A/N : Well another chapter of my re-write! I much prefer working in third person so I love this version of the events. To all those who wondered about Chase's parentage and why he was adopted the answers are in this chapter, my only warning is that I love to write tragedy and even though Sand to Snow/Thank God for Ruby is my "happy" story I feel compelled to put suffering in for all of my characters.

Also it just occurred to me that some of you may be questioning the way I brought back Sirius Black from the dead. If it's answers you crave look to my other stories "The Unseen Protector" and "Holding my tongue". Those two stories explain Sirius, Elizabeth, Nate and Delilah's Mum Andee and so on, just all the background stuff that gets mentioned and may leave you wondering.

Thanks for reading!

BellatrixisFred

James lay on the grass in Nadia and John's backyard enjoying the sunshine. He could hear the sound of his mother, Nadia, Angelina and Andee talking animatedly about Nadia's upcoming wedding. He could smell the glazed turkey that was roasting in the oven and he could see the forms of Freddy, Chase, Al and Lily high above him, only visible as little black dots.

Behind him James could hear Wendy and Delilah having an in-depth conversation about dying Wendy's hair orange. A breeze fluttered across James' face bringing with it the smell of Elizabeth's double fudge and chocolate biscuits.

A normal summer day, or evening rather it was approaching six o'clock by now. Guiltily James thought of the piles of homework left in his trunk under the bed. He hadn't even started.

Still there was two months left of the summer to do that in and it wasn't much, just a couple of essays.

Almost as if thoughts of schoolwork summoned her James picked up the voice of his Headmistress.

"-Quite fine we've just lately been discussing the topic of Head Boy and Girl. No idea who to choose –" Her voice started to fade but James focused on her voice alone and was able to pick up the conversation again.

" – Fool to choose Freddy and Chase won't exactly uphold the rules either." Angelina was saying with a laugh.

"I don't think any of our sons are up for the position." Ginny agreed ruefully.

"Delilah is hardly an angel, but yes I think Reid is a good choice." Andee added.

Reid was Head Boy! James grinned if anyone deserved the position it was him, he was prefect, had perfect grades and tutored third years,

"You could give Head Girl to Ruby." Ginny said thoughtfully. "Or maybe Wendy."

"I would consider Miss Westward for the position but we all know that placing her and Mr Edwards in a private dorm would be unadvisable." McGonagall agreed.

"Abbey and Reid are responsible kids, I don't think you would need to worry about them." Ginny said and James could tell by her tone she was frowning slightly.

"As was Lily Evans and even better she seemed immune to James Potter's charm, yet through the sharing of a dorm they managed to become a couple and if my source – that is to say Sirius and Elizabeth – is correct then they took complete advantage of their private dorm."

"Any in Hufflepuff?" Andee asked.

"Not for this year, next year's Head Girl is definitely Arianna Macmillan however."

"Well you've still got time." Nadia said reassuringly

"Indeed, we will find a Head Girl. Now I had best return, Filius and Poma are coming to visit tonight."

"It was nice to see you Minevra." James head his mother say.

"You too Ginny, Nadia, Angelina, Andee, I'll see you soon."

A telltale crack let James know that the Headmistress had left. The three remaining women talked quietly for a moment before returning to normal volume conversation about the flowers for Nadia's bouquet.

How boring.

"James!" James sat up at the sound of his best friend's voice.

"Hey mate!" James yelled waving Nate over.

"I have something to tell you." Nate said as soon as he sat down on the grass beside James.

"Then tell away."

"I have procured a girlfriend." Nate said with a grin. James felt his eyes widen in shock.

"No way –" He breathed.

"It's not –" Nate said inclining his head meaningfully instead of saying her name.

"Oh. Are you trying to make her jealous?" James asked cautiously.

"It would be nice but I'm not going to kid myself, Marie' isn't interested in that sort of relationship – not now at least – and I can't keep waiting around until she is. I could be thirty before that happens." Nate said with a sigh.

"But you really, really - well you know."

"Love her? Yeah I suppose I do but Erin is pretty and I have had a crush on her for a fair while, not as much as Marie' but I do like her." Nate said with a shrug.

"Nate I don't think Erin is a good decision for a distraction –"

"She isn't a distraction James that's what you have to understand, from now on out, I do not like Marie'. She is just a friend and Erin is my girlfriend."

"If that's what you want." James agreed nodding but secretly he was relieved. How could Nate expect anything but a broken heart from Marie'? She never saw romance in the same light as the other girls, or guys. She was like Louis that way.

"It is. So on to other matters –"

Crash!

What the hell was that? James looked around to see all the adults on their feet wands raised. He could see his father's face white and furious, his mother looked stricken, Andee looked dangerous, Dean ready to kill, Angelina and George were already running towards them trying to get them out of harms way.

"DAD?" A voice called and the adults calmed, lowering their wands. James however leapt to his feet, he recognised that voice, it was Ruby's.

"DAD?" Another voice called, a male voice.

"SERIOUSLY DAD WHERE ARE YOU?" A third also male voice chimed in.

"OUT HERE KIDS!" John yelled back. The back door opened and four people came out led by Ruby.

James smiled taking in the form of his girlfriend in her jean shorts and tank top, red hair pulled back off her face, green eyes – filled with tears?

"Ruby?" James asked coming towards her.

"Will, what's wrong?" John asked turning to the older of the two boys who had John's blonde hair and was holding the hand of a girl whose eyes were slanted making James recognise her instantly as being of Asian descent.

"Mum is a fucking cow that's what." Answered the other boy his green eyes flashing with the anger brought of a redheaded temper. This boy looked the most like Ruby his hair and eyes exactly the same however all three looked very similar with John's bright green eyes.

"Matt! How can you speak about your mother that way?" John demanded.

"Actually Dad she kind of is." Will agreed.

"What exactly happened here?" John asked turning to the Asian girl.

"Well Julia got really angry when we said we planned to take Ruby with us to visit Australia, apparently she had other plans which led to her revealing her agreeing to an arranged marriage for Ruby." The girl explained.

"WHAT?" John demanded face going red with fury.

"It's alright Dad that was sort of fine, I'm not going back not after –"

"What happened?" John asked his voice dangerous, Will looked at the ground and Matt walked back into the house muttering.

"Saia, what happened?" John asked sounding a little scared now.

"Well Julia was really angry and so was Hugh and well –"

"They drew wands on us." Ruby said dully. James looked at her startled, the fire seemed gone out of her voice and she looked terrified. Without a moments hesitation James moved over to her wrapping her in his arms.

"It's alright Rubes." He said quietly.

Will looked at James his eyes unreadable before turning back to his father.

"Seriously Dad, we're fine. But we're never going back."

John stood there breathing heavily for a moment before Nadia came up behind him and placed an arm on his shoulder.

"John they're fine. Calm down." She said soothingly.

"Right. Well, sit down and have something to eat." John said a little awkwardly.

"Come on James lets go to my room." Ruby said dragging him into the house.

"Are you okay?" James asked her quietly as they made their way up the stairs.

"I will be in a moment." Ruby said with a smile at him opening her door.

Ruby's queen size bed welcomed them as they flopped down on it.

"It would probably be a good idea to shut the door." Ruby suggested to James.

"Okay." James said flicking his wand. "But why –"His question was cut off by Ruby's lips crashing into his, not that he really needed to ask after that. He had the answer.

If there is one thing in the world that matters, it is Quiddich. In the Weasley household, Quiddich was one of the six worshipped gods. Along with bacon, Grandma Weasley's cooking, the art of pranking, being completely honest and but of course family.

Chase Archibald had grown up surrounded by these six aspects of life; he had loved them and fit in perfectly his whole life.

However Chase was just a little different. When something made him laugh he didn't pull a huge Weasley grin that all his "cousins" pulled because he wasn't a real Weasley. Nate didn't have the Weasley grin but he, Delilah, James, Al and Lily all had what Sirius and Elizabeth called a "Marauder smirk".

It may sound stupid to get so worked up over having a different smile but he did. Chase couldn't help but know that Freddy and Roxy weren't really his siblings. No matter how much he pretended he couldn't avoid knowing he was adopted.

Sometimes the memories of his parents came back but they didn't make him wishful to meet them. The memories made him glad that George had stumbled upon him that night all those years ago.

He had been only seven…

"Stop it Josh! Leave him alone!" Chase's mother had yelled, Lydia her name had been or maybe Linda or Lynette he didn't remember but he remembered his father perfectly.

"Stupid Brat!" A painful blow across the side of his face and Chase fell to the ground. He couldn't remember if Josh had been his actual father. Probably. But Josh had still hated him even if he was his son.

"Unnatural freak!" He yelled shoving him to the floor. Chase remembered crying out as his ankle caught beneath him. He hadn't meant to. He hadn't meant to turn the dog blue. He didn't even know how he'd done it - at the time.

"I didn't mean it!" A small voice said – a voice belonging to his seven-year-old self.

"I don't care you brat!" Another blow, this time to the stomach.

Lydia or whatever she was called whimpered as her child was hit but did nothing about it, not yet anyway.

"Clean the brat up and put him to bed." Josh said stamping out of the room, to get to the pub no doubt, like every night.

"Yes dear." His mother said and with a grunt Josh left.

"It hurts Mummy." He had said.

"I know, but I can't leave."

"I know Mummy." He had said, but that hadn't stopped the tears.

"You don't have to stay though." She had said. "You have your, talent, magic, whatever it is, you'll be okay."

"Yes Mummy." Chase knew even at seven that he must be obedient.

"Come on then." She led him upstairs and rubbed ointment on his bruises before sitting him on the bed. Then his mother pulled out his Toy Story 3 backpack and filled it with warm clothes.

"Get dressed honey." She told him, Chase had nodded and pulled on his clothes.

"There's food in the top pocket, Peter Rabbit is in the big pocket and so is your story book. " She told him leading him downstairs.

Chase had known he was leaving and he knew she wasn't coming with him. Looking back Chase never understood why she hadn't come with him, perhaps it was fear of Josh, perhaps she too was terrified of his magic but she had loved him enough to get him out and he would always be thankful for that.

"Now walk down to the far away park, sleep there tonight, in the playground and tomorrow you need to get up and walk to the police station nearby – can you do that?"

"Yes Mummy."

"Now tell the police or anyone who asks that you are Chase – Chase – Crawford? – No tell them you are Chase Archibald. Can you do that honey?"

"Chase Archibald." He had repeated.

"And they'll find you another Mummy with a nice Daddy to look after you okay?"

"Yes Mummy."

"But don't tell them your real name or Josh will find you."

"I won't Mummy."

"Good luck Chasie. I love you." She said opening the door. "And remember the faraway park."

"Yes Mummy and I love you too."

Chase could still remember where his parents had lived. Sometimes he was tempted to let his mother know that he was safe. But most of the time he pretended that Angelina was his mother. When George had brought him home for the first time Chase had called Angelina "Mum" even though both Freddy and Roxy at the time called her "Mummy" but it somehow didn't seem right.

Chase had laid down on one of the park benches and was just drifting off to sleep when George came.

"Oi! What are you doing here?" He had asked in shock.

"I'm hiding from Daddy a'cause he doesn't like my magic." Chase had explained not even thinking to lie.

"Magic?" George had asked.

"I turned Arnold blue, but I didn't mean to! I didn't know! But Mummy didn't like Daddy hitting me so she told me to runaway and be safe."

George had stared at him in horror.

"What's your name son?"

"Chase, Chase Archibald." He had answered, remembering his mother's words.

"What sort of magic can you do Chase?" George had asked.

"Lots, I can turn things different colours, make things float and sometimes I can make flowers open in winter." Chase had said proudly, he liked being able to do things others couldn't, even though it made his father mad.

"But your Dad doesn't like it does he?"

"He hates it, that's why he hits me." Chase had said shrugging; to him it had been no strange thing.

"I think you should come with me Chase, I know lots of magic and no one will hit you for it where I live."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Chase didn't like to think about his childhood before George had brought him home. Sometimes he pretended that there was no life at all before his eighth birthday that he had just come into being the day he arrived at Angelina and George's house. It wasn't true of course, but it was a nice fantasy.

"Chase!" Chase sat up at the sound of Roxy's voice calling him, pushing thoughts of Josh and Lydia from his mind.