Author's note: I'm really glad that so many people are reading the story and marking it as a favourite. I look forward to hearing what you think about this part of the first chapter, in which we come across a familiar character. Enjoy! : )

Chapter One

Part iii

In Lissy's short experience, telling a Muggle born child that they are a witch or wizard was not easy. However, it was nothing compared to telling their Muggle parent. Most children seemed to have a natural disposition towards believing in the magical and unexplained, and children with magical blood even more so. Their magical identity usually turned out to be the missing piece of the puzzle of their life. On the other hand the parents were hardened into scepticism by the humdrum of the Muggle world, and often refused to believe even after a demonstration of wizardry in their own home.

Miss Miller was no exception. Even after Lissy had poured water from her wand tip, fired sparks into the air, and turned Miss Miller's keys into a watch, she still shook her head obstinately, certain that she was being tricked. Richard on the other hand watched with wide eyed awe, not disbelieving for a second that what he was witnessing was very much real. It was only when Lissy apparated across the living room that Miss Miller shook her head for the last time and began to believe what she saw.

'And you're saying Richard's a... wizard,' said Miss Miller, still wide eyed even after a few minutes.

'Yes,' said Lissy, sitting down on the edge of the dingy grey armchair. 'And a powerful wizard at that.'

Richard, who was by now intensely curious, piped up. 'Can I play with your wand?' he asked, innocently.

Lissy's heart jumped. 'Gosh, no,' she said, on instinct. Richard stepped forward anyway to try and take her wand, but Lissy held it up out of his reach. 'It wouldn't work,' she said to him. 'A wand only works for its owner.' That was only a half-truth, but it was enough to placate Richard for the time being, and he returned to his mother's side.

Lissy knew that she now had to go one step further, and tell Richard's mother about what was going to happen next. 'Miss Miller,' she said.

'Please... call me Jenny,' she said.

'Jenny,' started Lissy again. 'I'm afraid that you can't stay here in your flat right now. It's not safe for you or Richard.'

'What?' said Jenny, folding her arms indignantly, 'I'm not leavin' here. I don't care who you are.'

'Jenny,' pressed Lissy, 'a group of powerful wizards called the Aurors are going to find out about Richard very soon, and when they do, they're going to try and take him away from you.'

'What!' said Jenny, scooping Richard up onto her knee. 'You can't take him away from me. I don't care who you are. I'm his mother for crying out loud!'

Lissy edged forward on her chair and clasped her hands together. 'I know, Jenny, I know. But there's nothing I can do about it. I can't stop the Aurors. They're like a law unto themselves.'

Richard was now starting to look frightened. His eyes were screwing up like he was about to cry. 'Hush, baby,' said Jenny, 'don't worry it's ok.'

'Jenny the only chance for you two to stay together right now may be for you to come with me,' said Lissy, reaching out her hand to the mother and child.

'Where?' said Jenny, eyeing her hand suspiciously.

'To the Ministry of Magic,' said Lissy. 'I can protect you there much better than here. We can work together then to protect you and your son.'

'Why are you holding out your hand?' Jenny asked.

'I'm going to disapparate with you,' she said, 'if you'll let me. And I really hope you will.'

'Disapparate,' said Jenny. 'Like when you zipped across the room right now?'

'Yes,' said Lissy. 'But much further. To the centre of London.'

Jenny hugged Richard close to her body, and looked at Lissy's hand with trepidation. Lissy received the impression that she had won Jenny's trust, and the woman seemed to be strongly considering her proposal. 'Will it hurt?' she asked.

Lissy shook her head, and said: 'No'. Again, not the whole truth. Apparation was very unpleasant the first time.

Jenny reached out her hand to Lissy, and their skin touched. Lissy indicated that Richard should take her hand too, and Jenny encouraged her son to grab onto Lissy's finger. Thank goodness, thought Lissy.

She disapparated.

No – she tried to disapparate.

Lissy's whole body shuddered, and her vision went grey and blurry for a moment.

She tried to disapparate again.

Her sight went grey again, and there was a sharp pulse between the three parties which shocked them into letting go of each other.

'What did you do!' exclaimed Jenny.

'Nothing,' said Lissy, her heartbeat quickening. She stood up and looked towards the door apprehensively. 'They've locked me down. The Ministry's cast an anti-disapparation spell over the building.'

'So what now?' said Jenny, standing too. Richard was ready to cry again.

'They're coming,' said Lissy. 'The Aurors.'

Even as she said the words, there was a loud crack on the balcony outside the flat. A silhouette had appeared outside the window.

Lissy drew her wand and pointed it at the door. 'Colloportus!' she shouted, willing the flat to become sealed against intruders.

At the same time a loud male voice shouted out on the other side of the door 'Allohamora!'.

There was a bang, and a shattering of wood as the lock exploded under the pressure of the two spells. The door burst open.

In strode a tall, broad shouldered wizard of around thirty years. He was wearing a long, close fitting grey coat, with wide sleeves. His face was pale and freckled, and cast in a stern expression. His flaming red hair was cropped short, so that he looked something like a Muggle soldier.

'Quixley,' said the entering wizard angrily. Lissy raised her wand, ready to hex him. He saw her arm move though, and shouted, 'Expelliarmus!', sending her wand out of her hand instantly so that it hit the far wall.

Lissy took a step forward so that she was standing right in front of the man, putting herself between the lead Auror and the two Millers. She had to crane her neck to look up at him. 'Weasley,' she said, in the same callous tone with which had addressed her, 'I knew it would be you who came.'

'Just doing my job, Quixley' said Ronald Weasley, unsympathetically, 'same as you.'

'Well you took your time,' she said, in a belittling tone.

Weasley frowned, annoyed, 'Your partner Bosman can throw a fit like no-one else,' he said. 'But he couldn't hold us off for long.'

'Get out of my house!' shrieked Jenny Miller suddenly. 'Both of you, get out! Get out!'

Weasley moved Lissy aside and stepped past to stare down at Jenny. Then his gaze fell upon Richard. 'So you're the one,' he said to the boy, levelly. 'You've caused some real trouble, today, lad.'

'Gosh, you're stupid, Weasley,' said Lissy, squaring up to him. 'He's not to blame! He doesn't have a clue!'

'Yes, thank you, Quixley,' he said, stonily, 'now let me do my job.'

'Get out!' shouted Jenny again.

'Mummy!' wailed Richard, tears now streaming from his eyes. Jenny picked him up and glared at Lissy and Weasley, whilst Lissy just glared at the tall red haired man

dominating the room.

Then there was a rumbling. The room started to shake. As Richard cried, the bottles on the shelves began to wobble, and pots and pans clinked in the kitchen. Weasley's breath caught for a moment, and he stood dumbstruck staring at the child. Lissy had seen this sort of thing happen before, but this was Weasley's first experience of the boy's power. Jenny looked at her son with a look of newfound comprehension and fear.

Weasley came to his senses. 'Sorry about this, kid,' he said, abruptly. 'I'm going to have to stop you there. You'll understand one day.' He raised his wand.

'No!' said Lissy.

'Petrificus totalus!' he shouted. There was a jet of light, which struck both mother and child. They went stiff as boards, and the rumbling ceased immediately.

'Weasley!' shouted Lissy, giving the man a hard shove. 'What are you doing!'

Weasley shrugged her off. 'This is Auror business,' he said. 'It doesn't concern you anymore.'

'Auror business?' exclaimed Lissy, furiously. 'I am an Auror, you great dumb oaf!'

Weasley looked at her with superiority written across his face. 'An Auror?' he said. 'Don't be daft, Quixley. You left us. And that was your choice.'