Chapter Thirty: A Saint That Woman
The wind blew loudly and the air was cold. It was a darker night than many had seen in some time. It didn't matter that in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Jamie Devereaux Bruce and Fred Weasley were sleeping more peacefully than they ever had before. The moon was hidden behind thick, dark clouds and the night seemed evil. Nature knew that a plan was forming against the blonde witch that was currently nestled in the arms of a lanky red-head.
Barty Crouch Junior sat across from the dark lord after detailing what had occurred in the second task. Voldemort was glad to hear that Harry Potter was in first place in the tournament, it made their plan much more attainable than had he been behind. However, the silver-haired girl piqued his interest. Never before had he heard of a petrified person waking up underwater. Crouch suspected her Veela heritage, but also that there was something more to the little witch.
The dark lord's attitude soured at the idea of a half-breed muggleborn, "An abomination. A disgrace." He hacked in his weak form, "Dumbledore teaching creatures and treating them as equals." Wormtail hissed beside him in agreement. The small, slimy body that tom riddle inhabited turned and directed his instructions to Barty Crouch Junior, "Watch her. Once I kill Harry Potter for good we will see just what kind of Veela this Jamie Devereaux is."
"What kind, master? There are others?" Wormtail asked, his fingers fiddling with one another and his back hunched over as his words shook out of him.
Voldemort made a sound of disgust and his words lashed out at his servant, "Don't you know anything, Wormtail!" The ex-maurder backed away quickly, his head bending even lower as he whimpered. "Yes. There are others. Very powerful, very dark Veela. If this Mudblood is one of them, then Dumbledore will be planning to use her. So we must get her first."
Madam Pomfrey stared open mouthed and scandalized by the scene before her that morning. She had planned to gradually wake up Jamie Bruce with another potion to ease her sore throat. Instead, she drew back the curtain she saw that the blonde witch was not alone in her hospital bed. Fred Weasley's large body was taking up the majority of the bed, one of his hands tangled in Jamie's hair and the other sprawled off the bed. The sixth-year Gryffindor girl was curled around the red-head and they seemed to inhale and exhale in rhythm with one another. Poppy Pomfrey couldn't help but appreciate the irony of this inappropriate entwinement. Less than a year ago the two of them had come into this very hospital wing completely torn apart by their prank war, and now they were cuddled together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Mister Weasley!" Madam Pomfrey's shrill voice called, startling the boy awake and causing him to yank Jamie's hair so hard that the blonde awoke to her own yelp of pain.
The two Gryffindor's made confused eye-contact, as if they were both unaware of where they were and why they were together. Realization dawned on Jamie and a deep blush overpowered her as she sat upright in her Hospital bed. Fred Weasley leapt to his feet, staring at the foreboding nurse with what he hoped was an endearing smile, "Good Morning, Madam Pomfrey! I was just visiting Jamie this morning, hope you don't mind."
"Visiting isn't for another hour." The nurse said through clenched teeth.
Fred started to back away, moving toward the doors of the hospital wing, "Honest mistake."
The older witches eyes narrowed at him, "Ten points from Gryffindor. Be thankful it isn't more and I have a soft spot for students who nearly drowned to death yesterday, Miss Bruce." Jamie gave her a cheeky, abashed smile that was met with an eyeroll. "Get out, Mister Weasley." Fred turned on his heels and sped out of the hospital wing without argument. Jamie couldn't help but laugh lightly at his retreating form.
Madam Pomfrey tusked at her, handing her a potion and informing Jamie that Professor Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall would be arriving to visit her soon, and that the blonde witch was very lucky that Fred left before they found the two of them together. Jamie Devereaux Bruce choked down the disgusting potion without complaint, still freshly embarrassed from what the nurse was sure to think. Jamie wanted to tell her nothing happened, not even a snog, but she knew better than to say anything at all about Fred Weasley in that moment. The blonde Gryffindor mentally prepared herself for seeing the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress. She knew it was finally time to tell them exactly what the Tale of Devereaux said and allow them to draw their own conclusions about her future.
Minerva McGonagall walked briskly to Jamie Devereaux's side when she entered the Hospital Wing, handing the small witch a small container of breakfast food that she missed from the Great Hall that morning. Albus Dumbledore stood at the foot of the bed and made small talk with Poppy Pomfrey before dismissing the nurse so that he and Minerva could speak to Jamie alone. When Madam Pomfrey had closed her office door, Jamie cleared her throat and spoke to the two leaders of Hogwarts, "I'm sorry for not telling the two of you this sooner, but Fleur gave me the Tale of Devereaux a while ago. I read it and, well, it's definitely interesting."
Albus and Minerva listened on as Jamie recited the tale and prophecy to them with ease, having read it so many times alongside Cedric Diggory—in attempt to disprove Jamie's association with it. However, it was clearly about the blonde Veela. Devereaux was "the light of the dark" with his pale complexion and being a male Veela. And Loren was "the dark of the light," with her dark skin and kind nature. The centaurs might as well as attached Jamie's birth certificate and headshot.
The Headmaster cleared his throat when Jamie was done speaking, "Yes, well. It is evident that this prophecy is about you. The real question is, when will the second war begin and why are you going to be revealed because of it?"
"I'm not planning on revealing myself, I promise." Jamie said emphatically.
Professor McGonagall patted her hand, "We don't think you will intentionally, but maybe with enough practice we can avoid your exposure."
"Unless it already happened." Albus mused, his old, thin hand touching his beard in thought, "Waking up underwater after a petrification spell was placed on you is certainly indicative of something out of the ordinary."
"But no war started. Did there?" The blonde asked, sitting up against her pillow in the hospital bed. The smell of breakfast was making her mouth water, but she tried to focus on the conversation at hand.
"Surely no one thinks anything more than a mistake on my part for Jamie waking up at the bottom of the lake. I don't think it has happened yet." Minerva's voice was final and decisive, as if daring the wizard to tell her she was wrong. "All this means is we have to put even more effort into your compulsion over others to make sure nothing reveals you."
"What if there is more than just compelling people to be honest or answer my questions? What if we're missing something about what I can do?" Jamie asked, her fingers playing nervously with the warm box of food in her lap.
"We probably are." Professor McGonagall conceded, "There are too many unknown variables about male Veelas, and now that we know you were intended to be born—not some miracle of nature—there are a lot more questions."
"Your mother being a muggle and father being a veela, but creating a witch, makes more sense if the centaurs have always seen you as a possibility. Loren might not have any witch in her at all, as I once theorized." Dumbledore said. His eyes looked at Jamie Devereaux's fiddling with her box of food and he softened his voice, "These are questions we can ask at a later time. For now, try and manage the gifts you know you have with McGonagall and finish your breakfast. Everyone is very thankful that you are alright, Jamie."
Why, though? Jamie thought to herself, watching the two professors retreat out of the Hospital Wing as she was left to her food and her thoughts alone. She wished Fred or Cedric were there to distract her. Jamie tapped her toes together as she ate, trying to fill the silence of the room with dull thuds of her feet clapping. The more silence there was the more her mind began to race and the less comfortable she felt. The blonde found herself quickly scarfing down her food and calling for Madam Pomfrey to reprieve her from…well…herself.
A month had passed since Jamie Devereaux Bruce's near death experience and, the few people that were keeping track of her noticed an alteration in the little blonde. Before the second task Jamie often walked to class alone or studied by herself. Now it seemed she was never by her lonesome. She walked with Angelina and Alicia to the majority of her classes, studied with Cedric Diggory, was often with Minerva McGonagall, and would joke around with Fred and George Weasley. Fleur Delacour also spent a good amount of time with the sixth-year Gryffindor, as well as Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. The silver-haired witch, who was once only close to three people at Hogwarts, now found herself always surrounded by friends. Jamie seemed happier than she ever had been. At least, to an outsider she did.
Jamie was being dragged through Hogwarts by two very tall and very excited twin boys. They laughed loudly at her short legs trying with all their might to keep up with them. "Guys!" Jamie whined, "I told Angelina we would meet her to go to Hogsmeade, where are you taking me?"
Fred Weasley looked over his shoulder with a sly smile, "Secret passage."
The blonde's mouth opened in shock and she was soon walking in time with the Weasley twins, eyes alert in excitement. Jamie was imagining a trick door that turned into a slide, or a bookcase that swung open. She was taking mental notes to tell Loren Bruce all about the secret passage. The two Bruce women had watched countless muggle movies that incorporated haunted castles like Hogwarts with various passages, some that lead into death traps. Suddenly, she was tugged next to a statue of a very ugly looking witch. The witch statue appeared to only have one eye, "What happened to her?" Jamie asked in a disgusted tone.
"She didn't shut it." George whispered at her, looking around the third floor corridor that they were currently huddled in. "Dissendium." The two twins said together. The statue moved and Jamie jumped, her back colliding with Fred's chest, who automatically put both his hands on her waist and squeezed lightly. Jamie felt another jump go through her, causing her to clear her throat and side-step his hold, a bright blush overcoming her cheeks. George Weasley looked at the two of them and rolled his eyes, "Snog already." He teased, before ducking into the passageway.
"We did, don't you remember?" Fred responded, following after his twin. Jamie made a noise of annoyance at the two of them and jabbed Fred hard in the back with two of her fingers, "Bloody Hell, woman!" He yelped, his large hand coming to his back to rub the sore spot that Jamie had created.
The three Gryffindor sixth-years were now in the tunnel on their way to Hogsmeade. Jamie had to admit, she was a bit underwhelmed. "Where are the booby-traps?" Jamie asked.
Fred coughed hard, "Boobies?"
Jamie rolled her eyes, "Oh my god you're a child. Booby traps. You know: trap doors, flying spears, deep trenches of death filled with crocodiles." She prompted, hoping they would know what she was talking about.
"What is she on about, Fred?" George asked from the front of the line they had created.
"Not a clue, Georgie." Fred responded, looking over his shoulder at his little blonde witch, "What's a crocodile?"
She sighed loudly in exasperation, "Honestly, didn't you go to school before Hogwarts? And learn about the world?"
"Nope." The twins chorused together. Though she couldn't see it, Jamie knew they wore matching mischievous grins.
"My apologies to your mother." Jamie said in a low voice.
Fred and George laughed, "I think that every day." Fred stated. "A saint that woman." George said at the same time.
After what felt like forever, the three of them reached stairs that they had to climb. They hiked upward until they hit the secret passage entrance into Honeydukes. Fred helped pull Jamie up and onto her feet before they snuck out of the back room and into the main area of the sweet shop. Jamie's senses were bombarded with the smell of fresh sweets and chocolate and a large smile split across her face in anticipation. She immediately started piling sugary sweets into her arms as Fred and George looked on in amusement. They were less eager to spend their money on temporary fixes. Instead, they waited for Jamie to be done getting more sugary treats than anyone her size should ever be able to eat before they set off to Zonko's joke shop.
Jamie Devereaux smiled up at the twins with both her arms wrapped around a large brown bag of sweets that would last her until June, hopefully. She handed the bag to Fred for him to hold before reaching her arm into it and pulling out two packages of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and handing one to each twin. Neither argued with her gift. George ripped open his container of beans, popping one into his mouth and immediately grimacing, "Earwax." Jamie and Fred laughed at his disgusted expression.
Walking into Zonko's joke shop with the Weasley twins would be an event for anyone to experience. They knew every product front and back. Fred and George knew how long each item took to create, how much it cost to produce, and what retailers would give you the best bang for your sickles. Jamie watched in awe as the tall red-heads recited facts and figures like it was second nature to them. They would also state what was wrong with the product and why theirs would be better. "See this fake wand?" Fred asked, showing it to Jamie and bringing the brown wooden wand up close to the blonde's face. "Anyone can look at it and immediately tell it's not real because it lacks exterior detail. Zonko's did it to save money in production, but really it just makes it a lesser quality product. We can make a much more convincing fake wand for three quarters the price because we do individual transfiguration."
Jamie looked up at him, smiling. Fred's eyes were alight as he picked up another object and talked about what was done right and what could be done better. His hands moved in wide circles as he switched what he was holding from hand to hand. Fred Weasley was brilliant, and almost no one knew it. Jamie knew though, and she wanted more than anything in that moment to kiss his wide lopsided smile. She had never found him more attractive than she did with him over-explaining to her the various potions involved in certain joke objects surrounding them.
Jamie Devereaux had a wide smile on her face for the rest of the day. She pushed Fred off of his chair in the Great Hall when he tried to slip something into her juice. She giggled with Hermione over something that Viktor Krum had told her in the library, and how he snogged very strangely. Minerva McGonagall looked on at the Gryffindor table and felt relief at seeing how happy and content little Jamie was. The deputy headmistress had been keeping a close eye on her since the second task and was content with the adjustments Jamie had been making. The blonde never missed a lesson with McGonagall, she always put in the work, and her results were drastically improving every time.
Not a single person at Hogwarts noticed the unnerving way that Alistair Moody also watched Jamie Devereaux. How he studied her schedule and tried to see at what moments she was alone, only to discover there were none.
Not a single person at Hogwarts, not even her own roommates, noticed the empty potion bottles that clang together every time Jamie opened or closed her bedside table. Bottles that contained sleeping draught potions that the little witch had quickly become addicted to over the past month.