A/N: Hi everybody - I know it's been a while since I last posted. Sorry I let you wait!

As always I want to thank my reviewers! FunkyFiction, mustardgirl1128, Bad Mum, Evenstar606, bubblegumpinktonks, x.o.gossipgirl.x.o, hondagirl, S0phia.weasley, Kerichi, Phoenix Feather Quills, hannahannah, Tina101 – you're great!

XXX

Chapter 18 January 20th, 2000

George found Charlie in his and Bill's old bedroom at The Burrow. He was so busy, reading the Prophet, he didn't even look up when his brother came in.

"Hi Char – what are you reading?"

"George! What are you doing here?"

"I need your help."

Looking worried, Charlie put the paper away. He motioned for George to close the door behind him and sit down. "Well?"

But George's attention was fixed on the newspaper. He had just realised which part of it Charlie had been reading. "You're looking for a job? Are you coming back?" he asked, thrilled.

"Yeah, I was thinking about moving back to England for awhile. I'm missing it."

George grinned broadly. "What – the English rain? Our beloved old Burrow? Mum's cooking?"

Charlie smirked, rubbing his stomach. "All of the above, especially Mum's cooking. And you wouldn't believe how much she's been spoiling me the last couple of days."

"Why are you here now, anyway? Shouldn't you be in Romania?" asked George. He had wanted to ask his brother for days but hadn't had a chance to do so yet.

After a moment's hesitation, Charlie answered, "Because of you."

"Me?" said George, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"You. In Romania I couldn't help thinking about – well – about the night before the reunion. I couldn't get it out of my mind. You were so sick, and then I was worried that after you saw Alicia with that other bloke you might – you know ..."

"What? Relapse?"

Charlie nodded.

"Well, I didn't." George didn't know if he should feel happy or guilty that Charlie had returned for his sake.

"But you did look rather miserable that morning after the reunion when I came by your place before I left for Romania."

"Maybe, but I'm fine now."

Charlie gave his brother a critical look-over. "At least you look a lot better than you did in December. Is everything all right now with you and Alicia?"

"Going great," said George a little impatiently. He hadn't come to discuss his relationship or his state of health with his brother. "Charlie, could we talk about all this another time? There is something I need your help with right now. Something important."

Charlie sighed but smiled at the same time. "What is it this time?"

George told his older brother about Harry's visit.

After George had ended, Charlie asked, "And what is your plan?"

"That old hag knew exactly who I was and that would be the perfect victim. Somebody must've told her."

"And you're thinking of –?"

"David Montague."

"Who is he?"

"A Slytherin from my year. Fred and I couldn't stand him and he hated us, too. In seventh year Fred and I pushed him into that vanishing cabinet when he tried to take points from Gryffindor to punish us for simply being there."

"Doesn't sound like a reason to push somebody into a vanishing cabinet to me," said Charlie seriously.

"Yeah, well, I did feel sorry afterwards," said George airily. He grinned.

Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe I didn't. But even that doesn't give him the right to help that dirty old hag get me addicted to Lethe."

"Then let's go and pay him a visit," said Charlie, getting up. He folded the newspaper and threw it on the bed before diving under the same bed to find his shoes. They wrote a short message for Alicia, or rather, Charlie wrote it because, "then she knows for sure you'll be with me and that I'll be okay."

A few minutes later, George had Apparated them both to the house of the Montagues. He knew the address thanks to Lydia, Montague's wife, who was a customer at WWW.

He knocked on the door. It didn't take long until it was opened.

"Weasley," said David Montague. He looked surprised. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," said George, putting his foot in the space between the door and its frame.

"Talk to me? What about?"

"I guess you know that very well."

"I have no idea." Montague opened the door a little further – and that was when he noticed Charlie standing a few steps behind George, with his hands on his hips. "What the – you brought your brother to accompany you?"

"I don't trust you, Montague."

"Well, I don't trust you, either, but since you're the one who appeared on my doorstep, spill it, Weasley. What's this all about?"

George said, "Remember the last time we met? In that pub down in Knockturn Alley? We had a fight and the bartender asked me to leave afterwards."

"Yeah – so?"

"So outside I met a witch who tried to sell me Lethe."

"Bloody hell, don't tell me you were so stupid as to buy it."

"Whether I did or not, somebody must've told her that I'd be a pretty good victim because she came straight up to me and wasn't even really very careful when she offered me the potion."

Montague frowned. "And you're thinking it was me who told her?"

"Well, you knew about Fred and you had seen me drink in the pub several times that week. Plus, since your wife's a customer at my shop you could keep an eye on me through her."

"Leave my wife out of this. And I have left you well alone, too, except for that one evening –"

"Yeah, and that evening you get me involved in a fight and thrown out of the bar and next thing she's there trying to sell me drugs. That sound like a coincidence to you?"

Montague stepped back and shrugged. "Well, it must have been. Either that or somebody else worked for her. I have nothing to do with this. I might have been nasty to you and your brothers, when we were at school. I admit that I have hated you lot, yes, but I never cared enough to risk what I've got only to get you in such trouble as this. We all grow up at some point, and I have reached that point. I've grown past revenge."

"Well, I'm guessing who ever worked for her got paid for it."

"I couldn't tell you because it wasn't me."

The two stared at each other for a long time, but Montague had sounded absolutely honest and George was beginning to doubt that he had anything to do with it. "But who else could have been her informant?"

"Did you consider the bartender? After all, he was the one who sent you outside."

It sounded at least possible. George looked at Charlie who nodded, and then turned back to Montague, who was still standing in the doorway of his house, shivering slightly in the cold January air.

"Alright, we'll go and talk to him, then. Thank you." George couldn't really believe he had actually thanked Montague – he and Fred had loathed the guy when they were still at school. But before he knew it he found himself saying, "Oh – and David? I'm sorry about the vanishing cabinet, back in seventh year."

Montague who had been closing the door came back outside. "No worries, it's been a long time. Like I said, we all grow up."

George nodded and made to leave.

"George?" said Montague.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about your brother. About Fred."

"Yeah," said George. "Me too."

As he walked along the small path back that led through the garden, he felt Charlie's hand on his shoulder. He knew it was meant to be comforting, but it was the wrong moment for such gestures, and George simply shrugged it off. "We need to talk to that bartender."

The pub, The Dragon's Skull, had just opened. There weren't many people there yet, so they found the wizard they were looking for easily enough. George was nervous; with Montague it had been simple but he had no idea how to approach this guy. He felt for his wand; it was safely in place; tucked into the waistband of his jeans and well hidden by his robes.

George and Charlie found a place by the counter and ordered two mugs of Troll Beer. George had never drunk Troll Beer before – in Diagon Alley nobody sold it – but Charlie had said that in Romania, "nobody ever drinks anything else!" Soon, however, George found out, why it wasn't popular – there were huge slimy lumps in it!

"Ugh, Charlie, what the hell's in this stuff?"

But Charlie just elbowed him hard in the ribs. "He's coming our way," he whispered, motioning at the bartender.

The bartender asked them, "Everything alright?"

Charlie nodded and took a swig of his beer, causing George's stomach feel slightly queasy, then he said, "Best Troll Beer I've ever had here in England."

The bartender raised an eyebrow. "You're not from around here, then?" he asked. "Your accent sounds British to me."

"Spent a lot of time in Romania," said Charlie. "I'm a dragon keeper."

"Oh really?" said the bartender, genuinely interested. "I had a friend who worked with dragons, too. Until he got too old, that is. He moved a round a lot, but now he breeds Dragons in China. What race do you work with?"

George listened to the two of them talking about dragons for a while wondering what Charlie was up to. If he was planning to gain the other man's trust then it was working very well. So far the bartender hadn't even so much as paid George any attention.

Just when George was beginning to think that they weren't getting anywhere, Charlie lowered his voice and said to the bartender, "Listen, I have a problem, and a friend told me you might be able to help."

"Well, that depends."

Charlie motioned for the wizard to come even nearer and spoke in a very quiet voice, "I got caught by a dragon a while ago, he bit me on the leg and burnt a good deal of my skin. I've never been able to use my leg properly since. The pain simply won't go away."

"So?"

"My friend says there's a person who might be able to sell me a potion …"

"I don't know of such a thing," said the bartender, eying Charlie suspiciously.

"I think you do," said Charlie.

The bartender narrowed his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Look, I'm sorry, but I need to take care of the other customers." He disappeared into a back room.

"He's making a run for it," said Charlie, getting up from his seat.

"You think?"

Charlie nodded, grimly. "Pretty sure. Quick – send your Patronus to Harry and then follow me outside. We can't let him get away!" Before he had even ended Charlie jumped off his stool and followed the bartender behind the counter and into the backroom.

George needed a moment before he could react but then he left the bar through the front door. Once he stood outside he conjured a Patronus and sent it to call for Harry. He ran around the building just in time to see the bartender disappear around the next corner.

George raised his wand. "Stupefy!" he shouted, but missed. He hurried to follow the man. Not far behind him he could hear Charlie panting. They rounded the corner where they had last seen the wizard but he was gone.

"Dammit – if only we had a broom," George gasped, out of breath. "We're never gonna find him at this rate."

"At least we know now that it's him," said Charlie.

"How's that gonna help when he's gone?"

"He isn't," said a voice behind George. He whirled around and found himself face to face with Harry, who stood there wearing a tracksuit and a broad grin. "I left as soon as I got your message and when I arrived here I sent my Patronus after him. Don't worry, George, we'll find him where ever he's going. Maybe he's even going to lead us to her."

XXX

A/N: The next chapter is already half-written!