Fred and Alicia, who returned from their 1-week trip to Romania, were passing by the minister's office late in the evening when a faint whisper caught their attention. They paused just outside the slightly ajar door.
"…It's worse than we thought," Ron's voice was low, tense. "Minerva and Daisy — both connected somehow. The magical signature is unlike anything I've seen."
Hermione replied softly, "We need to find out what ties them together. And soon. Every day this drags on, the danger grows."
Fred exchanged a look with Alicia. "Sounds serious."
Alicia nodded. "We can't just stand around. Let's find out more."
Once Ron and Hermione left, they quietly pushed the door open and slipped into Hermione's office. The room was dim, with piles of parchment and books stacked everywhere.
Fred scoffed in with a grin.
"You ever think Hermione's just secretly hoarding ancient scrolls and dusty parchments like some kind of magical librarian?"
Alicia laughed softly. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if her office were a hidden trapdoor to the Department of Mysteries."
Fred snorted. "Bet she will get a portrait of herself scolding anyone who dares mess with her files."
Alicia grinned. "We better be careful then—don't want to end up on her 'do not disturb' list."
They moved toward Hermione's desk and spotted three thick folders, labeled clearly:
Nova Weasley
Minerva Poppy Potter
Daisy Finnigan
Fred's fingers traced the edge of the folder marked "Minerva Poppy Potter." "I haven't heard much about her… Who exactly is she?"
Just then, Hermione appeared in the doorway,
Hermione: (crossing her arms, amused) "So, you two decided to sneak into my office. I should be mad, but I'm mostly impressed."
Fred: (grinning) "Hey, curiosity got the better of us. Plus, Alicia wanted to know what kind of ancient secrets you're hiding in these piles of parchment."
Alicia: (smirking) "Yeah, figured if anyone knows what's going on, it'd be the busiest witch in the Ministry."
Hermione: (sighing, then serious) "Alright, since you're here, you probably overheard Ron and me talking. The situation with Minerva, Daisy, and Nova is complicated. They're all connected by a unique magical signature we're trying to decipher."
Fred: "So, it's not just a coincidence they're all involved?"
Hermione: "No. And it's more dangerous than it sounds. Bill, Fleur, George, and Angelina are already working on protective wards and gathering intel. We need all the help we can get."
Alicia: "We want in. If you need more eyes and hands, count us."
Hermione: (nods, approving) "Good. This is bigger than just Ministry paperwork. I'll fill you in on what we know and what we suspect."
Fred: (mock-serious) "We'll try not to break anything… this time."
Hermione: (smiling) "You better not. The stakes are high."
Fred: (raising an eyebrow) "So, Hermione… why didn't you tell us about all this before? You know, we'd have jumped in sooner."
Alicia: (nodding) "Yeah, feels like we were left out of the loop."
Hermione: (shrugging, calm) "Sometimes it's better to keep things close until we know more. You both have a lot on your plates, and this isn't a matter to rush into. You needed that vacation."
Fred: (grinning) "Fair enough. Just don't keep us in the dark next time, alright?"
Hermione: (smiling softly) "Deal. Now, let's get to work."
Hermione explained the situation to Fred and Alicia and what they had to do. They decided they would accompany George and Angelina to ask people about any traces of them, as it was not a wise decision for only 2 people to go. They left Nova with Molly (their mother), saying Alicia needed to go on an important mission, and Fred had to accompany her.
Back at Hogwarts, what began as a normal week had quickly twisted into something else. First, a Hufflepuff third year didn't show up to breakfast. Then a Ravenclaw fourth year disappeared on the way back from the library.
Teachers stopped trying to play it cool."Nobody goes anywhere alone," Professor Longbottom announced grimly in Herbology. "You hear me? No shortcuts, no secret passages. You stick together."
Whispers filled the corridors — ghost stories come to life. The portraits refused to speak about what they'd seen. Even Peeves was oddly quiet.
Then it happened again, James was at Potions and Rose was at Divination, the pain in their head came again at the same time,
Their hands gripped the table. The room spun.
Vision.
The same child. That same cry.But now she was older — barely older than James, maybe a year or two. The same brilliant red hair. The same glowing green eyes filled with terror.
She was screaming, "He's coming! He knows now! He's seen you!"
James tried to move toward her in the vision, but she looked straight at him."You're next. Both of you. Don't trust the shadows. Don't trust what's missing."
Then darkness.
They both screamed as they came back to reality. The pain had increased; it felt as if someone was choking them. Immediately, both of them fainted on the spot.
The air in the Hospital Wing felt thick, like it was holding its breath. The sun outside was setting, casting long, golden streaks across the beds where James and Rose lay, still as stone.
Ginny sat close to James, fingers curled around his hand like she could will him to wake. Ron paced like a storm cloud in motion, while Hermione stood quietly near Madam Pomfrey's cabinet, clutching a file of old parchments. Harry leaned against the wall, arms folded, his eyes never leaving his son.
Suddenly — both James and Rose gasped loudly, sitting bolt upright in their beds like lightning had struck them.
Everyone jumped.
James clutched his throat, eyes wide. "It tried to choke me—someone was choking me—"Rose mirrored him, one hand at her neck. "Me too! Invisible hands, I couldn't breathe—!"
The room exploded into motion.
"James!" Ginny cried, placing her hands on his cheeks. "You're okay. You're okay now."
"Rose, what happened?" Ron asked, crouching at her bedside.
They ignored the questions. James turned to Rose. "You saw her again, didn't you?"
Rose nodded. "Older this time. Like… maybe your age. She looked scared. Really scared."
James swallowed. "She screamed. Said something's coming. Something that wants us."
"She said we were next," Rose whispered, voice trembling.
"We've been through a lot," Harry said cautiously, "but I've never heard of something like this happening during a vision. Are you sure it wasn't just—"
"It wasn't just a vision," Rose interrupted. "It was a message. She was older this time. She warned us."
"She?" Ginny repeated, looking between them. "Who is 'she'? What are you two talking about?"
Silence.
Then James said softly, "The girl. We've been seeing her for months. In our dreams. Visions. Always the same—red hair, green eyes, and magic that feels… off. Familiar."
"We told Professor McGonagall when we saw her the first time," Rose added. "She said to keep track of it."
Harry turned sharply to McGonagall. "You knew?"
McGonagall gave a slight nod. "They told me after the first incident. I didn't want to panic anyone until we had more information."
"You didn't think maybe we should know?" Ginny asked, voice tight.
"It's not just you," Hermione said, stepping forward. "We've all kept some things quiet."
"You too?" Harry turned to her, and Ron winced.
"Yes," Hermione admitted. "But not out of distrust. We weren't sure what we were looking at. The girl they saw doesn't exist in any official records—but her features, her magic… There were links to a time-unraveling event years ago."
Alicia added, "We think she's tied to more than one disappearance."
James's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Fred crossed his arms. "We didn't want to say anything until we knew more. But Hermione's been digging into Ministry files for weeks. And… well, we've got three names now."
"Three?" Rose echoed.
Hermione nodded. "All children. All untraceable in official Hogwarts records. All are potentially connected by magic that shouldn't exist. But one of them is the girl you've seen. She is still alive, but she is tied to them; it might come for her, James, and Rose this time."
Ginny stepped closer. "And who are the other two?"
Hermione looked hesitant.
Bill answered for her. "Minerva. Daisy. And one more Nova. But the files—buried deep—suggest they were taken or hidden during a magical disturbance. We believe it's tied to a possible prophecy. Something dark. Something unfinished."
George said, "And we only just found more pieces this week."
"That doesn't explain why the kids are seeing her," Harry said, looking between James and Rose.
"It might not be them she's showing herself to," Fleur said, her voice soft but certain. "It might be to Nova… through them."
Everyone fell silent.
James finally asked, "What does she want?"
Hermione looked directly at him. "To be found. To be remembered. And maybe… to stop something from happening again."
Madam Pomfrey spoke for the first time. "We need to monitor both of them closely. This wasn't just magical exhaustion. It was an attack."
"Which means," McGonagall said, voice steely, "someone or something is trying to keep them from learning more."
Harry glanced at Hermione. "We're past the research stage, aren't we?"
Hermione sighed. "We are. We launched a full investigation. Fred, Alicia, George, Angelina, Bill, Fleur— are all with me."
"Wait—you've formed a team?" Ginny asked. "And we're just hearing about this now?"
"I didn't want to pull you in unless absolutely necessary," Hermione said. "But now it is."
Harry looked at her. "This isn't just about research, is it?"
Hermione held his gaze. "No. It's about something lost. And someone who shouldn't even be alive."
James and Rose froze.
Fred muttered under his breath, "Well, guess it's time to tell them who's back."
Alicia elbowed him. "Not yet."
McGonagall raised a brow. "If there's more, I suggest we keep our next moves careful and contained."
"We will," Hermione agreed. "But we can't leave the kids in the dark anymore."
Rose looked at James. "We're part of this now, aren't we?"
James nodded. "We always were."
The silver moonlight spilled through the tall windows of the Hospital Wing. The beds were still tucked neatly with crisp white sheets, but the atmosphere was heavy with unease. James and Rose sat up in bed, both looking tired but alert, bandages gently wrapped around their whole body. Madam Pomfrey bustled about, occasionally checking their vitals and muttering under her breath.
The doors creaked open, and in tiptoed Albus, Lily, and Hugo—each holding a small snack bag or a flower plucked from the greenhouses.
"Oi," Al whispered, "you two look like you got attacked by a mad Mandrake."
Rose rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Thanks, Al. That's comforting."
Lily placed a soft purple flower on the table beside James's bed. "We came to check on you. What happened?"
"Yeah," Hugo added, flopping into the chair between their beds. "We heard you both fainted. Same time. Different classes. Everyone's talking about it."
James glanced at Rose. Their expressions flickered—part hesitation, part unspoken agreement.
"We don't really remember," James said finally.
Rose nodded. "Just... blacked out. That's all."
Al crossed his arms. "You both blacked out? Same second? Sounds fishy."
"It's not like we planned it," Rose muttered.
Before any more questions could spill out, the doors opened again— Ginny and Hermione entered.
"What are you three doing out of bed this late?" Ginny asked, trying to hide her pain with a forced smile.
"Well, Madam Pomfrey didn't let us come in until we got a signed note from Professor McGonagall, and she was out and came and signed the paper just a few minutes ago," Albus said, opening a chocolate frog and stuffing it into James's mouth.
"Rose! James!" Ginny screamed as Rose and James grabbed their neck with their own hands and started choking themselves.
After a minute of trying to get their hands away from their neck, both of them collapsed again.
The sunlight warmed the stone floors as Albus, Lily, and Hugo sat at the foot of James and Rose's hospital beds, legs dangling or curled up on the edges. The room was quieter now, with only the occasional clink from Madam Pomfrey's cabinet.
Al was leaning forward, whispering, "I don't care what they say. That wasn't just fainting. Same time? In different classes? Trying to choke themselves? Something's up."
"I know," Hugo agreed, wide-eyed. "Professor Trelawney said the stars were behaving strangely yesterday. That always means something weird is coming."
Lily rolled her eyes. "The stars always behave strangely according to her."
"Yeah, but still," Hugo said. "James and Rose don't just 'black out.' They tried to kill themselves and before that you saw their necks. It looked like—like someone tried to—"
"Don't say it," Lily interrupted quickly, clutching the little flower bouquet tighter in her lap. "I don't want to think about that. Not in Hogwarts. This is supposed to be the safest place in the world."
Al glanced toward the beds. James and Rose were unconscious, but clearly exhausted. "They're hiding something," he murmured.
Lily frowned. "You think they're being forced not to tell? Like... with a spell?"
"Or maybe they're just scared," Hugo said, chewing his lip. "Maybe they think if they say it out loud, it'll happen again."
There was a pause. All three looked toward their cousins, curled up under the hospital wing blankets like something precious had been taken from them.
Lily looked down at her lap. "They're not the only ones scared."
Suddenly, the door creaked again, and a tall figure strode in—confident, calm, and radiating the kind of serious big-brother energy that hushed the room in a second.
Teddy Lupin.
His blue robes swished as he crossed the room. His hair, a calm chestnut today, reflected the low light, and his expression was gentle but firm.
"Alright," he said with a small smile, "that's enough for now, don't you think?"
"But we haven't even—" Hugo began.
"I know," Teddy said, crouching down so he was at eye level with them. "But they need some rest. And you three need to trust that you're not the only ones trying to figure this out."
He looked at each of them in turn, voice softening but laced with steel. "The entire Ministry is on this. Every skilled Auror, Unspeakable, Curse-Breaker, and expert from every department is working day and night. People your parents trust. People I trust. This isn't just some ordinary case."
The cousins fell silent, eyes wide.
"You're all smart," Teddy continued, "and I know you're curious. But this is big. Bigger than anything Hogwarts has seen in a long time. So right now, the best thing you can do is stay close, stay careful, and keep your eyes open."
"But..." Lily looked up, her voice small. "Are they going to be okay?"
Teddy softened. "They'll be alright. They've got each other. And they've got us."
There was a pause, a beat of unspoken fear, and then Teddy clapped his hands gently.
"Now. Out you go. Breakfast is still on, and Madam Pomfrey won't let me bribe you with treacle tart to stay."
The three got up reluctantly. Hugo turned back at the door. "If they wake up, tell them we'll be back after class?"
"I will," Teddy promised.
As the younger kids slipped out, Teddy turned to James and Rose, his expression serious once more.