Prologue - Romania

There was smoke everywhere. It rose out of the rubble and filled the street. The flickering of the flames reflected off the smoke, illuminating the shadows of people running and fighting. The smell of burning wood and flesh filled the air, coupled with the screams it sent Rothwyne's stomach churning. Looking behind her at the group of scared muggles, she smiled, trying to reassure them. "Stai în spatele meu! Te va proteja."

After a few children had fallen ill, the townsfolk had believed that the gypsies who recently arrived had cursed them, and an angry mob had set out to drive them out of town. Rothwyne wiped her forehead. One simply family visit had just turned into a fight for her lives and those of her people.

Two figures emerged from the smoke in front of her. She raised her wand higher and motioned for the group to back up behind her, the arm then moved to wrap protectively around her pregnant belly. She wasn't worried. Against two muggles, they didn't stand a chance. Then she noted they were both carrying wands. They were not a part of the angry mob.

"Cine ești tu? Ce faci aici?" The figures glanced at each other but didn't respond. Rothwyne tried again in English. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" "Ah. You're English, good. Stand aside. We'll take it from here." Rothwyne stiffened. "What do you mean, you'll take it from here?" They laughed. "We heard of this little party and thought we could get some target practice." He spat on the ground infront of Rothwyne's feet. "Disgusting gypsies. Their presence is an affront to wizard kind. They're the lowest of all muggles. They use pretence and lies to pass themselves off as magical, having stolen magic from wizards." "Why are you in Romania? What did they ever do to you?" The shorter one sneered, "Killing muggles in Britain will garner too much attention. Killing vermin in Romania, it won't even make the 6 o'clock news."

Rothwyne tightened her grip on her wand, her hand shaking in fury, "If you want to harm these people then you'll have to go through me."

The taller one laughed, he slashed his wand and a bright red light flew at a young girl on Rothwynes right. "Protego!" Rothwyne yelled, blasting the curse out of the way.

"If you will not stand aside, you are no better than they! Crucio!"

Rothwyne dodged the curse, sending back two stunning spells in quick succession, only one found its mark.

"Blood traitor bitch!"

Rothwyne sent a stinging hex and turned to face the terrified people. "Fugi!" She screamed. The group scattered. The wizard and his now enervated colleague made to follow them but she stood in their path. "Who defies me?" Another man stepped out of the darkness. He seemed to have been conjured from it. It surrounded him as if an ever present companion, the sight sent a chill deep into Rothwyne's bones. He removed his hood, he was pale skinned with dark black hair. The air around him rippled with power and his eyes were an icy blue with steaks of red permeating through. The two men dropped to their knees, here was someone with power and they knew it. "We thought she was with us but she was protecting them." He flicked his wand at her. "Interesting. I have a unique punishment for you. Petrificus Totalus!" Rothwyne was unable to move out of the way in time and found herself lying helpless on the cold cobblestones. The man stepped over her, his wand making a complicated pattern, his mouth moved forming a chant but Rothwyne couldn't hear anything over the pounding of blood in her ears. Then pain was all there was. Her blood seemed to boil in her veins. Unable to scream aloud she screamed mentally, her eyes wide. Her stomach clenched and she felt icy fear grip her heart as she felt herself begin to lose her unborn child. This would not happen! NO! There was a flash of blue and Rothwyne felt the world turn black. The last conscience thought she had was of her husband calling her name. Bartholemew stared dumbstruck at the healers. "What do you mean she's dying?!" The healers glanced at each other uncomfortably. Healer Makaw stepped forward.

"The curse she was struck with leaches off her magical essence. We don't know what curse it was, or if we can cure it and we cannot say for sure how long she will be able to bear it, but it will continue to do so. There is also some worry about your child. It might be possible that the curse has affected her too, but we won't know until the baby is born. As it is, we recommend we perform an emergency operation to remove her now."

Bartholemew turned white, his brother, Harold, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"She's not due for a month yet!"

"We assure you, it is safe. Any more exposure to the curse could be deadly for the child."

Bartholemw looked up at Harold's face, and then at Eleanor who was cradling baby James to her chest. Looking back at the healer he nodded and watched as his wife and unborn child were wheeled away

24th December 1965 – James and Jessamin are 5

"Minnie? You here?" James walked down the corridor of Potter Manor looking for his twin-cousin… or was it just sister now?… he was slightly confused on the matter. "Minnie? Mummy says you're missing the party and people want to see you and that cake is going to be soon."

Miiiiinnnnnn" He whined, "Mum says we have to wait for you to have cake, and I want…" James stopped when he heard a muffled sob from his Uncles room. Jessamin was sitting on the bed in her pink party dress, her feet dangling off the end. She was crying softly over a photo frame and a piece of paper she clutched in her hands.

James approached her and hoisted himself up on the bed next to her. "Minne, why are you crying?"

"Mama and Papa will hate me for getting a new Mummy and Daddy…" She gasped out between sobs. James looked at her confused. "But you're getting a new mummy and daddy… not a new Mama and Papa. There's a BIIIIIIGGGGGGG difference." He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Minnie's face brightened a little… "Yeh… I guess so." Her tone was uncertain. "Sides… Aunty Rothwyn and Uncle Barty wouldn't want you to cry would they?" Minnie shook her head at this. James looked thoughtful, "And if they were here they could look after you, but they're not so they would want you to get a new mummy and daddy to instead." He put an arm around her, 'You're still my sister. Now you're really my sister, instead of being pretend twins we can be real ones instead! And I'll look after you." He reached out and took the certificate she held and pointed to something, Jess saw it and her face changed into one of realisation and joy.

Harold Potter had gone looking for his son and newly acquired daughter. He paused as he heard voices coming from his brother's old bedroom. He hadn't had the heart to clear it out after his brother had died last month. His heart still ached desperately for his twin, when he had fallen ill there had been little they could do. The healers couldn't make heads or tails of it, he had known though, Bartholomew had never been the same when Rothwyne had died, and when Jessamin had fallen ill to the same curse, he had been unable to heal his broken heart. He stopped as he heard his son's voice from within, and smiled. The simple logic of five year olds was amazing in its sincerity. Softly he knocked and opened the door. His heart melted at the sight of the two small children, clinging to each other, dwarfed by the sheer size of the room.

"Daddy look! I found her!" James slid off the bed, turned and took Jess's hand and gently pulled her off as well. "Come on then! Cake time!" James said, tugging on her hand. "Wait Jamie. I have to tie my shoe. Go tell Mummy I'm coming." James looked uncertain but when his father smiled assuredly at him, he grinned and ran off, yelling gleefully about chocolate cake. Harold laughed, at his son's antics and the look of reproach on Jess's small face. Jess struggled with the laces on her small boots, as she continued to fail her face began to crumple. Harold hurried forward, "Allow me, my lady." He said bowing grandly and kneeling before her, smiling at the giggle he earned in return. When he finished and straightened up he swung her up into his arms. She let out a squeal of delight and wrapped her small arms around his neck.

"You excited to see what Father Christmas will bring you tonight?" He asked carrying her down the hall. He stopped when she shook her head. "No? Why's that sweetheart?"

"Cos, I already got my Christmas present earlier." Harold frowned, earlier Eleanor and himself had given Jess the official adoption certificate to keep. "The certificate?"

Jess nodded, "I was worried at first but Jamie helped me. Now I see that Mama and Papa gave you and Mummy to me for Christmas. They knew I'd be sad, and they couldn't be here anymore so they gave me new parents. I know they did, I saw their signatures on the paper. You're my Christmas present from them."

Harold was lost for words, instead he hugged her tighter. Then he put her down, grasped her hand, and father and daughter entered the party room.

Later that night as Eleanor and Harold checked on their sleeping children, and found Jess asleep in James bed. They too felt they had received the greatest Christmas present.

"Thank you brother, I promise to take care of her."