A/N: So it's starting to look like I update every Sunday so sorry guys. Hopefully that won't be the case. KEEP REVIEWING!
DISCLAIMER: Yeah… you probably get it by now. I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.
-CONVERSATION OF THE CHAPTER-
ME: Hi!
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: Hello!
ME: How are you today?
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: I'm good thanks. Just looking after my patients at St. Mungo's.
ME: Cool. What do you do?
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: Spell damage.
ME: Awesome!
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: Yes. It is rather nice. I do counselling for patients as well.
ME: That's nice.
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: Yes it is. It's been my dream good since I was kid.
ME: Awesome! I suppose you have to go check on your patients now?
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: Yes, I do sorry.
ME: It's okay. You go around saying lives while I just sit here on my laptop.
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: What's a laptop?
ME: Huh… nothing. Bye!
HEALER ANNIE O'DONNELL: Wh-?
*Healer Annie O'Donnell disappears*
ME: Bad Chloe. These people do not know what Muggle things are and they haven't even been invented yet! Silly girl. ON WITH THE STORY!
19
'Wh- wh- what?' James stuttered.
She hadn't. She hadn't just said that.
'Father has gone to see what he can do. It- it- might be too late.'
It was a joke. A cruel sick joke.
'No, no, no!' Sirius cried, looking distraught.
'Oh Sirius.' James's mother stood up and wrapped her arms around him.
She rocked him back and forth.
'You're lying.' James stated calmly.
She wasn't lying, it was the truth.
He knew that.
He just couldn't believe it.
She grabbed James in the hug as well and stroked their hair.
Then full reality hit James.
He would never see Gracie, the girl who was like his sister ever again. They'd never get back on better terms. Sirius would never get a chance with her. Her laugh, her smile, her personality would never be seen again. He'd just lost his sister, one of his best friends and Sirius had lost the most important person in his life.
And they couldn't do anything about it.
Because of Voldemort, because of people like Servark, because of the Death Eaters.
He swore his revenge then and there.
'I'm back!' James's father stumbled into the room.
'Charlus!' Mrs Potter jumped up and hugged and kissed her husband.
'Dad?' It was the first time Sirius had spoken in hours and the first time Sirius had called James's father dad.
'Boys, I want you both to listen very carefully.'
He bent down and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
'Earlier today, someone or someone's presumably Death Eaters managed to defeat the protective enchantments surrounding Prewett's home.' He spoke quietly.
'They had been visiting Molly and Arthur at The Burrow and flooed home to find someone or someone's in their house. Fabian and Gideon are alive because they had stayed behind to babysit Bill as Molly and Arthur were going out for dinner. Mr and Mrs Prewett flooed home first and were killed as soon as they arrived. Grace however…'
James stiffened. What did-?
'They decided to torture her. Badly. The good news is she survived and is St. Mungo's hospital but she is in critical condition.'
'She's okay?' James asked weakly.
'For now.'
'Grace Prewett.'
After a few days they were finally allowed to visit Gracie in hospital.
The witch behind the desk perked up immediately.
She had just been chewing gum and reading Witch Weekly.
'Are you here friends? I've heard that-'
'What room is she in?' Mr Potter asked impatiently.
'Fourth Floor, Spell Damage, 3rd door on the left, Poppy Goldrush ward. Healer in charge is Annie O'Donnell.'
'Thank you.'
They began to leave.
'Hey! Can I have an autograph?'
They ignored her and headed up the stairs as fast as they could.
'Fourth floor, fourth floor.' James muttered to himself as they climbed up the stairs.
'Here!'
They reached the fourth floor.
'I'm in the paper?' They heard someone shout.
That someone sounded like Gracie.
James and Sirius exchanged looks and burst into the Poppy Goldrush ward.
She was sitting up against some pillows on her bed and chatting to their surprise Professor Dumbledore.
But she had bandages all over her body, her arm was in a sling and bruises were scattered on her skin everywhere. She looked rather tired and pale.
Professor Dumbledore held a newspaper in his hand and was showing Gracie the front cover.
'Miss Prewett they are simply reporting the attack.'
'They don't know half of it!'
'You know Voldemort has attacked me before! I told you that! And now he's attacked me again!'
Professor Dumbledore stared at her.
James, Sirius and Mr and Mrs Potter stood awkwardly outside the ward.
'Miss Prewett this is very serious. You have twice defied Voldemort now and he will repeatedly attack you again and again until you join him or until he kills you.'
'Or until he kills the rest of my family and my friends!' Gracie wailed and began sobbing.
'Miss Prewett I am going to offer you the best protect I can. It is now obvious Voldemort is targeting you.'
Professor Dumbledore tried to comfort Gracie.
'It's too late now! My parents are dead!'
'I know…' Professor Dumbledore said softly. 'But death is the-'
'I don't care about how death is great and whatnot! I'll never see them again!'
'You will,' Sirius spoke up suddenly. 'The one's we love never do truly leave us. You'll always find them in here.'
He placed his hand on his heart.
'S- Si- rius.' She cried.
Sirius went over and sat on the bed and hugged her.
Professor Dumbledore stood up and closed the door behind them.
'If you don't mind Charlus, Dorea, could I have a talk with James in private?'
'Of course.' James's father answered.
'Is that alright with you James?' Professor Dumbledore asked kindly.
James nodded.
'We'll just go up to the tea room then and come back in an hour.'
James's parents left for the fifth floor and Professor Dumbledore asked a Healer passing by if there was a spare room that they could speak in privately.
They followed the Healer into an empty office. When the Healer left Dumbledore shut the door, locked it and placed a silencing charm on it.
'Take a seat James.' Professor Dumbledore gestured to one of the chairs in the room.
He sat down and Dumbledore took the other one.
'I want to talk to you about some very important matters James.' Professor Dumbledore started.
'Okay.' He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
'I feel that I should speak to you because you will think and take the right action if any if needed. I also know that in trouble or doubt your fellow Gryffindor 2nd years will come to you for advice or answers as they did last year when you heard of an attack by the Death Eaters in Liverpool by the Daily Prophet.'
James nodded.
'The Death Eaters and Voldemort are getting stronger,' Dumbledore whispered hurriedly. 'This is a sign James. A warning. Grace Prewett was the first person to stumble across Voldemort and his Death Eaters, accidently of course, and discover what they were doing. Voldemort didn't expect Miss Prewett to escape him and he defiantly didn't expect her to tell her friends who told her to tell me and she did just that.'
'Gracie spoke to you then about it?' James questioned.
'She did after you told her to of course.' Professor Dumbledore answered.
'Oh.'
'I don't think Voldemort liked that a girl that hadn't even started Hogwarts yet had beat him. So he targeted her.'
'Targeted?'
'Targeted. Wanted killed and out of the way. Voldemort surely does have a list of people he wants gone. Gracie in no doubt one of the top on that list. After surviving him twice and taunting his followers in school like Bellatrix Lestrange for example, Miss Prewett is wanted to dead.'
James honestly didn't know what to say.
'You need to be there for her James. She has just lost her parents who she was very close with. She doesn't know what to do with herself at the moment. She wants to stay strong but she can't. Inside she is hurt badly. She needs to grief. I ask you that you look after her for me. Be there with her at the funeral and hold her went she cries. Please pass the message on to Sirius.'
James nodded.
'Keep p and eye on her James. I know it a lot to ask but please don't let her ever be on her own. I know it is a lot to ask as you are putting your life in danger for even being her friend but I am hoping that if she isn't alone they won't attack.'
'She's my friend. I'll stay with her. She's my sister. I would die for her.'
Professor Dumbledore smiled.
'Thank you James. You truly are a loyal friend. A true Gryffindor.'
Professor Dumbledore stood up.
'Let's return to Gracie's room now. They're probably wondering where we are.'
Professor Dumbledore unlocked the door and removed the silencing charm; they headed back to Gracie's room in silence.
'I must be off now James. I have business to attend to.' Professor Dumbledore smiled at him and patted his shoulder. He then disappeared down the corridor.
James slowly opened the door to Gracie's room to see her and Sirius just talking quietly.
'James!' she said as soon as she spotted him.
He went over and hugged her.
'How are you?' he asked her as he sat down on the bed.
'Better now.' She gave him a half smile.
'Dumbledore said I can stay off school as long as I need to which is good.'
'Aww… you get to miss school!' James pouted.
Gracie laughed at him.
'In your face James.'
She picked up a pillow and swung it in his face.
He fell off backwards on to the floor.
'Ha ha! Get it? In your face? Pillow in your face?'
Gracie and Sirius started laughing at him as he grumbled on the floor.
'Someone take me to hospital please! I think my back is broken!'
'We're already in the hospital James!' Gracie giggled.
James knew then that Gracie was on her way to recovery.
'What are you doing on the floor James?' James's mother asked as she walked into the room.
'Fell of the bed.' James shot Gracie a fake glare.
'Well get on up then.' James's mother shook her head.
James heaved himself off the floor and back onto the bed.
'Don't seat on my legs James!' Gracie whined.
'Sorrryyyy.' James laughed.
'Erm… Grace?' James's father asked.
'Yes?'
'We were wondering where you were going to stay during school holidays.'
Gracie face fell.
'Molly visited before and well she says she doesn't know what to do because there isn't that much room in her house at the moment yet. Arthur still training for his job so I don't think he gets paid and they have to look after Bill. Mum and dad left us some money but Molly only has one spare room at the moment and I said Fabian and Gideon could have it. I think… I think I'm going to an orphanage,' James looked as if she was going to start to cry. 'I don't want to go to an orphanage.'
'Well that works out well then doesn't it?'
Gracie looked at Mr Potter as if he was insane.
James gave him a look as well. Gracie had just told him she was going to an orphanage! With Muggle kids no doubt!
'We were wondering if you would like to well… stay with us.'
'What?' Gracie asked in shock.
'You're a lovely girl Grace and we knew your parents very well it only feels right that we welcome you into your home. Your great friends with James and he treats you like he's and he treats you like he's your brother. We'd be delighted if you stayed with us. I've always wanted another girl in the house.' Mrs Potter said.
'I'd love to stay with you! Thank you so so much!' Gracie said happily.
'You're welcome. When you're released from the hospital then we'll get your room sorted out and everything. Do you know when you're getting out?'
'I'll ask.' Gracie pressed the button next to her.
'What can I do for you?' A mid 20 year old Healer came into the room.
'Hi Annie! Do you know when I'll be able to leave?'
Annie sighed.
'I don't know Grace. Maybe in a week or so. Then you'll have to stay at home for a while.'
'Oh okay.'
'Hi, we're Mr and Mrs Potter. Grace's friend's parents.'
Healer Annie and James's parents shook hands.
'She's doing well to be honest. She woke up last night which is good. Her cuts and bones need to heal of course before she goes back to school and well… we have discussed Grace having some counselling.'
'Counselling? I don't want counselling! I don't need it!' Gracie overheard their conversation and said loudly.
'Grace. We just want to make sure you're doing okay emotionally. Luckily for you if you do have counselling, I'll be your counsellor. It does cost though so-'
'We'll pay for it. If Grace wants it of course.' Mr Potter said.
'Okay. I'll have counselling.' Gracie gulped.
Healer Annie smiled at her.
'I'll speak to Mr and Mrs Potter about costs and appointments then. Sadly, visiting time is over in 5 minutes so say your good byes.'
Healer Annie and James's parents left the room to talk.
'We'll see you soon.' Sirius said.
'We'll come and visit again.' James added in.
'Thanks guys!' she gave them both a hug.
'Don't get into too much trouble without me at Hogwarts.' she waggled her finger at them.
'We won't.'