Chapter 21:

"So, isn't your birthday this month?" Kevin asked, watching Jamie dribble the ball.

She nodded, psyching him out and shooting the ball. "Yes, on the twenty-third. Usually, Lily and I went to Hogwarts to celebrate but I don't know how we are handling it this year what with Mom and Dad no longer in the school and Lily having a boyfriend," Jamie explained.

Now Kevin had the ball. "Well, let me know cause I want to do something for you your birthday. But I need to know when to do it," he said.

Jamie stopped in surprise. "You…you want to do something for my birthday?"

"Yeah," Kevin said. "Don't your friends do something for you?"

"Of course. But usually it's for me and Lily. Sometimes Sam, too."

"Oh, when's her birthday?"

"April tenth."

"Ah."

"So, you seriously want to do something for me?"

Kevin laughed. "Yes, Jamie. I figure I'd leave Lily to Giachi and Sam to Will and just focus on you. How does that sound?"

Jamie threw her arms around Kevin, causing him to stagger back. Once he adjusted for the weight, he hugged her back. "I guess you like the idea," he joked.

"Yes, I do," Jamie said, pulling back. She kept her head down, wiping at her eyes.

"Are you crying?"

"No. I just got something in my eye."

"You're crying!" Kevin exclaimed. "You are such a girl."

"Shut up!"

"Make me!" With that, Jamie began chasing him around the center. The other patrons shook their heads at the couple's antics.

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Sam sighed. "Guys, you know I'm not normally one to pass up a shopping spree with you girls, but do I really need to be here to pick out your dad's present?" she asked the twins.

"Yes," Lily said. "We need a second opinion…or a tie-breaking vote in case we deadlock."

"Why don't you two just get separate gifts in that case?" Sam asked, hands in her coat pocket.

"Because that was fine when we were just drawing pictures. Now that we are buying actual presents with our own money…well, we prefer to share."

"Your own money? Don't you mean the money Lily is earning from her internship?"

"I have a part-time job as a secretary in a psychologist's office. It's temporary while I wait to get in with an actual profiler or Auror that didn't watch me grow up," Jamie explained.

"Wait, when did you get this job?" Lily and Sam asked at the same time. "And why didn't you tell us?"

Jamie shrugged. "I got it a couple of weeks ago. A professor of mine set it up. And when exactly would I be able to tell you? Name the last time we were all together for more than five minutes." The other two girls were silent. "See?"

Lily sighed. "Okay, okay, you proved your point. Can we get going? We're wasting daylight here!" She grabbed her sister's arm and then her friend's, dragging them through the store as Sam continued complaining.

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A few hours they were finally done shopping and Lily dubbed the trip "a success." Jamie and Sam were collapsed on a nearby bench, bags surrounding them, grumbling. "A success for whom?"

"For all of us," Lily said, happily. She motioned to the bags which earned her glares from the two, but especially her twin.

Jamie held up a bag from a men's robe store. "This is Daddy's present from both of us. We found it within the first ninety-minutes of being here! Can you explain why we were here for another two hours and now have about ten bags?"

Lily sighed while Sam sat up. "Okay, I performed. Where's my treat?" she asked, arms crossed.

"What?" Lily asked, surprised.

"I came and I shopped with you. Now, you have to get me something. I'm in the mood for a chocolate milkshake. You?" she asked, turning to Jamie.

"Yes," Jamie replied. "A chocolate milkshake does indeed sound good."

"Fine! We'll go to Flotescue's!"

"But I prefer the milkshakes by our flat," Jamie whined.

Lily stomped her foot. "We're going to Flotescue's and that is that! I'll get treated better there."

"Meaning that Giachi's going to be there and will comfort her over how bitchy we are being towards her," Jamie translated for Sam.

"Yeah," Sam said. "I kinda figured."

Lily turned around, about to retort when the ground began shaking. "Oh Merlin, it's an earthquake!" Jamie exclaimed, latching onto both her sister and her friend.

"If it's an earthquake, I think we should head for a doorway or something," Lily said, trying not to panic.

"I thought Diagon Alley was charmed to prevent earthquakes," Sam asked Jamie.

"I thought so, too."

The girls rushed over to find someplace safe—as were everyone else—when they ran into Giachi and Kevin. "Are you girls okay?" Giachi asked, specifically looking at his girlfriend.

"We're fine," Jamie replied, now holding on to Kevin for support. "Either of you two have an idea of what's going on?"

"No. But something tells me this isn't natural," Kevin shouted over the roar. The three made it to a deserted store, seemingly safe. "There, at least we can hear each other."

Everyone nodded but Jamie and Sam. "I don't like the feeling in this place. My guy's telling me that it is dangerous and if I've learned one thing in my almost twenty-one years on Earth, it is trust my gut," Sam said.

"What is so dangerous about this place?" Giachi asked. "It's quiet and not shaking."

"And not crowded," Jamie pointed out. "Why would everyone else bypass this building and we notice it? Kev, Giachi, this seems to be something one of our Auror professors would warn about."

Kevin and Giachi pondered this for a minute then shrugged. "I guess so. But why would they want us over the people outside?" Kevin asked.

"Well, you guys are in the order," Sam whispered. "And all of our parents are in it. Not to mention Newman seems to have some ancient beef with my father."

Now even Lily was feeling uncomfortable in the place. "Let's go, Giachi. Please?" she pleaded.

"Lily, would you rather be in here or out there where it is shaking?" Giachi asked.

"Out there!"

"You are letting the paranoia talk to you," Giachi said, shaking her gently.

"Man, I don't think it's the paranoia," Kevin replied.

"And if it is," Jamie added, "it's getting to me." Sam nodded by her side.

Giachi still seemed resolute on staying. "Stupid Black stubbornness!" Sam yelled. "We need to get out of here, now!"

"No, we don't!" Giachi shouted back. "We are safe here. Back me up, Kevin."

"I can't," Kevin said. "I'm with the girls. We need to leave. Now."

Giachi was about to argue back when he was cut off by Lily shrieking and pointing to a dark corner. Everyone followed her line of sight and cursed. There, in the shadows, stood two Dragons. "Giachi, you've juts been out voted. Let's go!" Kevin started pushing everyone to the door.

"Arm yourselves!" Sam instructed. "They are not going to let us go without a fight."

"Correct. I can see that when they say you inherited your father's intellect, they weren't exaggerating," one of the Dragons hissed.

Sam didn't even blink. She raised her wand, ready to defend herself. The others did the same, though Giachi, Kevin and Jamie moved more forward. "We're trained in this," Kevin muttered out of the side of his mouth. "We'll hold them off. You two get outside." Lily and Sam nodded.

The two girls started to slowly back towards the door but there was another Dragon they hadn't seen. "Nah uh uh," she said, stepping out. "Where do you two think you are going?"

Sam and Lily gripped their wands tightly, ready to defend themselves against whatever this Dragon sent at them. Except the spell to collapse the room's ceiling. "DUCK!" Sam yelled, pushing Lily underneath a table. She hoped the others could find shelter before she was knocked unconscious.

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Lily groaned, slowly sitting up. She was coated in a fine dust, most likely from the plaster that fell down. Sam lay underneath the table, also out cold, but there were no injuries that Lily could see. She stood up, looking for her sister and boyfriend as well as their friend. She carefully walked over, spotting Jamie and Giachi lying prone nearby. She went over to them and sighed in relief when she realized they were okay. She didn't see Kevin and wondered if he chased the Dragons out.

Outside, people were wandering around as Aurors and Medis checked out everything. Stores were disturbed, the street looked torn up but no one seemed seriously hurt. "Lily? Lily!" she heard someone call. She looked around, but couldn't see anyone she recognized. "Lily Rose Lupin! I am to your left!" She turned and came face to face with Ginny.

"Aunt Ginny!" Lily exclaimed in relief. "Jamie, Sam and Giachi are inside unconscious."

Ginny nodded and rushed in, just as Giachi was regaining consciousness. "What happened?" she asked the girl.

"Well, Jamie and I were shopping for Daddy's birthday present and dragged Sam along. After we got the present and I took them on a marathon shopping spree, they wanted milkshakes as rewards for putting up with me. They wanted to go to the ice cream place near our place but I wanted to go to Flotescue's because I knew Giachi would be there. Then everything began to shake, we met up with Kevin and Giachi. We all came in here, but Sam and Jamie didn't like the feel. I caught on as did Kevin, but Giachi was being stubborn. As we were about to drag him out, we were cornered by Dragons. Jamie, Giachi and Kevin held them off while Sam and I snuck off, but we ran into another Dragon who caused the ceiling collapse."

"Okay, Lily, breathe," Ginny said, slightly shaking the witch. She turned outside. "I've got two unconscious in here plus two for observation!"

"Do you know who they are?" someone else called in.

"The two unconscious are Jamie Lupin and Samantha Snape. The two for observation are Lily Lupin and Giacomo Black," she called out before turning to Lily. "Wait, that's only four. Where's Kevin?"

Lily shrugged. "I thought he went to go get help," she said. "He wasn't here when I woke up."

By this time, help was in the building. And also a very pissed off Kiki who was less than ecstatic to see her daughter lying there in the rubble. However, she was smart enough to know she couldn't help (no matter how much she wanted to) and went over to Lily. "Please don't make her repeat the story," Ginny pleaded. "And could someone come get Miss Lupin here?"

"Is there anything we should know?" Kiki asked her goddaughter gently. "Like, how many were there?"

"Three. Two men and one woman. The woman threatened Sam and I, bringing down the ceiling. The two men were fended off by Jamie, Giachi and Kevin…oh Merlin, we don't know where Kevin went to!" Lily cried.

Kiki hugged the girl. "Don't worry. We'll find him. For now, I think you should go with the mediwizard. Either Eden or Ginny will check in on you." Lily nodded and left as Harry entered.

"Is everyone okay in here?" he asked, hugging his wife.

Ginny nodded. "For the most part," she said, watching a new Auror come tumbling down.

"Sir, Mr. Potter, should I alert Severus Snape about his daughter? I've already contacted Mr. and Mrs. Lupin as well as Mr. Black," he said, looking rather proud of himself.

"NO!" Kiki shouted, marching over. "Do not contact Severus!"

The Auror sneered at Kiki. "I need to contact her emergency contact and he is it. And I was talking to Mr. Potter, not you," he said.

"You will speak to Auror Snape with respect, rookie, as she is your superior as well as mine," Harry snapped, irritated. The Auror looked taken aback.

"You, sir, the savior of the wizarding world has a superior?"

"Yes, he does. And I'm Samantha Snape's other emergency contact. And I will be the one contacting my husband, have I made myself clear?" Kiki said. The Auror nodded and ran off. Kiki sighed. "I do not want Severus down there in overprotective mode without me to act as a buffer," she said. "So I better go. I'll see you down there?" Harry and Ginny nodded.

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Remus and Harmony found their daughters in the same room. Lily was sitting in a chair, curled up watching her sister sleep. "Lily?" her father asked quietly. Within seconds, the young witch was wrapped up in her father's arms, crying. "Shh, it's okay," he soothed.

"Honey, what did they say to you?" Harmony asked, now sitting next her other daughter.

Lily sniffed. "I'm okay and free to go. I may be a little sore for a bit but I'm sure Uncle Sev has something for that," she said. "And they said Jamie's going to sleep through the night because they had to mend her arm. Other than that, she'll be fine and they'll see where to go when she wakes up."

Her parents nodded as Harry walked in. "Hey, can we speak to Lily please?" he asked. Lily nodded, walking out. Remus followed. "Sorry. Alright, Giachi was just released but some of the painkillers they gave him made him a little…loopy, so he's home resting. Sam woke up, everything is looking fine except for a gash on her forehead and they are monitoring her for a concussion," Harry explained. "We just need to go over some things with Lily."

"Sure, what about?" Lily said, now noticing Ron and Tonks with him.

"You told Kiki that it was two men and a woman, right?" Harry asked.

"Yes. The woman brought the ceiling down."

"Interesting," Tonks replied.

"How so?" Remus asked.

"Well," she said, "the woman is a new development. We've always believed the Dragons were exclusively male. So either there are females hiding in the shadows or this woman somehow was important enough for Newman to let her into his little club."

Harry cleared his throat. "Anyway, did they say anything?"

"One commented on how smart Sam was and the woman asked us where we were going. But other than that, nothing else I could hear if any," Lily replied. "Why?"

Ron sighed. "They had four members of the Order in a warehouse as well as the daughter of Newman's rival, but only took one person. We now believe that Kevin was the intended target, but we don't know why. You know anything about his personal life?"

"Not much, just what Jamie decides to tell me. She holds his confidence dearly," Lily explained.

"Okay, just tell us what you know."

"Well, he's American and moved here with his dad who works in the Ministry. I don't know what he does exactly. His mom runs an apothecary and I think he has a sister, not sure. They go to visit family in the states but not lately. He told Jamie that his dad's been acting weird," Lily said.

"That could be crucial," Ron said, Harry and Tonks nodding. "Tonks and I'll run it down." With that, the two left.

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Later on, Sam had sent her father to get her something to eat (from a place a few blocks from the hospital, to give the workers a break) while her mother sat down next to her. Kiki was making sure her daughter didn't fall asleep until Eden cleared her for a concussion. "This isn't fun," Sam complained.

"I know, dear," Kiki said as her husband entered the room. "How was your trip? Calm down?"

"No. These people are all idiots."

"Severus, Eden is taking care of her."

"Of which I am thoroughly glad," Severus said, handing his daughter her dinner.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said, smiling. He kissed her forehead before sitting down next to his wife.

Lily stuck her head in. "How are you feeling, Sam?" she asked.

"I'm fine with the exception I'm not allowed to fall asleep, but I'm so wiped out I feel I could sleep for a week," Sam replied. "You?"

"Just shaken up. And they say Jamie will be fine in the morning," Lily explained. "Um, Aunt Kiki, is okay if I talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure," Kiki said, walking out to join Lily in the hallway. "What is it?"

"It's just a dream Jamie had a week or so ago. It was more of a nightmare, actually, and scared her."

"Oh?" Kiki said, very interested. "What was it about?"

"She said it was in the Auror academy, which was deserted and some of the classrooms looked like the students left in a hurry. She found Kevin's bag and a hood figure told her something like she was next." Lily sighed. "But she's not a seer, you don't think she predicted this?"

"It could be possible," Kiki explained. "The way I see it, someone wanted to either warn or scare her and used the nightmare to do so. But thanks for telling me. I'll forward it on to the other Aurors." Lily nodded and left.

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"It is weird," one security guard said to another. "I haven't seen Aurors stay this late since the days of You-Know-Who."

"It probably has something to do with those Dragons that have been running around. I hear their leader is the guy who took over Hogwarts from Severus Snape," his partner said. "The way I see it, we're looking at another You-Know-Who."

Harry sighed in his office, overhearing the guards' conversation. "I hope Newman doesn't become like Voldemort," he said.

"We're trying to prevent that," Ace said. "However, after today's attack on Diagon Alley, there is going to be a panic. I just know it. People are going to start calling Newman 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Two' or something stupid like that."

Tonks sighed. "Can we just focus on the case at hand and worry about the public tomorrow?" she asked her brother-in-law. He nodded. "Great. Now, one of the new Aurors trying to prove himself suggested this had something to do with the 2004 Malfoy-Fudge kidnappings."

"Which is easily wiped aside as they took the one person who was not kidnapped back then," Kingsley said. "We feel tracking down Lily's comment about how Jamie said Kevin felt his father had been acting weird lately is a better lead."

"Of course. But maybe this rookie isn't too far off on an idea," Ace pondered.

Harry sighed. "Ace, we have no reason to believe that any of Voldemort's Deatheaters have become Newman's Dragons."

Ace nodded. "But what of their children? Voldemort's demise doesn't erase years of learning his rhetoric. Get in touch with Snape and ask if he knows of any student that may join this organization. Also Draco Malfoy, he would know as well."

"What about Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall?" Kingsley asked. "It's possible that some followers could come from their houses as well. We can't overlook them due to Slytherin's stigma."

"Sprout and Flitwick, yes. But McGonagall? Do you think a Gryffindor could do this? Doesn't Snape always complain that they are 'too damn noble'?" Ace asked.

"Pettigrew," was all Harry had to whisper and everyone fell silent.

"Okay," Ace said. "We'll also talk to McGonagall."

Kingsley cleared his throat. "What about Fudge's Army? Did we ever round them all of them?" he asked. Ace scrunched his brows, walking into his office. He walked back out with a folder, shaking his head.

"No, they fell under the radar because the numbers were small and they weren't considered a 'risk,'" he explained. "We'll have to track these down. And I want leads on that woman! She could be important."

"Important in what sense?" Tonks asked. "Do you think she could reveal some of Newman's master plan?"

"No, I think the Order has that down. She could lead to others in the group."

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A/N: Hmm, so who is this mysterious woman? Hmm…anyway, another chapter for you! Please review, I'm having some communication problems with the roomies and would greatly appreciate some pick-me-ups. Also, anyone else think the news feed on Facebook (if you have an account) is a bit too much? I do. Anyway, enjoy! Mac

A/N2: Looks like another week with the "a's". Sorry guys! Mac