Chapter Thirteen

Two Worlds Colliding

Amanda Montrose was not the easiest woman to find.

"Hi, is Amanda there?" I felt like I'd asked it a hundred times.

"No, I'm afraid not." A man's voice answered. "But she's in the city and she'll probably be back."

"Okay…can I ask who this is?"

"Nick. I'm a close friend of hers."

"Oh…" The name rang a bell. But I couldn't ask too many questions, in case the phones were bugged. "This is Cedric, I'm her…student."

"I understand."

"Will you give her a message for me?"

"Of course. Are you all right?"

"I'm not sure just yet. Just tell her it's important that I see her as soon as possible."

I have him the address I was staying at and hung up. It was the name of the appliance store next to the Leaky Cauldron. Fred and George emerged from the Cauldron to keep me company.

It was around two am when a cab pulled up outside the tavern and Amanda stepped out.

She wore her usual overcoat over a black sweatshirt and pants. Fred and George's eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

"I need some help with my luggage," She said, pointing to the trunk.

"Oh, let me-"

"Out of me way-"

"I want to help her-"

I couldn't stop laughing as Fred and George struggled with the trunk of the cab and fought to get her luggage. Amanda had a spell over them stronger than any veela.

"It's great to see you again." I said.

We embraced and pulled back.

"I came as soon as I got your message." Amanda said.

"Were you on another one of your 'business' trips?"

"Not this time. Actually I was visiting an old friend in Paris." She paused as Fred and George stood by, luggage in hand, waiting for her to acknowledge them. "Why thank you boys."

"Glad we could help, miss," George said, turning on the charm.

"Have you been this pretty for a thousand years?" Fred asked.

She looked at me quizzically.

"Amanda, these are two good friends of mine, Fred and George Weasely. They know everything," I added, blushing. "I was drunk when I…told them some things."

Amanda shook her head and smirked.

"What?"

"The thought of you drunk, that's all. All right, what's going on?"

We lead her into the Leaky Cauldron. She didn't seem to think much of the usual patronage. Three witches at a table silently smoking their pipes and fixing us with their scrutinizing gaze. A few wizards guzzled ale, laughing and chatting animatedly.

"Is this some kind of theme based pub?" Amanda asked as we made our way for the back.

"It's the gateway into Diagon Alley," I explained. "Our world."

Amanda shook her head.

"I thought you'd out grown fanta-," something caught her eye.

Two wizards sat a table playing a game of wizard's chess.

"Bishop to G-7."

The white bishop walked over to the unprotected rook. Then it took its tiny staff and pierced the rook, which snapped in half.

"Bloody 'ell!" The other wizard cursed. "I didn't even see it comin'!"

"That's what you get for losing your concentration."

Amanda shook her head. Perhaps she was ready to chalk it up to trickery. But then she noticed a poster on the wall of the Quidditch World Cup. As the players flew along the stadium playing their eternal game families cheered.

"This…" Amanda looked at me, George and Fred. "This has got to me some illusion. They have better stuff than this in Japan."

The twins and I exchanged a mischievous glance.

"Right this way ma'am," George said.

We went into the alley, where the brick wall blocked the entrance to Diagon Alley. I tapped the bricks with my wand and stood back as it opened up.

For the first time since I'd met her-and possibly for the first time in a thousand years-Amanda was utterly dumbfounded. But for their part, Fred and George were utterly captivated by her and they managed to explain everything about the wizarding world in less then half an hour. By the time we reached the shop I was convinced that Amanda was a part veela and she just didn't know it.

Amanda was impressed with the shop and some of the jokes and gags inside. Seeing her become more and more familiar with our world and how well the twins got on with her numbed my anxiety a bit, but it didn't end it.

Shortly afterwards, George and Fred led us through the fireplace to number 12 Grimmauld Place, the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Mr. Weasley, Professor Lupin, and a woman who introduced herself as Nymphadora Tonks were waiting in the parlor drinking coffee and tea and eating from the breakfast spread on the table.

"It's good to see you again Cedric," Lupin said, shaking my hand. "And a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Montrose. I never thought I'd live to meet true Immortals."

"You know about us?" Amanda said, confused.

"Of course. Back when I was training to become a professor in the Dark Arts I did a thesis on the legendary immortals. Walking silently through the centuries, leading many secret lives, you're fighting for some kind of prize. I was hard pressed to find any literature on your kind however, since all of the books were locked away."

"We don't have much time," I spoke up. "Not to be rude, but someone's life is in danger."

I told the group about Radu, my escape from Vicilia Coarse and Simon and the Howler I was sent.

"Hunters," Amanda said, disgusted.

"Hunters?" Mr. Weasley repeated.

"They're renegade Watchers who want us all dead."

"And the ones who are wizards have probably joined with the Death Eaters," I added. "Radu is like Voldemort's right hand man."

"That would make sense," Tonks said. "Riddle's always been attracted to power. Having someone that lives forever under your thumb would be the perfect possession to him."

"And I'll bet my life savings he'd do anything to become immortal," Mr. Weasley added. "Then he wouldn't need the horcruxes."

"It's not that simple," Amanda said. "You have to be destined to be immortal. Well, like us anyway."

Tonks looked at me.

"What do you want from us? Anything you ask we're willing to help."

"Agreed." Lupin said. The others chimed in their agreement.

"Hogwarts," I said. "Radu's waiting for me at the Quidditch field where the maze was. But I need backup in case it's a trap."

"Actually," Fred said, with his patented smirk.

"We know it's going to be a trap." George finished.

Everyone looked at them confused.

Fred removed a role of parchment from his pocket. With a wave of George's wand the breakfast spread disappeared and they spread the map out. They both pressed the wand against the empty parchment and said,

"Rat Trap Revealed!"

A detailed map of the grounds appeared over the parchment, including the school, the surrounding grounds and even parts of the Black Forest.

Fred explained it as though he were selling it. "This, my friends is a Marauder's Tracking Map. We've been working on it for months."

"Remarkable," Lupin said. "Just like the one James and I made during our school days."

"And influenced by no other," George went on. "But this map has a special feature that not even the original Marauders thought of."

"By placing a simple enchanted object on your target," Fred, "You can use this map to track every step he's makes up until he loses said object. These objects come in the form of keys, pocket change, or anything you're likely to find in your pockets."

A set of foot prints marked with the initials S.R. paced about the Qudditch grounds.

"But when did you place something on Simon?" I asked. "I was watching him the entire time and I never noticed…"

I recalled the conversation with Simon and how he suddenly patted his pockets.

"You'd be surprised what little rodents can carry in their mouths," Fred said, grinning.

It took some of us a few moments to figure it out.

"My God," Mr. Weasley said, furious. "How long now?"

"Only about a month Dad," George answered. "Don't worry, we've been real careful."

Lupin and Tonks snickered and Mr. Weasley seemed ready to pop. I didn't know whether to be amused or not.

"I don't understand." Amanda said.

"Fred and George are animagi," I explained. "They can become animals at will."

"Illegally I might add," Mr. Weasley snapped. "We'll discuss this later, however."

"The map shows us everywhere our dear friend dares to tread," George went on undeterred. "And, if you'll take a second glance-"

He pointed to several moving dots throughout the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Anyone Mr. Racey has had contact with, shows up as well."

Lupin and Tonks knelt down for a closer look.

"It looks like most of the Death Eaters are near the school." Tonks observed. "What do they expect you to walk right through the door?"

"The school's too well protected," Lupin said. "We'd be perfectly safe from them inside."

"Where's Radu?" Mr. Weasley wondered, still trying not to yell at the twins.

"It won't show him," I explained. "The map relies on magic to track people and magic is no good on our kind."

"Then look for Cho," Amanda suggested. "If he has her hostage he won't be far from her."

I cursed for not thinking of that myself. Right on the quidditch field, where Radu told me to come, was a dot with the initials C.C. standing in one place.

"Is there anyway to tell if she's all right?" I asked, placing a hand over the dot.

"If she shows up on the map she's alive." George assured me.

"I count twelve death eaters," Lupin said. "Minus Radu of course. We're vastly outnumbered."

"How do you figure?" Fred said, looking offended. "You've got me and George and our bag of tricks. And we have the lovely Ms. Montrose."

Amanda grinned as Fred batted eyes towards her.

"Oh for the love of-" Mr. Weasley looked about ready to throttle his kids. "We need to get in without being noticed. If we go into the school we can make our plans from there."

"There's another problem," Tonks said. "Once we enter the school the defenses will come down. It's a safety measure the Minister insisted on, so that way no one innocent is harmed by the spells and charms in place there."

"Well that's bloody daft," George remarked. "What if someone who just drank a poly juice potion goes in?"

"The spells are aura based," Lupin answered. "Poly-juice potions can't change a person's aura. If Hogwarts had the proper defenses Crouch never would have gotten far."

"The train at Platform 9 3/4?" I suggested.

Mr. Weasley shook his head. "Temporarily shut down until the crisis is past. And now that Death Eaters are surrounding the school it makes all the more sense."

"Ladies, gentlman," Fred spoke up. "Clearly we've not been paying attention. George and I have a wonderful set of toys and tools for the trade, just for this purpose."

Fred produced a silver house key and placed it on the table.

"The Marauder's map comes with six ordinary items such as coins, keys, calculators and school supplies. In order to insure that you retrieve all of your items, each of the remaining items can be used as a portkey to transport you to their location."

"We still haven't found the watch we lost in Mt. Vesuvius," George said.

"But that's just a marketing setback," Fred said. "Simply touch this portkey and it will bring you to the location of the device we left on Simon."

Everyone stared in disbelief.

"I think I need to get one of these," Amanda said, approvingly.

"I'd be more than happy to give you the prototype," George responded. He produced the four remaining items.

"Brilliant work boys." Lupin said, looking at the map. "According to this, Racey is located near the Lake. One of us should go in and use the element of surprise to stir up trouble. The rest of us will follow suit. Only one other person is standing there with him, a woman. V. C.?"

I looked at the map. Vicilia. I drew my sword and took the key.