Chapter Six – Introductions and Explanations
"Mom its Harry. He's the boy from my dreams." Silence filled the room as Jamilah collapsed into her mother's arms sobbing against her chest. Everyone could see Bri stroking her daughter's hair softly and whispering in her ear. Serena and Sebastian seemed to press even closer together and moved closer towards their mother and sister.
It was Dumbledore who finally broke the silence, as Jamilah's sobs started to slow he cleared his throat and ventured, "Brianna dear, don't you think some explanations are in order?" Bri nodded and Dumbledore continued. "Good then if you will all just follow me." Without waiting for an answer he strode out of the room, the rest of the occupants watched in stunned silence as Bri gathered her little brood and followed him out.
Shooing her children out the door in front of her she turned and said almost as an afterthought, "I don't want Harry to be left alone. Sirius, Remus, since you've both already heard this at least three times would you stay with him please?" No one could ignore the element of yearning in her voice. Both men nodded. Remus moved to the seat Bri had vacated, while Sirius crossed the room to stand beside Ginny.
Placing a hand on her shoulder he spoke softly, "It's ok Ginny, I'll take good care of him I promise." Shooting a desperate 'help me' glance over Ginny's head at her mother he started to try and raise Ginny from the chair. Seeing that he was getting no where Molly swooped down and with considerably less fuss got Ginny up and moving out the door along with her. The rest of the occupants in the room followed them slowly. Ron and Hermione exchanged looks; neither of them had missed the fact that Dumbledore was the only one, besides Sirius and Remus, who had failed to look at least mildly shocked upon Jamilah's mention of dreams. Gripping Ron's hand tightly Hermione followed his mother into a room across the hall from Harry's.
"Good. Now if you will all do me the honor of remaining silent until this story is told I would greatly appreciate it. I'm sure Brianna would be glad to answer any questions that you have, but not until after she is done is that understood?" Looking around to receive confirmation from the room at large he finished, "very well then, we shall begin."
Everyone shifted their gaze to Bri who stood with her back to them gazing out the window, Jamilah, a carbon copy of her mother, leaned against Bri with her arm wrapped around her waist. On the either side of them stood one of the twins their piercing blue eyes causing anyone that caught their gaze to shiver. The silence filled the room and just as the small group was about to turn to Dumbledore for more explanations Bri's voice drifted to them, "The story is long, and hard, and painful, but interesting none the less." Leaning down to place a kiss on the top of Jamilah's head she turned to face the crowd leaving Jamilah staring out the window. "I suppose the best place to begin is at the beginning. James Potter was my younger brother. (She ignored the gasps from Hermione and Ron, caught Molly's eye and smiled softly) James was two years younger than me and I loved him with all my heart. I didn't think that could ever be two people as much in love as James and Lily were, until I met my husband. And I guess that's really where my story begins. It was through Lily that I met my husband. Jamison Neufield. An amazing man, but there was one thing about him that put me at risk by being with him in that current day and time. He was a muggle. (Bri smiled softly as she felt Sebastian's strong hand on her shoulder she took a deep breath and continued) Jamison had twin siblings who went to Hogwarts, Adam and Amy. They made friends with Lily, even though she was years older than them, and through them she met Jamison, and through Lily I met him. We knew that it was a risk to be married with Voldemort rising to power and despising all muggles, but evil cannot stop the course of true love. So we were married in secret and all was going well until... (Here her eyes wandered over to her oldest daughter still gazing out the window with her arms wrapped tightly around her) until we realized I was pregnant. James, Lily, Jamison, and I decided that for the sake of our child Jamison and I needed to go away. But we couldn't just go away, we had to make it look like we were killed, or at least make it look like there was a 90% probability that we were dead. It was James who came up with the plan. Jamison had a chance to move to New York and work for a publishing company there. The Potter name wasn't the household name it is now. We planned it all very carefully, James blew up our house, and a spy we had in Voldemort's camp (Hermione noticed that Snape dropped his eyes to his feet at this) sent the dark mark into the sky above it. Jamison and I escaped to America where we lived very peacefully until this summer. Well maybe not very peacefully. When I learned that my brother and Lily had died leaving behind little Harry, whom we both missed tremendously, Jamison and I wanted to seek out Dumbledore and take him in ourselves. I'm Harry's godmother so it would have only been right for us to take him in. But I had just given birth to my beautiful Jamilah, and was still recovering, so I had to wait a few months. By the time I was able to send inquires as to what had happened to Harry, my good friend Molly Weasly assured me that Dumbledore had put him in the safest place he could and that I should lie low for a while because even though Voldemort was gone the Death Eaters were still at large. For years I placated myself with this thought, until Sirius escaped from Azkaban, I didn't even know he'd been there. For months after James and Lily died I refused to pick up a newspaper or listen to the WWN. Anyways, around the end of May Sirius found us. Serena opened the kitchen door one day and screamed, I ran to the door and what should I find but a big black dog sitting on my stoop. Well needless to say the kids were shocked when I screamed Sirius and threw myself at the dog, but they were even more amazed when the dog I was hugging transformed into a man. We both did our fair share of crying I'll tell you that, but after the introductions and explanations Sirius got right down to business. He told me that he'd been looking for that scum Peter and had heard through the grapevine that I was still alive and that Voldemort was looking for us. (Again gasps filled the room) My husband was on a business trip and Sirius stayed with us and helped us pack up our things. There was no question about it, we would be returning to England, and my children would be going to Hogwarts, after all it's the safest place in the world isn't it?" Bri flashed a smile at Dumbledore who chuckled softly and inclined his head in gratitude. "But we never got a chance to warn Jamison. About a week and a half later, I woke up to hear Jamilah screaming in her sleep. (Jamilah visibly stiffened at the window as if reliving something horrible in her mind) Sirius and I almost collided outside her door, I sent him to check on the other children, I had dealt with Jamilah's dreams before, she's had them all her life. But this one was different. After I shook her awake she could only get one word out. Daddy. Then she collapsed in my arms. Two days later she woke up again and was able to tell us what she'd seen." Bri stopped for a minute to hold back the tears threatening to fall down her face. Sebastian hooked his arm around his mother's shoulders. Serena and Jamilah both left their places by the window and crowded around their mother.
Dumbledore came and placed a comforting hand on Jamilah's shoulder and she nodded. She understood, the rest of the story was hers not her mother's. "I saw him. The man with the snake eyes, my mom later told me that his proper name is Voldemort, him and a man with a silver hand had my daddy and he was tied to a chair. They…they tortured him. Tried to get him to tell them where we were, and when he wouldn't, they killed him. Mom and Uncle Sirius knew that what I saw was real and we left immediately for England."
Everyone looked around at each other while the small, broken, yet unbelievably tough family closed ranks to comfort each other. Finally working up her courage, Hermione reached out towards Jamilah and placed a hand on her arm. She shivered when Jamilah turned to look at her. Only one other person she knew could look so young and yet have such old eyes. "Jamilah, thank you for sharing that, I can't imagine how hard it must have been. But if you don't mind, I have one question."
Jamilah smiled softly, "You're Hermione aren't you? Uncle Sirius told me all about you. You want to know about my dreams, the ones I've seen Harry in?" When not only Hermione but everyone else in the room, with the exception of Dumbledore, nodded Jamilah continued. "For as long as I can remember I've dreamt things that came true. Like mom having twins when she didn't even know she was pregnant. Usually it was just silly things like that. But ever since I was little not a week has gone by that I haven't dreamed about Harry. Although they have tapered off a bit since the start of last term at the academy." She added almost as an afterthought. "Of course I didn't know it was Harry then. I'd tell mom all the time about the 'dream boy' and how he was sad and alone. It was different from my other dreams. I could tell it wasn't something that was going to happen, but instead something that was happening at that very moment. I saw lots of things. Things that I'd rather keep to myself until Harry decides to tell you. My old Headmistress at the Academy could never figure out what my dreams meant. But I guess we know now don't we?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat softly. "Well, Miss Granger have you put the pieces together yet?" His eyes were twinkling behind his spectacles. Everyone in the room could see the wheels turning in Hermione's head so it was a bit of a shock to hear the soft voice from the corner of the room.
"Expecto Sacrificium" everyone turned to see Ginny staring at Jamilah, "That's it isn't it Professor. She's the link. The link of sacrifice"
At Dumbledore's nod Ginny rose from her seat, crossed the room, and enfolded Jamilah in her arms. The rest of the group looked at each other as if to ask what the hell Expecto Sacrificium was. Ron could hear Hermione muttering under her breath. "Yes yes…that makes sense…of course…why didn't I…" Everything seemed to be adding up for her but Ron was still perplexed. What was this link that everyone is on about? Ron was getting more frustrated by the moment. His best friend was lying in a hospital bed and Ron felt like it was partially his fault because he'd been too wrapped up in Hermione to notice that Harry hadn't been contacting him.
Beside him Hermione was entertaining the same sort of thoughts. She felt like she had let Harry down. It killed her to think this, Harry was the closest thing she had ever had to a brother and now she had failed him. She vowed to herself to be more attentive to Harry, although it looked like Ginny was paying him enough attention for both Ron and herself. Looking sideways at Ron she wondered how he was going to handle it when he finally put two and two together concerning Harry and Ginny.
Dumbledore must have decided that they had had enough time alone with their thoughts because he cleared his throat and started to speak. "Well I expected Miss Granger to know what Expecto Sacrificium was but I am pleasantly surprised that you know as well Miss Weasley."
"Harry, Harry had a dream, about a girl, and well…"
"And you did some research seeing as you have access to things he does not during the summer holidays. Very good Miss Weasley. Would either of you care to explain this link?"
"It's a link between two people of the same blood line that can be forged in the face of a sacrifice. A great sacrifice. Usually of someone's life." Seeing the confused looks on people's faces Hermione continued. "If a person, well not just a person they'd have to be a magical person it doesn't work for muggles, sacrifices their self for another person of the same blood line there is an old and ancient magic that can be invoked. It forges a link, through mind and soul, of the person this sacrifice was made for and the next closest relative of the same bloodline. Since Harry was half Evans and half Potter his next closest relative by means of blood was Jamilah who is half Neufield and half Potter. Harry's parents must have forged the link in case something happened to them to keep Harry safe."
Dumbledore smiled, "A very thorough explanation Miss Granger. It is my belief that this link works rather like Harry's link with Voldemort. It is activated by feelings and emotions. I believe that when Harry was feeling so full of emotions that he would burst he unwittingly transferred them, via the link, to Jamilah, who then saw Harry in whatever state he was as though it were a dream."
Everyone stared at Dumbledore as if he were crazy. Transferring emotions thousands of miles by mind? How could this be possible? Everyone always knew Dumbledore was off his rocker but this just took the cake.
Jamilah spoke softly to her mother, "Momma, could we go back with Harry now? He might worry if he wakes up and we aren't there."
Before Bri could answer Molly swooped in with a tutting sound. "You can't leave yet my dear, you haven't met my family. Come along now let me introduce you to my children." Looking to her mom for help but finding none Jamilah let herself be dragged to the side of the room teeming with redheads. The three brunettes and the blonde looked supremely out of place. "Jamilah, this is Bill, my oldest you know, and his wife Fleur, they've only been married a few months, this is Charlie, don't mind him dear he doesn't bite. This is Percy and his fiancée Penelope Clearwater, just a few more weeks and of course your family is invited." Here Molly finally paused for a breath and Jamilah shook her head to try and make sense of everything that had been said already. "Now these two rascals you should probably steer clear of dear, these are my twins Fred and George, and this is Fred's girlfriend Angelina Johnson, they played on the quidditch team with Harry dear, this is Ron," Here Molly put a loving hand on her son's shoulder. Looking at him Jamilah could tell that Ron was still troubled by Harry's illness but was trying to act like he wasn't. "Ron and Harry have been friends since the train ride to Hogwarts. Inseparable they are."
"Good thing that, they've saved each other's lives enough times," Hermione snorted.
Molly smiled, "This as you so accurately guessed is Hermione Granger, another one of Harry's friends from his first year, and our Ron's girlfriend." Jamilah noticed both Ron and Hermione blushed at that. 'Ah, must be a young relationship' Jamilah thought to herself. Molly stepped towards the youngest redhead and put an arm around her shoulder. "And this is our youngest, Ginny; she'll be in your year at Hogwarts. Hopefully you two will become great friends." Looking around and seeing that the adults had slowly started to filter out of the room to their own pursuits Molly shooed her children out and spoke softly to Bri and Dumbledore, "If you wouldn't mind I'd like to have just a word with Jamilah and Bri please." They both nodded and Dumbledore left the room. "Come and sit beside me Jamilah dear." Molly patted the seat beside her on the couch crammed into the corner of the room. Bri was ensconced in an armchair facing the couch. Jamilah joined Molly and waited. "I just wanted to tell you a bit about how much Harry means to my family." Both Jamilah and Bri nodded and Molly continued, "Well when Ron told us all about his friend Harry and we realized how close they were we immediately took Harry into our hearts. But it was something that happened at the end of their second year that really made Harry part of our family. You see, Harry saved Ginny's life."
"What? How?" Jamilah gasped.
"Well, there was a basilisk…"
Two days later Jamilah was curled up in her usual chair next to Harry's bed her nose buried in a book. She had heard enough stories and tales about Harry and his bravery to have an idea of what time of a person he would be. Being a peaceful, reclusive person herself she was hoping that Harry wasn't an attention seeker. But as he hadn't been awake for more than five minutes at a time the last two days she really didn't know. Currently she was in here seeking refuge from the incessant reporters who were creeping through the hallways hoping to catch some unsuspecting Potter family member or friend. Since the news that her mother wasn't dead had leaked to the public Jamilah had spent most of her time locked up in rooms trying to hide from the press. She missed her home, she missed her friends, but most of all she missed her daddy. She curled deeper in her chair and tried to force her mind to concentrate on the Standard Book of Spells Grade 3 she had borrowed from Hermione. She was worried about starting a new school but so far she hadn't found anything that Hogwarts had taught in third year she hadn't already learned at Madam Dupree's Witches Academy. Someone cleared their throat and Jamilah's head snapped up searching for the person who had entered the room. Finding no one her eyes slid to the bed and met wide open green eyes.