytherin. He can be resourceful using his name.
Not one of them expected the sudden turn of tonight's events. After minutes of staying around, the three of them called it a night and went to their rooms. Jamie washed her face and changed into her sleeping clothes before going to her bunk bed.
Even after a tired night, Jamie can't sleep. It couldn't be a coincidence on what happened tonight along what she has dreamed of nights ago with her scar hurting and throbbing. Hell, she doesn't even know if it's only a dream. With Voldemort's followers rallying in a big event with his mark drawing the skies, it means something... something big that will happen soon.
Jamie traced the scar on her forehead that was always hidden by her fringe to avoid gawking from every person she passed by. It sounded ridiculous even to her, but there's nothing Jamie can do more. Somehow, it reminded her of Malfoy's words to her; she's too full of herself.
Truth to be told, Jamie doesn't really care on fame. To them, she is what they called the-girl-who-lived; it's always who they want, but not her. As she looks back, nobody did ever wanted her.
For Jamie, she doesn't want anything that the world is throwing on her very young age. Should Jamie feel grateful? They say it is the experiences that builds the character, but Jamie calls it all ridiculous when her life is seemingly being at risk every year.
She can only hope that this year will be different.
****
Jamie is woken up hours later, and she can tell that all of them didn't catch enough sleep with what happened last night buggering all of them. They prepared for their departure and fixed the tent before leaving.
They managed to get the earliest portkey and left the campsite. The Aurors are still cautious to those who leave and still a bit jumpy every time they heard the tiniest sound of bangs. Jamie can only imagine how stressful their work overnight.
The group walked back from the Stoatshead Hill to The Burrow. They are silent from sleep deprivation, saved the grunts and jests from the twins who are trying to lighten up the solemn air on their way.
From afar, Jamie can see Mrs. Weasley figure on the front yard waiting for them along with a familiar figure who wore robes even in the heat waves of the summer. As the group reached the two figures, Jamie took a glance up at Sirius who looked fear stricken before crushing her with a hug.
"I went here as early as I can after reading the news," Sirius muttered and Jamie hugged Sirius back tightly, both of them have the sense of relief. "Good Merlin, I feared for the worst. I have never thought of it happening in such a big event. I should have thought about it more... I should have come with you..."
Jamie felt waves of relief washing her and barely stopped herself from being teary-eyed in front of her friends and Ron's family. She had not imagined for Sirius to be sick worried enough to blame himself from an occurrence that he doesn't have any part of.
"It's not your fault, Padfoot, We're here now." says Jamie softly and gave herself a mental note to not say anything on how she got lost in a crowd, "Nothing happened to us."
"Thank you," Sirius turned to Hermione and Ron whose faces are filled with shock, "I am certain that both of you had looked over Jamie in the meantime without my presence and without fail, thank you once again."
Both of her friends flushed at the compliment.
"It's nothing, Mr. Black," said Hermione.
"Please call me Sirius." Said, Sirius.
"Come on now, Molly. We're all perfectly okay," Mr. Weasley coaxed Mrs. Weasley who's still teary-eyed and keeps checking the others of any injuries worryingly.
"Let's go inside," Mrs. Weasley sniffed after wrestling the twins in a hug, "I am sure all of you are tired and hungry... Dear, dear, I haven't prepared breakfast..."
All of them are crammed inside Mrs. Weasley's kitchen and everyone drank the strongest tea made by Hermione, except Percy that locked himself in his room and cannot stand the thought of Sirius being with them.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are talking with Sirius in the drawing room, the three of them deep in thought and conversing in low voices and almost murmuring to each other. They will occasionally take a glance to the kitchen as if worried that someone will hear them.
"Reckon they are talking about last night?" Said Ron.
"Dunno, it seems different to me." Said Jamie before whispering lowly, "I'm about to tell something that I haven't told the both of you."
"What about?" says Hermione curiously.
"It's about my dream nights before the Quidditch World cup," Jamie says before going in a very detailed matter on her dream about Voldemort and the pain of her scar that comes after.
"Have you told Sirius about this?" said Hermione, looking at her in horror and Jamie shakes her head, "You have to, Jamie! And also to Professor Dumbledore! They need to know about this with the Hogwarts in their talk! And the last time your scar kept hurting, he... he was in Hogwarts isn't he?"
"But, it's impossible." says Jamie, "He can't be near me, It is hidden from the outside. Sirius said, it is hidden and protected by Dumbledore. Anyone who can only come in is those who are trusted."
"It's just a coincidence then?" Ron says, looking scared at the same time, "Maybe, it's just a dream, a nightmare."
Jamie shakes her head; she doesn't know what to believe, "If you only can hear how they talk about the killings and their plans in Hogwarts," She shuddered and remembered how the old muggle's body slowly become limp in the cold floor, "I think it has something to do with Professor Trelawney's prediction last year."
"Professor Trelawney's prediction?" Ron says, confusion slowly dawning in his face, "About the Grim thing?"
"No, it's not that." said Jamie, "After my examinations, Professor Trelawney said something about Peter Pettigrew leaving Voldemort in his own and another servant of his is coming in his aid." Says Jamie, "Don't you think it's connected with my dream or whatever it is?"
"Perhaps," Hermione says, looking doubtful. "But, I won't believe anything that old fraud says, its always full of rubbish."
"It's different though, Trelawney had her eyes rolling in the back her body is shaking and all, it's like she was in a... in a trance," said Jamie, scrunching her nose in thought.
"Alright, prongslet?" Jamie looked up from her friends and to Sirius who has finished his talk with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, but Jamie noticed something about him is different. "We will need to come back for you to rest, I gathered it was a long night."
Jamie nodded without a protest and stands up from her seat. It is indeed, a long night.
"Jamie, you should tell him. Dream or not, it is important for him to know." Hermione whispered and she nodded once again.
"I'll see you both later." Jamie waves goodbye before going ahead to the fireplace where Sirius and Ron's parents are standing.
"Thank you, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, for the opportunity of watching the cup and having us." Jamie thanked them and Mrs. Weasley gave her a motherly and warm smile that she won't ever get enough of.
"It's alright dear. You are always welcome, remember that." Mrs. Weasley says.
"Thank you again, Arthur. I owe you grandly," Sirius said and shakes hands with Mr. Weasley.
"It's nothing, Sirius. Be sure to owl or floo us anytime." Mr. Weasley says and Sirius nodded.
Mrs. Weasley holds out the jar of floo and they both stand in the fireplace. Sirius holds a handful of powder before dropping it in their feet.
Jamie felt the familiar licking of flames on her feet before her whole body was eaten by it. She waited for the tug of her body to be finished, and was stopped from lurching forward with Sirius' hand placed firmly on her shoulder almost protectively.
She casts a charm to remove the soot out of her glasses that she learned from Hermione and take a good look of the interior before her.
There's something about the black walls of Grimmauld place that comforted Jamie, she felt the sensational relief to be back here again. Both of them stepped out of the fireplace, Jamie dropped her bag on a floor with a thud and the exhaustion starts seeping on her bones. She waited for Sirius to say something or anything, but she was met by silence.
"Padfoot?" Jamie tried but Sirius won't even meet her eyes, "Is everything alright?"
Another silence passed by, "Padfoot?" said Jamie and she did not let her frustration get ahold of her, "Sirius."
And there, Sirius' gaze averted from the walls to her.
"Are you alright?" Jamie repeated and Sirius dropped with a heave, before sitting down on one of the couch in the Drawing room. "You're not ignoring me, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not ignoring anyone," Sirius says and avoided her gaze once again.
"Then, what is it?" said Jamie and dropped down on the seat beside her Godfather, his leg is bouncing up and down, and biting around his nails in a nervous manner. She puts slowly the puzzle pieces together and carefully puts it out there.
"Don't blame yourself at what happened, Sirius." says Jamie softly, "The death eaters are gone now."
"You don't know about that." Sirius chuckled humorlessly, "You think that they will stay away forever? Don't think that Arthur didn't say what happened in there, you were forced to evacuate to the forest while the filthy scums are there and parading like maniacs while it took time to find you all."
Jamie didn't flinch on the cuss and watched Sirius intently whose eyes are getting more and more distant.
"When I first saw it from the papers, I can't bring myself to believe it... Merlin, I don't want to believe it... But I thought of you, If it only was too late, something might have happened to them," Sirius says before looking at Jamie with eyes brimming with tears, "and to you."
"And I won't forgive myself if that ever happens, I would never." Sirius' voice is thick with emotion. Jamie felt her vision slowly blurred like her glasses isn't enough to see clearly until a tear falls on her cheek, "I already lost them... I already lost James and Lily and it's my fault... I don't want to lose you too."
Jamie hugged her Godfather tightly. After all this time, Sirius still blames himself from what happened thirteen years ago and Jamie can only imagine what Sirius has been feeling the whole time.
He's obviously still not okay after all these months. How come she did not notice this?
"Please, don't blame yourself anymore, Sirius." Jamie muttered against the fabric of his robes, "I'm sure wherever Mum and Dad are now; they are happy that you are here with me, they are happy at the decision on trusting their friend, who's perfectly taking care of their child."
Sirius hugged her back, "No matter what happens, you will never lose me, Padfoot." Jamie said firmly.
After a moment of silence, they both pulled away and looked at each other. They suddenly felt giddy before laughed lowly at the sight of each other. To others, they might look crazy.
"Godric's pants, look at the both of us, crying and laughing in the middle of daylight." said Sirius after a moment of silence and he wipes his tears, "Are we really from Gryffindor?"
"As long as we're not sorted to Hufflepuff, we're alright." Jamie jokingly says and wiped the lenses of her glasses for the second time of that day. "I bet the sorting hat is disappointed with us."
"I bet," Sirius smiled at this, "One last thing, prongslet..."
"What did Hermione meant on telling me about your dream?"
Jamie gave Sirius a look of shock, "You heard that? How?"
"You thought I have a poor hearing? I have my ways. Ever since the Hogwarts, you must be aware of Filch's footsteps and his cat Norris even from the distant if you're out of the Dormitory on curfew." Sirius scoffed before a knowing look dawned on his face and Jamie smirking triumphantly to herself, "Don't ever think of changing the subject."
Jamie lets the smirk fall from her face and lets the solemnness in the air settled once again.
"I don't really know if it was only a dream," Jamie started and repeated what she had said to Hermione and Ron. She's careful not to miss any details and piece from her dream.
"About your scar, did it hurt even before this dream happened?" Sirius questioned right instantly.
"Yes... The first time it happened is when I was only in my first year," Jamie says, "He possessed our Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and Voldemort was on the back of his head the whole time, and it was the reason my scar kept hurting."
"From what it sounds like, it only hurts when Voldemort is around..." Said Sirius and Jamie nodded, "But, It's impossible, Voldemort can't be here in the middle of the night. The protection charms are too strong for anyone to penetrate and it would alarm anyone, even you." Sirius said, "... You mentioned Bertha Jorkins?"
Jamie nodded and watched Sirius delved in thoughts, "I knew her from Hogwarts and have heard of her, I first saw it on news from the paper. She disappeared a long time ago, but I am not certain about her whereabouts..." Sirius says, "I can hardly believe that this is not just coincidence with what happened last night."
Sirius nodded at her firmly, "I'll do everything I can to find out what it is all about, Prongslet. I will have to OWL someone too and he might have the answers to all of this, it might take some time." Sirius said, "For now, you need to rest and clear your thoughts from last night. I will call for you once Remus has joined us for lunch, he missed you a lot from having those nights and have some words to exchange."
Jamie chuckled at Sirius who winced at his last words and nodded with a smile after hearing that Lupin will join them after so many days and nights without him.
"Thank you, Padfoot," Jamie says and Sirius gave her a smile in return.
****
The rain lashed heavily on the windows of the Grimmauld place, and since then, the fireplace on the Drawing room hasn't got any rest with them using it all the time. Jamie and her friends have been flooing back and forth in each other's houses to spend some time in their remaining days before they can enter the door of Hogwarts again.
Sometimes, the twins will goof off and did their Weasley Wizarding Wheezes order forms in here while Ginny, Hermione, and Jamie will talk randomly about things that girls would do. but this time, Ron and Hermione are only with her on the floors of the Drawing room, playing random games in time to time and packing their school supplies before they board the train in two days.
Jamie has finally opened the gifts out of boredom. Like what Sirius had said, Mrs. Weasley gifted her a red sweater with a huge 'H' stitched on it. Ron gifted her a new set of Chudley Cannons pyjamas, Hermione and Ginny gave her ribbons and hair ties to help her tame her unruly black hair, while Fred and George have gifted her two colored candies that Jamie did not bother to eat when she remembered them saying about possible howlers from Sirius being sent to them. Sirius and Lupin have gifted her books about Defensive Magic spells she has been reading and practicing on.
"Do not eat them," Hermione warned about the candies without looking up from her book. "Might as well be their tester on some of what they have been doing in their room."
"I think what they are doing is a bit genius, pity that some of them are being thrown away by mum," Ron deflated and looked down sullenly on his potion making set, "Bollocks to the weather, I missed playing on the garden."
"We should play in the rain sometimes," Jamie suggested, the idea reminded her of the quidditch match against the Hufflepuffs last year and tried not to wince at the memory, even Hermione turned to look at her with sharp eyes while Ron is considering the idea.
"And be struck by the lightning? Hmph, there's no way that Mrs. Weasley will let you." Hermione reprimanded and Jamie giggled.
"Just a joke, Hermione," said Jamie.
"By the way Jamie, where's Sirius?" Ron says, "I haven't seen him since yesterday."
Jamie rolled her eyes. Everyone is now in love with her Godfather, and if she means more than in love, she meant Fred and George. "You saw him only hours ago, Ron."
"Did you finally told him about your dream?" Hermione inquired.
Jamie nodded, it's been weeks ago since Jamie has told him but Sirius did say it might take time. "Yeah, Sirius said he will find something about it and will message about it to someone that might help me."
Hermione nodded in approval before turning to Ron, "Now how about you, Ronald, did you already clean your dress robes?"
Jamie looked curiously to Ron who blushed and now busied himself on refilling his vials.
"What dress robes? We need one?" asked Jamie.
"Yes, it was on the bottom of the list," said Hermione. Jamie tried to remember if she ever saw one, that is until Sirius was the one holding the list when they were shopping on a rainy day at the Diagon Alley. He may have overlooked at it.
"What are dress robes for?"
"Surely, it is connected to what Mr. Weasley and Bagman are talking about, the big event that is happening at Hogwarts, remember that?" Hermione says and looking at Ron shrewdly, "Have you, Ron?"
"I'll bring myself to do it later, 'Mione," Ron says, still not looking up.
"Why is Ron not looking up to us?" said Jamie amusingly and Ron glared at her while Hermione is trying to hide her smile.
"You will see, Jamie." Hermione says with a glint in her eyes, "Do you have one?"
"I don't have one yet," said Jamie with a sheepish smile.
"What? But we only have two days left!" Hermione exclaimed, "You should prepare now, Jamie!"
Jamie really needs to prepare more for the school year, she can't believe how fast the days are.
"I'll bring myself to do it later, 'Mione," Jamie said in imitation of Ron's voice and the both of them get whacked by Hermione's book. She should have known better than repeating Ron.
—————
A/n: scratch that, this is the longest chapter i've written.
Thank you for patiently waiting for my update, and we just hit 15K reads and 500 votes at the same time! Holy shit, how cool and amazing is that?!!?
Thank you for XoxoAngelSims, BrewCrewMKE, ro781727, _Luna_loony_, and greengummygirl for commenting in the past chapter! Thank you also for those who voted, love y'all!
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