Harry Potter and the Mother Who Lived

by Gracques

When Lord Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry Potter, he agreed to a request from one of his disciples to spare his mother. The Dark Lord remained true to his word. Lily Evans Potter survived the night of October 31, 1981. Follow the story of Harry Potter where Voldemort kept his word and Harry was raised by his mother.

179. Rosa I

Hi everyone,

I feel I owe apologies for taking so much time to upload this chapter. To my defense, this chapter is extremely long, the longest so far except for the Yule Ball chapter. And after I was done writing it, I rewrote an entire section afterwards for very personal reasons. But here we are, the new chapter is finally available for all to read, with a new POV.

Some might think that the chapter is a little out of context. I kind of create massive new lore to the Harry Potter universe here. But this chapter is also extremely tied to the events surrounding Voldemort's return and the events taking place around Harry. And I decided to imagine an entire wizarding society at the same time.

Just so you know, all historic events, buildings and places from the Muggle world mentioned in this chapter are real and true. Elements from the wizarding world are of course fictionary, and none of it comes from the canon.

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ROSA I

She finished arranging her hair, then left the bathroom. In the kitchen, her husband was taking his breakfast. Their daughter was not here. She was still in bed.

"Maybe I should stay me too," Rosa said. This wasn't the first time she said it since yesterday.

"No," Aurelius replied in a whisper. They were both whispering, so that they wouldn't wake up Susan. He stood up and came to take her arms. "You have an important day at work. If someone should stay, it's me."

Yes, it was an important day, Rosa couldn't say the opposite. But her daughter was more important than anything. "I could still delay this meeting."

"Delay a meeting with the Minister and Prime Minister?" Rosa had nothing to reply to this. Her husband was right. She couldn't report it to another day. "Look, I understand you. I'll take care of our daughter, I promise."

She nodded. It was hard for her to leave Susan at home, even knowing that her father would be with her. But the world didn't stop moving. As terrified they had been when hey learned that You-Know-Who was back, they had soon discovered that the world didn't stop to move. They had to keep working.

"I'll stay with her at home tomorrow," she decided.

"Okay. Have a good day." Her husband kissed her.

"Be careful, Aurèle," she told him.

Aurèle. This was the nickname she gave him when they met. And it had stayed Aurelius' name for Rosa ever since. She left the apartment, being careful to lock it from the outside, both mechanically and magically, as she departed their home. She heard Aurelius lock it from the inside as well as she walked away.

Rosa Johnson Bones had many things to worry about today. It already looked like it would be a hard day long ago, when the meeting was scheduled, but today it was even worse. She never expected that on top of that meeting, she would have to deal with an attack on her daughter the previous night.

As she approached the entrance hall of the Abandoned Tower, she saw someone Apparating. It wasn't unusual. Over half the people living in this building were wizards or witches. But when she walked into the entrance hall a moment later, she came face to face with one of the last people she wanted to see right now.

Lily Evans Potter.

The two women stopped in their tracks and stared at each other for a while when their gazes met. Lily Potter looked surprised, and uncomfortable. Rosa supposed she couldn't feel any different.

"Hi, Rosa," the woman said.

"Hi, Lily," she replied shortly. Rosa didn't really want to talk with her right now.

"How is your daughter Susan?"

Rosa pursed her lips at the mention of her only child.

"What do you think? She was assaulted by Dementors."

Lily Potter looked to the floor. In shame, probably. "Is she going to recover, you think?"

"I think so."

Rosa hoped. Susan was not hurt physically, but she had barely been able to say anything since last night, when the assault took place. She only said a few words to her parents after they arrived at home, and she cried for a part of the night. Neither Rosa nor Aurelius could comfort her.

"I've got to go," Rosa said, walking past the other woman who didn't move to stop her in her tracks. Despite this, Rosa turned to face her one last time. "It would be better if your son wasn't to approach Susan for a while," she said as kindly as she could.

"He's not going to be able to see her for a while anyway."

"Good." Rosa made to continue her way, but before she continued, she said one last thing. "Take care of him."

"And you of Susan," Lily replied.

Rosa left the entrance hall and emerged into the backstreet behind the tower. It was early in the morning. The sun barely began to show up. She planned to leave earlier, but the unexpected events of last night forced her to leave at the last minute.

As she walked to her destination, Rosa regretted to have sounded so harsh towards Lily. She knew the woman, although not very well. It was Edgar, her brother-in-law, who knew her the best. Lily had been present at his funerals, along with her husband. They hadn't talk very much, but they did their best to offer their condolences to Aurelius and Rosa. Afterwards, they hadn't seen each other for the rest of the war. Rosa and Aurelius went into hiding, fearing they might be targeted now that Aurelius' parents, brother, sister-in-law, nephews and nieces had been murdered. The next time Rosa and Lily met, it was after the war, at James Potter's funerals.

Everything had changed back then. You-Know-Who was gone. They were all safe again. When they first heard of it, Aurelius and Rosa barely wanted to believe it. It sounded too good to be true. But they had to admit after it became obvious, this man was dead. And Lily's husband had been his last victim. As a result, when they attended James Potter's funerals, Rosa and Aurelius found themselves in the opposite position, offering their condolences to Lily. She and Rosa both had a child in their arms, for since Edgar's death, Rosa had given birth to Susan, while Lily had a son of her own with James.

Rosa and Aurelius moved into the Abandoned Tower not long afterwards. It was a building that was falling apart in the centre of London, and a couple of Indian merchants who recently settled in Great Britain, the Patils, had bought it and equipped it with all possible magical protections to welcome families who wanted to live an urban life. Rosa was amazed with the neighbourhood. It reminded her of the place where she grew up in Montreal, before she met her husband and moved to England. She, Aurelius and Susan settled in the tower with many other families, and life resumed slowly as a period of peace and prosperity began over Great Britain in the aftermath of You-Know-Who's demise.

Rosa didn't see Lily for many years. In fact, no one seemed to know where she and her son went. Newspaper articles covered them for a while, reporting the Order of Merlin First Class she received. But one day, it simply stopped, and Lily and her son became some sort of legend, people who no one managed to see. It would be a few years before Rosa met her again, by chance. One Halloween, when Susan was just six, Rosa and Aurelius went to visit Godric's Hollow. They fell upon Lily and her son by chance this day, and Rosa kind of felt sorry for the woman at this moment. Her husband had been dead for four years now. Many years followed afterwards, and Rosa didn't see Lily Evans again before four years ago, when she and her son moved into one of the apartments of the Abandoned Tower.

Even then, Rosa and Lily only crossed paths from time to time. They said hello when they saw each other in the corridors of the tower, but it went no farther. In the meantime, Susan became friends with Lily's son, Harry Potter. And then, about a month ago, when Susan came back from her fourth year at Hogwarts, she had two news heavy with consequences with her. The first one was terrible, and not really a surprise, since Amelia had already warned Aurelius and Rosa about it. Lord Voldemort was back. The second one caused quite a surprise when Rosa and Aurelius both learned that their daughter was dating Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

Rosa was surprised in no little part because she simply had not expected her daughter to date a boy. She had never noticed Susan paying much attention to a boy in particular. She was a relatively discreet, lone girl, without a lot of close friends. Her best friend, Hannah, was an exception. They had the same age, knew each other since they were almost babies, had gone to the same Muggle elementary school where they were the only two witches, and had grown very close despite their differences in behaviour. But what inhabited both Aurelius and Rosa's minds when Susan told them about her relationship with the boy was not only surprise. It was worry, even panic. Harry Potter and his mother would probably be the people the most chased by Voldemort now that he was back. First, Rosa and her husband had not wanted to let Susan see him. It was only after Lily came to see them and explained to them, implicitly, that her son would be watched and protected at all times, that they allowed their daughter to see him.

Rosa felt sorry for Lily and her son, truth be told. They had not decided to be the main targets of the most evil and powerful wizard of all times. But Rosa couldn't do otherwise than worry about her daughter first and foremost. And now that Susan was assaulted, she couldn't help but hold Lily and her son responsible. After all, it was Lily who assured them that they would be protected. Rosa had assumed that Dumbledore had revived the organization her brother-in-law had been part of and that his members would be watching the young Harry. It seemed that their protection was not as efficient as Lily suggested.

All this turned again and again into Rosa's mind as she climbed into her car. It was a modified car, with magical option that allowed it to squeeze between vehicles, but she never used those options. It was illegal. Her husband being a broom engineer, he had modified a few things on the car they bought for her work. But she had to drive as if it was a normal car. And while she drove to her workplace, she kept thinking about what happened last night and what they should do. She and Aurelius sent their daughter to bed as quickly as possible after they arrived at their apartment, although Rosa didn't think her daughter got any more sleep than she did. She and Aurelius spent a most of the night discussing about what to do next. For now, however, the best they could do was keeping their daughter at home, away from any danger, until they found a more permanent solution.

Today was, much like most days of the summer so far, a very hot day. Rosa had to turn air conditioning to the maximum in her car. The color of the sky, without clouds, was not the clear blue it should be, as the smog was suspended over their heads. This muddied the image of London which Rosa usually liked. London was the capital and largest city in the United Kingdom. And truth be told, despite the two cities being separated by about five thousand kilometres, London reminded Rosa of the city where she was born and grew up, Montreal. It was strange that the metropolis of the only region in North America where French was the main language bore more resemblance with London than Paris. But Rosa loved both cities, and longed for the one where she grew up as much as she wished to stay in the one where she spent her life with her husband and daughter.

She finally arrived at her destination, parking her car at a designated place and walking the rest of the way to the 59th of Pall Mall Street. This address was located in the same neighbourhood than Whitehall, Downing Street and the main departments of the British government, along with the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland. At the entrance, a large flag made of a white cross separating four blue squares, with a white fleurs-de-lis within each square, was hung high. It indicated that the place was the Quebec Government Office in London. Each and every morning, Rosa wondered whether this building would become an embassy in three months. This morning, however, she didn't think about that. Her mind was solely occupied by her daughter and what she went through last night.

She walked into the building.

"Hi, Rosa," Sandra Lemire, the receptionist, hailed her, like every morning, in French.

"Hi, Sandra," Rosa replied flatly, in French as well. On her workplace, this language was mandatory.

"Not feeling well today?" the receptionist asked, sounding worried. She could gauge the emotional state of someone with a single gaze.

"It could be better," Rosa said. She looked at her watch. "I've got a lot of work today."

"Like everyone else," Sandra said. "I hope this referendum will be over soon."

She said no more. Sandra was a joyful young woman, always smiling, but discussing about the referendum could be hard with her. If the vast majority of wizards wished to see the province of Quebec become a country, the same could not be said for Muggles. Among them, the divide was great, almost half the population wanting independence, the other half wanting to remain a Canadian province. And Sandra was among those who didn't want independence. So she didn't discuss political beliefs with Rosa, to avoid disagreements. If entire families were divided over the matter back in the province, it wouldn't take much for co-workers to be split.

Rosa wasn't the only one to avoid sensitive subjects this morning. As she went on her way to her office, she saluted many of her colleagues, people Rosa worked with on a daily basis, but none of them who she could confide in to discuss about what happened to her daughter. How could she tell anyone that Susan was attacked by Dementors? They were all Muggles, unaware of who she really was. For them, she was Rosa Johnson, a fellow normal colleague, part of the team working for Cultural Affairs Services at the Office, and her husband was an English aviation engineer for a huge firm in London.

Rosa was officially a public servant of the Muggle Government of Quebec. She was paid by this government in Muggle currency. But in the wizarding world, she was also the official representative in London for the Ministry of Magic of Quebec. She managed to perform both her Muggle and Wizarding duties thanks to magic, although she was always cautious to use it in a way her Muggle colleagues would not notice it. One of the particularities of the wizarding society in Quebec was its considerable integration to Muggle society. Many wizards occupied jobs in the Muggle world. Some of them, like Rosa, partially used it as a cover for the Ministry of Magic of Quebec, but for others, it was simply their day jobs. Many young wizards went to Muggle colleges, earning degrees, masters and PhDs in engineering, teaching, social sciences, mathematics and others. Their activities were strongly overseen by laws, and they couldn't use magic past a limited extent in their professional activities. That was why most wizards of Quebec working in Muggle professions chose jobs they called brainy, as it was their brains and not their hands that were required to perform. Professions that required more physical action, such as medicine and manual jobs in the likes of electricians, technicians, construction workers, were not searched for as wizards could grow quickly frustrated of not being able to use magic to enhance their work and it was more difficult to hide it and to resist the temptation of using it.

As such, at work, Rosa had one foot in the Muggle world, another foot in the Wizarding world. Most wizards in Quebec were in a similar situation. She couldn't share her worries with any of her colleagues, some she considered close friends. For them, the main concern right now was the upcoming referendum of this autumn, which would decide the fate of their province. For Rosa, her main concerns were the most dangerous wizard of all times, and her daughter. And she couldn't tell anybody here about that.

She sat down in her office after closing the door behind her. Her desk was filled with paper she was supposed to read and review. Usually, she could go quickly through the Muggle part of her job, but today, she didn't feel like doing anything. She couldn't believe that two days ago, she was excited for this day. She felt ashamed about that. Her daughter almost got killed, and right before that, Rosa was excited.

She and Aurelius should have been more careful. They should have been more present around their daughter over the last month, instead of digging into their respective jobs. A vote looked pretty shallow to Rosa now that her daughter almost got killed.

Someone cleared her throat. Rosa closed her eyes. Already?

She looked up to the small photo in the frame laid on her desk. A lone woman appeared on the photo, and she moved.

"They are ready to receive you, Rosa," the photo said.

"Now?" she asked.

"Now," the photo confirmed.

Sighing, Rosa stood up. She wished she could postpone that meeting, that something would give her a reason to adjourn. As if answering her prayer, someone knocked at her door at this moment.

"Come in," she called. She noticed that, like every time someone else was in the office, the woman on the photo stopped moving. Rosa's director walked in.

"Rosa, I know you are busy today, but I would need you to prepare a report on the impacts that the referendum would have on the links between cinema industries of Quebec and the United Kingdom. Would you be able to submit it in two days?"

"Yes, Daniel," Rosa replied. One more thing to add to her list. Lately, the amount of work was without end.

"Thank you. See you at lunch if you have time."

And he left. Rosa closed the door behind her. She wouldn't have time for lunch today. Her entire day would be dedicated to another matter, way more urgent. That was the reason why she couldn't stay home today. She even warned her colleagues that she would be unavailable for the whole day. That is, her Muggle colleagues. Her other colleagues, those who were on the other side of the ocean, were waiting for her.

Rosa cast a Muggle-Repelling Charm on her door, to prevent her colleagues from seeking her today. She then took a pinch of Floo powder, headed towards the fireplace of her office, and threw the powder in it. Green flames came out immediately, and Rosa walked into them.

"Édifice J."

She was engulfed by the fire of the Floo Network, her body spinning. Rosa felt the content of her stomach rumbling. She was suffocating while she travelled. She didn't the Floo Network very often. She went to work and moved by more conventional means, no magical means most of the time. Living in London, they had little use of this method of transportation. Worse was that she wasn't using the Floo Network of Great Britain, which was of better quality. She was using another network, one that was less well maintained, used for international travel. For a very long time, she was a pinned around in extreme heat, getting dizzy, hitting strong surfaces from time to time. She barely opened the eyes to see fireplaces scrolling in front of her. Then for a very long time, nothing was to be seen. She knew the reason. The international network was already sparse and with few chimneys, but there were very few in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Then fireplaces started appearing again. She recognized those from western states of the United States. Then she saw the first one of her native homeland. Then the second one. She stepped forward and came out, coughing. She made the mistake of opening the mouth.

"Mrs Johnson. Finally, you're here!"

She couldn't reply right away, coughing like she did. But she could use her wand in the meantime to clean herself of the soot and ashes that stuck to her during her trip, making herself presentable again. And she had the reason of why she needed to be presentable standing in front of her when she looked up, the normal fireplace behind her, now without flames.

"Mr the Minister," she said. "Mr the Prime Minister."

Here she was, in the Édifice J of the city of Quebec, in North America, the capital of a Canadian province trying to become a country, facing the two most powerful men of the province. Marcel Beauregard, the Minister of Magic of the unrecognized Ministry of Magic of Quebec for who Rosa worked. And her second, Muggle employer, the Prime Minister of the province of Quebec, the man behind the upcoming referendum that would eventually grant Rosa's native land its independence.

"Please sit," the Prime Minister told her in a perfect French. Where she worked, it happened to Rosa to speak in English, depending who she helped and worked with. But here, in Quebec and the office of its Prime Minister, especially this one, you were to speak in French and only in French.

"Thank you," she replied in the same language without difficulty. Rosa may have been born in an anglophone family, and she lived in a country where English was the dominant language, but she grew up speaking in French with her friends and spoke it most of the time in her line of work. She even sometimes discussed with Susan in that language at home.

"So, Mrs Johnson," the Prime Minister declared, "the Minister Beauregard told me you had important information to share?"

And here was the heart of the matter. That was the reason why she couldn't postpone this discussion. Even more so the fact that it was with the Prime Minister.

"Yes, sir," Rosa said. She gathered her courage and said the words after preparing it for a few moments. "Lord Voldemort is back."

She shivered almost violently as she said the words. Her Minister of Magic also reacted in quite an obvious manner at the mention of the name. The only one who remained impassive was the Prime Minister. Rosa was back in the country where she was born, and it was to warn the Muggle Prime Minister that the most dangerous wizard of all time had returned.

Rosa was born in Montreal in 1955. A month after her birth, the Richard Riot took place. For the Muggles of Quebec, this was an opportunity to protest against the suspension of a hockey player, Maurice Richard, who was a national symbol for their nation. For the wizards, who were unconditional hockey fans as well, some participated to the riots for the same reason. And the Canadian Ministry of Magic bore down on them like never seen before.

The entire Canadian wizarding society was way closer to the Muggle world than normal, partially to oppose the American stance to clearly separate both societies. Many wizards not only from the United States, but also from Europe during and after the two World Wars, had moved to Canada to enjoy a society that was safer and more open to relationships between wizards and Muggles. Unfortunately, this closeness to the Muggle World resulted in some of its prejudices making its way into the wizarding society. As a result, the francophones of Canada, both in the Muggle and Wizarding worlds, had been subjected to some kind of racism since North America became a British colony in the 18th century. But that night of 1955, this racism had reached levels of repression like francophone wizards had not endured in a long time. Twenty wizards who participated to the riots were put under arrest by the Canadian Ministry of Magic, judged, declared guilty of violating the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, and stripped of their right to practice magic. Three of them were even sentenced to death, though their sentence was later commuted to a life sentence in prison. This was the spark that provoked a group of wizards in Quebec to unilaterally declare the creation of the Ministry of Magic of Quebec.

Their Ministry first operated illegally and in secret. It wasn't recognized by any international organization, and it was even viewed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian Ministry. Many of its members were arrested, and even within Quebec, many didn't recognize its authority. But in 1959, the conservative Muggle Prime Minister who had been in power in Quebec for almost fifteen years died, and his successor, more progressive, began major reforms in the province. The Quebec Ministry of Magic secretly contacted him and informed him of the existence of the wizarding world, initiating a long collaboration between the Muggle Prime Minister and Minister of Magic in the province. This new Prime Minister died three months after the beginning of his rule though. Some claimed the Canadians were behind his death, although there was no proof. But the machine was running.

In 1960, elections were held among the Muggles, and a new government was elected who started a series of reforms spanning over the twenty following years and four governments: establishment of universal health care insurance, universal free education, opening of public colleges, social welfare programs, and huge infrastructure projects that resulted, among others, in the building of the Underground in Montreal, a large extension of the road network in the province, and a network of hydroelectric dams that supplied the whole province with electricity. This period, known as the Quiet Revolution, brought Quebec Muggles into the modern world, and also gave birth to a strong separatist movement in the province which would lead, at the end of this period, to a first referendum on the sovereignty of Quebec in 1980.

While the Muggles were modernizing their country and fighting racism in a relatively pacific way, the francophone wizards faced a more chaotic path. At the same time as the Muggle elections of 1960, the self-proclaimed Quebec Ministry of Magic held its own elections for the first time, asking Quebec wizards to elect their own body of government. The elections were filled with controversy, between officials of the Canadian Ministry trying to stop it from happening and many allegations of electoral fraud by the Quebec Ministry. Despite this, almost forty per cent of Quebec wizards voted in this election, although some historians claimed they were fewer than twenty per cent, and a first elected, even if still illegal, Quebec Minister of Magic was chosen the same night that the first Muggle government of the Quiet Revolution was brought to power. The first act of the first elected Quebec Minister of Magic was to contact the new Prime Minister of the province, and to establish a partnership to resist Canadian efforts in both worlds to keep Quebec down.

During the ten years that followed, the Canadian Ministry kept considering the Quebec Ministry as a terrorist organization. Officials from both ministries clashed more than once, sometimes resulting in events that made their way into the Muggle world. A few people died on both sides, and the International Confederation of Wizards finally sent a delegation to watch over the events.

The international community of wizards didn't recognize the Quebec Ministry of Magic, but many also disapproved tactics of the Canadian Ministry, including the rare but highly publicized cases of death penalty. Some Canadians began to question their ministry's actions. What made things difficult for the Canadian Ministry was that the Quebec Ministry had a very different approach to governing. The Canadian Ministry of Magic focused its activities on ensuring the secrecy of magic and law enforcement. The Quebec Ministry, in the meantime, followed the example of its Muggle counterpart. It developed services. Among many, it established its own bank, its own hospital and its own wizarding school, l'Université, the second one in North America aside from Ilvermony in the United States. These services, being financed by user fees and donations, helped the Quebec Ministry to finance itself without taxes. This made the Quebec Ministry increasingly popular among the inhabitants of the province, who progressively viewed this unlawful Ministry as their own. Under international and domestic pressure against repression, a new Canadian Minister began negotiating with the Quebec Ministry in 1971. His attempt to fusion the two Ministries, however, proved unsuccessful. In the years that followed, the Quebec Ministry began to establish laws contradicting those of Canada, although it didn't enforce them. His enforcement officials, though, protected Quebec wizards they deemed to be unlawfully detained or arrested by Canadian officials, which seemed to happen way too often. And the fact that the Quebec Ministry outlawed death penalty and torture before its Canadian counterpart made it look better in the eyes of the international community.

Then came 1980 and the first referendum on the sovereignty in the Muggle world. In the Muggle world, sixty per cent of the Quebec population voted against independence. The wizards, however, held their own referendum to recognize the Quebec Ministry as their only government and representative. After over two decades of confrontations between Ministries, the wizards of Quebec voted in majority for the recognition of their Ministry. Only, the Ministry of Canada refused to recognize the results of the referendum, and the international community refused to acknowledge them either, fearing that some other Ministries around the world may face secessions as well if this one was recognized. Despite this, the Canadians had to make concessions, facing a general refusal in Quebec to dismantle their own Ministry.

After rounds of negotiations and discussions, the Reconciliation Agreement was reached. Under this treaty, the Ministries of Magic of both Canada and Quebec would remain separate entities, but they would work together to rule the territory of the province of Quebec. The Canadian Ministry would maintain his right to make laws and enforce them, and it would remain the only government of all wizards across the whole of Canada in the eyes of the international community. In exchange, it would modify some of its laws, for example, by abolishing death penalty and torture. It would also give the right to the Quebec Ministry to maintain its services to its population and develop new ones, and to tax its citizens, under the supervision of Canadian officials. The only problem was that this agreement was only signed by the Ministers of Canada and Quebec, but they needed to be ratified by their assemblies.

In Canada, the Ministry of Magic's structure was similar to that of Great Britain and Ireland, since it was established by British wizards centuries ago when North America was colonized. An assembly called the Wizengamot served as both high justice court and parliament. It was constituted of wizards who were usually very influential in the country, named by the Minister of Magic for life, although those nominations had to be confirmed through a universal plebiscite by the population. The Wizengamot, as an assembly, also held the power to expel one of its members. As for the Minister, who held executive power and could propose laws to the Wizengamot, his election was made through a universal vote of the population, but candidates to the position had to be approved by the Wizengamot, following a process that was strictly framed by the law. The Canadian Wizengamot approved the Reconciliation Agreement signed by both Ministers.

In Quebec, however, there was no Wizengamot. There was a Minister, assuming executive power much like in Canada, elected by universal vote, and a National Assembly, holding legislative power, whose members were also elected by universal vote. And the National Assembly refused to ratify the Reconciliation Agreement. Muggles might have lost their referendum, but the one among wizards had been very clear. The wizarding population of Quebec wanted full independence from Canada, and its representatives in the National Assembly refused to approve a treaty that would leave them under Canadian authority, even with more rights.

Although the structure of the Canadian Ministry was democratic in essence, it couldn't compare to that of Quebec. Candidates in Quebec, both for the Minister's office and the National Assembly, only had to provide a petition with enough signatures of citizens supporting them. They didn't have to go through an approval process directed by an assembly that had remains of a royal system like in Canada. Wizards could also vote way earlier in Quebec, the age to vote being sixteen-years-old instead of twenty-one-years-old in Canada. Their recent victory in their own referendum, memories of recent persecution by Canadian authorities and an apparent lack of democracy in the Canadian system made the wizards in Quebec want their independence even more. And in 1981, when news reached that Lord Voldemort was dead, the jubilation that accompanied this news made people in Quebec even more optimistic about their chances to obtain what they wanted. So Quebec refused the Reconciliation Agreement.

Despite this, the Canadian Ministry remained the only legitimate representative and body of government for all the territory of Canada, including Quebec, in the eyes of the international community. The Canadian Ministry decided that the agreement was valid and that they didn't need the approval of a National Assembly without authority. However, in Quebec, a vast majority of wizards saw their Ministry as their sole government. Some wizards who voted against independence even supported it now, insulted that the Canadian Ministry refused to further negotiate with them. The Quebec Minister of Magic was ousted by an unanimous vote of the National Assembly, and the new Minister, backed by the National Assembly and the wizarding population of the province, went to fight the Reconciliation Agreement. They began to enforce their own laws, ignoring Canadian authorities, and established their own high court of justice, whose officials were named by the National Assembly and the Minister. The Canadian Ministry fought this, entirely supported by the international community this time. However, it became clear very quickly that they couldn't make the Quebec Ministry disappear. After over twenty years of existence, it had become a well established institution. They could not do anything to end it. A permanent delegation of the International Confederation of Wizards now closely watched the situation in Quebec, and literally forced Canadian authorities to apply the Reconciliation Agreement as it was, while also trying to force it upon Quebec. The Canadian Ministry could not shut down or take control of the services delivered by the Quebec Ministry, and any repression was highly scrutinized. Cutting corners was no longer possible, as the international community wouldn't tolerate new massive arrests, botched trials or deaths. As a result, it became very difficult for Canadians to enforce their laws, Quebec wizards finding technicalities or gaps in the Canadian legislation that often got them out of legal situations.

The Canadian Ministry finally decided to somehow collaborate with Quebec authorities, which the latter accepted to a certain degree, since it somehow legitimized them. Slowly, the Quebec Ministry was officially or tacitly allowed to perform functions that should have remained into Canadian hands, walking a thin line to increase its authority while not putting the international community on its back. The body of international representatives was created early during this period, which Rosa joined, although they were not considered as real ambassadors. The Quebec Ministry built its own prison, although it only used it to keep people arrested temporarily until Canadian officials came to pick them up. And very recently, a body of Aurors was created, directly challenging Canadian competence on dealing with major safety threats.

But tensions remained between both Ministries. They reached a new height when the Quebec Minister of Magic was arrested by Canadian officials in 1992 on allegations of corruption. Canadian authorities only earned hatred from the Quebec population and a public humiliation when the Quebec Minister proved its innocence during his trial. This started a new protestation wave in Quebec, wizards demanding once again their independence.

In the meantime, the Muggle governments of Quebec and Canada made two attempts to reconcile the two nations by attempting to grant additional constitutional rights to the province of Quebec, but both attempts failed. This led to today's situation, with a second referendum on the sovereignty of Quebec in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. And the man responsible for both those referendums was now sitting behind his desk of Prime Minister, silently thinking as the news Rosa brought silently sank into his mind.

"This… Lord Voldemort…" he began slowly. This name sent new shivers all along Rosa's body. "This is the wizard who terrified the United Kindgom in the 1970s?"

"Yes, Mr Prime Minister," Rosa confirmed, still under a certain shock to have pronounced You-Know-Who's name aloud. The Prime Minister, in the meantime, looked very concerned.

"I remember him," he said. "When I was Minister of Finance, we were told about it. But… I thought he was dead. The Minister of Magic at the time, a certain Thomas Quentin, came to see us in the middle of important negotiations with the Government of Canada and other provinces to tell us this Voldemort was dead."

Rosa knew only too well what negotiations the Prime Minister was talking about. The Night of the Long Knives was a dark moment of Muggle history in Quebec, but for now it wasn't what mattered.

"He's not dead, sir," Rosa said. "He's never been dead. He was…" she searched the appropriate word. "… weakened. I'll spare you the details, we're not entirely sure ourselves, but he's been hiding for about thirteen years, in a state that didn't allow him to do much. But now he's back, and powerful again."

"And… you believe he could start the same troubles he caused twenty years ago?" the Prime Minister asked.

Rosa gulped. "Yes."

It was hard to think about this. She had been there when the parents, brother and sister-in-law of her husband were murdered, when her nephews and nieces were butchered. She barely escaped. She knew only too well what the return of You-Know-Who meant.

The Prime Minister looked thoughtful for a moment before he addressed the Minister of Magic. "If I remember correctly what happened last time, his actions were mostly limited to the United Kingdom and Ireland, isn't it?"

"Yes, Prime Minister," the Minister Beauregard said, "but he did try to intervene in other countries as well. When he disappeared last time, he had agents and supporters across the world, as far as in Asia. Even here in Quebec, we found some supporters of this man into our Ministry. They never caused much trouble as You-Know-Who focused his efforts on Great Britain and could not manage to bring down their Ministry of Magic, but he is a threat for all nations around the world, Muggle or magic."

"Okay. He's alive. I get it. What kind of threat does he represent for my government and my country?"

"Like we said, last time he was active, he didn't have time to commit any crime in Quebec, at least not to our knowledge."

"That doesn't mean he is no threat," Rosa intervened. "Look, Mr Prime Minister, I talk here from experience. This man is a mass murderer, and he had thousands of wizards and witches following him, not to mention an army behind him. Giants, werewolves, and… even Inferi. You don't know what are Inferi, but to explain it quickly, you would describe them as zombies."

The Prime Minister had flashes of surprise, incomprehension and horror going through his eyes, which was normal when Muggles heard of magical creatures they thought only existed in legends and stories. But he also gained back his composure, the proof that this Muggle was fully aware of the existence of a world he didn't understand entirely, but whose existence was clear.

"So, what can we expect from this man?" the Prime Minister asked again.

Rosa tried to regain her breathing. It was hard to discuss this matter, especially after her daughter was assaulted only last night. But she had to be convincing, and especially rational. The Prime Minister was an economist, a man who studied in the greatest universities of France and Great Britain, who almost built by himself the whole economy of the province. Emotions would have no influence on him.

"In the short term, not much," she reluctantly conceded. She wanted to tell everyone he was already a threat and that her own daughter was savagely assaulted, but she couldn't. It could make her lose her credibility. "For now, he's hiding. We have every reason to believe he will first reconstitute his forces and his army, then work to overthrow the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland. But sooner or later, he will go against the other countries, not only in Europe but also in North America, and eventually on other continents."

"He was mainly active in Great Britain and Ireland last time, and he will likely continue to be active in those countries for now, but he will eventually be interested in our country," the Minister of Magic added. "We must take action to prevent him from gaining power here."

"Okay," the Prime Minister agreed. "Then, I guess the best thing to do would be to stop him in the United Kingdom before he becomes a threat for us. Have the governments there achieved progress to arrest him?"

The Minister and Rosa looked at each other. He made a sign of head, meaning she was the one who would break the news. She gulped, and turned to reveal the truth to her Prime Minister.

"The Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland refuses to acknowledge that he's back. Their official stance is that You-Know-Who is dead and that everyone who claims he's back is only seeking to cause trouble," Rosa summarized.

She couldn't refrain from cringing as she finished the explanation. She found stupid, dangerous and irresponsible that the Ministry didn't take seriously the claims that You-Know-Who was back, but now that her daughter was attacked by Dementors, she was furious after the Ministry of the country where she lived.

The Prime Minister frowned. "Wait a minute. You're saying that officially, according to the magical authorities of the country where he operates, he's dead?"

"Prime Minister," the Minister Beauregard intervened, "you must understand that this Ministry of Magic refuses to recognize he is back. But…"

"Because the Ministry of Magic in the United Kingdom refuses to believe he could be back," Rosa interjected. "Look… This man… The things he did were so horrible that everyone around the world knows who he is, everyone is afraid of him, even in countries where he never operated. People are even afraid of saying his name. So imagine in Great Britain. In this country, there isn't a single person who hasn't lost a family member, a friend or a colleague because of this man. I…" She hesitated. But she did it all the same. "My husband lost his parents. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, my nephews, my nieces, they all died. They were killed right in front me by this man. I was the only one to escape this slaughter. Believe me when I say that this man can do unimaginable horrors. That's why no one in Great Britain or Ireland wants to believe that he could be back. But he is. There are witnesses to his return, proofs that he's back, he's already committed murders… The people who say he is dead are simply too blind or afraid to even admit the possibility."

The Prime Minister of Quebec seemed to listen carefully to her. Her Minister, however, looked uncertain.

"So, Great Britain will do nothing to stop this man?" the Prime Minister finally asked.

"We don't think so," the Minister of Magic readily replied. "This is why we must take action right now. This man will reconstitute his forces while British authorities do nothing, so we must be prepared."

"Okay. I see what you mean. I suppose that if you came to speak about him, then it means he is a threat for my own citizens."

"He is," Rosa confirmed. "Hundreds if not thousands of Muggles were killed, whether by him or his supporters, when he was last active. And most of the time, they did it for fun."

The eyes of the Prime Minister widened for a moment at the mention of this, but they turned deadly serious in an instant. "Fine. What do you suggest that we do about this?" he asked.

"There isn't much that your government will be able to do," the Minister Beauregard said. "But like we said, this man and his supporters don't hesitate to attack Muggles. So we would like to increase the security around you."

"I already have one of your men in my security team."

"We would like to add another among your staff. It would be very tragic if our Prime Minister, or any high official in the Government of Quebec was to fall under the Imperius Curse. We would also like to increase the number of wizards in all security forces. Security services of the National Assembly, the Sûreté du Québec, the police services of main cities like Quebec and Montreal, courts of justice…" The Minister produced his wand, waved it, and a piece of paper appeared on the Prime Minister's desk. He barely flinched, which showed he was used to be in presence of wizards. "Here is a list of our requests."

The Prime Minister consulted the list very quickly. "I think that can be arranged. I'll have to consult some of my Ministers, but it should be fine. Will it be enough?"

The Minister Beauregard looked hesitant before he answered. "We will do our best. This wizard is very powerful, so we must not underestimate him. We are meeting with officials from the Canadian Ministry of Magic this afternoon, and with representatives of the Magical Congress of the United States of America tomorrow. We hope to convince them to take action against this threat."

"You told me that the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland refused to acknowledge this… Voldemort's return." The saying of the name caused Rosa to shiver in fear. The Prime Minister didn't fear using the name, obviously, because he didn't know what terror this man could unleash. "Do you expect that other Ministries will take this threat seriously?"

Again, the Minister of Magic of Quebec looked uncertain. "We hope so. But… Just so you'll be warned, we may use agents to infiltrate the Muggle governments of Canada and the United States, and even the Ministries of Magic of those countries if they refuse to recognize the danger. We cannot wait for the worst to happen. If they refuse to take action, we will push them to take them."

The words sent other shivers along Rosa's back. She understood the reasons behind this, but at the same time, it was always dangerous to infiltrate other Ministries of Magic, especially when your own Ministry was not recognized by these. Ministries of Magic could tolerate informants, even dormant agents between them. Each tried to spy on the other, and they all knew it. But for an unrecognized Ministry, even one that was still labelled as a terrorist organization by some Ministries around the world, it could be way more dangerous to engage in such activities, and compromise any chance of being accepted by the international wizarding community. Not to mention that if their agents were caught, they could not benefit from the same level of protection at the diplomatic level than those of officially legitimate Ministries. But the situation was grave, and Rosa was informed pretty early that her Ministry could send agents to infiltrate even the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland, the very one for which her sister-in-law was working. She said nothing of this to her. Not even Rosa's husband was aware of this. It was hard to keep such a secret away from them.

"Fine. I have no problem with that," the Prime Minister declared. "Just know this. I will not let this Lord Voldemort stop my country from becoming independent."

"You will continue to rely on our support," the Minister of Magic replied. "We have been waiting for this for a very long time as well. We will not miss it."

"Good. Anything else I need to be made aware of?"

"No, Mr Prime Minister. But we may need to speak of this again in a near future. We will keep you and your government informed of the situation."

"Very well." The Prime Minister looked at his watch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important reunion."

"Of course."

The Quebec Minister of Magic Marcel Beauregard and his official representative in London Rosa Johnson Bones stood up, shook hands with the Muggle Prime Minister of what they hoped would soon be their country, and left through the chimney using Floo powder.

"Good work, Johnson," her Minister told her as they emerged into his office, a large space painted in blue, red and white. "At least, we have the cooperation of our Muggle government. But this afternoon's meeting will be more difficult. Go and get prepared with my team. I expect a very hard conversation with the Canadians."

He looked exhausted. And a few hours later, after preparing the meeting in details with the other members of the Quebec Ministry of Magic who would participate to the reunion, Rosa felt exhausted as well. She may have been happy, in other circumstances. It had been several months since she last came to the Ministry of Magic of her native land. The corridors and offices mainly made of wood, cement and concrete betrayed its youth. It had been built in the 1980s, after the first failed referendum and the failure of the Reconciliation Agreement. Back then, the Ministry had been in Montreal, as this was the city where most of the other institutions created by the Ministry, including the Université, were located. But after the failed reconciliation, in a show of defiance, the Quebec authorities moved the offices of the Ministry into the City of Quebec, capital city of the province bearing the same name, and built it right in the undergrounds of the Parliament Hill, under the main buildings of the Muggle Quebec Government, emphasizing the strong links between the magical and Muggle bodies of government in the province, one of the things the Canadian Ministry blamed the Quebec Ministry for. The fact that this area became around the same time a Canadian national historic site only added to the defiance in many people's mind. As a result, this was one of the most recent Ministry of Magic to be built around the world, most being centuries old. The relative simplistic and modern style in which it was built was in stark contrast with the magnificence of British and Canadian Ministries. But Rosa had little time to ponder about this, as early in the afternoon, she and a team of a dozen officials of the Quebec Ministry walked through a fireplace using Floo powder to travel to the metropolis of the province, Montreal.

They reappeared in a small room lit by torches. This one's floor was made of marble, with a large table of oak wood in the middle, seats on both sides of it, face to face. They were alone.

"It seems like the Canadians haven't arrived yet," the head of the Quebec delegation said. "Let's wait."

They all sat down, covering the table in front of them with files, ready to face their interlocutors. Tension could be heard, felt, smelled in the room, like every time members of the Ministries of Magic from Quebec and Canada were about to meet lately. Rosa felt a heavy weight on her shoulders. A large part of the work would need to be done by her this time. Working in London, she wasn't used to face officials from the Canadian Ministry regularly. She often dealt with Quebec wizards living in the United Kingdom, or with British officials who didn't acknowledge the government she represented but remained civil, but she seldom faced people who could be outright hostile to her. And with time, in her new country of residence, she had built a certain trust with people she usually interacted with. The fact that she came from an anglophone family, with a name of Irish origin, and that her sister-in-law was a high official in the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland helped. But this time, she would face people who would certainly have little respect for her, given the current situation in Canada and what they were about to discuss. It had to happen when you tried to remove part of its authority to a Ministry of Magic that had existed for centuries.

Rosa looked at the ceiling. It was high, entirely white. Above this ceiling, still underneath the mountain, she knew that a large network of classrooms, offices, corridors and halls spread, constituting the only other wizarding school in North America apart from Ilvermony. The Université, where Rosa followed her studies, was right over their heads. The room in which they stood, one the deepest inside the mountain, belonged to the school. It was previously part of the offices of the Ministry of Magic of Quebec, back when it was located in Montreal, under the Université. But when the Ministry moved to Quebec City, it transferred all its spaces to the school. Some of these rooms were little used though, and the school allowed the Ministry to use them from time to time, such as in those cases. With the approaching referendum and tensions higher than ever between Quebec and Canada, neither Ministry wanted to visit the other, not wanting the make any concession to the opponent. So they arranged the meeting in a somewhat neutral space.

While waiting for the representatives of the Canadian Ministry to arrive, Rosa thought about what was going on at the surface. At this time of the year, the Mount Royal Natural and Historic District was visited by large amounts of people, both residents and tourists enjoying the city's largest green space, with its trails, belvederes, playgrounds, plazas, gardens, forests and artificial lake. Others would visit the grave of someone dear in the cemetery. Other people would attend mass at the country's largest church, the Saint Joseph's Oratory. There would also be some professors and students in summer classes in the University of Montreal. Such were the things Muggles could see and do on this mountain.

What Muggles didn't see and didn't know, was that the surface of the mountain was magically increased, and welcoming, among other things, a large Quidditch pitch where school competitions, but also professional games were held. It was one of the rare professional Quidditch pitches around the world to be built within the confines of a Muggle city, along with a large space of recreation for the students of the Université. The location of the school, with all indoor spaces underground, but even more the recreational installations on the surface, right next to a heavily frequented Muggle leisure place, had caused huge concerns when the school was opened, but safety measures and anti-Muggle security spells had managed to turn it into a thrilling place for the wizards of the province. Experts even cited the school as a primary example of how to maintain wizards hidden to Muggles while being right next to them. There were even some Americans, most of them having family ties with people in Quebec, who sent their kids to this school instead of Ilvermony. Though the opposite was true as well. Some family of wizards in the province kept sending their children to Ilvermony because of the international status of the school. As for Rosa, she didn't regret completing her studies at the Université. She even considered sending her daughter to that school, but on the insistence of her husband, his family and Susan herself, whose friends would go to Hogwarts, she gave in and let her only child study in Scotland.

As she was musing what might have happened if Susan had come here to study, green flames erupted from a fireplace at the other side of the room. A dozen men and women came out of it and took place in front of Rosa and her colleagues at the large table. A woman who had to be over sixty-years-old, with an apparent quiet demeanor, an even expression on her face, took the central place. Rosa recognized her to be Alexandra Tremblay, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the Ministry of Canada, Amelia's counterpart in this country. From what Rosa knew, the two women had cordial relations. At least, if she was there, it meant that the Canadians took them seriously. She also happened to be the only francophone, native from the province of Quebec, among the heads of department in this ministry. Facing her was Mario Dandurand, the Head of the Department of Canadian Magical Relations in the Ministry of Quebec. The relations with Canada were so important in the Ministry that an entire department was needed to handle them.

"So, here we all are," Mrs Tremblay said in a perfect French. Rosa took it as a good sign if she accepted to speak in their language.

"Yes, here we are," Mr Dandurand replied on a courteous tone in the same language. At least, the reunion started well.

"Well, let's get started. You requested this meeting to discuss what you described as a matter of national security for our Ministry."

"Our Ministries," the Quebec representative corrected, causing some in the Canadian delegation to flinch. While their Head of Department was behaving appropriately and didn't show any reaction, even opening the hands to acknowledge the correction, others obviously were not happy to recognize the people facing them as representing another Ministry that claimed authority over a quarter of their territory and a third of their population.

"Very well. So, what is this threat?"

Straight to the point. Rosa began to understand better why her sister-in-law appreciated this woman. Dandurand looked at Rosa. It was her turn to speak. "I will let our representative in London, Rosa Johnson Bones, share the details with you."

Before Rosa could clear her throat, Alexandra Tremblay interrupted her. "Bones? And you work in London? Are you related to Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland?"

Rosa should have expected that kind of question. She saw no reason to hide the truth. In fact, she realized that she had no reason to hide any part of truth there. "She is the sister of my husband, with who I have been living in London for about twenty years now. She is also the godmother of my only daughter."

If Tremblay didn't react, some Canadians frowned at this. It wasn't the first time Rosa witnessed this. As part of her work, she only dealt with Canadians on an occasional basis. But when she did, it wasn't rare that she elicited such reactions when she revealed her name. If she used the family name she received at birth, people were sometimes confused to see someone with an anglophone family name representing a francophone, opposing government. If she used the family name she took after her marriage with Aurelius, people were confused for the same reason, but also because some recognized it as a name of a prominent family of wizards from Great Britain. Many Bones had occupied high positions in the Ministry of Magic over the years, and her sister-in-law was the most recent on the list, known by many people internationally. So people could establish links pretty easily. And Rosa got the satisfaction of seeing Canadians getting even more confused to learn that a person representing an almost illegal ministry of magic had family ties with one of the most prominent official of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland, one of the Ministries of Magic around the world closest to Canada.

"Well, this explains a lot," Alexandra plainly stated. "So, what is the matter of national security we could only discuss about in person?"

Rosa was taken a little aback by the straight question being asked again. She tried to refocus quickly. "You probably heard… that Albus Dumbledore is claiming everywhere that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned."

Reactions on the other side of the table varied. Some frowned, others looked at each other, and a few looked genuinely surprised. On the side of Rosa's colleagues, many looked uncertain as well. And then, a man in the Canadian delegation snorted in derision.

"Wait a minute. This is the reason you asked for this meeting?" He turned to his Head of department. "Mrs Tremblay, the Ministry of Great Britain and Ireland has already confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been dead for about fourteen years now."

His head of department raised her hand, but she kept looking at the Quebec representatives. "We are well aware of Albus Dumbledore's allegations. However, like my colleague said, the Ministry of Magic of this country considers this man is dead, and we see little reason to think otherwise."

"What about the events of the Quidditch world Cup?" Rosa countered. "You know the Death Eaters showed up there. And you certainly know there was a murder not long after, and that the Dark Mark reappeared on this occasion."

"The Ministry of Great Britain and Ireland already explained that these were the actions of individuals who may support this man, but that he's dead and gone. And there is absolutely nothing indicating that he's back. Anyway, how could someone come back from the dead?" one of the Canadians stated.

On that, he seemed to strike a point. Everyone in the Canadian delegation seemed to approve, and even in the Quebec delegation, there were doubts. In fact, while preparing this meeting, Rosa heard a few casting doubts on the theory of You-Know-Who's return. Dandurand looked at Rosa, and she knew what she had to do. She took something from her briefcase under the table, and dropped a pile of files on the table, between the two delegations. Alexandra Tremblay looked at it skeptically.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Proofs that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is alive, and that the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland has been lying to you for years," Dandurand replied.

Here came what the Ministry of Quebec wanted to achieve with this. Some people in the Ministry of Quebec were unsure about You-Know-Who's return, but the fact that people like Albus Dumbledore, Bartemius Crouch Senior and Harry Potter claimed he was back gave enough credit to the allegation to warrant taking precautions in everyone's eyes. But The Quebec Ministry also decided it was an opportunity to exploit. With the referendum approaching, the Ministry of Canada did everything to convince its allies on the international scene to oppose any recognition of the Ministry of Magic of Quebec. This included the International Confederation of Wizards, and all the Ministries of Magic around the world. Canada's closest allies in this were the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), and the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland, the two ministries to which it was closest to. Some in Quebec hoped that by showing Canadians that their British and Irish counterparts were hiding things from them, their closest allies, it could sour relationships between the Ministries and reduce the support they would get. Right now, Rosa knew that other representatives of Quebec were meeting with the MACUSA and delivering them exactly the same information, in the hopes of getting the Americans to both prepare for You-Know-Who's return and to cause problems between them and Great Britain as well.

Tremblay seized the file and gave it to one of her people next to her. "This is a grave accusation," she declared. "You're claiming that the Ministry of Great Britain and Ireland is hiding such a potential dangerous threat? Let me be skeptical about this. For what reason would they to do this?"

"Because they don't want to acknowledge the danger. They don't want to believe this threat, and they don't want to face it like they did almost fifteen years ago," Rosa explained.

"I'm surprised, Mrs Bones. After all, your sister-in-law occupies an important position in this Ministry. Are you saying she is lying to us as well?"

To that, Rosa could not respond. She did everything to keep her work separated from that of her husband's sister. This was a tacit agreement they made a long time ago. They even avoided discussing their jobs when they met. And Rosa certainly wouldn't denigrate her sister-in-law when she herself confessed to Rosa and Aurelius that she took Dumbledore's declarations very seriously. But she couldn't declare that Amelia believed it, or else Cornelius Fudge would fire her the instant her suspected she supported Dumbledore.

"Look at the documents we just provided to you," Dandurand said. "You'll find reports that clearly show that the Ministry of Great Britain has been aware of this man's return for at least three years now. What else do you need to take this seriously?"

"Wait," one of the men looking at the documents on the Canadian side. "I recognize those parchments." He was browsing feverishly through them. "I worked at the Ministry in London for a few years. Those documents come from there. Some are secret documents." He stared at the Quebec delegation. "How did you get these? You stole them?"

There was no answer for a moment. Then Mario Dandurand answered. "The documents were provided to us by whistleblowers. It seems that some people in the Ministry of Great Britain do not believe the narrative of their minister."

What he said was not entirely true. The documents they presented to the Canadian delegation had been given, for the most part, to Rosa a few weeks ago… by Bartemius Crouch Senior. Rosa suspected that he gave those documents to other people. She wouldn't be surprised if he gave them to Dumbledore too. But he clearly gave them to her so she would transmit them to her ministry, who would then share them with others or even make them public. Rosa couldn't keep those hidden. If Albus Dumbledore said that You-Know-Who was back, she believed him. She knew very well what kind of atrocities that man was capable of. She shared them with her hierarchy right away. They studied them, discussed what to do, and decided to share them with the other Ministries of Magic.

This time, however, Rosa was not happy with the ministry she was working for. They should have made this information public. But they decided it was too risky that wizards around the world and even in Quebec itself would discredit the Quebec Ministry if they publicly announced You-Know-Who was back. So instead they decided to share the information in secret with other ministries to discredit the Ministry of Great Britain and Ireland, in the hopes that it would help them gain legitimacy with the upcoming referendum. Rosa was furious at her government for that. The referendum was secondary in her eyes when compared to You-Know-Who's threat, but she preferred that they revealed their information to other ministries rather than to keep it for themselves. However, it was plainly obvious that some of the Canadians in front of them didn't believe what they were saying.

"How do we know these are nor fake?" one said.

"How do we know they didn't steal the files from the British?" another added.

"Mrs Tremblay, the Ministry of Great Britain already confirmed that You-Know-Who was dead. He died a long time ago. How can he be back? This is nonsense. And we're not going to believe an… illegal organization that presents itself like a ministry of magic."

But for every Canadian who voiced their disapproval or disbelief, there were those who looked with concerned expression at the file Rosa gave them. They included a report dating from about three years ago that showed clearly that You-Know-Who had infiltrated Gringotts and Hogwarts in an attempt to steal a Philosopher's Stone in order to recover a body. There were also accounts of the Ministry's investigations, including the highly secret one concerning Bartemius Crouch Junior and how the Ministry hid that he was alive to the entire world, including its own population. There were copies of letters written to the Ministry by people who were afraid of You-Know-Who's return, and a list of employees who were fired because they were suspected to be on Dumbledore's side. All types of documents proving that Cornelius Fudge and his closest allies lied to the wizarding population of their countries and to the entire world, but also that he was leading an active campaign to discredit Dumbledore and everyone who claimed that You-Know-Who had returned. So some of them had their minds captive of the documents they were going through.

"Look at the documents. You will see they are real," Dandurand said. "And I hope you will trust us a little more than your British counterparts. Unlike them, when there is a danger, we warn you."

"Enough." Alexandra Tremblay, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the Ministry of Magic of Canada, declared. People in the room shut up. Even Quebec delegates who started arguing with their Canadian counterparts stopped. "This is a lot to digest. We are going to examine carefully everything you gave us today. For the time being, I think there is nothing more to say."

She stood up, and the other Canadians stood up as well.

"Thank you for your time, Mr Dandurand. I would just warn you that if you indeed entered into possession of these documents from the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland, you are not going to make friends with them," she said, offering her hand.

Dandurand shook hers, but it was obvious that the two didn't appreciate each other right now. Rosa supposed this was inevitable when one Ministry tried to literally seize authority over a territory that was controlled by the other Ministry for centuries.

The Canadians left first, and the delegates of Quebec left soon after. Rosa remained behind. She wasn't going back to Quebec City anyway. She remained there, alone in the room whose torches were beginning to fade, shaking her head. Two months ago, she thought her summer would be exhausting, all her time being taken by the coming referendum, and that she wouldn't be able to avoid difficult decisions with her sister-in-law. Today, she found herself worrying every day when You-Know-Who would attack them. And worrying for her daughter.

When she married Aurelius, it had been her choice. She chose to move to Great Britain, despite knowing the dangers. Everyone around the world already knew that no one in this country was safe as Lord Voldemort's reign of terror spread. But she followed the man she fell in love with all the same. Maybe she had been stupid. But after witnessing some fighting in Quebec between its inhabitants and Canadian authorities, she thought You-Know-Who couldn't be worst. How wrong she had been. Back in the time, Canadian officials would at worst arrest you and accuse you under exaggerated or even false charges. But slaughtering people in mass… Nothing to see with what she went through when she witnessed almost all of her husband's family getting massacred, when she just learned that she was pregnant.

She and Aurelius went into hiding after that. Susan's birth took place far from the known world. Rosa had done everything to protect her child while the man who murdered most of the Bones family was still alive. And now he was back, and her daughter was dating the boy You-Know-Who wanted to see dead more than anyone else.

Rosa closed her eyes as she thought about her daughter. Susan looked so terrorized, broken when she arrived home last night. She had to do something to protect her. She couldn't let Dementors assault her only child. Rose stood up and left the room. And she didn't leave it by the fireplace.

On the other side of the door, she was welcomed by a corridor barely lit by torches. The corridors of the ancients offices were wider than those built in Quebec City. She walked into the corridors, turning right at one place, left at another one, climbing stairs again and again. There were no elevators in those former offices. She finally reached the last step of the final stairs and walked through the brick wall in front of her.

If the corridors she just left were dimly lit by waning torches, the one she just emerged into was bathing in the sun. In the middle of the afternoon, the corridor of stony walls was lit by the sunlight coming through the glass roofs. In this place, all roofs were showing the sky, day and night, naturally or magically. Rosa smiled at the memory of the nine years she spent under those apparently opened roofs. She was back at the Université, the wizarding school of Quebec, located right over the ancient offices of their Ministry of Magic.

Floods of memories threatened to overwhelm Rosa. It seemed like a lifetime since she last came here. To her regret, after she moved to England, she didn't maintain regular contacts with her family, and she seldom came back to Montreal for other reasons than work. And she seldom had the opportunity to revisit her former school. In the corridors, empty in this month of August, she heard echoes of her youth, children running, laughing. There, it was a bench on which she cried after an exam in her fourth year, thinking she failed it. In a corner, a Dungbomb exploded when she walked on it during the first week of her first year. And if she walked on her left long enough, she knew she would come by the Great Hall. Rosa decided to go this way.

She needed about ten minutes to reach her destination. The Université was built on a single level. Classrooms, offices and dormitories were all on the same floor, spread right under the mountain. There were very few stairs in the school. As a result, someone could need to walk a while before reaching his destination. You could easily need an entire hour to travel the school from one end to the other on foot. Portkeys were positioned in strategic locations to allow students to move quickly from one place to another of the building if they were too far away from their classroom. Secret passageways, which were no longer secret, built in the time when people feared raids from Canadian authorities, also helped to shorten distances.

Rosa didn't meet anyone on her way. The school was entirely empty. When she arrived in the Great Hall, she was met by a sight that would have been familiar to many wizards in Great Britain. The Great Hall of the Université was almost identical to the one in Hogwarts. When she visited Hogwarts, Rosa was struck by how likely its Great Hall was to the one in Scotland. The same staff table at the end, the same magical invisible roof, the same walls and floor made of stones. The main difference was the tables. There were eight of them instead of only four, and they didn't serve to separate houses, for there were no houses in this school, unlike in Hogwarts or Ilvermony. The proportion of wizards compared to the Muggle population in North America was much higher than in Europe. As such, a province with only seven million people had more wizarding families than a country of sixty million inhabitants likd the United Kingdom, a result of mass migration of wizards from Europe from the moment the Americas were found, fleeing Muggle persecutions, then later the First and Second World Wars, and then the wars started by Grindelwald and Voldemort, looking for large territories where it was harder for Muggles to notice wizarding activities.

Rosa contemplated the invisible roof giving on the blue sky of Montreal for a while, but she remembered why she came here. So she left the Great Hall behind, and walked another fifteen minutes before she reached the office of the person she was looking for. However, she wasn't there. At this hour, this meant she had to be at her other office. In fact, it made sense. In the middle of summer, nothing happened in the Université. But at the university above, it was another matter. There were always summer sessions.

Rosa took one of the very few stairs of the school, the door allowing her passage. No one under the age of twenty could use those stairs without being accompanied by someone older. It was a drastic measure to prevent students of the school from wandering outside, in Muggle areas, without supervision. Rosa climbed the steep stairs and emerged into a large entrance hall. There, no invisible roof. No torch. No magic. But a marble floor. Six high cylindric black pillars at the center of the room, in a circular formation. High oak doors giving on the outside world. And light. Lightning bulbs. Electricity. She was in the main pavilion of the University of Montreal, a Muggle college sitting at the feet of the Mount Royal.

A woman with glasses walked by and hailed her, to which Rosa replied. This Muggle didn't notice Rosa was a witch who just came from magically hidden stairs giving on the entrance hall. Rosa was dressed like Muggles, for she worked with Muggles all day in London. It was impossible to suspect anything about her from her appearance. She walked to the oak doors and pushed them.

For the first time in hours, Rosa was outside. Looking up, she saw the tall tower of the main pavilion of the university, dominating the campus. She felt the heat of the afternoon sun upon her as she walked down the outside stairs leading to the main pavilion. In front of her was a circular road entrance, which she followed down to another road with small parking places along it. Cars were stationed. No doubt, she was back into the Muggle world. Crossing the small road, she came close to a barrier, below which she could see the entire city. From there, she could see the white, inclined tower of the Olympic Stadium on the horizon, an emblem of the city where Rosa grew up. Back in 1976 when the Olympic Games of Montreal took place, she attended them in the stadium, but the tower, now the highest inclined tower in the world, was not finished back then. It was strange to think how time passed since.

But Rosa could not spend the entire day looking at the city and staring at the corner where her family home once was far away. She turned around and pressed the door of a small, concrete building that led her to underground corridors, not made by magic but by machines and human, Muggle hands. She followed various corridors and stairs down until she emerged on another, more crowded street. Cars rolled all around, and there were old, huge homes on the other side, the buildings of the University of Montreal standing tall behind her. She followed the road until she arrived at a building that was clearly built later than the main pavilion. A sign on the front indicated it bore the name of one of the first historians of the province. She entered the pavilion, looked at the board at the entrance, found the name she was looking for, and climbed stairs to the fifth floor. She finally arrived at an office with a sign indicating that a teacher of Classical Studies occupied it. The door was opened.

Rosa peeked inside and saw a woman in the late thirties, with brown short hair, writing something. For a moment, she doubted.

"Yes?" the woman asked, not lifting eyes from her paper. Rosa's doubts were lifted immediately.

"You changed your hairstyle again?" she asked.

The woman stopped writing and looked up. No, Rosa had made no mistake. Her friend smiled widely after a moment of confusion and stood up from her desk.

"Am I imagining things, or this is Rosa Johnson who stands before me?"

Rosa returned her smile, and she hugged her friend Sandra. "How long has it been?" Rosa asked as they released each other.

"Too long. A few years, I think. You still live in London?"

"Yes, I do. But I was around, so…"

Sandra smiled at her as she sat down. She offered Rosa to do the same, and she did.

"But you really changed your hairstyle again. I almost failed to recognize you. Last time, you were blond."

"What do you want? I like to change things," Sandra said. "You remember when we were at school. A new hairstyle after every vacation."

That was true. Rosa and Sandra were of the same age, both coming from Muggle families. She was Rosa's best friend back at school, but they only had sporadic contacts after Rosa moved to England.

"So, anything new in life?" Sandra asked her.

"Well… Could we… I would like to talk about your other school."

Sandra frowned, but then she seemed to understand. She stood up, walked to the door and closed it. She then plunged her hand into the pocket of her pants. An instant later, a spell was cast that isolated her office from the rest of the Muggle university. After Rosa and Sandra completed their years at the Université, Rosa's best friend had continued her studies in the Muggle world. The Université and the Ministry of Magic of Quebec had concluded agreements with the Muggle Ministry of Education of the province to allow wizards to study in Muggle institutions, their time spent at the wizarding school being considered as part of their curriculum. There were even Muggle subjects that were taught at the Université, sometimes by Muggle teachers who knew about the existence of the wizarding world through family members. Sandra had always been passionate about history. She left the wizarding school with the best results in History of Magic, but also in all classes of History of Muggles. As a result, she continued to study in that domain after completing her studies in the wizarding world. Today, she was Head of the department of History of Magic at the Université, and professor at the University of Montreal in Classical Studies. She was only one of the many wizards in the province to occupy a job in the Muggle world, sometimes simultaneously with another job in their own world.

"I should have put them in place right when you arrived… but you showing up was kind of unexpected," Sandra said with a bright smile. "So, you want to recall old stories?"

"Well, not entirely. I was thinking… Is it too late to enroll a student in the Université for the coming year?"

They discussed about it for a while. Sandra first looked surprised, then showed more understanding as the discussion progressed, finally trying to help Rosa the best she could, although she couldn't promise anything. The two women ended up separating, promising to meet again soon. As Rosa was about to leave Sandra's office, her old friend asked her something unrelated to everything they just discussed.

"By the way, are you still into music?"

"Maybe not as much as before, but yes," Rosa replied. In fact, it was her who transmitted her love for music to her daughter.

"Then you should take one of these."

Sandra pointed to a pile of red record covers on the corner of her desk. Rosa had noticed their presence when she walked in, but she didn't give them much attention. Now that she looked more closely, she noticed patches of white and yellow as well on the cover, with the outline of a fish on it. There were also two series of words written on it in thin black, as if written by hand with a pencil. One at the top, Les Cowboys Fringants (Merry Cowboys), and another one at the bottom, La Grand-Messe (The Great Mass).

Rosa looked at her friend with a frown.

"It's a new group," Sandra explained. "Some say they are the future celebrities of the province."

Rosa looked at the rather plain cover of the discs. She then shrugged and seized one. "Maybe Susan will like it," she commented. "Have a good day, Sandra. And thank you again."

"See you soon, Rosa."

On her way back to the Université where she would use Floo Powder again to return to London, Rosa decided to listen to the disc her friend just offered, to have an idea of what it was. The first song began very slowly, melancholic, played by a piano, similar to classical music. Then the rhythm increased, turning the song to a ballad, adding xylophone, guitar and accordion. It was titled Les Étoiles filantes (Shooting Stars). As the song went on and she listened, she quickly understood the meaning of its title.

(Les Étoiles Filantes; Les Cowboys Fringants)

Si je m'arrête un instant (If I stop for a moment)

Pour te parler de ma vie (To discuss about my life)

Juste comme ça tranquillement (Just like that, quietly)

Dans un bar, rue St-Denis (In a bar on Saint Denis Street)

J'te raconterai les souvenirs (I'll tell you my memories)

Bien gravés dans ma mémoire (Engraved in my mind)

De cette époque où vieillir (In this time when aging)

Était encore bien illusoire (Was only an illusion)

Quand j'agaçais les p'tites filles (When I annoyed little girls)

Pas loin des balançoires (Near the playground)

Et que mon sac de billes (And that my bag of marbles)

Devenait un vrai trésor (Turned into a treasure)

Et ces hivers enneigés (And those snowy winters)

À construire des igloos (To build igloos)

Et rentrer les pieds g'lés (Only to come home with frozen feet)

Juste à temps pour Passe-Partout (Right in time to watch Passe-Partout)

Mais au bout du ch'min, dis-moi c'qui va rester (But at the end of the road, what will remain)

De la p'tite école et d'la cour de récré (Of the small school and the playground)

Quand les avions en papier ne partent plus au vent (When paper planes stop flying)

On se dit que l'bon temps passe finalement (We realize that good old times go by)

Comme une étoile filante (Like a shooting star)

Si je m'arrête un instant (If I stop for a moment)

Pour te parler de la vie (To discuss about life)

Je constate que, bien souvent (I realize that very often)

On choisit pas, mais on subit (We don't choose, but we incur)

Et que les rêves des ti-culs (And that dreams of children)

S'évanouissent ou se refoulent (Disappear or repress themselves)

Dans cette réalité crue (In this crude reality)

Qui nous embarque dans le moule (That brings us into the mold)

La trentaine, la bedaine (The thirties, the belly)

Les morveux, l'hypothèque (The children, the mortgage)

Les bonheurs et les peines (Happiness and sadness)

Les bons coups et les échecs (Successes and failures)

Travailler, faire d'son mieux (Working, doing our best)

En arracher, s'en sortir (Struggling, succeeding)

Et espérer être heureux (And hoping to be happy)

Un peu avant de mourir (For a little while before we die)

Mais au bout du ch'min, dis-moi c'qui va rester (But at the end, tell me what will remain)

De notre p'tit passage dans ce monde effréné (Of our short passage in this frantic world)

Après avoir existé pour gagner du temps (After living to gain time)

On s'dira que l'on était finalement (We will think that finally we only were)

Que des étoiles filantes (Shooting stars)

Si je m'arrête un instant (If I stop for a moment)

Pour te parler de la vie (To discuss about life)

Juste comme ça tranquillement (Just like that, quietly)

Pas loin du carré Saint-Louis (Near the Saint-Louis Square)

C'est qu'avec toi je suis bien (It's because I feel good when I'm with you)

Et que j'ai pu' l'goût de m'en faire (And I don't want to worry anymore)

Parce que tsé, voir trop loin (Because you know, looking ahead too much)

C'pas mieux que r'garder en arrière (Is no better than looking backwards)

Malgré les vieilles amertumes (Despite old griefs)

Et les amours qui passent (And loved ones who go away)

Les chums qu'on perd dans' brume (Friends we lose in the mist)

Et les idéaux qui se cassent (And ideals that crumble)

La vie s'accroche et renaît (Life continue and revives)

Comme les printemps reviennent (Like springs come back)

Dans une bouffée d'air frais (Like a burst of fresh air)

Qui apaise les coeurs en peine (That appeases broken hearts)

Ça fait que si à' soir t'as envie de rester (So if tonight you would like to stay)

Avec moi, la nuit est douce, on peut marcher (With me, the night is sweet, we can walk)

Et même si on sait ben que tout' dure rien qu'un temps (And even though we know nothing lasts)

J'aimerais ça que tu sois pour un moment (I would like that you be for a moment)

Mon étoile filante (My shooting star)

Mais au bout du ch'min, dis-moi c'qui va rester (But at the end of the road, what will remain)

Mais au bout du ch'min, dis-moi c'qui va rester (But at the end of the road, what will remain)

Que des étoiles filantes (Only shooting stars)

Rosa didn't really have time to listen to the rest of the disc as she was back in an area where magic was too prominent for Muggle technology to work. Despite the sometimes familiar language of the song, she had no problem understanding it. The group was definitely from Quebec to mention streets, parks and even a popular TV show for kids. She felt nostalgic at hearing of places where she wandered back when she grew up in Montreal.

A few hours later, Rosa was back at her apartment in the Abandoned Tower, in London. After discussing with her old friend in Montreal, she went back into the school, used Floo powder to reach the Ministry of Magic of Quebec, and from there she took another fireplace to use the international network that brought her back to her office in London. And from there, after working a little more, she left, using her car to go back home. Susan was in her bedroom when she arrived. After he assured her their daughter was fine, Rosa told her husband what she discussed with her friend in Montreal. When she was done explaining, Aurelius stood skeptical about it.

"You really think… that we should send Susan to another school?" he asked, very uncertain.

"I'm not sure, but I believe we should consider this option. Especially after what happened last night," she replied. She didn't make any promise to Sandra. She only asked her if it would be possible to have Susan beginning to study in the Université in September. Her friend said it would be possible after Rosa explained the circumstances, but that Rosa would need to decide quickly if she wanted that.

Her husband sat down at the dining table. "Susan has been at Hogwarts for four years. All her friends are there. She even has a… Well, I mean… That would be a lot to ask from her."

"I know. To ne honest, I didn't think about it seriously before today. But… look at what happened last night."

"I know," her husband conceded, worried. "But Hogwarts is a different place. I studied there while You-Know-Who was getting more powerful, and we were always safe there. You-Know-Who never dared to attack the castle. He is afraid of Dumbledore."

Rosa sat down as well. She thought the same before. "I know, Aurèle. But look at what happened over the last few years. Students got petrified, Death Eaters managed to enter the castle. And even You-Know-Who himself managed to get in. Susan was only twelve back then. He could have killed her if he wanted."

Her husband was speechless. He remained silent for a while.

"I only believe… we should think about it. We may even start to think about the possibility of relocating," she said.

Her husband looked up at her. "Moving? To another country?"

"I think we shouldn't leave any option out of the table."

Her husband looked thoughtful for a time. Then he nodded. "Okay. We'll think about it. And we will have to discuss with Susan as well. We cannot leave her out of it."

Rosa nodded. "Okay, but not yet. Let's give her some time. How is she? Really?"

Aurelius sighed. "She's been staying in her chamber for most of the day. She only left it to eat or when she needed to use the washroom. I tried to talk to her, but…" He sighed again, discouraged. "I don't think I ever saw her like that."

Rosa placed her hand on her husband's, trying to comfort him. She looked through the window. The sun was setting down. She had come home very late.

"Is she asleep?" she asked.

"I don't think so," Aurelius replied. "She didn't spend the day in bed. I checked on her a few times. I think she just wants to be alone."

Rosa looked towards her daughter's bedroom. The door was closed. "I'll go and talk to her," she decided.

"Thank you," her husband said. "You've always been better to get through her."

She stood up and went to her daughter's bedroom. She knocked.

"Susan, may I come in?" she quietly asked.

"Yes," Susan's voice came from the other side. It sounded normal, though a little lower than usual.

Rosa opened the door. Her daughter was turning her back on her, sitting on her bed. Susan's long red-brownish hair was arranged into a plait falling behind her back today. This was the same hair as Rosa's. Many people who saw Susan said they looked a lot alike. Rosa used to arrange her hair into two braids sometimes when she was a child. She approached her daughter and came to sit on her bed right next to her. A book was opened on her lap.

"Sorry to not have returned sooner," Rosa told her daughter. She placed the disc her friend gave her earlier on her daughter's desk.

"It's alright, Mother," Susan replied. "I know you're very busy lately."

"What are you reading?"

Susan closed her book after placing a bookmark at the page where she was. Rosa recognized the cover immediately. It was one of the many books of her personal library. Les Demi-civilisés (Fear's Folly), written by Jean-Charles Harvey.

"I remember this one. We read it when I was in my third year," Rosa commented.

"It's fine," Susan flatly said, looking down.

"Do you want to talk?" Rosa then asked her daughter.

Susan didn't answer. The mother and daughter remained there, next to each other, for quite a while. It had always been difficult for Rosa and Aurelius to get Susan to talk when something bothered her. Their daughter was not lonely, but she had the habit of keeping her own problems inside. With time, they understood that the best course of action was to wait for Susan to come to them. Pressing her would only make things harder. Still, it was painful for Rosa to see her daughter obviously hurt without being able to discuss it with her. So she remained there, next to Susan, for a very long time, waiting in case her daughter would finally give up and talk.

She looked around her daughter's chamber. There were lots of books, lots of discs, displaying some of Susan's favourite hobbies. Rosa smiled at a memory that reminded her when Susan began to be so interested in music. When she was only seven, they watched the movie The Sound of Music during Christmas's Eve. Susan spent the next two weeks singing the songs of the movie without stopping. Rosa smiled at the memory, when she noticed the disc of the music in the movie on Susan's shelves. Susan's library was a mix of music from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and even from Quebec, from both wizard and Muggle artists. As a result, you could find Neil Young next to Celestina Warbeck, Loreena McKennitt next to Paul Piché, Elton John next to R. E. M., the Moody Blues next to Charles Aznavour. When they were small kids, Susan used to do her homework with her best friend, Hannah, while listening to music. Sometimes, they could debate over an hour about which artist to listen.

"Rosa, leave. Save yourself and your child."

The words of her daughter caused Rosa's heart to suddenly stop. She turned to look at her daughter, who had also turned her head to look at her. Susan was crying, tears slowly dripping from her eyes.

"What did you say?" Rosa asked, afraid of the answer.

"That's what I heard." Susan's voice was now strangled by emotion. "When the Dementors attacked us."

Rosa was completely frozen. She knew those words only too well. These were the last words Aurelius' parents told her before she Apparated out of their house on that fateful night. They had remained engraved into her mind. But how could Susan know what both her grandparents said in unison before Rosa abandoned them to their death at the hands of Lord Voldemort? She never told anyone about this. Not even Aurelius knew what his parents told her that day.

"Who told you that?" she asked.

"I heard them," Susan replied, her voice trembling so much her words were barely comprehensive.

This came back to Rosa's mind. She was so much under shock that she monetarily forgot what Susan just told her and that she heard the words when the Dementors assaulted her. But how was that possible? Dementors fed on people's happy memories, until only the worst experiences remained to their mind. How could Susan remember…

And then it dawned on Rosa. She was pregnant with Susan when it happened. But… Could her daughter's mind have retained that traumatic event when she wasn't even born yet? Was that even possible?

She felt Susan shudder next to her, and then a wail escaped her mouth. It seemed like it was possible. Rosa took her daughter by the arm and made her lean against her. And Susan cried against Rosa's shoulder. Rosa understood at this moment that her daughter had been marked by the events of that terrible day, before she was even born. And it terrified Rosa to know it.

---

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the new POV. About half of this chapter is describing a wizarding society that is not part of J.K. Rowling's world and creating additional lore. But I found it enjoyable to write and to imagine how the wizarding world could look like in a place the author never explored deeply.

I think though that I need to warn people who may think that Canada is a racist, intolerant society after reading this chapter, because it may give that impression. In fact, I believe Canada may currently be one of the most open and tolerant countries in the world, but that doesn't erase the racism that plagued its history and that still exists today to a certain extent, like it plagued and still plagues almost all modern nations. Francophones in Canada were indeed subjected to racism for centuries, to the extent some compared their predicament in Canada to that of African Americans in the United States during the 20th century. Today, the situation has quite improved, and we could qualify racism towards francophones as residual. However, anglophones AND francophones, despite many improvements through decades, both also showed racism towards other minorities, including Jews, Black, Asian and Latin people, but especially towards Indigenous people. Some of this racism lingers today despite efforts to correct past wrongs and to make the country more and more inclusive.

In this chapter, there is an anachronism. The song I included was only released in 2004, although the music group (Les Cowboys Fringants) was indeed created in 1995. I included this song because the singer of the group, Karl Tremblay, passed away on November 15th, 2023. I litterally grew up listening to his songs, and his death was reported in all medias across Canada, both anglophone and francohpone, and even in other countries such as France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and even in Australia. This is kind of my way to render him an homage, as late as it may seem. According to his wife, the night he died, after she left the hospital with their children, one of them saw a single star in the sky and said "Papa est déjà monté au ciel pour nous saluer!" ("Dad is already in heaven to say hello.").

R.I.P., Karl Tremblay. Tu vas manquer au Québec tout entier.

Now, sorry for the long chapter notes. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and that those who found it uselessly too long, or useless in general, will forgive me.

Next chapter: Hannah (It will arrive sooner this time, and will be shorter.)