Sacrifice

Prologue

Harry Potter was very surprised indeed when on the second day of his summer holidays, the doorbell at number four Privet Drive rang. Not so much because it rang, but because of the person who walked through it after his Aunt Petunia, a gossipy hen of a woman, answered it.

"Good day, Mrs. Dursley," greeted a young woman, about twenty-five, Harry guessed, peering at her from the top of the staircase. This woman obviously had more nerve than your average caller on Privet Drive, as she breezed right past a flabbergasted Aunt Petunia.

At that moment Harry's Uncle Vernon, a big beefy man who was often so cross with his nephew that he tended to constantly resemble an enraged buffalo, stepped out of the living room, wanting to know who the caller was. "And just who are you?" he grumbled. "Another person trying to sell us something?" Uncle Vernon eyed her smart black suit and briefcase suspiciously. "Didn't you see the sign in the window?" He jabbed his finger towards the "no soliciting" sign in the hall window.

"Do you always leave your front door open when you have company?" she asked airily.

"Who are you?" Aunt Petunia finally managed to ask.

The woman shook her head. "This is a private matter, Petunia, as such I must insist I be able to close the door." And then she did the thing that astounded Harry from his vantage point at the top of the staircase; she produced a long stick of wood, seemingly out of nowhere, and said very clearly, "Fermeportus." At this word, the door shut itself magically.

Now Harry was used to seeing magic performed. He was, after all, a wizard, who'd seen some of the most fantastic and also some of the most gruesome magic ever performed, and he wasn't even finished his training, he was fresh out of his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But it was a rare thing to see magic performed at number four Privet Drive. This is because the Dursleys, whom Harry had been forced to live with after his parents had been killed by the wizard Voldemort, hated all things magical, until Harry discovered he was a wizard they utterly refused to believe in it, now that they had no choice but to believe, and it infuriated them. With all this in mind, a woman who could do magic, who carried a wand, and was otherwise undistinguishable from the common Muggle (Non-magical person) standing in his Aunt and Uncle's hallway was enough to thoroughly shock him.

It shocked Vernon and Petunia Dursley too, but Vernon, at least, recovered quickly, "You're one of them," he snarled savagely.

"You say that as if the wizarding population of the world is a conspiracy against you, Vernon. Rest assured that this is not an elaborate plan to land you in the sanitarium, you aren't worth the effort."

Harry was unsure now, this young witch would only say that for two reasons, one, because she disliked the Dursleys in particular, or because she disliked Muggles in general. If it were the former, Harry could be reasonably certain that this woman was a friend. But if it were the latter, which, in light of the recent events in Harry's life, it was very possible to be, Harry needed to defend himself. He pulled out his wand and crouched out of sight.

"I demand you leave the premises immediately." Vernon spat at her.

"I have business here, Mr. Dursley," she said evenly. "We have received intelligence that you dislike owls delivering your wizarding mail, so I volunteered to deliver this notice in person."

"You take your freak notice and get out of my house!" Vernon's voice shook through the halls.

"If you fail to accept this notice and read it in my presence I will be forced to contact Arthur Weasley and he will have no choice but to gather his party and come here to settle this matter with you. I believe you met some members at King's Cross Station yesterday."

Harry's heart skipped in his chest. His Uncle Vernon had met Mr. Weasley's "party," as the woman had referred to them, among it was Remus Lupin, a werewolf, Nymphadora Tonks, a Metamorphagus (a kind of shape shifter), and Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, who was just plain frightening. Harry knew the last thing the Dursleys wanted was to find themselves in their company two days in a row. He also knew that this passive aggressive stance was not one taken by a Death Eater, which is what the evil wizards who follow the evilest of wizards, Lord Voldemort, called themselves. This woman not only knew people in the Order of the Phoenix, which is the Order sworn to stop Voldemort, but she showed no desire to kill anyone, there was no maniacal or murderous undertone to her voice; heavy spite, but not everyone who hated the Dursleys was a Death Eater, if they were, Harry would be too.

Drawing a deep breath he emerged from his hiding spot and stood at the top of the stairs, "Who are you?" he echoed his aunt's earlier question.

Vernon and Petunia, whose backs were to him, whirled around.

The witch looked up and in the moment their eyes met Harry sensed her joy at his presence, and an immense sorrow that Harry didn't completely understand. "Josephine Hazel." She smiled warmly. "Mr. Weasley sent me. Nice to see you Harry." She turned her attention back to the Dursleys, "Now, are you going to read this notice or shall I send for Mr. Weasley?"

Uncle Vernon looked ready to protest again, but Aunt Petunia made a funny squeak, and Vernon snatched the letter out of the Hazel woman's hand and tore it open furiously. There was a moment of mumbling as Vernon read the letter. About half way through it he took something of a fit, "ABOLUTELY NOT!" he exclaimed.

Josephine seemed prepared for this. "Dursley, you aren't in a position to refuse. You can co-operate or you can make things difficult but either way, it will be done and you have absolutely no say in the matter."

Harry clambered down the stairs. "What's going on?" he demanded of the witch more forcefully than he meant to.

"They -want -to -make -random -weekly -visits!" Vernon hissed out. His eyes were wide and livid.

"Visits? Why?" Harry had spent part of his summers with the Dursleys every year, even learning he was a wizard didn't change that, why was it important for people to check on him now?

"Because the Dursleys have a habit of mistreating you, no matter how many times they insist that you will be properly cared for, they never deliver."

"It is none of your business how I care for my nephew!" Uncle Vernon bellowed.

"It is absolutely my business Dursley." Josephine narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Arthur Weasley and Albus Dumbledore himself have given me clearance to be here. They honestly care for Harry and they mean to see that he is as happy as he can be. I'm making it my business. I suggest you warm to that idea and fast and save yourself the trouble of trying to stop me because you'll be wasting your time."

Harry was again, a little confused. His school headmaster and Ron's Dad sent this Josephine Hazel. Yet she was making it her own personal crusade. Perhaps she was asked because Dumbledore, and Mr. Weasley knew she would fight so vehemently to accomplish what they asked of her?

"If you are so concerned with his happiness, you can take the little menace away." Vernon shot at her, and it was something that Harry was quite sure, he immediately regretted.

Josephine's eyes, ironically hazel coloured, went out, they became a smoldering black. In a flash she whipped out her wand again and pointed it between Vernon's eyes.

Harry gasped, and Aunt Petunia, who'd been silently watching the exchange, gave a terrified squeal.

Josephine spoke in a dangerously quiet voice, "If I should ever learn that Harry has been cast out of this house, I'll curse each of you twelve different ways. And I'll take great pleasure in watching you trying to hide it from your neighbours. Do I make myself clear, Dursley?"

Uncle Vernon made the same funny noise that he had made many years before when an eight-foot-six, half-giant of a man pointed his pink umbrella at him and demanded to know why Harry knew nothing about his heritage.

Harry was very impressed that this witch, who was only a thumbs width taller than he, could frighten his uncle so badly.

She obviously took the funny noise to be agreement. "Good, and you'd do well not to forget it either, Dursley." She turned back to Harry, her expression softened. "Now, where might we be able to go to have a private discussion, the living room?"

"No!" both Dursleys exclaimed in unison.

Harry wasn't surprised, no matter how many visit's Josephine Hazel made, Harry would still be vermin in his aunt and uncle's eyes, they seemed to believe he could soil the furniture or something.

A sly look crossed Josephine's face, and she winked at Harry. "Very well," she said loftily, "the front porch will do just fine then."

Aunt Petunia made a strangled noise before choking out, "Nonsense, the living room will suit your purpose, Vernon and I will just be in the kitchen." She dragged away Uncle Vernon, whose eyes seemed to be in great danger of becoming extruded.

"That was amazing!" Harry declared.

"Rather afraid of what people think aren't they?" She picked up he suitcase and strode into the living room, where she shut the door behind them and performed a silencing charm. "So, Harry, I daresay you want to know what's going on?"

"Yes I do, Ms. Hazel, why did Mr. Weasley send you?"

Josephine made a big spectacle of looking around the room. "Ms. Hazel? Don't call me that, my Aunt Cody is Ms. Hazel, it gets too confusing."

"Then what do I call you? Josephine?" he ventured.

"Just Jo. Josephine is much to long to bother with." She gave him a stern look as to make sure he'd address her, as she wanted to be addressed, and then she smiled. "Any how, Mr. Weasley thought that this would be the best way to accomplish the task hand."

"Checking up on me?" Harry said with an accusing undertone that he'd not meant to use.

"Well, I am technically, checking up on you. But that part is mostly just to keep the fear of having their living room partially destroyed, alive and well in the Dursleys hearts. It's the best incentive they have to stay off your back." She opened her briefcase and pulled out a box of Chocolate Frogs, from which she plucked a frog and pushed the box towards Harry. "The real reason I'm here is actually two reasons; first, because until you can come visit the Burrow, I'm the most dependable frequent contact you'll have, we had to get you something. Mr. Weasley and I both agreed that you needed to stay in the loop somehow, he said being kept in the dark last year nearly drove you mad."

"Close," muttered Harry irritably.

"The second reason," she went on, "is that other than myself and Remus Lupin, there aren't many people available who can perform a rather tricky protection charm. It's tricky, but powerful. And as you know-" She paused, appearing to steel herself against something. "-Voldemort has an extensive knowledge of magic, the Dark Arts in particular, it may only be a matter of time before he discovers a way to breach the magic of your mother's bloodline."

Once again, Harry found himself very much impressed. Other than himself and Dumbledore, very few people called Voldemort by his name.

He was so stunned that Jo filled the silence by lowering her voice, though no one else could've heard it anyway, and saying, "He killed my father too, and my sister, and others that I loved very deeply. It's time I learned to speak his name."

Harry warmed in the glow of respect for the witch. And he felt a faint glimmer of hope that Jo Hazel might understand how he missed his godfather, Sirius Black, who one of Voldemort's Death Eater's had killed only weeks ago.

"He was a good man, Harry," Jo told him, as if she knew his thoughts. Harry's gaze shot up to mix with hers but he couldn't form the words to express his utter shock. "Rash, sometimes, but a good man. I'm sure you feel like a part of you died with him. Take your time at here to let yourself feel the loss; if anyone gives you trouble about it you tell him or her to shove off. Your tubby cousin included."

"How did you know Sirius?" Harry finally croaked out.

"I'm a half-blood witch, and twenty-eight years old, Harry, I met him before he was sent to Azkaban, he was a few years ahead of my Aunt Cody at Hogwarts. And then I came back to England with Charlie just after Christmas to visit his father, and I saw Sirius again."

"Charlie Weasley?" Harry was stunned. This woman simply knew too many people Harry knew, Mr. Weasley, Professor Lupin, Sirius, now Charlie Weasley too.

"Charlie and I were in the same year at Hogwarts," Jo explained. "We won the House Cup for Gryffindor together, I was a Beater. We were thick as thieves back then. I spent quite a lot of my summers at the Burrow, to be honest. I was also working with him in Romania before I transferred back to England. Charlie's back too. Working at the British National Dragon Reserve now."

Harry's head took on a dull ache from trying to process so much information so quickly. "So you're a friend of the Weasley's, and a part of the Order of the Phoenix, and you knew Sirius, AND you're going to come around weekly and reinforce the protection of my Aunt and Uncle's house?"

"That's the gist of it."

"But why do you need to keep coming back?" He quickly added, "not that I'm complaining."

"Well, so you'll be kept up to speed, and because the charm is very powerful, but only short term, it needs to be continually recast, unless I should be killed, at which point it becomes permanent, but between you and me, Harry, I'd like to keep that as a last resort, alright?"

Harry let a small laugh escape him. "Sounds reasonable to me."

*

Jo returned to number twelve Grimmauld Place, wearily. Seeing Harry again was wonderful. But it was also very painful. She sat herself down at the kitchen table and laid her head arms. Her shoulders shook and a few tears escaped. That's when Remus walked in. Wordlessly he sat down in the chair next to her at stroked her hair.

He finally said, "I know how much it cost you to go, Jo, I'm proud of you."

And as he said that, the first audible sob escaped, and her shoulders positively quaked. "I --m-miss --him --s-sooo --much, --I-i- miss --a-all --of --them, --a-and --I'm --s-sooo --sor-ry --I --d-d-didn't --h-help --H-har-ry!" she gasped out between wracking sobs.

Remus gently pulled her into a hug. "I miss him too, Jo," he whispered soothingly.

Jo continued to shake violently, her wails not dissipating. "It's --n-not --fair! --We j-just --g-got --him --b-back!"

"I know." Remus continued to hold her, rocking her gently as he had done nearly fifteen years before, when Sirius had been arrested. "Shh. Just try and breathe, you'll be sick if you don't."

At that moment, a gaggle of people appeared in the doorway, Jo's howling was loud enough to carry through the entire house. And everyone in it wanted to be sure nothing was horribly wrong. Charlie and Bill Weasley rushed in, followed by Cordelia Hazel, Nymphadora Tonks, Keegan Gallagher, Mundungus Fletcher, Dulcie Dante, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad Eye Moody, and Gwendolyn Gale.

"What's wrong?" Tonks asked.

"It's alright," Remus told them mildly. "Jo's just having a moment, she'll be fine."

Knowing they couldn't really help, most of the party nodded and left quietly. Charlie, Bill, Cody and Keegan, however, didn't budge.

Actually, in all fairness, Charlie did budge; he sat down on the other side of Jo's chair. "Come on, Jo," he murmured, "come over here."

Feeling a bit like a hot potato, Jo allowed Remus to move her into Charlie's arms. Her sobbing became less violent. Bill and Keegan each squeezed her shoulder and decided to give her some space, Cody Hazel sat with Remus in Jo's empty chair, for she was soon fully curled into Charlie's lap and weeping into his chest, and waited until she was ready to talk about it. Having been her legal guardian since Jo was nine, Cody knew she needed to cry it out before she could talk about it.

Suddenly, with a resounding, BANG, the door swung open and Severus Snape marched into the kitchen. Cody gave a fairly audible groan, Jo, though she had a certain amount of respect for Severus as a Potions Master, did not need to deal with him too.

"I'm here to deliver my- oh dear," Severus stopped his excuse for a greeting abruptly. He recognized the young woman; Josephine Hazel had once been his star pupil, though she was a Gryffindor. "Has something happened?" Some might have thought that such a reaction from Severus Snape was uncharacteristic, but in a time of war, it wasn't so hard to believe something terrible had happened.

"Jo just saw Harry in person for the first time today," Remus informed him. "That fact coupled with her grief over Sirius, has proven too much for her."

"Oh," said Severus, his voice was deadpan, and his face contorting.

Jo must have sensed Severus's change in demeanor because she finally spoke, with only a slight quaver in her voice "Professor Snape," her voice broke. "Sirius Black was my friend, he became something of a father to me after my own died, and I know you were something of mortal enemies; but his death, none the less, leaves yet another gaping hole in my heart. I know you don't feel any sorrow for Sirius and I can accept that, but let me grieve for him. My friendship with Sirius doesn't affect the respect I have for you as a Potions Master or as a member of the Order, or as someone who has supreme knowledge of Defence Against the Dark Arts. I respect you, but I loved Sirius and now that he's dead part of me wants to die with him. Part of me," she repeated, giving pointed looks to each Cody, Remus and Charlie. "Let me grieve for him."

Charlie kissed Jo's forehead. By her speech he could tell that she would heal, though slowly. He could also tell that she needed to rest.

"Remus, I think I ought to take Jo upstairs." Charlie made to pick Jo up but she wriggled free and got to her feet.

"I can manage, Charlie," she murmured. "Besides, I'm sure Professor Snape and Remus and Aunt Cody would prefer some privacy while they discuss the latest phase."

"You are welcome to stay, Josephine," Severus mumbled, trying not to upset her further.

"I'm sure I'll hear about it if I need to." She turned and made to creep up the stairs, she hadn't taken two steps before Charlie had joined her.

"I think I'll keep you company for a while," he said.

"Charlie, you don't have to."

"I'd rather sit with you than listen to Cody and Snape bicker."

"Aunt Cody just feels the need to take offense to everything that Remus should take offense to but doesn't."

"True. Come on." Charlie put an arm around her waist. "Let's have you lie down for a while."

*

Charlie helped Jo retrieve all the pins that had kept her hair in a stylish knot in the back of her head, from the tangled mess that her hair had become since she arrived at number twelve Grimmauld Place. This is a ritual established many years ago; any time at Hogwarts when Jo couldn't recover all her hair pins, Charlie would find them for her, Jo always teased him and said that his skills as a Seeker came in handy at this task. Jo was a tomboy if there ever was one, back at Hogwarts. She didn't have any girlfriends to help her untangle her hair so Charlie usually got the job. Her co- Beater in Gryffindor was Keegan Gallagher, and before each match they'd plait each other's hair, but that didn't really count, it was more strategic for visibility than anything else, Jo and Keegan both had extremely long brown hair, Jo cut her hair off to a more manageable length sometime after Hogwarts but it was still long and very straight, Keegan's hair is, if anything, longer, but back at Hogwarts, it was as bushy as Hermione Granger's, it's relaxed into cascades of ringlets now. Jo and Keegan got along fine, but as far as Charlie had seen, they weren't especially close before they both joined the Order of the Phoenix.

Charlie half-lifted her onto the too-high four-poster bed, and sat down beside her.

"How Harry hasn't gone completely mad by now, I'll never know," Jo whispered. Her voice was getting watery again. Obviously sensing danger, Charlie lay down on the bed with her and put his arm around her, she curled away from him. "I should have been there, Charlie. He needs someone," she said in the slightest murmur.

"You're there now, Jo. It's the best you could do. And the most any of us can ask you for."

"But I could have been there, I should have," she said fervently.

"Jo, you know you couldn't have. You've been all over the world, not because you didn't want to be in England but because you couldn't be. And being back here six years ago wouldn't have stopped any of this. Sirius gave his life because Harry's was in danger; if you had been there he still would have gone, but instead to save you both. And Bellatrix Lestrange probably still would have killed him."

"But I'm the-"

"I know what you are, Jo. And it doesn't change anything. Dead is dead and you know that. Even you couldn't have saved Sirius."

Jo was quiet for a long time. Charlie had thought she'd finally fallen asleep when she spoke again, "Harry's cousin came home just as I was going upstairs to see Harry's Firebolt. Been out all night, he did a kind of double take when he saw me. Smiled porkily and greeted me in an oily kind of voice, polite as you please. Harry reckons he fancies me. Now Harry has an advantage over him too." She giggled slightly. "I'll bet Petunia Dursley would be thrilled to know her 'Popkin' fancies a witch."

Charlie couldn't help it, he laughed with her.