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Note: To avoid confusion, I will write down Jamie, Charles, Hermione and Harry's age here:

Jamie: 18
Charles: 12
Harry and Hermione: 25

French Translation:
Au secours- Help

Chapter 7: Jamie Understands

That evening, Ron helped the trio to check into the cheapest but neatest hotel in Paris before bringing them out for shopping. Before he left the house, he called the French maid over.

"Sophie, if Mr Potter asks about me, tell him that I'm out."

"And if he asks your whereabouts, Monsieur?" asked Sophie.

"Er....." Ron searched frantically in his mind for an excuse. "Tell him that I'm, err, meeting some friends." he said, knowing that Harry would not be happy if he found that he was going out with a Hermione imposter, especially after he declared that he had enough of imposters.

"Oui, Monsieur."

Ron quickly went out.

At night, Paris looked like a horizontal Christmas tree. As the trio and Ron walked down the street, a flower-seller walked to Ron and asked, "Rose, Monsieur?"

As he bought the rose, Hermy suddenly asked, "So, how does it like living in Paris?"

Ron grinned at the trio. Going according to the tune that a street musician made with his accordion, he said to the trio.

Ron:
Welcome, my friends to Paris.
(handed Hermy the rose)
Here, have a flower on me.
Forget where you're from,
you're in France,
my friends, come!
I'll show that French joie de vivire!

He put his arms through Jamie's and Charles's (while Hermy hang on to Jamie's) and they walked down the street with their arms linked. Ron continued,

Ron:
Paris Holds the Key to your heart
And all of Paris plays a part

Accordion Player and Flower Seller:
You stroll two by two down what we call "la rue"

Ron & Ensemble(All):
And soon all Paris will be singing to you!
Ooh La La!
Ooh La la!
Ooh La la!

A handsome young man with his girlfriend:
Paris holds the key to l'amour!

An Old Man:
And not even Freud knows the cure!

The Girlfriend Says to the Young Man:
There's love in the air

A Lady Walking Her Dog:
At the Follies Bergere!

A painter:
The French have it down to an art!

All:
Paris holds the key to your heart!
Ooh La La!

Ron:
When you're feeling blue, come to Le Moulin.
When your heart says don't the French say do!

Can Can Girls:
When you think you can't you'll find you can can!

Ron & Can Can Girls:
Everyone can can can!

Ron:
You can can can too!!

Can Can Girls:
Whee! Whee! Whee!

Jamie (happily):
Paris holds the key to her past
Yes "Miss Granger", we've found you at last.
Perform once more, you'll be gone, that's the end...

Ensemble:
Paris holds the key to your heart!

Couturier:
You'll be "tres jolie" and so smart!

A Dancer:
Come dance through the night

A Sculptor:
And forget all your woes!

Ron and All:
A city of light

Flower Seller:
Where a rose is a rose!

Ron and All:
And one never knows what will start!
Paris holds the key.....

Jamie, Charles:
To her....

Ron & All:
Heart!
Ooh La la!
Ooh La la!
When Hermy and Ron were in a fashion boutique, Jamie (who was waiting outside with Charles) caught sight of a store selling golden pocket watches. He stared at them through the glass window, with his mouth slightly open with admiration.

"Man, I'm going to buy one of these beauties as well when I got the ten million Galleons." he said to himself.

When Jamie was staring at the pocket watches, Charles was looking at the street, watched as the people walked past him and his best friend.

Suddenly, a French white poodle ran past him with its short legs, Charles watched it ran when a girl around his age caught hold of his arm. "S'il vous plait, Monsieur, au secours......"

Charles looked at her blankly. She was talking so fast in French that he didn't understand a word at all. He said quickly, "Miss, I'm sorry but I'm English, I don't understand what you are saying....."

The girl looked at him with her blue eyes. Slightly annoyed, she changed her language, badly. "My dog, it ran, help me."

"Oh you want me to catch your dog!" said Charles.

"Oui!" said the girl. "Help me!"

Charles nodded and both of them ran after the dog through the crowds of Paris.

Jamie didn't notice the situation behind him at all, when he was done admiring, he turned around, smiling. "Well, Charles, in just a few days, I will have a pocket watch of my......"

His smile faded when he didn't see Charles. "Own?"

He looked around, no Charles. "Charles? Charles? Where are you?"

No response.

"Charles! Hey, stop playing already, this is not Diagon Alley or Hogwarts, for Merlin's sake!" he called.

The Muggles began to stare at him for his odd behaviour and odd words. A cold feeling washed over Jamie when he realized what happened.

"Okay, Jamie, calm down, maybe he is in the boutique with Mr Weasley and Hermy, yeah, that's it......" he said to himself as calmly as possible.

"Jamie? Where's Charles?"

Jamie looked and saw Hermy in an expensive pale blue dress. Ron was beside her with his hands full of shopping bags.

Jamie looked beside them for Charles, but no, he wasn't there. His face went pale.
"What do you mean by Charles is missing?!" exclaimed Hermy.

Jamie didn't respond, he was sitting on the sidewalk, burying his head in his hands.

"Calm down," said Ron quickly. "Look, maybe he is still around this place. He is new to this place, he couldn't have gone far. Let's search for him. All right?"

Hermy glared at Jamie furiously, turned her heels sharply and walked off with Ron, leaving Jamie alone.
After an hour, they met back at the boutique.

"Found him yet?" asked Jamie eagerly.

Ron shook his head while Hermy glared at him again. "It's all your fault!" she yelled with tears in her eyes. "If you're not so obsessed with the stupid pocket watches, Charles won't have disappeared!"

"Don't blame him," said Ron. "He's only a kid......"

"Kid?!" said Hermy, turning to Ron angrily. "He's considered an adult to the wizarding world!"

"Shh!" said Ron quickly. "Don't let the Muggles hear you!"

Hermy was too mad to listen to Ron. "Some friend you are!" she said to Jamie. "How could you let him go like that? You are so irresponsible!"

"Don't talk to me as if I'm a heartless bastard!" yelled Jamie, looking at Hermy with his face red. Even though he was younger than Hermy, he was taller than her and was now looking down at her.

"I don't want it to happen either! You think I like the idea of Charles's disappearing?"

Jamie sat down on the steps of the boutique, looking upset. He ran his fingers through his blond hair and looked up at Hermy and Ron. "My parents were killed by Death Eaters when I was 8. I wandered around in the streets, friendless until I found Charles in Diagon Alley, only 2 years old and with nobody to take care of him at all."

As he talked, his eyes began to fill with tears. "I take care of him and we grow up together. He's the only family I have."

Hermy and Ron didn't say anything. They just stared at Jamie, who was wiping his eyes with his sleeves.

"Err, why don't we go back to the hotel and have a cup of tea or something?" asked Ron, breaking the silence.

Hermy rolled her eyes. "Ron, I know that your mother always offers tea when somebody is upset but I don't think that would help Jamie."

Ron looked at Hermy, surprised that this "impostor" knew this little fact. Perhaps she was Hermione after all? But why did she act like she didn't know him?

Decided not to think about this right now, he said, "But Charles may be back at the hotel, waiting for us. You never know."

Jamie jumped up. "Yeah, maybe he's there!" he said, his voice sounded rather funny. "Let's go!"

Without waiting for the rest, he ran to get a cab.

"Nice going, Ron." said Hermy sarcastically. "Getting his hopes up like that. I'll hold you responsible later if Charles is not there and Jamie collapses."

"Stop being so bossy, will you?" asked Ron, slightly annoyed.
When they got back to the hotel, Jamie was disappointed and upset to find his and Charles's room empty.

"I thought you said that he would be here!" he accused Ron.

"I said maybe!" said Ron quickly.

Jamie sniffed and sat on his bed. He buried his face in his hands.

"You know, you reminds me of Mr Potter like that. He acts like you sometimes when he is searching for Hermione." said Ron suddenly.

"Why did you mention that at this kind of time?" asked Hermy.

"Just want to let Jamie know that he's not the only one who had lost someone." said Ron.

"I didn't lose him!" snapped Jamie, looking up. "He's out there, somewhere. He'll be back."

"Harry said that kind of words too when he lost Hermione." said Ron.

"Enough of this Harry Potter guy, okay?" said Hermy impatiently, even though she was quite happy to hear the name. "Come on, let's go out. Jamie needs some time alone." She said and pushed the surprise-looking Ron out of the room.
Jamie stared as the door closed. Then he lay down on his bed, his chest felt heavy, as if someone was sitting on it. He thought of all kinds of things that may have happened to his best friend. Maybe he got kidnapped? He looked pretty young and skinny for his age..... He remembered all the things he had done with him and the times they spent together.

"Charles, if anything happens to you, I will never ever forgive myself." he muttered.

Suddenly he realized how Harry felt when he lost Hermione. He lost her when he was 17, one year younger than he was when he lost Charles. Did he feel terrible, upset and hurt like him?

Now Jamie knew how painful it was to lose someone you loved, and he discovered how selfish and scheming he was, trying to cheat Harry for his money by giving him an impostor.

"Charles, if you come back, I swear I'll not take the ten million Galleons. I don't deserve it. And I'll tell Mr Potter the truth about Hermy, that she isn't Hermione Granger, just some girl we found in the castle." he said, as if Charles could hear him.

Or was Hermy really Hermione? Jamie sat up and thought carefully. Hermy looked like Hermione, talked like Hermione, and sometimes she gave information of her own that only Hermione knew. Didn't she answer all the questions that Ron asked correctly, including the ones that he and Charles didn't teach? And what about the fact about Ron's mom? (At least he thought she had said something about Mrs Weasley, he wasn't quite listening.)

Decided not to bother himself with another problem, he covered his head with his pillow, but remained awake, in case Charles came back.

But Charles didn't.