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Lacy here with our next Heidi chapter. Again, we're working with our own storyline. Don't worry, Heidi will reunite with the trio, but not for a while. And before she does that, it's time for Remus to be not so smart. Like, really. Oi. And, of course, there's the Muggleborn Registration. George is not going to be happy about Hermione being out there where she can be hunted for her birth. That's where Heidi and Fred come in. Read on!
Disclaimer: I own Heidi.
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Heidi sighed as she finished setting up her new room. With another safe house finally found and secured, the family of four had moved in the day before. But since she was still feeling the effects of Yaxley's misplaced anger, all Heidi could do was unpack the smaller parts of her room and help set up what was going to be her little cousin's nursery.
Leaving her room for the first time since breakfast, Heidi listened to the sounds of the house. Sprig was still at the Burrow, where she would be safest, and Ayana was asleep in the sitting room. She could hear Sirius banging around his room and Tonks tutting around her and Remus's room, but the elder werewolf wasn't anywhere to be heard or seen.
With a frown, Heidi began searching the house. It wasn't very big, though it was bigger than the last one, so it didn't take long. By the time Heidi had returned to the landing outside her room, she realized Remus wasn't home. She couldn't recall him leaving, or even saying he was going out. Which was strange, since no one went out alone any more.
Even just nipping over to Ted and Andromeda's house to ensure the two were okay was done in pairs or all four of them. Safety was of the utmost importance, as they were all being watched.
Seeing something fluttering on her dresser, Heidi stepped back into her room and found a folded note. A deeper frown creasing her brow, she opened it and read through the contents. The more she read, the more she paled.
"PADFOOT!"
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Fred frowned. "What do you mean, left?"
Heidi sat with Fred, George and Lee in the backroom of the twins' shop. To all the outside world, the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was closed for business. Inside, under heavy charms, spells and wards, the twins and Lee were beginning the process of setting up the wireless radio network for Harry, and anyone else who would listen.
Heidi handed the note over. "I mean, he left us."
Fred quickly read the note before passing it on to George and Lee. "Why?"
"He's afraid." Heidi said simply. "And he's taking the coward's way out."
"But afraid of what?" Lee questioned. "He, of all people, should know you can't pass on Lycanthropy to your children. It takes a bite, or a scratch in some cases. For Merlin's sake, he was our Defense teacher."
"Fear isn't rational, Lee." George said. "Hopefully, being so far from home, or wherever he is, will snap him out of it and make him realize what a fool he's being."
"He's going to find Harry." Heidi said, playing with a tool on the workbench. "And when Pup hears what he's done," she smirked a bit. "Put it this way, Harry, Padfoot and Dad have one major thing in common; they don't suffer fools gladly." she cleared her throat. "One more thing to share," she pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Read this."
With Fred and George on either side, Lee picked up the paper and read the article.
"'Muggle-born Register. The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called 'Muggle-borns', the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets.
"'Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce. Where no proven Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force.
"'The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-Born Registration Commission.'"
Fred, Lee and Heidi looked at George, who'd gone paler than paper, his eyes wide as saucers.
"They can't do this." he said.
"They already have." Heidi explained. "Uncle Ted got the 'invitation' in the mail this morning. And Tonks has been 'requested' to bring him in when she goes for her next shift."
Fred shook his head. "Not wasting any time, is the old bastard?"
"Why bother." Lee pointed out. "When He's got all the control He wants. Wiping out Muggle-borns will be easy now."
George shook his head, shooting off his stool. "No, I won't let them get her."
Before anyone could process his words, he had his cloak in hand and was preparing to drop the wards so he could apparate out of the shop.
"George," Fred nearly jumped at his brother, grabbing his wand hand. "Think this through."
"I am." George fought. "Hermione is a Muggle-born and the woman I love. I am not going to sit back and do nothing when there's a chance she could get separated from Harry and Ron and get caught. She's Harry's best friend, Merlin knows what they'll do just to get information about him from her."
"George," Heidi's tone was strong and sure. It stopped the twins in their tracks, ending the small tussle they were starting. "You just said, yourself, that fear isn't rational. You have every right to be afraid for Hermione, but if you had thought this through, you'd realize the danger you running off would cause. We're all being watched, the Order, everyone, by Death Eaters. You go after Hermione and you'll lead them right to her and Ron and Harry." she took Fred's place in front of George. "Trust Harry and Ron to protect her, because they will."
Silence rang through the room, only broken by George's heavy breathing, before his wand fell from his hand and he leaned against his brother for support.
"I hate this." he admitted.
"We all do, mate." Lee joined the three. "We all do. But that's why we're making this network, why we're fighting. To end it, to end Him."
George exhaled and nodded. "Let's get back to work."
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After another few hours of working on the radio network, Fred took Heidi to Ted and Andromeda's. They were having dinner with them that night and meeting Sirius and Tonks there. Tonks would be staying the night, not handling her husband leaving very well. But when they walked through the door, after answering Ted's security questions, they saw Remus was there.
"He came back an hour ago." Sirius said softly to the pair as he joined them. "Said Harry snapped him out of it, shamed him for his actions. Said he attacked Harry for his words, but knows what Harry said was justified."
"And Tonks?" Fred asked.
Sirius looked at his cousin, tucked into her husband's side. "She's forgiven him. She knows Remus so well, there's not a lot she won't forgive."
"Aunt Andy?" Heidi asked quietly.
Sirius exhaled. "Avoiding being in the same room as Remus. This just added fuel to her fire about him not being right for Dora. Ted and I are keeping them apart."
"Heidi?" Remus, seeing his niece, stood from the couch. "Ladybug, I want to apologize."
Heidi knew everyone was looking at her, waiting for her to react. When she'd read Remus's note, Sirius had taken her wand to prevent her from using magic in anger, and letting the Ministry know where they were via the Trace. But now, standing before the man who'd been her father figure for as long as she could remember, the man who taught her to face her fears and never back down, no matter what, she couldn't feel anything.
Ignoring the tears clouding her vision, Heidi took a deep breath, turned on her heel and walked away.
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Yeah, Remus has a lot of apologizing to do. I was considering putting in the confrontation with Harry, but I wanted this to be focused on Heidi's reactions to the events. It's gonna take time, most of the next chapter, honestly, but they'll get this fixed. I hope. Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thanks for reading.
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